Source: Bangor Daily News

Mike Sulsona, a former Marine, called the other day, just back from Vietnam for the first time since the war. He was excited because he surprised himself by liking it there this time and because he was pleased with the research he did for a play he wants to write about an Army tank driver. The tank driver, whom Mike Sulsona did not know, was caught in an ambush between Kontum and Dak To just before the Tet offensive of 1968.

Mike himself was in a Tet battle three years later, but whether it is viewed as a country, an era, or a war, Vietnam does not engage Mike Sulsona politically, only personally. For Sulsona, originally a boy from Brooklyn and now a burly family man living on Staten Island, it is enough that, as the 30th anniversary of the war's end is marked - celebrated in Vietnam, briefly noted here in the losing country - the Vietnamese people embraced him.

Thirty years after the end of World War I in 1918 was already three years past the end of World War II. Thirty years after the end of World War II in 1945 was the end of the war in Vietnam when, on April 30, 1975, the last helicopter pushed off from the roof of the American Embassy in Saigon. Thirty years later, in another war against both real insurgents and terror's phantoms, we can find some comfort in our increasing closeness, even friendship, with our former enemies. Mike Sulsona's return journey was a revelation in terms of his personal acceptance. "I could hardly believe it," he said, "but they not only treated me as a friend, they actually honored me as a former warrior."

The first time Mike was in Vietnam, as a Marine in Quang Nam province south of Danang 34 years ago, he left his legs there. When I met him not long after that, he was modestly dismissive of his loss as he practiced walking with his two new prosthetic legs. "There's really not that much to talk about," he had said then, smiling shyly. "We were walking on a patrol, and we ran into an ambush - about six, seven guys really got hurt. It was a battalion ambush." Mike stopped talking and looked down where his real legs used to be, and then he looked back up, still smiling. "We called in two or three medevacs, and they got hit, so finally the last one came in and got us out." Characteristically, Mike did not mention the obvious, that he himself had been hit. He considers he was caught in a trap between history and ideology. "The Vietnamese I knew then and the ones I met now," he said, "were good people. As for what happened, that was my job, that was the country, that was the time."

What Mike was searching for in Vietnam this time were details to fill out the story of Dwight Johnson, the Army tank driver who had been ambushed along Highway 14 midway between Kontum and Dak To in the Central Highlands. Johnson and the rest of his convoy were attacked at a point on Highway 14 where three hills overlook the road, providing perfect perches for the attackers. "With his tank immobilized," Mike Sulsona told me, "Dwight Johnson climbed out and fought like hell." Armed with only a .45 pistol, Johnson killed several of the enemy. Returning to his tank, he found a submachine gun, came back outside and shot more Vietnamese. When he ran out of ammunition he killed a Vietnamese with the stock of the gun. He carried a wounded soldier to safety and then rushed to his platoon sergeant's tank from which he fired the main gun until it jammed. Again armed with only a .45 pistol, Johnson fought his way back to his own tank, which he climbed aboard. On top of the tank, he was fully exposed as he manned his tank's externally mounted .50 caliber machine gun, where he remained firing until, as the Army records later put it, "the situation was brought under control."

For his almost unbelievable valor and patriotic violence, Dwight Johnson won the Medal of Honor and lost, essentially, his mind. Out of the Army, Johnson couldn't find a job. Back in the Army as a recruiter - a living recruiting poster, actually, as an African American Medal of Honor winner in Detroit - he went AWOL. In 1971, three years after his combat heroism, Johnson tried to hold up a liquor store and was shot dead by the owner.

When Mike Sulsona arrived at the site where Johnson's unit was ambushed, he found a war memorial the Vietnamese have erected at the crest of a hill, reached only by climbing 100 steps, to honor their own soldiers who fought a number of brutal battles in Kontum province. These days Mike doesn't use his artificial legs anymore because he finds they actually impede his movement, which is much more fluid with his wheelchair. A friend carried his chair up the steps while Mike, using his powerful arms as levers, pulled his 53- year-old torso upward. With the patience and persistence of a pilgrim, Mike repeated his hopping-hoisting motion 100 times until he reached the shrine his former enemies had constructed to their own bravery and patriotic violence.

Next to a huge urn at the center of the memorial, Mike placed a picture of Dwight Johnson and an American flag. Reclaiming his chair, he roamed around the summit for an hour, enjoying the peaceful vistas across the Central Highlands. The photograph and flag were undisturbed when Mike and his friend left.

Back in Ho Chi Minh City, the old Saigon, Mike was rolling his chair down a crowded sidewalk when he almost collided with a middle-aged Vietnamese man, also in a wheelchair and wearing a combat decoration. He was trying to sell lottery tickets.

The two paraplegics stopped their chairs. Then the Vietnam veteran and the Vietnamese veteran wheeled to face one another as they might once have done with weapons.

"Suddenly, we began laughing," Mike said. "Heavy belly laughs. I have no idea what side he was on. Does it make a difference? We were laughing and laughing and couldn't stop, couldn't help ourselves, just a couple of guys who got messed up in the war. Now he's selling lottery tickets and I'm trying to make a buck writing about a guy who got killed at home after he fought in the war. Neither of us could stop laughing. I mean, what was all that about anyway?"

Peter Davis, who lives in Castine, made a documentary about the Vietnam War, "Hearts and Minds," for which he received an Academy Award in 1975. Michael Sulsona appeared in the film.

Saturday, April 30th, 2005

Online gambling stocks have surged recently and are likely to go higher with some inportant IPO's coming to market such as Party Poker, Cassava, Betfair, Empire Poker.

(PRWEB) April 30, 2005 -- Online gambling stocks such as Sportingbet (SBT.L) and BetandWin (BWIN.VI) have soared to become the leading growth stocks in the GBGC-50 Index of leading gambling stocks by market capitalisation.

BetandWin has been the on line phenomenon moving from 42nd place in January to 19th place in April 2005 just above 20th place Sportingbet a gain of 358% in stock value in only 12 months and an amazing 256% since the turn of the year. The announcement of record revenus have led to further increases the stock's value over the past week or so. Both stocks have benefited tremendousely from the current online poker explosion with Sportingbet having acquired Pacific Poker during Q4 last year and BetandWin being part of the Poker Pulse network.

According to Warwick Bartlett GBGC’s Lead Partner the trend is likely to continue.

“ With the advent of 3G cell phones, faster cheap broadband, plus the forthcoming developments in Interactive Television where the TV will become the computer, betting will be so easy from your own home that future growth is assured” he said.

Simon Holliday GBGC partner and lead analyst says, “ The make up of the index is about to change dramatically over the next 12 months. First of all there is the potential for some seriously big IPO’s led by Cassava (888.com Pacific Poker), Gala, IG Index, Betfair and possibly Party Gaming, Coral and Tadal (Empire Poker). The majority have the potential to become GBGC 50 stocks and some will even go straight into the FTSE 100”.

Holliday goes on to say that, "whilst IPOs are the flavour of the month on this side of the Atlantic in the US it looks as though the domestic market is about to run out of steam. The order books of the gaming machine suppliers are looking thin, with the result that both them and the leading casino operators are looking overseas, particularly toward Asia, Macau and Singapore for the next wave of growth."

International Game Technology (IGT) has seen its share price fall a staggering 43% in one year as it faces a tough market in Las Vegas with increased competition and a slow down in replacement orders. The company’s market cap has fallen a staggering US$7.2bn over the last 12 months. As a result of this downturn the industry on the other side of the Pond has been going through an unprecedented number of M and As as consolidation has become the order of the day.

“The reality is that the new stocks coupled with the M and As will cause the weight of the index to shift dramatically from the traditional bricks and mortar stocks toward the i-gaming sector reflecting the reality of a dynamic market that is shifting online by the day” says Holliday.

The GBGC 50 index of global stocks continues to out perform the FTSE 100 by 150% and has beaten the Dow by 110% between the beginning of Q4 2001 the end of Q1 2005.

The big new entrant into the index has been the Las Vegas Sands (LVS). Its IPO has put the company in at the top of the index with a market cap of almost $14 billion.

Then we have the Genting (GENS.SI) conundrum. They have acquired 29.9% of the British company London Clubs (LCI.L) and 19% of Stanley Leisure (SLY.L). A successful all out bid for both could jettison Genting into the top ten.

William Hill (WHM.L) has reportedly bid £500m in an exclusive deal to secure Stanley's 600 betting shops. If successful its is believed that Hills would have to dispose of between 50 and 100 shops but still they would become the biggest bookmaker on the planet and in so doing move up the index from the 9th place that they currently occupy.

Then we have Rank (RNK.L) who have acquired Internet bookmaker Blue Square and completed a Hard Rock Casino deal with the Seminole Indians in Florida but still continue to under perform the market. Rank were the 5th largest gambling stock a few years ago they have now fallen to 15th position. Here GBGC expect to see a shake out through an acquisition or a break up of the company to its constituent parts.

Friday, April 29th, 2005

By Javad Heydary
E-Commerce Times

One of the fastest growing online businesses is online gambling. The scope of this business is so enormous that some have even claimed it is the single most important factor in the growth of e-commerce. Despite this, there is much controversy and uncertainty surrounding the legality of online gaming in both the U.S. and Canada.

The U.S. Justice Department's (DOJ) position with regards to Internet gambling, and by extension, advertising of Internet gambling, is that it is an illegal activity.

U.S. authorities claim that a recent ruling by the World Trade Organization (WTO) has effectively upheld this stance in that the decision partially reverses key aspects of an earlier ruling of the WTO that had resulted in overseas gambling firms having a claim that they should be allowed access to the U.S. Internet gambling market.

Differing Interpretations
Conversely, Antigua, the tiny Caribbean country that licenses the gambling firms in question, is equally adamant that the decision will still allow its online gaming operators to enter the U.S. market.

As to the background of the WTO ruling earlier this month, in 2003, Antigua complained to the WTO that its Internet gambling companies were not able to properly access U.S. customers because federal laws barred the placing of bets across state lines by electronic means. It also argued that the U.S. was reneging on agreements undertaken with the WTO to make its services markets more accessible to other countries.

Antigua initially prevailed in that it was able to persuade a WTO panel "that it is inappropriate to treat businesses conducting transactions online as unequal to or somehow worse than traditional brick-and-mortar operations, or for the U.S. government to assume lack of industry integrity without any objective evidence."

The U.S. government's argument was that it had never intended for the services' liberalization to include gambling and that, regardless, WTO rules allow states to limit trade to "protect public morals or maintain public order."

Read more >>>

(Javad Heydary, an E-Commerce Times columnist, is a Toronto lawyer licensed to practice in both Ontario and New York and is the managing editor of Lawsof.com)

Friday, April 29th, 2005

653% year-over-year Q1 2005 revenue growth and profitable quarter Symbols: LVH. TSX Venture Exchange LVFHF.OTC Bulletin Board LVH. Berlin Stock Exchange

VANCOUVER /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Las Vegas From Home.com Entertainment Inc. (the "Company") or ("LVFH") today announced results from operations for its fourth quarter of Fiscal 2004 ended December 31, 2004, and first quarter of Fiscal 2005 ended March 31, 2005.

Q1 Fiscal 2005 Financial Results

First quarter revenues were $2,084,056 as compared with revenues of $276,676 in the same period a year ago, growth of 653% year-over-year and 94% versus the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2004. Revenues grew as a result of increased usage of the Company's Gaming Software. The Company had net income for the quarter of $364,329 as compared to a net loss in the first quarter of Fiscal 2004 of $464,934.

"We're very pleased with the growth in our business and our client base in the first quarter of Fiscal 2005. This demonstrates our growing momentum compared with Fiscal 2004", stated Jake Kalpakian, President and CEO of LVFH.

Q4 Fiscal 2004 Financial Results

Fourth quarter revenues were $1,073,463 compared with revenues of $268,887 in the same period a year ago, growth of 299% year over year. Revenues grew as a result of increased usage of the Company's Gaming Software. Net loss for the quarter was $3,461,006 as compared to a net gain of $178,640 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003. However, these results were affected by the following one-time expense items: Net revenue sharing buyback of $1,048,021; settlement of lawsuit of $240,400; and also the accounting treatment of stock options granted in 2004 of $2,323,004. Had the Company not recognized the granting of stock options as compensation expense, then the Company's operating results would have shown as an operating profit of $146,491.

Outlook

Industry indications are strong that the growth trend in the internet gaming sector, in particular for poker and other multiplayer games, shall continue to enjoy high growth.

The Company has commenced an aggressive marketing campaign which has started to produce positive results. Management is of the opinion that the recently announced "Bought deal" financing will help further its growth strategy at a much quicker rate through an even more ambitious, but carefully planned, marketing campaign and/or potential acquisitions.

The Company is experiencing strong interest by online Sports books and Casinos to license its software. Management believes this is a direct result of the growing "critical mass" within the Action Poker Network.

LVFH's financial statements for the year-ended December 31, 2004, and for the first quarter ended March 31, 2005, are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Las Vegas From Home.Com Entertainment Inc.

LVFH is an "E-Gaming" Software Developer and provider, and through its wholly owned Antiguan Subsidiary, Action Poker Gaming Inc., licenses its software to third parties.

For more information on the Company, please contact us at (604) 681-0204, or visit our Website at www.lvfh.com .


On behalf of the Board of
Las Vegas From Home.com Entertainment Inc.


"Jacob H. Kalpakian"
-------------------------
Jacob H. Kalpakian,
President

April 29th, 2005

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Legislature approved a bill Wednesday allowing charities to stage Texas Hold 'Em events as fundraisers. "I think the potential for making money is going to be a lot greater," said Rick Walker, owner of Wild Bill's Northwest, a Portland company that stages casino nights for charities.

The version of poker has soared in popularity with televised high-stakes poker tournaments.

Walker figures his company also will be a big winner. Already, one of his big moneymakers is a free Hold 'Em league that features noncash prizes.

As of now charities can only offer games where players compete against the house, such as in blackjack or craps.

With HB2311, which goes to the governor, games like Texas Hold 'Em where players compete against each other also will be legal.

They can't play for cash, but Walker said charities can offer enticing prizes, like a trip to Vegas.

The bill passed the Senate with just one no vote -- from Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay.

April 29th, 2005

Youbet.com Reports Record First Quarter Results as Diluted Net Income Per Share Rises to $0.03; Total Revenue Rises 25.1% To $18.5 Million on Record Quarterly Handle of $88.3 Million

CORRECTION...by Youbet.com

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.-- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- In the Summary of First Quarter Results financial table, the Net Revenue line is corrected to read as follows:
Summary of First Quarter Results

(in thousands, except per share and For the three
percentage figures) months ended
March 31,
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2005 2004 % change
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Net revenue (revenues from commissions less
track and licensing fees) $6,126 $5,472 12.0%
----------------------------------------------------------------------


The corrected release reads as follows:

YOUBET.COM REPORTS RECORD FIRST QUARTER RESULTS AS DILUTED NET INCOME PER SHARE RISES TO $0.03; TOTAL REVENUE RISES 25.1% TO $18.5 MILLION ON RECORD QUARTERLY HANDLE OF $88.3 MILLION

Youbet.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBET), a leading online wagering company and the largest provider of horse racing content in the United States, today reported net income for the 2005 first quarter of $1.0 million, or $0.03 per fully diluted share, compared to net income of $15,111, or $0.00 per fully diluted share, in the 2004 first quarter.

Summary of First Quarter Results

(in thousands, except per share and For the three
percentage figures) months ended
March 31,
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2005 2004 % change
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total wagers (handle) $88,251 $71,766 23.0%
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total revenue (commissions from handle plus
other revenue) $18,515 $14,800 25.1%
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Net revenue (revenues from commissions less
track and licensing fees) $6,126 $5,472 12.0%
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yield (1) 6.9% 7.6% (9.0)%
----------------------------------------------------------------------
EBITDA (2) $1,105 $1,104 0.1%
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Net income $1,030 $15
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Diluted EPS $0.03 $0.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Yield is defined as net revenue (commission revenue less track and
licensing fees) as a percentage of handle. The decline in yield
for the three-month period ended March 31, 2005 compared to the
prior year period is primarily due to a change in track mix.

(2) EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation
and amortization. A reconciliation of EBITDA to net income, the
most comparable Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP")
financial measure, can be found attached to this release.


"The record first quarter results reflect our industry leadership position in terms of product offerings, player services, technology and wagering compliance, all of which contribute to a highly entertaining and trusted experience for our growing customer base," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Charles F. Champion. "This industry position, as well as our ongoing commitment to raise the bar in all of these noted areas of our business, is leading to higher levels of handle and improved bottom line results.

Tuesay, April 27th, 2005

LONDON - GMC.L - Gaming Corporation plc, the owner of the UK's number 1 gaming website www.casino.co.uk, announces that the casino.co.uk branded mobile gaming service is now live on the Orange World WAP portal.

Blackjack, Roulette, Stud Poker, slots and scratch cards are available for both practice and real cash play with registration and deposits being made from your Orange mobile handset. Orange customers can download the games from the Orange World Wap portal games section.

The games can also be downloaded to orange mobile handsets by visiting wap.orange.casino.co.uk or from the internet by visiting www.orange.casino.co.uk.

Justin Drummond Chief Executive said,

"The launch of this service is a key event for Gaming Corporation and the first deal of its kind in the UK mobile gaming sector"

For further information contact:

Gaming Corporation plc
Justin Drummond, Chief Executive, 020 7618 9000
Jason Drummond, Chairman, 020 7618 9000
Damion Greef, Communications Director, 07736 381 030

Tuesay, April 26th, 2005

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Absolute Poker the fastest-growing online poker site in the world, is holding a Free "Win Your Tuition" Texas Hold'em tournament for all University and College Students. Students need to pre-register for the
tournament and the tournament will be held on May 26.

"AbsolutePoker.com is the best site to find the most exciting promotions
and tournaments," said Gian Perroni, Poker Room Manager. "We realize how
popular poker, and specifically Texas Hold'em, is among College Students, and
this is a great way for students to have fun and, for one lucky student, to
win his or her tuition."

Absolute Poker has quickly become a favorite online poker destination for
not only seasoned poker players but also novice players looking to learn the
game or get in on real money ring games and tournaments from the comfort of
their home. Access for players to participate in games and tournaments at
their discretion is something that appeals to College Students who have
demanding schedules.

"We anticipate a few thousand players will be vying for the prize," continued Mr. Perroni. "We came up with the idea for the tournament because we at Absolute poker haven't forgotten how expensive it is to go to school, and we thought this would be a great prize for someone. Free tuition will certainly allow our winner a few less sleepless nights during what can be a tough school year."

Absolute poker has created a specific portal for our College players
http://www.AbsolutePoker.com/college . Go to this page and register today."

About AbsolutePoker.com
AbsolutePoker.com is the world's fastest-growing online poker destination, offering worldwide access to multi-player online games 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Driven by proprietary software, AbsolutePoker.com offers the most comprehensive, interactive online poker room, providing such features as the ability to upload your own image (photos, logos, etc.), player note taking and chat, locate a player, hand history and stat retrieval, and three-table play. Multi-player games offered include Texas Hold'em, Omaha High, Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, One on One and Poker Tournaments. AbsolutePoker.com ensures the security and integrity of its games through advanced proprietary technology.

Established in 2003, AbsolutePoker.com is licensed and regulated in
Canada.

Contact Information:
Garin Gustafson
Vice President of Marketing
1-800-471-1970
media@absolutepoker.com

Tuesay, April 26th, 2005
By A.D. Amorosi
For The Inquirer

Young players cram Philly-area bars, but it's not for the betting action - a good time is also in the cards.

Late on a Thursday night, about 80 people cluster around 10 tables at Fox and Hound on Spruce Street. TVs blast all around them, yet they stare down at their hands.

Poker hands. Some lucky, some not.

They're not playing for money; there's no gambling in Philly - yet. Or for prizes - some gift certificates to downtown spots. They're playing for the sport. The competition. The hang.

The saloon is chaotic, jammed with young drinkers and smokers, men and women. Sure, some look up from time to time, but not for long. They're intent on the "hole," the "burn."

Poker has become the province of Internet nerds, dressy young professionals, and run-of-the-mill hipsters, and games hosted at a different bar in the area virtually every night are packing 'em in.

"There's just a really good time to be had," says Jason Kundtz, 28, of Queen Village, who does risk assessment for Fidelity Investments. Kundtz and some of his friends are regulars at several of the Center City Texas Hold 'Em nights hosted by J2D2.com, a locally owned poker Web site.

"I play online and go to Atlantic City whenever I can to hit the casinos," says Kundtz, fiddling with a stack of chips. "But here, you can chill with your friends and bet, bet, bet while you better yourself at the game. If you do that in A.C., you might not be able to pay the rent."

For others, the poker is just one attraction.

"I think the hottest guys come to the poker nights at Fox and Hound," says Ali Waks, 31, a promotional manager at the Smoked Joint. She says she has "willed herself" to win just to beat guys she wants to impress.

She happens to be friendly with tonight's host, Nick Baker, 28, an actor and comedian who's a partner in J2D2 with Doug Hudson, 24; Doug Reilly, 24; and Jan Kargulewicz, 24.

At J2D2's poker nights, no actual gambling money changes hands - at the start of the evening, the players get $100 in phony money. Still, they bluff, bet, hold and fold with care.

"I'm not a cautious bettor," says Josh Budwin, 24, a Temple University law student and pal of Kundtz's who's on his first poker outing. "I'm just the smartest."

Texas hold 'em is considered the easiest poker game to learn - which probably accounts for its popularity as both hands-on and spectator sport (cable TV shows it for hours and hours every day). Each player is dealt two cards; five cards are shared by the table. Whoever makes the best five-card hand wins.

By evening's end, players are winnowed down to one winner per table. Then, the winners play until only one is standing.

But you don't have to be a playah to play at J2D2 poker nights - that's part of the appeal. Novices are steered to the learners' tables, and no one makes fun of you.

Even the losers win. At the "Not-So-Lucky" Table, as Baker likes to call it, another mini-tournament takes place where the less fortunate can make back their imaginary dough.

Baker says the nightly clientele is about a 70/30 split, men to women.

"A lot of guys come with their girlfriends, who start off slow... but wind up beating the heck out of their dates," he says. "I don't know why, but girls are really good at this game. Their faces are so hard to read."

"Do I have a poker face? I think I do!" says Katherine Hudson, 23, a physics grad student at Drexel, whose eyes and mouth stay steady during bets. But the moment her handful of clubs can't beat another pal's hearts-filled straight, her face turns jokingly sour. She cusses out her rival, though she hasn't lost a dime.

Unlike roulette and other casino games, you can play poker anywhere. Kids pick it up quickly; it's been huge among teenagers for a while now.

And skill is just one part of the social pas de deux. So why not play poker in bars, where friendly adversaries might become friends after a few hands?

Before he joined J2D2, Baker says, he played poker with his buddies all the time while breaking bread and having a few drinks.

"We did the same thing," says Reilly, a soft-spoken bartender who started J2D2 last fall with a softwear designer (Hudson) and an Ikea manager (Kargulewicz). "We played so much poker on so many weekends, we had to find a way that it could make money."

In October, J2D2 began hosting nightly poker games at the Wild Onion in Rosemont, where 40 to 60 players throw down every Sunday night now. Bars in Jeffersonville, Upper Darby, and Manayunk followed.

By November, J2D2.com opened shop as a hub where players can meet, exchange tips, and register to play for money through Partypoker.net (a British site J2D2 teamed with in October) and Absolutepoker.net (a Cayman Islands site it linked with in February).

Not long after the Web site got rolling, J2D2 brought its Texas hold 'em nights downtown to Fox and Hound. Baker joined in December.

J2D2 now hosts games on five nights at 12 bars throughout the region. They draw anywhere from 50 players on a slow night to 100 or so on a packed night. There's no cover charge, no entrance fee.

Of course, other local bars do poker nights, too, from Denim in Rittenhouse Square to the New Wave Cafe in Bella Vista. Bar games are also big in Chicago and other spots in Illinois, Reilly says; out-of-towners who hit J2D2 tables tell him it's spreading through the Midwest.

In the same way karaoke or Quizzo operators work, J2D2 charges bars a flat fee for its nightly services. What the bars get in return is obvious.

"We already get a pretty decent crowd - especially when there's something going on at the stadiums," says Joe Carpinella, the 29-year-old manager of Chickie & Pete's on Packer Avenue, which has J2D2 games every Wednesday night. "But having the poker nights has given our regulars... something special, something extra, to do. Playing poker for laughs, playing against each other is just something fun to do. Plus, we're seeing a bunch of new faces, their own crowds that come from other spots and flow wherever J2D2 goes."

J2D2's virtual games fuel the real games. "People meet online, get to know each other, then meet again in the bars," Baker says.

Or the bar games can be just a hang for buddies looking to do something more than just drink on a night out.

"Oh, we buy each other rounds of beer," says Paul Otero, 24, a Temple law student. "But we meet new people. Jump from table to table."

"It's true," says Matt Giel, 24, a painter, from his seat next to Otero at Fox and Hound. "We've been switching around all night. I'll see them again sooner or later."

And maybe, as on this particular night, 60-year-old guys with cigars and ties will be playing hands next to 22-year-old women with "Hello Kitty" T-shirts and dyed day-glo red hair.

"We see that sort of mix everywhere," Reilly says, chuckling.

Monday, April 25th, 2005

CALGARY, Alberta - Chartwell Technology Inc. (TSX: CWH), a leading provider of gaming software systems to the online and remote gaming industry, and Bingo.com, Ltd. (OTCBB: BNGOF), operator of the Internet's pre-eminent bingo portal, are pleased to announce that Chartwell has been selected as Bingo.com's official supplier of its cash gaming system.

Bingo.com is one of the world's largest online bingo destinations, with a player base of over one million registered players. Through its player acquisition strategy and unique brand identity Bingo.com attracts over 30,000 visitors each day, averages over 800 new player signups per day and has served up over four billion Bingo cards to date on a play for fun basis. Due to the recent positive regulatory movements (UK Gambling Bill), Bingo.com has decided to take advantage of its brand and dominant position in the free online bingo industry to diversify its business model and enter the play for cash bingo market. Under the terms of the license agreement, Chartwell will provide Bingo.com with its gaming system, offering players the experience of flash based 75 and 90 ball bingo games, complete with chat features and the opportunity to play Chartwell's full suite of soft games which are offered as side games or intermission entertainment.

"We are delighted to have been selected as the software provider to one of the world's largest online bingo companies," states Darold Parken, President and CEO of Chartwell. "Community based gaming has become one of the fastest growing segments of the gaming industry and the launch of Bingo.com's play for cash offering gives Chartwell a strong industry partner and represents a significant step towards positioning the Company as the leading bingo software provider to this exciting gaming market segment."

"We are excited to be working with the Chartwell team," comments Tarrnie Williams, CEO of Bingo.com. "Collaborating with Chartwell will ensure a smooth transition into the cash bingo business and position us to take advantage of our strong market position. Chartwell was our preferred supplier for the cash bingo gaming system because of their reputation in the industry, their adherence to auditable gaming systems and their commitment to quality software development."

While still in its infancy, online bingo has already attracted more than five million players with a demographic profile that differs significantly from that of online casino and poker players. This suggests that bingo will make a significant contribution to the growth of the online gaming industry, expected to generate revenue exceeding $18 billion by 2010, according to Christiansen Capital Advisors. The growth of online gaming as a whole has the opportunity to significantly exceed published forecasts. Regulation in the United Kingdom and other nations adopting similar online gaming policies are expected to facilitate this growth.

Monday, April 25th, 2005

The World Poker Tour III at the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas came to it's conclusion last night with Tuan Le winning close to 3 million dollars. This was an unusually long final table lasting nearly 8 hours, and playing out 78 hands.

The players who started the final table today at the WPT III at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and their chip counts were:

Hassan Habib - 7,795, 000 in chips
Rob Hollink - 4,430,000 in chips
Phil Ivey - 3,365,000 in chips
Paul Maxfield - 2,885,000 in chips
Tuan Le - 2,700,000 in chips
John Phan - 1,405,000 in chips

How they finished was a complete surprise to those in attendance as many, myself included, were expecting this year to be Phil Ivey's:

Tuan Le, 1st place, $2,856,150 + seat in next years WPT Championship
Paul Maxfield, 2nd place, $1,698,390
Hassan Habib, 3rd place - $896,375
John Phan - 4th place, $518,920
Rob Hollink, 5th place, $377,420
Phil Ivey, 6th place, $264,195

Travel Channel will be airing the Tournament this summer, and for all you Shana fans, don't miss it as it was announced right before the start of the tournament that this would be Shana Hiatt's final WPT episode.

Forbes.com

Emerging Trend: Poker has become the hottest game in town, with an estimated 50 million Americans putting their cards on the table. "This isn't just for cowboys anymore," says FIND/SVP analyst Julie Weidemann. "Everyone's playing."

Why: Broadcast and cable television programming--such as the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour--enhanced by new technologies that allow audiences to follow the hidden cards and players' strategies have made poker an alluring cross between a spectator sport and reality TV. Celebrity Poker players like Ben Affleck and Lou Diamond Phillips have added to its draw.

Opportunity: Local games are thriving, and more televised games are in the works, which in turn is expanding the tournament circuit, as well as providing branding opportunities for the existing franchises. Online poker is also growing, with over 100 "rooms," and marketers may wish to embed themselves in this broad market. Women, in particular, are a new presence here. "They're having a great time," says Weidemann, and their playing style, combining guile and flirtation, is pulling in audiences. "People like to watch the soap opera."

Challenges: Broadcast opportunities may be limited.

Companies to Watch: Pokerstars.com; World Poker Tour Enterprises (nasdaq: WPTE); Pokerpulse.com

Sunday, April 24th, 2005

By Jack Broom
Seattle Times staff reporter

By any measure, poker is hot, with the lexicon of Texas Hold 'Em — the flop, the turn, the river — becoming standard vocabulary on college campuses, even in some high-school corridors.

Televised poker tournaments are drawing impressive ratings, and the availability of more than 100 online poker sites means a would-be player no longer needs to round up a group of friends, or even go to the local card room.

While some worry the game is attracting ever-younger players and that the nation is ill-equipped to deal with problem gamblers, and while the legality of online gambling remains a subject of debate, the poker craze is expanding exponentially.

Just two years ago, the main event at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas drew 839 entrants. Last year, that jumped to 2,576 and this year backers are preparing for 4,000 to 6,600.

Meanwhile, the World Poker Tour, now in its third season and airing Wednesdays and Saturdays, is the most-watched show on the Travel Channel, with an average audience of more than a million households.

Although authorities aren't targeting patrons of online casinos and card rooms, that doesn't mean the operations are considered legal.

A fact sheet on the Web site of the Washington State Gambling Commission says gambling online violates state and federal law against transmitting betting information by telephone or similar means. But a spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office said she knew of no one in Washington prosecuted for gambling online.

Many online gaming operations are based in Caribbean countries with more liberal gaming statutes. PokerStars.com, for example, is based in Costa Rica.

Even so, federal prosecutors have opposed them. In 2000, the operator of an Internet gambling site based in Antigua was convicted in a U.S. federal court of accepting sports bets online and sentenced to 21 months in prison.

But operators of online casinos and cardrooms point to a 2002 ruling by the 5th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which said that federal laws banning online sports bets don't cover casino-style games.

And last year, the World Trade Organization weighed in on the topic, supporting Antigua's position that U.S. prohibitions against Internet gaming violate global trade agreements.

Legal or not, Internet-based gaming creates concern among those who see ever younger players participating.

A study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania found that the number of young men in high school and college who bet on cards at least once a week rose from 6.2 percent in 2003 to 11.4 percent last year — an increase of 84 percent.

"We don't believe that parents and teachers are talking to their kids about gambling or really are even equipped to talk to their kids about gambling," said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.

About 1 in 25 Americans will develop a gambling problem at some point, said Whyte. The council, partially funded by the gaming industry, doesn't take a position for or against gambling forms, but presses for greater awareness of the risks and treatment for problem gamblers.

Jack Broom: 206-464-2222
jbroom@seattletimes.com

Reprinted from The Seattle Times