On Saturday, the CEREUS Network announced that its two cornerstone rooms, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker, have introduced 7-Deuce Hold’em. The unique twist on an old favorite has players from around the online poker world buzzing.

The game that “takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master,” to quote the great World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton, has received a facelift on Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. Starting on Sunday, players can challenge 7- Deuce Hold’em. In order to take their place at a 7-Deuce table, players must pay a side bet ranging from one-and-a-half to two times the big blind. The amount depends on whether a table is four-max, six-max, or a full nine-player ring game. The side bet pays out whenever a player seated takes down a pot with the worst starting hand in No Limit Texas Hold’em, 7-2.

Ultimate Bet front man Phil Hellmuth, an 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, commented in a press release about the newest addition to Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker: “The 7-2 side pot adds an adrenaline-pumping element to Hold’em that you need to experience to believe. I once bluffed Mike Matusow off of two kings with 7-2 as my hole cards. Everyone at the table was floored, but I was on top of the world after collecting $500 for pulling it off with the worst hand in poker. Now, this awesome side pot game is available online at Ultimate Bet and Hold’em will never be the same again.”

Tables may see an increased level of bluffing given the new 7-Deuce side bet. At the very least, the addition of 7-2 online poker games on Ultimate Bet may attract a few newcomers to the site for Sunday’s 25 Seat Aruba Super Satellite, which kicks off at 17:30 ET and features a $530 buy-in. The 2009 Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic will start on October 3rd from the picturesque island. The $5,500 buy-in Main Event begins two days later and crowns a champion on October 10th. Last year, Matt Brady claimed the title and pocketed $1 million for his efforts.

For players whose Sunday is booked up, another 25 Seat Aruba Super Satellite tournament will play out on August 30th. On September 13th, players will have one last chance to satellite their way into the annual Aruba Poker Classic, as 50 seats will be on the line. Each package is worth $8,500, which consists of the $5,500 Main Event buy-in plus $3,000 to use for travel, accommodations, and other expenses. Weekly, Ultimate Bet hosts a three package guarantee on Sundays with a $530 buy-in, a one package guarantee on Tuesdays with a $215 buy-in, and a $109 rebuy that guarantees one package and takes place each Wednesday.

In May, Ultimate Bet’s developers rolled out ante games, which typically feature increased action due to larger pot sizes pre-flop. In ante games, each player must pay an ante in addition to the traditional small blind and big blind. Last week, the online poker site eradicated the use of nicknames and added a level of security to player-to-player funds transfers. Now, players can automatically approve or block transfers from fellow Ultimate Bet members.

According to the traffic ranking site PokerScout.com, the CEREUS Network sits as the seventh largest worldwide with a seven-day running average of 1,840 real money ring game players. At its peak, which occurs during the evening hours throughout North America, nearly 3,000 players call the Network home. At the time of writing, which is 1:30am ET early Saturday morning, a healthy 2,406 players are competing on the virtual felts of the Tokwiro-owned online poker rooms. Check out 7-Deuce No Limit Hold’em games today on Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker.

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