Andy Bloch on Full Tilt Poker

[nolanfan34]

So I was on Full Tilt Poker last night, checking things out as I haven't been able to log onto their site for a while. I noticed in the Hold Em lobby that two PL tables were highlighted in red, including the Andy Bloch table. Sure enough, Andy was actually online, playing two free money tables.

This was the first time that I've been on there that one of their "name" players was using the site. Poor Andy was being peppered with questions of course, so I don't even know how he could manage to play 2 tables at once and also reply, which he was doing.

Probably the funniest was that someone asked him "hey Andy, does Hellmuth still play at UB?" He simply responded, "I don't know, I don't play there." Like he was going to say anything else, but still, I got a laugh at that.

Also funny was this exchange:

Lurker: Andy, what would your advice be to someone who wants to become a professional poker player?

Bloch: Don't.

He went on to elaborate a bit with some basic stuff about starting recreationally at small levels, learning to beat that before moving up. Certainly wasn't endorsing the Dynasty "19 hours of stud experience before moving to Vegas" plan. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anyway, with all of the big names involved in this site, I think it will be interesting to see how well it does when they roll out their real money play. Having the pros have their own table is an interesting gimmick, and if marketed correctly on WPT and WSOP broadcasts, I could see some newbies heading to their site. Heck, the waiting list to get onto Bloch's table was 60 people long.

While I think the layout of the lobby and the tables takes just a bit of getting used to, their software was running smoothly last night, and the SNG I played in moved pretty quickly. But I hate only seeing half of my hole cards for some reason, and I think those avitars are going to get old very very quickly (like Party). Bloch's avitar was spot on though.

Should be interesting to see if it can compete with the big boys.

And no, I have no affiliation with Full Tilt whatsoever.

[Syntax]

With all those names involved, if somehow they could have it worked out where there is always a pro playing at any given time, especially at the low and mid limit games, this will be the number 1 site within a year.

[RollaJ]

Are they taking sign ups yet for people to fill in for the big name players so that they dont really have to play, but the fish are happy?

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Are they taking sign ups yet for people to fill in for the big name players so that they dont really have to play, but the fish are happy?

[/ QUOTE ]

See, that's why I referred to it as a gimmick. I'm assuming it was really Bloch on there last night, but in the future, who knows.

[Syntax]

Of course it would be easy to scam the public, but then they would stand to lose everything if someone blew the whistle.

If their gimmick is to let the players mingle with the pros whats one or two hours a day for these guys to show up at "work". It's their site and they stand to make millions off of it by participating.

They could have stand-ins, but thats like saying Party can juice the flops. Why mess the goose laying the golden egg.

[PapaSan]

I don't understand, why people would want to play against lederer ,bloch or other well known pros. The site looks great and runs smooth but i think i'll play at a site full of fish before i play there.

[Syntax]

Why do rich whales want to play against Doyle Brunson or Johnny Chan?

Most players play for fun and how much more fun can it be for a "fish" to play against Phil Ivey in a 1/2 game and beat him out of a couple pots.

Those games will be loaded with "fish" looking for fun. Even with Lederer at the table.

[Mike Haven]

Party can juice the flops

An interesting theory. Would you care to elaborate?

[Syntax]

Am i missing something here?

[J.R.]

This is speculation, but the Government wants to crack down on internet gambling. The Government seized a few million of Paradise's cash earmarked for WPT TV ads. Whoever owns the big online pokerrrooms keeps a low profile. All of the sudden, well know "pros" decide to start a online poker site. They advertise their affiliation/ownership in this site. These pros live in the U.S. and have a high profile in the gambling community. Doesn't this seem like a fairly high risk venture?

Sure the adminstration might change or they may have bigger matters on hand, but the arrest of numerous high profile poker pros who jointly share ownership in an online gambling site would seem to greatly enhance the govenerment's anti-online gambling efforts, especially with repsect to online poker. Am I nuts for thinking this Full-Tilt poker venture seems to be premised on quite a risky marketing startegy in that it this marketing startegy is almost daring the Govenment to step in and do somehting.

[drewjustdrew]

The important thing to note with yours is that these pros are not the owners of the site. They are employees or independent contractors. I'm sure there are very different legalities involved

[J.R.]

I thought they were advertising themselves as owners. Otherwise, they in the same boat as Mike Sexton or Shanna Hiatt with Party and are on a less exposed pedestal, so to speak.

[Syntax]

Full Tilt Poker is operated by Vert Enterprises Inc., a company established under the laws of Nevis, West Indies.

I dont even think it is agains US laws for US citizens to own pieces of foreign companies, as long as they pay the applicable taxes.

[J.R.]

I dont even think it is agains US laws for US citizens to own pieces of foreign companies

Of course its not against the law to for an american to own a peice of a foreign company, but if the foreign company engages in illegal activity for which its owners can legally be held liable, an american owner could be subject to prosecution.

I was mistakenly under the impression the full tilt "pros" were owners of the site.

[Syntax]

Full Tilt would not be engaging in illegal activites in the US. US citizens that play there "may", but we as americans do not own the internet, and can't prosecute full tilt owners when thier company is legal where it was founded.

[J.R.]

Sorry, I repsected some of you UB posts but you just can't make stuff up and post blanket statements about matters you know nothing about as if your are some sort of authority on the matter. You are dead wrong.

For example:
PRESS RELEASE

MARY JO WHITE, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and LEWIS D. SCHILIRO, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the FBI, announced today that seven additional owners, managers and employees of five Internet sports betting companies headquartered in the Caribbean have been charged in Manhattan federal court with conspiracy to transmit bets and wagers on sporting events via the Internet and telephones. These cases are in addition to charges filed against 14 owners and managers of six such companies earlier this month, which were the first federal prosecutions of sports betting over the Internet.

The five separate Complaints charge the defendants, all of whom are United States citizens, with owning and/or operating sports betting businesses that illegally accept wagers on sporting events over the Internet and telephones. All of the companies advertise and promote their sports betting operations to United States customers on web sites on the Internet, according to the Complaints.

According to Complaints, Worlds Sports Exchange and Galaxy Sports have continued to operate sports betting operations in violation of United States law following the arrests of owners and managers of those companies earlier this month. When an undercover agent posing as a better called World Sports Exchange, he spoke to a man identified as SPENCER HANSON, who refused to give his last name, and told the agent that he sounded like a "federal agent," it was charged.

In addition, owners or employees of three other sports betting operations, Global Sports Network (Dominican Republic), Grand Holiday Casino (Curacao) and World Wide Tele-sports (Antigua) have been charged. LAURENCE R. STOFAN, the owner of Global Sports Network, operated his business out of Cliffside Park, New Jersey.

Ms. WHITE stated: "Offshore sports betting operators who use the telephones, Internet, or other forms of wire communications to solicit bettors from the United States are acting in violation of federal law. We will continue to monitor and vigorously prosecute offshore sports betting operations that engage in this blatantly illegal activity."

Out of the 14 defendants named in the arrest warrants unsealed on March 4, 1994, 11 have been arrested or surrendered. The remaining three, Steve Shillinger, Gene O'Brien and Brian Janus, remain fugitives.

All the defendants are being notified that warrants have been issued for their arrests, and they will be placed in custody upon their return to the United States.

Each of the defendants faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

link (http://www.gambleonthenet.com/links/fbi3-26.html)
more info (http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/02/29/gambling/)

[Syntax]

check out Chuck Humphrey's website on gambling law:

http://www.gambling-law-us.com/

I don't claim to be a legal expert, but Im not clueless as you imply. But look, if it's so obvious to you that it would be illegal, wouldn't it be obvious to the people running the site. I would guarantee there are highly knowledgable and highly paid legal experts making sure that the owners and investors are not liable.

As a player, you have even less to worry about at this time.

[Syntax]

By the way, I found the articles on you links really interesting.

I found this to be the most interesting passage:

[ QUOTE ]
Just because an American resident can visit a foreign gambling site, does that give the United States the right to extend its laws to that country, he queried.

According to a New York jury, which spent the weekend in deliberations, the answer to that question is yes. The decision strikes to the core of the issue of nebulous boundaries and laws in cyberspace. Cohen was an American citizen, making the offense more visible; but would United States courts also be able to prosecute a native of Antigua for the same offense? The international ramifications are also significant: With this precedent, could an American be prosecuted by the Singapore government for a pornographic Web site? A German by the Israeli government? A Pakistani by India?



[/ QUOTE ]

[RollaJ]

[ QUOTE ]
Party can juice the flops

An interesting theory. Would you care to elaborate?


[/ QUOTE ]

LOL.....not again

[B Dids]

Except that it doesn't run smooth, it's been a crash fest the last few days.

Block and I were in the same freroll the other day, my only goal was to place higher than he did... I win.

[fnurt]

The issue is interesting, and our government is often guilty of arrogance in attempting to enforce laws overseas when we would scream bloody murder if another country tried to do the same thing to an American citizen.

Under general principles of jurisdiction, it's unlikely that passive activity, like putting dirty pictures on a U.S. website, could subject you to criminal prosecution overseas, even if foreigners are viewing the website. But if you knowingly accept money from residents of that foreign country to see your dirty pictures, then yes, you have every reason to worry about being subjected to the laws of that country.

It's a moot point, of course, if you never plan on leaving the U.S., since you're not going to be extradited to Singapore over something like this.

[Syntax]

Note to self: cancel Singapore trip.

Actually, I took a second look at that article, and realized that it was from 4.5 years ago. WSEX is still in business. Im curious, what ever happened with the owner and the appeal. Im too busy reading the forum and playing two tables. I'll have to research later if no one knows.

[tablecop]

appeal failed, cohen went to jail, released on parole earlier this year.

[MS Sunshine]

"Party can juice the flops

An interesting theory. Would you care to elaborate?"

Slow day Mike? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

MS Sunshine