Online poker room company Playtech is ready to take advantage once US poker laws change. The gaming company has signed deals to provide online poker to players in California. A poker site for California poker players has long been on the table for discussion, and renewed attempts to bring it to pass have come along since the US federal government has started shutting down poker rooms. While online poker is legal in the US in most states, many poker rooms have been shut down because they were not in compliance with the US UIGEA law passed in 2006.

Despite not playing in the 2011 WSOP, Isuldur1 still won big this weekend. The younger- than- 21 year old poker player made his winnings online. The online poker games took place at online poker room PokerStars, which is still running its SuperStar Showdown, where Victor Blom, aka Isuldur1, plays against all comers that can handle the deposit. The players compete over four tables of NLHE at the $50 / $100 stake level with $150k of their own cash. Blom won against pro Cao, but he is running down $350k for the year.

The online poker bill put forth by Joe Barton in the US could be reviewed as early as this week. The online poker bill would go before the US House of Representatives. If the bill were turned into law it would regulate online poker rooms in the US, allowing poker players to get on with their past times without any concerns they were violating poker law. In keeping with the small- government attitude of many in the US, the bill would allow for a provision that would give individual States the opportunity to opt out of the law.

In the US the state of online poker is currently in limbo, and one lawmaker would like to see that change. The poker law suggested by Joe Barton, R-Texas, would clarify the legality of online poker play. Barton took action to put together this online poker bill by poker players who followed him on Facebook, and made their opinions on the current state of online poker very clear. Barton is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee who plays poker and sees the discrepancy between online poker play being legal and processing payments for online poker being illegal.

While the world of online poker continues to find it's heading amidst the US Government attack, one poker company ha reported a substantial increase in its revenue. HeadsUp Entertainment International made the positive announcement on Friday that they are doing well. HeadsUp Entertainment International owns the Canadian Poker Player Magazine as well as the Canadian Poker Tour, which hosts poker games across the country. The Canadian Poker Player Television Network is also part of the company, and it announced that poker revenue was more than $517,000 USD in the first quarter of this year.

In 2008 Connie Gowan filed a suit against Titlware that was dismissed in 2010. This year the decision was overturned and now the poker pro's suit against Tiltware is back on. Tiltware owns online poker room Full Tilt Poker, and Gowan was an official pro for them starting in 2004. She was offered 1% of the company in return, and when they tried to pay her $250k she refused, saying that it was not the right amount. They let her go and she filed suit. Now, amid all their problems with the US Government, the online poker room will have to deal with this lawsuit.

One online poker room has signed on a soccer playing legend. Poker site 888Poker now has Santiago Cañizares as part of their crew. The football legend will be a brand ambassador for 888.com, which owns 888poker. The arrangement will last at least a year, and the online poker room hopes that it will “ bolster the 888 brand presence in Spain and beyond”. Cañizares is a former Spanish national goalkeeper and has a Champions League title as well as two La Liga medals and a UEFA Cup.

In the face of the US's apparent war against online poker a world away some are moving to make the past time legal. In Australia an online sports betting operator is pushing for legalizing poker. Andrew Twaits says the current legislation is not working in regards to online poker. Twaits is the owner of Betfair, which also owns a poker room. He would like to see poker players in Australia be able to visit is poker site without any fear of repercussion from the government.

Poker players are looking for their online poker money, and wondering if it was part of the money given to law enforcement officials in the US state of Maryland. The news was released last week that the Anne Arundel County Police Department in Maryland got online poker money. The poker law crackdown resulted in funds siezed, and $470K of those funds were given to the cops. Poker players are upset that the money is not being given back to them, especially considering that the actual playing of online poker is not considered illegal in the US.

Ira Rubin has been denied bail by the US Government. Rubin is one of those detained by the US Department of Justice for breaking anti online poker laws. Rubin, who was arrested just before leaving the country, had his lawyer point out that he is willing to stay in the US. The US war on online poker rooms could mean decades of jail time for folks like Rubin, who stands accused of funneling payments to and from poker rooms despite the poker law clearly showing that has been illegal since 2006.