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Doug Polk is back in the news once again, this time for completing his $100 to $10,000 bankroll challenge. The YouTube superstar turned the summer doldrums of poker and cryptocurrency into a daily stream on WSOP.com. Starting at the microstakes of  ¢5/¢10 and $1 sit-n-gos, Polk completed his goal Wednesday night at $500NL following two years spent on the challenge across 58 playing days.

We came, we took a shot, we conquered pic.twitter.com/SoP7Khyldx

— Doug Polk (@DougPolkPoker) August 23, 2018

Polk decided on this challenge based on the results of a Twitter poll. In his introduction video to the challenge, Polk notes other famous bankroll journies from Joe Ingram and Jason Somerville. Polk also recalls his pre-Black Friday ambition of winning 400 buy-ins in a month play $25NL on PokerStars.

“This journey could happen to them,” Polk said as to why his followers are drawn to the starting price point.

The challenge also gave Polk a spotlight to put on his Twitch channel which he was building an audience for at the time.

Start of the journey

Polk started the task in the summer of 2016. Life took a few turns for him during that time.

On August 7, 2016, Polk logged on to WSOP.com under the username ‘MicroStakes‘ and started the climb from two zeroes to five.

Every session was streamed on Polk’s Twitch channel and lasted from an hour up to 12. Polk focused on low buy-in tournament and freerolls but also dabbled in cash games that stayed within the bankroll requirements.

By the end of August, Polk’s number crept up to $137 and he took a planned hiatus until November to resume.

The challenge continued intermittently up until April 2017. Polk’s bankroll grew to $1,657 by the time he signed off for the World Series of Poker.

Logging off

A $3.6 million bracelet win and crypto explosion later, Polk’s time available to devote to the bankroll challenge became limited. Polk decided to eschew $100NL in favor of starting a YouTube channel focused on cryptocurrency. The new channel ran parallel to Polk’s poker-related hub and in the middle of becoming poker’s biggest modern media star, the bankroll challenge fell by the wayside.

Polk returned for six days in November to continue his Sisyphusian task. Nearly $300 in the red later, Polk waved the white flag up until May 2018. Polk played one session on May 4 and booked another small loss.

He then focused his energy on revealing billboards at the Rio and playing the occasional live tournament during the summer.

Back with vengeance

The seasonal doldrums and stagnancy of crypto charts led Polk to make his return to the online streets on July 28. Forty-four days in, Polk came back with the intention of running up the stale roll and completing his challenge before other obligations took over his life.

Between July 28 and Aug. 14, Polk missed only five days of streaming. He grew his bankroll to $3,320 and raised the stakes he played up to $100NL. A 10-hour session on August 14 in $100NL boosted his bankroll by over $1,000 and earned him a needed week off.

Polk looked to be on the verge of a major setback on July 29 (Day #45). A $320 tournament ticket into the Sunday Major busted and Polk misclicked his way into rebuying for $320 out of the bankroll. The $320 represented 25 percent of his bankroll at the time but he battled back through runs in smaller tournaments to escape the potential hole.

August 21 resulted in a $2 loss over an 11-hour grind and there were no signals to immediately indicate Polk would finish his challenge before Labor Day. Then August 22 happened.

Polk put together a spectacular run playing $200NL and then made the leap to $500NL. In the span of 11 hours, Polk made his way over $10,000 mark and officially completed the challenge. The total number of days Polk spent playing numbered at 58 with the hours in the multiple hundreds.

The $10,000 earned is a far cry from Polk’s hourly in his other business ventures but the entertainment provided along the way certifies his legend among the best in poker’s streaming echelon.

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Through the first six months of the year, Atlantic City casino net revenues are almost exactly what they were last year with gross operating profit down less than five percent.

The post First Half Of 2018 Holds Steady For Atlantic City Casino Revenues appeared first on .

Pala Interactive has announced a deal with Betgenius that will see the company create a more targeted strategy for customer acquisition in NJ online gambling market.

The post Pala On The Lookout For NJ Expansion With Betgenius Partnership appeared first on .

PokerStars announced today that there will only be five more ways for players to win a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship via the Platinum Pass Adventure. The popular promotion culminates with five more PokerStars Ambassadors, including Daniel Negreanu and Jeff Gross, becoming part of the adventure. A total of 12 passes will be given away by 12 different PokerStars ambassadors when it is all said and done.

For their part, the Ambassadors are encouraging players to do something meaningful and close to their hearts as a means to win a pass. The new contests provide players creative ways to qualify for a Platinum Pass, with ambassadors creating their own competition tailored to their audiences.

Each Platinum Pass Adventure winner will receive a $30,000 prize package. That includes entry into the $25,000 PSPC event in January in the Bahamas. Winning players also receive mentoring and coaching from their PokerStars Ambassador in preparation. Here’s a look at the latest contests available for players hoping to snag a pass.

The Negreanu Challenge

Poker superstar Daniel Negreanu is challenging his community and fans to submit a short video about a charity, cause, or foundation close to their hearts. Contributors are asked to submit using #DonateWithDaniel by Sept. 30.

Negreanu will then select a shortlist of five entries with comments about why they were chosen on his vlog. The Platinum Pass winner will be selected on Oct. 13. If the winner cashes in the tournament, that player can donate 50 percent of the winnings to the cause. The other four shortlist causes or charities aren’t out of luck –  each will receive a $1,000 donation.

“You can make a huge difference for yourself and make the world a better place at the same time,” Negreanu said.  “So … who do you play for?”

Kings and Queens

Jennifer Shahade is challenging her community to create a game incorporating elements of both chess and poker. The winner will be announced Oct. 14.

“Poker is not just a game, but a passion, a science, and a community, just like my first love – chess,” Shahade said.

Shahade will narrow down the submissions with help from a panel of personalities and experts from gaming, poker, and chess – such as PokerStars Ambassadors Negreanu and Liv Boeree as well as International Master and Chess.com content director Danny Rensch.

Submitters can use the hashtag #MyChessPokerGame to submit on Twitter.

Spin a Tale

Author and journalist Maria Konnikova is on a quest to find the most compelling storyteller demonstrating a core principle of what it means to be a good poker player – whether self-control, probabilistic thinking, decision-making, or other ideas.

“I truly believe that creativity and storytelling ability are among the most valuable and most often overlooked skills in poker – and I can’t wait to see you embrace those skills in this challenge,” Konnikova said. “I’m so excited to announce my Platinum Pass challenge: a call to tell me your stories in your own voices.”

Those hoping to win should use #mypokerstory to share their submission.

Versatile Vlogger

PokerStars Ambassador, Twitch streamer, and YouTube vlogger Jeff Gross hopes to find the best poker vlogger through a series of challenges.

“To have the opportunity to encourage someone to create something they are passionate about and give away a once in a lifetime experience trip to the PSPC means the world to me,” he said. “This is an event that will go down in history as one of the most special poker tournaments of our time. I am grateful to be playing in this event and giving away a PokerStars Platinum Pass on top of that is truly incredible.”

To get a submission considered, use the hashtag #VloggerInParadise.

Be a Good Samaritan

Following his success and the supportive community he has built on Twitch, Lex Veldhuis will be asking fans to simply go out of their way to do something nice for someone.

“When thinking about this challenge I really wanted to encompass what makes Twitch special for me,” Veldhuis said. “Then it became very simple. It’s people anonymously doing stuff for others, going out of their way to do something nice or be there for someone. It’s a win-win contest as those who do not win a pass will still feel like they have won by doing something they cherish. And people will have received something nice because of them.”

To enter use the hashtag #PSPCitFWD.

The post PokerStars Announces New Platinum Pass Challenges Hosted By Negreanu, Other Ambassadors appeared first on .

The problem with the big blind ante is…

Issues arising from implementing the big blind ante in tournaments include…

These are sentences the top brass in the poker industry are having some real difficulty finishing these days.

It would seem the only problem with the big blind ante is there are no problems, leaving little for a debate-hungry poker community to argue over.

In fact, the big blind ante concept is working so well, it prompted World Poker Tour Executive Tour Director and Tournament Directors Association Founder Matt Savage to declare in a blog post last week that it’s here to stay.

An ARIA High Roller first

As Savage said, the concept was first introduced in high-roller events at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a single-payer ante concept, whereby, when the antes begin in a tournament, the player in the big blind pays a single amount for the entire table, every single hand.

The efficiencies are clear. Dealers don’t have to spend time chasing down antes from every player. Plus, the floor doesn’t have to be called over and take the time to determine who hasn’t anted up. Therefore, more hands are dealt per hour.

According to Savage, from a tournament staff perspective, the big blind ante is faster and downright better. However, it’s also great for players too. In fact, more hand per hour means a better opportunity to take advantage of the deepest part of any tournament structure.

Dealing with the short stacks

If there is one, the argument against the big blind ante surrounds how to best deal with short stacks at the table. The debate rages on as to whether a short stack without enough to do both should pay the big blind or the big blind ante first.

However, as Savage says, it turns out the situation comes up so rarely it’s hardly worth throwing the big blind ante baby out with the bath water.

Plus, most of the other complaints surrounding the format seem to surround problems that existed with a traditional individual ante format as well.

There’s no doubt it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Plus, people are generally resistant to change, whether its good for them or not. However, the big blind ante is almost universally accepted. Mostly because everyone can see it’s changing tournament poker for the better.

Savage first started using it with Commerce Casino Tournament Coordinator Justin Hammer at the L.A. Poker Classic kickoff event in 2017. Several more events saw it added by the end of the series. By 2018, it was installed in every No-Limit Hold’em event on the schedule.

Savage then took it to the WPT where players and staff have almost unanimously embraced it.

Widespread big blind ante implementation

After testing it out on the World Series of Poker Circuit, the WSOP introduced it in several events in 2018. More events will see it added in the future.

Top tournament directors across the US and beyond have begun implementing it in greater numbers. Even smaller tours like the popular Mid-States Poker Tour have given it a whirl.

The popularity of the big blind ante is spreading fast and Savage has now vowed to continue to push for widespread implementation at the Tournament Directors Association annual summit next summer.

Savage ultimately says the big blind ante benefits players. He calls it a change to no-limit hold’em tournaments that works.

It’s hard to disagree with that. In fact, finishing the sentences at the top of this story seems near impossible at this point. Leading to the obvious conclusion that the big blind ante is really here to stay.

Lead image courtesy of WPT/Flickr

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Sports betting supporters are learning a fast and simple truth: Gaming expansion in California is never easy.

Since the Supreme Court decision that overturned PASPA, there are now eight states with legalized sports betting. Plus, other states are already penciling it in as a top priority in 2019. But not California.

In California, sports betting appears to be following in online poker’s footsteps:

It is a divisive issue that pits California’s varied gaming interests against one another.

California’s recent sports betting efforts

Assemblyman Adam Gray introduced a sports betting bill in May. Gray is a key player in the state’s online poker efforts. Unfortunately, the measure failed to find the necessary support to land it on the November 2018 ballot.

California’s new sports betting game plan targets the 2020 ballot. Political consultant Russell Lowery is the driving force behind the measure.

First introduced in June, the measure received the go-ahead from the state to begin the signature collection process. According to the LA Times, the proposal needs to garner 585,407 signatures from registered voters by February 2019 to find its way on the November 2020 ballot.

Cardroom involvement?

The California Gaming Association told the Times it didn’t know about the initiative and wasn’t involved in its drafting. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any behind the scenes consultation taking place. After all, the measure seems very cardroom friendly.

In addition to sports betting, the measure would also authorize “banking and percentage card games” at cardrooms as well as Roulette and Craps at tribal casinos, according to analysis by the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

The LAO’s summary of the measure states:

“Allows federally recognized Native American tribes to operate roulette and craps games on tribal lands, subject to compacts negotiated by the Governor and ratified by the Legislature. Allows licensed gambling establishments, such as card rooms, to conduct on-site sports wagering and to operate Nevada-style card games, and may result in authorization of sports wagering on tribal lands because of federal law. Prohibits Governor from approving gaming on newly acquired off-reservation tribal lands and negotiating gaming compacts with non-federally recognized tribes.”

Expect tribal casino opposition

Tribal lobbyist David Quintana firmly believes the state’s cardrooms are working in concert with Lowery on the proposition. Quintana told the Times that tribes are in no rush, and their main goal is to protect their brick-and-mortar businesses.

Quintana’s comments are likely directed at the measures authorization of “Nevada-style card games” at cardrooms.

Mark Macarro, chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, seemed to agree, telling the Times:

“This proposed measure would bring Vegas-style gaming to nearly 100 locations and urban areas throughout California.”

Not surprisingly, Macarro said tribes would vigorously oppose the measure.

The bottom line? Expect sports betting to turn into a knock-down, drag-out fight in the Golden State.

The post Like Online Poker, CA Sports Betting Is An Issue No One Can Agree On appeared first on Play USA.