PokerStars recently concluded the Michigan Championship of Online Poker (MICOOP), the state’s first legal online poker series. The festival ran Feb. 20 through March 8 with more than $1 million guaranteed and attracted some major numbers.
The site went live at the end of January and didn’t waste time rolling out a major series. Poker players seem to have embraced the action and company officials were pleased with the turnout.
“Throughout the series, we were blown away by the overwhelming support from the poker community in Michigan,” PokerStars associate director of consumer engagement and public relations Rebecca McAdam Willetts said in a news release. “We are very encouraged by the success of our inaugural MICOOP and look forward to hosting future poker events for Michigan players.”
The state’s first online poker series turned out to be quite a success. The festival included 60 events and crushed the guarantee with a total prize pool of $2.2 million.
PokerStars quickly saw the demand and even increased guarantees as tournaments overwhelmingly topped original expectations.
On Feb. 27-28, Pokerstars ran a double-up weekend to boost prize pools. The company saw the rising number of registrations and awarded players by increasing the guaranteed payouts. Overall, 58 of 60 events met guarantees.
Main Event hauls in plenty of players
The $300 Main Event ran on March 7 and brought in 1,284 entries. That swelled the total prize to $359,520, almost double the initial guarantee of $200,000.
After two days of play, “smftt” took the title and $56,398 for the victory. This player becomes the state’s first major online championship event winner. Here’s a look at the top payouts.
PokerStars MICOOP Main Event
Finish
Player
Payout
1
smftt
$56,399
2
zscoro
$40,202
3
cbauer6789
$28,657
4
LayThePipeDream
$20,428
5
nldoublej
$14,562
6
GigglyGrizzlies
$10,380
7
PuntnStacks
$7,399
8
Ryan Haury
$5,274
9
sexycaitlyn
$3,760
MICOOP proved a success and even outscored the Pennsylvania COOP in overall totals. In October, PokerStars ran a similar series in the Keystone State.
That $300 Main Event brought in a $283,640 prize pool. The Michigan Main Event produced more than $75,000 above that total.
Mixing it up in MICOOP
Michigan PokerStars took an aggressive game plan with Michigan’s first series. The schedule included more events than the COOP series in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
MICOOP also topped those in number of events, just 54 for NJCOOP and 50 PACOOP. The Michigan series included No Limit Hold’em freezeouts, re-entries, and progressive knockout (PKO) tournaments.
PokerStars also mixed it up by offering Pot Limit Omaha and some less frequently spread forms of poker. This included Five Card Draw, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo, HORSE, and Eight-Game Mix.
Currently PokerStars is the only platform that has gone live in Michigan so far. All three Stars markets currently feature “ringed-in” poker environments, meaning players can only play others in the state.
There is no timeline for a merged shared liquidity market. However, the January ruling on the Wire Act issue could clear the way eventually for grouping players in those states.
Players are anticipating much larger prize pools when this occurs. All three states create a population of 31.7 million for PokerStars to market its product.
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Poker may be in a state of flux, but Tom Wheaton remains a big believer in the industry. The founder and CEO of Faded Spade playing cards recently announced the launch of a new poker talent agency.
Above the Felt Entertainment hopes to parlay some of his business savvy to marketing poker players. The goal is to connect players and businesses across industries, and Wheaton believes there are numerous opportunities available.
His efforts have already paid some dividends and his initial roster of players includes some of the biggest names in poker. Chris Moneymaker, Jamie Kerstetter, Darren Elias, and Matt Berkey are all on board as the first clients.
The group accounts for more than $16.5 million in poker tournament winnings. Wheaton hopes to develop partnerships with businesses and other entities to market their brands.
“I’ve known Tom for many years from Faded Spade and am very impressed with the company he’s built,” said Moneymaker, a member of the Poker Hall of Famer and 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.
“The poker community has an enormous amount to offer, and I’m thrilled to be working with Tom and the team at Above the Felt to expand poker’s reach to companies around the world.”
Wheaton recently spoke with USPoker about the new agency as well his efforts in other areas of poker. He offered a look into the business side of the game and some of his hopes for the industry.
Marketing poker players and the game
During the poker boom of the 2000s, adding poker players’ names and likeness to products seemed a no-brainer. The game was in high gear and names like Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, and Daniel Negreanu became poker stars.
Who could forget Hellmuth’s face on a Milwaukee’s Best beer can? Online poker sites embraced players as ambassadors as well. While sites still partner with some players, the market has shrunk since those heady days of the 2000s.
However, Wheaton still believes there are some missed opportunities for successful players with a brand and following. As he begins working with players, he believes he brings a unique background to Above the Felt.
A 20-year career in the corporate marketing world has given him some insight into what companies are looking for.
“Now my team and I will be working with those folks at different corporations to try and develop some really unique activations for our talent,” Wheaton says, “but also help grow their business, connect with employees, or engage with clients.”
That could include public speaking, team building, appearances, and other partnerships. Wheaton believes there is a market for poker players and thinks he can make those connections.
The game’s popularity, he says, carries over to other aspects of business and he hopes to tap into that.
“It’s amazing, the correlations between poker strategy and execution and business strategy and execution,” he says. “I think our talent can deliver those types of messages outside the industry and bring value.”
Working to represent and make some deals
Working with players is nothing new for Wheaton. The new agency simply builds on something he’s already been doing for players on the side for a few years.
Tom Wheaton at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic.
That behind-the-scenes consulting found some success. Above the Felt now becomes a natural evolution on that work.
While Moneymaker may be well-known outside poker, some of the others are less so. Kerstetter is a poker pro and commentator and Elias is the World Poker Tour’s only four-time champion.
Berkey is a poker pro and founder of the Solve for Why Poker Training Academy. Wheaton hopes to take advantage of the interests, skills, and background of this roster to reach a wider audience.
“I think there’s going to be a wide array of opportunities across multiple industries,” he says. “It’s not a one size fits all approach.”
Online poker’s growth may be an opportunity
Wheaton believes the timing might be right for a new venture. Live poker is starting to return and online poker has exploded around the world.
The possibilities of the growing US online poker market may also offer possibilities. That all equates plenty of upside for a new talent agency hoping to represent players.
“There’s going to be value added that we bring to card rooms and bring to poker organizations within the industry to help get momentum back to engage players and engage fans,” he says. “In the same light, we have this situation where online poker is starting to expand to new states.
“When you look at the Above the Felt talent, you’d have to ask yourself, ‘Why wouldn’t an online poker operator want to directly with Matt, Jaime, Darren, or Chris,’” Wheaton says.
That seems to have already happened again for Moneymaker. He recently left PokerStars and quickly struck a deal with an offshore online poker site.
As of now, Above the Felt is keeping its roster at the initial four with the possibility of eventually expanding.
“I’m not that interested right now in having a roster of 20 or 30 people,” he says. “I’m more focused on the best and brightest in the industry who are going to represent themselves, a company, and the industry really well.”
Pandemic deals playing card company a setback, moves into online poker
Faded Spade playing cards, Wheaton’s main company, was founded in 2017. He hoped to reinvent the typical deck of cards and gear his brand specifically toward the game of poker.
That included redesigned images, high-quality plastic material, resizing cards for poker, and more. The company offered a unique and modernized update to traditional playing cards.
Despite entering a market packed by a few heavyweights, Faded Spade found some traction. The company reached deals with numerous casinos and also is the official playing card of WPT final tables.
Faded Spade has received positive reviews from poker room managers and payers like. However, the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic shut down many casinos and card rooms. That meant no need for more cards.
The company faced uncertain times. But Wheaton saw a unique online poker opportunity and looked to transition to another niche in the market.
A look at a recent Faded Spade Virtual Poker online charity event.
Along with traditional live poker shut down, charities looking for fundraising tournaments were also out of luck. Faded Spade Virtual Poker was born in April 2020.
The proprietary poker experience is geared toward non-profits, corporations for philanthropic fundraising, client engagement, employee connectivity, and more.
“It’s not real money, just a social poker platform,” Wheaton says. “Since we launched that, we’ve worked with over 80 companies over the last 10 months. From a fundraising standpoint we’ve helped raise over $4 million.”
Building the brand and promoting the game
The move into virtual poker helped the company survive the live poker slowdown. With tournaments and live action slowly returning, the playing card business is now turning around.
The businesses appear to be moving in the right direction. The playing cards and virtual poker have produced a unique niche in the poker industry.
Above the Felt now becomes another part of his entrepreneurial efforts. Wheaton is bullish on poker and the possibilities to help players branch out beyond the game.
More exposure for the game also means more players in the game. Wheaton sees that as a win-win for the industry.
“My ultimate hope is that we’re able to expand upon the opportunities that already exist inside the industry for everyone’s benefit,” he says. “I want to make sure that when we work with a card room, online poker operator, or other corporation, it’s a win all around. Outside of the industry, I want this to broaden the reach of poker.”
Online poker has seen huge numbers around the world. One year after the Coronavirus pandemic began, the industry continues to thrive.
Several states have made some noise about legalization as well. Live poker is also slowly returning with the World Poker Tour and other properties seeing nice results.
One WPT player also had a shot at two titles in two days. This month, Chip Chatter takes a look at some of these issues as well as some of other news in the world of poker.
States to watch for online poker legalization
The January Wire Act ruling seems to have quickened the pace of states looking to legalize online gaming, including poker. Budget deficits caused by the Coronavirus pandemic play a big part of that as states search for revenue.
Illinois appears to be one of the most likely. The legislation even includes wording to fast-track potential operators.
“It’s been discussed over the past few years,” bill co-sponsor Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D) told USPoker. “But with the success with online sports wagering it seemed like an appropriate time to further explore this idea.”
Connecticut also seems likely to legalize online poker. Gov. Ned Lamont (D) supports online gaming and also reached an agreement with the Mohegan Tribe, which owns and operates the Mohegan Sun casino.
The Mashantucket Pequot, owner and operator of Foxwoods Casino, may be close to a deal as well. That could clear the way for eventual passage of a bill.
“Assuming all parties agree and a bill passes in the legislature, the deal would allow both tribes to offer sports betting and online casino games,” notes Online Poker Report. “In return, the state’s lottery would get to offer certain products online, as well as open its own sportsbooks.”
North Dakota legislators are also considering legalization with a statewide referendum possibly in the works. Missouri has also introduced legislation giving the go-ahead to sports betting as well as online gaming and poker.
It’s not all good news for online poker however. Kentucky’s bill has been delayed for at least a year. Legalization in Indiana also seems unlikely this year. The good news for players is that the issue is suddenly seeing some traction.
What’s next for partypoker and WSOP.com?
With Michigan now allowing online poker, PokerStars remains the only operator in the state as of now. No timetable has been given for when partypoker/BetMGM and WSOP.com might enter the market.
Neither operator has gone live in Pennsylvania, where GGPoker is also working to be a player. With the Wire Act in the rearview mirror, interstate compacts are inevitable.
It’s a good bet WSOP.com and partypoker will enter either of the markets this year. WSOP.com has even alluded to adding another state to the 2021 WSOP Online Circuit schedule.
Party, WSOP.com, and PokerStars are all in position to greatly expand their player pools. Adding Illinois and Connecticut could only add to the momentum.
WPT live events continue crushing guarantees
Another event, another major prize pool. The WPT held its second major US event March 5-9 since restarting.
The $5,000 WPT Venetian attracted a field of 937 entries for a $4.3 million prize pool. That’s a huge leap over the $1.5 million guarantee.
That comes after the Lucky Hearts Poker Open at the Seminole Hard Rock brought in 1,573 entries in January. That produced a prize pool of $5 million, a massive increase to the $1 million guarantee.
In Las Vegas, Qing Liu came out on top for $752,880 and now has a chance to win his second tour title in two days. After winning on Tuesday, Liu plays in another final table on Wednesday.
Qing Liu won more than $750,000 at the WPT Venetian. (photo by Joe Giron/WPT)
The WPT recently announced that delayed final tables from 2020 would now be played in March and May. Liu also qualified for the final table of the WPT Gardens Poker Championship.
That event was set to be played on Wednesday and Liu has a chance at back-to-back titles. Liu overcame a 2-to-1 chip disadvantage when heads-up to win the title. Can he do it again on Wednesday?
“I don’t think so,” Liutold WPT.com. “I used up all my luck today. Tomorrow I won’t be so lucky.”
That remains to be seen. Liu will sit fifth in chips when the Gardens action resumes in the PokerGO Studio. Chance Kornuth returns as chip leader. Here’s a look at the remaining final tables left to play:
Borgata Winter Poker Open – May 16
LA Poker Classic – May 17
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown – May 18
Report shows number of Vegas poker rooms continues declining
Despite big numbers at live tournaments, poker rooms continue to close. The Las Vegas Sunrecently reported a steep decline in Las Vegas area poker rooms.
After casinos reopened in June, several properties decided to keep their poker rooms closed. Some major rooms not returning include Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, and Mirage.
The Sun notes that in January 2020, 35 casinos in Clark County reported revenue from 418 tables. January 2021 saw only 21 casinos with earnings from 282 tables. That’s a decrease of about 33% and other states are seeing rooms stay closed as well.
While some consolidation may take place, fewer opportunities to play means less poker and fewer jobs for staff. An end to the pandemic may help.
More players appear to be heading to the virtual tables and US online poker revenue remains strong. February numbers should be released soon. With several major events running on all platforms, February has a chance to see big numbers as well.
McKeehen comes up just short in bid for WPT title
After winning the 2015 WSOP Main Event for $7.6 million, Joe McKeehen has shown impressive staying power. He has two other WSOP bracelets and more than $17 million in live tournament winnings.
That includes some big numbers on the WPT with $1.1 million in winnings and five final table appearances. Adding a WPT title would be a nice to addition to his resumé and he came up just short on Tuesday.
Joe McKeehen battling in the WPT Venetian. (photo courtesy Joe Giron/WPT)
McKeehen finished runner-up for $491,960 after coming into the final day as chip leader. He now also has two third-place finishes and has also finished fourth twice.
Throw in two ninth-place finishes and it’s quite an impressive record of success.
The launch of PokerStars MI and the inaugural Michigan Championship of Online Poker might have grabbed most of the US online poker-related headlines over recent weeks.
But in Pennsylvania, the PokerStars and FOX BetBounty Builder Series did quite well in its own right. Players in the PokerStars PA series won over $2 million across 75 events played using the popular progressive knockout format.
The PokerStars PA series featured guaranteed prize pools adding up to just over $1.67 million. Ultimately events attracted more than 35,000 total entries, with prize pools totaling $2,012,204.25.
Nearly all 75 tournaments produced prize pools that exceeded the scheduled guarantees. Just seven events had overlays, most of which were small. The largest overlay of just over$6,000 came in one of the earliest events, a $100 buy-in Sunday Special with a $100,000 guarantee, the largest of any tournament other than the Main Event.
Speaking of the Main Event, that tournament sported a $150,000 guarantee. With 957 total Main Event entries, players built a prize pool of just over $178,000. Player “KennytheRipper” took away the top prize, earning more than $23,000 including bounties.
Pennsylvania series awards more than NJ, less than MI
The PokerStars PA Bounty Builder Series ran during the same Feb.20-Mar. 8 window as did both the first-ever MICOOP at PokerStars MI and a similar Bounty Builder Series at PokerStars NJ.
The MICOOP was a 60-event series that awarded just over $2.2 million across those same 17 days. The MICOOP had originally featured just over $1 million in total guarantees. However, PokerStars boosted the guarantees in many of the events, pushing that total up to more than $1.4 million.
Meanwhile, the PokerStars NJ Bounty Builder Series featured 58 events and awarded just under $700,000 total. A number of events in the New Jersey series featured overlays, although the total amount awarded did manage to exceed just over $650,000 in guarantees.
Here’s a look at the turnouts and prize pools for the entire PokerStars PA Bounty Builder Series.
2021 PokerStars PA Bounty Builder Series by the numbers
Event
Buy-in
Guarantee
Entries
Re-Entries
Prize Pool
1: NLHE [8-Max, Series Kick-Off]
$100
$40,000
414
194
$55,814.40
2: NLHE [8-Max, Mini Kick-Off]
$25
$15,000
777
370
$26,094.25
3: NLHE [Turbo]
$10
$5,000
588
238
$7,516.60
4: NLHE
$50
$20,000
424
209
$28,801.50
5: NLHE [Warm-Up – Bounty Builder Edition]
$30
$12,500
428
162
$16,107.00
6: NLHE [6-Max, Storm – Bounty Builder Edition]
$10
$5,000
485
229
$6,497.40
7: NLHE [Sunday Special – Bounty Builder Edition]
$100
$100,000
631
391
$100,000.00*
8: NLHE [8-Max, Mini Special]
$200
$15,000
615
298
$16,616.60
9: NLHE [6-Max, Sunday High Roller – Bounty Builder Edition]
“Bet with your head, not over it,” goes a well-known gambling saying. That’s certainly true for some. March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month and regulated online poker and gaming sites have safeguards in place to problem gamblers.
According to the International Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG), about 1 percent of the US adult population has a “severe gambling problem.”
Many players find poker and gambling a fun activity to pass some time. Casinos are simply entertainment destinations for these players.
However, gambling may be compulsive for some. A player’s personal problems can spiral out of control quickly if they don’t keep their gaming in check.
Those who enjoy online gaming and poker will find some resources to help. US operators work to promote safe and responsible gaming. Here are five safeguards that online poker sites have in place for those who need some help.
1 – Players must be 21 to enter
To prevent underage gambling, all poker sites require multiple forms of identification and a Social Security number to play. Regulated markets work to keep online gaming among adults only.
“The most recent research estimates that 6 to 9 percent of young people and young adults experience problems related to gambling – a higher rate than among adults,” NCRG reports.
Regulated online gaming sites have measures in place to help prevent this.
2 – Online poker deposit limits
Players will find a deposit limits page in the responsible gaming section of most sites. The self-imposed limit allows players to regulate how much money they can use to fund an account.
A player can decide to cap the amount of deposits daily, weekly, and monthly. Once these are set, they can only be changed after a certain time period has ended.
3 – Loss notification
Sometimes it’s easy for players to lose track of their losses. New Jersey makes sure to notify players after certain limits are reached.
When a player deposits and loses more than $2,500 in a year, a pop up will appear on the client. This notification will halt the games until the player acknowledges the screen.
Sites in NJ also provide information to help players who may need help. Other states offer similar programs. These friendly reminders can provide some introspection for those who play online regularly.
4– Player time limits
The running joke is that casinos don’t have clocks and want players to gamble longer than needed. The ability to activate time limits is another safeguard provided on legal gaming sites.
Players can determine their daily, weekly, and monthly playing time limits. Once a site reaches a player’s preset limit, the casino games halt.
For poker players, this restriction should be taken into consideration when at the tables. Those playing a tournament, will need to coordinate the time needed to play.
Once the time limit is up, the client locks the player out of the tournament. Casino support is unable to unlock these imposed limits until after the time limit for the day has ended.
5- Self-exclusion
The biggest step a player can make is to exclude himself from playing. Players in New Jersey can self exclude from all gambling for a minimum of one or five years. Other states offer similar time limits.
This means they can no longer play on any sites, live or online, once the self-exclusion is in place. That’s an important thing to remember, but self-exclusion may be an answer for those with serious concerns.
“Make sure that players realize the ban is not contained to just one site,” a player who wished to remain anonymous told USPoker. “I thought I was self excluding from only one online site, and I found out pretty quickly I was banned from all sites in New Jersey and all Atlantic City casinos for one year.”
Online players can learn more about self-exclusion by visiting:
The Nevada Gaming Control Board doesn’t offer a self-exclusion initiative. However, individual casino properties may offer their own. Those with a gambling problem can also call 1-800-GAMBLER.
