Poker-Mac

Well, with my bankroll officially annhilated in a end of Neteller tiltfrenzy, I’ve had to go to take the dive into the waters of new payment processors. So far I’ve used ePassporte and MyWebATM.

MyWebATM

Full Tilt is the only place so far that I’ve found MyWebATM being offered. It was easy to setup. Just like several years ago, you sign up, watch for a couple mini-deposits in your bank account, and then provide that info to MyWebATM for verification. Once you’ve verified it takes a week or so before your first deposit goes through. At that point you are ready to rock and roll. Haven’t been using it long, but it seems as reliable as Neteller so far. The only difference that I’d prefer, and this is true of ePassporte as well, is that they don’t tell you if something is pending. So you might end up depositing twice as much — oh well twice as much to beat up on the fish with. (Edit. Donked off most of that already…)
Here is a schedule of their fees:

And depositing works!

ePassporte

ePassporte is just as easy — but does have a slicker interface. This one has been around a bit longer and is accepted by more Poker rooms. Again the deposits take 5 days to a week and the first deposit takes a while. e.g. Daily load limits and daily cash transaction amounts with an ePassporte account are $500, but that gets upped to $1000 after three months or if you register another funding method. I used my bank account - as I always did with Neteller, but you can choose the other buttons on the right. ePassporte can be used at Full Tilt and Absolute, as well as at Pokerstars (who have a mac client coming out soon, but can still be used via Parallels or boot camp) as well as Ultimate Bet (also a bootcamp or parallels poker client). For more on these last rooms, check out Boot Camp Poker.
I have a deposit in process - we’ll see if it works.

Absolute Poker is a switcher! More and more rooms are adding Mac/OS X support - maybe to appeal to european players who appreciate the superb architecture, integration and style of the Apple line. Whatever the reason, I am super psyched! The only question now is, when does MacPoker Pro add Absolute Poker support? Anyhow, right now they are offering a 100% sign-up bonus, up to $750 free. Players must enter bonus code AP750 upon registration or deposit to take advantage of the bonuses.

Here’s an image of the Mac Absolute Poker lobby:

And here is an Absolute Poker table:

Hi - just updated the Mac Poker Software Page. Check it out - let me know inaccuracies or additions. Thanks.

Also - check out 4kingpoker - great site that linked back to us today.

Doyle Brunson may or may not have been arrested.

Rumors have been flying this morning and there is no clear resolution. This all began with a post with very vague details on a poker forum nearby. That source reported the information came from a “Pokerstars employee and generally trusted player.” Even weirder, there have been rumors that the octogenarian’s “arrest” may have been cardiac - we all hope not. The internet poker community has been struggling to confirm or deny this statement ever since.

Why might he have been arrested? Pauly posits that the “SEC? FBI or DOJ?” may have done it. We all know Doyle’s room - and that it is both based in the US and that Doyle lives in Vegas. One poster wondered last year whether “the DOJ could just walk up to Doyle when he’s playing in a tournament and “detain” him?” Doyle’s Room has gotten some notoriety recently as Pamela Anderson joined their efforts.

In addition, the stock scandal story from last year may finally have come home to roost in Doyle’s front yard. Apparently Doyle was out to buy the World Poker Tour, but ended up selling his stock when things didn’t work out. Unfortunately, he bought cheap and sold high and the stock then crashed. This raised some “pump and dump” flags with the SEC who said ” this event cost WPTE investors, “tens of millions of dollars in lost market value”. Here is the related SEC filing.

As the rumors continue to fly, more and more outrageous claims are being made. Particularly as this has hit the mongrels at NeverWin Poker and the Brandy Hawbaker afficionados on the Two Plus Two forums.

Doyle Brunson was arrested today by a joint Pan-American task force for his involvement in Buzkashi point shaving conspiracy.
- Forum Post

I doubt Doyle spends a lot of time engaging in goat’s head polo. According to another forum poster, the “Joint Pan-Amercian Task Force is a key phrase used by an RGP poster named “Neal The Real Deal”, he used that phrase in a “threat” a couple years ago when he and that “force” were going into costa rica to weed out some of these ” rouge” poker room operators. its been used numerous times since by people making ridiculous statments. I wouldnt be surprised if the rumor of Doyle beng arrested eventually leads to an RGP(rec.gambling.poker) post I’m sure it wouldnt be his first time.” Still not much to be found re: the arrest on RGP though.

The hilarious folks at 2+2 have reported variously (and very doubtfully) that Brandi Hawbaker torturer, captain Tom, was behind this. They have also made false claims that this was a Dateline pediphilia sting that Doyle got caught up in. Shame on them for defaming his character.

Doyle’s Room itself has nothing on its news page, but a forum poster reports that one of the online poker site’s representatives said “as far as we know, Doyle is at home sleeping in his bed. Don’t quote me on any of that but we have someone going over to his house to check on him,” said a Doyles Room representative. He’s an active poker player and hates to be woke up early in the morning.”

Bluff Magazine has reported “We just spoke to a very close friend of Doyle’s who has not heard anything to confirm the rumor. Additionally, Howard Lederer has not heard a thing and he thinks he would have if it was true at all!”

And someone reports that David Grey called Brunson after hearing this rumor on full tilt poker and it was “total bullshit”.

Does Doyle have any experience with the wrong side of the law? Certainly. Although today he is an upstanding citizen, and hero of a legalized sport with many passionate fans, he has come a long way from the back roads of Texas.

to start with you had to keep from getting arrested by the police. Then, you had to keep from getting cheated in the games. You also had to worry about collecting the money if you won. Then finally, after all that was said and done - you had to keep from getting hijacked.
- Doyle Brunson

Whether he is arrested or not - what does this mean for online poker? “The image of Doyle hobbling around a courtroom might garner some valuable sympathy with the general public for online poker. Extra points if he’s hooked up to an oxygen tank, and has Todd pushing him in a wheelchair.” said one source - and we agree. Our legislators have to wake up to the inanity of the UIGEA and this may be one piece of the puzzle.