This past weekend Bodog announced that professional poker player and reality television star Jean-Robert Bellande has signed on as the newest member of Team Bodog. Most in the poker world known Bellande for his various appearances at WSOP Circuit events and his roll on the World Poker Tour’s Bad Boys of Poker Two, but what makes him such a valuable signing for Team Bodog is his popularity outside the poker circle. Bellande recently was a key contestant in CBS hit television show Survivor China. He was known here for his feuds’ with fellow contestant Courtney Yates and for helping Todd Herzog win as he was voted off in 8th place and became the second member of the jury.
As a member of Team Bodog, Bellande joins Josh Arieh, David Williams and Evelyn NG at the Bodog’s online poker tables and will represent Bodog at many high stakes live tournament events.
The Microgaming Network has shut down Battlefield Poker, Royal Card Club, Red Nines, Arctic Poker and 24 smaller MicroGaming operators due to solvency issues facing the company which licenses these poker rooms. This is a nightmare like situation for both players, who have their funds tied up on the network, and operators who were completely blindsided and had not idea their licensee was facing liquidation nor that their poker rooms would be shut down. 
Cake Poker is definitely one of the fastest growing poker rooms and poker networks in todays competitive market. They continue to push their product and are now looking to market internationally. The network has just added a massive European betting operation, known as MarathonBet.com. This new strategic partnership means that the Cake Poker Network is truly global in scope. 
The Premier League Poker is returning to London and the best players in the world are returning for the competition, including Phil Hellmuth. Last season Phil finished in third place after Juhan Helppi ran over his KK with 87 offsuit. He hasn’t forgot about this suckout and he will specifically look to get his revenge in 2008. The tournament will be played out from February 10th to the 16th. A total of 12 players will be competing for the $1 million prize pool. 
The final day of the 2008 Aussie Millions Main event saw both Erik Seidel and Alexander Kostritsyn overcome massive chip disadvantages to become the last two standing. After two hours and 64 hands of heads up play, it became apparent that even if for only this day, the two players were equally matched. On the 65th hand, Erik Seidel appeared eager to see the event end soon. He shipped about half his chip to Kostritsyn on this hand. Then 300,000 of his chips the next hand and his last 3 million on the 67th hand. Alexander Kostritsyn won $1,650,000 and has been crowned the 2008 Aussie Millions Main Event Champion, Seidel takes home a cool million buck for his runner up finish.
