America’s most popular e-wallet of choice makes a return to the online poker industry. In other news, it seems like poker’s power couple, Kevin MacPhee and Liv Boeree, have put an end to their relationship.

Neteller Returns

After six years of banishment, the e-wallet most preferred by most Americans called Neteller made a planned return to the online poker scene. With its quick and easy fund transfers from bank to poker accounts or vice versa, players are anticipating its comeback.

Most Americans used this payment method during the online poker boom in the early 2000s, so a lot of its players’ funds were frozen once the U.S. government apprehended its Canadian founders upon the enactment of the UIGEA in 2007.

Later that year, the company and the government reached a settlement where a penalty of $136 million was enforced, at the same time restricting its transactions to the European and Asian markets. Along with the settlement, the funds were then released to its awaiting customers. Neteller officially exited the U.S. market in July 2007.

This year, Neteller’s parent company, Optimal Payments, teamed up with Las Vegas’ casino giant, Caesars Interactive Entertainment, to be of service yet again to the American community. Aside from that, the company is also looking into partnerships with other casino merchants. In light of the online poker legalization in states such as Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, Neteller looks forward to serving the online community for another market boom.

According to CEO and Optimal Payment’s president Joel Leonoff, the online poker industry is expected to flourish in 2014. However, as of the moment, Leonoff isn’t ruling out the possibility of federal legislation which he calls online gambling’s “holy grail”.

Despite Neteller’s history between the U.S. Department of Justice, Leonoff is convinced that the company still retains a very reputable and well-regarded image in the country.

Kevin MacPhee and Liv Boeree Split Up

On Tuesday, March 19, 2013, the Twitter world was stirred by several tweets from American poker player, Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee, announcing his breakup with fellow poker pro and long-time girlfriend Liv Boeree. MacPhee, clearly nursing a broken heart, aired out his frustrations about their relationship on the social media platform.

Kevin was disappointed when Liv booked a flight to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day, leaving him home alone. Upon her return, MacPhee was thrown further into a deeper emotional turmoil when Boeree broke up with him.

This actually isn’t the couple’s first break up. Back in the summer of 2012, Boeree left MacPhee for Galen Hall, another poker player. However, it wasn’t long before the couple reconciled and got back together.

This time around, Kevin has been edged out of Liv’s heart by the Polish rock star Wocjiech Lozowski. An obviously hurt MacPhee lashed out about Boeree’s new boyfriend by tweeting “@TheMightyWozz is the next @galenhall”.

MacPhee and Boeree had first met at the NAPT Bounty Shootout in Los Angeles where they had a head-to-head match. A hand of ace tens versus pockets sevens would usually lead to a bad end for poker players but, as fate would have it, MacPhee and Boeree’s intense heads-up game was to have a different twist. Seated next to each other, both of them played their hands pre-flop, eventually shoving the last of their chips, with Kevin winning the pot and cashing in 9th place. Whereas the event was coming to an end, Kevin and Liv’s love story was just beginning.

A week after the tournament ended, Kevin and some friends flew to Barcelona and visited the Gaudi Cathedral. Coincidentally, Liv was also visiting the church with a group of her friends. They then formed one big group and went sightseeing together.

The couple dined together and tore up the clubs on Thanksgiving Day after which they started going out. A few weeks later, both Kevin and Liv travelled to Prague together. Fate once again played a huge role in bringing them closer and putting their relationship in fast forward as MacPhee’s flight for Idaho was cancelled, giving him no other option but to spend Christmas with the Boerees. After only a month of dating, the relationship had taken a huge leap as Kevin met Liv’s family for the first time.

At the early stages of the relationship, the couple was practically inseparable. Even with Boeree living in London and MacPhee relocating in Canada, they always found time to be together through travelling to tournaments.

“I do miss him when we’re not together though,” said Liv. “So we try to keep that to a minimum.”

Nevertheless, all of that sweetness has now been wiped off and a storm of emotions has taken over. A few of MacPhee’s followers warned him about publicly airing out his emotions on Twitter, however, the hurting poker pro defended his decision with another one of his tweets.

Despite the blatant display of Kevin’s emotions on Twitter, Liv ignored every single tweet that was meant for her. The last tweet she posted on that same day was of her congratulating her cousin Amanda for giving birth to her nephew.

Which poker couple is your favorite? Have you ever used Neteller?