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Will Skill Kill The 2018 World Series of Poker?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2018 World Series of Poker kicked off in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday with big hopes it can continue to put up record-breaking numbers.

But if the public paid any attention to the massive high roller event down the street that preceded it, and common sense can finally prevail, entry numbers should actually be down this year.

The 2017 WSOP saw a total of 120,995 entries over 74 bracelet events last summer. A number that was up more than 12 percent over 2016. In fact, the average field size saw a big jump, from 1,563 entries in 2016 to 1,635 entries last year.

More entries mean more money on the line, and the total prize pool for all events at the 2017 WSOP reached a whopping $231,010,874. A number that made the 2017 WSOP the biggest in the event’s almost 50-year history.

With 78 bracelet events on the schedule for 2018, all signs indicate the 2018 WSOP is ready to make a run at those record numbers. However, if the recreational players, weekend warriors and slots addicts who have traditionally helped field sizes soar at the WSOP can finally figure out how much the game has changed over the past few years, there’s very little chance it will get there.

The poker boom

Poker’s boom in popularity in the early 2000s was born out of the idea that anyone can win. There’s probably zero chance of you beating Tiger Woods in a round of golf. You’re a huge favorite to lose ten out ten sets of tennis versus Roger Federer. But as Chris Moneymaker helped prove in the 2003 WSOP Main Event, an amateur can take on the pros at poker, and maybe with a little luck, beat them at their own game.

Regardless of skill level, amateur poker players, home game heroes, and anyone who has ever played Blackjack and knows there are 52 cards in a deck, immediately started flocking to the WSOP hoping to find that kind of luck. Entry numbers in WSOP events rose dramatically, and for the most part, have been climbing ever since.

Luck played a major factor in poker’s first few boom years. However, professional players dedicated to working on their games persevered and seemed to come out ahead in the end.

A few years later, things changed. Many of those pros started coaching, sharing the skill sets they’d developed, and teaching the game to others. The online training site and live poker seminar industry exploded. The average amateur improved exponentially. Tournament fields got infinitely tougher.

However, a funny thing happened on the way to everyone getting better at poker. Luck became a major factor again.

The truth is, once skill levels even out among players, luck can quickly become the game’s only determining factor.

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Skill makes a comeback

Of course, the top professionals in the game didn’t take this lying down. They fought back against the phenomenon. They did it by working harder, studying more, and developing a stronger poker skill set than anyone ever has before them. Everyone got better, and the best got even better than them.

Plus, over the past few years, technological advancements have helped them get even better.

The best players in the game can now input every situation imaginable into computer solver programs that spit out game theory optimal (GTO) solutions. Some are spending even more time studying this information than they are playing the game. And they’re finding great success doing it.

Now, more than ever before, poker is a game of skill again.

Few events have proved that more than the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl taking place at Aria Resort & Casino in the days before the WSOP kicked off. Particularly the story behind Daniel Negreanu and his run all the way to second place.

Coming into the event with more than $36 million in career tournament earnings, Negreanu was on top of poker’s all-time money list. His consistency over a 20-year career has always stood as a testament that skill is more important than luck.

Negreanu has yet to make a WSOP Main Event final table. However, when the Mike McDermott character from the 1998 poker film Rounders mentioned the same players making the final table of the WSOP Main Event every year, it turns out he was talking about Negreanu. Or at least the type of consistent poker skill he’s displayed over the past two decades.

Negreanu goes GTO

Negreanu admitted he was outplayed in the Poker Masters series at Aria last year by a group of Germans players dominating the high roller scene lately. As a result, he made a commitment to focus on high roller events.

He set his sites on the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl, hired a team of coaches schooled in the solver/GTO style of play and went to work.

An old dog by poker standards, Negreanu was able to learn some new tricks. He used them to pick up $3 million for his Super High Roller Bowl runner-up finish this week. That brought his career total up to $39,546,093 and widened the gap between him and the rest of the world on top of the all-time money list.

Of course, he couldn’t beat a red-hot Justin Bonomo, who picked up $5 million for the win. Also well schooled in the new solver/GTO style of play, Bonomo has moved up to third on that all-time money list with $31,941,295 in earnings. This thanks to the incredible $13,907,138 he’s raked in so far this year.

Skill rises again

Both players’ success is indicative of the state of the game today. The pendulum has clearly swung back towards skill.

Sure, high roller events are small. They only attract the best players on the planet, making it hard to compare them to WSOP events. But don’t be fooled into thinking the players at the top of the WSOP food chain aren’t following Bonomo and Negreanu’s lead.

The players winning bracelets these days are the ones studying solver outcomes harder than anyone else. They’re the ones putting in the work and developing the skills it takes to win consistently.

It’s now to the point where those hoping to get lucky might as well just stay home. If they finally come to their senses and do, entry numbers at the 2018 WSOP will be down significantly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rev Up For Summer With Motorcycle Giveaways And Other June Casino Promos

Harleys and horses race into the spotlight this month as Pennsylvania casinos celebrate the official start of summer.

Three casinos will have drawings for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Elsewhere, two have promotions based on the June 9 Belmont Stakes, when Justify tries to become the 13th winner of the Triple Crown.

Others kick off summer-related giveaways offering prizes of free pulls on high-denomination slots, Atlantic City vacations, bundles of cash, and a beer bash.

Here’s a look at the best casino promotions and attractions for June:

EAST

Harrah’s Philadelphia

777 Harrah’s Blvd.
Chester, PA 19013
(800) 480-8020

Summer of jackpots

From June 1 through July 28, weekly drawings at Harrah’s will award free pulls on high-denomination slot machines, and winners get to keep all payouts. Total Rewards members get one free entry daily by swiping their card at a kiosk. One additional entry is awarded for every 25 tier points earned on slots on table game play. Bonus entries are available:

  • Mondays: 1,000 entries by logging into the play by TR app and accepting the offer.
  • Wednesdays: 5X entries
  • July 27 and 28: 10X entries

Hourly drawings from 6 to 10 p.m. June 9 and 23 will award free pulls on high-denomination slots. Hourly drawings from 6 to 10 p.m. on June 2, 16, and 30 and on July 7, 14, and 21 will award shares of $1,000 in slot free play. The finale drawing at 7 p.m. July 28 will award $10,000.

Mohegan Sun Pocono

1280 Highway 315
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
(888) 946-4672

40 years of summer

Mohegan Sun celebrates the 40th anniversary of the United States’ first legal casino outside Nevada with 40 vacation giveaways to Resorts Atlantic City. Mohegan Sun Tribal Gaming Authority now manages Resorts. Slot and table game players at Mohegan Sun Pocono earn entries throughout June for a package including:

  • A two-night stay at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City
  • $100 food and beverage credit at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville or LandShark Bar & Grill
  • Two tickets to The Wheel at Steel Pier
  • Beach umbrella and chair rental
  • $40 in slot play

Winners will be chosen on July 1. Vacation packages must be used before Sept. 30.

Happy camper giveaway

A $10,000 camping gear package is the grand prize in a drawing on June 30. The property will also give out slot free play and cash. Slot and table game players earn entries throughout the month, with 3X entries on Sundays. Drawings every half-hour from 2 to 8 p.m. June 30 will award two free slot play prizes or up to $5,000 cash, with the camping gear awarded in the finale. Unclaimed prizes will not be awarded.

Momentum Giveaway

Dozens of slot free play prizes will be awarded June 16 in a drawing open to all Momentum Club members. Staring at 1 p.m., players can print an entry ticket at any promotional kiosk and put it in the corresponding Status barrel.

From 2 through 8 p.m., drawings every 15 minutes will award one free-play prize at each level, from $100 for Core members to $1,000 for Soar members. From 8:15 to 9 p.m., the prizes increase and include cash. Core winners will get $200 in free play and $200 cash. Meanwhile, Soar members will get $1,500 in free play and $1,500 cash.

Mt. Airy Casino Resort

312 Woodland Rd.
Mount Pocono, PA 18344
(877) 682-4791

Get free play for eating

On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays this month, any Players Club member at Mount Airy can receive $20 in slot free play by buying a buffet. To claim the gift, take your buffet receipt to the players club. A lunch buffet costs $17. Dinner is $20.

Parx

2999 Street Road
Bensalem, PA 19020
(888) 588-7279

Harley-Davidson® sweepstakes

Parx will give away a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle and $40,000 worth of slot free play on June 23. My Xclub members earn entries from June 1 through 23, with bonus points of 5X, 10X, or 20X, depending on member level, for play on June 4, 11, and 18. From 4 to 10 p.m. June 23, 50 people will be selected every hour to win up to $200 worth of slot play each. The highest entry earner among the 50 is eligible for the motorcycle giveaway at 10:30 p.m.

Belmont Stakes action

The excitement of a potential Triple Crown victory won’t be confined to Belmont Park in New York. Southeast Pennsylvania racing fans can head to Parx for a family fun day, live thoroughbred races, and a simulcast of Justify’s bid for racing superstardom.

Doors to the Parx track open at 10 a.m. June 9, and the racing begins at 12:55 p.m. From noon to 5 p.m., a party in the picnic grove will feature pony rides, kids’ attractions, and live music by Middle Class. Other attractions include a t-shirt toss, and free race picks and handicapping tips. Barbecue and other food will be available. Advance betting on the Belmont will begin June 8. Horse bettors must be at least 18 years old; casino visitors must be at least 21.

Bruce Hornsby

Singer-pianist Bruce Hornsby, who thrives in multiple genres and has worked with artists as diverse as The Grateful Dead, Spike Lee, and Ricky Skaggs, will perform at 8 p.m. June 16 at the Xcite Center.

His best-selling work is “The Way It Is,” from his 1986 debut album with the Range. His music includes aspects of classical, jazz, and bluegrass, and he performed more than 100 shows as a member of The Grateful Dead. Tickets at the Parx are $49 to $69.

On June 15, on the other side of the state, Hornsby will perform at 8 p.m. at the Meadows Casino south of Pittsburgh, with tickets ranging from $30 to $287.

Sands

77 Sands Blvd.
Bethlehem, PA 18015
(877) 726-3777

Summer slot challenge

This three-month-long promotion offers a top prize of $75,000 cash, plus a guarantee of at least $300 in slot free play for qualifiers who attend the final drawing. To be eligible, a player must earn 1,000 points from rated slot play between June 1 and 5:59 a.m. Sept. 1 to receive one entry in the drawing. Those who earn 50 points from rated slot play between 6 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on the drawing day, Sept. 21, receive an additional entry. Second place in the drawing gets $10,000 in slot free play, with third getting $5,000 in free play.

Chevrolet Camaro sweepstakes

Sands Bethlehem is giving away a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS and four prizes of $1,000 in slot free play at 7 p.m. June 24. The first entry is free, with additional entries based on rated slot play from May 28 through 6:45 p.m. June 24. A second-chance drawing at 9 p.m. will award five prizes of $1,000 in free play.

SugarHouse

1001 N. Delaware Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(877) 477-3715

WMMR birthday beer bash

Rock radio station WMMR celebrates its golden anniversary with Beer Bash from 2 to 6 p.m. June 23 at SugarHouse Casino. Party-goers will be able to sample more than 100 beers, meet radio personalities, and enjoy giveaways and live entertainment. Food vendors and tailgate games also will be available. General admission tickets are $50; VIP tickets, which include a 1 p.m. entry, are $70. Early-bird purchasers get a $5 discount while supplies last. Designated-driver tickets, which do not include beer samples, are $10.

Valley Forge Resort Casino

1160 First Ave.
King of Prussia, PA 19406
(610) 354-8118

Summer bankroll

Valley Forge Casino is giving away five prizes of $5,000 cash in hourly drawings from 7 to 11 p.m. June 30. One entry is free by swiping your Valley Club card at a kiosk between noon and 10 p.m. June 30. Five additional entries are awarded for every club point earned from June 1 to 30. Winner must be present to receive prize.

Cool cash sweepstakes

Table game players can earn entries throughout the month for a drawing that awards $5,000 in cash to the winner. Players get one free entry by swiping their Valley Club players card at any kiosk on drawing day, June 29. Additional entries are given for each natural in Blackjack or natural 9 (banker bet) in Baccarat.

West/Central

Hollywood at Penn National

777 Hollywood Blvd.
Grantville, PA 17028
(717) 469-2211

Triple Crown slot play bonus

If the post-time favorite wins the Belmont Stakes, Marquee Rewards club members at Hollywood Casino will receive free slot play. To enter the bonus game, club members must swipe their card at a kiosk and opt into the promotion between 6 a.m. June 8 and 6:30 p.m. June 9. Justify, who won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, has been the early favorite. If the post time favorite wins, registered Marquee members will receive the free play 30 minutes after the results are official. It will be good until 5:59 a.m. June 10.

Wild card Tuesdays

Matching the suit or rank of a playing card drawn at random will earn free play for club members who participate in this three-week promotion. Players who earn 1,000 tier points through rated play during each earning period are eligible. The earning periods and drawing dates are:

  • June 6 through 11, for a drawing on June 12
  • June 13 through June 18, for a drawing on June 19
  • June 20 through 25, for a drawing on June 26

Participants print their wild cards at a casino kiosk on the day of each drawing, starting at 6 a.m. The casino will draw one playing car each hour from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants win when their wild card matches the suit, the rank, or both. Prizes are:

  • Suit only: $15 in free play, valid until the following Wednesday.
  • Rank only: $25 in free play, valid until the following Wednesday.
  • Suite and rank: $250 in free play, with 5 p.m. prize rising to $500 in free play. Free play is valid for 30 days.

Lady Luck Nemacolin

4067 National Pike
Farmington, PA, 15437
(724) 329-7500
($10 resort purchase required to enter casino)

Beat the GM

A top prize of $8,000 cash and $2,000 in slot free play is up for grabs in this monthlong promotion at Lady Luck, with weekly prizes of up to $5,000 cash. Players get one free entry for each day they play, but one bonus entry for every 100 tier points earned.

At 9 p.m. on June 2, 9, 16, and 23, names of 10 players will be drawn. Those who are present get to pick a prize that could be cash, slot free play, or a spot in the finale drawing at 9 p.m. June 30. A “leftover” drawing at 10 p.m. June 30 will select 10 winners to split prizes not claimed in the finale. The guaranteed prize pool for the leftover drawing is $2,500 in free play.

Meadows

210 Racetrack Road
Washington, PA 15301
724-503-1200

Can’t Wait for Summer giveaway

Multiple prizes of $1,000 cash and $100 in slot free play will be awarded each Sunday in June. Players earn entries based on play from May 28 through 5 p.m. June 24. Drawings will be every 30 minutes from 3 to 5 p.m. each Sunday in June. Prizes are:

  • One prize of $1,000 each hour
  • One prize of $1,000 in slot free play every 30 minutes
  • 20 prizes of $100 in slot free play every 30 minutes.

Cash winner must be present to receive prize. Participants must check-in within an hour of the drawing time by swiping any kiosk or generating a rating.

Ride your dream Harley

Players start earning entries this month for a July 6 drawing that will give away a 2018 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and 20 prizes of slot free play. Every 10 tier points earned between June 1 and 11 p.m. July 6 are good for one drawing entry. Winners must be present to claim their prize.

Presque Isle Downs

8199 Perry Highway
Erie, PA 16509
(866) 374-3386

Table games hot seat

From 5 to 8 p.m. June 16, one randomly selected table game player at Presque Isle Downs will be awarded $1,000 cash, and each players club member also at the table will receive $50 cash. If no one is in the winning seat, the $1,000 prize will roll over to the next drawing.

P.I. Dinko

Every Friday in June, five players will be chosen each hour from 4 to 10 p.m. to play “P.I. Dinko” for a chance to win up to $1,000 cash. Players club members get one free entry for every Friday played in June, plus one bonus entry for each 20 tier points earned each Friday. Players may win only one time per night.

Rivers

777 Casino Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
(877) 558-0777

Harley-Davidson drawing

Rivers Casino is awarding two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a Road Glide Special and a Soft Tail Street Bob, in a June 17 drawing. Preliminary drawings at 1, 4, and 7 p.m. that day will award 10 prizes of $250 in slot free play. Each of those winners also gets an entry into the final drawing, when eight prizes of $1,000 in slot free play and the two motorcycles will be awarded.

Rivers Rumble VIII

A seven-bout boxing card will fill the Rivers Casino Amphitheater on June 8, with matches starting at 7 p.m. The event is open to all ages and will go on rain or shine. Tickets start at $30 and include a $10 match play offer. The roster includes Pittsburgh lightweight Matt “Sweetchild” Conway (12-0, with five knockouts) and Cleveland super lightweight Montana “Too Pretty” Love (11-0, with four knockouts).

Photo by  Andrey Armyagov / Shutterstock.com

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Las Vegas Strip Walgreens Lot For Sale With Big Price Tag

A 16-acre space across from CityCenter on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue is on the market for a lofty $800 million.

CBRE Senior Vice President Michael Parks, one of two executives leading the sale, said this to the Las Vegas Sun:

“This parcel is truly prime Las Vegas real estate, surrounded by iconic Las Vegas brands in an area that is quickly becoming the Times Square of the Strip because of its bright lights, digital advertising and increasing pedestrian counts.”

According to the Las-Vegas Review-Journal, the Spectrum Group Management will sell the retail buildings and parking lots that make up this lot on the Strip in sections. These sections are not large enough for a megaresort but could fit a boutique or luxury hotel.

Setting the price high

The $800 million figure comes from the listing broker, John Knott, of CBRE Group, the group hired to sell the property. That sums up to $50 million per acre. Back in 2015, the property was listed at $500 million, but it included the Spectrum, which sold for $59.5 million.

A parcel next to this property sold for $34 million an acre for 1.76 acres. Parks told the Las Vegas Sun that he expected this sale to set a record for land parcels paid for on the Strip.

While sales on the Las Vegas Strip have slowed, especially when it comes to open land, Knott said they’ve already held meetings with interested parties.

The site currently includes a Walgreens retail plaza, a food court, Fatburger, an empty Travelodge and a Harley-Davidson Cafe.

Acquired properties caution others on the Strip

There are quite a couple cautionary tales for the state of Las Vegas properties.

  • Lucky Dragon
  • SLS
  • Fontainebleau (The Drew)
  • Resorts World
  • Wynn

The Lucky Dragon and the SLS are examples of the difficulties to survive on the Strip.

New owner Alex Meruelo purchased SLS Las Vegas from Stockbridge Capital Group for an undisclosed price, but he said he posted $100 million in cash and ate the casino’s debt of $585 million.

In the meantime, supposedly the resort will under some fixes and embrace a new market in the Los Angeles area.

Even while these changes are underway, previously, a different establishment struggled through transition. Lucky Dragon failed to capture the Asian market as it attempted to do in 2016 as a Chinese-themed property.

Almost 18 months later, the Lucky Dragon wasn’t so lucky; it entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy after defaulting on a $90 million loan.

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Properties still under construction

And supposedly, even if things do change, the changes take time. The Fontainebleau Las Vegas project, planned for a 2020 opening, will open as The Drew.

Construction began on the $2.8 billion sister hotel to the Florida Fontainebleau Hotel in 2007. Owners planned for a 2009 opening but the over 60-story building remained untouched for almost 10 years.

The deadline for Resorts World in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Convention Center’s $1.4 billion expansion is 2020 as well. Originally planned for 2019, the project halted with a redesign after presenting the project to the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Wynn’s Paradise Park and the Wynn West property will expand Wynn’s total holdings to 280 acres of Las Vegas resorts. Purchased for $336 million, Wynn told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he expected the work to finish in three years’ time. However, with all of the legal turmoil surrounding the brand, progress on both projects is up in the air.

Photo by QualityHD / Shutterstock.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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