Poker, whether or not it’s a sport, is entertainment. The senior director of ESPN programming, Scott Hanley, said, “I think it's a sport and an entertainment. That's what we do. It's our name: the entertainment and sports programming network. That's how we try to show it. It's reality-based. You meet these players and you like them or you don't like them."

Besides the poker camera, which displays the cards of each player and has made poker extra accessible to television viewers, ESPN will air the first 32 hours of the World Series of Poker in high definition television (HDTV), another poker original.

Jamie Horowitz, ESPN senior producer, said, "There's an associated cost there. The value of going high-def is showing a game based on reading your opponent. You can see their eye movements, their hand movements.” He also stated that ESPN will persist in searching for coverage modernisations by its 2010 contract with the WSOP and, he added, “hopefully beyond."

Horowitz said that this year the network advanced graphics and music, making new tables and restyling the rooms where poker players are questioned, from an Old West atmosphere to an Ocean's 11 atmosphere, to mirror poker’s "modern" age. The network also increased the number of cameras from 26 to 40. By comparison, Horowitz said that 35 were utilised to televise the Kentucky Derby.

WSOP’s delayed coverage continues Tuesday and continues on ESPN to 30 October. ESPN is airing two hours, one each of chosen events, through 14 August.

Gamblers who want to comment on World Series of Poker must speak in English and be polite.

Officers from the 21-event tournament are cracking down on bad poker etiquette by doling out 20 minutes of punishment for offences such as card throwing and abusive language and expelling gambler for flagrant violations.

“We want to make things more comfortable for our employees and players”, said WSOP Tournament Coordinator Jack McClelland, noting that the dealers are the targets of the flying cards.

“This will offer as much protection as possible. We don't want to see someone get hit in the eye by a card. Anyone with an ounce of common sense and an ounce of courtesy will be able to follow the rules with no problem”, McClelland added.

From the new rules, the most controversial is the ‘English only’ agreement while the gamblers are inside the playing premises.

McClelland stated, “You could have a situation where two of the players would be talking in their own language about the hands they just threw away. The third player then would have an unfair advantage by knowing what they had, and would have a real good idea what the remaining players have”.

Players who cannot speak English must have an interpreter who stands if the players have concerns. In addition, the player who wants to speak in a native dialect must step out in the railing between hands.

The English only policy applies also in satellites, side games, super satellites not only in tournament games.

Empire Online, which has successfully ridden the boom in Internet poker, yesterday became the target of a potential £700 million-plus bid battle.

According to Empire, which soared only in June, it has received a merger proposal. The approach is thought to be coming from the British e-gaming operator Sportingbet. If so, it would denote a direct attack on the huge Party Poker site of PartyGaming, which is the biggest customer of Empire. It may also stimulate a counter-bid from PartyGaming.

Empire operates as a white label casino and poker site. It recruits online gamblers and directs them to third-party websites like 888.com and Party Poker, where the casino and poker games are played.

Empire produces its money through claiming commission from host operators. Payments coming from PartyGaming represent two-thirds of Empire’s revenue.

Analysts say that the use of the word ‘merger’ by Empire rather than ‘takeover’ in its stock exchange statement gives a hint that Sportingbet, not PartyGaming, is the likely suitor. Sportingbet, worth around £1.2 billion, is closer to the £700 million market value of Empire compared to PartyGaming's £6.2 billion capitalisation.

In theory the deal, which is not yet complete, would give Empire the option of directing new players to its own site; thus, it could deprive the future revenues of PartyGaming. But Sportingbet’s takeover could significantly increase that risk and would denote a direct competitive threat.

Poker can soon overtake sports betting. Tradal, the company behind Empire Poker, holds negotiations with the Numis stockbroker; who aims to receive advice in preparation of going public.

Empire Poker, also known as Empire online, is a company established by Arnon Katz and Noam Lanir. This investment company is traded on the London stock market in British Virgin Island and currently employs 40 people. Recently, the company is promoting its multiple online casinos, online poker, and other online bingo properties.

However, it is predicted that Tradal will most likely finance commercial enterprises by bond or stock shares specifically on the London stock market. The source is estimated to be worth £500 million or approximately $960 million.

The company has cited another option, which is an attempt to collect and raise funding through the international debt markets. It is, however, still in consideration.

At present, there is no timetable for Tradal to make a decision concerning its future financial strategy. However, it seems likely that it will not take long as the company wishes to capitalise on the current surge of media interest on the online game, as well as the consumers’ growth.

The third online poker provider to consider is the Party Gaming, a company based in Cyprus that owns Party Poker, Cassava Enterprises, Pacific Poker, and other online gambling enterprises. Furthermore, the company has already hired professional advisors in preparation for its operation and going public.

Legal proceedings have begun in Gibraltar High Court between Empire Online, a promoter of Internet casino and poker sites, and Partygaming, Empire Online’s former ally.

The move of the Partygaming to separate from its ‘skins’ its online system for poker is the primary focus of this legal action.

Users are directed to online poker operators like the Party Poker site of Partygaming by skin sites like Empire Online. In doing this, skin sites are being paid with commission.

Since it set afloat in June, Empire Online suffered a loss of more than half its market value.

Empire Online stated on Tuesday that ”The company seeks substantial damages and injunctive relief from Partygaming”. The company also said that it holds ‘confidential arbitration proceedings’ with a subsidiary of Partygaming.

A spokesman of Partygaming, however, said that this season’s first ‘pantomime’ is believed to be Empire Online’s legal action. Partygaming further added, “We remain highly confident of a successful outcome to the litigation with Empire”.

Online gamers using links of Empire Online are limited to smaller poker sites with a few gamers after the decision of Partygaming on skins.

Partygaming is threatened to be sued “in relation to damage caused to it by the conduct of companies within the Partygaming group in separating the poker system used by Partygaming players from that of its skins” in November.

Dave Eller of Port Orange won the first prize amount of $42,888 in the poker tournament held at Omaha High-Low Split World Poker Open at Tunica, Mississippi.

The 40-year old Eller arrived to the final nine-player table having the fewest chips.

"I was a little nervous as the tournament wound down about making the final table. I was short-stacked, and I wanted to try to finish as high in the money as I could”, Eller revealed.

At the fifth card, Eller collected all the chips of his opponent, grabbing the opportunity to win.

"When I got to the final table, I started winning a few hands and became confident I could win it. I became more aggressive and started getting some pretty good cards”, he added.

As the game continued, the audience are spellbound as players bet thousands of dollars as the card turns.

Eller has been playing poker since he was a kid but he got hooked a few years ago. He loves the game, but plays it for money.

"I've been playing pretty seriously for about five years now. I've done pretty well, but I'm not going to be giving up my day-job any time soon”, he added.

Eller commented that high-stakes games do not always make a player rich, sometimes it is a loss of money.

WSOPE had a pre-registration for this poker World Series at www.Betfair.com. It has been open for poker players for almost two weeks. Some of the biggest names in the poker world had already paid the registration fee of GBP 10,000 (or USD 20,000, and EUR 15,000) for the WSOP Main Event.

The following elite poker players have already secured their WSOP seats: Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Roland de Wolfe, Erik Seidel, Allen Cunningham, John Juanda, Todd Brunson, Howard Lederer, Eli Elezra, Jennifer Harman and Humberto Brenes. They are the highlights on this long list of poker elites.

According to Jeffrey Pollack, the WSOP Commissioner, ”There are more than 60 WSOP bracelets released for the pre-registrants to those invited elite players.”

Phil Hellmuth, the new member of the elite poker players, just recently won a record-breaking number poker games, having eleven WSOP bracelets. In his statement on the press, he said, ”I'm on for London to make history once again by winning this first WSOP bracelet and title, an award ever granted outside Las Vegas.”

Those who registered online on Betfair were reserved 125 seats, especially those who qualified. Ben Fred, Head of WSOP Poker said, “It's an amazing and fantastic opportunity [for] our new players and elite players to contend against the world’s greatest poker players.”

Jaime Gold, the Vegas former WSOP winner, has made his announcements and plans to play at WSOP Europe, which is set on September 6-16, 2007, London. This is the first Poker World Series held outside America.

The Gambler’s Book Shop, which has been in operation for more than 30 years, will launch a free display of notable photographs on the 9th of December, to preserve some significant elements of Las Vegas’ history, now that most of the old city is gradually being damaged to give way to new mega resorts.

The photos featured are of those people who shaped Las Vegas to its present status—the gamblers, casino founders and officials, gambling-book authors, junketeers, race book and sports director, and others.

Peter Ruchman, the general manager of the shop said, “It's easy to be dazzled by the big hotels and casinos, but it was the people who came here to earn their fortunes who gave this city its life and its purpose."

Most photos at the exhibit were contributed by Larry Grossman, a sports gaming host, gambling analyst and photographer. Grossman has documented most of gamblers over the decade. Many of his photographs were shot during the World Series of Poker held at Horseshoe, when he covered the event as a magazine columnist and radio reporter.

Ruchman came up with the idea of the exhibit upon seeing the Hall of Fame at Horseshoe and the wall of previous world champions.

Ruchman said, "I thought, how difficult would it be to start an exhibit of some of Las Vegas' most colourful characters? There truly was no other place in Las Vegas that honoured gamblers and other important figures in the industry."

The 22-year-old Sabina Gadecki is the new TV poker hostess on World Poker Tour (WPT), fifth season.

Gadecki, a student in International Business and Communications at Fordham University in New York, replaces Courtney Friel, and follows the footsteps of Shana Hiatt, the first and well-known TV hostess of WPT.

Producers of WPT invited Gadecki to an interview for the WPT hostess position based on a head shot submitted by her agent. She made an 'off-the-wall' demo tape after she finished reviewing the sample clips of the former hostess of the show.

Included in Gadecki’s demo tape are hilarious impersonations of Courtney Friel and Shana Hiatt, which was followed by a number of impromptu joking with her friends.

She was warned by her agent and friends that the producers of the show would either hate it or love it. Seeing Gadecki has acquired the job, the producers must have loved it.

"We chose Sabina from hundreds of applicants. She emerged as the right fit because of the star qualities she naturally exhibits,” Steve Lipscomb, WPT CEO, said.

Gadecki’s whirlwind tours began in June; but the new hostess is no neophyte of being on the centre stage.

Gadecki is from Massachusetts, where she participated in several beauty contests. She won the Miss Polonia and Miss Western Massachusetts titles. Gadecki has also appeared in several well-known magazines, has modelled for print advertising, and has done television commercials for popular name brands. She also studied theatre at Holyoke College.

The first ever magazine approved by the World Poker Tour brand was the ‘World Poker Tour: The Official Magazine’. It was launched in February 2005 and became part of Future's Online Gambling magazine with a monthly title distribution of 350,000 readers.

Having a secured high profile slot in the newly launched ITV4 digital channel, the magazine became well known in the UK.

Before, Dom Beaven, the publishing director of the said magazine, declared that World Poker Tour: The Official Magazine did not become any bigger than the World Poker Tour in the world of poker. He knew that the first step to be taken is to work with WPT Enterprises to achieve success for this official tour magazine.

The chief executive of WPT Enterprises, Steve Lipscomb, proudly said that World Poker Tour was the global leader in poker. WPT Enterprises has the total access to the biggest tournaments and best-known players such as Daniel Negreanu and Gus Hansen.

In 2006, the publisher revealed a little detail on its plans for a new poker title that resulted to a more growing gambling market in the UK. They included issues exposing an insider's story about the tour. Those who love to play poker can learn some tools to perfect their own game right from the star players they see on the WPT TV show.

They also designed the magazine to focus on the personalities on the programme and poker tips written by the WPT Academy.