Both sites on the Cereus network, Absolute and UB, have decided to add the game and it is already hitting the online poker world pretty hard.  Just about every poker forum online is buzzing with the opportunity to sit down at these tables and bluff someone out of a big hand.

The beauty of the feature is that you just never know what people are going to have now.  Even the straightest of players will often fall victim to the lure of the side bet and start throwing extreme amounts of money around in order to take down that bet.  The funny thing is that they are often wagering 10 or more times the bounty in order to win it.  Once they get going, it is hard to let go.

Cereus has been on damage control for quite some time now.  Just a while back, they were involved in a much publicized scandal where players were able to get the hands of the people that they were facing. The scams ended up being tracked down to people that were involved with the site and traffic fell off dramatically.  This in fact was very instrumental in Cereus overhauling their software to ensure that this would never happen again.  The damage was done however, and they slipped down in the overall power rankings of sites and currently reside at 7th.

The new feature is also perfect timing as they are in full swing with their Aruba Super Satellite tournament.  50 players will have their shot at traveling to Aruba to play in a satellite tournament to the main event.  The attractive feature for the players is that even if you don’t make it to the main event, you are still getting a nice little vacation out of the deal.  In most cases, you do not get to the site until you have actually won the main event entry.  This is a nice change of pace and one of the most popular online tournaments for a main event in existence.

Now you have the shot at not only getting into the Aruba tournament, but also playing in one of the most entertaining games around.  If you sit down at one of these tables, get ready to sling chips and strap in because the action is often ferocious.  Just the thought of someone having a 7-2 in their hand can cause fireworks.  More on this game to come as we are sure that sooner or later we will have to sit down at one of these tables to see what all the fuss is about.

The week started off by introducing Howard Stern as its newest member.  What better way to get national attention that by getting one of the biggest mouths in radio on your side. Whether it be good or bad, Stern is sure to bring a lot more attention to the topic.  With the amount of people that he can influence during a single morning show, this should prove to be a very prudent move on the PPA’s part.

In addition to the announcement of Stern’s membership, the PPA had plenty more activities lined up to try and sway our lawmakers over the side of the poker player.  Several of the more notable players in the game have met with representatives to give them their side of the story.  The fact that they are sitting down and listening to the pitch for H.R. 2267 (the Bill introduced by Barney Frank earlier this year) would lead everyone to believe that they are finally wising up and realizing that people playing online poker on their computer is not the end of the world and could lead to a huge amount of tax income for the country.

With the week ending on Saturday, hopefully the desired affect will have been reached.  The ultimate goal is to have The President take poker out of the UIGEA legislation that it was attached to during the Bush Administration.  Many Americans have made their desires known, and if he is truly representing the voice of the people, he will change this ridiculous legislation and once again allow poker to be played legally online in the United States.

The platform’s appealing design, as well as the option of using individually configurable avatars for a more personal touch, make this new offering all the more attractive. The added line-up includes single cash games, match series as well as daily knockout tournaments. In addition to the real money option, customers also get the chance to hone their skills using play money. “For bwin, extending the games portfolio with backgammon is a key aspect in the SkillGames sector and a further step in shoring up its position as a House of Games” commented bwin Press Officer Kevin O’Neal. The new game is available at backgammon.

Titan Poker is awarding its top players with $13,000 WSOP packages, which include the $10,000 buy-in to the World Series of Poker Main Event, 7 nights of luxury accommodation at the Rio Hotel and Casino, and travel to Las Vegas, where the prestigious poker tournament will be staged this summer.

Online poker players from around the world have been competing for the WSOP prizes at Titan Poker’s satellite qualifiers, which start for entries as low as $0.77+$0.07.

In addition to the tournament series leading to the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event, players are also vying at Titan Poker’s satellite tournaments to win seats to the 2009 WSOP World Championship of Pot-Limit Omaha. A satellite series is also taking place awarding winners with seats at two WSOP no limit poker $1,500 Buy-in Events.

Titan Poker WSOP Main Event Super Satellite tournaments are staged every Sunday night, while the other Super Satellites are running on Saturday nights, giving players multiple ways to win their way to Las Vegas and a possible WSOP bracelet.

New depositors at Titan Poker during the month of May have a chance to win a $13,000 WSOP Package completely for free. New depositing players receive tournament entries to a series of freeroll satellites, players can win their way to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas without making a single tournament payment.

New depositors get tournament entries to a series of satellites awarding seats to the poker room’s monthly $20,000 New Depositors Freeroll, where a guaranteed prize pool of $20,000 is distributed among the most skillful poker players.

In addition, new depositing players get entries to satellite tournaments awarding seats to Titan Poker’s exclusive Peugeot 207cc Freeroll, which will be staged on June 5. The winner of that tournament will drive away in a Peugeot 207cc Coupe Cabriolet convertible sports car, valued at $30,000.

And finally, Titan Poker’s is giving its newest depositing members chances to win a 2009 World Series of Poker package, valued at $13,000. The package includes the $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP Main Event, travel to Las Vegas, 7 nights of luxury accommodation and spending money.

With $63,000 in prizes available to players, more and more poker enthusiasts are seeing the advantages of making their first deposit at Titan Poker during May 2009.

About the signing, Alexander said, “PokerStars has very graciously asked me to sign on as one of their official players. I am very flattered and happy to be playing for a real quality site and with the kind of professionals that remind me every day how truly mediocre I am at this game. But I’m learning. And now I can learn from some of the best.”

Alexander is not the only celebrity to play for PokerStars. Former L.A. Dodger Orel Hershiser, NHL Star Mats Sundin, and former tennis star Boris Becker are all members of what has been touted PokerStars’ team of “international celebrity ambassadors.”

J. Alexander will be the moniker to look for on the website. Alexander is probably most well known to fans of televised poker via his many appearances on the now defunct Celebrity Poker Showdown.