25-Aug-09. Pragmatists dealing cards in B.C. gambling strategy. Globe and Mail, A4.

This editorial-style article examines the recent decision by the B.C. Lottery Corp. to raise the limit for betting on its PlayNow website to $9,999 a week per person from $120.  The author points out that the B.C. government is increasing betting limits and introducing a poker product of their own to get a larger portion of the estimated $87-million a year B.C. residents spend on online gambling sites. In addition, it is noted that bets over $10,000 have to be reported to Fintrac, the Financial Transations and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. It investigates money-laundering, and online poker is a popular way to launder proceeds of crime.

12-Jul-08. Pool hall chain wants government regulations on poker games. National Post, A10.

Dooly’s, a pool hall chain with 88 locations in seven provinces,  is challenging Newfoundland’s interpretation of federal gaming laws by openly holding regular poker games at its three locations in St. John’s. Dooly’s hosts Texas Hold’em poker five days a week and twice on Saturdays with players paying a $20-registration fee and then a $20 buy-in at the table. Winning players keep the cash and Dooly’s keeps the registration fee.

31-May-08. Native policing of gambling in doubt after online cheating. National Post, A13.

The online poker website UltimateBet.com, owned by a company controlled by former Kahnawake grand chief Joe Norton, acknowledged on Thursday that insiders had altered its poker software to allow them to see the hidden cards of oppenents. In January, Absolute Poker, also owned by Tokwiro Enterprises, was fined $500,000 by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission for a similar cheating scam, which was also blamed on rogue employees.  The federal government of Canada considers the 400 or so poker and sports-betting sites operating from Kahnawake to be illegal.

6-Feb-08. Teen poker millionaire warns others about following his lead. Red Deer Advocate, B7.

Eighteen year old Mike McDonald of Waterloo, Ontario recently won $1.4-million at a poker tournament in Germany. In an interview after his return home to Canada warned people that there are many more failures than success stories for those seeking to make a living through playing cards. Jon Kelly of the Ontario’s Responsible Gambling Council notes that there are a great number of people who have inflated expectations about gambling and poker.

9-Dec-07. McClean has ace up his sleeve. Edmonton Journal, C1.

This article profiles Edmonton poker player Ryan McClean. McClean will be playing no-limit Texas Hold’em poker in Las Vegas when he competes at the Dec. 14 to 19 Bellagio Five Diamond Classic. He won his $15,000 buy-in spot through an online qualifying tournament at an online casino.

27-Nov-07. E-table shuffles poker dealer towards door. Globe and Mail, B14.

A startup company from North Carolina has introduced electronic poker tables called PokerPros that don’t require live dealers. The tables, which debuted in 2005 but aren’t yet offered in Nevada, have big implications for the casino industry. Because electronic tables play faster than traditional games, they can increase what the casino takes from the pot over time, yielding a profit that resembles other more lucrative table games.

10-Nov-07. 61 face gambling charges after raid by police. Globe and Mail, A20.

At least 40 heavily armed Toronto police officers shut down an alleged gambling ring when they raided the Thornhill Social Club and arrested sixty-on people. Officers entering the building saw several people playing Texas hold’em poker, a game OPP Detective Emilio DiPoce calls “an epidemic” in illegal gambling circles.

31-Jul-07. Maybe it’s time to walk away. National Post, B4.

The game of poker has changed, thanks to high-stakes championships, product endorsements and televised games.  Players now learn the game online, honing their skills through computer simulations and data mining, and game theory often determines the winner.  Many players are now backed by individuals or corporations, meaning personal risk is lowered, as they are playing with someone else’s money. 

10-Mar-07. It’s all just a game until someone loses his shirt. National Post, FW4.

Dr. Rina Gupta of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviours at McGill University says that while 60 per cent to 80 per cent of youth in Canada gamble regularly, the incidence of gambling has not risen by any noticeable degree since the early 1990s. The immense popularity of poker among kids does concern youth organizations and professionals.

14-Sep-06. Government holding all the poker cards. Edmonton Sun, 11.

A Fort Saskatchewan company called the Desert Cactus Poker Tour is paid a fee by bar owners to run amateur poker tournaments at bars where people play for entertainment only. The owners of the operation have seen their poker tour flourish in British Columbia where individuals play for fun at a number of bars on Vancouver Island and the Okanagan region. In Alberta, the provincial gaming policy prohibits bar room casino card games.