Eagle Games Announces DD Poker Schedule for 2005

Thursday, May 19th, 2005

Eagle Games and Donohoe Digital today announced the summer schedule for their best selling DD Tournament Poker franchise.

To celebrate the poker season swinging in to full gear, Eagle Games is offering a Hot Days, Hot Deals promotion. The best selling DD Tournament Poker: No Limit Texas Hold'em 2005 Collector's Edition is now available at fine retailers everywhere for only $9.99 (no we are not bluffing). DD Tournament Poker continues to be the highest rated PC/Mac Texas Hold'em software available.

July 6 - 10, Eagle Games will have a booth at the World Series of Poker where it will be giving fans a sneak-peek at the newest title in the series. DD Poker 2006, which features a stronger, and more configurable AI (Artificial Intelligence), extensive statistical and analytical tools, free online play, and an updated interface, is due to hit stores on September 1. "We are very excited about DD Poker 2006. Doug and his team at Donohoe Digital have really taken DD Poker to the next level with this release," said Glenn Drover, president and founder of Eagle Games. "Last year DD Tournament Poker 2005 set the standard for poker software, and this year DD Poker 2006 raises the bar."

To celebrate the release of DD Poker 2006 and the ongoing endorsement relationship with Annie Duke, DD Poker will be a co-sponsor of a series of poker tournaments in the Chicago area. The tournaments will take place August 1st - 14th at Resorts East Chicago in Gary, Indiana. (Information about these tournaments will soon be available at http://www.q101.com.) Annie Duke, who according to ESPN is the most recognizable poker personality in the world, will play in the tournaments on August 12th and 13th. "We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Annie. She is a great player and a tremendous ambassador for the game of poker," said Drover.

The latest in a series of accolades for DD Tournament Poker 2005, it just received the PC Magazine Editor's Choice(TM) award (June 7th issue) and it was selected as a training tool for the celebrities appearing on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown(R). Celebrity Poker Showdown's new season begins in August.

DD Tournament Poker: No Limit Texas Hold'em and DD Poker 2006 is published by Eagle Games (http://www.eaglegames.net) and developed by Donohoe Digital (http://www.ddpoker.com). The WSOP, Celebrity Poker Showdown and Bravo are in no way affiliated with Eagle Games, Donohoe Digital, or DD Poker.

Contacts

Eagle Games
Keith Blume, 815-577-8920 ext 103
keith@eaglegames.net

Poker pays off for East Grand Forks, North Dakota, farmer

Tuesday, May 17th, 2005

Two months after getting married in Mexico in January, Renae and George Cariveau held a local wedding reception.

Playing in a poker tournament, George already was 30 minutes late for the reception when his cell phone rang. Renae must have been furious, huh?

"No, she told me to try move up a couple of places so we could pay for the open bar," George said.

Being an understanding wife has paid off again. Earlier this month in an Internet satellite tournament, George earned his way into the 2005 World Series of Poker. The normal entry fee for the Texas Hold 'Em tournament is $10,000.

But it cost the East Grand Forks farmer just the $27 entry fee into the satellite tournament to gain that $10,000 spot. He outlasted more than 1,000 others in the online game conducted by Pokerstars.com. That's the same online site that produced the entrants who have won the past two World Series titles Chris Moneymaker in 2003 and Greg Raymer in 2004.

"I'm hoping for a three-peat," George said.

If that happens, the 33-year-old will be able to pay for an open bar that lasts for days. You see, in 2003, Moneymaker won $2.5 million in a field of 800 people who paid the $10,000 entry feel. Last year, Raymer won $5 million with 2,500 entries in the 2004 event, which is shown repeatedly on ESPN.

This year's tournament is expected to have at least 5,000 entries or another doubling of the prize pool. Some will pay $10,000, and others will win their way into the tournament in qualifying tournaments like George did.

"My goal all winter was to win my way onto the World Series or the World Poker Tour," George said. "I play a lot online or in casinos in the winter because I have the time.

"I've probably made more money playing poker in the last year than I have farming. I'm not sure if that speaks to my poker skills or the sad state of farming."

Hold 'Em's recent popularity explosion is because it constantly is on television. Unlike the vast majority of players, George has been around the game for a long time.

As an employee of a casino management company, he started playing 13 years ago in Las Vegas. He remembers watching the poker players who now are TV celebrities such as Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson at the Mirage casino. Years of experience and diligent study have provided an edge.

"The popularity comes from the fact that anyone can win," George said. "Chris Moneymaker had never played in a casino against real live people before he sat down for the World Series. He had only played on the Internet.

"Plus, it has that allure of the Old West, sitting around playing cards with the boys."

And the girls. Wife Renae is among the ever-growing list of women players. "When we play heads-up, she kicks the snot out of me," George said. "I can't read her."

Renae also is trying to win her way into the tournament online. The $10,000 entry fee is too rich for the Cariveaus.

Even if she doesn't qualify, she'll be there because George's online prize included $1,000 for airfare.

He also can earn free hotel accommodations if he wears clothing that includes a product logo, such as for a poker website.

"I might sell my forehead for ad space," George said. "In fact, for the right amount of money, I'll shave my head and put a logo on it."

The tournament in Las Vegas begins July 7, good timing since there's usually a lull in field work then.

"I might not play until July 9, because the first day is actually three days because of the high number of entries expected," George said. "They don't have room for everybody all at once.

"I would have never expected this 10 years ago when casinos looked down on poker players because it didn't make them much money. Now, every poker room in the countryside is packed."