
Previous poker blogger Jay Newnum is stepping away from poker after receiving probation for stealing from a dealer’s tip jar (Image: betraisefoldmovie.com)
When you are a poker blogger/reporter hired to cover a good-sized tournament at a major land casino, probably making a proceed the dealer’s tip box is not your most useful decision ever. Apparently, not everybody grasps that reality, and today from the ‘what were you thinking’ files comes news that 41-year-old probably-not-anymore poker blogger Jay Newnum has received probation for stealing almost $700 while covering a Foxwoods casino poker tourney on 16 of last year december.
One from Column A
The Fishers, Indiana blogger evidently returned the stolen funds taken from the tip box apparently snatched up using chopsticks, a visual we find pretty amusing during a Mega Stack Challenge $600 No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournament held at the popular Mashantucket, Connecticut casino.
Newnum will be allowed to be involved in one thing called ‘accelerated rehabilitation,’ a state court system which will wipe his record clean through the probation period without using chopsticks on anything but chow mein and moo goo gai pan if he makes it. Newnum dodged a bullet with this specific sentencing, as this Class B misdemeanor could have brought a optimum of six months in jail along with up to $1,000 in punitive fines.
Despite the event occurring back in mid-December, there was nothing official released about the case from Connecticut authorities until late last week.
Keeping Quiet
Newnum himself has been pretty mum about the situation that is whole not that that should surprise anybody. a blog that is somewhat cryptic on his whojedi page refers to dealer’s union president Billy Shea, who reportedly had been the item of personal attacks after discussing the theft in his or her own website posts. To blame is apparently under some kind of gag order whether self-inflicted or on advice of counsel, who understands but posted on his blog that he will ‘step away from the poker world indefinitely.’
Probably a wise move, since we doubt he’s going to secure much work from now on; he is already been prohibited indefinitely from establishing foot in Foxwoods again.
Newnum’s obscure comments concerning the incident shed no light on how someone who obviously has invested sufficient time in casinos wouldn’t realize that the theft that is petty be caught on eye-in-the-sky digital cameras, making it pretty hard to deny his wrongdoing.
In their final weblog commentary regarding the matter, he expressed ongoing support for the poker community he will no much longer become a part of:
‘Yesterday, I called Billy [Shea, dealer’s union president] really. We spoke at length, not in what he had posted, but rather concerning the responses from the city. We hold no ill will as he simply did what he felt he needed to do as union president against him. It in fact was a conversation that is great Billy and I do appreciate him taking the time for you to speak with me. I’ve spent a decade included in the poker community, and have undoubtedly come to understand this game and the group of people inside it.
‘That being said, it seems for the very best that I step away from the poker world indefinitely. I do desire to say thank you to my family and my friends, both inside and outside of poker, whom have actually been extremely supportive during this period. Finally, even that we know it can. though I won’t be a part of the poker world for now, I’ll nevertheless be rooting for the industry to continue to grow, expand, and enhance, in all the ways’
Newnum was one of about 21 poker professionals featured as an interviewee in the film Bet Raise Fold, a poker documentary billed as ‘the story of online poker’ that debuted in mid-2013. Friday it follows the rise and fall of online poker pros, from the industry’s inception to the crash of Black. Besides Newnum, many industry heavy hitters luminaries such as for instance Daniel Negreanu, Greg Raymer, Tom Dwan and Tony Dunst are showcased, with additional commentary from poker insiders, scientists and writers like Newnum.
US Casino Expansion Continues to increase in 2014
US casino expansion shall continue unabated in 2014, despite what some experts say is market over-saturation.
It could be difficult to think, however it wasn’t that long ago when casino gambling in the usa was restricted to vegas, Atlantic City and a few outposts in the south such as for instance Biloxi. Now it might seem like there is hardly place throughout the country where you are over a couple hours from the casino. You may still find some holdouts, but 30 states now have actually at least one casino, with plenty more coming soon. Here’s a appearance at where things stand and where they might continue to go in the usa video gaming industry as we head into 2014.
Northeast Has Most Growth
By far, probably the most expansion has been doing the northeastern United States, which is becoming competitive to the point of saturation. Later last 12 months, New York voters approved an amendment to your state constitution that will allow for as many as seven Las Vegas-style resort casinos to go into operation over the next decade. That could eventually include one or more casinos located right in New York City, but will start with casinos in several upstate zones. Bids are being taken from operators, as well as the winners are going to be determined later this year.
New York isn’t the only state in the region that has pushed for casino expansion. In Massachusetts, you may still find three casino licenses up for grabs, with word on who will win each permit anticipated to come in April. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania which has 12 gambling enterprises of unique already will allow pubs to incorporate gambling machines this year, with a lot more than 2,500 bars apparently expected to utilize for licenses to do this. Plus in Maryland, there are already four casinos, with another opening this year and a sixth expected by 2016.
Most of this competition has come at the cost of the former center of East Coast gambling, Atlantic City ( also to a smaller extent, Pennsylvania, which saw its revenues fall somewhat in 2012). The gaming revenues from the 12 Atlantic City casinos fell below $3 billion for the first amount of time in 22 years in 2013, and the Atlantic Club Casino was forced into bankruptcy and closed within the first month of 2014. Regarding the bright side, on the web gaming was introduced, bringing in a additional $8.4 million into the last five weeks of the season once their online betting web sites went online.
Newbies Join the Fray
Other states are considering adding casinos for the time that is first or opening up their doors to larger results. For example, Virginia’s home of Assembly happens to be considering a bill that will allow for casino gambling at Hampton roadways which would mark the casino that is first of kind in the state. Meanwhile, Florida is eyeing a bill that would enable privately-operated casino resorts, though that have to be balanced contrary to the $1 billion they currently receive annually from the Seminole Tribe, which now operates several venues and pays that amount to maintain the exclusive rights to supply card games in the state.
Ohio is looking at incorporating to its collection of casinos, too. With gambling revenues slipping slightly, the state is looking forward to the three new casinos that are expected to open there by July 2014.
Finally, some states are looking to enhance their current facilities instead of build ones that are new. For example, Mississippi’s gambling industry is nevertheless recovering a years that are few Hurricane Katrina, and hopes to speed that data recovery with renovations and new accommodations at a number of hawaii’s 36 casino properties.
Borgata Winter Open Event #1 Cancelled When Fake Chips Detected
It absolutely was a rocky start for this present year’s Borgata Winter Open poker tournament, as suspected fake chips halted the event (Image: NBC40.net)
They say that most you require to win a poker tournament is a chip and a chair. Needless to say, having a few extra chips will boost your odds and some players are not appearing to care where those chips come from.
Regulators Cancel Event
The event that is first of Borgata Winter Poker Open at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City was initially suspended on Friday, then sooner or later cancelled on Saturday on instructions from the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement, after casino officials confirmed that the ‘significant number of fake chips’ had been in play during the tournament. The suspension came after suspicions began to install about the fake chips during the big event on Thursday night. Before play ended up being scheduled to resume at noon on Friday, the tournament staff made the decision to suspend the event.
As of Monday, all award cash that had yet become rewarded had been frozen as the research continued on sales from state regulators. The tournament had been suspended with only 27 players remaining in contention. The event began with 4,814 players, each of whom paid a buy-in of $560. The top reward was to be $372,123, with a total prize pool of simply over $2.4 million. As soon as the tournament was halted, Allard Broedelet was the chip leader, holding more than 10.3 million chips.
Explore a bad beat.
‘Thus far, investigators have actually discovered that more than one tournament entrants improperly introduced a significant number of fake potato chips to the competition, gaining a unjust advantage and compromising the integrity of play for the big event,’ said Borgata president and chief running officer Tom Ballance.
‘It is incredibly unfortuitously that the criminal actions of the people could have a detrimental impact on significantly more than 4,000 other entrants,’ he added. ‘The integrity of our games and the confidence of our players is of the utmost importance to us.’
Possible 5K Denomination in Fake Chips
While details of the scheme haven’t yet been released by investigators, speculation has run wild online, where players who took part in the event have tweeted pictures of what they claim are counterfeit chips. A twoplustwo.com forum thread has featured conversation suggesting that the counterfeit chips were of the 5k denomination, and that there may have already been more than $1 million in fake chips in play when the tournament was suspended.
The casino has not yet determined or at least made publicly clear what might happen with players’ entry fees to the event when the investigation is complete. They simply stated in an issued statement that ‘that all prize that is unpaid [will] be held in trust until additional information and quality may be determined.’
Like in any major casino, security is tight at the Borgata. Despite some stress on casino staff because of the enormous size of the event, you can still find multiple digital cameras on every table, that could provide indian dreaming pokie machine pay table evidence as to whom was behind the fake chips. Neither casino nor state officials have actually talked about just what (if any) evidence they have uncovered therefore far, but. No charges have yet been filed in link with this case.
The cancellation of the very first occasion did perhaps not slow down the Borgata Winter Poker Open as a whole. In accordance with Ballance, the remainder for the tournament series shall go on as scheduled.
‘We thoroughly verified all chips that are remaining our inventory, and are confident in moving forward with our competition schedule as planned and approved by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement,’ he stated.