Thursday, May 8, 2008

Average Contributed Method

The average contributed method of calculation of MGR or rakeback is dependent on the contributions made by the player. Under this method a player has to be dealt with and he also has to make contribution to the pot in some way.

The formula is: MGR = amount raked in the pot / number of players who contributed to the pot.

For example if there are only 5 players who are dealt with and only 3 contribute to the pot and theamount raked is $3 then each contributed player will get = $1 that is $3/3.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Yahoo Tests Google Search Ads: A Search Rivalry

A Monthlong Magnification of Google: the Company, the Technologies, and the Extracurricular Activities

With over 66% of US search volume (1), Google is clearly the dominant player in search. And, though Google has more than three times the search volume of Yahoo, their closest competitor has managed to hang on to their competitive status despite Google's enormous growth. On April 9, 2008, Yahoo announced that it will be testing Google's web search ads on Yahoo's own search service (2). So, what does this mean for Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and users?

The Yahoo-Google Test

In what has been discussed as an attempt to push Microsoft to raise its bid to purchase Yahoo, Yahoo has agreed to a two-week test of Google's search ads. Yahoo will serve Google search ads to approximately 3% of the users on Yahoo's own search services. Though there is no comment from Google or Yahoo on the likelihood of this becoming a larger scale or longer term deal, analysts and sources seem to think a more permanent agreement would be good for Yahoo:More Details>>

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Microsoft Gives Yahoo Ultimatum on Buyout Offer

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer tells Yahoo's board he wants to complete a purchase deal by the end of April. Or else they will go right to shareholders.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer lowered the boom on Yahoo April 5, telling the company that if the two companies can't come to a decision regarding Microsoft's $31 per share purchase offer within three weeks, it will take its offer directly to Yahoo's shareholders.
Ballmer offered the ultimatum, which signals the beginning of a proxy fight, in a letter sent to Yahoo's board Saturday, an unusual move for a dialogue that has been conducted throughout the course of the business week.
The letter comes after Microsoft and Yahoo have held casual but fruitless negotiations regarding Microsoft's offer, which was worth $44.6 billion when it was first made Feb. 1, but has sunk to about $42 billion due to decline in both company's shares.http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Search/Microsoft-Gives-Yahoo-Ultimatum-on-Buyout-Offer/.More Details>>

Yahoo, Google To Test Alliance

In the test scheduled to begin this week, search queries entered by Yahoo customers will return results generated by Yahoo as before, but the ads running alongside the results will be provided by Google.
Google's expertise in serving ads with its own search results is the source of its riches, and its agreement with Yahoo, if expanded, could improve Yahoo's lagging financial performance. Yahoo will receive a share of the revenue generated from the ads. Google already provides a similar service for the search engine Ask.com.
The tentative partnership comes as a $44.6 billion buyout bid from Microsoft has pressured Yahoo to improve its financial position. More Details>>

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Yahoo Shares May Fall After Microsoft Threatens to Lower Bid

April 7 (Bloomberg) -- Yahoo! Inc., the Internet company that snubbed a $44.6 billion takeover bid from Microsoft Corp., may drop in Nasdaq trading after the software maker threatened to cut its bid if directors fail to give in soon.
If Yahoo's directors refuse to negotiate a deal within three weeks, Microsoft plans to nominate a board slate and take its case to investors, Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said April 5 in a statement. He suggested the deal's value might decline if Microsoft has to take those steps. April 7 (Bloomberg) -- Yahoo! Inc., the Internet company that snubbed a $44.6 billion takeover bid from Microsoft Corp., may drop in Nasdaq trading after the software maker threatened to cut its bid if directors fail to give in soon.
If Yahoo's directors refuse to negotiate a deal within three weeks, Microsoft plans to nominate a board slate and take its case to investors, Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said April 5 in a statement. He suggested the deal's value might decline if Microsoft has to take those steps. More Details>>