Articles by Wendeen Eolis

NOLAN DALLA: WSOP MEDIA DIRECTOR BRINGS IT ON (PART 1)

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 6, 2015 Today Nolan Dalla is in high gear for another starting day of the Main Event of the 45th Annual World Series of Poker at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The WSOP’s longtime…

TAJ POKER ROOM FALLS FOR THE BORGATA

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 30, 2015 The Trump Taj Mahal Casino (‘Taj’) poker room drew its biggest crowd in years, for its closing weekend, last month. The nostalgic full house bore respectful witness to the downfall of Atlantic…

INTERNAL MANAGEMENT CHANGE AFOOT AT POKER STARS

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper December 10, 2014 BREAKING NEWS: From the Continent to the Isle of Man and across the ocean to North America, word on the street is that the latest round of musical chairs inside Poker Stars has ended with…

WILL AMAYA ACQUIRE POKERSTARS’ MIDAS TOUCH?

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper August 4, 2014 Now that Amaya Gaming has completed its purchase of PokerStars, Isai Scheinberg and his son Mark, for whom he founded the company, are totally out. Daniel, Baazov Chairman and CEO of Amaya,…

CALLING OUT SEXISM IN POKER: BEYOND MOLLY’S GAME

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 18, 2014 The bloom was still on the rose of the poker boom when James (Jimmy) Woods strolled into the Commerce Casino, just outside Los Angeles. We met up for coffee and then walked over to a no limit…

WSOP BRANDING MACHINE: CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 1, 2014 Until moments after the 2009 WSOP final table proceedings in the fall, Jeffrey Pollack was the public face of the WSOP. And then, suddenly, he announced his resignation and rushed off to take…

WSOP BRANDING MACHINE: PLAYERS ARE THE STARS

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper June 9, 2014 Hours before the curtain rose on the 45th annual World Series of Poker, last minute wrangling amongst the collaborators was at a fever pitch. Behind the scenes, the organizers and the operator…

WSOP GRAND POOH BAH: TY STEWART

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper May 30, 2014 In the days leading up to the opening of the 2014 World Series of Poker, Ty Stewart, the Grand Pooh Bah of the World Series of Poker, was beaming. A five day trip had taken the WSOP Executive…

POKER PLAYER NEWSPAPER TAKES FORWARD STEP

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper May 19, 2014 Last week, Stanley Sludikoff, publisher of Poker Player Newspaper, addressed card room personnel in an open letter saying, “For the past 30 years PPN has faithfully served card rooms across the…

BORGATA TOURNAMENT DECISION IGNITES DEBATE

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper April 22, 2014 During the past week, since the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement issued its final order concerning the first event at the Borgata Winter Poker Open (“WPO”)last January, players have…

DECISION: BORGATA COUNTERFEIT CHIPS

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper April 14, 2014 Minutes ago, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reported at its website its final order arising from its investigation of the Borgata counterfeit chip debacle in January of this…

BORGATA CHIP INVESTIGATION COMPLETE

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper April 11, 2014 After nearly 3 months of silence, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) is poised to announce its decisions regarding distribution of the remaining prize pool that has been left…

POKERSTARS DOES LEGWORK IN NY LEGISLATIVE BILL

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 31, 2014 New York State has come to the party later than most, but this year it has its eye on gambling like never before. The necessary referendum to legalize commercial brick and mortar casino gaming…

PLAYER LAWSUIT – BORGATA

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 25, 2014 It has been one full month since the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) ordered the Borgata Casino to cancel the opening event of its annual Winter Poker Open, but New Jersey…

BORGATA: AFTERMATH OF COUNTERFEIT CHIP CAPER

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 13, 2014 The leading suspect in a scheme to rig a poker tournament, at the Borgata last month, has gotten into more hot water with the law, this week. Christian Lusardi of Fayetteville, North…

MEN “THE MASTER” NGUYEN SPEAKS OUT

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper January 28, 2014 Since January 18th, the 27 remaining players in the Borgata Winter Open’s first event have been waiting for their money while the authorities investigate the particulars of 160 counterfeit…

NJ POLICE NAB SUSPECT IN BORGATA CHIPS CAPER

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper January 24, 2014 This afternoon official word was out. Christian Lusardi, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was nabbed in an Atlantic City motel room, as a suspect in a more bizarre-by-the-minute case of…

BORGATA SHOWS RECORD KEEPING PROWESS

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper January 22, 2014 Four thousand plus players journeyed to the Borgata Winter Open, for its first tournament – a $560 buy-in, deep stack confection, with a two million dollar guaranteed prize pool. The numbers…

POKERSTARS IGAMING LICENSE AT LAUNCH IS A NO GO

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 20, 2013 As exclusively reported at pokerplayernewswpaper.com, on November 7th, PokerStars will not be part of the iGaming fraternity operating in New Jersey on its historic scheduled launch date of…

EAST COAST CASINO LICENSES – INSIDE PANDORA’S BOX

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 19, 2013 The New Jersey gaming license application of Poker Stars has been a bruiser after a series of battles, instigated and propelled by self-righteously indignant opponents united under the…

POKERSTARS COMPETITORS GAIN MOMENTUM

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 14, 2013 This past week has seen a frenzy of activity over the license application submitted by PokerStars to New Jersey regulators. This morning previously proven sources with direct knowledge of…

POKERSTARS DGE LICENSING DANCE CONTINUES

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 8, 2013 Communications arms of both PokerStars and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement have come forward to insist PokerStars’ licensing application remains active without disputing…

POKER STARS SNUBBED BY NJ REGULATORS

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 8, 2013 Update Bulletin: PokerStars Faces Red Lights in NJ After months of investigation by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the regulators have made their determinations and are…

POKERSTARS THWARTED IN FIRST ROUND

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 7, 2013 PokerStars has failed to secure a gaming license this week for opening date of online gaming in New Jersey according to three insiders with direct knowledge – on both sides of the pond. The…

POKER HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS: MCEVOY AND NGUYEN

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 5, 2013 The World Series of Poker did itself proud, deciding to host a full on celebration of the elected inductees in the 2013 class of the WSOP’s Poker Hall of Fame. Tears of pride and joy…

POKER DOCUMENTARY BEATS UP ON ULTIMATE BET

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper October 22, 2013 In the spring of 2000 Russ Hamilton coached Wayne Newton to a “tie” in a heads-up No Limit Hold’em duel that became part of GQ reporter Elizabeth Gilbert’s published story, “Chicks with…

RUNNER RUNNER APPEALS TO AFFLECK AND AGA

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper October 8, 2013 Last month at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, the American Gaming Association (AGA) upped the ante in its bid to promote progressive federal legislation to regulate online poker while…

WSOP EUROPE — PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper September 10, 2013 This year the World Series of Poker Europe pays special tribute to women with its first ever Ladies Event. It will also cater to world travelers and romantics alike with a change of venue…

POKER AT LARRIGATA WITH PROFESSOR LARRY LINDSEY

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper August 13, 2013 A nine hour drive from New York City, six and a half hours from Atlantic City, and four hours from Washington D.C., Larry Lindsey welcomed his “Poker Week” guests at his spectacular ocean…

OBAMA SAID TO GIVE THUMBS UP TO BARTON’S BILL

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 30, 2013 An Exclusive Interview With Congressman Joe Barton By Wendeen H. Eolis During the past month, Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) has been on the move in his quest to bring about federal legislation…

FEDERAL ONLINE GAMBLING LEGISLATION

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 16, 2013 Just as the 2013 World Series of Poker was beginning to wind up its engines for the main event at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX-) rolled into town for his…

WSOP GIVES WOMEN MORE LOVE

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 2, 2013 Last weekend, Kristen Bicknell, a twenty six year old cash games grinder from Canada, turned up at the 2013 World Series of Poker Ladies Championship as an unknown player. She proved not only…

TWISTS AND TURNS CONTINUE FOR POKERSTARS

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper May 21, 2013 Last March poker aficionados attending the annual “ATLARGE” gathering in Atlantic City, were energized like never before. The buzz in the Atlantic Club and Casino and Hotel (ACC) poker room that…

ATLANTIC CLUB CASINO & HOTEL UPSTAGES POKERSTARS

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper May 6, 2013 The surprise move in the gambits of gaming companies seeking to position themselves for future fortunes in the online and commercial gaming market came last week from an unlikely source, the…

POKERSTARS-ATLANTIC CLUB PURCHASE AGREEMENT TERMINATED

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper May 1, 2013 PokerStars’ purchase agreement for the Atlantic Club Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City has expired. In a public statement, this morning, Michael Frawley, COO of Atlantic Club Casino and Hotel has…

GOVERNMENT PAIRS POKER WITH ORGANIZED CRIME?

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper April 23, 2013 While most of the country was glued to the movements of Boston area law enforcement agents immediately after the Boston Marathon bombings, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District…

RAY BITAR GETS CREDIT FOR “TIME SERVED”

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper April 15, 2013 In a video-link proceeding, from a California courtrooom, Ray Bitar, a founder of Full Tilt Poker, was sentenced today by Chief Judge of the US District Court of New York, Loretta Preska, to…

POKERSTARS AND THE AGA IN AC HOLDING PATTERN

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper April 9, 2013 The application by PokerStars for an Interim Casino Authority (ICA) license at the Atlantic Club Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City appears to be in limbo for the moment. The Casino Control…

AGA CONTINUES TO POKE POKERSTARS

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 27, 2013 The battle for supremacy in the emerging online poker market stateside is in full swing with a series of gambits by the American Gaming Association (AGA). The AGA has effectively delayed…

MORALITY PLAY OR ECONOMICS

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 18, 2013 Over the past two weeks the American Gaming Association and PokerStars have sparred over the future of the online gaming company’s activities in Atlantic City. There is no end in sight for a…

AMERICAN GAMING ASSOCIATION V. POKER STARS

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 13, 2013 Unlikely collaborations as well as predictable conflicts have marked the relationship between Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (formerly Harrahs) and PokerStars (Rational Group) since the enactment…

POKERSTARS AND CAESARS: WHAT IS THE SCORE?

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 12, 2013 A complicated relationship between Rational Group (PokerStars) and Caesars Entertainment has begun to reveal itself in earnest in recent weeks with an eclectic crowd of movers and shakers…

ONLINE POKER FORUMS: WINDING THROUGH THE MAZE

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 26, 2013 The history of Internet-based poker forums is as instructive as it is colorful, from its raw roots in the late 1980s at a forum dominated by zealous blackjack counters and systematic craps…

CAN A COURT TURN LAW UPSIDE DOWN ON POKER PLAYERS?

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper December 6, 2012 Poker players WILL appeal for rehearing in South Carolina’s Supreme Court guilty ruling against a low stakes un-raked home game in Mount Pleasant v. Chimento. So you thought that online…

POKER SKILL ARGUMENT FALLS ON ITS FACE AGAIN

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper December 4, 2012 After two years of silence in the case of the Town of Mount Pleasant v. Chimento, the South Carolina Supreme Court finally reached a decision. On November 21, 2012, the Court found a group…

BLACK FRIDAY … KICKING THE BALL DOWN THE COURT

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 20, 2012 Early in the morning of July 28th the shot heard ’round the poker world was short, sweet, and accurate — but incomplete. A three way deal had been inked hours earlier by PokerStars (Stars),…

FULL TILT POKER: REORGANIZING THE LEDERER FILES!

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper October 9, 2012 After sitting in the hot seat during two separate interviews with poker media last month, Howard Lederer, a former director and the best known voice of Full Tilt Poker (FTP) had enough.…

LEDERER: HAS HE COME TO HIS SENSES TOO LATE?

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper October 1, 2012 Until Howard Lederer, former president and member of the Board of Directors of Full Tilt Poker (FTP) took interviews at Pokernews.com and twoplustwo.com, earlier this month, and then backed…

HOWARD LEDERER … CURRENT ASPIRATION

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper September 25, 2012 In the weeks before the United States Department of Justice swooped in to crack down on online poker with deadening force, by all outward appearances, Full Tilt Poker was at the top of its…

JUDGE WEINSTEIN SAYS…

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper September 11, 2012 Since the United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ), announcement revising its position on the 1961 Wire Act, by exempting online poker from federal prosecution thereunder, the gaming…

POKERSTARS RESCUES…

Poker By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper August 14, 2012 Initially, the media flares of July 31, 2012 put out by PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker (FTP), and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), announcing a deal amongst them that would allow…

EOLIS RESPONDS TO POKERSTARS-FULL TILT POKER WEEKEND REPORT

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 30, 2012 The publication of my bulletin, “Full Tilt Poker Stars Negotiations in the Can,” Friday July 27th has been linked by more than one hundred thirty websites, and PPN (Poker Player Newspaper) has…

EOLIS FULL TILT POKER REPORT: DIGGING DEEPER

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 30, 2012 At the end of last week, Poker Player Newspaper (“PPN”) released breaking news that thundered across the online poker globe, announcing in very careful language that the die had been cast,…

FULL TILT POKERSTARS NEGOTIATIONS IN THE CAN

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 27, 2012 Breaking News: The ups and downs and glitches in negotiations between PokerStars and the United States Department of Justice with respect to Full Tilt Poker have come to an end. Without giving away…

WSOP, POKERSTARS AND FULL TILT: UNFINISHED BUSINESS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 19, 2012 Day seven of the 2012 World Series of Poker (“WSOP”) started with the final 27 players. Among the finalists, the poker gods favored two women but burst their bubble in the 11th and 10th spots. Before…

WOMEN IN POKER: RAYMOND AND LIU ARE TOP DRAWER

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 3, 2012 Since the 1970s, enterprising men and women in the poker industry have sought to attract women into the fold (as players and industry professionals), but even the World Series of Poker has shown…

WSOP … IS THE BIG NEWS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper June 20, 2012 Phil Ivey the most worshipped poker star will take a seat in the upcoming million dollar buy-in tournament at the 43rd Annual World Series of Poker that is now well underway at the Rio All Suites…

MITCH GARBER: MAN ON TOP OF THE WSOP

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper May 22, 2012 All systems are go for the 2012 World Series of Poker. There are no known hitches or glitches, and no press releases from outer space attempting, as of yet, to upstage the poker industry’s richest and…

FULL TILT CREATES DRAMA AT POKERSTARS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper May 9, 2012 No sooner than Laurent Tapie hit the send button on an email to employees of Pocket Kings (a Full Tilt Poker company) explaining that discussions to acquire FTP had gone down in flames, word began to…

FULL TILT POKER, POKERSTARS AND DOJ ARE WINNERS!

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper April 24, 2012 No sooner than Group Bernard Tapie announced its failure to acquire the Full Tilt brand–after months of up and down negotiations with the Department of Justice–word spread across the internet of…

DOUGLAS TIROLA DOES POKER

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper April 10, 2012 Last week, the eagerly awaited poker documentary, All In: The Poker Movie finally hit the big screen. Director Douglas Tirola’s ambitious project was delayed almost a year so as to allow sufficient…

THE POKER PLAYERS ALLIANCE: TRANSITION IN PROGRESS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 27, 2012 Down the boardwalk from the recent World Series of Poker Circuit event in Atlantic City, a troop of online poker forum contributors — “ARGERS” — were whooping it up at the annual ATLARGE banquet.…

FTP-TAPIE DEAL: LATE ARRIVING INVESTOR ON BOARD

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 2, 2012 This morning, Group Bernard Tapie Counsel Behn Dayanim spoke to Poker Player Newspaper, reconfirming his renewed “significant confidence in the prospects of completing the deal” for his client to…

WHO SAYS POKER IS A GAME OF SKILL?

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 28, 2012 Any poker player worth his salt knows better than to say, “When I win, it is skill, and when I lose, it is luck,” but until the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006,…

POKERSTARS: WALLS OF SECRECY TUMBLE

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 14, 2012 As a privately held company, the walls of secrecy surrounding senior management and the operations of Poker Stars were rarely challenged before the United States Department of Justice cracked…

TAPIE DEAL: 50 MILLION DOLLARS SHORT?

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 07, 2012 NEW YORK (February 07, 2012) Today, Wendeen Eolis reports on the latest and gravest developments in the Group Bernard Tapie proposed acquisition of Full Tilt Poker which calls for GBT to pay the…

TAPIE NAMES PROS IN DEBT TO FULL TILT

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 2, 2012 Tapie counsel, Behn Dayanim has revealed to PPN the names of several high profile players who owe Full Tilt Poker millions of dollars. All but one of the players, is publicly associated with Full…

TAPIE-FULL TILT POKER DEAL HITS PAY DIRT

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper January 26, 2012 No formal confirmations of additional investors yet, but the noise is ever louder today; Group Bernard Tapie has lined up at least one moneyman “ready to punt.” According to several generally…

POKER STARS IS TOO BIG TO HIDE INTERNAL NEWS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper January 18, 2012 Special Note: This article updates the author’s breaking news and follow-up story about PokerStars CEO Gabi Campos’ departure plans, taking into account relevant communications – not marked…

POKER STARS CEO GABI CAMPOS IS OFF THE GRID

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper January 16, 2012 The current whereabouts of Gabriel Campos Woslovsky, Chief Executive Officer of PokerStars, are murky; only his closest associates may know his GPS location. But the buzz emanating from the Isle…

DOJ MULTI TABLES IN ONLINE POKER GAMES

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper January 3, 2012 Add the New York Times to the list of venerable mainstream media outlets that have bungled material facts and succumbed to confusing messages that emanate from the US Government’s crackdown on…

THIS WEEK’S REPORT ON POLITICS ‘N POKER

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper December 6, 2011 Since the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, US-facing online poker companies knew that the United States Department of Justice would not look kindly upon…

TAPIE, DOJ, AND FTP LIKELY WINNERS BUT PLAYERS…….

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 22, 2011 When CNN ran the headline, “French Investment Firm to Buy Full Tilt Poker,” last Thursday afternoon, it was music to the ears of Full Tilt Poker customers. Until, that is, the story revealed…

DOJ & GBT REACH SIGNED AGREEMENT

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 17, 2011 CRITICAL NOTE: This afternoon, CNN published a story regarding this deal while it was still embargoed, noting in its headline that the story could not be published without clearance from…

IN DEPTH: POKER STARS JOINS FTP IN HOT SEAT

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 9, 2011 The Acela fast train from New York to Washington provided ample time to review a sheaf of materials describing Behnam Dayanim’s credentials, experience, and reputation as a preeminent lawyer in…

DECODING FULL TILT POKER-DOJ-TAPIE PLANS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper November 02, 2011 The noise has been deafening since reports of impending victory for full Full Tilt Poker customers began to stream across the internet yesterday. Since the shutdown of Full Tilt Poker’s…

FULL TILT POKER: BATTLES FOR SUPREMACY

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper September 27 , 2011 In a stinging denouncement of Full Tilt Poker’s business principles, the United States Department of Justice has significantly raised the stakes in the company’s bid to extricate itself from…

RING-FENCE THOSE FUNDS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper August 17, 2011 In the wake of Poker’s Black Friday last April 15th —the day the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) brought down the hammer on Internet-based poker in the United States—enthusiasts are up in arms…

GOVERNMENT HAMMERS OFF-SHORE GAMBLING OPERATIONS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper April 27, 2011 Across the bottom of the television screen, small print flashed the foreboding news. The United States Department of Justice Southern District of New York announced on April 15th the unsealing of an…

TROUBLE IS BREWING FOR LADIES POKER EVENTS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 10, 2010 At the opening bell of the 2010 World Series of Poker Ladies Championship, Tournament Director Jack Effel took to the microphone, as much to apologize as to welcome the 1000+ women who had made their…

UIGEA GAME CHANGER

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper June 17, 2010 Just as the World Series of Poker (WSOP) opened its doors at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, last month, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (GCB) raised the curtain on its evolving…

NORTH AMERICAN POKER TOUR STOPS THE CLOCK

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper June 16, 2010 The North American Poker Tour (NAPT) has attracted a curious crowd of observers at its website this week. They have fixed their eyes on the steadily ascending number of days on the “NAPT Next Event…

POKER STARS HOVERS OVER BICYCLE CLUB

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper June 04, 2010 Yesterday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (“GCB”) raised the curtain on its evolving policy toward relationships between casinos and online gambling companies. In its publicly posted reply to an…

BARNEY FRANK RAISES THE ANTE

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 22, 2009 Just beyond the elegant glass doors of the Palazzo Suite, a representative of the Poker Player Alliance stood at attention eyeing the arriving crowd for possible crashers. United States…

D’AMATO MARCHES TO THE POKER BEAT

Business By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper January 1, 2009 As the new leader of the online poker industry, Alfonse D’Amato has taken command in forming the battle plans to free poker from the constraints of the Unlawful Internet Gambling…

OUR WASHINGTON INSIDER: AFTERMATH OF SIXTY MINUTES EXPOSE

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper December 11, 2008 Last month, CBS News’ 60 Minutes partnered with the Washington Post in reports on the two biggest online gambling fraud cases in the history of internet poker. The November 30th segment of 60…

SIXTY MINUTES: THE ULTIMATE GAMBLE

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper October 29, 2008 Until CBS correspondent Steve Kroft and his 60 Minutes crew arrived at the World Series of Poker last summer, the biggest buzz in the tournament arena had centered on Harrah’s decision to delay…

INSIDE SCOOP ON POKER PLAYER ACTIVISM, PART 2

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper August 19, 2008 This is the second and final piece about the World Poker Association’s rise and unraveling, and the significant progress of the World Series of Poker’s Players Advisory Council. Pollack Hunkers…

INSIDE SCOOP ON POKER PLAYER ACTIVISM, PART 1

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper August 06, 2008 The summer of 2006 was a turning point for poker players and tournament organizers alike. Unimpressed with prior efforts to organize players or a player-management advisory board, I arrived at the…

PLAYER PROFILE: WENDEEN H. EOLIS

By Phil Hevener Poker Player Newspaper May 26, 2008 More than 20 years of getting to know poker have not eroded Wendeen Eolis’ enthusiasm for it as she prepares for this year’s World Series of Poker, when she’ll be “playing” one of her biggest hands ever…

BERKLEY/PORTER BILL ATTRACTS SOME 60 CO-SPONSORS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper May 4, 2007 United States Representative Shelly Berkley and her Nevada colleague United States Representative John Porter have introduced their long awaited bi-partisan bill that calls for a study of Internet…

THE BIG GAME IS ONLINE

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper May 3, 2007 The deed has been done. Congressman Barney Frank (MA) has introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (IGREA) of 2007 into the United States House of Representatives. IGREA is a…

TARGETED ATTACK ON UIGEA TO BE LAUNCHED IN APRIL

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 28, 2007 Reciting part of Henry Wadsworth Longefellow’s poem the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank stopped short of telling me when he would gear up for an attack on the…

CAN D’AMATO SAVE ONLINE POKER?

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 5, 2007 After weeks of protestations that Alfonse D’Amato was only a maybe, today the Poker Players Alliance crows about its catch. As first reported by Poker Player (February 16th), Senator D’Amato is on…

NO FOLDERS IN LEGISLATIVE GAME

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper March 03, 2007 Since the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, politics and poker have become inextricably intertwined, far beyond the imagination of legendary New York Mayor Fiorello…

BULLETIN: POKER ENTERS THE BIG LEAGUES

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 25, 2007 A heretofore shy Poker Player Alliance is set to confirm that Senator Alfonse D’Amato will chair the PPA. The three-term former Senator has given the signal of “I do,” as in, I formally accept…

ALFONSE D’AMATO TO CHAIR THE POKER PLAYER ALLIANCE

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 21, 2007 “Signed or unsigned, the deal is sealed,” insists my confidential source, a key player in the global gaming industry. The die has been cast; former New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato has been…

ALFONSE D’AMATO TAPPED AS CHAIRMAN OF PPA

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 16, 2007 The key players continue to jockey for position in timing the announcements to various media, but the die has been cast; former New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato has been tapped to sit as the…

OBEY YOUR LISTENING LAWS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper February 14, 2007 Of all the concepts that speed up an accurate people reading assessment- whether it be in a card room, a conference room, or a courtroom, listening skills are at the top the list. It is easy to…

THE PEP PRINCIPLE WINS BIG DEALS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper January 26, 2007 As a child I blurted out whatever questions came into my head. More often than not, they were basic and simple questions designed to challenge my parents’ authority: “Why are you asking?” and…

THOMAS KREMSER’S POKER MAGIC

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper August 17, 2006 Last month it was the galloping poker economy, rather than a disaster in the making, that sent me scurrying off on a trip overseas. The itinerary was London, Barcelona and Vienna. I was trying to…

PARTY POKER CRUISE ROCKS AROUND THE CLOCK

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper April 20, 2006 With an estimated fifteen hundred poker players on board, the M.S. Westerdam departed from the Fort Lauderdale, Florida pier. A blasting horn signified the official start of the Party Poker Million…

DOCUMENTARY FILM SHINES BRIGHT LIGHT ON NEW YORK POKER

by Wendeen H. Eolis 2006-02-06 (Updated 2014)[Originally appeared in the February 6, 2006 issue of Poker Player Newspaper} Poker Player Newspaper Editor Note: This feature is an adaptation of material that may be part of Ms. Eolis’ planned book, Power…

POKER ROYALE WALTZ

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper October 6, 2005 When Matt Savage, premiere tournament director and current co-star in the highly anticipated Lucky You movie, calls, poker players listen! Matt has more connections than the ubiquitous poker gods…

IN PURSUIT OF AN ADVANCED POKER DEGREE

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 31, 2005 Two decades ago industrious poker players, Yours Truly among them, wore the covers off WSOP two-time grand champion Doyle Brunson’s Super System and poet laureate Al Alvarez’ Biggest Game in Town.…

THIS AND THAT FROM THE HALLS OF THE 2005 WSOP

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 25, 2005 Having rolled over 1200 plus players on day one at the 2005 finale of the World Series of Poker, I was one of the estimated 1850 remaining contestants in the competition that boasted 5619…

BREAKING NEWS FROM THE 2005 WSOP

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper July 14, 2005 No sooner than the plane touched down on the tarmac at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, my mobile phone is afire with messages from players at the 2005 World Series of Poker. Record…

‘LUCKY YOU’

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper June 21, 2005 During the past several weeks, scores of poker players have taken their places on the set of the new poker movie, Lucky You, to participate in a piece of modern poker history. I was part of the…

WILD AND WOOLY TOURNAMENT RIDES

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper June 6, 2005 As the Harrah’s 2005 World Series of Poker launches, Ken Lambert, longtime card room manager at the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, Mississippi (a Harrah’s property) is at the helm – overseeing what are…

RAISING THE STAKES: STORY OF THE POWER POKER DAME

By Wendeen H. Eolis Poker Player Newspaper May 8, 2005 Introduction: This part of Chapter 7 takes place at the 1988 Binion’s Hall of Fame Tournament. Wendeen, a legal consultant by day, has taken a respite from the stressful role of a crisis consultant to…

A GOOD POKER WORLD WAR

By Wendeen H. Eolis Bluff Magazine April 2005 In a world of opinionated poker players, raging debates are daily fare and discussion will inevitably turn to the perceived war between the World Series of Poker Tournament and the World Poker Tour. Until June…

A WHOPPER OF A PARTY

By Wendeen H. Eolis Bluff Magazine December 2004 The message read World Poker Tour Producer Chris Palbicki has invited you to participate in the WPT 2004 Ladies’ Night II Invitational Tournament.’ Hallelujah! I was going to have a chance to strut my stuff…

POKER IN PARIS: 1ST CLASS

By Wendeen H. Eolis Bluff Magazine October 2004 With our last minute airplane tickets in hand, Paul and I head from Manhattan to Kennedy Airport for a flight to Paris. Our four-day excursion to the City of Light is an annual ritual. Our trips to Paris…

What Happened to New York Poker?

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FREE LUNCHES AND OTHER DISBURSEMENT HEADACHES

New York Law Journal

NEGOTIATING THE LAW FIRM’S ENGAGEMENT LETTER BEFORE SAYING, “I DO”

New York Law Journal

BEAUTY PAGEANTS

New York Law Journal

FIGHTING OVER THE BILL: ANATOMY OF A CUSTOMIZED LEGAL FEE EXAMINATION

New York Law Journal

IT’S ALL IN THE GAME

WomensBiz.Us

Welcome to the Fall Opening of Wendeen's Blog

Baldwin is Still Winning

At a time when Las Vegas is all abuzz about the implications of Steve Wynn’s fall from grace, I am reminded both of his rise as a visionary who brought a glitzy casino into the Wild West downtown section of Las Vegas and his  homerun in recruiting  World Series of Poker Champion, Bobby Baldwin, as […]

Central Park, Renewal Is At My Doorstep

It is week 11 since a taxi hit me and shut down my summer vacation plans, but the non-negotiable reset button of 8 weeks of pure bed rest and 12 weeks of staying put in a wheelchair with “articulating legs”  has allowed me to revise my priorities.  I am meditating, mending, and maneuvering with […]

PA Reunion is a Blast

Standing next to her very first dancing partner from 1962 and our class president, Wendeen shares fond memories from the lunch time discotheque to the rigors of practice. Artists all, Wendeen recalls her senior project  – a Beethoven’s sonata.

On the Road at the WSOP

Wendeen lands in Las Vegas to visit with casino clients before taking a seat in the ultimate poker game—the main event at the 2012 WSOP. She survives day one, thanks to the great table-side masseuses. She advances to the next round with a healthy chip stack, but on day two she enjoys an eight hour […]

New Yorkers for Children: Gift of Giving

In mid-September Wendeen and her guest, Martin Levine sallied forth to the annual gala for the New Yorkers for Children at Cipriani 42nd Street, enthusiastic about the extraordinary stars they would see that evening. A member of the board of directors for more than a decade, Wendeen knew, as usual, that extraordinary would be out in force […]

Sharon and Wen Discuss Big Move

Sharon is the Big Sis and Rock of Gibraltar for all emergencies. Wendeen is the Little Sis with a head for business and tough negotiations. So here they are, at their favorite diner talking about the craziness of the medical profession and the bigger craziness of moving out of an apartment after 48 years. Between […]

Great Granddaughter Acquisition

In an unexpected family visit, Wendeen’s granddaughter presents the latest arrival, Deborah Dielle , who weighed  in at 4 pounds, 12 ounces,  a remarkable joy. Mom, Grandma, and Great Grandma take turns introducing her all around. Wendeen insists on ruling the roost with a private tete-a-tete with the family’s latest addition.

Wendeen Hosts Unexpected Guest

Famous 5th avenue resident hawk flew from his home base to Wendeen’s terrace. The hawk politely eyeballed the sunset supper whipped up for friends. iPhone cameras rolled with Andy, Joe, and Sandy bringing the spectacle into focus. Sandy got  perfect pic  during hawk’s 20 minute preening gig.

Wendeen and Rich Ponder Poker Legislation

At the annual World Series of Poker the business of the industry is as much the talk of the town as the daily WSOP events themselves. It is the meeting ground of everyone who is anyone in the poker world. That notably includes Rich Muny, Vice President of Player Relations for The Poker Players Alliance. Here at the Rio […]

Larrigata Visit

Larry Lindsey hosts Wendeen at his beautiful ocean side home in Virginia Beach, where they splice together their respective activities in business, politics, and poker. Larry, the erudite economist and Wendeen, the experienced legal consultant covered the waterfront of current events before breakfast on the glorious beach.

Luther Kent / Wendeen Toasting New Orleans

Blues and country singer Luther Kent, a NOLA native, gives Wendeen a big hug during her annual post Katrina visit.. They celebrate the City’s resurgence. Wendeen’s HCTF team assisted in evacuations and selection of counsel for NOLA residents following chaos at the Super Dome in the aftermath of Katrina. Luther sings to Wendeen and friends […]

Two Eolis Sisters Celebrate Manhattan

It is a tradition!  Sharon and Wendeen celebrate the holiday season, sharing their love for Manhattan; restaurants, theater, museums, and, the must see Alvin Ailey dance company. The joy of Ailey’s longtime signature  piece, Revelations, never runs out of joy. Last weekend Ailey paired Revelations with  the beautiful new Odetta, a tribute to the legendary folk singer, at the […]

Memories of Kenny

40 years ago on this date, Kenny Usui sat across from me at a blackjack table in London.  He was taking a respite from his duties as Vice President of the Pacific Stock Exchange.  I was taking a break from my nascent legal recruiting business.  Kenny was a client I never met with a secret passion […]

A Rare Pleasure in the Middle East

Eda Sokmen is the quintessential guide who transports Wendeen from immersion in an evacuation planning mission based in Cyprus to the relaxing world of the Bosphorus and the energy of Istanbul.

Vienna is Vibrant

An evening at the opera and a night on the town with Thomas and Marina Kremser were among the highlights of Wendeen’s visit to Vienna last week. Thomas picked for Wendeen a California-styled menu in a traditional Viennese restaurant with Strauss music playing in the background, as they discussed the Kremsers’ new and exciting business plans. […]

Woody Entertains Bryan and Wendeen

In the intimate Cafe Carlyle saloon Wendeen and Bryan Bilgore — an expert on audio systems — take in neighbor Woody Allen Monday night jazz fest. They rewarded themselves with a fabulous musical evening to match the brilliant new sound system Bryan has just installed at the EOLIS home office. Bryan has changed the sound […]

Big Night at Daniel's

Chef Daniel Boulud greets Wendeen and her distinguished guests, Gerald Tanenbaum, Cathy Hong, Eugene Katchalov, and Bertrand Grospellier at New York’s quintessential French restaurant. The evening began at Wendeen”s digs with Perrier-Jouet champagne — fine bubbles — to bring in 2012. Teaming up with Gerald — one of Cahill Gordon’s “big deal” lawyers — for the repast, Wendeen led […]

Lawyers, Very Busy in Power Poker Games

Listen to Eolis International Group CEO,  Wendeen H. Eolis’ interview on the gaming radio show produced by QuadJacks.com… for the most candid and in depth discussion of Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars issues as each moves forward in their cases with the Department of Justice in the prosecution of online poker. http://www.quadjacks.com/2012/02/14/the-gaming-world-feat-wendeen-eolis-quadjacks-poker-radio-tuesday-february-14-2012/ Read Eolis’s […]

From the Copacabana to the Cu Chi Tunnels

Wendeen looks back on the best of times with her first full-fledged love, celebrating at NY’s Copacabana.  Forty-five years later she inquires – with determination about events at the site of the Crimp Operation in the Cu Chi tunnels–with so many memories of her ROTC-trained 2nd liutenant who rose to captain overseas.

Educated Counselors

The friendship of Rifka, Roberta, and Wendeen spans a half century from the days they were immersed in drama, dance, and music lessons, respectively. The common denominator of the arts was complemented by academic ambitiousness and a deep interest in the world of counseling. Rifka’s compassion in sharing life lessons and Roberta’s analytical skills in theraputic […]

Rita and Wendeen Share Re-connections

Rita Cosby beamed with pride as she talked with Wendeen about the joys of a loving reconnection with her father. Wendeen responded knowingly from her own experience with her mother after decades of a lost relationship. The articulate newscaster known for big gets, took her touching story public. Wendeen continues to soul-search more privately.

Fearless Millie

Millie Hallow is special assistant to the National Rifle Association, but she has a lot more ammunition than mere rifles at her disposal!  A key player in the most powerful lobbying organization in America, Ms. Millie brings a rare blend of smarts and guts to her role. She also brings over the-top-dedication to the yearly C-PAC […]

High Flyers Have Feet on the Ground

Lyle Berman and Wendeen met 25 years ago at the main event at the World Series of Poker. A thriving businessman, Lyle was also a champion poker player long before Wendeen became the first woman to cash in the WSOP final event. Lyle and Wendeen have remained friends over the years, with their paths linked […]

Jen and "Unabomber" Hold Court

(Fort Lauderdale, FL) After racking up our chips, we called it a day on the set of Poker Night in America, the poker reality show that airs on the CBS Sports Network. The high-stakes competitions showcase poker skills, lucky streaks, gambling styles, grit and gab. To my left, at the poker table was the handsome […]

Woods and Wendeen - Politics and Poker

The New Year had gotten off to a good start; an eclectic group of business and public service projects was on the boards. And then came an offer Wendeen could not refuse; an invitation to participate in a live poker game to be televised on CBS Sports. The player roster was as eclectic as any she […]

President Obama Resolve

On the occasion of President Obama’s third State of the Union address, I was privileged to be in attendance and witness his ongoing metamorphosis from community organizer and novice power broker, to compelling orator and worldly statesman. President Obama insured that all of the optics were aligned–for his fellow Americans and his global viewers. Uncharacteristically, he […]

President Obama With "Wendy"

Last week, Wendeen reconnected with President Barack Obama, outside Washington (where they first met in 2008),  at a stirring event held at the Streiker Center/Temple Emanu-el. After sampling chef Daniel Boulud’s famous short ribs,  the President took pictures at a VIP reception before the Event. He would soon settle in for a “conversation” with Rabbi […]