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Poker continues to gain ground on Capitol Hill! On Monday, Gambling Compliance reported some excellent news (click here, subscription required) in an article entitled Reid Says DoJ Opinion Gives Congress Incentive for Internet Poker Bill.

The article quotes Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) as follows: “It [the Department of Justice’s clarification of its interpretation of the scope of the Wire Act as not including online poker] (will) give us an incentive to get something done. We cannot have a series of laws around the country related to [Internet] gaming, I know a lot about gaming. I’m a former chairman of the Nevada [Gaming] Commission, and I think it’s very important that we have a national law.” The article further states that Sen. Reid has confirmed that he is negotiating with Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) on a federal online poker bill bill!

When articles like this goes public, lawmakers always look at public reaction. So, let’s all do our part and tell both that we wish for them to push forward with appropriate online poker legislation! Fortunately, we can do this quickly and easily.

Take Action

1. Let’s send Senators Reid and Kyl prewritten, editable tweets requesting action on poker legislation. They are HERE and HERE.
2. Please be sure to visit the PPA Take Action page.

Interviews

PPA comes before poker media to take on the tough questions as often as possible. I hope you will find these interesting and informative. This past week’s interviews focused on the Justice Department’s Wire Act decision and its impact on Capitol Hill momentum.

Recent appearances:

• OnTilt Radio: Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny, with guest PPA Board Member Linda Johnson (1/16/2012) (listen here).
• Short Stacked Radio: I come on at time point 1:29:55 (1/10/12) (listen here).
• Short Stacked Radio: I come on at time point 1:31:05 (1/3/12) (listen here).
• Website: Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny, with webcast archive (here)

Thank you for your continued support!

Guess what?! PokerRoom is back, and this time, after its brief hiatus, it is here to stay – and more than that, it’s here to take the title for the top online poker site in the world. Since it has been republished online, PokerRoom has gained almost nineteen thousand players, which is not very surprising when you consider the signing bonuses that they are giving away – and the fact that membership is completely free! The welcome bonuses that PokerRoom is awarding those who sign up are the following: 100% of $100, 100% of $500, or 100% of $1000, depending on your preference. These deals are amazing, and it’s no wonder that PokerRoom has built up quite a large following so quickly since the site was just released again in 2012. PokerRoom was actually created over ten years ago, in 1999, and was one of the top online poker sits in the world, until it decided to take a brief hiatus in 2009. But now, thanks to the operators, PokerRoom is back again, and this time it is most definitely here to stay. If this is your first time in an online poker room, then never fear, because PokerRoom has set up a brand new online tutorial, called Poker School, to help people just like you.

So if you are ready to experience the awesome new – and old – PokerRoom, then it may be time to accept your sign up bonus and hit the virtual ground running. With tons of new scheduled tournaments to engage as many players of their widely diversified player base, and new cash poker games that will thrill even the most diehard of competitors, some could argue that PokerRoom is not only back, it’s back with a vengeance. And if you are looking to pick up a new hobby, or if you are just looking for something fun to do for an afternoon, it’s time to head to PokerRoom and get some education, courtesy of PokerRoom’s new online tutorial, Poker School. Poker School can help beginners learn about the cash games that PokerRoom has available and it can also help advanced players better understand the logistics of the game. PokerRoom left nothing out when they made decisions about what to include in their debut back into the online poker community. Players can engage in rousing cash games that will allow them the change to hone their skill before playing in a larger tournament.

This is Pokerati’s new Las Vegas poker room column, and I’m the hired hack on the beat.

As a journalist who recently emigrated from the other side of the Mississippi River to divide his time writing and grinding in Las Vegas, the poker capital of the world, I hear a lot of buzz around town. Much of it is just noise, sometimes it’s early rumblings of actual news, and occasionally it’s just really good FYI for Vegas live-poker-room regs.

We hope to have a little bit of everything here for you. Some of the topics I’m looking to explore:

* Just about every casino has a daily tournament — some just half a sit-n-go while others play like a mini-multitable bracelet event. Where can you get the most play for your buy-in? And what’s really going on with the juice?

* Different rooms have different rules. Some, like Tropicana’s Jamie Gold Room, are throwing many of the standards out the window. Which rooms have the strictest rules? Aria, for instance, has a rule against talking to gain information in a heads-up pot. Why?

* More and more casinos are offering rakeback-type promotions. The “get paid to play” trend sweeping through town varies from place to place. What rooms have the best deals? Is it possible to be a live rakeback grinder? What kind of players do these promos attract? What are the upcoming promotions to look out for?

* How should you go about finding the best action, or any action? Is it Venetian’s updated online list of cash games or Bellagio’s Twitter feed? What should you do to get a seat at the juiciest table in the house? Where should you be playing on a Friday night? Can you find a good game on a Monday?

Whether you play everyday or visit Vegas once a year, I’m here to keep you informed about what’s happening in the games around town. Whether you’re a tournament grinder, cash game specialist, or maybe even just a live-poker bonus whore, we’ll scope out the action. We’re at the table right beside floor managers, dealers, locals and tourists, and we can’t help chatting it up.

Las Vegas is a 24-7 poker hot spot like no other — what happens here sets standards around the world —  and we want to help you maximize your time on the felt.

Some familiar faces and new looks in the mix … er … mixed martial arts.

One of my favorite charity tourneys of the year is this Saturday — Operation: All In … Randy Couture’s  poker tournament and charity auction benefitting his Xtreme Couture GI Foundation. It’s hosted by Karina Jett, so you can expect her usual brand of fun and band of Full Tilt Red Pro expats … and because RC caters to a more MMA than pokery crowd for <s>douchetastic!</s>rather unique table interaction. And with a reasonable buy-in ($220 w $100 rebuys), you stand to get a fair share of genuine tourists, too.

The winner gets $10k in cold American cash this year, too … no fancy qualifiers for some future maybe-cool event. And though I haven’t personally looked into how legit Randy Couture’s foundation is, I do get a sense he takes the effort kinda personally and isn’t going to let the funds raised here get squandered en route to the beneficiaries. For many of these true US fighters, the war isn’t over just because soldiers are starting to come home.

It’s been an interesting relationship in Vegas between mixed martial arts and poker over the past 12 or so years … the state of which will be on display in the form of tax-deductible feelgood poker this weekend at the Golden Nugget.

Read below for official deets on what’s going down.

MMA Star Randy “The Natural” Couture Hosts 
Charity Poker Tournament at the Golden Nugget
“Operation All In” to raise money for Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation

LAS VEGAS – Mixed Martial Arts legend Randy “The Natural” Couture will host his fourth annual “Operation All In” poker tournament and charity auction benefiting the Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas, Saturday, Jan. 14 starting at 2 p.m.

This event, held in The Grand events center, is open to the public and will feature a celebrity charity poker tournament, live and silent auctions, autograph sessions with photo opportunities and raffle prizes while giving back to injured troops.

“Operation All In” will welcome professional celebrity poker players and stars from the MMA world and Hollywood to play alongside the public in its charity poker tournament, where several great prizes will be awarded along with the grand prize of $10,000 cash. The buy-in for “Operation All In” at the Golden Nugget is $220 with $100 multi re-buys.

MMA fighters confirmed to attend include Randy Couture, Clay Guida, Cung Le, John Alessio, Martin Kampmann, Jay Hieron, John Gunderson, Brad Tavares, Tyson Griffin, Ryan Couture and Frank Trigg. Celebrities will also partake in the action, and those confirmed to attend include David Zayas, Shanna Moakler, JJ Lui, TJ Lavin and Lon Maccaren from ESPN. Other fighters and poker pros are expected to confirm attendance as the event nears.

Ultimate Fighting Champion Couture, a veteran himself of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, started the Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation to raise money and awareness for troops wounded in action and their families. After visiting with amputees at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Couture was brought to tears seeing the young men and women who had given their all for freedom, young heroes who now have to go through life’s challenges with devastating physical and emotional injuries. The Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation goal is to help these brave men and women fulfill any of their unmet needs as they return back to civilian life.

A highlight of the event will be both the silent auction, with an amazing array of MMA memorabilia up for grabs, and the live auction which includes some items donated personally by Couture, such as dinner with the fighter and a one-hour personal MMA lesson. In addition to Couture, other MMA fighters will be on hand throughout the evening for photos and autographs with tournament players and fans.

“Operation All In” is sponsored by the contributions of its great supporters including Microtech, Oakley, Xtreme Couture MMA, Deepstacks, Lord Griffon, Clear Channel & Golden Nugget.

Seats are limited, so reserve your spot today by stopping by or calling the Golden Nugget Poker Room at (800) 777-4658, ext. 8164 or locally (702) 386-8383, or emailing poker@goldennugget.com to pre-register. Players will also be able to register for the tournament at the event. For more information visit www.xcgif.org.  or www.goldennugget.com.

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ABOUT GOLDEN NUGGET LAS VEGAS

Winner of the AAA Four Diamond Award consecutively since 1977, the Golden Nugget Las Vegas is the most luxurious resort on the Fremont Street Experience, and consistently receives critical acclaim for exceeding customer expectations. The Golden Nugget now offers more than 2,400 deluxe guestrooms and suites; a high-energy casino featuring the most popular slot and video poker machines, table games, race and sports book, and poker room; nightly entertainment with master impressionist and comedian Gordie Brown; world-class restaurants such as Grotto Italian Ristorante and Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse; a luxury spa and salon; and The Tank, a year-round outdoor swimming pool complete with a 200,000-gallon, live shark aquarium and the new H20 poolside lounge. Since 2005, the Golden Nugget Las Vegas has made more than $180 million in upgrades, renovations and expansions under Landry’s Inc, introducing first-class accommodations, exquisite dining options and fun-filled entertainment venues. In late 2009, the Golden Nugget Las Vegas unveiled its newest addition, Rush Tower. This $150-million hotel tower added nearly 500 new guestrooms and suites to the property, brought Las Vegas it’s first Chart House Restaurant and introduced a beautiful new pool, the Hideout, as well as expanded the gaming. Hotel reservations and additional information are available by calling 800-634-3454 or by visiting online at www.goldennugget.com.

ABOUT XTREME COUTURE GI FOUNDATION
The Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation, was founded by Randy Couture to honor the veterans of America’s armed forces. The foundation was especially formed to raise money and awareness for those wounded in action and their families. To date, more than 24,000 U.S. troops have been wounded in the war against terrorism, which doesn’t include the many more suffering the mental effects. The Xtreme Couture GI Foundation goal is to help these brave men and women fulfill any of their unmet needs as they return back to civilian life. Visit http://www.xtremecouturegifoundation.org/ for more information.

Nick Yunis promised the story would get better, and it did.

The man who won a satellite entry to the PCA $25,000 High Roller last night, busted out in the first three levels today and then won a last-minute single table satellite to get back in and finish Day 1 with the chip lead.

Yunis’ 407,100 stack is the best of the 56 players remaining in the event tonight.

Yunis’ story is one for the books to be sure, but if there was another equally unlikely tale today, it came in the form of multimillionaire venture capitalist and amateur poker player Bill Perkins. The man from Houston, Texas has been trying his hand at high stakes poker and seems to have found a foothold in this event. His 345,700 is good for second place headed into Day 2.

There are not a great many poker players in the world who can afford to casually sign up for a $25,000 buy-in poker tournament. There are even fewer who can afford to rebuy if they bust out early. Most of those people are on Paradise Island this week. One hundred forty-one of them showed up today. Seven of them bought in twice.

This field highlights poker’s elite: former PCA champions, WSOP title-holders, Team PokerStars Pro, a multimillionaire amateur, and some of online and live poker’s greatest high stakes specialists. That is to say, if we were to list the notable players, we’d be listing the entire remaining field (which, by the way, you will find on the Chip Counts tab of our $25,000 High Roller coverage). With that understood, still contending for the title tonight are several members of the PokerStars family.

Tomorrow (or let’s be honest….later today), the top 16 will make the money on the way to Saturday’s final table of eight. Whoever comes out on top will win $1,134,930.

During the 15 hours we spent on the clock today, we managed to find a ton of great stories around the big event. Here’s a rundown of all of them:

Also, we can’t let the end of the night pass without mentioning the amazing final table of the PCA main event. The top three players are all separated by one big blind. One of those players is Xuan Liu who now holds the distinction of having gone the deepest of any woman in PCA history. For a wrap-up of the day and all you need to know about the final table, visit the 2012 PCA main event live updates, chip counts, and payouts page.

Given that we are able to drag ourselves from our beds, we’ll be right back here in about nine hours to resume our coverage of the PCA $25,000 High Roller (not to mention full coverage of the final table). The math tells us it should take all day and night to get down to the final table of eight. Here’s to hoping the math is wrong.

In the meantime, thanks for sticking with us tonight. We’ll see you in a few hours to see if Nick Yunis and Bill Perkins can continue to amaze.

All High Roller photography © Neil Stoddart