Home / Poker News December 2013 / 2013 Poker Retrospective – Part 11
2013 Poker Retrospective – Part 11
Posted by: Jo Martin - Mon, 2013-12-30 11:44
Having covered some of the more positive poker moments of the year, it is now time to return to the dark side and re-live some of the less auspicious events of the year, which either underwhelmed, frustrated or flat-out disappointed.
One such moment was brought about by the much-hyped poker movie Runner Runner. Featuring Justin Timberlake as the lead and Ben Affleck as the main antagonist, and promising action-laden high-speed scenes in Costa Rica and New York, the movie had all the makings of a Rounders-like blockbuster.
The poker community was rightfully excited about it, but given the way it fizzled out in the end, it’s safe to say it was one of the bigger poker disappointments of the year. Not only did it not have any kind of positive effect on the industry, it portrayed
online poker in a rather negative light, playing into the hands of those still opposing the stateside legalization and regulation of the game.
Obviously, one of the biggest “plus” moments of the year was the return of online poker to the US in a legal, regulated and safer form than before. The only problem was that the biggest player of the online poker industry, PokerStars, weren’t allowed to become a part of this new US-based online poker equation. The site did mount a serious effort aiming to acquire an Atlantic City-based casino, and then teaming up with another land-based operator to become eligible for a license, but it was shunned by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement again and again. A total of 7 operators were given licenses as part of the New Jersey online poker push, but
PokerStars and their land-based partner have had the consideration of their application postponed quite indefinitely, at least until the company cuts all links with its founder, Isai Scheinberg.
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