Possibly Poisonous Poker Chips -- Ever wonder what’s on the inside of those expensive casino poker chips, that gives them their heft and feel?  The answer is a wafer of lead which may permeate through to the surface, according to an expose published by an Arizona TV station. Paulson brand chips, made by Gaming Partners International and used in casinos preferring this heavier, 13-gram model, were tested at an independent laboratory and found to have unacceptable surface levels of lead.  One consumer alert has already been released, and a recall is certainly a possibility if the tests’ findings are confirmed by other parties.

Massachusetts Law Threatens to Make Online Poker a Felony -- Call us cynical, but Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s latest casino-bill proposal is as blatant and bold a cash grab measure as anything proposed of late.  Creating three new land-based casinos, the bill also includes a clause -- buried deep within -- that will make it a felony to play online games for money… and yes, that specifically includes online poker.  If you’re in Massachusetts and you’re not fighting this one hard, then what are you doing reading this?

Much Ado about Nothing in Latest Absolute Poker Missive --  Another unofficial statement from Absolute Poker worked its way into the online poker community in recent days, this one presented as an "Interim Audit Report."  Was there much new here?  That’s a big “no” -- despite the length of the letter.  One of the few specifics worth reporting was that Absolute has reimbursed or paid out about $1.6 million to victims of the cheating scandal to date, including $800,000 to players directly affected by the cheating accounts during cash-game play.

Oldest Bracelet Winner Arrested in Tennessee Raid --  You gotta admit, this octogenarian knows how to live.  Bill "Cigar" McKinney, who became the oldest WSOP bracelet winner in history when he won the 2005 Seniors Event, was arrested in a raid last week in Kingsport, Tennessee.  Acting on a tip from a "concerned citizen," police raided the location and arrested McKinney and 15 others who were, well, playing poker.  As a negative bonus, McKinney apparently had some of his meds in his pocket, out of their normal prescription bottle, and therefore had a Class III narcotics charge tacked on as well.  Bad day!

FTOPS VI Underway, ‘uuhhhicall' Wins Biggest Prize of Opening Week --  The sixth quarterly Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) got underway this past week with nine events in its first seven days.  Among the biggest winners of Week 1 was uuhhhicall, who captured a $250,416 win in Event #8, a $1,000+60 event with a $1.332 million purse.  The biggest events in FTOPS VI are scheduled for this weekend, including the finale and its $2 million guarantee.