by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Jan 1, 2012 | Updated on Jan 1, 2012As the calendar turns to a new year it is important that we look back on all that happened in the world of poker over the last 365 days.The biggest story, by far, was the United States’ Department of Justice essentially shutting down the entire online poker industry in the US. Overnight PokerStars, Full Tilt, and UB were no longer around for Americans. While the shut down helped smaller poker operators like Carbon poker and Bodog, the whole industry was flipped upside down. Pro players and recreational players alike were left with nothing to do and most were robbed of their cash balances on these sites. The entire industry was in shock and many people thought that playing poker in the US would no longer be possible. We have come a long way since then and now it is looking like things are taking a turn for the better, but the whole situation is so unpredictable you can’t place your bet on anything.Another very shocking news story from the year that recently ended was superstar and former Full Tilt pro, Phil Ivey, suing his former employer. He sued saying that the lawsuit he was wagering was for every poker player that lost out on Black Friday. At first it seemed like a nice gesture, but as it unfolded we learned a lot more than we should have. After the initial suit Full Tilt responded to Ivey by claiming that they would not pay him any money until he paid them the money they were owed. WHAT? Yes, apparently Phil Ivey owed his sponsor a certain dollar amount and the whole situation became all too comical. I am not sure how the whole lawsuit ended but it is safe to say that Ivey successfully made himself look pretty stupid. Now a lawsuit is not very feasible anyway as 2011 marked the last year that Full Tilt would be offering its services.
