Will PA Poker Players Soon Be Competing For WSOP Circuit Rings?

Pennsylvania online poker players waited a long 17-plus months for a second and third operator. Now it looks as if they’ll get a fourth.

Borgata and BetMGM Poker sites launched in PA on April. 29, finally ending the PokerStars PA monopoly. And looks as though a WSOP.com PA launch is imminent.

In a Q1 trading update on April 28, 888 Holdings CEO Itai Pazner said:

“We are excited about the US, where we plan to roll out sports into further states in the next few months, and launch our upgraded poker platform into further states in partnership with Caesars and their leading and hugely popular WSOP brand.”

During their Q1 investor call, Pazner confirmed plans to launch poker in two additional states very soon.

“We’re planning to launch in the first half of this year, which basically means in the next couple of months.”

That timeline would mean players in PA, as well as Michigan, could have a WSOP.com site live by the end of June. As for these states sharing player pools with WSOP sites in other jurisdictions, don’t expect any swift movement.

Disclaimer: While a May or June launch is possible, delays on this particular site launching are not unusual, so don’t plan your summer around it just yet. We will continue to update as more information is available.

PA ready to join the ring race at WSOP.com

A WSOP.com launch will be welcome news for PA poker players, who have sat on the sidelines for months as their neighbors in New Jersey enjoyed exciting WSOP Online Circuit events.

In 2015, WSOP added online bracelet events to the live WSOP schedule, which takes place every summer in Las Vegas. When COVID-19 led to the summer festival’s cancelation, Caesars decided to host a full online bracelet series, and another this summer before the live WSOP series in the fall.

Also in response to virus concerns and live poker challenges, Caesars took its popular WSOP Circuit events fully online. The first WSOP Online Circuit event took place in Sept. 2018. But starting in 2020, monthly online festivals for players in the Nevada and NJ markets replaced live regional series.

The 2021 WSOP Online Circuit includes 12 series, one each month. Eight of the festivals would offer 12 ring events while four “Super Circuit” feature an expanded 18 ring events.

The Jan. 6 presser also mentioned, “An additional 13th online circuit event is earmarked pending launch of the WSOP.COM service in a newly regulated market.” Which many took to believe a PA launch was impending.

This month is the Caesars Atlantic City Super Circuit, running May 8-25.

Shared liquidity coming for PA and MI, but when?

While PA and MI players could very well be competing for Circuit rings soon, they’ll be doing so within their ring-fenced states. Neither state has joined any interstate poker compact, like the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) that exists between NV, NJ, and Delaware.

This could change in the near future, with Michigan most likely to join ahead of PA.

Pennsylvania regulators have been cautious when it comes to uncertainty around Wire Act legislation and litigation. But recent developments including a Jan. 2021 decision in favor of the New Hampshire Lottery provide signs of resolution, which is what it will take for PA to move toward compacting.

A PGCB spokesperson told PlayPennsylvania this week:

“It is still not clear whether the DOJ will pursue an appeal to the Supreme Court of the First Circuit decision regarding interstate gambling. Until there is some finality of the federal decision and whether there will be an appeal of that ruling, that stymies moving forward since a compact would involve a contract with other states and must adhere to federal law, and any agreement like this must be reviewed by other entities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. So, it is not just a PGCB decision. Also, the poker operators need to agree to the provisions of any agreement.”

The window for such an appeal by the DOJ is closing. But don’t expect PA to pool players with other states ahead of this summer’s 2021 WSOP Online bracelet series.

WSOP PA next up in expanding Pennsylvania poker market

The addition of WSOP.com to a growing Pennsylvania online poker market is an exciting prospect. Players will have more options for games and tournaments, solid welcome bonuses and promotions, and soon, bigger player pools and prize pools.

Plus, the PA WSOP site will roll out on 888’s fresh, upgraded Poker 8 client. Either the PA or MI market will be the first stateside to launch the newly designed platform. Other US markets will eventually transition to it as well.

But perhaps what PA players are most excited for is being able to compete for coveted WSOP Circuit rings, and eventually WSOP bracelets, without trekking to NJ and crashing on a friend’s couch.

Lead image credit: AP Photo/John Locher

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PASCOOP Exceeds Guarantee by 30% at PokerStars; ‘Kingboss93’ Prediction Comes True In Main Even

The Pennsylvania Spring Championship of Online Poker (PASCOOP) wrapped up recently at PokerStars. The series produced nice numbers, paying out $2.6 million – a 30% increase over the $2 million guarantee.

The series saw more than 47,000 entries across 41 events and featured three-buy-in levels.

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Inside the PokerStars PASCOOP numbers

Turnout remains high for online poker in Pennsylvania. Players continue to head to PokerStars for major series and that continued with PASCOOP.

The two-day PASCOOP Main Event High ended on May 3 and attracted 1,015 entries. That produced a total prize pool of $284,200, a hefty bump to the $200,000 guarantee.

In the end, “Kingboss93” took the top spot for $46,410 after predicting his victory earlier this year. In April, Kingboss93 placed second in PokerStars’ Pennsyl-Mania tournament.

Upon being congratulated on Twitter, King predicted the PASCOOP win.

Beyond the Main Event, PASCOOP featured two important firsts for PokerStars in Pennsylvania. The series included three buy-in tiers for the first time – High, Medium, and Low.

The approach helped provide opportunities for players of all bankrolls to compete. The series also included a $2,000 high roller event for the first time.

That event garnered 53 entries and awarded a $100,700 prize pool. Pariszoo11” came out on top for $16,970.

Some other PASCOOP winners

This year’s PASCOOP featured two other main events as well. “fubadbeatbob” won the $75 “mid” event for $9,380 and “s3agoat1” took down the $30 “mini” for $4,485.

The series also produced several doubles winners. Here’s a look at those who claimed two PASCOOP trophies:

  • ActuallLy
  • CancelChristmas
  • garbanzoprince
  • hunterm
  • iamsmirk
  • jbrink22
  • KAP1316
  • RealizeRealLies
  • ThisRealLife?

Three players even topped that feat – scoring a triple scoop this year. ChrundleTheGr8, thewhitesmith, and waltsnotdeadyet all scored three trophies.

Mark Foresta

PokerStars recently announced the signing of two PA-based poker streams. Both Mark “naigo1” Foresta and Kevin “whoopsboom” Becker made multiple final tables. Each also came close to winning a title.

Foresta finished third in the $300 Super Tuesday (Event 26-H). Fellow Stars ambassador Jennifer Shahade also took ninth.

Keith Becker

Becker recorded two third-place finishes and a runner-up in $200 Eigh-Max, Turbo PKO (Event #33-M). It was a nice series for PokerStars’ newest team members.

SCOOP gears up in MI, NJ

The PokerStars SCOOP action now heads to Michigan and New Jersey. The action runs May 8-24 with more than $3 million guaranteed between the two.

In Michigan, players will find $2 million in guaranteed prize pools across more than 120 events. New Jersey players can look for $1.2 million across more than 100 events.

The series feature a variety of tournaments and buy-in levels to suit all bankrolls. Both are highlighted by $300 Main Events set for May 23-24.

The MISCOOP Main Event features a $200,000 guarantee with NJSCOOP awarding $100,000.

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PokerStars Casino plans Mother’s Day promotion

With Mothers Day set for Sunday, PokerStars Casino is offering some extra fun this weekend for those in Pennsylvania and Michigan. The Mother’s Day Race allows players to climb the leaderboard to win cash prizes just for playing the games they enjoy.

In all, 400 players will earn a top prize of $1,000. Races are free to enter and add extra excitement with more opportunities to win.

Casino Races are available across a range of slots or live casino games. Players can opt in and register at any time via the Casino Races lobby or widget. The widget appears in-game when a race becomes available.

Once registered, players simply make winning bets in any eligible games to earn leaderboard points. Points are awarded at a rate of 10 points per net $0.01 won.

★★★ Looking to get in the PokerStars action? Click here for a complete site review and exclusive USPoker bonus offers. Click here for a review of PokerStars Casino and exclusive bonus offers. ★★★

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Hellmuth Goes Five in a Row With Second-Straight Win Over Negreanu on PokerGO’s ‘High Stakes Duel’

High Stakes Duel II brought about some changes on Wednesday night o PokerGO. Gone was the red jacket for Daniel Negreanu, replaced by a camouflage jacket as he prepared for some poker warfare. 

Phil Hellmuth brought a more modest package of Sour Patch Kids to the table. He also acknowledged he’d be bringing a new approach right out of the gate.

“It’s going to be a little different battle today Daniel,” Hellmuth noted in the first few hands.

Negreanu planned on bringing a few strategy alterations as well but was ready to adjust. In the end, Hellmuth found the winner’s circle yet again – making it five wins in a row on the show.

Hellmuth has now topped Antonio Esfandiari three times and Negreanu twice. Getting to number five wasn’t easy however, in a day tat featured some swings.

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Hellmuth takes an early lead

Both players started the event with 100,000 chips and escalating blinds. Hellmuth and Negreanu came into the event with plenty of accusations and trash talk flying. Hellmuth took a slight lead after catching three of a kind with 96♦. After calling a preflop raise, the board brought 9♦9♣2♣.

Hellmuth checked and Negreanu fired with 8♦2♦. Hellmuth called with an 8♥ coming on the river. Negreanu bet 1,500 before Hellmuth raised to 4,500.

After a fold, Hellmuth picked up 9,000 to take a lead. The early stages saw Hellmuth catch several nice hands to build his lead. 

“Missed some draws so far, going to connect eventually,” Kid Poker noted.

Things seemed to be going the 15-time World Series of Poker champion’s way. Just after that statement, Negreanu raised with Ace-Queen and Hellmuth called with King-Jack.

A King and Jack hit the flop and Hellmuth slow played the hand all the way through. Hellmuth raked the pot but may have missed out on some extra chips. He found himself up about 26,000 chips by the first 20 minutes into the duel.

Negreanu score full house over full house 

Meal time has become a major part of any televised Hellmuth appearance lately. After a Sour Patch snack, Hellmuth broke out a bag apparently with a meal inside, forking out a few bites.

His mid-match snacking drew plenty of laughs from Negreanu. With a full belly, he quickly got back to the action – snagging second pair and taking another pot.

Hellmuth just seemed to be catching hand after hand, but Negreanu soon found a nice pot of his own. Both players saw a flop of Q♠8♦4♥ and Negreanu fired 1,200 with Q♣J♦.

With 8♠6♣, Hellmuth immediately made it 3,700 with middle pair. After a call from Negreanu, the turn brought quite an interesting Q♦. Both players checked.

The 8♣ on the river made things even more interesting – giving both players a full house. Negreanu bet 6,600 and Hellmuth simply called.

The 22,400-chip pot erased much of Negreanu’s deficit. Hellmuth led by 14,000 just short of the hour mark.

Negreanu followed that up with a nice call holding King-Two with a deuce on board to Hellmuth’s Ace-high. A few hands later, Negreanu’s pocket Jacks turned into a set on the flop with Hellmuth catching two pairs on the river with 6♥4♥.

With a board of 6♦10♣3♣J♥4♦, Negreanu clicked back with another 15,000 – swelling the pot to 81,400. That brought a few curses from Hellmuth.

After some tanking, Hellmuth called and Negreanu fought back to a 3-to-1 chip advantage with the 96,000-chip pot.

Phil turns pesky to rally

Already with one comeback under his belt against Negreanu, Hellmuth needed another one. He scratched and clawed to accumulate chips.

At about the 90-minute mark, he took down a small pot with a rivered straight to Negreanu’s top pair. He checked to set a trap, however, with his opponent checking behind.

Again, Hellmuth may have missed out on a few more chips. He then broke out a bag of cashews to munch on, giving new meaning to the “nuts” in poker.

He continued raking some pots, mixing in an occasional bluff. As commentator Nick Schulman noted, “Phil is pesky.”

That peskiness had him gain traction, but a pot near the two-hour mark hurt. Hellmuth caught top pair with his King-Eight and Negreanu middle pair with Queen-Eight.

However both players checked the flop and turn. A Queen then landed on the river, giving Negreanu three of a kind. Hellmuth bet 1,800 with Negreanu calling to win 6,600.

Negreanu then seemed to take the big pots with his opponent taking the smaller ones. Toward the midpoint of the match, once hand stood out and seemed to spur Hellmuth back into the match.

After a Negreanu raise to 1,500 with Q♣8♦, Hellmuth called with K♠2♠. Both players checked with a flop of 3♦6♣8♣ and saw the 3♠ on the turn. Hellmuth bet 700 and Negreanu called.

The 10♣ fell on the river and Hellmuth made a hefty 3,200 bet. Negreanu went into the tank with numerous possibilities on the board. He used a time extension as Hellmuth stayed quiet.

“This would be very easy in normal circumstances, but this is Phil Hellmuth,” Negreanu said.

He eventually folded and Hellmuth raked the pot. Later, Hellmuth hit two pairs on the river to beat Negreanu’s Ace-King with an Ace on the turn.

The Poker Brat found pocket Aces the next hand, but ultimately folded after a big raise on the river by Negreanu. The big moves continued throughout the match.

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Hellmuth surges late, but lead swings back to Kid Poker

By the three-hour mark, Hellmuth moved ahead. He landed some key hands and took advantage of a few of his opponent’s bluffs.

Another hand saw Hellmuth pick up pocket Aces for the fourth time in the match. Along with some nice hands, Hellmuth also played well.

That lead wasn’t secure, however, and the lead swung back and forth a bit. But Hellmuth stayed tenacious, mixing in some big moves.

A huge hand developed just before the fourth hour that saw Negreanu land quad Fours to Hellmuth’s full house. Hellmuth held pocket Deuces with three Fours hitting the flop.

Hellmuth eventually folded on the river, but his opponent raked a big pot. Negreanu held a nice lead again while his opponent was muttering and cursing.

Despite that, Hellmuth leveled the chip stacks after about four and a half hours. The event featured plenty of lead changes, which continued down the stretch.

In the end, the stacks were deep late in the match with Helmuth up about 25,000 close to the five-hour mark. It seemed as if it would take one or two massive hands to end the match.

That’s just what happened. Hellmuth raised to 14,000 with 10♦2♦ and Negreanu called with 9♦7♦. The flop brought 6♦K♠6♠ and Hellmuth continued with 13,000.

Negreanu called and the turn brought the 8♦, creating flush possibilities for both. Negreanu also picked up an open-end straight draw. Hellmuth again bet out with 28,000.

After thinking a bit, Negreanu called and the river brought a 9♠. Hellmuth immediately announced all in. That brought a quick fold from Negreanu.

Hellmuth’s bluff brought a huge pot and a chip stack of 141,500. The final hand saw Negreanu pick up 8♠8♣ and raise to 4,000. After checking out Negreanu’s stack, Hellmuth shoved with A♥4♣.

“I think it would be pretty outrageously foolish of me to fold this hand,” Kid Poker said.

Indeed, he called with 107,00 chips on the line. The flop then brought J♥9♥9♣. A Jack or an Ace and the match was over. The 6♥ on the turn then gave Hellmuth flush possibilities as well.

The K♥ on the river gave him the flush and Hellmuth won his fifth straight High Stakes Duel. He scored another $100,000 in the process.

“Good job buddy,” Negreanu said while shaking his opponent’s hand. “You played well.”

Inside Hellmuth-Negreanu II

These two players bring plenty of fun to the table. Viewers were treated to Hellmuth rants, Negreanu jokes, and plenty of great poker.

However, the banter between the two seemed to stall out a bit at the end as if both players were frustrated at times.

Overall, PokerGO put on a nice show again. Hellmuth hasn’t received much credit going into these events. But his experience playing in live heads-up, tournament-style matches certainly comes through.

On Thursday, Negreanu faced some social media shade but seemed to take it in stride.

Five wins in a row isn’t easy and he’s shown an ability to finish off opponents who were in trouble. Some of his bluffs really paid off as well on Wednesday.

 Even Negreanu noted that he seemed to play better than in the first match. Not deterred, he seems ready to get back to the action.

Making his exit, Negreanu told Hellmuth: “We’ll have to see you in round three.”

The next match will have both players putting up $100,000 each. With another win, Hellmuth will be looking for a High Stakes Duel six-pack. Maybe the next match’s food spread might include an actual six-pack of beer complementing those Sour Patch Kids.

* Photos courtesy PokerGO

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Wynn Millions Poker Tournament To Fill WSOP Void In Vegas This Summer

Add Wynn Las Vegas’ largest-ever live poker tournament to the list of events flooding back on the Vegas entertainment calendar as COVID-19 restrictions wane.

In the process, the new Wynn Millions event might be able to tide over the scores of poker enthusiasts who migrate to Sin City for the World Series of Poker‘s traditional summer “Main Event” as this year you have to wait until fall for the WSOP to return in person.

At a $10 million guaranteed pool, Wynn Millions will be held as a pinnacle part of the 30-event Wynn Summer Classic series that runs in total from May 27-July 13.

The Millions series will be a no-limit Texas Hold’Em competition held from June 25-July 2.

“In its inaugural year, we expect the Wynn Millions to attract professional and seasoned amateur players from around the world,” Ryan Beauregard, executive director of poker operations at Wynn Las Vegas said in a release. “We’re hopeful that the super-sized guarantee of $10 million emphasizes our goal of making the Wynn Millions a staple event for years to come, adding to our already world class tournament schedule.”

Wynn Las Vegas Poker room (Photo by Barbara Kraft)

Wynn Summer Series features multiple formats

The complete Wynn Summer Classic guarantees more than $16 million in total prize money. Other events in the summer series will utilize pot limit Omaha, Omaha 8 or better and HORSE formats. There will be tourneys available for seniors and women.

The Wynn ran summer series events the last few years to benefit from the spiked interest and foot traffic the World Series of Poker generates at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. This year, however, the WSOP moved its in-person event dates to Sept. 30-Nov. 23, ceding the table to the Wynn.

Buy-in for the Summer Class events is as low as $200.

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If you must wait for the World Series of Poker, here’s the agenda

WSOP’s “Main Event” is expected to run from Nov. 4-17 in Las Vegas.

“This year, more than ever, we embrace our role at the WSOP to deliver memorable experiences and bring this community of poker lovers back together.  In 2021, the theme is, get vaccinated and get back to Vegas,” series executive director Ty Stewart said in a release.

WSOP has again announced an online summer series for domestic and international players. According to a release, the American online poker series paid out nearly $27 million in prizes over 31 events last year. One WSOP international tournament set a Guinness Book of World Record’s mark with a $27.5 million prize pool for one event.

The All-American Poker Network will launch this summer’s online series on July 1.

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Poker With Portnoy? Penn National Beats Q1 Projections, Teases Plans For Barstool Casino Live Dealer Games

Before the crucial but boring financial details from Penn National Gaming’s Q1 earnings announcement Thursday, we bring you big news for Stoolies.

Penn plans to make it possible to interactively bet against Dave Portnoy, Dan “Big Cat” Katz, and others in the Barstool Sports universe.

Play casino games with Portnoy and other Barstool personalities

So shortly after announcing first-quarter results such as net income of $91 million, after reporting a loss the same period a year ago, CEO Jay Snowden spilled the big news. Soon, online casino players will be able to bet against Portnoy, founder of Barstool, of which Penn owns 36%.

Just days ago, PlayPennsylvania told readers Penn is forming a design studio, allowing them to form an in-house content team. Penn is acquiring HitPoint Studios, Inc. and its spun-off real money gaming company, LuckyPoint Inc.

Snowden said Penn is already working on creating a live dealer studio that will allow players to take on Barstool personalities. Playing poker with Portnoy was mentioned. No further details or timeline, but we have a message seeking comment from the company’s spokesman.

In the earnings press release, Snowden emphasized Penn’s unconventional approaches, hinting customers can continue to expect more:

“With a very strong start to 2021, our goal is to continue to disrupt the gaming industry and position Penn National for ongoing growth through unconventional and fresh approaches. The broader acceptance of sports betting and the greater consumer adoption of technology, which was accelerated by the ongoing pandemic, have been some of the key drivers behind our strategic initiatives.

“Looking ahead, I am confident that Penn National will look significantly different in the next three to five years than it does today as we remain committed to breaking from the conventional wisdom in terms of how we operate and engage our customers.”

A strong Q1 for Penn National

So, back to the money matters.

On a per-share basis, the Pennsylvania-based company had a profit of 55 cents. That was well ahead of Wall Street’s expectation, which was just 30 cents per share.

The casino and online gambling operator had revenue of $1.27 billion in the period, surpassing Street forecasts. Analysts had expected $1.14 billion.

Penn National Gaming stock shares have risen nearly 6% since the beginning of the year. The stock has increased fivefold in the last 12 months.

Online casino launched and two mini-casinos coming to PA for Penn

On Monday, the company launched a Barstool-branded online casino in PA, joining the existing sports app for Stoolies. It also joins Penn’s Hollywood online casino offering in PA.

And Penn has plans to open two PA mini-casinos, one by August, and one more by the end of the year.

But the company has traded down in April after hitting a record in March.

In fact, shares dropped nearly 9% today after the announcement and the market’s opening.

Additional online sportsbook rollouts coming for Penn National

Snowden said he expects to add eight more states for online sports betting before football season and 10 by the end of the year.

While he did not specify states or a timeline, Snowden called New York a “conundrum” – he does have a Harvard degree – with many details to sort out.

Snowden also said retail books in casinos would continue to get rebranded as Barstool to take advantage of the buzz around Barstool’s name. That should help convert casual customers to regulars at Penn properties. Hollywood Casino at Penn National has yet to rebrand its retail sportsbook to Barstool.

Many Stoolies are new to Penn’s casinos. When they come, they play mostly table games and eat at the property, Snowden said. He said those Stoolies who come to a casino usually sign up for a MyChoice rewards card.

According to Snowden, Stoolies tend to be 21-years-old to 27-years-old, with an average age of 25. They bet smaller amounts but more often, and frequently chase parlay wagers.

The post Poker With Portnoy? Penn National Beats Q1 Projections, Teases Plans For Barstool Casino Live Dealer Games appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.

PREVIEW: Hellmuth-Negreanu II Battle Brews This Week on PokerGO

The battle is on. Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu are back at the PokerGO Studio on Wednesday for a special Cinco de Mayo edition of High Stakes Duel.

Negreanu will be looking to exact a bit of revenge after Hellmuth staged a massive rally in the first heads-up match. Hellmuth had been down to his last 3,000 chips at one point versus Negreanu’s 97,000.

Hellmuth took home $50,000 in the first event and now each player is putting up $100,000. It should be another interesting chapter in the growing number of heads-up challenges over the last couple years.

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What to expect from the matchup

The first High Stakes Duel proved to be a fun viewing experience – even beyond the poker. There was plenty of chatter between the two and even a Hellmuth rant thrown in.

Many viewers may be asking what snack or meal Hellmuth will be breaking out? Mixing in a meal on stream has been a regular part of the Poker Brat’s schtick of late.

Against Negreanu, that meant digging into a nice chicken sandwich followed a mega bag of Sour Patch Kids. While it may be unknown how the cuisine affected his game, Hellmuth proved cagy to come back from such a huge deficit.

“With televised cash games, I keep on winning, winning, winning, and the younger generation doesn’t notice,” Hellmuth said afterward. “In fact, they just make fun of me. They want to ignore that I’ve won all these things.”

 

Hellmuth has shown real skills in these live heads-up battles. That included three wins over Antonio Esfandiari and dispatching Negreanu in late March. He’s credited his short stack skills for turning things around against Kid Poker.

In an event like this, it may be important to note that not many players have as much live heads-up experience as Hellmuth. He thrives in tournament-style, heads-up situations as his 15 World Series of Poker titles attest.

Playing out on Cinco de Mayo, viewers can expect a few holiday-related elements added to the stream. Here’s a look at the High Stakes Duel II details:

  • Date: May 5
  • Time: 8 pm (ET)
  • Network: PokerGO
  • Stakes: $200,000
  • Starting chips: 100,000

Getting back to the tables

The matchup kick starts a long stretch of poker for Negreanu and he seems pleased to be back at the grind. He outlined his upcoming poker schedule recently on Twitter.

 

That plan includes live play, but Negreanu has been busy playing plenty of online poker as well. After three months battling Doug Polk heads-up, Negreanu jumped into the WSOP.com Spring Online Circuit in April.

That produced back-to-back final table appearances. The live event with Hellmuth offers a poker matchup of a different sort. While Negreanu showed huge poker chops in battling Polk, this event features a one-and-done approach.

Doubters continue to play down Hellmuth’s skills, but his results speak for themselves. Walking away on the short end in the first meeting left a sour taste in Negreanu’s mouth. He’ll be focused and hoping to deliver a knockout blow if he builds a nice lead again.

“I love making fun of him, I love playing with him,” Negreanu noted in the PokerGO hype video of the event. “I definitely feel like I’m a favorite going into this match. I’ve been playing a lot of heads-up poker and have a good feel for it.”

Before the first match Negreanu also noted: “I would rematch Phil for eternity. There is no possible way I would say no to a rematch with Phil Hellmuth.”

Poker fans will find out on Wednesday which player will be calling for a rematch this time.

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PokerStars PA Awards $2.6 Million in 2021 PASCOOP, Wraps With $284K Main Event

Another big tournament series is in the books at PokerStars PA. And once again, online poker players in the Keystone State came out to play.

The 17-day Pennsylvania Spring Championship of Online Poker ended on Monday night. PASCOOP began strong with large turnouts early on, and kept up that pace right through to the end.

Ultimately players won just over $2.64 million in the series, well over the approximately $2.1 million in total guarantees.

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Biggest series of year so far for PokerStars PA

Such numbers exceed the totals of other 2021 tournament series on PokerStars. By comparison, the Winter Series in Jan.-Feb. awarded $1.7 million while players won just over $2 million in the Bounty Builder Series in Feb.-March.

While the 2021 PASCOOP total indicates a successful series for PokerStars PA, it doesn’t match the $3.2 million awarded during the first PASCOOP in April 2020.

That first PASCOOP featured 50 events, each with two buy-in “tiers” to total 100 tournaments.

The 2021 version followed the traditional three-tiered format of SCOOP series on PokerStars’ global site with a “High,” “Medium,” and “Low” buy-in for each event. Originally there were 40 events and 120 tournaments scheduled. However, an extra pot-limit Omaha hi-lo event was added midway through the series to make 41 events and 123 tournaments altogether.

Those events attracted just over 47,000 total entries, or 48,257 altogether counting the rebuys and add-ons from the three Event #14 tournaments.

Main Event attracts 1,000+ entries, features $284K prize pool

Unsurprisingly, the series’ largest prize pool came in the “High” version of the Main Event, a $300 buy-in two-day tournament completed last night.

That tournament came with a series-high $200,000 guarantee. With 1,015 total entries, the prize pool totaled $284,200. In the end, player “kingboss93” won the event, taking away just over $46,000 in first-place prize money with no final table deal made.

That Main Event total prize pool was well shy of the largest tournament on PokerStars PA, the $500,000 Pennsyl-Mania event in late Dec. 2020.

Among other tournament results, PokerStars PA Ambassadors Keith “whoopsboom” Becker and Mark “naigo1” Foresta continued their respective attempts to land PASCOOP titles right to the end.

Becker ultimately came the closest, adding a runner-up in Event #33-M to a couple of third-place finishes earned earlier in the series.

Overlays Scattered Among Events Total $54K

In a few instances, prize pools doubled their guarantees. That happened three times, all in “Low” buy-in events (Events #24-L, #26-L, and #29-L). That said, there were numerous overlays throughout PASCOOP, although most were small relative to the prize pools.

Ultimately 37 of the 123 tournaments (about 30%) failed to meet their guarantees. Many overlays were for only a few hundred dollars. The largest came in the “High” version of Event #32, a $100 buy-in “Win the Button” tournament. That event featured $25,000 guarantee and the overlay exceeded $6,000.

Interestingly, the largest overlays tended to come in tournaments featuring non-standard formats such as Win the Button. Four-handed tournaments, turbo progressive knockouts, Zoom (fast-fold) events, and 8-game events all had overlays as well.

In all, overlays added up to just over $54,000. However, as noted the instances where prize pools exceeded guarantees more than offset that deficit.

The 2020 PASCOOP had only four overlays totaling less than $5,000 in its 100 total tournaments.

PokerStars will be staging similar series on its other two US sites in May, with both the MISCOOP on PokerStars MI and NJSCOOP on PokerStars NJ happening May 8-24. The Michigan series will provide an interesting comparative for PASCOOP, at it follows a very similar 40-event, 120-tournament schedule.

Take a look below at all of the turnouts, prize pools, guarantees, and overlays for the 2021 PASCOOP.

2021 PASCOOP by the numbers

Event Buy-in Guarantee Entries Prize Pool Overlay
1-H: NLHE (Nightly Stars SE) $100 $30,000 530 $48,654.00 n/a
1-M: NLHE $30 $15,000 842 $22,986.60 n/a
1-L: NLHE $10 $6,000 866 $7,880.60 n/a
2-H: NLHE (6-Max, Turbo, Zoom) $100 $20,000 262 $24,051.60 n/a
2-M: NLHE (6-Max, Turbo, Zoom) $30 $10,000 453 $12,366.90 n/a
2-L: NLHE (6-Max, Turbo, Zoom) $10 $4,000 718 $6,533.80 n/a
3-H: NLHE (Sunday Marathon SE) $100 $25,000 368 $33,782.40 n/a
3-M: NLHE (Sunday Marathon) $30 $12,500 630 $17,199.00 n/a
3-L: NLHE (Sunday Marathon) $10 $5,000 731 $6,652.10 n/a
4-H: NLHE (Sunday Special SE) $100 $75,000 1,013 $92,993.40 n/a
4-M: NLHE (Sunday Warm Up SE) $30 $25,000 911 $25,000.00 $129.70
4-L: NLHE (Sunday Storm SE) $10 $10,000 956 $10,000.00 $1,300.40
5-H: PLO (6-Max, Progressive KO) $50 $7,500 222 $10,101.00 n/a
5-M: PLO (6-Max, Progressive KO) $15 $3,500 293 $3,999.45 n/a
5-L: PLO (6-Max, Progressive KO) $5 $1,500 302 $1,500.00 $80.60
6-H: NLHE (Turbo, Second Chance) $50 $10,000 218 $10,000.00 $81.00
6-M: NLHE (Turbo, Second Chance) $15 $5,000 243 $5,000.00 $1,683.05
6-L: NLHE (Turbo, Second Chance) $5 $2,000 289 $2,000.00 $685.05
7-H: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Sunday Supersonic SE) $50 $7,500 172 $8,084.00 n/a
7-M: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Sunday Supersonic) $15 $3,500 210 $3,500.00 $633.50
7-L: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Sunday Supersonic) $5 $1,500 271 $1,500.00 $266.95
8-H: NLHE (6-Max, Progressive KO, Battle Royale SE) $100 $25,000 388 $35,618.40 n/a
8-M: NLHE (6-Max, Progressive KO, Battle Royale) $30 $15,000 665 $18,154.50 n/a
8-L: NLHE (6-Max, Progressive KO, Battle Royale) $10 $5,000 645 $5,869.50 n/a
9-H: NLHE (Escalating Antes) $50 $15,000 300 $15,000.00 $1,350.00
9-M: NLHE (Escalating Antes) $15 $7,000 474 $7,000.00 $529.90
9-L: NLHE (Escalating Antes) $5 $2,500 473 $2,500.00 $347.85
10-H: NLHE (Super Tuesday SE) $200 $35,000 258 $47,988.00 n/a
10-M: NLHE (Mini Super Tuesday SE) $50 $20,000 654 $29,757.00 n/a
10-L: NLHE (The Big $20 SE) $20 $7,500 687 $12,503.40 n/a
11-H: NLHE (8-Max, High Roller) $2,000 $100,000 53 $100,700.00 n/a
11-M: NLHE (8-Max, High Roller) $500 $50,000 142 $66,740.00 n/a
11-L: NLHE (8-Max) $200 $30,000 221 $41,106.00 n/a
12-H: NLHE (8-Max, Turbo, H Roller Second Chance) $200 $20,000 118 $21,948.00 n/a
12-M: NLHE (8-Max, Turbo) $50 $10,000 302 $13,741.00 n/a
12-L: NLHE (8-Max, Turbo) $20 $4,000 351 $6,388.20 n/a
13-H: NLHE (Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill SE) $200 $35,000 256 $47,616.00 n/a
13-M: NLHE (Progressive KO, Mini Thursday Thrill SE) $50 $20,000 642 $29,211.00 n/a
13-L: NLHE (Progressive KO, Bounty Builder $20 SE) $20 $7,500 731 $13,304.20 n/a
14-H: NLHE (Rebuy) $50 $20,000 398 $20,000.00 $1,891.00
14-M: NLHE (Rebuy) $15 $10,000 723 $10,000.00 $131.05
14-L: NLHE (Rebuy) $5 $4,000 775 $4,000.00 $473.75
15-H: NLHE (4-Max) $100 $15,000 238 $21,848.40 n/a
15-M: NLHE (4-Max) $30 $7,500 459 $12,530.70 n/a
15-L: NLHE (4-Max) $10 $3,000 496 $4,513.60 n/a
16-H: NLHE (8-Max, Progressive KO, Bigstack) $200 $25,000 177 $32,922.00 n/a
16-M: NLHE (8-Max, Progressive KO, Bigstack) $50 $15,000 456 $20,748.00 n/a
16-L: NLHE (8-Max, Progressive KO, Bigstack) $20 $7,500 602 $10,956.40 n/a
17-H: 5-Card PLO (6-Max) $100 $10,000 114 $10,465.20 n/a
17-M: 5-Card PLO (6-Max) $30 $5,000 191 $5,214.30 n/a
17-L: 5-Card PLO (6-Max) $10 $2,000 274 $2,493.40 n/a
18-H: NLHE (Heads-Up, Turbo, PKO, Zoom, Total KO) $50 $15,000 262 $15,000.00 $3,079.00
18-M: NLHE (Heads-Up, Turbo, PKO, Zoom, Total KO) $15 $7,500 414 $7,500.00 $1,848.90
18-L: NLHE (Heads-Up, Turbo, PKO, Zoom, Total KO) $5 $2,500 484 $2,500.00 $297.80
19-H: NLHE (Bigstack, Sunday Marathon SE) $100 $25,000 388 $35,618.40 n/a
19-M: NLHE (Bigstack) $30 $12,500 599 $16,352.70 n/a
19-L: NLHE (Bigstack) $10 $5,000 734 $6,679.40 n/a
20-H: NLHE (Sunday Special SE) $200 $100,000 598 $111,228.00 n/a
20-M: NLHE (Sunday Warm Up SE) $50 $35,000 748 $35,000.00 $966.00
20-L: NLHE (Sunday Storm SE) $20 $12,500 876 $15,943.20 n/a
21-H: PLO (8-Max) $100 $12,500 118 $12,500.00 $1,667.60
21-M: PLO (8-Max) $30 $7,500 217 $7,500.00 $1,575.90
21-L: PLO (8-Max) $10 $2,500 255 $2,500.00 $179.50
22-H: NLHE (Turbo, Second Chance) $100 $20,000 211 $20,000.00 $630.20
22-M: NLHE (Turbo, Second Chance) $30 $10,000 354 $10,000.00 $335.80
22-L: NLHE (Turbo, Second Chance) $10 $3,000 343 $3,121.30 n/a
23-H: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, PKO, Sun. Supersonic SE) $50 $7,500 202 $9,494.00 n/a
23-M: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, PKO, Sun. Supersonic) $15 $3,500 252 $3,553.20 n/a
23-L: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, PKO, Sun. Supersonic) $5 $1,500 303 $1,500.00 $75.90
24-H: NLHE (6-Max, Progressive KO) $200 $25,000 231 $42,966.00 n/a
24-M: NLHE (6-Max, Progressive KO, Battle Royale SE) $50 $15,000 478 $21,749.00 n/a
24-L: NLHE (6-Max, Progressive KO) $20 $5,000 566 $10,301.20 n/a
25-H: PLO (6-Max, Progressive KO) $100 $10,000 116 $10,648.80 n/a
25-M: PLO (6-Max, Progressive KO) $30 $5,000 272 $7,425.60 n/a
25-L: PLO (6-Max, Progressive KO) $10 $2,000 264 $2,404.40 n/a
26-H: NLHE (Super Tuesday SE) $300 $40,000 203 $56,840.00 n/a
26-M: NLHE (Mini Super Tuesday SE) $75 $25,000 480 $32,760.00 n/a
26-L: NLHE $30 $8,000 599 $16,532.70 n/a
27-H: NLHE (6-Max, High Roller) $1,000 $75,000 75 $75,000.00 $3,750.00
27-M: NLHE (6-Max) $250 $35,000 162 $37,746.00 n/a
27-L: NLHE (6-Max, Wedenesday 6-Max SE) $100 $20,000 334 $30,661.20 n/a
28-H: 8-Game $200 $15,000 64 $15,000.00 $3,096.00
28-M: 8-Game $50 $7,500 133 $7,500.00 $1,448.50
28-L: 8-Game $20 $3,000 167 $3,039.40 n/a
29-H: NLHE (Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill SE) $300 $40,000 229 $64,120.00 n/a
29-M: NLHE (Progressive KO, Mini Thursday Thrill SE) $75 $25,000 518 $35,353.50 n/a
29-L: NLHE (Progressive KO) $30 $8,000 588 $16,052.40 n/a
30-H: NLHE (Progressive KO, 25% PKO $200 $25,000 161 $29,946.00 n/a
30-M: NLHE (Progressive KO, 25% PKO) $50 $15,000 383 $17,426.50 n/a
30-L: NLHE (Progressive KO, 25% PKO) $20 $6,500 469 $8,535.80 n/a
31-H: HORSE (6-Max) $100 $8,000 105 $9,639.00 n/a
31-M: HORSE (6-Max) $30 $4,000 181 $4,941.30 n/a
31-L: HORSE (6-Max) $10 $1,500 279 $2,538.90 n/a
32-H: NLHE (6-Max, Win the Button) $100 $25,000 205 $25,000.00 $6,181.00
32-M: NLHE (6-Max, Win the Button) $50 $15,000 299 $15,000.00 $1,395.50
32-L: NLHE (6-Max, Win the Button) $10 $4,000 480 $4,368.00 n/a
33-H: NLHE (8-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO, High Roller) $500 $50,000 95 $50,000.00 $5,350.00
33-M: NLHE (8-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO) $200 $35,000 163 $35,000.00 $4,682.00
33-L: NLHE (8-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO) $50 $20,000 464 $21,112.00 n/a
34-H: NLHE (4-Max, Turbo) $50 $25,000 420 $25,000.00 $5,890.00
34-M: NLHE (4-Max, Turbo) $15 $5,000 301 $5,000.00 $891.35
34-L: NLHE (4-Max, Turbo) $5 $2,000 408 $2,000.00 $143.60
35-H: NLHE (Deepstack, Sunday Marathon SE) $100 $25,000 299 $27,448.20 n/a
35-M: NLHE (Deepstack) $30 $12,500 517 $14,114.10 n/a
35-L: NLHE (Deepstack) $10 $5,000 615 $5,596.50 n/a
36-H: NLHE (PASCOOP Main Event) $300 $200,000 1,015 $284,200.00 n/a
36-M: NLHE (PASCCOP Main Event – Mid) $75 $40,000 816 $55,692.00 n/a
36-L: NLHE (PASCOOP Main Event – Mini) $30 $20,000 1,006 $27,463.80 n/a
37-H: PLO (6-Max) $200 $15,000 87 $16,182.00 n/a
37-M: PLO (6-Max) $50 $7,500 144 $7,500.00 $948.00
37-L: PLO (6-Max) $20 $2,500 211 $3,840.20 n/a
38-H: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Bigstack, Sun. Super. SE) $100 $10,000 164 $15,580.00 n/a
38-M: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Bigstack) $30 $6,000 274 $7,726.80 n/a
38-L: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Bigstack) $10 $2,000 310 $2,914.00 n/a
39-H: NLHE (Nightly Stars SE) $100 $25,000 438 $40,208.40 n/a
39-M: NLHE $30 $10,000 533 $14,550.90 n/a
39-L: NLHE $10 $5,000 528 $5,000.00 $195.20
40-H: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Mach 50) $50 $7,500 184 $8,648.00 n/a
40-M: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Mach 15) $15 $3,000 228 $3,214.80 n/a
40-L: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Mach 5) $5 $1,500 284 $1,500.00 $165.20
41-H: PLO8 (6-Max) $100 $10,000 118 $10,832.40 n/a
41-M: PLO8 (6-Max) $30 $4,000 206 $5,623.80 n/a
41-L: PLO8 (6-Max) $10 $1,500 267 $2,429.70 n/a
TOTALS $2,112,500 48,257 $2,642,485.55 $54,376.75

Lead image via Dreamstime.

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