Poker News

MILLION DOLLAR POKER WEEKEND FOR UKRAINIAN PRO

Source: bluffed.net


Bilokur snatches PCS High Roller from WSOP champ

Thrilling the railbirds with some high-powered and disciplined poker in the Bahamas Sunday, Ukrainian poker pro Leonid Bilokur snatched the $25 000 buy-in Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure High Roller main prize from the current World Series of Poker champion, Jonathan Duhamel, to take home his biggest win yet - $1,134,930.

It was a formidable task, with an on-form Duhamel holding a 2 to 1 chip lead going into the heads up, but the Ukrainian calmly and efficiently fought his way back into the game and after a few ups and downs eventually took his skilled and respected opponent out.

The duo fought for first place after Internet pro Isaac Haxton was eliminated on a final table that included Jason Koon (chip leader at the start who finished fourth); Nicolas Fierro; Govert Metaal; Michael Telker and global poker record-setter Randy Lew (see previous reports).

Duhamel was the hot favourite to win, having the experience of three former PCA tables under his belt, and with $571,420 already in the bag from this year's tournament, but it was not to be. Instead, his second placing boosted his career earnings by another $634,550.

GERMAN ISPs DON'T HAVE TO BLOCK ONLINE GAMBLING SITES

Cologne Administrative Court takes a refreshingly new look at a contentious subject

The Cologne Administrative Court in Germany made a positive ruling this week that Internet Service Providers do not have to block online gambling sites, even where these are technically illegal in Germany, reports the publication Techdirt.

The ruling, handed down last Thursday, is certain to cause ripples in European legal circles, which have seen courts in other countries order ISPs to help apply enforcement pressure.

The original report on the ruling appeared in the German newspaper Der Spiegel, which recounted that the court had found that ISP Deutsche Telekom must allow access to online betting sites, even if they are illegal in Germany.

The court's decision reaffirms previous rulings late last year in which a Dusseldorf judge ruled that ISPs Vodafone and Telekom were not responsible for the content of Web sites, because they played no role in selecting material, and therefore should not be forced to block access.

German legal observers noted that the rulings establish strong precedents in Germany, and perhaps elsewhere in the European Union, shielding ISPs from arbitrary official demands that they block or even censor certain websites.

However, the cases may yet be taken on appeal by the authorities.

Related News Tags: Europe, Pokerstars, Wsop, Germany