"Action Dan" Claims WPT Legends of Poker Crown --   Dan Harrington joined a select list of players who have won both a WSOP Main Event and a World Poker Tour (WPT) title when he captured the Legends of Poker event at the Bike Casino.  Harrington came from behind to outlast a fierce final table that also featured overall POY leader David "The Dragon" Pham, Thu Nguyen, and the WSOP’s reigning Player of the Year, Tom Schneider.  The $1,600,365 payday for Harrington was the biggest of his career, topping the million he collected for winning the WSOP Main Event in 1995, and the $1.5 million he received for finishing fourth in the same tourney in 2004.

Bodog Loses Rights to Domain Name in Default Judgment --  This one looks like a big "Whoops!" on the part of Bodog’s legal team.  Bodog was sued by Dr. Scott Lewis through Lewis’s company, 1st Technology, over patent infringement involved with some technical doohickey relating to the online sites. Since the suit was filed in a Nevada court, it appeared that Bodog, based in Costa Rica, chose not to bother to show up.  A default judgment was granted against Bodog for $49 million on August 1st, and by way of seeking assets to attach, 1st Technology was able to gain control of Bodog’s main domain, bodog.com, bringing their website down.  Bodog vowed to fight but frantically transferred online operations to a new domain, www.newbodog.com.

EPT Barcelona Title to Lylloff --  The opening event in the PokerStars-sponsored European Poker Tour’s fourth season went to Sander Lylloff.  The Dane triumphed over an exceptionally international final table at the EPT Barcelona Championship, taking home 1,170,000 euros for the win.  Lylloff topped 542 other players, the last of whom was 2005 EPT event winner Mark Teltscher, who also happened to be Lylloff’s roommate for the Barcelona stay.  Odd tale, that one....

Kristy Gazes Triumphs in Ladies Night Out V --  The World Poker Tour’s annual Ladies Night Out tourney may be a made-for-TV affair, but this year’s lineup was the strongest in recent years, with J.J. Liu, Melissa Hayden, Kristy Gazes, Mimi Tran, Linda Johnson and Pam Brunson (who won a qualifying event to claim the sixth and final spot).  Gazes knocked out Liu on the very first hand and went on to steamroll the field, picking up a free entry into this season’s $25,000-entry championship and helping the WPT put another episode in the can for future airing.

Absolute Poker Announces Interest-Bearing Accounts for VIP Members --  Another week, another promotion from Absolute Poker.  This time it’s interest-bearing accounts for its VIP accountholders, payable on a daily basis based on a 9% annual rate.  Eligible AP customers need to maintain a $1,000 minimum balance and also accrue enough player points for VIP member status.

IRS Announces 25% Withholding for Poker-Tournament Winners --  If you make a big score in a poker tourney beginning in March of 2008, you’re going to take a lot less of that money with you.  The IRS has issued a (imperial decree) notice that all casinos must withhold 25% of all payments made to players who win $5,000 or more.  In addition to the cash-flow crimp, the new rule is expected to hamper chops and backing deals, which tend to occur on a more informal basis.