For many years poker has been one of the best love games in the USA. As American as apple pie – this game has become immensely popular world-wide due to the media coverage big tournaments attract. The advent of online poker has also features in this growth in popularity, and one of the really big changes being seen is that more and more females are playing. Once thought to be the domain of the male of the species, social poker has seen a growth rate of 22% for female fans throughout 2013.

IGT – otherwise known as International Game Technology are a global leader in the production of gaming tech. They provide gambling games to live casinos, as well as casinos online. This new data regarding player patterns, and preferences, was revealed from a US Social Casino Index project. The information comes from a pool of over six million players who make use of IGT’s DoubleDown Casino which is a Facebook powered product. It can be played online or by mobile, and lays claim to being the "world’s largest virtual casino".

While there is a difference between social gaming and gambling online for real money prizes. IGT provides games designed for both of these purposes. It is obvious why they need to keep a finger on the pulse of trends – because gambling is their business. It also pays to not that most states in the USA still do not allow online gambling for real money prizes. However, social gambling products can be monetized in various innovative ways.

The traditional way of thinking about poker being a male-dominated is definitely being thoroughly researched now. This information proves that female fans are increasing at a rapid rate. Gone are the days when ladies were banished to bingo, while the men got on with the serious business of playing this game of skill.

It is appealing to a far broader audience than ever before, and it is only a matter of time we believe, until we see even more females seated at the felt, in popular live competitions. At one time these competitions were also segregated to male and female competitors, but this is also something that has changed with the maturing of poker into an awesome card game for all. It does not distinguish between sex, race, age or physical ability. All a poker player needs to have to win is a very good game.

In the world of online poker – there has been so much drama taking place ever since April 15th last year. That is 15th April 2011 – now more infamously known as Black Friday. We have all heard of Black Friday, but the biggest impact this day probably had was for Full Tilt Poker (FTP). This brand unfortunately had made some huge mistakes in their management of the site, and despite the fact that they had grown into the second biggest online poker operator still doling out services to the USA marketplace; they also crashed the hardest. Sometimes it is true what they say – "the bigger they are, the harder they fall".

Anyway, not to harp on what was a huge misfortune for the FTP brand and thousands, and thousands of members who could not withdraw their funds from the site.PokerStars also took a knock on black Friday, and unsurprisingly bounced right back. This was chiefly because PokerStars was positioned properly to hit the European market hard after the loss of their USA fan-bases, and because they had their fiduciary responsibilities taken care of.

Now after eighteen months and a whole lot of heartache for FTP fans, and owners; their biggest rival in the online poker industry has taken the steps to save their collective bacon. What this also means is that 600 Irish employees, might not all lose their jobs completely.
How is this relevant to two online poker sites?

Well, despite what the rest of the world might think, the world of online poker is no longer a niche product. It has grown into a mainstream industry, together with most forms of online gambling over the past decade and a half. Today more people gamble online than (we would hazard a guess), than gamble in live casinos.

This knowledge tells us that because it is such a huge industry, there must be people employed to help run it. The World Wide Web might be clever, but at this point in time, people still need to be employed to make sure that the job gets done. The Company that provided IT handling and software development for FTP is situated in Cherrywood, Co Dublin, they are called Pocket Kings, and FTP was probably one of their biggest clients. With 600 Irish employees on the job, while we are not sure who will be re-hired, or fired, but at least these jobs are no longer so much at risk. Obviously some staff has already been let go.

The Irish Times, and other Irish-based newspapers have been spreading the news, so, we believe that it is good news.

In another aside, while criminal charges were filed against owners of both Full Tilt Poker, and PokerStars which caused Black Friday, and it is PokerStars that have done the deal with the DoJ, we would love to be privy to what the deal entails. However, we believe that it is highly unlikely that we will ever know what truly went on behind closed doors. PokerStars took a huge gamble, it’s bound to pay off, because gamble is what they do best.

New players can achieve VIP status and be eligible for special benefits shortly after signing up to play at the leading online poker room in Europe.

It’s easier than ever before to become a VIP player at Titan Poker and to receive the many special benefits geared for the room’s loyal online poker players.

Titan Poker, the leading online poker room in Europe, has announced improvements to Club Titan Poker VIP, its already popular VIP club which rewards poker players for their regular game play with cash bonuses and tournament entries. Players receive VIP ranking based on the number of Points they generate at Titan Poker’s cash tables and tournaments. In the improved Club Titan, players can qualify for VIP status after earning only 50 Points in a calendar month.

The introduction of additional VIP levels allows Titan Poker to grant its newest players access to special weekly and monthly freeroll tournaments, and to allow these newcomers the ability to cash out their Points in the Club Titan Store. Titan Poker will also begin upgrading players’ VIP status and give them more rewards if they retain their VIP ranking consistently.

Increased benefits are offered to loyal players who meet the higher entry requirements of the room’s elite VIP levels. In addition to full access to all of Titan Poker’s VIP freeroll tournaments, top players with VIP Titanium and VIP Diamond status will compete in exclusive month-long $5,000 Gladiators Races, awarding them cash prizes on top of their regular Club Titan perks and benefits.

Titan Poker regularly stages satellite tournament series awarding winning players with seats at the world’s most well-known live poker events, including the WSOP*, the ECPokertour, and the Asian Poker Tour. New players are invited to try out the free poker download and benefit from the VIP program improvements at Titan Poker.

Titan Poker‘s team captain has topped the prestigious rankings for several months while enjoying a spectacular year at poker tournaments around the world.

Sorel Mizzi’s recent ninth place finish at the World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Poker Classic Main Event ensured that the captain of Titan Poker‘s troupe of professional players will win recognition as Bluff Magazine’s Player of the Year.

There hasn’t been any doubt that Sorel Mizzi would win the prestigious award, as he remained atop both the Bluff Player of the Year Rankings and the Bluff/ESPN Poker Power Rankings for several months, capping off a spectacular year for the Canadian player.

The year started out well for the Team Titan captain when he finished in 3rd place at the Aussie Millions tournament in January for a prize of $638,000.

In April, Mizzi won the $7,200 No Limit Hold’em event at the 2010 Borgata Spring Poker Open for a first prize of $170,313. In May, he finished in second place at the €20,000 No Limit Hold’em High Roller event at the WPT Rendez-Vous à Paris and won $159,543. Mizzi had three cashes at the 2010 World Series of Poker.

In August, Mizzi took second place in the €10,000 No Limit Hold’em High Roller Event at EPT Tallinn for a prize of $98,209. This was followed by a fifth place finish in the £10,000 No Limit Hold’em High Roller Turbo at EPT London, and a seventh place finish at WPT Foxwoods for $88,802.

Bluff Magazine’s Poker Power Rankings are considered the definite poker player ranking system and the magazine’s unique scoring formula has evolved to become the industry’s leading award system.

Online poker novices and veteran poker players alike are invited to download the user-friendly Titan Poker software and compete in the many exciting ongoing promotions staged by the top online poker room in Europe.

No matter what your online poker game preferences are, there’s something cool coming your way this winter at Titan Poker. During the months of December and January, the leading poker room in Europe is offering an amazing $220,000 in total prizes in a unique promotion that will appeal to all poker players.

Titan Poker is going all out with its All-In Winter Promotion. Prizes are on offer, no matter if players prefer cash games, multi-table tournaments, or sit ‘n’ go tournaments.

Cash game players can compete for a share of $10,000 every week in the All-In Winter Raked Hands Races. There’s $7,000 to take home by playing high stakes and another $3,000 to be won by playing on Titan Poker‘s low stakes tables.

Players who prefer Sit ‘N’ Go tournaments can vie for a share of $8,000 in prizes every week. In the All-In Winter Sit ‘N’ Go Races, players compete on automatic leaderboards that rank them based on their final position in each sit ‘n’ go tournament they play.

$38,000 in prizes is up for grabs to players who prefer the action of multi-table tournaments, in Titan Poker’s ongoing MT3 Promotion. There’s a chance for all players in the MT3 Promotion, because leaderboard points are awarded even for tournaments with small buy-ins.

And finally, you can qualify to play in two All-In Winter $10,000 Freeroll tournaments. All you have to do is to generate 100 Titan Poker Points in December to qualify for the January Freeroll, and another 100 Points in January to qualify for a Freeroll that will be held at the beginning of February 2011.

With $220,000 in prizes, you don’t want to be left out in the cold and miss the action in Titan Poker’s All-In Winter.