Author Jennifer Newell's poker week in review for Sept. 9-15.

Our consolidation of the week's news is quick and to the point — seven stories, to be exact — for the week ending Sept. 15. Let's go.

No. 1 — Online Poker Upgrades Slow to Launch

PartyPoker has had more problems than anticipated with its new software launch. The new look is orange and white, simplified and easy on the eyes, and new achievements and other perks are available to players. Many players, however, have had difficulties accessing the site. Pokerfuse revealed that PartyPoker is now in the process of upgrading its entire server to resolve with crash and freeze issues.

PokerStars will also be pushing forward to its PokerStars 7 client, with only small bug fixes included in the latest update. Alpha testers, however, will be seeing new options for the site, such as a new lobby, a new bet-slider button, and even a solution to rat-holing. The latter is a problem that the site brought to players earlier in the year and finally created a solution for that will be evident in some of the upcoming software updates.

No. 2 — Equity Poker Launches Nonprofit Poker

The Equity Poker Network has been under construction for some time, but it officially made its debut last week with the first online poker site, Full Flush Poker. The site will be open to players around the world, as well as in the United States, with real-money online poker options, though the original launch includes free-play tables (with the exception of a $500 Sunday freeroll). The site is calling it a soft launch at this time.

EPN is qualified as a nonprofit network in which management forms a committee known as the "cooperative." All sites have voting power in the operation of the network, and it is aimed at recreational players. The clearing-house function of the network holds funds in escrow in order to pay bills and cover payouts among all skins. This also protects players from the failure of one skin affecting payouts or players on other skins.

No. 3 — New Jersey Sets Launch Date but Encounters Application Problems

Early last week, New Jersey set its official launch date for online gambling to go live within its borders as Nov. 23. Though many anticipate delays because of the aggressive push to launch too quickly, gaming representatives feel fairly confident that it can be done. With preparations having been in progress for quite some time before the law even passed, officials didn't hesitate to set a firm date.

However, the Division of Gaming Enforcement in New Jersey has been experiencing problems with many of the casinos that applied for operator licenses for the online gaming sector. An e-mail went out to those casinos in Atlantic City to request that missing information be filled in and resubmitted prior to Sep. 20. Some items missing from applications included hardware specifications and full disclosure of all third-party vendors and service providers working in association with each casino. There is no word on whether these delays will affect the Nov. 23 launch date.

No. 4 — Treasure Island Partners for Nevada Online Poker

Treasure Island, which has partnered with 888 Holdings for its upcoming Nevada online poker site, announced a marketing partnership last week with Golden Gaming. With three Nevada casinos and 40 taverns, Golden Gaming can offer greater liquidity for Treasure Island, as the online poker business can be marketed through the Golden Gaming establishments and to its customers around the state. Golden Gaming will then share in the gaming revenues with Treasure Island and 888.

The agreement was given preliminary approval by the Nevada Gaming Control Board last week, and the Nevada Gaming Commission is then expected to sign off on the final agreement on Sep. 26. The partnership would then be in full effect upon the launch of the Treasure Island online poker site. There is currently no date set for its appearance on the Nevada virtual poker scene, though it is expected to push for a 2013 entry.

No. 5 — Lock Poker Situation Worsens, if Possible

Online Poker Report posted a new update via the Two Plus Two forum and member IHasTehNutz, who has been tracking Lock Poker cashouts for quite a few months. It was already known that Lock Poker cashouts are many months past due for most players, but it seems that the timetable has gotten even worse. In the last week of August into the first week of September, the latest report showed that pending cashouts increased, Western Union cashouts went from 7 days to 142 days, check wait times increased from 159 to 164, and the oldest pending check request is from December 2012. In addition, the worth of Lock Poker dollars has decreased from $.70 in January to $20.4 cents in August.

The most recent online poker payment processing report released by Poker Affiliate Solutions this weekend showed that Lock Poker and Juicy Stakes continue to receive "F" grades with regard to payouts for U.S. customers. Cashouts for players range from four to 11 months, and many requests have not even been addressed by the company in long periods of time.

No. 6 — Caesars Claims WSOP.com Ready for Launch

Late last week, Caesars Interactive Entertainment notified some in the poker media to participate in a conference call on Monday, Sep. 16 for a special announcement regarding the much-anticipated launch of WSOP.com in Nevada. The call will include CEO Mitch Garber, Executive Director Ty Stewart, Head of Poker Bill Rini, and Vice President Seth Palansky, complete with a question-and-answer period after the audio presentation.

As this update is being typed, it has been revealed that WSOP.com will launch on Sept. 19. Offerings will include hold'em, Omaha, and stud games, as well as a Mac-friendly client and VIP program that ties in with the Caesars Total Rewards system.

No. 7 — Rumors Mostly Dismissed of Google Takeover of bwin.party

Rumors surfaced last week that Google was considering the acquisition of bwin.party. It was initially reported by that Google would pay 200p per share, which was nearly twice the closing share on Thursday, the day that the rumor surfaced. The implications were immediately examined by many in the poker media, as the integration of an online poker company with YouTube and other Google products could have astounding effects on the industry.

Not much credence was given to the rumor after the fact, and many have dismissed it as simple wishful thinking. Even so, the bwin.party stock price saw a bit of a reprieve from recent stumbles, and the mere idea that bwin.party would be considered for such a takeover has given a new outlook to the company that continues to struggle on many fronts.