From LV Review Journal Amid a constant rattlesnake buzz of chips being shuffled and stacked around the crowded room, Doyle Brunson sat quietly and studied the cards from under a white cowboy hat. The stars are falling by the wayside at the World Series of Poker. Brunson, 79, still was hanging on late into Thursday night. “Good luck, Dolly. I hope you make it to the final table,” Phil Hellmuth said before exiting the Rio Convention Center around 8:30 p.m. Hellmuth was eliminated from the Main Event before the dinner break. Soon after, Phil Ivey was knocked out. In a…

From iGaming Business Online poker operator PokerStars has introduced an SMS validation service in a bid to protect account-holders against fraud. Customers who opt in to the service will receive a text message if PokerStars’ security system detects any account irregularities. If such an alert is received, PokerStars will suspend all financial transactions on the account until the player provides the code number included in the SMS message. SkillOnNet hails Hot Wheels 3D impact SkillOnNet’s new Hot Wheels 3D slot game became the online casino games developer’s ‘biggest ever release’ in its first two weeks of distribution. “Beating the first…

A new study commissioned by Poker Stars shows huge jump in popularity for both Asian and European poker since the mid-2000s. Over those past several years, China, South Korea, Russia, and countries of the former Soviet Union are identified as having the highest rates of growth compared to other regions around the world. Outside of Asian and European poker growth, Texas Hold’em has also seen a jump in popularity in other regions, although at a lesser rate. South America (particularly Brazil and Peru), along with New Zealand, are producing high participation rates in the game of poker than other countries,…

From iGaming Business Online gambling software specialist Playtech has announced the bolt-on acquisition of poker-dedicated website PokerStrategy.com for €38.3m ($49.8m) from etruvian Holdings. The takeover will be funded by Playtech’s existing cash reserves. Profit before tax last year at PokerStrategy.com, one of the largest online poker schools and player community, and some of the acquired subsidiaries, was €19.5m, and the group had gross assets of about €18.5m. PokerStrategy.com co-founders Dominik Kofert and Enrique Guzman will stay on at the acquired business on a consultancy basis. “The directors believe the acquisition is complementary to both Playtech’s PTTS marketing division and its…

From Las Vegas Sun Chris Moneymaker peered out into a sea of poker players and briefly reflected on the past decade. The World Series of Poker undraped a tribute bust to Moneymaker on Monday, 10 years after the former accountant from Memphis defeated 838 players to win $2.5 million in the world championship Main Event. “Back then, I knew three poker players,” Moneymaker said at the ceremony. “Over the last 10 years, I’ve met thousands and thousands of wonderful people in this game. It’s really evolved into something magical, and what you see here today.” What was on display at…

From iGaming Business Irish bookmaker Paddy Power is to become the first company to trial real-money sportsbetting on social networking website Facebook. Paddy Power In-Play, an in-house developed product, is being trialled as a Facebook application for UK desktop customers; a market the social network has selected for the initial launch of real-money gambling on the platform. The app will bring social engagement to online betting, allowing customers to bet on a range of sports through the website while also giving them the opportunity to engage with other users. Player participation will be subject to strict age verification checks. Peter…