After the Smoke Cleared: The Week that Was 4/20-4/25

Following the international (and inter-galactic) festivities that occurred this past Sunday, a lot happened in the world of poker. Here is a recap of the week that was 4/20 - 4/25.

 

• The Swedish Government is facing charges for protecting the gaming monopoly known as Svenska Spel. This comes on the heels of a major shakeup in the Board of Directors which left a Mr. Kärrbrink out of a CEO position. While Treasurer Anders Hägg is serving as the interim CEO, the search is on for a new CEO for the state-run gaming company.
• The lawsuit brought against the World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPTE) by seven high profile players (Howard Lederer, Phil Gordon, Annie Duke, Joe Hachem, Greg Raymer, Andy Bloch and Phil Gordon) was settled out of court this week. The lawsuit was predicated by the WPTE’s television release agreement which gave the company full control of players’ likenesses.
• Industry mogul Calvin Ayre has resigned from all activities involved with his greatest achievement, Bodog. This comes as the latest surprise move from the man who was implicated in drug trafficking, suspended for 20 years from the British Columbia securities market and possessed of a burning desire to fight other poker moguls in MMA fights.
• California Legislators voted unanimously to initiate a comprehensive study on the effects of online poker play on citizens.
• Up and coming gaming site, Cake Poker has announced that it is adding new funding methods to allow its players additional ways to fund their gaming activities.
• The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is up in arms over a recent Paddy Power advertisement deemed too provocative. The ad hinges on a number of sexual and slapstick jokes designed to serve as gaming metaphors. Only the ASA does not play poker and is concerned that many other non-poker player viewers of the ad would not understand the gaming metaphors and be left with a lewd, sophomoric and dangerous-for-children mess.
• The online poker room Poker Trillion is leaving Boss Media’s International Poker Network to join the fledgling network, Everleaf Gaming. While Poker Trillion’s motives remain a bit of a mystery, it is worth noting that Everleaf is one of the few networks to accept US customers.
• To go along with the launch of its Political Action Committee, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has announced that it has surpassed one million members.
• In one of the most stunning (and least related to) poker developments of the past few months, 73 year old Doyle Brunson will play 25 year old Patrick Antonius heads up in a golf match for $100,000 per hole. This prop bet will come at the end of a series of heads up high stakes poker games between the two poker pros (who are separated in age by nearly half a century.)

And that’s what’s happening in poker.