Poker Blog
Featuring scrawnybob's poker thoughts and vaguely poker related rambles. A unique commentary from a player perspective on the latest poker news. The poker blog also features guest articles, strategy articles from top poker writers & the latest developments in the poker industry.
FullTilt PokerStars Silence, Lock Get Cake & 4KSOP 2012
May 11, 2012 A couple of weeks have gone by and already the doom-mongers are circling the carcass that is "Full Tilt - The New Deal" (featuring PokerStars & co-staring the DoJ). In fairness PokerStar... more
4kingpoker 4KSOP 2012 Series Starts This Weekend
May 4, 2012 - I'm pleased to confirm the 3rd Annual 4KSOP Series (4kingpoker answer to the WSOP) will be starting this Sunday 6th May with a $30 Freeroll at Carbon Poker. With 19 games over the next ... more
Is Rumour PokerStars Buying Full Tilt in DOJ Deal Good News For Poker Players ?
April 27, 2012 Following confirmed announcement that Group Bernard Tapie have pulled out of deal with DOJ - Rumours that PokerStars are buying Full Tilt as part of their settlement with the DOJ have ... more
PokerTableRatings Pwned & Full Tilt Making Progress
April 20, 2012 This week the world or poker has been a bit more eventful with PokerStars getting serious with datamining site PokerTableRatings. While there are very definate signs of serious progres... more
Vicky Coren Engagement, iSeriesLive Launch & Merge Dont Dash to Rush
Mar 23, 2012 - Congratulations go out to David Mitchell and Vicky Coren on announcing their engagement, I'm sure I'm not the only poker player while pleased for the happy couple is also quietly gutte... more
Reality of Poker – Loans, Sharks, Losers and Variance
Over the last few weeks it's come to light that Full Tilt had made several large "loans" to FTP pro's and other professional poker players. This revelation that over $10m was missing from the FTP cof... more
Dear Mr Tapie, DOJ & FTP – Don’t Let The Deal Fail
9 Mar, 2012 - This week has thrown up a couple of problems for the pending Group Bernard Tapie deal to acquire Full Tilt Poker as some sort of go-able concern. Namely the effect of rumoured "fire sal... more
Full Tilt Poker Saga Drags On, Calvin Ayre Indicted –
What Next For US Poker ?
The main news (or lack of it) this week would be the ongoing wait for news of the Tapie deal to buy Full Tilt Poker. Everyone and his dog has been adding their opinion so I'll chip in my 2p worth. Al... more
French Buyer for Full Tilt, UIGEA Legal Challenge & More Full Tilt Poker Updates
The Full Tilt Poker saga continues with the inevitable twists and turns, amid stong rumours French investors are keen to buy Full Tilt Poker. Finally it looks like the legality of the UIGEA will be ch... more
Latest Full Tilt Poker Updates, DOJ Amendments and AGCC Hearing
The DOJ have amended their Civil Complaint now alleging that FTP board stole players funds in the light that Full Tilt had only $60m left. Also a French consortium of buyers is still interested in com... more
Rumours DOJ Plans Action Against Merge Poker – Is It All Over For Online Poker In USA ?
Reliable sources have rumoured that the DOJ plans to target the Merge Network or sites on Merge soon, possibly by the end of September. Maybe a sensationalist headline but if the rumours are true and ... more
US Government Are Rogues Not Poker Rooms
I have been updating the blog with the latest Full Tilt announcements as they come in this week, with 2 more expected hopefully soon. This generated an interesting forum thread discussing the Full Til... more
Updated Full Tilt Poker Announcements This Week
There has been no investment deal following the end of the exclusivity period with Full Tilt investors, making the future seem bleaker than ever. Full Tilt plan to make several announcements this week... more
I’m Using My Full Tilt Poker “One Time”
So the 26th July AGCC hearing passed without a resolution, re-scheduling a private hearing for no later than the end of September. On the plus side Full Tilt has just paid the outstanding $450,000 to... more
Full Tilt Down But Not Out ?
Earlier rumours that Phil Ivey has patched up relations with Full Tilt and the possibility of a deal with Jack Binion have been overtaken by events ... The AGCC have suspended Full Tilt Poker's licens... more
WSOP Week Two Roundup & US Poker Update
Week 2 of the WSOP has yet again seen increased numbers on last year and Helmuth come up short in 2nd twice in his quest for a 12th Bracelet. Still no news from Full Tilt, an unsurprisingly bleak outl... more
WSOP Week One Roundup & Still Waiting on Tilt
The WSOP has reported higher player numbers than in last years WSOP events to date ... confounding pundits. One the downside players are becoming increasingly impatient waiting for Full Tilt to payout... more
Near the End for Online Poker in US ?
This week sees Phil Ivey sue Full Tilt adding to their woes and continuing delays to pay US players. Does tempory closure of Merge to new US signups signal the beginning of the end of any US facing ... more
And Now Bleak Monday
This week started out with more seizures on Bleak Monday making another depressing week for online poker in the US. Poker sites are again second guessing the future or rather lack of it in the US, ... more
Why are US Players Still Waiting for Cashouts ?
While PokerStars US players have cashed out, Full Tilt and Absolute players in America still remain unsure when they will be able to get their money. And why the influx of new players to US facing... more
Absolute Not Folding, PokerStars Gives Up Bin Laden & GUKPT Walsall Result
In yet another topsy turvy week in the world of poker, rumours a plenty have been circulating, some true, some false and some highly unlikely ... We sort the wheat from the chaff and most importa... more
Black Friday 14 Days Later
The announcement that PokerStars is now enabling cashouts for all their US players as of yesterday has come as great news for all online players. PokerStars have handled the situation very profe... more
Is Tuff_fish the Worst Online Poker Player Ever ?
I've re-posted a compliation of all the old Tuff_fish poker videos because they are are just so funny and entertaining. Especially after this week I think online poker players need a bit of a pick m... more
Not So Black Friday For US Poker
Following on from Black Friday US poker players will be relieved to know the DOJ has insisted the indicted sites will be able to payout their US players. Now the issue of players funds has been re... more
Online Poker for US Poker Players Where Now ?
After the FBI indicted PokerStars, Fulltilt, Absolute & UB last week on Black Friday II, US poker players are struggling to figure out where they stand ... Where can I play, what happened and why... more
PokerStars, Full Tilt, Absolute indicted by FBI for bank fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling
Friday 15th April, 2011 will be remembered as Black Friday II and a grave day for online poker in the US with the biggest 3 US facing poker sites indicted by the FBI and DOJ for bank fraud, money lau... more
Poker Rooms Crack Down on Poker Tracking Sites
Full Tilt has recently blocked data mining and tracking sites like SharkScope and PokerTableRatings from being able to access player hand histories etc. Now sites want to prove respectability, sec... more
Vegas Deals with Online Poker
Previously fearing the "offshore" poker sites finally the bricks and mortar casinos of Las Vegas are falling in love with online poker. Realising that online poker is part of their future and tha... more
Cereus Victory as Pokerlistings buy Cake
The poker rumour mill has been in overdrive this week but finally the slow death of the Cake Poker Network maybe reversed ... PokerListings.com the poker portal has announced that they have bought... more
New Home for 4KingPoker Blog
Welcome to the new home for Scrawnybob's 4kingpoker blog which is now integrated as a proper part of the 4kingpoker.com main site. It's maybe not the most revolutionary of changes but it makes al... more
Razz Poker Tips
This is a guest strategy post by razzpokerrules.org Razz poker tips and Razz poker strategy can be hard to find online, even though over recent years the game has grown significantly in popularity.... more
The R In H.O.R.S.E
This is a guest strategy post from playlowballpoker.com Razz poker is the most popular lowball poker game, it's certainly the most popular Lowball poker game in the online poker world. Razz is also... more
Full Tilt Poker May Ban Members From Upcoming Poker Stars NAPT
Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker are the two largest poker sites in the world, and have been for a very long time. They both serve U.S. players and they have long been rivals in an effort to win over t... more
Poker Rooms double player donations to Haiti Earthquake appeals
The tragic news of the earthquake in Haiti taking an estimated 200,000 lives and the struggle of 3 million Haitians to rebuild their lives in the face of tragic natural disaster has affected everyone ... more
Playing Pocket Jacks in Poker
This is a guest strategy article by pokersite.org Pocket Jacks are one of the trickiest preflop hands in poker, because they’re right between a middle pair and a premium pair. On one hand, p... more
Barry Greenstein Says Poker Bots Are Okay
Poker Bots, those computer programs that play poker for people. And they tend to play it much better than their owners. Following a programmed set of rules that would take a novice a lifetime to learn... more
Is TJ Cloutier the real star of Pixar’s new film UP ?
Is it just me ? Or does Carl the main character in Pixars new animated 3d film "UP" bear an uncanny likeness to poker professional TJ Cloutier ? The new movie "UP" by Pixar is an excellent story w... more
Is Poker Skill or Luck ?
While 80% of Americans can still play poker legally in their homes, sadly that still leaves the other 20% who take the risk of being punished in accordance to state laws - Just for sitting down to a h... more
Will PokerStars Buy Las Vegas ?
PokerStars the world's biggest online poker room has just announced their 20 millionth registered user. That is a phenominal achievement cementing PokerStars dominance in the online poker world. With ... more
US Poker Regulation Will US respect the global market or create a protectionist closed shop
Poker players across the world have endured the negative effects of the idiocy that is the UIGEA for the best part of two years. Just as the act is technically coming into effect - it maybe repealed .... more
Review – DialaDealer.com
DialaDealer.com is a website I've recently came across that hooks you up with poker dealers, perfect if you are ever planning on organising a fun casino night, home poker or corporate poker evening. ... more
5 Tips to Help You Beat the PokerStars Hyper-Turbo Multi-Table Satellites
This is a guest strategy post by www.bonuspokerreview.com PokerStars has recently added hyper-turbo satellites to many of their big events. These tournaments can be very good value if you take adva... more
Aced signs up WSOP 2006 winner Jamie Gold
Celebrity poker philanthropist and WSOP 2006 winner Jamie Gold agrees to richest online sponsorship deal in history. Rumors have circulated that 2006 World Series of Poker champion and all-time mo... more
Review – FuzionPoker.com
FuzionPoker.com is one of the rapidly growing poker forums and poker blogs online. With a wide variety of some of the best poker bonuses, solid poker site reviews & juicy poker gossip - fuzion has put... more
Ask Obama to overturn the UIGEA and Boost US Economy with Legal Online Poker
Ask Obama to overturn the UIGEA and Boost US Economy ... Do it now - Do it HERE . American poker players are voting to get Obama, to overturn the UIGEA ... you can add your vote up too CHANGE.gov... more
Biggest Pot on High Stakes Poker
It's official the biggest pot on high stakes poker (well nearly). With a total in the pot of $1.2 million between the pro poker player David Benyamine and billionaire poker maveric Guy LaLiberte. ... more
Top 10 New Years Resolutions for Poker Players
Jumping on the bandwagon of making New Years Resolutions for 2009 I thought I would make a top 10 list of New Years resolutions that all poker players should be making and sticking to ... 1. Bankr... more
60 minutes Ultimatebet & Absolute Cheating Scandal
The long awaited and predicabily generalising and inaccurate 60 minutes program about the UltimateBet / Absolute Poker cheating scandal has finally been aired. Much has been written and blogged about ... more
Poker Lessons from the Fishermen on Deadliest Catch
Discovery Channel's series Deadliest Catch follows the Crab Fishermen of the Bering Sea, documenting the captains and crew of eight crab-fishing boats as they battle against the treacherous weather co... more
What If … PKR Points for Virtual Food & Drink
PKR Poker is at the cutting edge of online poker software with the best 3D poker environment, 3d avatars & stunning poker chip tricks ... But I think they maybe missing a trick Virtual 3D Food an... more
Free Online Strip Poker … I just dont get it
As far as I can work out from my limited research "Strip Poker" and just any conceivable variation of "Free Strip Poker" & "Online Strip Poker" is searched for over 10,000 times daily making this one ... more
Absolute & UltimateBet are they 4king Cereus ?
Absolute Poker & sister site UltimateBet announced they are to intergrate into one poker network to be called Cereus. Pronounced "serious" this would set them up to jointly become one of the biggest o... more
27 left in WSOP 2008 Main Event
The WSOP $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em World Championship started on July 3rd with 6,844 players (with the second largest number of WSOP entries in history). After ten days only 79 players remained, fighti... more
Madusow on WSOP November Nine
Some good points in this commentary from Mike Madusow ranting on the decision by the WSOP to delay the playing of the final table for 4 months in the Worlds Series main event. This will split up the w... more
Review – Coinflippoker.com
coinflippoker.com might to the casual reader appear to be primarily a poker review site, featuring in depth reviews of sites like BodogPoker, bonus offers and links to download Poker Stars and other t... more
Poker Tips for Surviving Downswings
Recently I've been on what seems like a never ending downswing playing at Fulltilt Poker, nothing seems to be going right whatever I try. My dominating hands dont stand up and the river seems to kill ... more
Poker Addiction or Responsible Gambling
Or as I would prefer to title this ramble ... "Are You Addicted to Poker or Just Passionate about Your Hobby" An interesting thread started up in the forum last week from a new member, a studen... more
PokerStars ban SharkScope & Is My Home Poker Game Rigged ?
PokerStars extend their list of prohibited software which cannot be used on their site. As recently reported in PartTimePokerBlog the tournament and SNG results website Sharkscope had been added to... more
Will poker be back in the USA, US loses WTO appeal & that Mark Seif statement
Will online poker be back and legal in the US ? Poker pro Barry Greenstein clearly thinks so and predicts it will happen in the next 6 months. In his recent audio post on his thebearblog at PokerR... more
Absolute Poker Disaster
I haven't been ignoring the whole Absolute Poker debacle ... Super Users accounts, who is / isn't cheating, the cover-up / investigation & general issues surrounding all the discussions online about i... more
Laak and Eslami beat Polaris Poker Bot
The first ever Man v Machine Championship has been won by ... Man. The much blogged and reported poker event between two poker pro's Phil "unabomber" Laak and Ali Eslami against Polaris the pokerb... more
