On January 25, the 2006 UK Gambling Awards were held in London, England. More than ten thousand readers of InsideEdge, PokerPlayer, and Total Gambler magazines voted for their favorites. Results were as follows:

Top Poker TV Show
Winner: Poker Night Live
Runner Up: 2005 World Seris of Poker

Poker Player of the Year
Winner: Phil Ivey
Runner Up: Daniel Negreanu

Poker Site of the Year
Winner: PokerRoom.com
Runner Up: Ladbrokes Poker

Online Casino of the Year
Winner: 888.com
Runner Up: Coral

Betting Exchange Firm of the Year
Winner: Betfair
Runner Up: Cantor Spreadfair

iGaming Software Provider of the Year
Winner: Wagerlogic
Highly Commended: Ongame and Playtech

Bookmaker of the Year
Winner: Coral
Runner Up: Ladbrokes

Spread Betting Firm of the Year
Winner: Sporting Index
Runner Up: IG Sport

Gambling Personality of the Year
Winner: Dave 'Devilfish' Ulliott
Highly Commended: Helen Chamberlain and Tom 'Pricewise' Segal

The Dennis Gambling 'Best of 2005' Award
Winner: Betfair
Highly Commended: Paradise Poker and Oddschecker

Source: Inside Edge

The Palms Casino in Las Vegas has added another feature to their lavish Fantasy Tower - a High Roller gaming lounge opening in February called The Mint. The 5000 sq. foot room has two levels, the main floor of which includes blackjack, roulette, baccarat, poker upon request, a full bar, and a buffet. The top level is much more exclusive (and I am guessing - much more expensive), offering private games, a private bar, and views of the lower level.

The entire Fantasy Tower is opening in phases - late last year Derek wrote about the Hardwood Suite, which features a full basketball court, and I discussed some of the other rooms they have built, including the Erotic Suite, the Hip Hop Suite, and the Bowling Suite.

Also slated to open within the Palms Hotel this year is the return of the Playboy Club. Maybe it's just me, but doesn't it strike you as odd that Hef never entered the casino biz in Vegas himself? Think of all the out of work Bunnies he could employ. It would certainly be THE spot on the strip for bachelor parties - besides, isn't gambling all part of the Playboy lifestyle? Hef, you missed the boat on this one.

Anyways...

If you happen to visit the Palms and get to view The Mint, let us know what it is like.

I am starting to feel as though we are (finally) standing on the sidelines watching the world of televised poker begin to change. The focus is no longer on all Hold'em, all the time, instead other card games are beginning to get some much needed airtime. I wish I could say that it was a Stud or Omaha game that was getting all the attention, however I will take whatever I can get at this point. GSN, The Game Show Network, will be airing the finals of the Three Card Poker National Championship Tournament on April 17th and 24th of this year. This isn't a small-time game, either. The winner of this event will walk away one million dollars richer.

That said, I personally don't care much about what happens with Three Card Poker. It is a game that is played against the dealer rather than your opponents, and though there certainly is skill involved, it simply doesn't compare to an actual professional game of poker. (I'll be getting into this subject a little deeper later in the week.) The point is this though - the networks are (hopefully) beginning to see that there is a world of gaming outside of NLHE for a change. 

Recently, many top professional poker players have expressed their distaste over Harrah's decision to make the 2006 WSOP so Hold'em-heavy. Daniel Negreanu has probably been the most vocal, correctly stating that it is, in fact, the World Series of Poker, not the World Series of Hold'em.

I hope this TV trend continues and the other great games of poker begin to gain more exposure.