Wendeen H. Eolis

By Wendeen H. Eolis

The publication of my bulletin, “Full Tilt Poker Stars Negotiations in the Can,” Friday July 27th has been linked by more than one hundred thirty websites, and PPN (Poker Player Newspaper) has counted more than 10,000 visits in the past forty eight hours. But, to answer one cynical poker forum poster’s question over the weekend, driving traffic to the website did not figure in my decision to submit the item for publication.  

by Wendeen H. Eolis

 Breaking News: The ups and downs and glitches in negotiations between PokerStars and the United States Department of Justice with respect to Full Tilt Poker have come to an end. 

 Without giving away the identity of a consistently impeccable resource, it is now safe to say announcements for public dissemination are in the works.  At this point I am ready to go out on a limb; FTP customers will see their monies well in time for Christmas shopping.

By Wendeen H. Eolis

Day seven of the 2012 World Series of Poker (“WSOP”) started with the final 27 players. Among the finalists, the poker gods favored two women but burst their bubble in the 11th and 10th spots. Before the day began, the most adored marquee names had all disappeared. At the close of the WSOP’s summer season, PokerStars’ pros were out of the hunt. And, word was trickling out that PokerStars’  top brass were occupied with more far reaching matters on the WSOP’s last day of summer play.

Is There A Real Deal In The Cards?

There was still no official announcement on the anticipated deal that would turn over to PokerStars the assets of Full Tilt Poker (“FTP”) and no word on the concrete basis on which to believe that  Full Tilt customers were about to see  repayment of their locked up funds.

by Wendeen H. Eolis

  Since the 1970s, enterprising men and women in the poker industry have sought to attract women into the fold (as players and industry professionals), but even the World Series of Poker has shown lackluster success in attracting more than a fractionally increased percentage of women into major competition.

 WSOP Director Ty Stewart says, “We all need to work toward the goal of doing better to move the needle way up on the participation of women at the WSOP.” Stewart is on the prowl for exciting suggestions from industry leaders who share this goal. Additionally, other WSOP personnel say they are mindful of the need to avoid the appearance of endorsement or partnership with organizations or individuals who may have more self-serving purposes.  Beyond the world of women players are women professionals in the poker industry; many have started their management careers in a casino card room, but have seen few opportunities to use their skills in their employers’ broader operations.

By: Wendeen H. Eolis

Phil Ivey Signs on For the Big One

 Phil Ivey the most worshipped poker star will take a seat in the upcoming million dollar buy-in tournament at the 43^rd Annual World Series of Poker that is now well underway at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.  No longer battling with his Full Tilt alma mater, far from the embrace of  Isai Scheinberg and PokerStars  when outside the US, and oblivious  to the short–lived Epic Poker League, Ivey is back in his element after a two year sabbatical at the richest and most prestigious poker tournament in the world.

by Wendeen H. Eolis

All systems are go for the 2012 World Series of Poker. There are no known hitches or glitches, and no press releases from outer space attempting, as of yet, to upstage the poker industry’s richest and most prestigious tournament of the year.

The WSOP remains a singular sensation in its 43rd year. Entrepreneurs, lawyers, government agencies, and players at felt tables, wrap themselves around their connections to the poker world, trying to make big news during the course of this six week-long annual event.  Behind the scenes stands Mitch Garber, the CEO of Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE), a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment Corp (Caesars).

by Wendeen H. Eolis

 No sooner than Laurent Tapie hit the send button on an email to employees of Pocket Kings (a Full Tilt Poker company) explaining that discussions to acquire FTP had gone down in flames, word began to spread like wildfire of another suitor for the online poker site—FTP’s longtime arch rival, PokerStars.

Tapie Deal Goes South

 As previously reported, Tapie’s repayment plan to refund non U.S. “Rest Of World” (ROW) customers was a bone of contention in Group Bernard Tapie’s negotiations with the DOJ during the past few months.

Enter PokerStars

by Wendeen H. Eolis

No sooner than Group Bernard Tapie announced its failure to acquire the Full Tilt brand--after months of up and down negotiations with the United States Department of Justice--word spread across the internet of another suitor for the online site, its arch rival Poker Stars.

As previously detailed, first, in Poker Player Newspaper, the credibility and timeliness of Tapie's repayment plan to refund ROW customers became a bone of contention in  its negotiations with the DOJ  during the past few months.
 
According to Behn Dayanmim, however, the DOJ did not show its hand--other negotiations in progress--while pushing Tapie to make full repayment of  foreign "ROW" player account balances faster than desired by the company. In early April--at the eleventh hour, the DOJ brought down the hammer on Tapie's recalcitrance in ponying up full  refunds to all ROW players-- within ninety days of consummation of the acquisition.  
 
Dayanim was plainly annoyed by the DOJ's sudden hard-nosed position on the timing of refunds to players, explaining, "Most former FTP customers would have seen their monies fully refunded almost immediately." On questioning, Dayanim acknowledged  "Players with larger balances would likely not have received full repayment for an extended period." Could it have been more than two years? Dayanim said, "Yes." 
 
"The timetable for repayment of ROW funds had been a critical of concern to the DOJ for months," say lawyers familiar with with the wrangling over this point between Tapie and DOJ.   "Tapie ultimately showed its colors when push came to shove," according to one lawyer close to multiple protagonists involved in the final weeks of the deal making process. 

by Wendeen H. Eolis

Last week, the eagerly awaited poker documentary, All In: The Poker Movie finally hit the big screen.  Director Douglas Tirola’s ambitious project was delayed almost a year so as to allow sufficient time to follow through with additional interviews that would explain not only the events  of Poker’s Black Friday last April 15th,  but also the poker world’s reactions to them.

The movie benefits from the delay, with a singularly realistic picture of poker, complete with coverage of the aftermath of Black Friday while retaining Tirola's original vision —to reveal poker in all of its glory—as a pastime, a game, an avocation, a profession, a business, and “part of the rich history and culture of America, since its beginnings."  

By Wendeen H. Eolis

Down the boardwalk from the recent World Series of Poker Circuit event in Atlantic City, a troop of online poker forum contributors—“ARGERS”—were whooping it up at the annual ATLARGE banquet.  The dinner was sponsored by PokerStars. The keynote speaker was John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance.