Well Anton Makiievskyi is living that dream. This 21-year-old aspiring poker pro from the Ukraine hopes to become the fourth player from the Ukraine to win a gold bracelet this year. This marks the first time a Ukrainian player has ever appeared at the Main Event final table. With only 13,825,000 he does have one of the lowest two stacks.

British born Sam Holden is a 22-year-old professional poker player also playing in his first WSOP this year. He holds the lowest stack worth only 12,375,000

Pius Heinz is a 22-year-old student and poker player. Another first timer he is the first player from Germany ever to make it the Main Event finale. He’s seventh in chips with 16,425,000.

Ben Lamb is the one to watch as this Oklahoma player is enjoying the hottest streak of anyone at this year’s World Series of Poker. He leads the 2011 WSOP “Player of the Year” race. He has a gold bracelet win, a second place finish, and eighth- and twelfth-place showings in his four cashes – and has now made the final table in the Main Event. With 20,875,000 he currently ranks fifth in chips.

Martin Staszko is a 35-year-old professional poker player from the Czech Republic. He is also the first player to represent his country at the Main Event final table, and will be doing so in style as the chip leader. His starting stack is a massive 40,175,000!

There are now just over 100 days till the final kicks off from November 5-7. The eventual winner will walk away with a massive $8,711,956 in prize money and become World Champion. Although the final has no big name pros, it could still end up being the most interesting contest in some time.

This time of year is one of my favourite in the poker calendar. After the pressure of the WSOP many of the top names in poker descend to the European shores for London’s Poker in the Park, The WSOPE and many other tournaments and appearances. It is also the gap in between the last nine WSOP players being announced and the actual final table being played.

When the World Series of Poker organisers first introduced the gap many thought it was simply a means of extending the promotional opportunities. However I think it really works to build a sense of occasion.

It also creates a platform for the “November Nine” as they have now been named, to raise their own profiles.

So who are this year’s contenders?

With the industry focus pointing towards Europe given the situation in the US it is probably not surprising that only a third of the final table are from home soil. The final nine include players from Germany, UK, Ireland, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Belize, giving the 2011 WSOP a more international flavour than previous years.

Matt Giannetti is the 26-year-old poker pro from Las Vegas. During much of the later stages of Day Eight he was largely short – stacked, however managed to survive a number of all-ins and comes to the final table right in the top three starting with 24,750,000 in chips.

Eoghan O’Dea, 26-year-old poker pro, is having a stomping year as this is his forth WSOP cash. If his name seems familiar it is because Eoghan is the son of famous Irish poker player Donnacha O’Dea, who won a WSOP gold bracelet in 1998. He is second in chips with 33,925,000

Badih Bou-Nahra is the first player from Belize ever to make it to the Main Event final table. The 49-year-old businessman was very low on chips on Day Six, but ran well late and survived. Now, he has an average-size stack of 19,700,000 in chips

Phil Collins is a 26-year-old pro poker player. Not to be mistaken for the drummer in Genesis, Collins who resides in Las Vegas, US, was an online poker regular until April 2011 but it must have been good practice as he holds a chip stack of 23,875,000

You will all receive a full newsletter about this but in the mean time we thought it best that we clear up what is being said about the future of Rakeback on the Merge Poker Network.

Following several rumours in poker world, Merge have announced that they will end Rakeback for New Players as of 1st June. We have no information at this time regards what will happen after that but we suspect new players will have to sign up via the normal VIP programs.

What this means is that you have about 3 weeks to sign up for a Merge room to take advantage of a fixed rakeback rate of 35% But don’t take too long to think about it in case they move the goal posts. And don’t forget to be a good buddy and tell a friend!

They all welcome US and Non-US players alike and all offer the following:
• 35% Rakeback paid daily to your account.
• VIP Programs worth between 5-15%
• Sign up bonuses between $600 and $2000
• Lots of internal promotions.

And in addition they offer the following:

Carbon Poker
• $10,000 Personal Rake Chase – up to 40%
• Free iPad for raking $10k before 31st July
• DragTheBar Training Free each month
• Upgrade to the top VIP level ETHER for Stars SN/SNE and FT Black Card players
• $25 just for signing up and raking $25

GET CARBON POKER RAKEBACK

This week the leading English gaming consulting company H2 Gambling Capital released a study showing the effects of regulating internet gambling in the United States. The study showed that the positive effects would be much greater than first predicted.

H2 Gambling Capital provides market information and data for private companies and the industry in general. The Safe and Secure Gambling Initiative (leading advocate for the legalisation of gambling in the US) are paying close attention to this latest study and believe it adds more power to their legalisation argument.

The study indicates that the potential benefits of regulating online gambling including sports betting and poker would far exceed previous estimates and would have an enormous impact on employment and tax revenues. H2 Gambling Capital has indicated that nearly 32,000 jobs would be created over a period of five years and expenditure from regulated online gambling would exceed $94bn. The tax revenues from the legalisation of online gambling would be $57.5bn over the same five year time period.

These figures are approximately double the numbers that representatives are currently using to persuade the government to legalise online gambling. Representatives Frank and McDermott are using figures such as $42bn over ten years in federal government revenues and $30bn in state revenues over ten years.

A spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative, Michael Waxman endorsed the study and believes that this could help politicians realise the importance of online gambling:

““This analysis further reinforces the fact that a regulated environment will pay dividends throughout the economy. With unemployment nearing 10%, this study sends a clear message to policymakers that internet gambling regulation is a common sense way to immediately stimulate the economy, create close to 32,000 jobs, and raise billions in much-needed new government revenues.”

This is the latest in a series of positive moves for the legalisation team after they secured the support of the American Gaming Association just last month. The AGA will support government regulation if it is passed.

We will leave the last words to Mr Waxman:

“We believe the significant job and revenue creation potential provides an immediate incentive for the Obama Administration and Congress to act quickly to regulate internet gambling. Leaving in place a failed prohibition should no longer be the government’s misguided policy approach, leaving millions of Americans vulnerable as they continue to find a way to gamble online in a thriving underground marketplace.”

London based business newspaper the Financial Times has revealed that a federal grand jury in Manhattan is investigating Full Tilt Poker and players Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer who are believed to hold a controlling stake. The information comes from people familiar with the case and from a subpoena issued to a witness this week.

The news will no doubt have several poker and online gambling companies looking over their shoulder as the FBI have chosen to target one of the largest poker operators in the world even though they are based in Alderney in the UK Channel Islands.

Nelson Rose a prominent author on gambling law commented: “They are waging this war of intimidation. There are not a lot of good statutes, so they go after high-profile targets and try to intimidate everybody.”

With so much doubt over the legal implications of online gambling, judges have been unable to come to decisions in the past and Mr Rose stated he did not know of any criminal charges that had been brought under the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Bills continue to circulate Congress which would regulate and essentially legalise online poker but until these have been passed the authorities will continue to put pressure on the poker companies.

Eric Jackson, Lederer and Ferguson’s attorney was assertive in his response to questioning:

“We are not going to comment about a speculative grand jury investigation that we are not aware of.”

It does seem highly unlikely that a paper of the stature of the Financial Times would have released the article without a strong conviction the story was correct. A string of no comments from the Manhattan US attorney and the Justice Department indicate that they were not prepared for the leaking of these details.

At this stage there is no telling just what will happen in this intriguing tale of FBI agents and international poker players.

It will be offically announced later today that Full Tilt Poker is the Rakeback Room of the month March 2010!

Full details will be issues in a press release but we wanted to give you the inside scoop!

For more information about Full Tilt Poker Read our Full Tilt Review or simply start playing now by signing up and recieve 27% of your full tilt poker rake back!

Sign up now!

LONDON, ENGLAND, March 1st 2010 PRESS RELEASE: Online poker players have once last chance to qualify for a special freeroll this month on the Rakeback Partners network. The top 20 rakers at DoylesRoom in January, February, and March 2010 will be entered in a freeroll where one player will win a private dinner with Doyle in Vegas.

Those who have signed up to DoylesRoom through one of the rakeback partners sites and place in the top twenty rakers of the month will qualify for the freeroll which will be played at DoylesRoom.com on Sunday the 11th of April 2010.

The winner of the freeroll will win a private dinner with true poker legend Doyle Brunson in Las Vegas!
Flights and accommodation are included in the prize.

Online Marketing Manager for RakebackPoker.com, Emma Gilbert commented:

“DoylesRoom is a very popular site with our players so we are delighted to be able to offer this fantastic opportunity to meet the man behind the poker room in person. Mr Brunson is a legend in every respect and has had such a remarkable poker career that I’m sure the winning player will have lots to talk about!”

March is the last month where players can qualify for the Freeroll, for more details visit either Rakebackpoker.com, Rakeback.co.uk or Pokerrakeback.com. Players can also participate in the $40,000 DoylesRoom Rake Race as part of the March Promotions run exclusively on the Rakeback Partners Network.

Sign up at Doyles Room and get 33% rakeback and a chance to dine with Doyle Brunson himself!

*Full T&C’s available on request

How does $1750 Betfair Poker sign up bonus sound?

Basically the poker sign up bonus pays out a rate of $10 for every 300 Betfair Poker points.

Including the usual Sports and Casino bonuses players will receive 58%-64% in rakeback depending on the amount of rake they generate.

To claim the bonus you must use the code RB1750.

This bonus will be available until the end of August for all rakeback poker players.

Please refer to the terms and conditions

SIGN UP AT BETFAIR POKER RAKEBACK

Those of you who are familiar with the ipoker Network know that Ipoker Rakeback is prohibited so what happens to all those Celeb Poker Players who have been enjoying Rakeback.

We understand that all Celeb players will be grandfathered across for rakeback on the new iPoker system so if you don’t already have an account then now would be a great time to sign up with Celeb Poker

What benefits are there for players at the new CelebPoker?
Expect improvements in both the software as well as the promotions at CelebPoker. As part of the iPoker Network CelebPoker players will be able to win more money, with an incredible $20 million in guaranteed tournaments (up from €3-5 million on our old network). There are also limitless opportunities to win seats to major live events.

Players can look forward to:
New and improved software
24/7 action at the tables
30,000 peak hour players, including 12,000 peak hour cash players
New depositing system with 13 payment options
Real time game history from within the software
Real time bonus history
Exciting tournaments and promotions
Huge progressive STT jackpots
6 VIP reward levels
Over $100,000 in progressive SNG jackpots

And will continue to enjoy the same award-winning customer service that they’ve become accustomed to at Celebpoker.com, plus additional 24/7 live support from within the software.

Join Celeb Poker

The WSOPace is their version of the WSOP and attracts a field of around 100 players including a mix of professionals, celebrities and some amateurs too.

Fresh from the WSOP tables was James Akenhead, finalist in this year’s WSOP main event along with Steve Davis, Marty Smith Kevin O’Connell, Paul Jackson amongst many others, with pro player Jon Kalmar providing tournament direction.

WSOPace has a place in the hearts of poker players as the event is run for the charity The Meningitis Research Foundation. It’s a charity close to the hearts of the Pace family as it supported them and their daughter Holly, now 21 years old, after she contracted meningitis at just 4 weeks old.

Many prize donations were made by leading organisations in the Poker industry. A Notable donation was made by leading rakeback site RakeTheRake. As sponsors of the upcoming English Poker Open 2009 RTR donated an Event 2 EPO seat. Mike Caroll was the eventual winner of the seat.

If you wish to register for the EPO Event 2 click here or check out one of our freerolls to the EPO