American poker pro Jared ‘Jhub’ Hubbard has challenged his fans to thrilling heads-up battles throughout the whole of next month – if they can answer a question concealed somewhere on his personal website.

The Lock Poker Elite Pro will also allow his opponents to choose the stakes they wish to play for against the sit ‘n’ go specialist from Minnesota as Hubbard takes on all-comers on every single day of February in a challenge he has described as being “as up close as it gets”. It should be a fantastic few weeks for prospective champions as taking on Hubbard – who began playing online back in 2006 – would be a greater test than the vast majority will have ever faced before. If anyone does somehow beat Hubbard, he will give them a 30-minute coaching consultation on any discipline that interests, as well as the cash for overcoming the expert, of course.

Answer a Daily Question for Chance to Face Pro

Anyone interested in meeting Hubbard head-to-head should sign up to follow him on social network site Facebook or microblogging website Twitter and look out for the daily trivia question he supplies. Now, this is where it gets even more interesting as the answer to his query will be located somewhere on his own website, jaredhubbard.com. The first entrant to supply the answer on each of February’s 29 days will be given the chance to take on Hubbard at Lock Poker – no matter how much cash they have as the stake levels will be decided by the challenger.

Hubbard Can’t Wait to face Challengers

Hubbard said: “I’m really looking forward to this. I love what I do for a living and am fortunate to be a Lock Poker Elite Pro and to work with Poker Face PR, who built my website and created this promotion for me. The best part of what I do is interact with the fans and this contest will certainly put us as up close as it gets on the felt.” Hubbard, of Farmington, produced a brilliant display of skill recently to take down the $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Championship event for $70,769 at the Fall Poker Classic at the Canterbury Park Card Club in Shakopee. The champion emerged triumphant from a field of 293 players to eventually defeat fellow American Brandon Beery in their heads-up encounter that left the latter with $39,789 for his runner-up spot back in mid-October.

Virtual Felt is Spiritual Home for Star

However, Hubbard is better known for his skills on the virtual felt at Lock Poker and has already accumulated more than $1.5 million in online winnings, while he was also ranked at number one in the whole Merge Poker Network last year, according to online poker tournament results database Sharkscope. He is normally located playing 16 tables at a time at Lock Poker, taking in medium-to-high stakes six-player sit ‘n’ gos, or even between four and six medium-to-high stakes heads-up SNGs. This upcoming challenge won’t be the last from Hubbard this year, however, as public relations firm Poker Face PR (PFPR) have promised numerous interactive promotions that will involve the online star.

Lock Poker Bonus Boost to New Sign-Ups

Now, if you haven’t already checked out Lock Poker, then you certainly should – especially if you haven’t already signed up to any poker sites lately  as they offer a fabulous first-deposit bonus that is hard to match.
If you do get in there over the next few weeks, you will also be able to take part in the challenge laid down by Hubbard, so this offer really shouldn’t be ignored. Remember to make use of our Lock Poker bonus code, PNREPORT, when signing up to avail yourself of a 150% bonus of up to $750. Click here to visit Lock Poker and also check out our Lock Poker review here.

There might be a lull in the poker world right now with the festive season in full swing, but fans of the world’s greatest game can still get their fill of flushes and full houses by tuning in to see a documentary on sensational poker star Sam Holden next month.

The 22-year-old Englishman enjoyed an incredible 2011 and is rightly the subject of a documentary to be shown on television throughout Europe over the next few weeks.

In a little over a year after turning pro, the rookie managed to secure a seat among the November Nine at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event, finishing in ninth for a staggering $782,115.

OK, he would have been aiming for the top spot, WSOP gold bracelet and $8,715,638 taken by Germany’s Pius Heinz, but it’s quite staggering how far the youngster has come since first making his mark at the felt back in August last year with his 12th place finish at the UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) Edinburgh main event for $3,436.

Sam Holden Secures Late Night Poker Success

Since then, Team 888 Poker ambassador Holden has secured a fifth place from the UKIPT Galway main event for $2,090 last December, as well as first in the UKIPT Newcastle No-Limit Hold’em (six max) event for $5,785 in June, his ninth at the WSOP main event in Las Vegas, and the top spot in the Coral Late Night Poker 2011 in Cardiff for $150,000 in late November.

Now, after such a sensational 12 months, Spade Social – a video social network for poker fans – and poker site 888 Poker have got together to produce a half-hour documentary that will allow fans of the game to see what it is like to play at the highest level.

In fact, the Eastbourne pro allowed a film crew to follow him around as he prepared to take his seat at the November Nine, so expect some startling insights as Holden hit the headlines across the globe.

The poker documentary makers have assured poker fans that the 30-minute movie will highlight “what has turned him from a hopeful student interested in the game to one of the brightest and most talented players in the circuit”.

Changes in Game Highlighted in Documentary

Additionally, they also stated that they will reveal “how the new breed of highly educated, young poker players is changing the game and what influences technology and social media have had on the sport”.

While Sky channel 231 will show the movie in the UK, poker fans throughout continental Europe will also have the chance to view this thrilling piece of movie-making on 20 free channels during January.

Of course, if you’re looking to get on to the virtual tables to play some poker on easy poker sites, then maybe you should follow Holden’s example and open an account with 888 Poker.

If you get on over to this wonderful poker site right now, you’ll be able to take advantage of our fabulous offer that includes a $600 bonus plus an extra $8 for free instead of the usual $400 bonus. The bonus is normally $400, so don’t delay. Go to 888poker.com now.

It’s incredible the difference a few months can make – and that could not be more accurate when looking at the Bodog Poker brand, which has somewhat surprisingly resurfaced in the USA as Bovada Poker.

It looked as if Bodog would be quitting the States just five months ago to concentrate on the lucrative Asian market that is opening up right now, only for the poker website to make a Lazarus-like rise from the dead yesterday as Bovada Poker.

This is a massive turnaround from what had been expected following Bodog founder Calvin Ayre’s conclusion back in early August that “the real market is in Asia, not in North America, anyway”. Maybe it was all just a smokescreen, although it’s likely we’ll never know.

Emails have also been sent out to all existing customers with a heading that reads: “Bodog.eu is changing — New Name, New Look, Same Great Service”. That’s good to know, of course, as Bodog was regarded as one of the leading poker sites in the USA.

Also slightly unexpectedly, or maybe not, the ‘new’ site will be operated by the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group (MMGG) – which was Bodog’s previous USA licensees from 2006 onwards – and will be affiliated to the Bodog Poker network in precisely the same manner as skins on numerous other online poker networks share player databases.

Ultimately, though, I guess most poker observers could have predicted some sort of presence for Bodog within the States, even though the company had stated in July that they would be quitting after this year ends as they aim to enhance their share of the market in Asia, as well as Britain by opening numerous high street shops.

Unfortunately, only customers within the USA will be able to gain access to the site, so leaving countless European poker players disappointed at not being able to compete with the North American counterparts, although they will still be allowed to log on to their accounts and play at bodog.eu.

It is an incredible change in stance, though, as it appeared Bodog was giving up on the States when their British operation was awarded a Gambling Commission licence to operate within the European country back in July.

That decision will almost certainly mean that Bodog will continue sponsoring the always-popular annual Poker in the Park event in London.

It should also be noted that Bodog signed sponsorship deals with English Premier League football side West Bromwich Albion and Scottish First Division team Ayr United FC as they aim to promote their brand in the already-packed British market.

What is vital, though, to existing Bodog Poker customers outside of the USA is that they have been moved on to the new website, while the only major change for States players is that they are now unable to access the Bodog website and must instead download the Bovada Poker client.

US players need not panic, though, as their bankroll information – which remains “safe and secure” – has been transferred to Bovada Poker, while their passwords and log-ins remain unaltered.

The email sent to all US clients continued by pointing out that: “Your account and balance has automatically been transferred to the new website and you are able to log in to the site using your existing account details and password,” before concluding with the message: “We hope you enjoy the new site!”

Bodog’s rebranding to Bovada Poker might even have a positive effect on the numbers of players hitting the virtual tables at Bovada Poker, as well as the Bodog Poker Network.

Incredibly, Bodog’s traffic levels showed a massive 64% year-on-year increase immediately following the events of Black Friday back in April, although those impressive figures began to drop off after the announcement from Merge Poker Network that they would be accepting new registrations from the States.

Still, Bovada players will continue to hope that they can benefit from massively under-subscribed guaranteed events and some very weak players in the low and micro stakes tournaments and tables.

We shall see, but it’s great news for American poker players after numerous poker sites, including PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker, were shut down by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) on April 15 this year, leaving US clients lacking in opportunities to play online poker.

A press release from Bodog announced yesterday’s changes, and reads as follows:

“Following the Bodog Brand’s decision to withdraw the brand from the US market as announced earlier this year, as of today (December 14, 2011) the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group (MMGG) will no longer operate under the Bodog name.

“Whilst MMGG’s brand licensing agreement does not formally expire until December 31, as from today, US residents will no longer be able to access bodog.eu or any other Bodog branded website.

“We understand MMGG will now operate under its new brand, Bovada, at the following website: www.bovada.lv, such domain being given to MMGG pursuant to its rights on expiry of the licensing agreement.

“The Bodog brand is confident MMGG’s customer account information and funds will continue to remain safe and secure, as it has done since MMGG entered its original agreement with the Bodog Brand in 2006 and we would like to wish MMGG the greatest success in its new venture.”

An attorney representing Full Tilt was tight-lipped about the deal, saying that “it’s really important that the negotiations remain confidential.” But the FTP lawyer did confirm that Full Tilt is involved in ongoing negotiations with both GBT and with U.S Department of Justice officials.

Recent Wall Street Journal news reports have stated that part of the sale may include current owners in addition to allowing players who are owed a great deal of money to have the option to become shareholders. But, it was stressed, the existing owners would have no part in the day-to-day management of the company.

Many industry observers have a hard time fathoming that Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson and Rafael Furst could have any part in retaining ownership in the company in light of the amended civil action accusing the poker pros of fraud and money laundering, allegedly pocketing millions of dollars in shareholder dividends while Full Tilt players have yet to be paid. Full Tilt’s image has been severely tarnished by the government’s accusations, as well as the revelation that Full Tilt’s board of directors mismanaged funds by crediting players’ accounts without having the abiltity to obtain those monies from its third-party payment processors.

AGCC to Review Full Tilt Fiasco

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission is planning a review of the Full Tilt Poker scandal in an effort to learn from its mistakes and to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future.

“We will certainly review our processes in the light of this particular experience and we might introduce changes if we find that there’s things that we could do better from our side,” said Andre Wilsenach, AGCC’s executive director.

The AGCC trusted Full Tilt’s own accounting reports that funds were available without actually auditing the poker site. In reality, Full Tilt’s funds were not available due to mismanagement and several issues with payment processors.

For sure we will be back soon with more news on Full Tilt Poker, come back to our Easiest Poker Sites website.

Recent history shows that online players should also be concerned about encryption, or the lack thereof.

Encryption is encoding a message so that only a sender and the intended receiver have the ability to read the contents of the message. Before depositing and playing at poker websites, most players assume that the sites have some type of security in place that will ensure a safe and fair playing environment. We don’t want to be concerned with some unscrupulous hacker being able to steal our password or see our hole cards. But it has happened in the past and more than likely will happen again in the future.

PokerTableRatings, the data mining website, was able to discover weak encryption in the servers of Cake Poker in July of last year. Cake was said to be using a poor XOR encryption that programmers could easily crack, instead of Secured Socket Layer (SSL) encryption, which is standard in the industry. Poker players were in jeopardy of having their account information and hole cards available to hackers.

Lee Jones, the manager of the card room at Cake Poker during that time, said that he was informed by programmers that Cake’s encryption code was indeed, secure. But one month after the security problem was exposed, Cake added SSL encryption to ensure the confidence of its players.

A few months prior to the Cake security issue, the Cereus network was also criticized and accused of weak encryption. PokerTableRatings was again responsible for discovering the security breach at Absolute Poker. PTR went so far as to publish a video on Youtube showing the vulnerability of the site’s security. Cereus also was forced to upgrade to SSL encryption.

Joining the list of sites with a history of weak or questionable encryption is the UK-based online bookmaker Betfred. A couple of years ago Betfred was accused of failing to encrypt passwords of its affiliate accounts. Apparently, the company’s employees leaked information compromising the passwords, addresses and rake numbers of its customers. Betfred, whose poker room is on the iPoker network, now touts SSL encryption as well.

In recent news, it was learned that Betfair, the world’s largest online betting site, had its data storage hacked by cyber criminals who stole 3.15 million usernames featuring encrypted security questions, 2.9 million usernames with addresses and bank account details of 89,744 usernames. Betfair said that the stolen data was not used fraudulently and all data was recovered and the online gambling site has done everything possible to minimize the risks of another security breach.

Its hard enough to win at poker without having to worry about site security and whether somebody can see hole your cards. Let’s hope that when federal regulations are in place and online poker is legal in the U.S., that the legislation will include assuring players of a safe and secure poker room.

For this reason it’s good to stay informed, our Easiest Poker Sites website only reviews the most secure and trusted poker sites that came trough the security test and are reliable. You won’t find Full Tilt Poker over here (currently in the middle of law suits because of an alledged Ponzi Scheme). Stick with sites like 888, they might not offer thousands of dollars of bonuses, but be realistic in where you are going to put your money. Check our 888 poker bonus page for more information. We are currently offering a special deal, which is 50% higher than the regular bonus!

The resignation follows the revelation that the world’s largest online betting site’s data storage was hacked by cyber criminals who stole 3.15 million usernames featuring encrypted security questions, 2.9 million usernames with addresses and bank account details of 89,744 usernames. Although the hacking ocurred 18 months ago, Betfair made no attempt to inform its patrons, claiming that its customers’ information was not at risk.

“Eighteen months ago we were subject to an attempted data theft,” a company statement said. “Because of our security measures the data was unusable for fraudulent activity and we were able to recover the data intact.”

The theft ocurred in March of 2010, although Betfair wasn’t aware of the security breach until May, 2010, when a server crashed in one of the company’s data center’s in Malta.

Betfair alerted all necessary authorities after learning of the cyber crime, including the Royal Bank of Scotland, Australian Federal Police, UK Serious Organised Crime Agency and German law enforcement agents. Betfair worked in tandem with the authorities and insisted that “it was established that there was no risk to customers.”

A consultant company that Betfair hired after the security breach ocurred submitted a report of its findings to Betfair, stating that the site’s data security was not at its optimum best. “Appropriate information security governance is not in place within Betfair and as a consequence, the business has been exposed to significant risks,” the report said.

Betfair claims that it now has put into place all of the recommendations made from the reports of the independent IT consulting firm, Information Risk Management, and has done everything possible to minimize the risks of another security breach. It has established a new code of customer commitment, promising customers quality service and ensuring data security. Betfair also publishes a quarterly report of its progress toward its renewed customer service.

Catlett joins many other Betfair personnel who have left the UK company since they went public in October, 2010. Chief Executive David Yu, Chairman Ed Wray and almost two dozen security employees have left since the breach was discovered.

Best is to stay on secure poker sites, stick with known brands (although Full Tilt Poker is an awful exception on this rule). Check our list of easy poker sites, and be sure to check our 888 Poker review. 888 is one of the big brands nowadays. Signing up at 888 poker trough our links will give you a bonus of $600 + $8 for free, which is higher than the normal bonus of just $400.

For many years, the casino industry feared much of its business and customer base would be lost if gamblers were able to make wagers without leaving the comfort of their homes. But now that online poker has been available to players for more than a decade, the results have shown the opposite to be true. The online poker boom actually increased poker’s popularity and brought poker players into casino card rooms in droves.

The turning point for industry executives came in March, 2010, when the American Gaming Association changed its stance and began supporting regulation of online poker. And the events of 2011, including Black Friday and the recent allegations against Full Tilt Poker, have made it clear that regulation is sorely needed.

“There is a whole different attitude on the Hill [Washington] and in the country and in a funny way the PokerStars and Full Tilt events, both on April 15th and last week, show the need for legalization and regulation,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., AGA President and CEO.

The AGA is now seen as America’s best hope for online poker to become legalized. They have established a code of conduct that requires future U.S. licensed online poker companies to adhere to. Several of the codes outlined by the gaming association have apparently been written with the recent Full Tilt legal action in mind. For instance, licensees would be required to undergo extensive background checks and that “effective regulation of online poker must begin with the integrity of the operators themselves.” The conduct code further states that any licensed online poker room would be required to set up anti-money-laundering procedures.

With the AGA, the Poker Players Alliance and FairPlayUSA lobbying for online poker, many in the industry believe online poker will be available to U.S. players perhaps within a year or so. It will undoubtedly be heavily regulated. But the poker sites won’t all be in offshore locations with no protection to the players’ funds as has been the case up until now. In all probability, several future online poker sites will be based in Las Vegas. Just a couple of years ago, that idea would have been preposterous to casino industry executives.

7 teams from North, South and Central America convened in Uruguay for the tournament which kicked off with a number of sit ‘n’ go tournaments with points being awarded dependent on the finishing position at each player’s tables. With only four teams from the 7 progressing at this stage, there was a lot of early pressure to ensure that a brief stay at the tournament was avoided.

Canada stormed past their opponents

Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Venezuela were the four teams who made up the semi-finals but there was not much of a contest in the two games. Canada trounced Brazil 5-0 and Mexico had a 4-1 victory over their Venezuelan opponents.

The third and fourth play-off saw Venezuela beat Brazil 4-1 but anyone hoping for a close contest in the final would have been sadly let down. Canada once again showed the difference in class with another 5-0 win, ensuring they did not drop a single game during the knock-out rounds. Anyone looking for insight into how Canada managed to stand out so strongly against their rivals may have found one of the post-tournament interviews revealing.

Is the schooling system in Canada so advanced?

John Mehrassa, one of the victorious Team Canada players, remarked that “When we raise our kids in Canada, the first thing we teach them is poker” which is great for breeding good poker players but perhaps not such a hit with the care services! In saying that, getting an early grounding in the nuances of poker can bring an understanding of numbers, colours, patterns and human nature, so it is not a bad thing to be teaching to youngsters.

The $25,000 prize money is not likely to be the biggest prize that the winning players will receive in their poker career but when taking part in an international tournament, the pride can sometimes be far more important than the cash.

It is not as if the Scottish national football team has had its troubles to seek with late night revelry. Throughout the years, the drinking culture within the country has bled into the national team creating stories, at times hilarious, at other times tragic, that have weaved their way through the fabric of the game.

A dark night for Scottish football

However, in recent times, this level of drinking and socialising has not been as acceptable in football and a dark night for the Scottish national team fell when the team had returned to their hotel after a 3-0 defeat by Holland. Alan McGregor and Barry Ferguson, at the time both Rangers players, engaged in an all-night drinking session which climaxed the following morning with both players abusing hotel guests and one of the Scottish coaches.

Both players were issued bans by the SFA and since then, there has been a clamp-down on what sort of behaviour is allowed when the national team congregates. Even through there is still a tight eye kept on the levels of alcohol consumed, Scottish boss Levein has decided to loosen the level of control and has brought in poker nights to provide the players with an outlet for their free time.

Play to win

There are no half measures with this approach and genuine casino croupiers are being employed by the national team to ensure that everything is above board. In a way this takes the responsibility away from a player to ensure that order is kept in the game and should mean that everyone who wants to be involved in the poker game can get involved.

Poker has long been associated with football players, young men with plenty of free time and money will always find activities that engage these commodities. Some will worry about the national team coach introducing poker in such a formal fashion but given it is likely that poker schools will pop up throughout the camp, there is an argument that it is better to have it all above board and properly regulated.

Leo, whose “handle” originates from the job he used to do before he retired to his farm outside the city, celebrated his biggest ever success in front of three generations of family members and his lucky mascot – Wally the Wombat.

Setting the Final Day Scene

Leo has a true love affair with the Crown Poker Rooms, having won his first Australian Poker Championships at the venue as far back as August 2000, but would not have found any of his previous achievements as difficult – and as rewarding – as this one. When play started for the day, Leo was second behind New Zealander Phil Wilcocks – but with only half as many chips. However, Leo was soon to slip down the rankings as Will Jones and Steve Bouya turned aggressors in the first couple of hours play.

Boxell Takes a Lead

Just before lunch Bouya took the lead from Wilcocks, when his pair of Kings held a ¼million chip pot, but whatever Leo had to eat worked wonders for his fortunes. His K♣ 9♦ found two pairs on the flop to take 170,000 chips from Bouya and then his A♠ 8♣ was good enough to take Bouya for another 170,000 chips with top pair top kicker. With just five players remaining, things started looking tasty for the local family man, but it was just about to get brutal.

Bouya Bleeds and Heals as Boxell Leaks and Brakes

Steve Bouya continued to be involved in most of the action – first going down to 283,000 chips before doubling up twice to 1.25 million. Leo however, first lost 465,000 chips to Phil Wilcocks´ full house and then gave an uncontested 340,000 chips to Steve Jones. The fifth player in the mix, Australian Van Marcus, tried to get involved but found the action too heavy for him to risk his tournament life against the other four big hitters.

Marcus Breaks and Jones Crashes

After hours of unforgiving aggression, Van Marcus eventually had to get involved. With blinds of 20K/40K and a stack of 600,000 he could not wait any longer for the others to crash and burn. Sadly, he called the wrong hand and found himself with K♣ J♦ on a flop of K♥ Q♥ 5♥ against Willcocks´ A♥ A♦. The 3♥ on the turn gave Marcus nothing to aim for and he departed with $73,300, but probably kicking himself for his hand selection. Phil Willcocks was also instrumental in sending Tasmanian Steve Jones to the rail, being way behind when calling Jones´ set of nines, but spiking an 8♥ on the turn to give him a straight and cement his chip lead.

Three Becomes Two

The final three of Willcocks, Boxell and Bouya became two within 30 minutes, when Boxell (A♠ A♣) checked raised Bouya (9♠ 9♦) on a board of J♦ 5♦ 2♣ and teased the shove out of Bouya. Neither player got any help from the turn or river and Bouya left the game with $116,000 and the two remaining combatants closely matched as they entered the Heads-Up.

Flip-Flop Fortunes in the Heads-Up Play

With a difference of $123,000 between first and second place, it would have been understandable if the pace of the game slowed – but it was not to be. Leo took an early advantage in the climax, but was sent reeling when his 2♥ 2♦ was battered by Willcocks´ flopped set of Queens, leaving him staring at a 4:1 chip deficit. Leo pulled some back with a runner, runner flush, but was knocked back again when his A♥ K♦ remained friendless against Willcocks´ J♠ J♣.

Small Cards Give Big Hands to Boxell

It was eventually two hands of small cards which lead to Leo´s victory. In the first, the Melbourne man limped in from the button with 6♥ 4♦, caught 3♦ A♠ 5♥ on the flop and 7♥ on the river to give him a valuable straight. The final hand was won with the even more unlikely 4♣ 2♠.

The board read 2♥ Q♠ 6♠ / 4♠ / J♥ and the New Zealander felt obliged to shove with J♠ 10♥. Leo tanked for a few minutes before announcing his call, and it turned out to be the most valuable decision of his life. His two small pair topped Willcocks´ Jacks, and Leo had become the new APPT Melbourne Champion in front of his home fans and his family.

Final Table Positions and Payouts APPT Melbourne

Leo confessed in a post-match interview that his wife would probably have the final say on how the $330,000 first place prize money was spent, but the other eight final table players should be able to get away without the intervention of a very happy Mrs Boxell.

1st Leo Boxell (Australia) – $330,000
2nd Phil Willcocks (New Zealand) – $207,600
3rd Steve Bouya (Australia) – $116,000
4th Will Jones (Australia) – $88,600
5th Van Marcus (Australia) – $73,300
6th Michael Frydman (Australia) – $58,000
7th Eddie Mascardi (Australia) (PokerStars Qualifier) – $45,800
8th Jackson Zheng (New Zealand) (PokerStars Qualifier) – $36,700
9th Julius Colman (Australia) – $27,500