The poker community continues to sleep with the enemy as Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan and Tom Dwan help launch a new poker room in Sheldon Adelson’s Venetian Macao.
According to PokerNews, the home of the famous Big Game in Macau – The Poker King Club (PKC) – moved from its foundation in StarWorld Casino to the Venetian back in September. In that time the players have been slumming it whilst a brand new poker room was being designed.
That new room opened on May 22 and three of the world’s most recognizable faces were on hand to offer their support. Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan and Johnny Chan took part in the opening ceremony, including playing in a charity tournament that featured the likes of Winfred Yu, Stanley Choi and Raymond Chow.
The new poker room is a non-smoking environment, and is located in the Phoenix Hall of The Venetian. Many people, including your truly, have been critical of players who play in the Venetian in Las Vegas, as it supports the very man who is intent on bringing online poker to its knees. Many of those criticisms fall on deaf ears. It seems Ivey, Dwan and Chan also have the muffs on.
Greg Raymer Rejoins the PPA Board
Whilst earning copious amounts of cash may be the main value of Ivey, Chan and Dwan, the same cannot be true of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA). Their mission is to unite the poker community into a unified voice that protects the rights to play poker in all of its forms. That covers ‘avoiding any connection to Mr. Adelson at all costs.’
According to OnlinePoker.net, the PPA has welcomed back Greg “fossilman” Raymer to their board of directors after two years away from the non-profit organization. Raymer has always been a big supporter of the PPA but walked away after becoming embroiled in a North Carolina prostitution sting back in Oct 2013.
“We at PPA are proud to welcome 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer back to the PPA Board of Directors. Greg has been a tremendous advocate for the game and for the right to play in all of its forms for over a decade.” Said PPA VP of Player Relations Rich Muny.
The Fossilman will be a great addition to the PPA, and the fight to protect poker in the US. You can also get a little closer to Raymer by buying a piece of his high stakes 2015 WSOP action. The former WSOP champion is looking for investors to back him in eight $10k events and a solitary $5k event.
