Browse > Home / Archive: April 2010

TCS granted Delaware licence

April 30, 2010

TCS granted Delaware licence

  • 9th April 2010
    By Simon Liddle
  • Print this page

TCS John Huxley has been granted a licence as an approved gaming vendor for the US state of Delaware, which recently passed a law permitting table games at racetrack casinos.

TCS has secured substantial new orders to supply its portfolio of products to the state’s operators, including table games and accessories for blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, Texas Hold’em poker and a number of proprietary games.

The company has also received orders for a selection of Saturn Roulette Wheels, Chipper Champ 2 chip sorting machines and the latest generation of e-FX Insignia number displays.

“Delaware Lottery has responded swiftly in issuing our licence, guaranteeing no time is wasted with table games being installed on the casino gaming floor,” said Roger Hawkins, chief executive officer for the Americas at TCS.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with the Delaware casinos and our extensive knowledge and experience as well as excellent infrastructure ensure we are well placed to deliver products and services that are key.”

Back to top

TCS granted Delaware licence

· Filed Under Roulette News 

The cautious gambler

April 30, 2010

Appearances are deceiving.

It’s a central tenet of the game of poker. In an activity fraught with misinformation and disguises, the less obvious route is always the best to take.

Maybe it’s not so usual, then, to see Shannon Shorr’s apartment. Shorr, a senior majoring in business management, lives at University Downs, with a collection of energy drinks in the corner, a wooden table to eat at and a Wal-Mart couch.

Shorr is comfortable here. The 24-year-old fits naturally in the collegiate environment, but said he is ready to have a degree to show his hard work.

“It means so much to me,” Shorr said. “I could never see myself not being a college graduate.”

But there is another world that Shorr has a place in, where fortune and ruin are precariously balanced on the turn of a playing card.

He is a professional poker player. A very good one, but in a region of the country where gamblers have a bad reputation, Shorr isn’t quick to volunteer the information.

“Just in general, I don’t tell people I play poker,” Shorr said. “There’s still a stigma associated with it. People think it’s like backroom, people getting their legs broken.”

For Shorr, like with many professional players who have reached the highest levels, the concept of gambling is foreign to him. The game is defined by the measurement of probability, odds and reads, requiring skill over pure chance.

“People don’t understand that what I do is investing more than gambling,” Shorr said. “I’m pushing value.”

Whereas the average college student is trying to scrape together beer money for a Saturday night party, Shorr is usually sitting at the online poker felt on a variety of sites, mostly Full Tilt and Pokerstars, slinging out buy-in prices up to $1,000 per online tournament. He estimates that on the weekend, his primary poker time while at school, he will enter as many as 60 tournaments in two days.

“I’ll pick up one of those $5 Hot N’ Ready pizzas from Little Caesar’s and just eat from it all day,” Shorr said with a chuckle.

Catching the bug

In the four years Shorr has played professionally, his winnings total nearly $3.5 million. He has sat at tables with the likes of Phil Ivey, Tony G, Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu. After check-raising a million-chip pot with six-high, Shorr said getting ready for an economics midterm isn’t nearly the chore it seemed before.

Shorr is a man of contradictions. Though gambling by nature is a risk-heavy trade, there are few colleagues who have been more frugal with their winnings. His living arrangements certainly don’t give an impression of wealth. In fact, there is just one splurge that Shorr has granted himself from his winnings.

“The most expensive thing I’ve bought is that [2004 Chevrolet] Tahoe,” Shorr said. “You don’t want to get to a point where you’re playing for your money instead of your hand.”

His start in poker was an unexpected occurrence. Shorr was still a high school student when the so-called poker boom was getting its start in 2003, as television technology began allowing the game to become a spectator sport. The Travel Channel was the impetus behind a series of Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments, the World Poker Tour, that started to captivate audiences across the country.

Shorr was not part of that demographic.

“I remember being a senior in high school looking for a [baseball] game, and I flipped to ESPN showing poker,” Shorr said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is so boring.’”

After he came to the Capstone, Shorr got his exposure to the game at home games held by friends. Hooked instantly, he found Partypoker.com, one of many online sites sprouting up across the Internet that allowed players access to the game anywhere and everywhere.

Shorr took advantage, making a $50 deposit and quickly losing all of it. He deposited again and lost that. The vicious cycle continued, with Shorr estimating that he lost as much as $3,500 before turning into a winning player.

“I definitely thought at times that I should stop,” Shorr said. “But I figured I would eventually turn it around.”

Slowly and painfully, Shorr improved and learned to play winning poker. In 2006, at the ripe age of 19, he won several online satellites and qualified for a spot in the main event of one of the world’s top tournament series, the Crown Australian Poker Championship, commonly known as the Aussie Millions.

Shorr still remembers the hand that pushed him to the package for Australia. With the hit of an ace, Shorr quickly eliminated the final player and earned a trip to a world far beyond Tuscaloosa.

The civil engineering major had a difficult decision to make. With a time commitment of two weeks needed for the tournament, Shorr decided to drop out of the 2006 spring semester at Alabama. His parents, Scott and Debbie, trusted their son’s decisions.

“They were actually really supportive about it,” Shorr said. “Not a lot of people have parents who would be that way.”

Road trip

Having grown accustomed to online play, Shorr was now competing with 418 of the world’s top players in his first live venue. The Aussie Millions main event held a buy-in of $10,000, while Shorr’s entire poker bankroll consisted of $30,000.

Needless to say, there was a level of intimidation, especially when Shorr was relocated to a table featuring popular professional and World Poker Tour announcer Mike Sexton.

Once the cards were shuffled, however, all the trepidation and star-watching halted, and Shorr went straight back to what got him to Melbourne, Australia in the first place: consistently smart decisions at the right time.

With a $1.2 million top prize on the line, Shorr slowly built his stack, taking advantage of a combination of good hands, good luck and one very well timed bluff.

On the second day of competition, Shorr was in the midst of building his chips up and found himself in a difficult situation. Raising pre-flop, he found one caller. After his opponent checked the flop, Shorr raised the pot, only to be reraised. Holding ace-high, Shorr threw out another raise that was called. After his opponent called, Shorr fired another bullet on the turn, admitting that at that point he had put “quite a bit” of his stack in the middle.

Shorr still remembers the nerve-wracking minutes before his adversary dumped his hand.

“I can still feel how bad he made me sweat it,” Shorr said. “I still remember how hard my heart was beating.”

Shorr moved all the way to the final table of the tournament. Shorr busted out in fourth place, good for more than $270,000 and the start of a new life.

Shorr moved to Las Vegas and rented a house with several poker friends. His success continued in 2006, with two more cashes worth over $100,000, including a victory at the Bellagio Cup II Invitational worth just under $1 million.

With rolls of cash and a freewheeling life that seemed like it would never end, Shorr felt on top of the world, and officially withdrew from Alabama.

That’s when the trouble started. 2007 was a year of downswings for Shorr, the inevitable period of a poker player’s career where nothing goes right and money disappears in an instant. Shorr began dabbling in the dangerous arena of cash games, including $500 and $1,000 blind Pot-Limit Omaha Hold ‘Em.

“That was a tough year,” Shorr said. “I was chasing too much… making some dumb decisions and I really got stuck. I was down like $300,000 at one point.”

Shorr battled back to recover about two-thirds of his losses, but stress took a toll. He gained unhealthy weight and had the strain of a live-in girlfriend in Vegas. So Shorr reevaluated the role of poker in his life.

“I just felt empty,” Shorr said. “I was traveling around playing poker, but I wasn’t really doing anything.”

Shorr couldn’t help but reflect on the studies he had abandoned.

“I’ve always wanted to come back and finish school, so I was worried about that,” Shorr said. “I kept wondering when I would go back.”

Coming home

Shorr returned to Tuscaloosa in the fall 2008, reenrolling and cutting down on the amount he played. He also sought out the help of friend and fellow professional Eric Baldwin, the 2009 Cardplayer Magazine Player of the Year, who helped him revamp his tournament game.

“I was playing a style that worked in early ’06, but wasn’t working in 2007,” Shorr said.

His fortune improved, and the move back to Tuscaloosa combined with the cut-down schedule had much to do with it. Shorr said he stopped chasing bad opportunities and switched more focus back to online play while still playing extremely profitable live tournaments. One such event was a three-day swing at the Bellagio Cup where Shorr pocketed over $360,000 and finished 2008 up nearly $1 million.

Shorr said he has been spared the fate of many of his colleagues, who alternatively find themselves flush with cash and begging for backers without a penny to their name after losing everything at craps, blackjack and other “house” games at the casinos.

“At the risk of sounding arrogant, I feel like I’ve managed my career as well as anybody,” Shorr said. “I’ve just seen so many guys my age blow through [all their money] in Vegas because there’s so much to do there.”

Tucking away a large portion of his profits in mutual funds, and even a little bit of “dabbling with stocks and stuff,” Shorr said he has assured himself a level of comfortable financial security for whatever life may have in store for him.

“I’ll never go broke,” Shorr said, “unless the market just crashed tomorrow.”

He continues to make significant noise in some of the biggest tournaments in the world. Last year, Shorr made the final table of the $25,000 entry WPT Championship, finishing in fifth place and earning a $400,000 paycheck.

Not bad for a week’s worth of missed classes.

One thing that Shorr said he is certain about is the place that poker will continue to hold in his life: a fun way to earn a living, but something that will never become the infatuation of some more daring players who routinely risk absurd amounts of money in cash games.

“I want poker to be a small part of my life, actually,” Shorr said. “I love it, and it’s a nice way to make money, but I want to use the spare time it provides me to do all kinds of other things. I don’t know what yet.”

Short URL: cw.ua.edu/?p=2383

The cautious gambler

· Filed Under Blackjack News 

Over $5 Million Available Through Progressive Jackpots In RTG Online Casinos

April 30, 2010

April 27th, 2010 – by Glen Farmer

Progressive jackpots are one of the primary reasons that many have turned to online casinos over land based casinos. With the possibility of becoming an overnight millionaire, player4s tend to flock to these games. The RTG USA Casinos are most known for their huge progressive jackpots, and through many of these casinos players can currently see jackpots of seven figures or more.

Through the mainstream RTG Casinos, such as Cherry Red Casino and Las Vegas USA Casino, players can currently see jackpots of $1 million dollars or more. Four different slot games, each with a different theme, are sporting these massive jackpots for their players to take a spin at winning.

The slots Midlife Crisis and Shopping Spree are similar in jackpot, but different in theme. Midlife Crisis revolves around a middle aged man keeping up with sports cars and his youth, while Shopping Spree keeps all women in touch with their spending side. Both slots are a 5 reel, 9 payline video, and both share their progressive jackpot.

These jackpots are currently $1,026,789.

Aztec’s Millions is another of the progressive slot games currently sporting a jackpot over $1 million dollars. Aztec’s Millions is one of the most popular slot games through the RTG online casinos, Aztec’s Millions is currently offering players a $1,160,771 jackpot, which can be attained by spinning these 5 reels, hoping for the 25 paylines to come up accurate for the jackpot.

The big winner comes through Jackpot Pinatas. This slot game is bringing players a $1.6 million dollar jackpot, provided they can reach the Jackpot Pinatas is a 5 reel, 20 payline. This jackpot has continued rising over time, and no player has successfully attained the winnings.

The main RTG USA casinos currently offering these massive jackpots are Cherry Red Casino, Slots Oasis Casino, and Las Vegas USA Casino. Players who are lucky enough to win will have to take their winnings over time, disbursed in weekly annuities.

Tags: jackpot pinatas, midlife crisis, progressive jackpots, Progressive Slots, RTG Casinos, RTG jackpots, rtg online casinos, shopping spree slots

Over $5 Million Available Through Progressive Jackpots In RTG Online Casinos

· Filed Under Casino News 

Audacious Las Vegas

April 29, 2010

I went to Las Vegas, and I doubled my money. I have always wanted to write that line. It’s what they all dream of, those high rollers and desperadoes who swish into town, hitting the roulette tables and the slot machines, hoping that their unique scientific formulas, or maybe just their prayers, will help them hit the right numbers or draw the good-looking cards.

They know it’s a capricious business. They have heard the greatest song ever dedicated to the city, “Las Vegas”, performed by the late, great Gram Parsons in his rambunctious prime: “The Queen of Spades is a friend of mine, the Queen of Hearts is a bitch. Someday when I clean up my mind, I’ll find out which is which … Ooh Las Vegas, ain’t no place for a poor boy like me.”

The poor boys were losing money all around me as I wandered round the hotel casino, and they never looked like they were going to clean up their minds. But I had a trick. Here was my secret: I would put on just one, single, $100 bet. And then, whatever happened, I would walk. Double or quits. Triumph or disaster. The silver ball of the roulette wheel would decide. I would be happy either way. Lunch would be a treat, or it would be a hot dog. Easy come, easy go.

It felt like an odd number day. I put my chips down. The wheel spun. For a few seconds I felt the thrill, the shiver of excitement that keeps people playing over and over again. That makes them lose. But I am what they call a risk-averse personality. To quote Neil Simon’s memorable taunt in The Odd Couple, I put my seatbelt on in a drive-in movie. So those few seconds were more than enough. My stomach fluttered as the wheel slowed. The ball nestled into its new home. Number five. The hot dog could wait.

You don’t have to gamble when you come to Vegas, but it helps. It is only when you sit down at a roulette wheel or a blackjack table, watching the bank raking in its winnings time after time, that you get the economics of the place. This is why they give you the free drinks, and why there are no clocks around, anywhere. They want you to lose yourself, as well as everything else.

Disorientation comes with the territory. On my first evening, I felt like strolling down the famous Las Vegas Boulevard, otherwise known as The Strip, not realising that it is close to impossible. Every 100 yards or so, you are forced on to a footbridge, which leads to a hotel, which leads to a casino. You are shepherded off the streets, and into sin. It’s a singular feeling.

The hotels are, of course, part of the charm, part of Vegas’s brash, kitsch love affair with itself. There is a pyramid, with a sphinx standing solemn guard outside (the Luxor). There is a medieval castle (the Excalibur). The Eiffel Tower at the Paris. There is, most famously of all, the Grand Canal at the Venetian. The water is real, the sky is plastic, and the gondoliers slightly off-pitch, as if we need reminding that it’s not quite the real deal. If you dine at an “outside” table at St Mark’s Square, you can catch a “Streetmosphere” performance of opera arias. In between high Cs, the singers hustle to advertise the local retail opportunities, which are plentiful and expensive. Art and Mammon lie together here.

As with many a wise-cracking extrovert, you can’t escape the feeling that there is a vein of profound insecurity pulsing beneath the bombast. Can a city really continue to thrive on little more than poker and pastiche? Won’t the joke pall? Don’t worry: Vegas is way ahead of you.

First, there is the city’s dining scene, which has truly come of age. Vegas is one of only four US cities to have its own Michelin guide. Unlike the architectural oddities, which are looking tired, European cuisine effortlessly survives the transition to its strange new home. At the Wynn, Paul Bartolotta’s eponymous restaurant imports fish from Italy three to four times a week, and handles it with flair and care: its fritto misto is as good as it gets, and that includes the mother country’s snootiest establishments.

At Picasso, in the Bellagio, you can watch the hotel’s dancing fountains put on quite a witty little show; except that you would be foolish to turn your attention away from the walls, which feature several million dollars’ worth of paintings by the man himself. Unlike many of Vegas’s cultural attractions, these are real, and rather magnificent. The pricey food makes an excellent job at living up to its sublime surroundings.

Even the humble chain restaurants offer a little extra in Vegas: at the Hard Rock Café, there are interactive screens where you can choose your own videos and peruse the owners’ impressive collection of rock memorabilia. (This in itself is a big business in Vegas: the nearest I came to losing my financial cool was not in a casino but at an “antique” store which was offering a beautiful acoustic guitar, signed by Elvis, for a paltry $35,000 [£23,500].)

Entertainment is the other sphere in which Vegas is leaving competition floundering, or at least gasping at the sheer audacity on display. I thought the city’s theatres would be replete with ageing crooners and cheesy cabaret acts, an impression not dispelled when I saw a giant fly poster advertising an imminent concert by Engelbert Humperdinck, who has evidently still not been released from whatever torment he was being subjected to, back in the day.

But entertainment has become a serious business. I went to see Le Rêve at the Wynn, a water-based spectacle starring acrobats, synchronised swimmers and ballroom dancers, that has been attracting audiences for five years. The show cost a staggering $200m to put on (the theatre was built around it – very Vegas) and is the epitome of wow-factor theatre.

But if you are searching for narrative subtleties, look elsewhere. Vegas entertainment is a testament to that part of the human spirit that has no wish whatsoever to be challenged. It feels curiously liberating, and the mood is infectious. I saw Lance Burton (“master magician”) and was instantly in touch with my inner 12-year-old. At the Mirage, Cirque du Soleil’s Love is a cut above, but that is because it has the original music of The Beatles on tap to give it its emotional resonance.

I finally chose to spend my winnings on lunch at Mastro’s Ocean Club, a fish restaurant perched precariously inside a futuristic treetop in the city’s newest mall, Crystals. It felt good to be away from the Grand Canal and the Eiffel Tower. Crystals is part of the freshly inaugurated City­Center project, which has brought together seven of the world’s leading architects and 12 artists to create a complex that can actually hold its head up in the 21st century cultural world.

Here was something that Las Vegas had lacked for a long time: modernity. Daniel Libeskind’s brilliant, crumpled deconstruction of a shopping mall acts as the centre’s calling card on the Strip, but its surrounding buildings are no less impressive. The Aria resort and casino boasts original art works from Antony Gormley and Tony Cragg, and contains – take a deep breath – more than 4,000 rooms, 16 restaurants and an 80,000 sq ft spa.

I found CityCenter refreshing. These gleaming temples felt as if they belonged to a proper modern city. A few centuries ago, in medieval Europe, there was a reason that St Mark’s Square expanded extravagantly in front of a beautiful cathedral and imposing bell-tower. But there was no earthly reason for it to be copied in the middle of the Nevada desert. CityCenter is the most obvious sign that Las Vegas is becoming culturally self-confident again. There is only so much mileage to be had from Elvis and the Rat-Pack. They belong to the antique stores now. The crystal city is moving forward. Bet on it.

Peter Aspden is the FT’s arts writer

Four nights in Las Vegas with Virgin Holidays + Hip Hotels, including flights with Virgin Atlantic, accommodation at THEHotel on a room-only basis and private transfers, starts from £949. Prices are per person based on 2 adults travelling and sharing a THEsuite. Prices are based on departures September 2010. Start holidays in the Virgin Holidays v-room lounge at Gatwick airport, £17 per adult, £10 per child. vhiphotels.co.uk or tel: 0844 573 2460

Audacious Las Vegas

· Filed Under Slot Machine News 

Planet23 Casino offering unlimited cash bonuses

April 29, 2010

Planet23 Casino offering unlimited cash bonuses 20 April 2010

CURACAO, Netherlands Antilles — (PRESS RELEASE) — There is only a great place where online casino players enjoy maximum satisfaction both in cash and in kind – Planet23 Casino.

Gain overwhelming bonuses, great rewards, unrivaled casino experience, world-class online gaming entertainment, in exchange for simply playing casino online @ Planet23.com.

Choose Planet23 for the pleasure of participating in its latest promotions of earning up to 1000% extra cash for first deposits alone. It is amazing to know that making deposits by EwalletXpress qualifies Planet23 online players for cash rewards of about 20% extra. Not only that but also table games match bonuses are offered reaching to $1,000 in one deposit. Needless to say, there is no max cashouts on these bonuses, so you can take back with you a nice amount home.

In addition, players are also given the choice of taking part in great weekend slots races capable of earning them 300% bonuses.

Do not miss out on Planet23′s exclusive bonuses for high rollers. From earning 50% extras on all table games to gaining 333% lucky day bonuses, Planet23 has a collection of irresistible bonuses for every online casino player.

Planet23 also features lots of special promotions especially for BJ and Roulette players where they could earn extra $500, $250 and $150 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd deposits respectively.

That’s not all, Planet23 rewards players with several mouth-watering monthly slots tournaments as a way of saying “thank you”. Since players’ satisfaction is Planet23′s main priority, it offers big VIP bonuses that casino online players can find anywhere!

Planet23 is a reliable entertainment provider when it comes to meeting the ever-rising expectations of online casino players.

There is no better way to appreciate the fun and winnings experienced from playing Online Slots, BJ, Craps, Roulette and Blackjack among others than taking advantage of Planet23′s newly upgraded RIVAL-powered software.

Especially designed for your playing delight and pleasure, this gaming software needs a small disk space of less than 3MB to conveniently run on is.

Make sure you grab the wonderful opportunity of hitting a Global Cup jackpot @ Planet23.com with brand new 3 reel slots.

Planet23 Casino offering unlimited cash bonuses

· Filed Under Craps News 

Raiders' coach 'geeked' after taking Tide's McClain with No. 8 pick in NFL draft

April 28, 2010

By Don Kausler Jr. — The Birmingham News April 22, 2010, 11:04PM

Former Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain, seated center, reacts with family and friends in Decatur after he was taken by the Oakland Raiders with the eighth pick in the first round of the NFL draft. (AP photo)Rolando McClain earned a reputation at Alabama as a football player who could affect the people around him. Already, he is having an effect on people with his new football team.

That team is the struggling Oakland Raiders, who used the eighth pick in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night to select the All-American middle linebacker.

“OK, first thing I gotta tell you, I’m geeked,” Raiders coach Tom Cable said. “That’s the best word that I can use. I know it sounds silly, but it’s just what I feel right now. …

“This is a great piece to the Oakland Raiders’ future. … I think getting Rolando in this organization does a lot of good for us. We’ve got to stop the run. … To get a player of Rolando’s caliber with the eighth pick, I’m extremely, extremely excited. I’m just thrilled right now, I really am. I’m buzzing. …

“He and I have already talked three times since we drafted him, so that’s the right stuff.”

The high selection was a bit of a surprise. McClain, who is skipping his senior season after leading the Crimson Tide to the 2009 national championship, was expected to be picked between the No. 10 and No. 15 spots.

Later in the first round, another Alabama player who is skipping his senior season was drafted. Cornerback Kareem Jackson was selected with the 20th pick by the Houston Texans.

McClain goes to a team with a history of success, but the Raiders have fallen on hard times. They finished third in the AFC West Division last season with a 5-11 record and gave up 379 points while scoring only 197. They allowed 155.5 yards rushing per game last season, ranking 29th among 32 NFL teams.

“I wasn’t shocked to go this early, but I was shocked about going to Oakland,” said McClain, the winner of the 2009 Butkus Award that goes to college football’s top linebacker. “We weren’t even really talking to Oakland. But I’m really happy about the chance to play for the Raiders. This is what I’ve been working for.”

McClain was asked by reporters who cover the Raiders what he can and will bring to the team’s defense.

“Just my intensity,” he said. “Not just as a football player, but as a leader, a teammate, and friend to these guys.

“I’m accustomed to winning. … I know the Raiders haven’t had the greatest season the past few years, but everything’s ready to turn around.”

Cable said McClain was one of five players his organization coveted. The other four were among the first seven players drafted.

“The guy made plays,” Cable said. “He made plays against the run, he made plays against the pass. …

“But the thing that thrilled me the most is that he’s playing in arguably the best college football conference there is, and he’s able to go out there and direct it. The more you watch this guy, it was pretty easy to feel as a football coach that, man, he’s really got his hand on this thing. And, obviously, you can’t argue with the success they had as a football team.”

McClain was recognized as the heart and soul of a defense that dominated opponents on its way to a 14-0 season. That season culminated with a 37-21 victory over Texas in the national championship game.

New Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain is hugged by his mother, Tonya Malone. (AP photo)McClain turned down an invitation to attend the draft along with other players who were expected to be top picks because he wanted to celebrate with friends and family in Decatur, his hometown.

He watched the draft from the home of Greg and Tammy Hawkins and passed the time playing poker with friends until he received a phone call around 7:20 p.m. from Cable.

McClain could earn roughly $20 million in guaranteed money and a total package of nearly $40 million for being the eighth player drafted, according to his agent, Pat Dye Jr.

Dating to 1967, the first combined AFL/NFL draft, only 12 Alabama players have been selected higher: Cornelius Bennett was drafted No. 2 by Indianapolis in 1987; Chris Samuel (No. 3) by Washington in 2000); John Hannah (No. 4) by New England in 1973, Jon Hand (No. 4) by Indianapolis in 1986, Derrick Thomas (No. 4) by Kansas City in 1989 and Keith McCants (No. 4) by Tampa Bay in 1993; E.J. Junior (No. 5) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1981 and John Copeland (No. 5) by Cincinnati in 1993; Barry Krauss (No. 6) by the New York Jets in 1979, Eric Curry (No. 6) by Tampa Bay in 1993 and Andre Smith (No. 6) by Cincinnati in 2009.

Jackson decided to skip his senior season against the advice of Alabama coach Nick Saban.

The 5-foot-10, 193-pound standout from Macon, Ga., was a three-year starter for the Crimson Tide.

The Texans (9-7) were a playoff contender last season, but they fell short of earning a wild-card spot.

“They kind of threw me for a loop, because I had not heard from them since I met with them at the combine,” Jackson said.

Texans defensive coordinator Frank Bush called Jackson “well-rounded.”

“He’s very physical,” Bush said. “He loves to hit. He’s a big-time player for a big-time program. He’s a winner who played for Nick Saban.

“He played in a complex system, so we don’t think he’ll have a big adjustment to the next level. I don’t see any drawbacks. It’s up to us to teach him the system, coach him up and watch him develop.

Jackson improved as a cover defender last season and enhanced his reputation as a sure tackler, but he was not projected as a first-round pick by the NFL draft advisory committee. That was why Saban encouraged Jackson to return for his senior season.

Questions about Jackson’s speed were answered late in February at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where his draft stock rose.

“One thing I like about Kareen is his physical nature. … That’s his style,” Bush said. “He’s also a very mature kid. He’s smart and very aggressive. I’m just real excited to get him here.”

It’s the fifth time since 1967 that Alabama has had at least two players drafted in the first round. In 2000, Chris Samuels (No. 3) was taken by Washington and Shaun Alexander (No. 19) was taken by Seattle. In 1993, besides Copeland and Curry, George Teague (No. 29) was taken by Green Bay. In 1979, besides Krauss, Marty Lyons (No. 14) was taken by the Jets. In 1978, Bob Cryder (No. 18) was taken by New England and Ozzie Newsome (No. 23) was taken by Cleveland.

Mark McCarter of the Huntville Times contributed to this report.

Raiders' coach 'geeked' after taking Tide's McClain with No. 8 pick in NFL draft

· Filed Under Poker News 

Bingo.com 2 for 1 plus regular free bingo

April 28, 2010

Online bingo has been provided at Bingo.com since 1999 so not only does the site know what bingo players are looking for it also has no problems coming up with the goods to keep drawing players in. Once registered with the site bingo players can be assured that they are in a safe, secure and reliable online bingo environment.

Value is the name of the game at the moment and it’s two bingo tickets for the price of one all day long on Tuesday, 20th April. Get 2 for 1 bingo cards in all the online bingo games Tuesday 20th April only. Make sure to buy into all the jackpot games as there will never be a better chance to get as many cards for such a low price.

The Super Jackpots in Lucky Charms Bingo have proven to be very popular so don’t forget that there is 500.00 to be won every Thursday and Friday night at 10pm. Don’t miss out on the fun and pre-buy the cards for this game today.

In fact the Lucky Charms room has it all, as this is one of the rooms at Bingo.com where players can receive free cards and all the winnings are real bonus money. Play in Free Lucky Charms Bingo daily from 12pm to 4pm and in Rover’s Free Ride from 4pm to 5pm. Get your fix of free bingo at Bingo.com.

If you have played bingo at Bingo.com let us know what you think of the site at our Bingo.com reviews page.

Author: Jack Slater | Date: April 20, 2010 | Category: Online Bingo News | Article Copyright © April 20, 2010 WhichBingo.co.uk

Read our Front Page Bingo News here (whichbingo.co.uk/bingo-news/).

Read our Online Bingo News here.

You can receive more bingo news and promotions direct to your inbox, courtesy of the UK Bingo Players Club. Join our UK Bingo Players Club for FREE today!

RSS Bingo News Feed

Use our RSS bingo news feed to keep up to date with the latest UK bingo news. Get all the latest bingo news and feature stories delivered directly to your desktop.

Find out what RSS is and how it can benefit you here.

Bingo.com 2 for 1 plus regular free bingo

· Filed Under Bingo News 

WMS Q3 rev misses estimates; shares fall

April 28, 2010

* Q3 EPS $0.55 vs est $0.49

Stocks  |  Global Markets  |  Cyclical Consumer Goods

* Q3 rev $197.5 mln vs est $202.8

* Sees Q4 rev $213 mln-$223 mln vs est $220.6 mln * Sharesdown 4 percent after market (Recasts; adds details from conference call, analyst comment;updates share movement)

BANGALORE, April 26 (Reuters) – Slot maker WMS IndustriesInc (WMS.N) posted weak third-quarter sales and forecastfourth-quarter revenue that could miss analysts’ estimates,sending its shares down 5 percent in extended trade.

For the fourth quarter, the company expects revenue to grow9 percent to 14 percent in the range of $213 million to $223million.

Analysts on average expect the company to post revenue of$220.6 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

While the replacement cycle was past its bottom, thecompany has to work within the spending constraints of casinosfor the rest of the year and continues to be subject toconsumer discretionary spending, a WMS executive said on a callwith analysts.

Amid the downturn, casinos slashed their spending on gamesand slot machines as few gamblers turned up and this hitcompanies like WMS hard.

Sterne, Agee & Leach analyst David Bain, however, saidexpectations were probably a little bit “ahead of themselves”and added that the real strength in earnings and revenue willbe seen later in the year with a stronger replacement cycle anda significant gaming expansion.

WMS, which competes with International Game Technology(IGT.N) and Bally Technologies Inc (BYI.N), earnedthird-quarter net income of $33 million, or 55 cents a share,compared with $24.4 million, or 43 cents a share a year ago.

Analysts expected the company to earn 49 cents a share.

Revenue rose 9 percent to $197.5 million but missedanalysts expectations of $202.8 million.

“I think it was a solid quarter once again for WMS. Theonly issue really becomes expectations versus the actualresults,” Bain said.

“I think the whisper number may have been a little bithigher than what the company actually presented in the Marchresults,” he said, adding that he was maintaining his bullishstance on the shares in the long term.

Shares of the company were down $2.49 after closing at$48.54 Monday on Nasdaq. (Additional reporting by Mihir Dalal in Bangalore; Editing byDon Sebastian)

WMS Q3 rev misses estimates; shares fall

· Filed Under Casino News 

G18: Yankees @ Angels

April 27, 2010

Here are the lineups for today’s game:

YANKEES (12-5)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Marcus Thames LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Francisco Cervelli C

PITCHING: RHP Javier Vazquez (1-2, 8.27 ERA, 5.83 FIP)

ANGELS (9-10)
Maicer Izturis SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera LF
Howie Kendrick 2B
Mike Napoli C
Brandon Wood 3B

PITCHING: LHP Scott Kazmir (1-1, 7.45 ERA, 6.11 FIP )

TIME/TV: 3:35 pm/YES

Here are the Angels’ numbers against Javy Vazquez:

And here are the Yankees’ numbers against Scott Kazmir:

Vazquez is going to have to be very careful with former Yankee, Bobby Abreu, who owns a .297/.369/.757 line against him (look at that power) over 84 plate appearances. If Vazquez pitches well today, I’m sure we’ll see an assortment of articles out tomorrow documenting how great Francisco Cervelli is (I’m calling it), even though Vazquez made some strides in his previous start and could be on the cusp of a dominant performance.

And, for your listening pleasure, we have Javier Vasquez’s “Y Su Salsa.”

G18: Yankees @ Angels

· Filed Under Roulette News 

Who's footing the bill?

April 26, 2010

FULL_HTML_ISSUE

· Filed Under Slot Machine News 

Next Page »