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The search for Australia's next poker star will begin on Channel Ten's new high-definition sport channel, One HD, the network announced Friday. "The Poker Star", in association with PokerStars.net and 2005 World Series of Poker champion Joe Hachem, will go to air later this year, offering 11 contestants the chance to become a poker star. The contestants will compete at four major international poker tournament in locations such as Las Vegas and Monte Carlo, with the winner taking home the ultimate prize of $100,000. Those interested in being a part of the competition can download PokerStars.net and try to qualify for the final, or register their interest at Channel Ten's Website. Casting calls will be held in Melbourne on April 18 and at Sydney's Star City Casino on April 27.
Harry Kakavas has gambled $1.5 billion over 14 months at Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia in 2005-2006. Playing baccarat, Kakavas would bet up to $300,000 a hand. Suing the casino for losses and damages for the sum of $35 million "only", the court has freed the casino of duty to the high roller. Instead he owes the casino $1 million, and probably court expenses too. Justice David Harper ruled that while the gambler could have used Crown Casino's self-exclusion program, he had continuously bargained for better deals, which he got in the form of private jets to fly in to Melbourne and other high-roller benefits. The justice said: "I am satisfied that, had Mr Kakavas wished to escape the enticements of the casino, he could have done so with ease. He could have arranged for self-exclusion." Free Choice or Politics In this case, the court has ruled to protect a person's free choice. In this context, a casino has no general duty to protect gamblers from themselves. Leader of Family First, Australian Senator Steve Fielding, has called following the ruling for the Prime minister to step in and get involved. The Federal Government, Fielding said, should "step in and change the laws regarding gambling inducements." Seemingly at odds with the free choice principle that the court has stated, Senator Fielding added that the Federal Government needs to protect the states as well. "The states are never going to do anything in this area because they are addicted to the revenue they make from gambling," said Fielding.
The relationship between businessmen and the world of poker has been well documented, and that continued this week at the Aussie Millions, according to a report in local newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald. According to the report, at least two high-profile businessmen were seen rubbing shoulders at the celebrity tournament, which was held as part of the Aussie Millions tournament, being played at Melbourne's Crown Casino and ending January 31. Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes was seen clearing out opponents, while Nicholas Bolton, who sits on the boards of BrisConnections and Multiplex Prime, was also there. The report quoted US hedge fund manager Daniel Shak, who is also in Melbourne for the Aussie Millions, one of the biggest in the world. "The skill you need to succeed in corporate life and the financial world is the same skill set you need to succeed at the poker table," Shak was quoted as saying. "'You'd be surprised just how many Fortune 400 company executives and chief executives I've met playing poker." Brookes proved Shak's point at the celebrity tournament, finishing in the last five despite claiming to have never played poker before or to have been to the poker room at crown. "It was all self-help, from all the late night poker I've watched on Foxtel," he said.
Australian cricket has taken a hit in recent times, first losing the Ashes to England away from home last year and then slipping to fifth in the ICC test rankings after an ordinary run of results in 2010. But all that should change this summer, with the team starting as favorite to regain cricket's biggest honor on home soil. British bookmaker William Hill has Australia starting the series as a 4/5 favorite to win outright, compared to England, 7/4. A drawn series, which would mean England retains The Ashes, is paying 5/1. Captain Ricky Ponting and vice-captain Michael Clarke are the key men for Australia in this series, and they are paying 7/2 and 4/1 respectively to be top batsman for Australia in the series. All-rounder Shane Watson is level with Ponting at 7/4. Ponting is 8/11 to win his head-to-head series battle with England's star batsman Andrew Strauss, evens. The form of those two batsmen will go a long way towards deciding the result of the entire series. Queenslander Mitchell Johnson is a 9/4 favorite to take the most wickets for Australia, followed closely by Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger, 7/2, and Peter Siddle 9/2. The second test in Adelaide and the fifth test in Sydney are shaping up as the most exciting, with those two venues sharing 2/1 odds on hosting the highest-scoring match. The series begins with the first test in Brisbane, starting November 25.
Sun Vegas Casinogoes the extra mile to ensure playing is as easy and convenient as possible for its customers regardless of where they might be around the world. For starters, you can make your deposits (and receive a generous 150% match bonus up to $60 for your first one) in Aussie dollars. Playing directly in your own local currency means that you will not lose out in the currency conversion or additional bank fees. And of course this gives you a bigger bankroll to enjoy playing longer at Sun Vegas Casino. Ideal payment methods for Australian players available at Sun Vegas Casino for which you will receive a 15% preferred payment bonus include Poli, Moneybookers and bank transfers. Using ClickandBuy also offers a 10% bonus. Endless promotions But these compelling reasons are just the tip of the iceberg why you should play at Sun Vegas Casino. Right now all new players will be welcomed with a $2,500 no deposit bonus and 60 minutes to play with their free cash. Additionally, there is a high roller bonus, a 15% bonus on every deposit you make, 100 free spins on Break Da Bank Again, plenty of live slot tournament action and a monthly cash draw. In summary, there are more benefits and perks that you can possibly take advantage of even if you began today. Reliability Not only is Sun Vegas a Microgaming casino which earns it a degree of instant respect and trust but it is a member of the well-known Vegas Partner Lounge. This means you can be confident of quality graphics and sound, wide selection of choice games and state of the art security.
Grand Reef Casino appears to be most like online casino in that it offers players loyalty points for being part of its VIP club. But unlike many of its competitors, this casino endeavors to include all its players on its high rollers list, meaning that once you achieve VIP status – you keep it. Climb the VIP Ladder You’ll begin to earn competition points from the moment you sign up for a GrandReef Casino account and start playing with real money. The more you play, the more comp points you earn and the larger the rewards. Grand Reef offers six ocean-themed VIP levels, beginning with the Coral level and working its way up to the Whale level. You’ll progress from newbie to Coral just by making your first Australian dollar deposit, and from there on further deposits or competition points will see you move up to Starfish, Seahorse, Turtle Dolphin, and finally to Whale. The Benefits Ordinary VIP members can expect to receive special offers, preferred banking payment methods, free wire transfers, 24/7 assistance, extra savings and of course access to more than 150 of your favourite online casino slots, table and card games. But those who work their way up the VIP ladder will start receiving special treatment that only the most loyal customers can expect, such as massive bonuses and more personal attention. At various stages as you progress up the ladder, your deposit and betting limits will increase, meaning you’ll gradually get a better crack at snagging that big jackpot.
If the casino speaks English, great. If its customer service is fluent in the language, that’s a good sign too. But a truly Australian online casino is hard to come by. Try Grand Reef Casino. Grand Reef sports more than the Sydney Opera House on its front page and lobby. In this snippet from a video interview, GrandReef Casino representative tells us about the special aspects that the casino invests in for the Australian player: Giving personal attention to players and looking after them from the first interaction with the casino through the relations with the VIP desk. Casino promotions tied to something going on locally, e.g. the AFL and local events. Charity – promotions that help raise money and provide support when unfavorable events strike, in a charitable sense. Accepting deposits and paying out in Australian dollars. Supporting local payment methods such as POLi (Pay OnLine) – widely accepted by Australian banks. All these make a big difference for the player and for the casino. Give Grand Reef Casino a try and you will notice the Australian accent.
In great news for the Australian gaming industry and for regular punters, The Daily Telegraph has reported that the Federal Government is preparing to enable online in-play betting within the next six to 12 months. Live betting in Australia The Federal Government is planning the move in order to combat the use of unregulated overseas betting, according to the report. Industry sources were quoted as saying that they believe online in-play sports betting will be approved immediately, while online poker would simultaneously be regulated for a trial period of up to five years. Live betting is currently offered in Australia via telephone and at bricks-and-mortar facilities like the TAB. But it is believed that the legalisation of live internet and mobile betting could provide an industry boom worth an estimated $300 million a year, as Australia catches up to the rest of the world. Which sports would accept in-play bets? Fans of Aussie Rules footy, rugby league, rugby union, cricket, tennis and soccer would all benefit from such legislation. For example, live cricket betting would offer wagers on outcome of individual deliveries, next boundary scorers, top scorers, innings totals and more. There are so many possibilities where betting is allowed while a game is being played. Most leading global online sportsbooks already offer live betting, including bet365, William Hill, 888 and more. To give an example of how it works, bet365 will next week launch Live French Open Betting. The online bookmaker’s in-play betting section will display updated scores of matches alongside odds and wager options on what will happen next.
Come end of 2012, Australian sports punters will no longer be able to hear the promotion of live sports odds during the duration of a sports game. The landmark decision came as the Australian government struck an agreement with the major broadcasting bodies including; The Radio Association, Commercial Radio Australia, Australian Subscription Television amongst others. The New Sports Broadcasting Laws Under the new guidelines, broadcasters have agreed to amend their existing self regulatory rules of conduct and restrict live odds promotion. Critically, this will include a ban on sports commentators from mentioning live odds and promoting any odds during play. The final drafting of the new law will be jointly produced by broadcasters and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Officially, the Australian government stance on the tighter reforms on sports broadcasting stems from the belief that the 'promotion of live odds during sorts broadcasts can contribute to the encouragement of gambling'. OCR Australia has all the best bets It's not all doom and gloom for Australian punters, online Casino Reports has all the action, best odds, news and the best sorts betting sites. Australian punters can choose from top betting sites such as William Hill, 888, bet365 and many more of your favourite online bookies. We will be providing our loyal Australian readers the final word in sporting odds. If the Australian broadcasters won't tell you what's hot within the sorts betting world, you can bet your bottom dollar that here at OCR we will!
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