The Nightly Turbo: UB Responds to Data Leak Concerns, Google TV Adds Zynga, and More
Today is Friday, which means you've qualified for another weekend. Congratulations! Kudos are also in order for Jamie Gold, whose name was attached to a Las Vegas Poker Room this week. We'll cover that story and more in this edition of the Nightly Turbo.
In Case You Missed It
Who's leading the way at the World Poker Tour Five Diamond World Poker Classic? Find out in our Day 3 recap.
This week, Las Vegas Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson said he was "morally opposed" to legalizing online poker. The Poker Player's Alliance is urging players to voice their disapproval.
Mike "SirWatts" Watson is a WPT champion and feared tournament specialist. Kristy Arnett caught up with Watson to discuss how to play a big stack in the latest Strategy with Kristy podcast.
Sunday is almost here and that means football. Check out our picks and fantasy football advice for Week 14 in the latest Pigskin Diaries.
Miss anything this week? Laura Cornelius and Kristy Arnett get you caught up on the latest news, views and gossip in the PokerNews Weekly.
UB Responds to Data Leak
The CEREUS Network is back in the news, and it has nothing to do with the repayment of player funds. Last week, personal data from UB.com player accounts was publicly leaked anonymously on the TwoPlusTwo poker forums, causing panic among poker pros who worried that their credit card or social security numbers would be compromised.
Subject:Poker was able to take a look at the data and discovered that no social security numbers or financial account numbers were released. Still, players were concerned. And to our surprise, someone at UB actually began responding to emails this week.
According to a reply sent to The Examiner, UB said it is aware of the data leak and conducting an investigation. The spokesperson added that the company was able to confirm that the published information did not include players' personal banking or credit card details, and if an actual theft of UB and Absolute Poker data occurred, it will do everything possible to bring the criminals to justice.
You can read the full UB response at Examiner.com.
Zynga Poker Launches on Google TV
Zynga Poker's free-to-play platform is broadening its horizons even further in the near future. Already available on Facebook, Google Plus, Yahoo, and iPhone and Android devices, Zynga Poker has been added to Google TV's lineup, allowing users to play directly from their Sony TV or Blu-ray player.
Google TV adds Zynga Poker's 30 million-plus users to its Android-based platform, which combines the Internet, channel surfing and apps. The Google TV version features custom optimizations for the TV with custom graphics, and a control system to take full advantage of the Google TV remote.
"Especially optimized for playing poker from the comfort of your own couch, Zynga Poker for Google TV features custom graphics and a new way to control the game with the Google TV remote," a Zynga spokesperson said in a blog published by Google. "Up the ante and play Zynga Poker from just about anywhere, whether you’re commuting to work or taking a break to connect with friends. Connect and play with your friends today!"
Learn more about Google TV at Google.com.
Jamie Gold Honored With Poker Room
2006 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Jamie Gold has joined the likes of Bobby Baldwin and Phil Ivey to have a Las Vegas poker room named in his honor.
Tropicana Las Vegas announced Friday that it has named its newly renovated poker room “The Jamie Gold Poker Room.” Gold will serve as the Tropicana's poker spokesperson and ambassador, and he will make daily appearances until the poker room’s mid-January official launch and on a monthly schedule thereafter.
“This deal with Tropicana covers everything I could have ever wanted in a relationship with a major Las Vegas Strip resort and it will serve as my anchor and the conduit to all of my future poker and philanthropic endeavors,” said Gold. “I really couldn’t be more excited!”
Find out more at PokerNews.com.
Sam Holden Wins Late Night Poker
What a year for Sam Holden. In November, the Team 888poker pro took ninth in the World Series of Poker Main Event for $782,115. This week, he followed it up with a victory at the 2011 televised poker series Late Night Poker, besting a field of 32 players for a top prize of $150,000.
Holden won the 10th version of the U.K.-based show by defeating fellow Brit Luke Schwartz heads-up for the trophy. On the final hand of the match, Schwartz moved all-in preflop with ace-jack and Holden called with king-queen. The board gave Holden a winning straight, securing his first title in front of television cameras.
The 32-player field contained five former Late Night Poker champions: Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, Simon Trumper, Padraig Parkinson, Peter Costa and John Duthie. Also competing were Vanessa Selbst, Jake Cody, James Bord, Roberto Romanello and Liv Boeree.
Check out the press release for more.
Final Table Set at EPT Prague
Day 4 of the European Poker Tour Prague Main Event has concluded, leaving only eight players to return for the final table on Saturday. Patrick Renkers entered the penultimate day as the overwhelming chip leader, but the Dutchman exited in ninth place at the hands of the new chip leader Martin Finger, who leads Frenchman Nicolas Levi by two big blinds going into the final table.
Others still in contention for the €775,000 top prize include Danyel Boyaciyan, Ari Engel, Denys Drobnya and Mads Wissing.
Day 5 will resume at 1200 CET (0300 PST). Here's a look at the final table seat draw:
EPT Prague Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mads Wissing | 420,000 |
| 2 | Guillem "Usero" Cavaller | 1,405,000 |
| 3 | Nicolas Levi | 5,690,000 |
| 4 | Martin Finger | 5,800,000 |
| 5 | Andreas Wiese | 1,615,000 |
| 6 | Ari Engel | 1,670,000 |
| 7 | Denys Drobyna | 11,180,000 |
| 8 | Danyel "David" Boyaciyan | 3,770,000 |
Check out the PokerNews Live Reporting page for up-to-the-minute updates of all the action in Prague.
SportMoose Has Your Sports Betting Needs
It's another busy weekend in the world of sports, and SportMoose has everything you need to prepare for some heavy wagering. In Friday's SportMoose Scouting Report, you'll find game previews for the English Premier League, the National Hockey League, and more.
The NHL's Buffalo Sabres host the Florida Panthers on Friday night in the third of four meetings between the two sides. If you're looking for the latest odds or a recap of the first three matches, look no further than SportMoose.
In addition to the hockey coverage, you can find daily articles and updated odds on up to 20 sports around the world at SportMoose.com. We recommend you check it out!
When I Was 10 Years Old...
PokerStars is turning 10 years old this month. What were some of poker's top pros doing when they were 10? Kristy Arnett finds out.
Are you following PokerNews on Twitter? Like us on Facebook while you're at it, and sign up for the newsletter. You know you want to.
