Posted by The Pokerkeep on February 28, 2008 at 10:49pm
Harrah's Entertainment on Wednesday reported a fourth-quarter loss because of some pretax write-offs and told analysts the company has seen some growing softness in nongaming spending in Las Vegas in the first few weeks of this year.In his first conference call since the company was taken private in January, company Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary Loveman said that although gaming business has held up well, the gaming company is noticing a drop in spending on conventions, food and beverage purchases, and room rates are down at its local properties."There is definitely some softness in the (Las Vegas) market at this time," he said. "It's a little too early to tell how that looks perspectively."Loveman said local Harrah's properties are seeing "more (convention) cancellations and a smaller number of participants for any given group of people that would normally attend a large show.""Other markets, the results have been more modest. In Las Vegas, the gaming business has held up well, but room rates are off a little bit," Loveman said.He added that occupancy numbers remain strong but room rates are down "a few dollars on average."The company owns and operates Caesars Palace, Rio, Paris Las Vegas, Bally's, Bill's, Flamingo, Imperial Palace and Harrah's on the Strip.Wachovia Capital Markets bond analyst Dennis Farrell Jr. said the company has increased promotional activity to lure customers to the Strip properties to soften the effect of the slowing economy."It will likely continue for the near term, which could impact profitability margins in the first quarter in the Vegas market and throughout their domestic operations," Farrell said.Stifel Nicolaus Capital Markets gaming analyst Steven Wieczynski said in a note to investors that Loveman's comments echo recent statements made by other large Strip operators.Harrah's reported a fourth-quarter loss despite strong revenue increases due to pretax write-offs tied, in part, to the company's London Clubs International unit.The $169.6 million pretax write-off led to a fourth-quarter loss of $47.8 million, or 26 cents per share, in the three months ended Dec. 31, according to a federal filing.The company reported net income of $47.6 million, or 25 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2006.Harrah's, which was acquired by private equity firms Apollo Management and TPG Capital in a $17.7 billion buyout, is no longer publicly traded but still must file quarterly earnings reports with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission to guide bondholders.Loveman said the company is also committed to holding regularly scheduled conference calls to discuss financial results and will "continue to operate with transparency as a private company."The write-down came a year after Harrah's paid $590 million for London Clubs International, which had six casinos in England, two in Egypt and one in South Africa in December 2006.Casinos in Britain are struggling with a July law that banned smoking in casinos and a change in regulations that limit jackpot payouts.Despite the write-down, net income for 2007 increased 15 percent to $619.4 million, or $3.25 per share, from $535.8 million last year.Revenues for the quarter increased 8.3 percent, to $2.6 billion from $2.4 billion last year. Revenues for 2007 increased 12.5 percent, to $10.8 billion from $9.6 billion in 2006.Company cash flow, defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, increased 10.7 percent, to $622.8 million from $562.8 million for the quarter.Cash flow for the year increased 7.7 percent to $2.8 billion from $2.6 billion last year.Harrah's eight Las Vegas properties continue to account for approximately a third of the company's revenues and approximately 45 percent of the company's cash flow.Loveman said the company's "multistop strategy ... encouraging our guests to see us in multiple locations helps us out perform competitors in this market by a wide margin."The area's cash flow increased 15.5 percent to $284.6 million on revenues of $905.2 million for the quarter and 11.7 percent to $1.2 billion on revenues of $3.6 billion for 2007.Loveman said construction continues on the $1 billion Caesars Palace expansion, which is scheduled for completion in 2009.The company's Atlantic City region posted a double-digit increase in revenues for the quarter even though cash flow remained flat because of increased promotional costs and casino smoking restrictions.The five area properties' cash flow, which includes a racino in Chester, Pa., decreased by $600,000 to $123.3 million on a 12.4 percent revenue increase to $561.8 million in the quarter.Cash flow for the year decreased 3 percent, to $602.1 million from $620.9 million. Revenue increased 14.3 percent, to $2.4 billion from $2.1 billion in 2006.Revenues should improve in the upcoming quarters with the opening in mid-2008 of a 960-room hotel tower at Harrah's Atlantic City.Harrah's five other Nevada properties, four in Northern Nevada and one in Laughlin, posted flat earnings in revenues and cash flow for the quarter with slight decreases for the year.Harrah's Entertainment owns and operates 50 casinos in the United States and overseas.
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Posted by The Pokerkeep on February 28, 2008 at 10:42pm
Company sees profits dip in fourth quarterWall Street analysts on Wednesday tried to push Boyd Gaming Corp. executives into making bold predictions on the prospects for the gaming industry in 2008.Keith Smith, in his first quarterly earnings conference call with analysts and investors as company CEO, wasn't biting.Smith, who added the CEO duties to his role as Boyd Gaming president on Jan. 1, said a softness in business the company experienced in November and December had carried into January. The company's casinos in February, however, have seen a slight boost in customers and spending activity.Still, he told analysts that two or three months of results don't constitute a trend."Consumers, especially in Las Vegas, are being much more cautious on how they are spending their money," Smith said. "The general economic trends show a lot of uncertainty. I'm always reluctant to make any predictions about trends in the marketplace."The fourth quarter also weighed on the company. Boyd executives said net income was $31.2 million, or 35 cents a share, for the three-month period ended Dec. 31, down from $56.3 million, or 64 cents per share, a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had forecast earnings of 37 cents a share.Quarterly revenues fell 8.1 percent, to $478.6 million from $520.8 million.For all of 2007, Boyd Gaming's revenues were just under $2 billion, down from $2.2 billion in 2006.With construction proceeding on Boyd Gaming's eventual Strip flagship, the $4.8 billion Echelon project that is not expected to open until the later half of 2010, the company relies on its other markets for earnings, revenue and cash flow.The company's Las Vegas locals market, which includes Sam's Town and the Coast Casinos subsidiary, reported revenues of $214.4 million, a decrease of 1.5 percent compared with $217.7 million a year ago. Cash flow, however, defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, was $72.8 million, a 3.4 percent increase compared with $70.4 million a year ago. Smith told analysts the money customers spent on nongaming items, such as restaurants and entertainment has dropped off."The locals market is holding its own, especially with the competition out there," Smith said.The company's downtown casinos generated revenues of $66.9 million and cash flow of $14.8 million in the quarter. Both numbers were off from revenues of $69.1 million and cash flow of $17.1 million a year ago. Smith said the business from the company's Hawaiian market remains strong because the Hawaii economy is still vibrant. Walk-in customer traffic, however, has decreased.Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Andrew Zarnett said Boyd Gaming and other locals casino operators could suffer down the road."Given the pressure on this market as consumers deal with a challenging economy and declining household wealth, we were pleased by the cost containment Boyd has implemented," Zarnett said in a note to investors. "Nevertheless, we expect weaker results as the housing debacle and slowing citywide economics pervade the local economy."Smith said construction of the 800-room Water Club, a $400 million hotel expansion to the company's Borgata resort in Atlantic City, continued with an expected opening in June. He said the Borgata, which reported net income of $29.4 million and cash flow of $52.9 million in the quarter, slight increases from a year ago, outperformed the total market while facing competition from new casinos in Pennsylvania.Consequently, poor results at the company's Blue Chip riverboat casino in Indiana, drove down revenues for Boyd's Midwest and southern regions. The Blue Chip is undergoing a $130 million, 300-room hotel expansion that is expected to open in December.On Tuesday, Pinnacle Entertainment executives said challenging credit markets may delay the company's development plans, including construction of a $2 billion resort in Atlantic City.Smith said Boyd Gaming has a revolving $4 billion credit line to ensure Echelon's development. The company, however, has slowed plans to develop a casino at the Dania Jai Alai facility near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., because of competition from nearby Indian casinos and underperforming gaming facilities within the market.Boyd Gaming shares fell 22 cents, or 0.9 percent, Wednesday to close at $24.28 on the New York Stock Exchange.Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or (702) 477-3871.courtesy: Las Vegas Review-Journal
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Posted by Pokerchix on February 28, 2008 at 9:05pm
Where do I start. I guess I will start at what got me into playing poker other than the fact my Dad had been playing it for years and I was raised with the gambling aspect in the household. By the time I was 12 I was dealing at the local Domino Hall and earning tips! Heck I had nothing else to do, so I just went with my Dad everywhere.After college I got a job at Nestle but was living at home. So I started playing poker online because I was bored at night. It was mostly play money and freerolls because I am pretty tight with my money and didn't really trust the online sites. I won some pretty good money on different sites and felt pretty confident in my game. Boy did I have so much more to learn.I ended up getting fired from Nestle after 6 years of employment because I called one of my bosses a mother f***** Well...HE WAS!! The second day after that I got extremely sick and missed about a week of work. So they didn't fire me right away...but after I got back from being sick, which by the way was stress related. They let me go. But they agreed to pay me unemployment and I had over 10K in my 401plan. So I was set for awhile without a job.Winstar Casino that sits on the border of Oklahoma and Texas, had just opened a poker room. Dad had already been going there and playing. I had won a trip to Curacao (which is island in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea off the west coast of Venezuela) playing on JetSet. So when I got back I was ready to hit Winstar and start playing. I had no job and about 19K coming in, so I thought I was set.I started out driving the hour drive to Winstar everyday to play 1/2NL and was getting my ass handed to me in each session. I was extremely careless with my bankroll because I didn't know better. Hell I could lose 1K a night and it didn't even phase me...if you look at it...you have 19K..that is only 19 sessions! WTF,..I was so ignorant.Well Dad was rooting for me. He had faith in me and I think he was living his dream through me. So he sat me down one night and started telling me that I had to play Limit poker first. Then once I completely understood Limit poker then I would be ready for No Limit. He was right. I can play NL online for some reason. But live? It is a bit different. Now keep in mind, I am not in Vegas, there are no good tournaments at Winstar. So I had not even started my tournament career yet. I was just a cash game player.Once Dad got on my side, the next thing I know we are moving the RV to Thackerville Oklahoma and that is where I will stay for the next year. And I gotta tell ya...there ain't crap in Thackerville Oklahoma. Although...they just arrested a whole bunch of people out there that had an illegal horse track running (bush track). THAT made the evening news. Hell, people were running across I35 trying to get away from the police LOL. It was great.Now back to the story.... I was not taking care of my Bankroll. Your bankroll is your life!!! I could kick myself now for all the fcked up mistakes I have made. I had a check coming in every two weeks and I had my 401K check coming soon. So I would get my check and go to the casino. I did not limit myself to what I would lose and I did not get up from the table when I was up. You know what I mean? Keep in mind. I was playing 4/8 Limit. So it is not like you can make 2K a night on a 4/8 limit table. You might could make that if the table has a KILL button, but you are doing good if you double your buyin. I would buy in for 200 bucks and if I lost it...I would buy in again.It is extremely easy to lose 200 bucks on a 4/8 limit table. Think about it. One hand can cost you 20 bucks. This is not including your blinds. The flop comes...it cost you 4.00 to see a turn. The turn comes...it cost you 8.00 bucks to see the river, the river comes, it cost you another 8 bucks to see who has the best hand. That's 20 bucks. This does not include any raises. So basically, you have 10 hands to play and if you lose all 10 hands, you are out. Some people say this is why it is better to play No Limit. But on the same note, you could get involved in ONE hand playing No Limit and push all in, you lose, you are out. Atleast in Limit, you can get out before it cost you anymore or you can lose and regroup and possibly make your money back.I was not looking at that side of the game yet. I also was not taking into consideration the players I was playing against. I also was not changing tables when I got on a bad table. There was so many elements that I know now that I did not know then. I guess that is what comes with experience. I did not have that experience or knowledge. So I was going in there half cocked and ready to play.You are also playing players that are not doing this for a living. So when they come to play poker, they want to gamble, they want to bet. The minute they get an Ace card, regardless of the kicker, they are going to play and probaly raise! When your sitting over there on Pocket Kings and you raise preflop to 8 bucks...because they have that Ace, they reraise you to 12 bucks...and then you cap it at 16 bucks...and you will have atleast another caller in the mix. So now you have two people you are going against. Your odds have decreased. The flop comes and they hit bottom pair with their A 4os...YOU CAN NOT get them to fold....2 things happen almost all the time. The Ace will come on the river or they hit another 4. So does that give you an idea of the type of player you are going against on a 4/8 Limit table in Oklahoma? You can not get them to fold and you can not bluff them. You can try....but you will go broke. On a 4/8 table...you basically need to flop the nuts to make money on a hand.Now don't get me wrong. I did bet on the come alot...like on a nut flush or an open ended straight. I would catch my card and scoop a nice pot. When I would get on a good table of guys that I had played with before, it was easy to bluff them. But those sessions were few and far between. I think the most I made in one session on a 4/8 table was 800 bucks. But 800 bucks was only 4 days of buy ins. Again...BANKROLL!!!Another advantage I have is that I am a woman. Men tend to play soft against a woman. And once you become their friend, you can bluff them a bit easier. All I had to do was bat my eyes and crack a smile and alot of them would fold. But these are guys I had been playing with for awhile...they knew my style. They knew I did not get involved in a hand unless I had something. I was not known as a bluffer. So it became easy for me to bluff a table.Now remember, at this time of my poker life I had a bankroll and was not worried about money. So it was fun and I was careless. I was not serious. Did not even know the word bankroll let alone how important every penny of your bankroll would end up being. Some days I would win, some days I would lose....who cared!! I had another check coming.......
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I would like to thank everyone that played in Feb. League games at Red Star. The end of the month $100 Freeroll is tonight. Good luck tonight and I'll see you on the tables.League Players for Feb:$freemoney$8mtpkts8AceCrazyAlex_1986anridgordanobass10003936BiggDawgg1borealisbrootDarkstar47drkneenieDutch!escomikefreeroller3gambitroguegemacd1936happyman_007jolubmanjvp10.0kandieknapping64LadyPhoenix7LKport1luckyhearts1mama66fordmatt2401missgimooleyredmsleoRoarsmysterysatgoNaun....Nanuontilt24piggy72pluckoffpooterguyraysayheyregatyrgchan1salco666shoshyskinmanxrssonofabitcstar63telfonstarvegasjj49vexx444wildcatshazwvawolfxsmitty
Posted by Rolf Carlsson on February 28, 2008 at 3:31pm
Karlskrona is beautifully situated on the south-east tip of Sweden, built upon 33 islands around the island of Trossφ in the Blekinge archipelago. A baroque city founded in 1680 and inspired by Venice. Since its foundation by Carl XI in 1680, when the Swedish Empire was a major territorial power within the Baltic region, Karlskrona has enjoyed over three centuries of uninterrupted naval history.Its southern location and freedom in large part from ice (as compared with the Stockholm archipelago where the Swedish Fleet was constantly immobilised) was clearly strategic, particularly in relation to Denmark, although the impending threat from the east had not yet materialised. From the very beginning, the intention was to build both a naval base and a city. A dockyard was also needed for the construction and repair of naval vessels, as well as stores and garrison facilities. The aim was to build a strong defence, not a military power. Sweden's foremost architects (notably the military engineer Dahlberg who was a contemporary of Vauban in France) were commissioned to draw plans for the city, its fortifications and monuments, and not least a girdle of fortresses enclosing the harbour and shipyard.The Dockyard and Naval Base were sited on the island of Trossφ, with its natural harbour defended, by a triangle of three bastions. Kungsholms Fort and the Drottningskar citadel protected the sea-approaches, comprehensive defences were built on Koholmen, and the tower at Mjφlnareholmen was erected to prevent attack over the ice. By the end of the 17th century, Karlkrona had also become a seat of government.Although the Swedish Empire disintegrated during the first twenty years of the 18th century, the naval base, dockyard and city would continue to grow. By the end of the century, Karlskrona was the third largest city in Sweden, and also its military centre. Stagnation in the early 19th century would give way to renewed expansion with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, and ships with iron clad hulls. Today, the mix of building styles from the past and the interpenetration of city, dockyard and naval base represent a unique architectural heritage.The Naval port of Karlskrona was nominated on the 2nd of December 1998 to become the ninth Swedish location to be placed on Unesco’s prestige-filled World Heritage List, so that its 17th and 18th century naval architecture will be preserved as an irreplaceable site of cultural and natural value.
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I'm thinking about running a poker league sometime soon at Walker Poker . I'm wanting to get an idea of how many players the House could get and then decide on whether to or not . For more info on this just visit my site .
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this story below was carried on cbsnews.com and is about how much the poker player alliance spent lobbing last year...but what i like to see is in the 3rd paragraph they correctly reported that online poker is legal :-)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Poker Players Alliance spent $900,000 in 2007 to lobby the federal government on online- gambling legislation.The group, which says it represents 800,000 poker enthusiasts nationwide, lobbied on a bill that would exempt poker from a law that restricts online gambling, and for legislation that would regulate the Internet gaming industry, according to a disclosure form posted online Feb. 15 by the Senate's public records office. The alliance spent $780,000 lobbying on those issues in the second half of 2007.It's legal to play poker online, but the law made it illegal for domestic banks and credit-card companies to process payments to online gambling businesses. The act, passed in 2006, bars financial institutions from handling gambling transactions, with exceptions for lotteries, horse racing and fantasy sports.The Poker Players Alliance is chaired by former New York Sen. Alfonse D'Amato.Lobbyists are required to disclose activities that could influence members of the executive and legislative branches, under a federal law enacted in 1995.Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed------------------------------------------------------------------------------i make no money from posting this story indirectly or directly...i just did it to show the accuracy on mainstream media which is often inaccurate in reporting on online gambling... relying on what they think is true but they seem to be getting better :-)
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Posted by Rolf Carlsson on February 26, 2008 at 5:37pm
If you want to know why pokerplayer from Sweden is so good - read this!!Sweden was, between 1611 and 1718, one of the great powers of Europe. In modern historiography this period is known as the Swedish Empire, or Stormaktstiden ("the era of great power").At the conclusion of the Thirty Years' War, the Peace of Westphalia Congress in 1648 granted Sweden territories as war reparations. Sweden demanded Silesia, Pomerania (which had been in its possession for nearly twenty years), and a war indemnity of 20,000,000 Riksdaler.Through the efforts of Axel Oxenstierna and Johan Banér it obtained:Upper Pomerania, with the islands of Rügen and Usedom; a strip of Lower Pomerania on the right side of the Oder, including the towns of Stettin, Garz, Damm and Gollnow;the isle of Wollin, with the right of succession to the rest of Lower Pomerania in the case of the extinction of the Brandenburg Hohenzollerns; the town of Wismar with the districts of Pod and Neukloster;the secularized bishoprics of Bremen-Verden with the town of Wildeshausen; and 5,000,000 Riksdaler.These German possessions were to be held as fiefs of the Holy Roman Empire. This allowed Sweden a vote in the Imperial Diet and to "direct" the Lower Saxon Circle alternately with Brandenburg. France and Sweden, moreover, became joint guarantors of the treaty with the Holy Roman Emperor, and were entrusted with carrying out its provisions, as enacted by the executive congress of Nuremberg in 1650.Sweden at the height of its territorial expansion, following the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658. The red shows the actual main part of the realm, while the other colours stand for different dominions.As a result of eighteen years of war, Sweden gained small and scattered possessions, but had secured control of three principal rivers in north Germany — the Oder, the Elbe and the Weser — and gained toll-collection rights for those great commercial arteries. Two principal reasons for the small reparations were France's jealousy and Queen Christina of Sweden's impatience. As a result of Sweden's intervention, Sweden secured religious liberty in Europe for Protestants; and this remains Sweden's greatest political achievement, becoming the recognized leader of Continental Protestantism for 70 years, until the Empire's collapse.The elevation of Sweden to the rank of an imperial power required that it remain a military monarchy, armed for possible emergency. Sweden's poverty and sparse population meant the country was ill-suited for imperial status. However, in the middle of the 17th century, with France as a firm ally, the incompatibility between its powers and its pretensions was not so obvious.
Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna.For the moment, Sweden held a tenuous position of leadership. Careful statesmanship might mean permanent dominion on the Baltic shore, but left little room for mistakes. Unfortunately the extravagance of Gustavus Adolphus's two immediate successors, Christina and Charles X, caused great difficulties for the new empire.Christina's financial extravagance brought the state to the verge of bankruptcy, and the financial difficulties caused public unrest before her abdication. The Swedish people feared that the external, artificial greatness of their country might be purchased with the loss of their civil and political liberties. The Swedish people looked to a new king to address the problem of too much power vested in the nobility.Charles X was a strong arbiter between the people and the nobility. Primarily a soldier, he directed his ambition towards military glory; but he was also an unusually sharp-sighted politician. While placing great emphasis on military strength, he also understood that domestic unity was necessary for a powerful foreign policy.
Queen Christina.The most pressing domestic question was the "Reduktion", or restitution of alienated crown lands. At the Riksdag of the Estates of 1655, the king proposed that noble holders of crown property should either:1) pay an annual sum of 200,000 Riksdaler out of the lands they would receive, or2) surrender a fourth of the property itself, worth approximately 800,000 Riksdaler.The nobility wished to avoid taxation and stipulated that November 6, 1632, the day of Gustavus Adolphus's death, should be the limit to which retrospective taxes could be collected, and that there should be no further restitution of alienated crown property. Against this, the over-taxed lower estates protested and the Diet had to be suspended.The king intervened; not to quell the commons, as the senate insisted, but to compel the nobility to give way. He proposed a special committee to investigate the matter before the meeting of the next Riksdag, and a proportional contribution should be levied on all classes in the meantime. Both groups accepted this arrangement.Charles X had done his best to recover from the financial extravagance of Christina. However, his own desire for military glory may have caused problems for his country. In three days, he persuaded the Swedish estates of the potential of his attack on Poland. However, when he left Stockholm for Warsaw, on July 10, 1654, he gained more personal glory than advantage for his country. The Polish War expanded into a general European war.He achieved passage over the Belts and emerged triumphant, only to die of sheer exhaustion. Immediately after his death, the regency was appointed to govern Sweden during the minority of his only son and successor, Charles XI of Sweden (who was four years old) moved quickly to end the war with Sweden's numerous enemies, which now included Russia, Poland, Brandenburg, and Denmark.
King Charles X in skirmish with Polish Tatars near Warsaw.The Peace of Oliva on May 3, 1660, put an end to the long feud with Poland. During the wars Poland lost an estimated 1/3 of its population (referred to in Polish history as The Deluge), and its status as a great power.[1] French mediation of this treaty also ended the quarrel between Sweden and the emperor and the elector of Brandenburg.This treaty confirmed both Sweden's possession of Livonia, and the elector of Brandenburg's sovereignty over East Prussia; and the king of Poland renounced all claim to the Swedish crown. The treaty compelled Denmark-Norway to reopen direct negotiations with Sweden.Eventually under the peace of Copenhagen, May 27, 1660, Denmark-Norway ceded the three Scanian provinces to Sweden but received the Dano-Norwegian province of Trøndelag and the island of Bornholm which had been surrendered by the Treaty of Roskilde two years previously.Denmark-Norway was also compelled to recognize the independence of the dukes of Holstein-Gottorp. The Russo-Swedish War, 1656–1658, was terminated by the Peace of Kardis on July 2, 1661 by the Treaty of Stolbovo, through which the tsar surrendered the Baltic provinces to Sweden — Ingria, Estonia, and Kexholm.Thus, Sweden emerged from the war not only a military power, but also one of the largest states of Europe, possessing about twice as much territory as modern Sweden.The land area of Sweden was 1,100,000 square km. While modern Sweden is bounded by the Baltic, during the 17th century the Baltic formed a bond between various widely dispersed dominions. All the islands in the Baltic, except the Danish group, belonged to Sweden.The estuaries of all the great German rivers lay within Swedish territory, which also included two-thirds of Lake Ladoga and one-half of Lake Peipus. Stockholm, the capital, lay in the very centre of the empire, whose second greatest city was Riga, on the other side of the sea. This empire contained less than a third of the population of modern Sweden — at only 2,500,000 people, or about 5.6 people per square km. Further, Sweden's new boundaries divided ethnic groups, with powerful neighbouring countries looking for an opportunity to reunite them.Sweden had now won considerable political influence, which was lessened by the loss of moral prestige.On Charles X's accession in 1655, Sweden's neighbours may have become allies, however territorial loss combined with the loss of religious liberty lessened their ties to Sweden.At Charles X's death, five years later, Sweden had not only damaged its newly claimed territories but also had become hated by the surrounding states for its lack of defence of Protestantism. Charles' attempt to gain the favour of the Brandenburgs by dividing Poland not only reversed his original policy, but also created a new southern rival almost as dangerous as Denmark in the west.In 1660, after five years warfare, Sweden had obtained peace and the opportunity to organize and develop the new empire. Unfortunately, the fifteen-year regency which followed Charles X was unable to manoeuvre through the situation it faced.The administration was internally divided and hindered by the lack of unity and talent among its statesmen. The two major rivals were the military-aristocratic party headed by Magnus de la Gardie, and the party of peace and economy led by Johan Gyllenstierna.The aristocratic group prevailed, and brought with it a decline of morality which made it notorious to its neighbours. The administration was noted for sloth and carelessness leading to a general neglect of business. Additionally, government corruption led Sweden to be hired by foreign powers. This "subsidy policy" dates from the Treaty of Fontainebleau of 1661, through which Sweden, in exchange for a considerable sum of money, supported the French candidate for the Polish throne. Sweden was torn between Louis XIV of France and his adversaries in plans to control the Spanish Netherlands.The anti-French faction prevailed; and in April 1668 Sweden acceded to the Triple Alliance, which ended the French acquisitions through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.For the next four years, Sweden remained true to the Triple Alliance; but, in 1672, Louis XIV succeeded in isolating the Dutch Republic and regaining Sweden as an ally. By the Treaty of Stockholm on April 14, 1672 Sweden entered an agreement with the French to protect the Netherlands from German claims in return for 400,000 Riksdaler per annum in peace and 600,000 in war-time.In 1674, Louis XIV called upon Sweden to invade Brandenburg. In May 1675, a Swedish army advanced into the Mark, but on June 18 was defeated at Fehrbellin, and retreated to Demmin. The Fehrbellin affair was a mere skirmish, with actual casualties amounting to fewer than 600 men, but it made Sweden appear vulnerable and enabled neighbouring countries to attack in the Scanian War.At this point, the empire began to crumble. In 1675, Pomerania and the Duchy of Bremen were taken by the Brandenburgers, Austrians, and Danes. In December 1677, the elector of Brandenburg captured Stettin. Stralsund fell on October 15, 1678. Greifswald, Sweden's last possession on the continent, was lost on November 5. A defensive alliance with John III of Poland, was rendered inoperative on August 4, 1677 by the annihilation of Sweden's sea-power, the Battle of Öland, June 17, 1676; Battle of Fehmarn, June 1677, and the difficulties of the Polish king.Through homeland military successes of the young Swedish king and the diplomatic activity of Louis XIV, a peace congress began its sessions at Nijmwegenin March 1677; and in the beginning of April 1678 the French king dictated the terms of a peace. One of his chief conditions was the complete restitution of Sweden, as he needed a strong Swedish ally. However, Charles XI refused to go along with ceding territories to its enemies, which led the French king to negotiate on behalf of Sweden without its consent. By the Treaties of Nijmegen, on February 7 and of St. Germain, on June 29, 1679, Sweden received full restitution of its German territory. On September 2 by the Peace of Fontainebleau confirmed by the subsequent Peace of Lund, on October 4, 1679, Denmark was also forced to cede land back to Sweden. While Sweden could never have gained these concession alone, Charles XI formed a personal dislike of the French king and developed a strong anti-French bias.
King Charles XIThe remainder of the reign of Charles XI is remarkable for a revolution, in which the government of Sweden was transformed to a semi-absolute monarchy. The king emerged from the war convinced that if Sweden were to retain its position as a great power it needed to radically reform its whole economic system, and circumscribe the power of the aristocracy. Charles XI felt that he could now that he had allies in the lower orders to support him.The Riksdag of Stockholm, October 1680, began a new era of Swedish history.On the motion of the Estate of Peasants the question of the recovery of the alienated crown lands was brought before the Riksdag, and a resolution of the Diet directed that all countships, baronies, domains, manors and other estates producing an annual rent of more than a certain amount per annum should revert to the Crown. The same Riksdag decided that the king was not bound by any particular constitution, but only by law and statutes, and not even obligated to consult the Privy Council, but was to be regarded as a sovereign lord. The Privy Council changed its official title from Riksråd (council of state) to Kungligt råd (royal council); a visible sign that the councillors were no longer the king's colleagues, but rather his servants.Thus, Sweden had become an absolute monarchy, but enacted the right of the Swedish people, in parliament, to be consulted on all important matters. The Riksdag, completely overshadowed by the throne, did little more than register the royal decrees during the reign of Charles XI of Sweden; but, it continued to exist as an essential part of the government. Moreover, this transfer of authority was a voluntary act. The people, knowing the king to be their ally, trusted and cooperated with him.The Riksdag of 1682 declared that the king was empowered to bestow fiefs, and take them back again, making the king the disposer of his subjects' temporal property. Presently, this new principle of autocracy was extended to the king's legislative authority, when on December 9, 1682, all four estates not only confirmed that the king held the legislative powers enjoyed by his predecessors, but even gave him the right of interpreting and amending the common law.The recovery of the alienated crown lands occupied Charles XI for the rest of his life. He created a commission, which was ultimately converted into a permanent department of state. It acted on the principle that the titles of all private landed estates might be called in question, because at some time or other they must have belonged to the Crown; and the burden of proof of ownership lay with the actual owner of the property, not the Crown.The amount of revenue accruing to the Crown from the whole "Reduktion" is impossible to estimate; but by these means, combined with careful management and rigid economy, Charles XI reduced the national debt by three quarters.Charles XI re-established on a broader basis the reorganization of the "indelningsverk" — a system of military tenure where national forces were bound to the soil. This tied to the "rust hail tenure", under which the tenants, instead of paying rent, were obliged to equip and maintain a cavalry soldier and horse; while the knekthållare supplied duly equipped foot soldiers. Soldiers were provided with holdings on which they lived in times of peace.Formerly, ordinary conscription had existed alongside this indelning, or distribution system; but it had proved inadequate as well as highly unpopular; and in 1682 Charles XI came ended it in favour of an extended distribution system.The Swedish Royal Navy was entirely remodelled; and, the recent war having demonstrated the unsuitability of Stockholm as a naval station, the construction of a new arsenal was begun at Karlskrona. After seventeen years of financial difficulties, the twofold enterprise was completed. At the death of Charles XI Sweden could boast of a fleet of forty-three three-deckers, manned by 11,000 men and armed with 2,648 guns, and one of the finest arsenals in the world.The military successA major reason for why Sweden could be so successful in wars with such a scarce amount of soldiers was the advanced military tactics.It is said about Charles XII that "he could not retreat, only attack or fall". The same goes for his soldiers and for swedish pokerplayer.In the Swedish army tactics of that time retreat was never covered, and they were obligated to attack or fight where they stood.A military doctrine, that with the advantage of hindsight might have proven a bit rash.[citation needed] Sweden used brutal shock tactics and knew of and handled ways of war which were not known elsewere on the continent.The standard formation for cavalry in Europe was the caracole. The Swedish cavalry used shock, riding knee by knee in a tight wedge formation.When they were in range they used gallop and charged. At a range of 10 yards they shot both their pistols. For a standard regiment that is 250 shots at the same time which would blast a hole in the enemy ranks. They then continued the charge with sabres (värjor).The infantry would march in silence in order to intimidate the enemy, closing the ranks as soldiers fell. The order was to shoot when you could see the white in the enemies' eyes, a range of 30 yards or less, the ideal was 10 yards.They then fired one single volley. At this range and with the powerful muskets it usually felled a lot of enemy troops and was demoralising. Directly after the volley they charged the enemy ranks with pikes, bayonets and sabres. Note that the pikes were used as an offensive weapon. In close combat they had the advantage over their foes thanks to their equipment.Every infantry company had grenadiers attached. They supported the infantry attack by lobbing grenades from the flanks. They also formed units of their own. They were otherwise equipped like infantry.The major difference between the Swedish army and those common on the continent was the relative lack of firepower and the use of pikes and sabres. Sweden and Russia where the only countries at the time using them. In contemporary Europe infantry was equipped with a musket while in the Swedish army every third man had a pike. The pike was used to repulse cavalry and to charge.The Swedish musket was powerful, with a calibre of nearly an inch. If it was used like a regular musket it could dislocate the shoulder, so the man firing had to brace it against his chest.Every man had a sabre (värja). In most other countries the infantry carried only musket and bayonet, with rapiers for the officers. The Swedish "värja" was a straight-bladed heavy sabre with an edge as well as a point. Every man also had a buff coat (kyller) made of moose hide, which was tough enough to protect against shrapnel and cuts.
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Thought I'd post one of the big promos that Nordica will be holding for the month of March . This site is with Merge Gaming and it's where House of Poker Blues has been holding it's league games for the last 23 weeks . The support there has been nothing short of superb .Promotional Copy:We must have gone mad on PokerNordica. This March we are offering our players up to $2,000 in free bonus money just by earning comp points.You will start earning for the March Madness promotion as soon as you start playing at PokerNordica from the 1st of March.Bonus money are paid out automatically within two hours.Here you can see the schedule and how many comp points you need to get the prizes.Comp points needed Prize10000 $2020000 $3035000 $5065000 $150100000 $250150000 $500200000 $1000The March Madness promotion works like this. If you earn 100.000 comp points in March, you will not only get $250 in free bonus money. You will also get all the above amounts in total $500.You are able to follow your bonus pot steps in your Player Admin.Good luck.
Posted by The Gooner on February 26, 2008 at 12:29pm
I got a call from a rep from LuckyAce.com tonight - and he was trying to blag a spot on the website.He seemed a nice enough guy (and might be) but unfortunately for him he never really got started as I refuse to work with anyone that's prepared to be associated with 888.con as the LuckyAce.com brand is.Anyway - getting back to the point of this blog - this LuckyAce.com guy started the polished sales patter - and I interrupted and said that I was not interested in working with them or even listening to them as we'd had a bad experience with 888.con and I will not give them ANY exposure on site.Oh why? He asked?A while back this sh!t of a company (888.con) decided to close our CPA account with them - and not pay out on any commissions owed. Of course they didnt actually tell us - simply blocked the affiliate login and let us keep promoting their site for an extra 3-4 weeks until we noticed.Then they simply said that they would not discuss the case and their discision was final. As you might imagine thay went down like a lead balloon ... and to this day I hold the greedy b@#st@rds at 888.com as a prime example of what is wrong with many of the cheating affiliate programs today.They shouldn't do THAT!! - the LuckyAce.com exclaimed .... (trying to establish some sort of rapport)."Exactly" I replied "and thats the sort of pond scum that you're working with/for - and I want nothing to do with you."AND then I hung up.I've been feeling good about it all night - and so I felt the need to share. Thanks for reading.--------------------ATTENTION 888.CON (888.COM) :Screw me out of affiliate earnings and an extra months work?Don't expect me to ever forget.Refuse to even discuss the matter - because you've got all the power and the money and the legal suits?Don't expect me to forget.
Hello GuysI wanted you to all know that King Solomons Casino is moving to the Playtech platform . We will still have an RTG prescence with the Casino to ensure that no affiliate earnings are lost . That will be athttp://www.ksonlinecasino.com/The main reason for this move is that we have noted the growth of Windows Casino on this platform and it has far outstripped in terms of player value and lifetime the RTG version .If any of you have any questions regarding this please feel free to contact me herePS - I will get a proper picture in place soon so you can all look at my lovely mug ;)RegardsGreg
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Hi Ya'll from way down yonder in New Orleans. Thats right from one of the many banned states. I am glad to see a site dedicated to spreading the word and keeping everyone informed of all the legislation out there. Hope to talk to everyone soon :)
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Posted by Rolf Carlsson on February 25, 2008 at 3:41pm
68 percent of complaints to eCOGRA decided for the player in 2007London, 25 February 2008 - Tex Rees, the Fair Gaming Advocate for player protection and standards body eCOGRA has released her report for 2007, showing that the majority (68 percent) of legitimate complaints handled by her office were settled in favour of the player.eCOGRA oversees the online gambling activities of some 120 tier one online casinos and poker rooms owned by some of the biggest and most established operators on the Internet, and makes available a dispute resolution service to players at those sites which have been awarded eCOGRA’s “Safe and Fair” seal.During 2007 a total of 783 complaints were received, up on the previous year. However 93 of these were in respect of sites outside the eCOGRA sphere of influence and could therefore not be handled. A further 45 were invalid by reason of insufficient information or irrelevant enquiry.Settlements in favour of the player were reached in over 68 percent of the 645 valid and legitimate complaints with the main causes listed as:• Payout problems (47 percent)• Bonus issues (28 percent)• Locked accounts (21 percent) and• Miscellaneous (4 percent)The average dispute per site per month remained at less than one half of one percent.“The number of valid disputes received increased over the past year, and I believe this is a result of players becoming more aware of our mediation service and our ability to respond quickly in achieving a fair outcome," says Rees."Resolutions in favour of the player reached 68 percent, and there appear to have been fewer chancers submitting questionable complaints in 2007. I suspect that this is because there is a greater awareness that complaints will be thoroughly investigated in pursuit of a fair and unbiased resolution."It is once again very reassuring to note that the average number of valid disputes received per approved site per month remains particularly low at 0.44 percent. This is a clear indication that the approved operators, together with eCOGRA, are being effective in meeting the need for fair gaming, player protection and responsible operator behaviour.”"Operators have responded in a fast and cooperative manner to those cases where I have requested information and explanations, and have been quick to respect my findings in each case."The Fair Gaming Advocate maintained an enviable average response time of less than 72 hours on complaints.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------About eCOGRA:eCOGRA sets online gambling standards and provides an international framework for best operational and player protection practice requirements. These are enforced through inspections and reviews, and continuous monitoring.Companies that have achieved accreditation with eCOGRA are entitled to bear the organisation's "Safe and Fair" seal, indicating to players everywhere that all operational systems and games are continuously monitored to consistently high standards.eCOGRA's independent directors determine which operators qualify for the seal. These directors are Bill Galston, OBE, retired Chief Inspector for the Gaming Board of Great Britain; Bill Henbrey, former head of gaming services at leading international accounting firm BDO; Frank Catania, former Assistant Attorney General and Director of New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement; as well as Michael Hirst, OBE, a former board member of Ladbroke Group Plc, and formerly Chairman and CEO of Hilton International.Accreditation remains open to all software companies and their operators. For more information, go to www.ecogra.org.
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That's right folks , we finally got the Charity Ball all sorted out again . We hope to see some record crowds this Saturday ! :-)Name: 5th Street Charity BallSite: Carbon PokerDescription: The House of Poker Blue's Special Charity Tournament - $2 ofentry-fee going to Make-A-Wish Foundation.Tab Location: Tournament > Private > ScheduledLimit Type: No LimitGame Type: Texas HoldemMoney Type: Real MoneyBlinds: 10 minutes, starting at 5/10Campaign: House of Poker BluesCustom Table Background: House of Poker BluesMaximum players per table: 10 playersStarting Chips: 1,555 chipsBreak Length: 3 minutesBreak Frequency: 90 minutesBuyin: $2.00Entry Fee: $2.40Schedule Type: Monthly tournamentStart Time: 1st Saturday of the month at 1600 lobby timeAnnounce Period: Immediately
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I been getting a might frustrated here lately . As most you all know we at the houseofpokerblues.com have been hosting a monthly Charity Ball at Carbon Poker before it was even named Carbon . Back when it was known as poker.com we had got this game started .Well as you might have read , or even heard , my buddy Brad and I were on Rounders Radio talking about the game a bit , about how half the proceeds go to the Make a Wish Foundation . I had talked with one of the big shots at Carbon a couple hours before we went on air , so the site was fully aware that the game was going to be discussed.....The show drew some interest it seems . I got up the next morning and had some mail stating that the game was no longer in the schedule....the first time that has happened in about a year ! I can't get my affiliate manager, or another manager as well , to reply back to me at all on this issue and the game is supposed to be this Saturday . They have always replied promptly in the past , so this is a first as well.....I'm starting to get a might concerned now .I'm starting to feel like I've been made a fool of and it's not appreciated at all.......I hope I'm wrong .
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I am sorry I don't know the author to this piece, but I think it is very very good! It makes you think about what is really important.Please read:A professor teaches his students a lesson about what's really important in life. When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough,remember this story about a mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee...A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began,wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents in to the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. 'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, ' I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.The golf balls are the important things-God,your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions-things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else-the small stuff.'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important.'So, pay attention to the things that are most important. Take care of your health--cook with your kids!-- spend time with those you love. There's always time to clean the house--it's a never ending job anyway :-). Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.Wondering what the coffee represents? No matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple cups of coffee with a friend.
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Hello everyone,Many of you know me as KWBlue from CAP. Many as Guard Dog from AffiliateGuardDog.com. Everyone, of course, knows me as an incredibly smart, good looking, fun-loving ... ok. maybe not, but I am working on those qualities :)It is great to see so many faces a part of APCW Interactive. AffiliateGuardDog.com plans on working more closely with APCW now and in the future. We feel they are leading the industry in interactivity between affiliates and their managers.Go APCW!If you haven't gotten over to Affiliate Guard Dog, do yourself a favor and check it out. We are the one website that looks at Terms and Conditions for affiliate programs. This IS your contract and it behooves you to know if it is 'affiliate-friendly'.Take Care!AndyAffiliateGuardDog.com
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