Merge re-opens to the US, DoylesRoom is dead, Genting Poker voluntarily blocks countries and PartyPoker gets the Mac treatment.

Rumors were flying this week that Merge Gaming would once again accept new players from the US, and yesterday these rumors were confirmed as the doors quietly opened up to American signups. It has been over four months since the Australian based network made the surprising announcement to temporarily close to new US signups, much longer than the four to six week estimate originally made on June 3. That statement cited rapid growth and the inability to maintain high customer service standards as reasons for the temporary shutdown.

With this announcement, Merge reclaims the position as the largest online poker operator accepting new US signups, overtaking Bodog and Cake Poker. Not all Merge rooms are going along with this announcement, but some that have confirmed include Black Chip, Carbon Poker and RPM Poker.It is the perfect time to check out our deals!

Note that residents of New York, Washington, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, DC and Missouri are still prohibited as per the May 14 and May 24 statements due to strict state gaming laws.

In other Merge news, PokerView made a sudden and unexpected move from Everleaf to the Merge Network on September 13 with little notice. PokerView is best known for its webcam only support and is licensed by the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA).

Also affecting US players was Wednesday’s announcement regarding the acquisition of DoylesRoom by America’s Card Room (ACR). ACR was a popular card room that originally launched in 2001 but left the market in 2006 due to the Unlawful Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). ACR returned last month on Yatahay’s network, which not coincidentally is the same network DoylesRoom was part of. It was only this past May when Doyle Brunson cut ties with his namesake poker room, choosing to sit on the sidelines until online poker is legalized in the US.

iPoker skin Genting Poker announced this week they are pulling out of Canada, Spain, Germany, Russia, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Norway and Poland. The UK based casino group has yet to give an explanation for their decision.

And finally good news for Mac owners, PartyPoker has just released their first Mac poker client.