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New York pro Abe Mosseri has claimed his first World Series of Poker bracelet and the top prize of $165,521in Event 55 – the $2,500 buy-in 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit). Besting a field of 258 players for his slice of the $593,000 prize pool, Mosseri sent runner-up Masayoshi Tanaka home with a second place paycheck of $102,313 in the one hour heads up.

Mosseri started the six hour final table with a useful chip lead, facing:

Hertzel Zalewski – 111,000 Nam Le – 95,000 Masayoshi Tanaka – 345,000 Brad Libson – 146,000Kris Lord – 87,000 Julie Schneider – 163,000 John Juanda – 182,000 Blair Rodman – 358,000 Abe Mosseri – 447,000

Julie Schneider’s elimination in third place for $66,285 just after 8.30pm Vegas time cleared the way for the Mosseri vs. Tanaka showdown, which the former efficiently wrapped up in an hour to claim his second cash in this year’s WSOP.

Winning a gold bracelet against a field that included Daniel Negreanu, John Juanda, Greg Raymer, Mike Sexton, Erick Lindgren, Barry Greenstein, Robert Williamson III, Jimmy Fricke, Victor Ramdin, Shawn Sheikhan, Greg Mueller, Steve Sung, Allen Kessler, and John Phan was a notable achievement.

The win gives Mosseri his first WSOP bracelet, bringing his career winnings in 9 cashes to date to $595,699.

HR2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection & Enforcement Act launched in May this year by Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, may have been delayed until September by the work overload in Congress, but that hasn’t stopped another five Congressmen signing up as co-sponsors this week, bringing the total number so far to 40.

The latest politicians to give their bipartisan support to the bill, which seeks to regulate and license online gambling in the United States, are Rep. Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii, Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois, Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio and Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York.

The moment of truth has arrived with USA vs. Brazil Confederations Cup betting odds suggesting that Team USA doesn’t stand a chance on Sunday.  But wasn’t that the case when they played Spain as huge +900 (9/1) underdogs?

"I’ve never beaten Brazil at any level," said USA playmaker, Brandon Donovan. "I have one particular lowlight, my first game against them was an Under-23 match in Brasilia – we lost 7-0!

"We’re hoping to rectify that (Sunday), it would be a nice time to do it."

Donovan hopes to have the local South African fans in his corner.

"One of the best things here was coming to the stadium the other night. I wasn’t sure how the crowd were going to accept us, then realised how many South Africans were on our side.

"I think we’ve shown a spirit and competiveness that people love and find infectious. I expect the same (Sunday), people want to see us doing well."

Coach Bob Bradley told the eve-of-match press conference that the USA’s appearance in the Confed Cup finale was the fruit of a long voyage.

"This chance is not something that’s happened in the last few days, it’s a result of a lot of things happening in US soccer like MLS players choosing to go to Europe, and our success and disappointments at the World Cup," he said.

"We’re continuing our march in the soccer world and this is an important step."

When the Americans play Brazil in the Confederation Cup final Sunday, they have a chance to create a watershed moment in U.S. soccer. The Americans have never won a FIFA tournament — this is the first time they’ve even made it to a final — and a victory over the five-time World Cup champions would signal they are closer than ever to the likes of Spain, England, Argentina, Italy and Germany.

"For U.S. Soccer, this is a very special day," Bradley said. "It’s the first time we’re playing in a final of a world competition like this, and to play against Brazil — everybody knows their history — is extra special."

The United States has beaten Brazil only once in 14 tries, and that 1-0 victory came in Los Angeles in the semifinals of the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Just last week, Brazil routed the Americans 3-0 in group play at the Confederations Cup. The loss left them on the verge of elimination, and had some critics calling for Bradley’s job.

USA vs. Brazil Confederations Cup betting odds would have team USA paying out an incredible $525 for every $100 bet if they win.

Brazil requires a $325 bet to win $100 (the $325 is paid back should Brazil win). 

The USA vs. Spain Confederations Cup betting drove some unprecedented traffic to the Gambling911.com website earlier this week for a football (soccer) match featuring the US.

USA vs. Brazil kicks off at 2 pm EST on ESPN.

SBG Global is offering a free cash bonus up to 60 percent of an initial deposit (restrictions apply based on amount of deposit).

Alistair Prescott, Gambling911.com 

Roger Federer and Serena Williams have advanced into the next round of the 2009 Wimbledon tournament.  Their odds, however, remain relatively the same as where they originally opened at the start of the week.

Federer requires a little less than US$200 to win US$100 (and the initial bet is paid back should he win) while Serena Williams would pay out just shy of US$200 for each US$100 wagered.   Venus Williams, by the way, would pay out US$250 for every US$100 bet.

Roger Federer lost a set for the first time this week but advanced to the second week at Wimbledon by beating Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-1.

"It has been a good first week," he said. "Pretty convincing. I thought this was my best match of the tournament, even though I dropped a set. I’m excited about the second week."

Now the No. 2-seeded Federer seeks his sixth Wimbledon title, and he’s a heavy favorite with defending champion Rafael Nadal absent because of bad knees.

"It’s down to business in the second week," Federer said. "This is where it gets really interesting."

The No. 2-seeded Serena used her penetrating strokes to push Roberta Vinci around the court. One time the Italian scrambled to retrieve a shot in the corner several steps beyond the lines, then stood helpless as Williams hit a winner into the other corner.

"I don’t think I played great today at all," Williams said. "I’m just glad to have gotten through it and go on to the next match."

Williams’ opponent in the round of 16 Monday will be Daniela Hantuchova, who beat doubles partner Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 6-3. Williams is 6-1 against Hantuchova.

"She’s such a smooth player," Williams said. "I have to make sure I don’t rush myself, because she is playing well, and I think she’s moving well. So I’m going to have to really bring a tough game."

Gambling911.com Staff, Associa        

American idol last week did not lose any of their contestants. Matt Giraud was voted off by fans, but was saved from having to leave the show when the judges decided to use their one save of the year on Giraud.

Now, the contestants are preparing to take on disco tonight, and the betting odds have changed ever so slightly. Adam Lambert is still the gambling favorite, and he has even widened his odds over Danny Gokey, the second choice.

Gokey was the favorite at the start of the live shows, coming into the shows with odds of +500. While his odds have dropped to +375, he has been overtaken as the favorite by Lambert who has odds of -250. Lambert began the competition at +900.

The two people who’s odds have fallen the farthest are Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds. Rounds came in at +600, right behind Gokey, but has dropped all the way to +4000. Desai started at +1500 and is now the long shot at +10000.

Giraud, who was voted off by fans last week, saw his odds drop to +3500. Kris Allen, who has seen his odds climb almost every week, at one point he was the third choice, has now had his odds drop back to +1000.

Allison Iraheta is the only female left in the competition, according to Simon Cowell, who has any realistic shot at winning. After a couple of strong performances, her odds have dropped to +500.

The competition continues tonight on FOX and the theme of the night will be disco.

Just when you thought Tiger Woods was down and out of the 2009 US Open, think again.

Heading into Monday’s final round, Woods is just 1-over par after a 68 that included three birdies and one bogey. He’s never won a major championship after trailing through 54 holes, having been a leader or co-leader at all 14 of his major victories.

Tiger Woods odds of winning the 2009 US Open opened at 2/1 and were all the way to 10/1 heading into Sunday’s round.

"It’s one of those things where you have to play a great round of golf and get some help," Woods, 33, told reporters after his round. "It’s not totally in my control. The only thing I can control is whether I play a good one or not."

Amazingly, the oddsmakers now had him at 33/1 odds with a potential for $3300 to be paid out on every $100 bet.

"These are amazing odds when we consider Tiger Woods ability to come from behind on the final day," says Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com.

13 golfers were ahead of Woods by day’s end, including Phil Mickelson, the favorite to win without Tiger Woods.  His payout odds have hovered around 10/1 throughout.

Ricky Barnes and Lucas Glover continued to sit atop the leaderboard.  Barnes, a 2002 Amateur champion, was among those listed in the "field" option at most online sportsbooks.  The "field" option includes any golfer not specifically assigned odds, such as Barnes, and typically pays anywhere from 5/1 to 10/1 odds across the board.  Barnes was listed with 10/1 odds at SportsInteraction.com coming into Sunday’s round.

Barnes was 8-under par for the tournament after an even-par 70 during today’s third round at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course in Farmingdale, New York. Lucas Glover is in second place at 7-under par.

David Duval was also gaining headway Sunday and finished the day in third place.  He would pay out $3500 on a $100 bet if placed Sunday morning and $1600 for every $100 bet heading into the final round.

Here were all your odds to win the 2009 US Open courtesy of Sports Interaction.

Ricky Barnes 11/5

Lucas Glover 9/4

Phil Mickelson 5/1

Ross Fisher 8/1

Mike Weir 12/1

Hunter Mahan 14/1

David Duval 16/1

Sean O’Hair 16/1

Retief Goosen 25/1

Tiger Woods 33/1

Bubba Watson 40/1

Stephen Ames 50/1

Todd Hamilton 50/1

Graeme McDowell 70/1

Peter Hanson 80/1

Steve Stricker 100/1

Soren Hansen 100/1

Sergio Garcia 200/1

Adam Scott 200/1

Rory McIlroy 200/1

Ryan Moore 200/1

Lee Westwood 300/1

—-

Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher

PPA The contention all along by online poker players in the US was that what they were doing was not illegal. The game is one of skill, not luck, so therefore it is not illegal to play online.

The Federal government does not agree with this way of thinking and has now made their first move in stopping Internet gambling since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was conceived.

The Poker Players Alliance has indicated to the Associated Press that the federal government has frozen accounts of payment processors responsible for paying winnings to online poker players.

The move, according to the PPA, could be holding winnings up over $30 million. A judge in district court issued a seizure warrant for an account at a Wells Fargo bank in San Francisco.

Many online players have been complaining in the past week about not being able to deposit or withdraw money from their accounts at PokerStars, one of the more popular online poker sites.

The Poker Players Alliance has been battling the US government for years over Internet gambling laws and how they pertain to online poker. The group maintains that poker should be exempted from all online gambling laws.

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Cocoa Casino Revamped Cocoa Casino has now changed their look and they are hoping that it attracts more customers. As previously reported here on NOC, Cocoa Casino has re-designed their website and made it much more appealing.

The logo design after entering the website immediately stands out. The word Cocoa is emphasized with a chocolate covered cherry as the second “O”. A roulette wheel is the central image for the website, enticing players to take a spin.

“I hope you enjoy everything our casino has to offer,” says Casino Manager James McKinnon, at the top of the site. His name appears right above the main draw at the casino, a $1010 sign-up bonus promotion.

Cocoa Casino is part of the Rival Gaming online casino network. Lion Slots is another popular casino that uses Rival software. The software company is known for their popular i-slots, a favorite of many online players.

The color scheme for the new website in a dark red and bronze. Included also on the home page are links to the casinos table games, video poker, slots, i-slots, progressives, and specialty games such as bingo.

The new site went live this week, and so far the response has been positive from customers.

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BOOKIE turned boardroom protagonist Mark Read could walk away with $11.6 million stashed in his bag after Ireland’s biggest online betting and gaming provider, Paddy Power, lobbed a 60¢-per-share takeover for International All Sports via its local outfit, Sportsbet.

The takeover, via a scheme of arrangement, looks almost certain to succeed as Mr Read owns 19 per cent of the publicly listed betting company and Paddy Power is already sitting on 19.98 per cent through its 51 per cent stake in Sportsbet.

The bid, launched late yesterday, values International All Sports at about $40 million and will give the Irish betting outfit a large stake in the market for bets on a range of local and international sports.

Earlier this year gambling rival Centrebet launched and then binned a 33¢-a-share bid for International All Sports. It is considered unlikely Centrebet will re-enter the competition for the business and lob a bid above that of Paddy Power.

In May Paddy Power, which operates more than 250 retail licensed betting offices in Ireland and Britain, acquired a 51 per cent stake in Sportsbet.

IAS chairman Barry Coulter welcomed the takeover bid and said it was unanimously recommended to shareholders in the absence of a superior offer.

Mr Read said he was proud that Paddy Power and Sportsbet believed the company he founded in 1995 would be a valuable addition to their existing business. If shareholders approve the takeover it is likely to be completed by October 8.

IAS shares, in a trading halt since yesterday, last traded at 50¢.

The IAS acquisition will make Sportsbet a leader in Australia’s corporate bookmaking field. The combined annual turnover of the two companies exceeded $2 billion last year.

Ed Greenblat, The Age

The New York Post this week through more fuel on the fire of a controversial topic surrounding the poker world:  That being whether poker pro, Thomas "Amarillo Slim" Preston Jr., is in fact a child molester.

Preston Jr.’s biggest defender up to this point has been fellow player, Doyle Brunson, who is the face behind Doylesroom.com

"Slim might have said or done something that was inappropriate, but to call him a pedophile or child molester is ridiculous," Brunson wrote. "I spent 10 years traveling and playing poker with Slim . . . I would bet double or nothing Slim Preston is no child molester."

The New York Post’s Page Six reporter, Richard Johnson, claims that the indictment backs up allegations lodged against Amarillo Slim.

"Preston was indicted in 2003 on three felony counts of indecency with a minor for allegedly touching his 12-year-old granddaughter’s breasts. He pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was given probation and a $2,000 fine."

For his part, Preston Jr. admits to having touched a minor in an "inappropriate" way but says there was never an intention to harm or act in a sexually depraved manner towards the young girl.

Amarillo Slim has not necessarily drawn the ire of the poker community, perhaps due to Brunson’s support or it could be that Slim has taken some responsibility for his actions. 

Ace King, Gambling911.com