New Online Poker Room Opens; Claims to be Legal in US

New Online Poker Room Opens; Claims to be Legal in US

by SADONNA PRICE on JULY 13, 2012

After Black Friday, online poker seemed nonexistent in the United States. Players longed for an opportunity to play online poker without having to worry about the funds in their account and now they supposedly have that opportunity. SkillBet has now launched in the United States and they claim to be legal in the majority of states in the US.

The new site is different than the online poker sites we have known in the past. Players at the site do not compete at the same table against other players. Instead the players will challenge other players by playing at similar tables, not the same one. SkillBet is claiming that this way, players are playing with more skill rather than a skill/chance game.

During a game at SkillBet, two players will set in the same seat but at two separate tables and players will be surrounded by the exact same computer players. Players will then be dealt the exact same cards. The same community cards will be dealt at each table and the outcome of the game will depend not the decision making of the players.

SkillBet commented on their option at their site which read: “We offer games of skill only. Our first game is like regular No Limit Texas Hold’em without the luck of the draw (e.g., both players play the same hand against the same opponents). The only factor determining who wins are the decision of the two players – and therefore, it is unquestionably a game of skill.

“Our games are no different from carnival games, chess and golf tournaments or other skill-based games that have been played for cash or prizes for hundreds of years.”

SkillBet has stated that many experts agree that their options have eliminated the element of chance. March Zwillinger a gambling law expert is in agreement and states that the site is totally legal. This could be the start of a different type of poker site online. Players can check out the site now and it will be interesting to see if SkillBet will receive any opposition or if they will be able to remain operating in the United States.

The Rebbe and Chaim Potok... Very Interesting Video

Rebbe Video - My Jewish Learning

In A Bold Move, Amazon Is Hiring Game Developers Right Under Zynga's Nose - Business Insider

In A Bold Move, Amazon Is Hiring Game Developers Right Under Zynga's Nose - Business Insider

Don't be fooled: Amazon's ambitions in the games business go far beyond providing a platform for social games on its Kindle Fire tablet.

From the kind of people it's hiring, it's clear that Amazon intends to challenge Zynga, King.com, and other makers of social games head-on.

Amazon is already quietly publishing online games through a subsidiary, A2Z Research and Development, and is aggressively expanding in San Francisco—the home turf of Zynga, the leader of the social-gaming industry.

Asked about its social-gaming plans, an Amazon.com PR representative declined to comment.

In a little-noticed move, Amazon bought Reflexive Entertainment, a maker of so-called casual games, in 2008. But Zynga has since upended the business, replacing the casual business model of cheap or advertising-supported games with the dominant social-gaming revenue stream of today: in-game currency purchases.

Amazon continues to run the Reflexive business as a development studio in Orange County. But Business Insider has learned that Amazon is trying to staff up a studio in San Francisco—Zynga's home turf.

According to A2Z's website, that office houses employees working on digital-music efforts such as Amazon's MP3 download store.

Right now, there are just a handful of job listings explicitly mentioning games. But already, some veterans of Rivet Games, a high-flying games startup which folded up shop earlier this year, have landed at Amazon. And in the surest sign of big hiring plans ahead, Amazon has added recruiters with specific experience in hiring games developers.

We're also told that Amazon's been trying to hire a high-ranking executive to run a full-fledged studio.

And there's one more thing: Last month, Zynga declared itself openly in competition with Amazon Web Services with its new zCloud offering—at least for game developers looking for cloud computing. And Zynga's move to offer game-publishing services and social features to third-party developers likewise competes with Amazon's brand-new GameCircle service.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-a2z-game-studio-san-francisco-2012-7#ixzz20LoSGJgj

Shabbat and Meditation: Just Be It - My Jewish Learning

Shabbat and Meditation: Just Be It - My Jewish Learning