PokerStars Survives Black Friday
Nine months after the US Government aimed to shut down the big 3 poker sites and the dust is finally settling, PokerStars is the only real survivor. Of course PokerStars had to shut off service to their US players, but at least all US players were paid back their account balances.
The founders of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker/UB have gotten into a very sticky situation. On Black Friday, an indictment was put against the founders of online poker’s “big three” on charges of money laundering, bank fraud, and illegal gambling. Restraining orders were also placed against five of their internet domains and 75 bank accounts used by the poker companies and their payment processors.
The charges placed on the poker founders are based on two acts the illegal Gambling Business Act of 1955 and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 the same charges that had previously been brought against payment processors resulting in their shut downs. This has become a very complicated global legal battle between the U.S. Department of Justice and founders of the US poker sites who argue that their operations within the U.S. do not violate the law.
The press release on the indictment released by the U.S. Department of Justice, named the 11 defendants: Isai Scheinberg, Scott Tom, Brent Beckly, Raymond Bitar, Nelson Burtnick, Paul Tate, Bradley Franzen, Ira Rubin, Chad Elie, and John Compos. Scheinberg and Tate are indentified as representing the site PokerStars, Tom and Beckley of representing Absolute Poker, and Burtnick and Bitar of reprisenting the site Full Tilt Poker, while Franzen, Elie, and Rubin are the ones who allegedly ran their payment processors.
The main allegations brought upon the poker companies are the alleged fraudulent methods they use, and at least $3 billion from the defendants is being sought for money-laundering penalties.
“As charged, these defendants concocted an elaborate criminal fraud scheme, alternately tricking some U.S. banks and effectively bribing others to assure the continued flow of billions in illegal gambling profits. Moreover, as we allege, in their zeal to circumvent the gambling laws, the defendants also engaged in massive money laundering and bank fraud. Foreign firms that choose to operate in the United States are not free to flout the laws they don’t like simply because they can’t bear to be parted from their profits,” said by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.
Poker Tables
If you’re looking for high quality entertainment without having to go very far, then you need to strongly consider owning a poker table. Don’t worry about a poker table taking up too much space. There are all different sizes of poker tables, which we will cover here. You also shouldn’t worry about how many players you have. Whether it’s 3 players or 20 players, they can be accommodated.
The biggest selling poker table is the 52-Inch Folding Poker Table. This table only seats 8 players, but you can squeeze in 1 or 2 more if necessary. The best part about these poker tables is that they’re easy to transport. There is one important note here. The people who use these tables are often casual players who aren’t serious about the game. If you’re playing on a table like this, then you’re either playing for low stakes or you’re using it as an extra table in a tournament. Along the same lines when it comes to popularity is the 48-Inch Folding Poker And Blackjack Table. While the blackjack aspect is neat, 90% of people use the table for poker. If you choose to purchase any folding poker table, make sure it has cup holders.
If you want the highest quality 8-player table, go with the Rustic Pine Log Poker Table. These tables are much more expensive and they’re not portable, but they are by far the most durable as well as the nicest to look at. That said, there is no felt. Some players love to play on felt. If you’re one of those players, avoid this option.
A common poker table to be found in serious poker games is 10-Player 73-Inch Poker Table. The 83-Inch is also common. Both tables are sturdy and offer the closest thing to a casino experience. These tables aren’t portable and can cost between $800 and $2,000. If you want to spend a lot less money and you would like to own something that’s portable, then you should look into the Folding 10 Player 70-Inch Poker Table, which usually costs around below $300. There are no legs and it comes with a carrying case.