Ben Affleck is not only famous for being a brilliant actor, and superbly playing and online poker site owner in the recent film Runner, Runner, he has also always been a bit of a card sharp. In 2004 Affleck was credited with winning California State Poker Championship, and he, and cousin – Matt Damon – host a celebrity poker challenge to raise money for an African Charity. But poker is not the only game that this actor is accredited at being a really good player.

Last week he was allegedly banned from the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, for simply being too good. At the time he was playing blackjack – where else – but at a high rollers table, when security believes they caught him counting the cards. Counting cards while not technically illegal, is frowned up as bad etiquette in all land based casinos. This is the act of knowing the cards so well that the counter is able to predict what the probability of the next hand will be. It is quite a feat in itself, in terms of the intelligence factor required.

Apparently he was told by security that he is “too good at the game,” but this is not new news to Las Vegas casinos. He is a regular high roller at many casinos, and makes many visits to these venues, often winning money in the millions. In fact in two separate visits to the Hard Rock, he walked away after winning nearly $1 million whilst also playing blackjack.

The New York Post recently reported that Affleck had won $140,000.00 in a single session, and that he was playing with Matt Damon at the time. It is also reported that he also used his winning to tip casino staff. In fact the totality of his Hard Rock winnings was given away in tips to waitresses, doormen and dealers, some of these tips were as much as $5000.00. We’ll bet that kind of action did not stand very well with management. A short time later it was reported that he won $800,000 while playing blackjack again. In fact during three simultaneous hands!

Hisprodigious poker playing proclivity is well-known, and as well as plying with Matt Damon, he hostson the felt at a Beverly Hills cigar bar, playing with Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio. Both of whom appear to have a penchant for the game.

The Irish Poker Awards, presented by Bluff Europe and sponsored by BoylePoker.com, were held at the Regency Hotel, Dublin, on Sunday night, with the cream of Irish poker in attendance to honour their peers and celebrate a great year for Irish poker. Bluff Europe editor Philip Conneller and former Irish Open Champion Neil Channing were on hand to call the shots and distribute the gongs, with Eoghan O’Dea picking up the coveted "Player of the Year" award and an emotional Padraig Parkinson voted "Irish Poker Legend".

Also among the awards winners were Chris Dowling, who took "Best Cash Player"; Jason Tompkins, "Best Tournament Player"; Jude Ainsworth, "Best Online Player" and Niall Smyth, "Breakout Player". Dara O’Kearney was on hand to pick up two awards, "Best Blogger" and "Best Social Media User", while Phil Baker won "Personailty of the Year" and JP McCann took "Best Tournament Director". Lastly, "Irish Poker Boards" won "Best Forum" while The Fitzwilliam took "Best Card Room".

Host Philip Conneller said, "The Irish poker scene is unique in the sense the sense of fun and the party atmosphere that surrounds the tournaments. Everyone else takes themselves way too seriously. It’s that uniqueness were here to celebrate, as well as praising the skill of the Irish. The winners were voted for online, completely democratically, which is important because it means there are no politics involved in the event and that gives the awards credibility. The people have spoken and congratulations to all our winners."

It is that time of years again, the time when poker gets serious, and looks at the names of players and people who deserve recognition for the part they have played in poker. The WSOP Hall of Fame is the name of the game, and it is not only Players who are acclaimed, also non-players who underwrite the success and growth of poker have an opportunity of being inducted. The criteria are:

1. Must have played against accredited competitors
2. Minimum of forty (40) years old when nominated
3. Must have been a high-stakes player
4. Gained the respect of peers – played poker consistently well
5. Stood the test-of- time
6. Non-players, – contribution to the overall success of poker. Must have indelible and positive results.

There are ten finalists this year, and there are also only ever a maximum of two winners. Mostly only one person wins. The induction class takes place during the course of the World Series of Poker Main Event, and all nominations were gathered during a public nomination process. The finalists will be decided upon and approved by the Governing Council of the WSOP Hall of Fame.

The Finalists are:

1. Jennifer Harman
2. John Juanda
3. Tom McEvoy
4. Scotty Nguyen – these first four have all been nominated before
5. Six first-timers — Chris Bjorin a sixty-four-year-old Swedish-born player residing in London. Bjorin’s earnings are over $5 million, and he is a two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner – has seven WSOP Main Event cashes.
6. David Chiu – moved to the US as an eighteen year old exchange student from China. He started in poker as a dealer – was originally a Colorado restaurateur. Chiuin – now fifty-two years old – has transitioned into one of the most successful tournament players in recent poker history. He is a four-time WSOP gold-bracelet winner, with cashes in fifty-four events.
7. Eric Drache – a poker career which stands head and shoulders above many. He has made five WSOP final tables, ending in the top three each time, but also served as the tournament director at one stage. He is responsible for various innovations in the WSOP event, and has worn many hats in the Las Vegas poker industry. Our money is on this man receiving induction.
8. Thor Hansen – A Norwegian poker pro who has cashed in a mahoosive one-hundred and seventy- five tournaments and earned $2.9 million. Known as the “Godfather” of Norwegian poker in Europe, he has 2 WSOP gold bracelets and has contributed massively to the EU poker scene.
9. George Hardie – The only non-poker player, but has never-the-less left a lasting impression on the character of the game. He stood at the centre of the poker boom on the West Coast, and built-up the largest poker club in the world during the 1980’s.
10. Brian "Sailor" Roberts. Was nominated at the final hour, in writing, but another Hall of Fame inductee. He is well-known as one of the “good guys” of the game, and apparently there aren’t all that many.

All poker players, including new signups, can benefit from Titan Poker’s extremely attractive offers during its Big Cash Out promotion.

Online poker players familiar with the generous Club Titan offers at Titan Poker will be pleased to learn that their gaming is worth even more during the month of September when the popular poker room stages its Big Cash Out.

Player Points earned at TitanPoker’s cash games and tournaments in September are more valuable than ever and players have the option to cash them out at extremely attractive rates. In addition, players can make their first redemption as soon as they’ve earned at least 1,000 Points during the month, an entry threshold that opens up this promotion to a large part of Titan Poker’s players.

New players signing up at Titan Poker during the month can also take advantage of the Big Cash Out. As soon as a new player reaches the minimum 1,000 Points, he can turn to the poker room’s friendly Support Team for an immediate upgrade to VIP Status, which would make him eligible for the full benefits of the September offers.

Players can continue to redeem their September Points as late as October 10th, when the Big Cash Out officially ends. Points earned prior to September, and those earned during the promotional period but not yet redeemed, will be valid for the regular offers at Club Titan, Titan Poker’s highly rewarding online poker VIP Club.

Qualifying online satellite tournaments start as low €1+0.10 for an estimated total prize pool of €1,000,000.

Titan Poker, the leading online poker room in Europe, and the official sponsor of Europe’s most exclusive live poker series, has launched a series of satellite tournaments to determine the winning players that will participate on its behalf at the ECPokerTour Vienna tournament in Austria this November.

The ECPokerTour Vienna €3,000 + €300 Main Event will be held at the Montesino Pokertainment Center in Vienna, Austria. The tournament will take place over four days from November 10 – November 14, 2010.

Players winning an ECPokerTour Vienna package at Titan Poker (value €5,500) will receive the Main Event buy-in; five night’s accommodation at the Le Meridien Hotel (including breakfast and dinner for the qualifier and guest); entry to a special players’ Welcome Party; and funds for flights and spending money.

Super Satellite tournaments are staged at Titan Poker every Sunday and Wednesday night, each awarding winning players with the ECPokerTour Vienna package. Qualifier satellite tournaments are being staged round the clock with buy-ins starting as low as €1+ €0.10.

Veteran poker players and novices alike are invited to download Titan Poker’s user-friendly poker software and participate in one of the satellites to vie for a seat at the exclusive ECPokerTour Vienna tournament.

ECPokerTour’s last major event was staged at the Gran Casino de Barcelona in March, with previous tournaments held in Malta, Salzburg and Madrid. www.titanpoker.com is the official sponsor of the ECPokerTour series, Europe’s most luxurious poker tournament circuit.