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PokerStars is asking a California judge to throw out a lawsuit against it filed by 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event runner-up Gordon Vayo, because it believes the Golden State isn’t the right place for it.

A motion to dismiss Vayo’s suit was scheduled to be heard Sept. 25 in front of US District Court Central District of California Western Division Judge Frederick Mumm. However, it has now been moved to Nov. 6.

Vayo earned more than $4.6 million finishing second to 2016 WSOP Main Event Champion Qui Nguyen. He claims PokerStars refused to pay him almost $700,000 he won in a Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) event last year.

Was Vayo in Canada?

Vayo filed the lawsuit this past May alleging the site falsely accused him of breaching its terms of service by surreptitiously playing the event from inside the United States. Vayo claims to have been in Canada throughout the May 2017 tournament.

However, PokerStars claims Vayo was connected to the internet through a mobile device in Los Angeles using a Canadian mobile internet provider to make it look like he was in Canada.

Vayo has admitted to using a virtual private network (VPN) to access video streaming services while in Canada as an explanation for why PokerStars may have red flagged his account in the first place.

However, Vayo’s lawyers also allege PokerStars froze his account and spent nearly a year harassing him. All under the guise that it was investigating his whereabouts during the tournament.

The lawsuit claims PokerStars pried into every aspect of Vayo’s record and demanded he produce detailed retroactive proof of his location. Plus, the site even opened investigations into his friends’ accounts.

Vayo claims he submitted the evidence he was in Canada that PokerStars asked for. However, they essentially turned around and said it wasn’t enough.

Is PokerStars freerolling players?

The suit goes on to allege PokerStars has been freerolling relocating US players for years:

“Since approximately 2011, (PokerStars) has engaged in a practice of approving U.S. citizens and residents for play on the PokerStars.com site, allowing and encouraging them to play on the site, happily taking their money – in many cases for years. Then, after a U.S. citizen or resident wins a significant amount of money on the PokerStars.com site, (PokerStars) conducts a sham investigation into the user’s activities and the location of the user’s access of the site, placing the onus on the player to retroactively prove that it is ‘inconceivable’ that his or her play could have originated from within the United States, in order to gin up a pretext to deny payment.

“In this way (PokerStars) takes the money of (Vayo) and other users of the PokerStars.com site with impunity, while depriving the same users of their largest winnings if and when they occur.”

In its motion to dismiss filed in July, PokerStars claims California is not the right venue to hear the case. Mostly because its online gaming license is in the Isle of Man, UK.

Lawyers for the site are also arguing it would be too costly to hold the case in California.

Can Vayo get a fair shake in the Isle of Man?

However, Vayo’s legal team says the same about moving it to the Isle of Man. In fact, Vayo claims he won’t be able to secure competent counsel on the Isle of Man. Plus, the courts there are likely biased because the gaming industry is such a large part of the local economy.

The suit stems from the first event on the 2017 PokerStars SCOOP schedule. The final five players chopped, leaving an additional $100,000 for the winner. Vayo went on to capture the title and earn a total of $692,460.

PokerStars was forced out of the US market and charged under various money laundering and illegal gambling laws in 2011. It settled the case and came back in 2016 after obtaining a license to operate in New Jersey. The site has since is now looking to move into the Pennsylvania online gambling market when it opens as well.

Image courtesy of WPT/Flickr

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You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, but you’ve no longer got to know when to unfold ’em.

That’s because, after a six-week run, PokerStars is dropping Unfold Poker, the site’s latest twist on cash games. In fact, PokerStars’ Director of Poker Innovation and Operations Severin Rasset told Pokerfuse that after a strategic review, PokerStars made the decision to “fold ‘Unfold.’”

Unfold Poker is essentially a no-limit hold’em ring game where players pay an additional Unfold ante. Then, the players who fold preflop have an option to go after the side pot created. They just need to match it, which allows them to pull their cards out of the muck. The antes are returned if all players pass. If more than one player Unfolds, the best hand of the bunch wins the side pot. PokerStars rakes both the main and Unfold ante side pot.

Just another rake grab?

Like many of the innovations PokerStars has rolled out recently, the game has been panned by critics. Most say it’s just another rake grab. Still, Rasset told Pokerfuse PokerStars’ attempts to try new game formats it believes will appeal to players will not end here:

“PokerStars is invested in creating and testing products and new variants of poker to suit a variety of player tastes. While not every new development will be a home run, we will keep trialling, listening to player feedback and analysing engagement with our goal of continuing to offer fresh promotions, formats and updates that enhance our players’ experience and bring more people to the game.”

PokerStars’ Split Hold’em, played with two boards, and Showtime Hold’em, which reveals all player holdings after they have folded, have both come and gone this year. Both faced similar criticisms in the short time PokerStars offered them.

A question of motives

All these stops and starts raise an important question. Should the poker community be applauding the world’s leading online poker site for its attempts at innovation, or panning it for failing to produce anything that is still around?

It really comes down to a question of the site’s motivations.

If the only innovations PokerStars comes up with are games the poker community widely considers rake grabs, its research and development team are nothing more than a bunch of con artists trying to fleece the community out of its cash. If money is the only motivation here, it’s time to call a red spade a red spade.

However, if PokerStars is really testing new game formats in a legitimate effort to bring more people into poker, it’s important the site be recognized for its effort to grow the game.

Is Short Deck the answer?

Pokerfuse did some digging into the PokerStars client. Based on that, it seems to think either something called Fusion Poker, or Six Plus Hold’em, will be the next innovation the site rolls out.

Leaving Fusion aside for the moment, since little other than the name is known about the game, releasing something like Six Plus Hold’em could go a long way towards convincing the community the site’s motivations are pure.

Otherwise know as Six Plus Hold’em or Short Deck, the game is hold’em. Although, it’s played with a deck where the deuces through fives have been pulled out. The game evolved out of some of the biggest cash games in the world over in Asia. It is quickly gaining steam all over the world. The Poker Masters just ran one of the first Short Deck events on US soil this week.

It’s an action game with increased variance. It’s the kind thing most poker players seem to love.

Releasing Six Plus Hold’em simply makes sense for PokerStars because of its appeal to players. Plus, perhaps even more importantly, it’ll be seen as more than just another way to generate rake.

It may not be purely PokerStars’ innovation. However, it’s the kind of idea that can help improve the image of the site’s Poker Innovation and Operations department. It’ll give the poker community something it clearly wants. A move that can only help the community begin to see PokerStars is after more than just its money.

If PokerStars wants to continue to be the world’s largest poker site, making a decision that’s as much public relations as it is innovation is the right move right now.

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Short Deck remains the talk of the poker world and the first live-streamed tournament in the United States aired Tuesday on PokerGO. The $10,000 Poker Masters edition brought in a promising field of 55 entrants to compete in the format that is sweeping the globe. Ike Haxton took down the inaugural event on Tuesday, defeating Maurice Hawkins heads up for the $176,000 top prize.

With one major event now in the books, Short Deck looks to continue its expansion across America.

Short Deck popularity

Players in the Poker Masters event spoke glowingly of Short Deck’s promise as a tournament game.

“I love it because there is no hand that’s a big favorite against another,” Andrew Robl told Poker Central. “This also makes it great for tournaments because there’s a lot of gambling in the game. Because many of the players in Asia have already played No-Limit Hold’em in the past, I don’t think that they’ll come back to the game. I think that because of this there will only be more Short Deck tournaments in the future.”

High rollers like Justin Bonomo, Rainer Kempe, and Dominik Nitsche tried out Short Deck for the first time at Poker Masters. Nitsche reached the final table with the chip lead and said he plans to play more Short Deck events at the Triton Super High Roller Series in the upcoming future.

“If [Short Deck] keeps continuing like this in the future and there are more and more events, I’m probably going have to learn a bit more,” Nitsche told Poker Central prior to Tuesday’s final table. “Can’t just rely on my instincts the entire time. If I want to play, I’m certainly going to be putting in the hours but it is too early to say.”

Jason Koon added, “At high stakes especially, we’re all gamers and trying new things and getting in there to figure it out keeps things fresh.”

More events on the way

More Short Deck champs will soon follow at the ARIA in Las Vegas, NV. Short Deck plays at ARIA on Oct. 5 and Nov. 2 as a $10,000 buy-in. The first $25,000 Short Deck tournament at ARIA will take place on Nov. 4.

Additional tournaments are sure to crop up as players demand the game at all stakes.

Short Deck is even taking over in Pot Limit Omaha. ARIA hosted a $300 ante game last week featuring high roller regular Ben Lamb.

Now being spread @ARIAPoker 300 ante short deck Plo. Seats open for all the brave ones.

— Ben Lamb (@BenbaLamb) September 6, 2018

“I’m excited because the players are excited about it,” ARIA tournament director Paul Campbell told Poker Central prior to the Poker Masters Short Deck event. “There’s been a lot of talk at ARIA about Short Deck. They’ve been playing it in the cash games recently and the players who have played it have enjoyed it.”

Short Deck grows at the lower limits, too. Bestbet Jacksonville brought in 82 entrants for their $240 Short Deck tournament on August 22. Players at ARIA demanded a $1 ante Short Deck game in recent weeks and management obliged. Time is the only barrier separating Short Deck from hitting the Wynn or Venetian tournaments.

By all accounts, the Poker Masters Short Deck event was well received and players at all levels are curious to learn more about the popular game. Short Deck will officially arrive once the World Series of Poker announces a bracelet event. Until then, the cult following grows.

Image courtesy of WPT/Flickr

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The world of social poker and major tournament poker aligned a bit more on Monday as the World Poker Tour and social game developer Zynga announced a partnership that will include adding tour-branded elements to the popular Zynga Poker.

Zynga Poker is the most popular free social poker game in the world, and already has a multi-year partnership with the tour and sponsored previous WPT events. The partnership adds to that with new WPT digital options for Zynga players.

Expanded poker presence

The agreement and new offerings also offer the WPT a chance to market its tournaments and offerings to an already poker-friendly audience with a chance to bring those players into live, real-money tournaments.

“We are incredibly thrilled to see the next step in the transformational multi-year partnership between the World Poker Tour and Zynga Poker come to life with the launch of WPT-themed tournaments on the world’s largest free-to-play poker platform,” WPT CEO Adam Pliska said. “Featuring state-of-the-art integrations and enhanced gameplay, millions of Zynga Poker players around the world can now experience the true feeling of competing on the global World Poker Tour stage.”

The new Zynga/WPT tournament features include:

• Authentic WPT Experience – Players can play like a pro in the new WPT mode.
• Higher Stakes and Bigger Payouts – Zynga offers a wider range of stakes for winning more virtual chips.
• Faster Tournaments – Players can now compete at traditional nine-handed tables or new five-handed tables for faster play.

The game is available for free on the App Store and on Google Play. Zynga officials believe the partnership adds to its product offerings for fans of its poker game.

“Our Zynga Poker players are an extremely passionate group who aspire to feel like true poker champions,” said Bernard Kim, President of Publishing. “Our World Poker Tour-themed tournaments enhance our free-to-play Zynga Poker social casino experience and bring the most premier name in the sport of poker directly into the player’s hands. We are thrilled to invite the World Poker Tour into our virtual world to create an even more authentic and immersive experience that players will love.”

A more global company

The new deal with Zynga goes along with the WPT’s focus on transitioning beyond being just a production company that films and broadcasts tournaments. At a media event in May, company officials said they are becoming more of a global entertainment company with poker as a central dynamic. The company also now has more than two dozen partners, including major brand names like Dr Pepper, Hublot watches, and Hennessy cognac. Zynga is also part of that list as well.

As part of the Zynga deal, the two companies also announced that they will be co-sponsoring NASCAR driver Matt DiBenedetto’s car as he competes in the South Point 400 this weekend, fittingly running in Las Vegas. DiBenedetto is 30th in the Monster Energy Cup standings behind the wheel of the No. 32 Ford Fusion. The sponsorship offers an opportunity for the two poker brands to be seen by a wider audience in the sports world.

The Zynga announcement is one of many from the WPT over the last few months. The company, which is now in its 17th season, announced a partnership in May with MGM Resorts at the new Esports Arena at the Luxor Hotel and Casino. The tour is expected to begin hosting all its final tables at the property beginning in March and may offer more esports events as well.

“It’s exciting to see how we’ve embraced this and MGM has embraced this,” Pliska said about the new arena. “I think we’re going to do some real innovative things.”

In August, the WPT also announced a four-year agreement with partypoker LIVE  to co-produce up to seven events across Canada and Europe, each with a prize pool guarantee of up to €3 million. The first event is the WPT Montreal event in October, which features events across the WPT spectrum including the Main Tour, DeepStacks, and WPT 500. Live streams the new events will be available through the “My partypoker LIVE” app.

Along with its new deals and partnerships, the tour continues to operate its ClubWPT online poker site. The tour is expected to announce its 2019 events soon.

Image courtesy of WPT/Flickr

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