Tomorrow, May 1, 2008 the Island View Casino Gulfport unveils their brand new poker room. I just got back from getting a sneak peak at their new facility. I was also able to snag some info on their promotions, tournaments, comps, etc.

The room was busy with new dealers and other poker room staff getting ready for tomorrow. They’ve done a good job recruiting some familiar faces from various Biloxi and Bay St. Louis poker rooms.

I had a chance to speak briefly with Island View Poker Room Manger, William Vineyard. Although he was very busy, he was gracious enough to take a few minutes to discuss the grand opening with me.

In this post, I’ll share with you a first look at what the Island View Poker Room will be doing to set itself apart from other poker rooms. I’ll also share with you their Grand Opening promotion, which you don’t want to miss.

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Online poker’s favorite congressmen Barney Frank, Ron Paul, Luis V. Gutierrez and Peter King, are continuing their fight against the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act).

This time, they wrote a letter directly to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke to express concerns over the UIGEA. As many of your probably know, the UIGEA’s aim is to ban online gambling by forcing U.S. financial institutions to regulate your transactions. This may have seemed like a good idea, but in reality it puts a tremendous strain on banks, lenders, and other financial institutions.

*BEGIN RANT* This is what Frank and Paul are trying to explain to the knuckleheads in power. Our economy is already suffering. Between the mortgage crisis, the war in Iraq, and outrageous gas prices, our government has its plate full already. They should focus on the big stuff and quit trying to keep loyal American taxpayers from playing $0.50/$1.00 Texas Hold’em online. Instead, they should be looking for ways to regulate online gaming, which would actually help the economy.*END RANT*

I’m glad we have congressmen like this, who are willing to stand up and fight for our personal liberties. If you’d like to read their letter to the Treasury, and find out how you can support them in the fight for online poker, continue reading.

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Welcome to another GCP Weekly Wrap Up! In this week’s Boost Your Bankroll section, I’ll tell you how to get an instant bankroll increase of $10,000 + with a little hard work and focus over the next few weeks. I’ll also give you a summary of this week’s new poker articles and poker forum topics.

Boost Your Bankroll with FREE WSOP Satellites

If you followed my post earlier this week on all the FREE WSOP satellites running this year, you know that online poker sites are giving away MILLIONS in free packages. What you may NOT know is that these free packages, which usually are around $12,500 ($10k main event buy-in + $2,500 for expenses), don’t have to be used at the WSOP.

The poker rooms can no longer purchase your seats in Vegas, so instead, they put the money directly into your online poker account for you to use as you please. Obviously, they hope you will use in to play in the World Series of Poker Main Event wearing their site’s logo, but it’s completely up to you. That gives you a great incentive to play these free satellites, since it could mean a $10k+ boost to your bankroll.

Here’s a quick summary of the sites I mentioned and the number of free seats they are giving away.

Poker Stars - http://www.pokerstars.com/wsop/giveaway/

Number of Free Seats: 80+

Full Tilt Poker - http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/series-2008-race-main-event

Number of Free Seats: 50+

Cake Poker - http://cakepoker.com/WSOP2008/Rewards.aspx

Number of Free Seats: 50+

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This is a debate that I must hear 1 out of every 2 times I’m at the poker table. The gambling types justify their wins and loses by claiming that it’s all luck anyway. Some oppose this, claiming that poker is a game of skill and that the best players will defeat the gamblers over time. So who’s right?

In this Poker Mindset article, I’ll explore both points of view further, and clear up the question once and for all. Then, I’ll teach you how to apply this knowledge to your own poker game to achieve more success. Is poker a game of skill or luck? Find out now.

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Starting Friday, May 9th 2008, Harrah’s New Orleans will kick off this year’s Bayou Poker Challenge World Series of Poker Circuit event. In this post I’ll give you the best to stay for WSOP players, satellite information, and the complete tournament schedule.

Find a room for the WSOP in New Orleans

It looks like Harrah’s is booked for this year, but they’ve worked out a good deal with the Hilton right next door. They’ve blocked off a certain number of rooms specifically for WSOP tournament players. To get the special $95 room rate, go to the Hilton’s special page for poker players and reserve now.

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