Poker fans with Blackberry handheld devices will be able to play the popular Texas hold ‘em version of the game with the release of new software.

New gaming software developed by MGN Technologies’ Mobile Gaming Now team is launching six-hand and ten-hand Texas hold ‘em on the Blackberry mobile communications system.

The Gold Mobile – Texas Holdem software is compatible with the Blackberry 8700 Series Cellphone and is the first product from Mobile Gaming Now that can be played simultaneously on the PC and mobile phone.

The BlackBerry 8700c is the first of Research in Motion’s (RIM’s) new range of Intel-based smartphones and is available on the Cingular network in the US.

Mark Jensen, CEO of developer Mobile Gaming Now, said: “We’re very impressed with the new Blackberry 8700 series. With the speed of the device, the new screen size and the clear graphics we felt the device would be a perfect device to launch our new Gold Mobile game.”

WAP-Mobile Texas Holdem’ is a text-based version of the game available on a WAP page and is accessible by almost every mobile handset with wireless internet access. Bronze Mobile has limited graphics and can be used by most mobile phones, while Silver Mobile has simple but attractive graphics and is compatible with most smartphones.

The UK Student Poker Championship is taking place next month in Edinburgh.

The nationwide event aims to tap into the growing popularity of poker at campuses across Britain, with more than 40 university poker clubs and societies springing up.

The second UK Student Poker Championship is run by online gaming site UKStudentPoker.com, with help from Betfred.com and the University of St Andrews.

The competition will take place on April 1st and 2nd at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange and the 300 places have already signed up. The buy-in for the event is just £30.

This year’s winner of the no-limit Texas hold ‘em tournament will receive a World Series of Poker prize package, while the top 30 players will leave with a minimum of £100.

Last year’s contest saw 259 students play at the University of St Andrews and the 2006 tournament looks set to be the largest Texas hold ‘em tournament ever played in the UK.

Controversial new James Bond star, Daniel Craig, has reportedly been cast in the follow-up film to Casino Royale.

Craig, who has been criticised by Bond fans for being too blond, bland and not attractive enough for 007, is believed to have signed up for at least one more movie as the womanising secret agent.

Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is understood to be a huge fan of the actor and has already started working on a sequel to Casino Royale, which is currently shooting.

Broccoli told Empire magazine: “We are already working on the sequel. We’re in the early stages of that. It will be an original story but will continue part of what the story is in Casino Royale.”

Craig has won the support of M, Dame Judi Dench, and former Bond Roger Moore after succeeding Pierce Brosnan as the new James Bond.

Casino Royale is scheduled for release in the UK this November.

The prize pool for this year’s World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship is expected to be a record $12-$15 million.

The 2006 WPT World Championship takes place at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, next month and the overall winner is likely to claim a $3.5 million prize, with more than $1 million on offer for the top three spots.

Around 600 of the world’s best poker players are expected to compete for the WPT jackpot between April 18th and 24th this year.

The fourth WPT World Championship requires a $25,500 buy in and big names rumoured to be taking part include Phil ‘The Unabomber’ Laak, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Michael ‘The Grinder’ Mizrachi, Jennifer Harman, Scotty Nguyen and Jennifer Tilly.

Bellagio director of poker operations, Doug Dalton, said: “We are excited to host the WPT World Championship for the fourth consecutive year. The pots are getting higher and the number of participants is growing with every tournament. Bellagio is proud to be a part of this phenomenon.”

The 2005 WPT champ, Tuan Le, who pocketed $2.8 million after seeing off competition from more than 450 players, will return to defend his title.

Birmingham is a step closer to the construction of a new super casino after two rival bids were put forward to the council.

The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is competing with Birmingham City football club to win the right to build a casino.

Birmingham City wants to build a casino alongside as new football stadium in Saltey while the NEC would expand its site with MGM Grand as its developers.

Andrew Morris, chief executive of the NEC, says: “It would be of significant benefit as a destination centre. Business people who attend conferences spend around 50 per cent of their time looking at trade stands and being delegates.

“The other 50 per cent is spent socialising, networking and in hotels. A casino complex would focus on added value that we lack at the moment.”

The council will throw its weight behind one of the bids, which could then be chosen by the government next year to become one of England, Wales and Scotland’s super casinos.

The Small Town Poker Tour (STPT) has announced the addition of a number of European stops as it seeks the world’s best amateur poker player.

In addition to Denmark, the STPT is planning events in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Estonia.

“I have been in many historic and beautiful towns in Denmark and Sweden the last few days,” said Mark Fracalossi, STPT executive producer.

“I was excited to see all the interest in finding the worlds best amateur poker player. I hear there are very good players in this region and can’t wait to see what develops. Our goal is to give people high quality events and great time.”

The STPT sets up tournaments and poker events around the world, with regional winners receiving seats to the Small Town Poker Tour World Amateur Poker Championships in Las Vegas.

It is also planning tours of Australia, Canada and Asia, as well as the US.

In light of the recent bid by Harrah’s for Singapore’s first ever casino, MGM Mirage has thrown its cards on the table with its own interesting bid.

In an attempt to bag the valued Singapore Marina Bay site, the MGM Mirage has entered into an agreement with the Canadian-based entertainment company Cirque du Soleil.

The partnership will mean that Cirque du Soleil will aim to create and present a resident show at the planned casino resort.

Cirque du Soleil currently runs four resident shows at MGM Mirage resorts in Las Vegas, with a fifth planned to open in June.

Terry Lanni, MGM CEO, recently revealed to the press that the existing partnership has gone extremely well and that the Cirque du Soleil “O” show at the Bellagio sold nearly 99 per cent of all available seats in 2005.

Two poker pros, who are going head to head at the upcoming World Series of Poker (WSOP), are set to put much more than their chips on the line.

Joe Sebok and Gavin Smith have agreed to a prop bet which will see the loser having to wear whatever his opponent chooses for him at the main event.

To decide who wins the two players will tally all their points in accordance with the ESPN World Player of the Year points system.

And if the prop bet’s loser stays alive in the main event past the first day, he would then have to continue wearing a different superhero outfit on each subsequent day of playing.

Both players already have a super hero costume in mind and it would be a fair guess to assume some lycra may be involved.

Steve Lipscomb, the creator of the World Poker Tour (WPT), is being sued for stealing the idea for televising poker.

Jonathan Waessil from California is suing Mr Lipscomb and claiming that the WPT godfather stole his idea for televising live poker matches.

According to the claimant, the pair met each other around ten years ago at the Hollywood Park Casino in southern California and had a discussion regarding the televising of poker matches.

Waessil stated that he had been working on the concept for a number of years at that point and that Lipscomb stole part of his intellectual property.

However if you had to place a bet, then you would have to say that Mr Waessil’s legal case doesn’t look to promising when you think of the huge funds behind the WPT.

The 4th Annual Casino Affiliate Convention (CAC) looks set to attract record numbers with tickets having already sold out.

This year’s event will be taking place at the NH Grand Krasnapolsky Hotel from April 9th to April 10th and promises to attract key figures from the online gambling industry.

There will be around 400 high-level executives at the event and also seminars covering some of the most pertinent issues in the online gambling world.

Marc Lesnick, conference organiser, said: “Online gaming has exploded in the last twelve months – I predict that the market will eventually begin to polarise – to a point where only the strongest will survive.

“That’s why CAC continues to attract record attendances, including extremely high affiliate turnout.”