Flutter’s chances of avoiding a $1.3 billion judgment are looking slim, as the Kentucky Supreme Court denied its petition for a rehearing.
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The WSOP.com Spring Online Super Circuit returns April 10-27 with 18 championship ring events and $1.75 million guaranteed.
Super Circuits include six more rings than a normal series so players have more action to look forward to. The series is available to players in New Jersey and Nevada exclusively at WSOP.com.
World Series of Poker organizers seem to be planning for a live series this year in Las Vegas.
The exact date however remains unknown.
There are still no live circuit events planned. Instead, WSOP.com continues to offer monthly circuit events for 2021.
The Spring Super Circuit includes a $500 Main Event on April 25 with a $300,000 guarantee. All events are in No Limit Hold’em with the exception of two Omaha tournaments. Some standout events include:
Here’s the entire Online Super Circuit Series schedule:
| Date | Name | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 10 | #1 – BIG $500 Kick-Off 3x Re-entry 8-Max | $500 | $100,000 |
| April 11 | #2 – NLHE Monster Stack 2x Re-entry | $215 | $125,000 |
| April 12 | #3 – NLHE Freezeout | $250 | $75,000 |
| April 13 | #4 – NLHE High Roller 6-Max 2x Re-entry | $1,000 | $150,000 |
| April 14 | #5 – NLHE Turbo 2x Re-entry | $250 | $50,000 |
| April 15 | #6 – NLHE 2x Re-entry | $320 | $75,000 |
| April 16 | #7 – NLHE Knockout Freezeout | $300 | $50,000 |
| April 17 | #8 – NLHE Double Stack 2x Re-entry | $320 | $125,000 |
| April 18 | #9 – NLHE Monster Stack 3x Re-entry 8-Max | $525 | $150,000 |
| April 19 | #10 – NLHE Turbo Deepstack 2x Re-entry | $215 | $50,000 |
| April 20 | #11 – NLHE Super High Roller 6-Max 2x Re-entry | $2,000 | $150,000 |
| April 21 | #12 – PLO8 or Better 8-Max 3X Re-entry | $215 | $40,000 |
| April 22 | #13 – NLHE 6-Max 2x Re-entry | $320 | $75,000 |
| April 23 | #14 – PLO BIG $500 6-Max 3X Re-entry | $500 | $50,000 |
| April 24 | #15 – NLHE Double Stack 2x Re-entry | $320 | $125,000 |
| April 25 | #16 – NLHE Main Event 3x Re-entry 8-Max | $525 | $300,000 |
| April 26 | #17 – NLHE 6-Max 2x Re-entry | $320 | $75,000 |
| April 27 | #18 – NLHE $500 Freezeout 8-Max | $500 | $75,000 |
All 2021 Online Circuit Series include a $10,000 monthly leaderboard. WSOP.com awards tournament tickets for players finishing in the top 10 in each series.
All ring winners also automatically win a seat into the $250,000 WSOP Online Circuit Championship. That year-end tournament is scheduled for Dec. 28 and the champion is presented with an official WSOP gold bracelet.
Players can get their seats into the championship by winning:
Players in the top 50 on the cumulative circuit leaderboard also qualify for the event.
All April ring winners as well as those finishing among the top 10 on the monthly leaderboard receive freeroll entries. The $25,000 freeroll is set for April 29
Also on April 29, WSOP.com will host a Second Chance Freeroll. Any player who participated in at least three April ring events can play in the winner-take-all event.
The tournament rewards one seat in the $250,000 Online Circuit Championship.
Following this series, the WSOP.com Caesars Atlantic City is the next Online Circuit Series. Players can expect 12 ring events running May 8-25.
The post Ring Hunters Spring Into Action for WSOP.com Super Circuit, $1.75M Guaranteed appeared first on .
Appealing to recreational players has been a major part of online poker sites’ strategies over the last couple years. Numerous satellites and qualifiers are a big part of those efforts to bring more players into the game.
Irish poker pro Dara O’Kearney and Barry Carter wrote the book on satellite events – literally. Their recent book Poker Satellite Strategy offers players a unique look at tailoring their play toward these qualifying events.
O’Kearney has more than $1.1 million in live tournament winnings and twice won the PokerStars UK and Ireland Poker Tour satellite leaderboard. Carter is the editor at PokerStrategy.com and has written four strategy books. O’Kearney and Carter offered up some ideas for players to think about as they navigate through satellites.
Satellites can be a great way to earn entrance into a tournament at a bargain price. However, because where a player finishes doesn’t mean much, it’s important to simply qualify.
Whether you’re first in chips or just one ahead of the bubble is irrelevant. Simply getting that tournament ticket to the event is the goal. Avoid major conflicts late in an event, which can be costly.
“If normal tournaments are war, then satellites are more like the Cold War,” O’Kearney says. “Late on in a satellite, you need to display to your opponents that you are willing to engage, while doing everything possible to avoid actual confrontations. Merely understanding that gives you an advantage over opponents who had never heard of mutually assured destruction.”
This concept should help players discover their biggest leaks when it comes to satellites. Some ideas about playing aggressively may not be consistent with a normal tournament.
“Either you are playing like a maniac and playing too many hands (especially calling too much) or everybody knows you are willing to blind yourself out to make the money so you will be seen as a soft target,” O’Kearney says. “Neither approach is ideal, so keep this in mind before anything else. You have to appear dangerous, so ideally you’ll have been seen playing aggressively when you get the hands to do so. But you want to avoid confrontation as much as possible.
“This runs contrary to regular multi-table tournaments (MTTs) where you could say that the philosophy of them is to realize your equity, by getting your strong hands paid, as much as possible so you can build a big stack for the final table.”
In a satellite, building that stack for a final table isn’t the goal and that’s a major key to remember.
A fundamental difference in satellites is that everyone is playing for prizes of equal value. Calculated risks in a multi-table tournament may be worth it at times to build a stack. But in a satellite these can be even more costly.
“Calling a raise with a small pair in the hopes of making a set, chasing a draw because you think your opponent will pay you off, or making a call with an inferior hand because you are priced in – these are all tactics which will see you bust early from MTTs, but when they pay off they put you in a good position to secure a massive payday,” O’Kearney says.
“Playing to min-cash is a terrible long term strategy in MTTs, but in satellites a min-cash is the goal. The number of times you cash is much more important than your ability to crush the field, so that means reducing the number of times you bust by not taking needless risks.”
Obviously players must build a stack to get to the bubble. But playing a tight-aggressive strategy and removing high variance pays off in the long run.
“That means once the blinds have started to get big – no set mining with small pairs, no chasing draws with suited connectors, no coin flips and avoid defending with poor holdings because you are priced in,” O’Kearney says. “These moves may be ChipEV correct but they reduce your chances of having a survivable stack come bubble time.”
Building on this last concept, it’s also important to make big moves when you are dealt a big hand. Once blinds are big and stack sizes shallow, players avoid reshoves after smaller raises by simply moving all in.
O’Kearney says this is a good idea even with 20 or 30 effective big blinds.
“If you open to 2.5x big blinds as your standard bet and get shoved on you are going to have to fold so often that this is a sure-fire way to get blinded down to a micro stack,” he notes.
“Generally, you will get a lot more folds when you open shove in a satellite compared to a regular MTT, but that doesn’t mean do it with a wide range. Do it with hands you don’t mind getting called with.”
Players aren’t looking for calls. Instead, hope opponents fold even when holding you hold a very strong hand.
“Trapping and inducing is a great strategy when you are trying to win the whole tournament,” O’Kearney says, “but the more you avoid showdown, the more likely you are to survive to the bubble.”
In a normal tournament, calling an all-in with a decent hand may offer the reward of knocking out another player. An elimination also comes with an increase to your chip stack.
But the variance that comes with plays like that can be crippling in a satellite. Folding more often in these spots could be a better option.
“The best way to reduce variance is to dramatically reduce the range you are prepared to call an all-in with when the amount you would stand to lose would hurt you severely or eliminate you,” O’Kearney says. “Quite simply you are putting yourself at the mercy of the deck when you call an all-in, and in satellites we want to avoid high variance showdown situations as much as possible.”
This comes back to that open-shove scenario. Being the first player all-in puts massive pressure on opponents. Those with satellite experience will want to avoid a flip situation – and will avoid calling themselves.
“You give yourself two ways to win when you are the one putting pressure on others by going all-in – you can get them to fold or you can win the hand at showdown if they call,” O’Kearney says. “When you are the one facing an all-in call, there is only one way to win and that is to have the best hand at showdown.”
Poker Satellite Strategy is available here and is also available as an audiobook.
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Online poker saw the crowning of the biggest PokerStars Sunday Million winner in history on Tuesday. Canada’s Vanessa “Niffler” Kade took the title for more than $1.5 million on the 15th anniversary of the event.
The event generated 69,876 entries for almost a $14 million prize pool, easily topping the $12.5 million guarantee. After three two days of play, the action reached the final table on Sunday. After some ups and downs, Kade eventually took the top spot after a nice run at the final table
Unlike many previous anniversary editions of the series, this event didn’t end with a deal. Kade had 100% of her action, meaning she’ll be pocketing the entire total.
Kade is a popular poker streamer with $143,000 in live tournament winnings. Her online winnings greatly eclipse that – and now that expands even more with the Sunday Million title.
Along with the championship score, an offshore poker site also signed Kade as an ambassador only days ago. It’s been quite a few weeks.
“I just stopped crying,” Kade said to start her Twitch stream after the win. “I was literally just crying for 20 minutes.
“This is the best month of my life and it’s not even close. This is the best day of my life.”
The road to the title certainly wasn’t easy. Day 3 saw 65 players return to the action with Kade sitting in 12th. When play reached the final nine players, she sat in seventh with 20 big blinds.
The $1.5M moment.
Congratulations to @VanessaKade on winning the #SundayMillion 15th Anniversary.
pic.twitter.com/F5i2PRrPaK
— PokerStars (@PokerStars) March 23, 2021
At four players, a deal was discussed but one player didn’t agree. Kade proceeded to dispatch two players to get heads-up, where she held a massive chip advantage.
After just two hands the match was over. Kade’s pocket Eights topped her opponent’s Ace-King. Poland’s “Talibenes” took runner-up for just over $1 million.
On her stream afterward, Kade called and spoke with her mother about the win. Initially, her mom wasn’t crazy about her daughter becoming a poker pro.
Hearing the news, she asked if Kade was really serious about the win. Both her parents congratulated their daughter on the big win.
“We’re impressed,” her father added. “I’m just gaga.”
Kade’s mother then jokingly asked if they could meet tomorrow in Barcelona for lunch. The call made for quite a touching moment. Those Barcelona plans may eventually come true.
The timing of the win of the massive score came only weeks after some headlines involving Kade, Dan Bilzerian, and GGPoker. After GG signed Bilzerian as an ambassador last December, Kade and others criticized the move.
Many charged Bilzerian with misogyny for his various social media escapades. That included Kade and other who believe his antics aren’t good for the game.
Bilzerian proceeded to call her a “hoe” in a Twitter response. Only days ago, GGPoker terminated an affiliate agreement with Kade citing her criticism of the site.
In a statement on March 12, GG voiced objection to Bilzerian’s comment toward Kade. However, the site noted that contractual agreements prevented the company from controlling ambassadors’ social media posts.
“We cannot control everything our ambassadors say on their personal social media,” the statement noted.
In the end, it looks like Kade may have had the last laugh in the matter.
We just beat a field of 69,876 to win $1.5 Million.
It feels impossible.
This is the best day of my life.
It's not close.All the pain was worth it, the dream is real.
pic.twitter.com/D0GKZSRhNl
— Vanessa Kade (@VanessaKade) March 23, 2021
Afterward, Kade said she had no real plan for her winnings. Some new luggage might be in the works, but just not having any financial worries was also welcome news.
Looking back, Kade was just amazed at her odds of finishing on top of such a huge field.
“To get there is not even a once in a lifetime thing,” she said. “The chances of that happen even if you’re a really good player is like nil. So it’s amazing.”
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One year after US casinos shut down, the online gambling boom looks like it’s here to stay. What has made the increase so long-lasting?
The post Apples And Oranges: Why The US Online Gambling Industry’s Pandemic Gains Have Proven So Durable appeared first on Online Poker Report.
After one day of action at BetMGM in Michigan, online players in the state now have another poker option. The expansion of the partypoker US Network offers more hope for a growing US market.
As players head to the new platform, USPoker spoke with BetMGM director of poker Ray Stefanelli about what Michigan players can expect. Players also offered their impressions of the site after the first day of play.
Michigan players have a lot to look forward to at BetMGM. Cash game players will find limits from $0.01/$0.02 to $25/$50. That includes:
Sit and Go players will find heads-up and six-max options in both No Limit Hold ‘em and PLO. Buy-ins range from $1 to $500. Daily tournaments include No Limit Hold ‘em, Limit Hold ‘em, PLO, and Seven Card Stud, from $0.25 to $535.
For players accustomed to the international partypoker software, players can expect a similar experience. In recent months, the international operator has greatly improved its software experience, including mobile.
Stefanelli says players can expect much of that with the US BetMGM experience. However, there are some small differences.
“The platform is powered by partypoker US Network, which means that many of the partypoker software features are available for BetMGM Poker players,” he says. “Due to US market regulation, there are nuances that distinguish the US software from its international counterpart. However, much of it is consistent with offerings that are authorized in other regulated markets.”
The site is kickstarting its entry into the market with some big events. New players are eligible for a $50,000 Invitational Freeroll tournament on April 4.
On April 11, the site also hosts a $109 tournament with a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool. The event culminates with a live streamed final table on April 12.
As in New Jersey, partypoker US Network is also planning to offer its popular Online Series. The first of those festivals is set for April 18-25 with a tournament schedule complementing the daily event schedule.
There’s no word yet on shared liquidity between Michigan and New Jersey. However, partypoker sees that as the key to success in the US market. The expanding number of states can only add to that.
“While New Jersey and Michigan are both running independently as ring-fenced liquidity pools, shared liquidity is core to the future of poker in the US,” Stefanelli says. “We’re committed to working with regulators to ensure this becomes a nationwide actuality.”
As players jumped into the action at BetMGM, USPoker spoke with several about their experience on the site. Here’s a look at what they thought about their time at the tables so far.
Eric Rayner III, 41, plays poker about 20 hours a week, mostly at night after his children go to bed. He works as a vice president of sales at a home mortgage company and lives in Plymouth.
After the BetMGM launch, Rayner hit the law-stakes cash games. He played some $0.10/0.20 as well as a couple of tournaments. The mobile product continued to draw praise from several players, and that included Rayner.
“Not many people were playing because it was the first day,” he says. “My experience – on my phone it was way better than Stars. On my computer it was okay. I wish it had more options to check or call preflop.”
For Henry Zou, BetMGM’s launch offered quite a score. The 60-year-old from Saginaw is disabled and poker winnings help supplement his disability income. He regularly plays tournaments with buy-ins of $100 or more.
“hammerhank90” kicked off his BetMGM experience by finishing third in the $109 daily $10,000 guaranteed event. That scored a nice $1,250 in his first-ever tournament on the platform. Beyond the win, BetMGM and other sites offer more of an opportunity to play the game he loves.
While he enjoys playing live poker, being confined to a wheelchair can be a struggle. Online poker now gives him another option. Born in China, Zou was stricken with polio at age 1 and moved to the US in 2005. So far he’s pleased with BetMGM.
“It’s been good for me, since I have a disability and in a wheelchair,” he says. “But I still like live games.”
Jennie Allison, 40, lives in Sterling Heights and works in information technology (IT). She played a freeroll, finishing fifth out of about 150. Allison also played low stakes Omaha cash games at $0.01/0.02.
Mostly a live player, Allison chose to give BetMGM a shot but describes herself as just an occasional online player. She enjoyed playing but offered a few small criticisms.
“I did like that the statistics for the tournament were at the top of the screen, without getting them from the menu,” she says. “I didn’t really like the bet and call process. Once I accidentally called someone and had only intended to call the first bet, not the nearly all-in bet. It ended up being a non-issue, but I lost quite a bit of chips in that hand.”
Allison also wished the site showed who had the winning hand a bit longer. She found herself hitting the replay button often in these situations.
One positive for many players is the mobile experience. In several Michigan poker Facebook groups, players expressed compliments for the app’s design and gameplay.
Throughout 2019, partypoker made major efforts to improve the mobile offering. The new platform is designed for one-handed play and also appeals to more social gaming players. So far, that effort appears to be paying dividends with players in Michigan.
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Almost two months after online poker launched in Michigan, players in the state now have a second option. BetMGM went live on Monday, giving players another platform to get in the online action.
BetMGM is part of the partypoker US Network, which now has its second state. In the US, partypoker/BetMGM is operated by Roar Digital, a partnership between MGM and Entain (parent company of the partypoker international platform).
Partypoker US Network also operates in New Jersey with both skins as well as a BorgataPoker.com skin. As of now, BetMGM is the only skin available in Michigan but should bring plenty of game options.
“The launch of BetMGM Poker in Michigan fully rounds out our premier gaming portfolio in the state,” BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said in a news release. “BetMGM’s sports betting and casino offerings have been met with incredible early success in Michigan and we’re thrilled to provide players with another exciting gaming option.”
In Michigan, party/BetMGM operates through a partnership with MGM Grand Detroit. The BetMGM mobile app is available on both iOS and Android and accessible via desktop client as well.
The software client and mobile app allow players to play poker as well as transition to sports betting and casino gaming. As of now, Michigan remains a “ringed-in” poker market, meaning players only compete against others in the state.
A recent ruling in the Wire Act case, however, could pave the way for shared liquidity markets eventually. At Bet MGM, players will find a number of poker variants, cash games of all buy-in levels, tournaments, and more.
The platform also features major tournament series like the popular partypoker US Network Progressive Knockout Bounty Online Series. No word on when the platform’s first tournament series would launch.
BetMGM/partypoker US Network director of poker Ray Stefanelli is pleased to see the company launch in a second state. He believes players will enjoy the product and poker offerings.
“The demand for online poker in Michigan was made clear by players across the state,” Stefanelli said. “BetMGM Poker is proud to offer them a seat at our tables and we’re confident that BetMGM Michigan customers will enjoy an engaging, reliable, and fun poker experience.”
Beyond the online experience, BetMGM also integrates MGM Resorts’ M life Rewards program. Players can redeem gameplay for experiences at MGM Resorts properties throughout the country.
BetMGM is playing catch-up a bit with PokerStars in the Wolverine State. That platform launched
in late January and already produced some nice numbers in its first tournament series.
Many players will welcome the launch of another site to play. Kyle Richardson is a 36-year-old player from Lansing. The recreational player works in the banking industry and has been playing on PokerStars since it launched.
Richardson plays cash games and tournaments a few days a week. So far, he says the online experience has been great and welcomes a new addition.
“I think it’s great that it’s legal now because it will bring more players to poker,” he says. “With online Texas Hold em, it’s great that they have an extremely low stakes option for players who are just getting used to playing. I haven’t tried PartyPoker/BetMGM yet, but I think it will be good to have another platform in Michigan.”
Richard Conn, 34, lives in Perry and has been playing poker for the last 18 years. He drives for Instacart and supplements his income by playing poker.
Conn is pleased to see a second Michigan platform. However, he’s not sure if he’ll immediately give BetMGM a shot.
“For those that are looking for another option in the state, it would be great to be able to play not just on one platform,” he says. “So far I have no reason to jump ship from PokerStars to BetMGM, but if they had some decent starting incentives, it would be worth looking at as a poker player.”
BetMGM is indeed offering some incentive for new players to get in the action. New players are eligible for a $25 bonus and a 100% deposit match, up to $600.
A $50,000 Freeroll Invitational Tournament also runs April 4 for all BetMGM players in the state.
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The pandemic’s proven the World Series of Poker can exist without a physical location. But now, WSOP’s land-based location is up in the air.
The post Rio All-Suites To Become A Hyatt Regency Property, Leaving WSOP’s Future Home Even More Uncertain appeared first on Online Poker Report.
