The pending deal between Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars is close to completion, according to several rumors from industry insiders. An announcement is expected to be made already this week.

Full Tilt Poker CEO and co-founder Ray Bitar was released on bail on Monday morning. The bail will see Bitar post $2.5 million in assurances, as he returns to his California home to await trial.

Ray Bitar has reiterated claims that repayment of Full Tilt Poker players remains a top priority for the insolvent company. Surrendering to U.S. authorities is the "first step" of the process, Bitar said.

Full Tilt Poker CEO Ray Bitar has been arrested in the U.S. after surrendering to U.S. authorities on Monday. Bitar will now face trial in New York for his role as a key responsible for the demise of Full Tilt Poker.

Gus Hansen has said that he does not believe that Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson did anything to deliberately cheat Full Tilt Players. The two may have neglected their responsibilities, but did nothing on purpose, Hansen said.

Mike Matusow has placed himself in the limelight once again with a number of controversial declarations. This time, "The Mouth" has fired against online poker sites, claiming that they are run by "a bunch a criminals."

Justin Bonomo has been hit hard by Black Friday and the shutdown of Full Tilt Poker. If Full Tilt Poker pays out its players, he stands to doubling his net worth, he has revealed in a new interview.

Tom "durrrr" Dwan remains committed to the cause of seeing players get their money back from Full Tilt Poker. If the site does go bust, he will stay true to his promise and pay back his sponsorship money, he says in a new interview.

Mike "The Mouth" Matusow has been keeping a low profile since Black Friday and the demise of Full Tilt Poker. In a new interview, the former Full Tilt pro once again claims his innocence and says he was "thrown under the bus."

PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and the Department of Justice are reported to have reached an agreement on paying back Full Tilt Poker players after a recent court hearing. An announcement will be made at the end of this month, the report says.

Tom "durrrr" Dwan has blasted against his former sponsors from Full Tilt Poker. In a new interview, the internet sensation calls the management's handling of the Black Friday situation "completely ridiculous".

A leaked email to Pocket Kings employees in Dublin indicates that Laurent Tapie is not completely done with the online poker industry. In the mail, Tapie claims that he now aims to launch a brand new brand if he can get the support of former FTP key staff.

Groupe Bernard Tapie lawyer Benham Dayanim has denied allegations that the investor group was hesitant in finalizing the takeover of Full Tilt Poker. The group was prepared to move ahead but was obstructed by the DoJ, Dayanim claims.

Rumors from the past few days that PokerStars is taking over Full Tilt Poker are in fact true, industry insider blog Wicked Chops Poker claims. The $750 million prize tag is also reported to be correct.

The AGCC has today announced that Full Tilt Poker subsidiary Orinic Limited has withdrawn its application for a Category 2 gambling license. The withdrawal comes after Groupe Bernard Tapie failed its bid to take over Full Tilt Poker.

Rumors that PokerStars is lining up a takeover bid for Full Tilt Poker are spreading across the Internet. The reports for now remain unconfirmed by any reliable source.

Groupe Bernard Tapie has just issued a press release, confirming that the pending takeover deal of Full Tilt Poker has fallen through. The investor group cites unresolvable differences with the DOJ as the reason for the deal's collapse.

Daniel "jungleman12" Cates has added new fuel to the Full Tilt Poker rumor mill after he sent out a cryptic tweet last night. Cates claims to have "promising news" regarding Full Tilt, but keeps the information to himself for now.

The Alderney Gaming Control Commission has announced that it will be hosting a hearing to review a gaming license application from a Full Tilt Poker subsidiary. The hearing will take place on May 3, 2012.

More clues continue to pile up as Full Tilt Poker's relaunch seems to be getting closer by the day. According to government records, the site has recently registered two new subsidiaries in Malta.

A group of poker players have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of players who have still to receive their money from Full Tilt Poker. The lawsuit targets Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer and is the second of its kind to be filed by the group.

Full Tilt Poker continues to advertise for new employees to join the Pocket Kings headquarters in Dublin. 10 new job offerings have been listed on a Dublin-based networking site, including positions in software development and payment processing.

A subsidiary of Full Tilt Poker, Orinic Limited, has applied for a new gaming license with the Alderney Gaming Control Commission. The application is the strongest indication yet that Full Tilt is on its way to relaunch.

Chris Ferguson has been given extra time to respond to the charges brought against him as part of the Black Friday indictments. Ferguson will now have until May 14th to decide how to react in his case.

A New York Judge has ordered prosecutors to explain why they allowed John Campos to plea guilty to a misdemeanor charge to avoid his case going to court. The case will now go on hold until June 27.

U.S. banker and online payment processor John Campos pled guilty to one misdemeanor charge yesterday in the ongoing Black Friday proceedings. Campos can now look forward to avoiding a long jail sentence.

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission has today published the findings of an independent review of the commission's conduct in the Full Tilt Poker scandal. The report describes the AGCC's actions in the case as "appropriate".

Industry rumors claim that Groupe Bernard Tapie's takeover bid for Full Tilt Poker is "a done deal". An unnamed source also claims Laurent Tapie has moved to Dublin to oversee the business himself.

Full Tilt Poker seems to be moving increasingly closer to a relaunch already within this month. The company is according to industry whispers working hard to prepare a reopening of business and the repayment of the site's many European players.

Groupe Bernard Tapie is expecting to close the acquisition agreement with Full Tilt Poker by the end of next week, sources close to the matter say. The takeover would mean a reopening of the site in the near future.

A UK private equity firm is rumored to be interested in buying the Full Tilt Poker software if a takeover deal with Groupe Bernard Tapie falls through. The rumors for now remain unconfirmed.

Ray Bitar has spoken publicly for the first time since the closure of Full Tilt Poker. The Full Tilt boss sends his apologies to the online poker community and claims to be working hard to find a solution for the company.

Groupe Bernard Tapie and Full Tilt Poker are still on track to close a deal, GBT attorney Behnam Dayanim has revealed. The parties now hope that a takeover can be concluded within the next weeks.

Daniel Negreanu has published another video blog as a response to Doyle Brunson's recent defense of the Full Tilt board. Friendships aside, Negreanu says, there is still no excuse for the board's handling of the Black Friday scandal.

Doyle Brunson has published a blog update in which he issues a number of statements on the ongoing Full Tilt Poker debacle. Brunson among other things defends former Full Tilt boss Howard Lederer's role in the scandal.

Matt Glanz has published a new blog, declaring that he can no longer defend the actions of Full Tilt Poker. Glantz has been a long-time friend of FTP, but says he now feels "ashamed" and "embarrassed" with the site.

Groupe Bernard Tapie's takeover of Full Tilt Poker is still alive and ongoing, says the group's lawyer, Benham Dayanim. "Substantial hurdles" however still remain before the deal can be closed.

Mike "The Mouth" Matusow is among the 19 pros who Groupe Bernard Tapie claims owe Full Tilt Poker money. Matusow, however, denies to be in debt to the troubled site.

Sources close to Groupe Bernard Tapie have revealed that the investor group expects to re-open Full Tilt Poker in March. The site will be rebranded and will obtain a Nevada online gambling license, according to rumors.

Laurent Tapie has confirmed that several pro players' debt to Full Tilt Poker could mean a serious obstacle to Groupe Bernard Tapie's takeover plans. A total of 19 pros will need to pay a combined $16.5 million to Full Tilt, Tapie says.

Additional details about a number of poker pros' debts to Full Tilt Poker have emerged today. Anonymous sources claim that Phil Ivey and Erick Lindgren owe the company $4 million each.

A number of pros still owe substantial amounts of money to Full Tilt Poker. If the money doesn't come in, it could jeopardize the deal, says investor group Groupe Bernard Tapie.

Reports that Chris "Jesus" Ferguson would be prepared to try to impede the Full Tilt Poker takeover deal are not true, Laurent Tapie has said. The deal continues to move forward with Ferguson's support, he adds.

Full Tilt Poker has agreed to terms with the U.S. DoJ in a deal that will allow Groupe Bernard Tapie to buy all of FTP's forfeited assets. The Tapie Group now hopes to have Full Tilt Poker open again "by March".

Tom "durrrr" Dwan has given his first in-depth interview since Black Friday last year. The former Team Full Tilt pro reveals that he is planning to move abroad in order to once again be able to play online.

Full Tilt co-founder Chris "Jesus" Ferguson is fighting to get back $14.3 million he lent the company after Black Friday. Ferguson, who already withdrew around $80 million in dividends from FTP, has threatened to impede the pending deal with the DoJ and Groupe Bernard Tapie if the matter isn't settled.

Phil Ivey is among the chip leaders of the 2012 Aussie Millions Main Event as the tournament goes into Day 2. The former Team Full Tilt pro is currently third in chips with a 300,000 stack.

Gus Hansen has reached Australia, where he plans to play in the Aussie Millions. The Danish pro reveals that he has his eyes set on the biggest events of the series, including both the $10,000 Main Event and the $250,000 Super High Roller.

Rumors about an imminent comeback from Tom "durrrr" Dwan have been circulating since the online star was spotted in Sydney with his girlfriend, Erica. Dwan's appearance in Sydney could mean that he will be playing in the ongoing Aussie Millions.