The saga of Full Tilt Poker continues, with rumours that a deal between PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker is imminent.

It appears that Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker/UB Poker recently had a meeting with the US Department of Justice for PokerStars to acquire Full Tilt Poker and repay all players worldwide, and bring to an end the lawsuits taken out against Full Tilt after Black Friday.

It is estimated $330 million is owed to players, with a further $420 million to be handed over to the Department of Justice for all of Full Tilt Poker’s assets and to settle the indictments. If the deal goes ahead, it should be finalised by 23rd May.

Under the agreement, it appears PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker will be allowed to apply for online gaming licenses, if the US passes online poker .legislation. In addition, Isai Scheinberg and Paul Tate will be expected to resign from PokerStars once the deal is completed.

The deal would give PokerStars a large monopoly over the gaming industry and both PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker would be in an ideal position for bargaining over license rights with land-based casinos.

Steve Wynn, who has had dealings with PokerStars in the past and formed a partnership with the company before Black Friday put an end to it, is a strong advocate for legalising online poker in America. If he heads the PokerStars/Full Tilt Poker Company, it will be at the forefront of the race in Nevada to provide online gaming, which is estimated to be up and running in 7-10 months’ time.

Although all of this is still a rumour, it is being reported by several differing sources. It could be the last opportunity for Full Tilt Poker to resurrect and repair its damaged reputation among players.

Almost identical to Full Tilt Poker’s Rush Poker, it is a fast-paced ring game with players able to compete at up to four Zoom Poker tables simultaneously.

In a game where players compete against other competitors in selected game types and stakes, Zoom Poker sees fresh players at the table after every hand. They can fold at any time, and as soon as a player’s turn ends, which could be after winning the pot or folding, they are taken to another table to meet a new set of competitors. A Fast Fold tab is available to enable players to move from hand to hand quickly.

The same as any other poker game, Zoom Poker is easy to play. It is a fast game and cuts out the waiting time for a hand to end, though holding down the ‘Ctrl’ tab while clicking ‘Fold’ allows players to view the end of the game just left.

During the beta testing, it was estimated that out of all cash game players, 25 per cent of them were playing Zoom Poker, and that is only players. Because hands on Zoom Poker are three times as fast as regular hands, around half of the cash game hands were played at Zoom Poker tables. It is estimated that after the beta testing launch, cash games had raised by 50 per cent, based on the theory that one Zoom Poker player equalled three regular cash game players.

In beta testing, the games available were limited to No-Limit Hold’em and micro-stakes. Omaha and Draw Zoom Poker games have now been added, with stakes ranging from $0.01/$0.02 to $2.50/$5.00.

Zoom Poker has also been released on Android devices and will later be added to Apples iOS, with players competing at exactly the same tables as on home PC’s.

On Monday at a meeting in Las Vegas of the Gaming Policy Committee Mark Lipparelli, Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said the Silver State is likely to issues licenses in the next two months but that it would probably be six to eight months after this before games are up and running.

The meeting was held to discuss recommendations for the next legislative session and Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts, said he was looking to tweak the state’s online gaming bill, which would include an increase in the terms of licenses and the possibility of a reduction in fees.

A major concern at the meeting was the question of fraud and underage gambling. Jim Ryan, CEO of Bwin.party Digital Entertainment, emphasised his company’s efforts to alleviate those concerns and pointed out that out of one million players there were only 10 cases involving juvenile players who had successfully broken through its security system.

When asked about a standard system to regulate players’ registration, Ryan said “flexibility” was preferred by the industry, though he was accused of poker sites wanting to regulate themselves. Along with Murren, whose company is in partnership with Bwin party, Ryan agreed they would prefer a “centralised list” of players who would be banned from playing online, and this would include “fraudsters” and those who have self-excluded.

Another item on the agenda was raised by Gov. Sandoval, who was worried about neighbouring states being allowed access to Nevada’s intrastate system under the present geo-location technology. Ryan answered that the existing system is 99.8 per cent accurate.

Bwin.party recently made a deal with a native tribe in California, which is itself seeking to allow online poker. The site could be a big player in the market whether it is under state or federal law, although Lipparelli stated at the meeting that his preference was for federal law.

What is surprising about this figure is that a quarter of them did not go to gamble in the casinos but were attracted by other facilities on offer such as nightclubs, dining, galleries, fairground attractions and watching performers like Celine Dion.

After Black Friday in April 2011, when three of the most popular internet gaming sites had their licenses suspend and were closed down, many online players returned to land-based casinos. The report says they spent more at casinos than on movies, music and outdoor equipment combined.

Las Vegas is at the top of the list for American casinos, raking in more than $6 billion. Nevada attracted a million more visitors than in 2010, with its gambling revenue up by 2.9 per cent. However, Nevada’s largest casinos still lost $4 billion in 2011 according to the report.

The American Gaming Association also placed Atlantic City in second place, whose revenue had slipped by seven per cent to $3.3 billion.

With an improvement of three per cent over 2010, the 492 non-tribal casinos in America earned $35.6 billion in revenue. These casinos employed 339,000 people, a fall of less than half a per cent on the previous year. However, their pay fell by three per cent to a total wages, benefits and tips bill of £12.9 billion.

The report shows that more than half of all the respondents’ favourite type of gambling was slot machines and video poker. A quarter of them preferred playing blackjack, while seven per cent favoured poker. Craps and roulette was favoured by three per cent. The report also states that around half of the respondents played with less than $100 at the tables.

With a combined total prize pool of $30,000, another attraction is that new customers are being offered a 250 per cent first deposit bonus up to $2,000. The Winner Wednesday Dozen events are only open to new depositors, which mean the number of players will be much smaller than other freeroll games, therefore increasing the chances of winning a free cash prize.

To compete in three freerolls players have to earn 150 Winner Points, which are awarded at a rate of 12.50 per $1 paid in rake. Thus for a $12 in rake a player will be awarded three freeroll tokens. To win a seat at all, 12 freerolls players will only require 600 Winner points for a cost of $48 in rake.

All tokens will reach a player’s account within 48 hours of earning 150, 300, 450 and 600 Winner Points.

Below is a list of the 12 freerolls:

The United Auburn Indian Community, which runs the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Sacramento, is a federally recognized Native American tribe, and the deal brings bwin.party Digital Entertainment even closer to entering the online gaming market in America.

Laws to allow online poker in California are already being considered and if passed, they will allow established casino companies to apply for licenses to operate online poker games. The new deal will give UAIC the opportunity to apply for a license and join with the bwin.party team to supply online poker in its casino resort.

Once legislation to allow online gaming has been passed and UAIC has obtained a license the ten-year agreement would then come into force.

Having the largest population of all the American states, California has vast number of residents who enjoy playing poker online. Due to its assets and resources, bwin.party believes the deal with UAIC will form a strong partnership, “that is well-placed to seize the opportunities that will arise if appropriate online poker legislation is enacted in the Golden State,” said Norbert Teufelberger and Jim Ryan, CEO’s of bwin.party.

The United Auburn Indian Community thinks the legalization of internet poker and other online games is inevitable. The tribe has met with representatives from several online gaming companies but bwin.party was its first choice as a partner. David Keyser, Tribal Chairman of the UIAC, said of bwin.party and the new deal, “with its unrivalled expertise in online poker, proven technology and player loyalty we are confident of being able to maximize the revenue opportunity from a regulated online poker market in California and to continue to enhance the long-term prosperity of our community.”

They both signed up with Titan Poker in 2010 and renewed their contracts last June. It appears there is no problem between the players and the poker room, and the decision is purely a business one on the part of both parties.

UK player, Trickett, had a great year with Titan Poker in 2011. He won $2.9 million in total at the Aussie Millions last January by winning the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em event and coming second in the $250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em event.

Then in September, he lifted $1,364,666 (€1,000,000) by winning the Partouche Poker Main Event in Cannes, and October saw him at the final table for the High Roller event at EPT London and at 2011 WSOP Europe in the €5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event, where his total winnings were more than $200,000. Last year he earned $4.6 million in live tournaments, adding to his career total of $6.3 million.

With many nosebleed games under his belt, Trickett is also well known in Macau where he recently won more than $2 million.

Rettenmaier, from Germany, played in 25 live tournaments in 2011 alone and he won more than $600,000. A few weeks ago, he took home €118,300 ($156,186) by winning the €2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event at the EPT Grand Final, and his biggest win so far is when he finished first in a field of 567 in the France Poker Series Paris Finale that earned him €244,036 ($332,470).

The iPoker Network is ranked second on the internet for cash game traffic, with a seven-day average of 3,350. This is ahead of PartyPoker, with a 3,000 average, while PokerStars is way out in front with an average of 29,800.

Phil ‘The Unabomber’ Laak set the previous record in 2010, when his self-discipline was tested to the limit. Denson will be hoping that his training in the army will put him in good stead for the rigours of the challenge.

He will be allowed to take six five-minute breaks each hour, and these can be banked to increase a rest period. For instance, if he plays continuously for five hours without a break, he will be entitled to a 30-minute breather.

The challenging poker session is being held to raise funds for Help for Heroes, the charity that helps British soldiers who have been wounded in current conflicts around the world. Denson said: “Being an ex-Territorial Army soldier myself, I am pleased to be able to raise money for such a worthy cause.”

Of the event itself, he commented: “One of the biggest challenges will be finding enough players to play me. Guinness World Records will only allow other players to play for up to four hours at a time, so we need as many players as possible to come along and take part, especially in the early hours or in the mornings!”

The marathon will be open to the public to attend and watch. It is also an ideal opportunity for anyone who likes to play poker and who enjoys charity games. Whether a novice or an experienced player, the chance to compete against a pro like Denson will be a valuable experience, and offer competitors a chance to become part of poker history in Denson’s attempt for the “Longest Marathon Playing Poker by an Individual” title.

In partnership with the world leading online company PartyPoker, who will host the game, the tournament is exclusive to members of NoPayPoker. Entry to the event is entirely free and members can even be paid to sign up with PartyPoker.

To qualify for the freeroll poker tournament is easy. Until 7th June, NoPayPoker is running qualifying satellite games, and these will be played three times a day. In each round, the top 10 players will each receive a ticket to the main tournament on 9th June.

Another stipulation for participation in the event is that members of NoPayPoker should also be ‘Real Money’ members of PartyPoker. This involves a requirement by PartyPoker that members submit full personal details, but it should also be noted a member is not expected to deposit any of his own funds.

An agreement has been drawn up between NoPayPoker and PartyPoker that if a member decides not to deposit his funds with PartyPoker, NoPayPoker will deposit $1 into the member’s account, and this has to be done before the tournament on 9th June. This will then enable a player to enter any of the PartyPoker games that suits his or her budget.

As the tournament is free to members of NoPayPOKER, it means an individual player’s chance of success is far greater than is usually the case. This is because the number of players competing will be fewer and not as experienced, because the majority of those who sign up to the site usually only play free money poker.

The rooms on offer include Cheap Seats Poker, No Tilt Poker, Maniacal Poker, Lounge Lizard Poker, PPN.eu, PPNLive! (launching this summer) and PokeroomUSA. All of the rooms operate through one cashier for immediate transactions.

Each room is intended for different types of players and six of the seven rooms share tournaments, sit ‘n’ goes, real and play-money tables, contests and promotions. PokeroomUSA is a subscription-based room designed to attract US players, enabling them to participate legally. In addition, a free points-based room gives part of the profits to US troop charities.

Beta tested since August 2011, the software has been developed to create multiple online poker rooms, each room being individual and distinctive. Chuck Kidd, CEO of Poker Pros Network, said: “All seven poker rooms within the network boast innovative software written and developed using the latest technology. These methods allow us to deliver what others cannot. The most unique and exciting feature, of which only Poker Pros Network employs, is its one convenient cashier with several depositing options, including credit cards.” He also commented: “Today’s online poker players have higher expectations. In anticipation, our developers went well beyond simply improving standards.”

With such a wide variety of game options, it is hoped many new players will be attracted to the rooms. They will be rewarded with sign-up and re-load bonuses. The network of rooms also offers free and low buy-in contests, record-breaking payouts and prizes, along with loyalty rewards and incentives.

As well as all these new improvements, Poker Pros Network has also upgraded its generous VIP Rewards program and the 24/7 live support has been expanded. In addition, a team of experienced game managers constantly review activity in the rooms to ensure that players are getting the best possible and most enjoyable online poker experience.