FEATURE POKER:
RRING
ROBERTO ROMANELLO
F O R M E R F U L L T I LT P O K E R S P O N S O R E D P R O
6 May
10 May
2011
Cereus announces Absolute Poker & Ultimate Bet brands will leave the US; AP’s Costa Rica offices raided
2011
A NEW HOPE
AP and UB terminate the contracts of all their sponsored pros following exit from US market
It’s always been the same really – nothing much has been said to the players. There are a few rumours going around and a few people saying Full Tilt is on the brink of coming back, and I hope that’s the case for everyone’s sake. It would be great for my sake, of course, but also for players who now look closer to having their money back. Sponsorship has de?nitely changed. Everyone’s felt the pinch really, and there are a lot of good players out there who have struggled to get any kind of deal – deals have tightened up and when people get a deal it's nowhere near what it used to be. Hopefully it does pick up and h ?Y?[ H \?H ?[?H ??YH?????\]][?Y??[[ ?\???YH?X??[? \?H ?[?H[?H? ? [?]Y\???[?H ^Y\???Y??H ? ] [????[ Y[?H [? ? ???[?Y? ^H???YH?X??^H?[?[?\? ^H ?[?H ?\?H ?[X?]?H[?X^X?H ?\??? ?]?\?H[??[? ???[??Z[? ] ?H?[??&] ?YH]?Z[??[?][??Z?H ?]] \?Y ??K?]?Y?[ H] ?[??[? H ?Y? \?X?[?[? \?x?&\???[?? ? ?^H]?[??&]]?[? X[ H?Z[] ? ?^H?X?? \ \?K????S?S?B???H?????H?H?????HHHH?Q?H????H?????H??H???]?X][????H] ? ?\?[???[X?\?? ^Y\??H[? H N[? ????H?[?X\?H ? L?Y??H^ [?[?? \? ? NN H] H [YH? ?][??8?'H?Y? ?Z?H?[YH ?[??[[ ???Y[??[?H ? LK8?'H^ Z[?????]ZH??ZX?\??\? ?? ?Y??\? ? ]\???\[?H8?$?[?? ?]??\??\??8?$? ?\?H HXZ[? ???[?{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