The Michigan Gaming Control Board meets Tuesday to take care of last-minute red tape and provide answers to burning questions about the upcoming launch.
The post Still No Official Launch Date For Michigan, But Upcoming Regulatory Meeting Should Provide Some Answers appeared first on Online Poker Report.
The hunt for a 2021 championship ring is on. WSOP.com is kicking off the new year next week with the Winter Online Super Circuit Series.
The festival runs Jan. 14-31 with 18 gold ring tournaments and $1 million guaranteed. Players in New Jersey and Nevada will be eligible to participate in these events exclusively through WSOP.com.
With the pandemic still in place, the WSOP has chosen to play circuit events exclusively online for 2021. The series recently announced a slate of 13 Online Circuit Series playing out each month.
The first of those includes a $525 Main Event on Jan. 31 with a $250,000 guarantee. Other highlighted Super Circuit events include:
Here’s a look at the complete Online Super Circuit Series schedule here:
| Date | Name | Buy–in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/14/2021 | #1 – NLHE BIG $500 Kick-Off 3x Re-entry 8-Max | $500 | $75,000 |
| 1/15/2021 | #2 – Limit O8 or Better 8-Max 3X Re-entry | $215 | $40,000 |
| 1/16/2021 | #3 – NLHE Double Stack 2x Re-entry | $320 | $100,000 |
| 1/17/2021 | #4 – NLHE Monster Stack 2x Re-entry | $215 | $125,000 |
| 1/18/2021 | #5 – NLHE Freezeout | $250 | $50,000 |
| 1/19/2021 | #6 – NLHE High Roller 6-Max 2x Re-entry | $1,000 | $100,000 |
| 1/20/2021 | #7 – PLO BIG $500 6-Max 3X Re-entry | $500 | $50,000 |
| 1/21/2021 | #8 – NLHE 2x Re-entry | $320 | $75,000 |
| 1/22/2021 | #9 – NLHE Knockout Freezeout | $300 | $50,000 |
| 1/23/2021 | #10 – NLHE Double Stack 2x Re-entry | $320 | $100,000 |
| 1/24/2021 | #11 – NLHE Monster Stack 3x Re-entry 8-Max | $525 | $150,000 |
| 1/25/2021 | #12 – NLHE Deep Turbo 2x Re-entry | $215 | $50,000 |
| 1/26/2021 | #13 – NLHE Super High Roller 6-Max 2x Re-entry | $2,000 | $100,000 |
| 1/27/2021 | #14 – NLHE 2X Re-entry | $215 | $75,000 |
| 1/28/2021 | #15 – NLHE 6-Max 2x Re-entry | $320 | $75,000 |
| 1/29/2021 | #16 – NLHE Turbo 2x Re-entry | $250 | $50,000 |
| 1/30/2021 | #17 – $100,000 NLHE Double Stack 2x Re-entry | $320 | $100,000 |
| 1/31/2021 | #18 – NLHE Main Event 3x Re-entry 8-Max | $525 | $250,000 |
Like other 2021 events, the Online Circuit Series comes with a $10,000 monthly leaderboard. The top 10 circuit grinders for the month will win WSOP.com tournament tickets.
The winner also wins a seat into the $250,000 year-end WSOP Online Circuit Championship. That tournament is set for Dec. 28 and rewards the champion with a WSOP gold bracelet.
To qualify for the $250,000 Championship players will need to win a:
Those among the top 50 players on the cumulative circuit leaderboard also earn an entry.
The site has added plenty of player extras for 2021. Two bonus events are scheduled to close out the Winter Online Super Circuit on Feb. 2 .
January ring winners along with top 10 leaderboard players can take a shot in a $25,000 freeroll. On the same day, WSOP.com hosts a Second Chance Freeroll.
The winner is eligible for a seat in the $250,000 Online Circuit Championship. To get in the freeroll, players must have played in at least four ring events in January
Before the launch of January’s ring events, players in New Jersey and Nevada can take advantage for a 100% reload bonus. The bonus is available from Jan. 5-25 – up to $500.
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The post RING RACE: WSOP.com Winter Super Circuit Begins Jan. 14 With $1M Guarantee appeared first on .
It’s a new year, although poker tournament organizers continue to confront the same challenges they faced during most of 2020.
As a means to meet those challenges, the World Series of Poker this week announced a new WSOP Online Circuit Series that will last throughout 2021.
Patterned after the live WSOP Circuit of past years, the online series will feature monthly 12- or 18-tournament series in which winners will receive WSOP-C gold rings.
The 2021 WSOP Online Circuit will culminate with the $250,000 WSOP Online Circuit Championship in December, which will award a WSOP gold bracelet to the winner.
A press release on Wednesday from the WSOP noted how “live poker remains a challenge due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” thus prompting the decision to create an expanded online series.
During 2020, the WSOP was able to stage a handful of live tournament series early in the year, including one in February at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. However, from mid-March onward, all live WSOP-C events were cancelled and replaced by several online series on WSOP.com.
For the 2021 WSOP Online Circuit Series, tournaments will only be open to those playing on the WSOP Nevada and WSOP New Jersey sites.
There will be 12 WSOP-C tournament series in 2021, one per month. In most cases, the series schedule will contain 12 tournaments, similar to the schedule used in the past at live WSOP-C series stops. Roughly once per quarter will come an expanded “Super Circuit” series with 18 tournaments.
The Super Circuit series will include both $1,000 and $2,000 high roller events and a $500 pot-limit Omaha event.
The announcement notes that a 13th tournament series might be added to the schedule at a later date “pending launch of the WSOP.com service in a newly regulated market.”
WSOP.com received regulatory approval to launch in Pennsylvania last year, and has indicated the new site will go live in 2021. There has been no announcement regarding whether or not the new WSOP PA player pool might be shared with those at other WSOP sites as part of a multi-state agreement, either initially or in the future.
As noted, winners of each tournament will receive a WSOP Circuit ring along with first-place prize money. In addition, the WSOP will be adding over $600,000 in prize money over the course of the year via “a variety of promotions and events.”
For the first time, some of the online tournament series will be “co-branded” via partnerships with various retail casinos.
Planet Hollywood, Bally’s, Paris Las Vegas and Harrah’s Las Vegas are among the Nevada properties that will be represented. Such tournaments will feature “‘cash at the cage’ buy-in and cash out availability while offering its out-of-market players special promotional rates to stay onsite” while they play.
There will be a 2021 WSOP Circuit Series Leaderboard as well, with all players who cash in events receiving points for their finishes.
The points will enable players to become eligible for freeroll events. They also will help players win their way into the year-ending $250,000 WSOP Online Circuit Championship (discussed below).
Also, the top 10 players each month will divide $10,000 worth of tournament tickets. Those 10 players will also win seats to play in that month’s $25,000 Monthly Freeroll where only that month’s event winners and top 10 points-getters will participate.
The $25,000 Monthly Freerolls are scheduled for the following dates:
Players who play in a minimum number of tournaments each series who have not otherwise won their way into the Championship will be able to play another freeroll event, the Monthly Second Chance Fast Forward. That will be a winner-take-all tournament with first-prize being a seat in the Championship.
The $250,000 WSOP Online Circuit Championship will take place Dec. 21, 2021. Players can become eligible in a variety of ways:
The Championship will be limited to a maximum of 256 entrants.
| Series | Dates | Ring Events |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Online Super Circuit | Jan. 14-31 | 18 |
| Planet Hollywood Circuit | Feb. 17-28 | 12 |
| Silver Legacy Circuit | Mar. 19-30 | 12 |
| Spring Online Super Circuit | Apr. 10-27 | 18 |
| Caesars Atlantic City Super Circuit | May 8-25 | 12 |
| Summer Online Super Circuit | Jun. 10-27 | 18 |
| Bally’s Online Circuit | Jul. 16-27 | 12 |
| Rio Online Circuit | Aug. 20-31 | 12 |
| Caesars Las Vegas Online Circuit | Sep. 15-26 | 12 |
| Fall Online Super Circuit | Oct. 9-26 | 18 |
| Paris Las Vegas Online Circuit | Nov. 10-21 | 12 |
| Harrah’s Las Vegas Online Circuit | Dec. 8-19 | 12 |
| $250,000 Year End Championship Event | Dec. 28 | bracelet event |
The post World Series Of Poker Announces Yearlong 2021 WSOP Online Circuit Series appeared first on Play Nevada.
The tiny buy-ins and thunderous payouts are back at Global Poker. The Micro Thunder Series II is set for Jan. 10-17 with 15 million Gold Coins (GC) and 50,000 Sweeps Coins (SC) guaranteed.
Players will find a varied schedule with 26 GC and 26 SC events with two Gods of Thunder finals planned. As in all Global series, some nice trophies is on the line as well in both GC and SC events.
With buy-ins starting at just GC1,000 and SC1, players can create their own thunder with a nice payday.
Global Poker is a sweepstakes, social gaming-style site where players can play for free using virtual currencies. However, players can also redeem some of those for real cash prizes.
Players can use Gold Coins to play in tournaments, sit and go’s, and ring games. These are a free-to-play currency, but can’t be exchanged for cash prizes.
However, a player purchasing additional Gold Coins also receives a second virtual currency known as Sweeps Coins. These coins can be used in separate ring games, sit and go’s, and tournaments.
Unlike GC, Sweeps Coins can be accumulated and exchanged for real cash prizes and gift cards. The site offers an easy coin-buying process and quick payouts for winners.
Global has grown considerably over the last year and now has more than 1 million players. The site is available for players in the US and Canada (excluding Washington and Quebec)The site also underwent some major improvements and additions in 2020.
Global offers major tournament series throughout the year for GC and SC players. That now continues with the Micro Thunder Series.
Players looking to win some Sweeps Coins with a shot at some real money cash prizes will find plenty of action. The 26 Micro Thunder events feature buy-ins ranging from SC1.10 to SC5.50 with guarantees from SC500 to SC10,000.
Events are grouped into Low, Medium, and High buy-in levels with a few special events also thrown in. Players will mostly No Limit Hold’em with a Pot Limit Omaha event on Jan. 10 with a SC500 guarantee.
There’s even a No Limit Crazy Pineapple tournament set for Jan. 16 with a SC500 
guarantee. This is a version of Hold’em where players start with three cards and discard one after flop betting is complete.
Several poker variations are planned including six-max, deepstack, rebuy, progressive knockout (PKO), and traditional bounty format.
The series is highlighted by three main events on Jan. 17. The SC11 Thunderstorm tournament features a SC10,000 guarantee. The SC5.50 Thunderbolt and SC3.30 Thunderclap versions come with SC3,000 and SC1,500 guarantees.
Satellites for the main events run throughout the series. Some other highlights include:
Here’s a look at the complete schedule:
| Date | Event | Sweeps Coin buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 16 | Satellite to 7-H, 5 Seats Guaranteed [Turbo] | 1.1 | 5 seats |
| Jan. 17 | Satellite to Micro Thunderstorm Main Event-H, 5 Seats Guaranteed [Turbo] | 2.2 | 5 seats |
| Jan. 17 | Satellite to Micro Thunderbolt Main Event-M, 5 Seats Guaranteed [Turbo] | 1.1 | 5 seats |
| Daily: Jan. 4-16 | Satellite to Micro Thunderstorm Main Event-H, 2 Seats Guaranteed [Turbo] | 0.25 | 2 seats |
| Jan. 10 | 1-L SC 1,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, Deep] | 1.1 | SC 1,000 |
| Jan. 10 | 1-M SC 1,500 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, Deep] | 2.2 | SC 1,500 |
| Jan. 10 | 1-H SC 2,500 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, Deep] | 3.3 | SC 2,500 |
| Jan. 10 | 1-X PLO SC 500 Guaranteed [6-Max, Deep] | 1.1 | SC 500 |
| Jan. 11 | 2-L SC 500 Guaranteed [6-Max] | 1.1 | SC 500 |
| Jan. 11 | 2-M SC 1,000 Guaranteed [6-Max] | 2.2 | SC 1,000 |
| Jan. 11 | 2-H SC 1,500 Guaranteed [6-Max] | 3.3 | SC 1,500 |
| Jan. 12 | 3-L SC 750 Guaranteed | 1.1 | SC 750 |
| Jan. 12 | 3-M SC 1,500 Guaranteed | 2.2 | SC 1,500 |
| Jan. 12 | 3-H SC 2,000 Guaranteed | 3.3 | SC 2,000 |
| Jan. 13 | 4-L SC 1,000 Guaranteed [Rebuy] | 1.1 | SC 1,000 |
| Jan. 13 | 4-M SC 2,000 Guaranteed [Rebuy] | 2.2 | SC 2,000 |
| Jan. 13 | 4-H SC 3,500 Guaranteed [Rebuy] | 3.3 | SC 3,500 |
| Jan. 14 | 5-L SC 500 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, 6-Max] | 1.1 | SC 500 |
| Jan. 14 | 5-M SC 1,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, 6-Max] | 2.2 | SC 1,000 |
| Jan. 14 | 5-H SC 1,500 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, 6-Max] | 3.3 | SC 1,500 |
| Jan. 15 | 6-L SC 750 Guaranteed [Bounty] | 1.1 | SC 750 |
| Jan. 15 | 6-M SC 1,250 Guaranteed [Bounty] | 2.2 | SC 1,250 |
| Jan. 15 | 6-H SC 2,000 Guaranteed [Bounty] | 3.3 | SC 2,000 |
| Jan. 16 | 7-L SC 1,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty] | 2.2 | SC 1,000 |
| Jan. 16 | 7-M SC 1,500 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty] | 3.3 | SC 1,500 |
| Jan. 16 | 7-H SC 2,500 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty] | 5.5 | SC 2,500 |
| Jan. 16 | 7-X NLCP SC 500 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, 6-Max] | 1.1 | SC 500 |
| Jan. 17 | Micro Thunderclap Main Event-L SC 1,500 Guaranteed [Deep] | 3.3 | SC 1,500 |
| Jan. 17 | Micro Thunderbolt Main Event-M SC 3,000 Guaranteed [Deep] | 5.5 | SC 3,000 |
| Jan. 17 | Micro Thunderstorm Main Event-H SC 10,000 Guaranteed [Deep] | 11 | SC 10,000 |
| Jan. 24 | SC 2,000 Gods of Thunder | SC 2,000 |
Micro Thunder Gold Coin players also have a chance at earning some hardware and prestige. All 24 winners receive a trophy. All those who make the final table are also awarded a limited-edition, Micro Thunder pin. A few highlights of that include:
Here’s a look at the complete Gold Coin schedule.
| Start Time (PT) | Tournament name | Gold coin buy-in |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 10 | 1-L GC 300,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, Deep] | 1,100 |
| Jan. 10 | 1-M GC 600,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, Deep] | 2,200 |
| Jan. 10 | 1-H GC 900,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, Deep] | 3,300 |
| Jan. 10 | 1-X PLO GC 150,000 Guaranteed [6-Max, Deep] | 1,100 |
| Jan. 11 | 2-L GC 150,000 Guaranteed [6-Max] | 1,100 |
| Jan. 11 | 2-M GC 300,000 Guaranteed [6-Max] | 2,200 |
| Jan. 11 | 2-H GC 450,000 Guaranteed [6-Max] | 3,300 |
| Jan. 12 | 3-L GC 300,000 Guaranteed | 1,100 |
| Jan. 12 | 3-M GC 600,000 Guaranteed | 2,200 |
| Jan. 12 | 3-H GC 900,000 Guaranteed | 3,300 |
| Jan. 13 | 4-L GC 300,000 Guaranteed [Rebuy] | 1,100 |
| Jan. 13 | 4-M GC 600,000 Guaranteed [Rebuy] | 2,200 |
| Jan. 13 | 4-H GC 900,000 Guaranteed [Rebuy] | 3,300 |
| Jan. 14 | 5-L GC 150,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, 6-Max] | 1,100 |
| Jan. 14 | 5-M GC 375,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, 6-Max] | 2,200 |
| Jan. 14 | 5-H GC 525,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, 6-Max] | 3,300 |
| Jan. 15 | 6-L GC 225,000 Guaranteed [Bounty] | 1,100 |
| Jan. 15 | 6-M GC 375,000 Guaranteed [Bounty] | 2,200 |
| Jan. 15 | 6-H GC 600,000 Guaranteed [Bounty] | 3,300 |
| Jan. 15 | 7-L GC 300,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty] | 2,200 |
| Jan. 16 | 7-M GC 450,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty] | 3,300 |
| Jan. 16 | 7-H GC 750,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty] | 5,500 |
| Jan. 16 | 7-X NLCP GC 150,000 Guaranteed [Progressive Bounty, 6-Max] | 1,100 |
| Jan. 17 | Micro Thunderclap Main Event-L GC 750,000 Guaranteed [Deep] | 3,300 |
| Jan. 17 | Micro Thunderbolt Main Event-M GC 1,200,000 Guaranteed [Deep] | 5,500 |
| Jan. 17 | Micro Thunderstorm Main Event-H GC 3,000,000 Guaranteed [Deep] | 11,000 |
| Jan. 24 | GC 600,000 Gods of Thunder |
Those who rise to the top in one of the Micro Thunder tournaments have even more to play for. All SC and GC final table players will clash in the Gods of Thunder events for some bonus prizes.
GC and SC event winners receive a Micro Thunder Series II trophy. The champion’s package also includes a “God of Thunder” hoodie, limited-edition cap, and pin.
Global Poker takes pride in awarding players a top-notch trophy and the Micro Thunder is no different. The site attempted to take the design to the next level for 2021.
The company believes the cool metallic hand clenching a lightning bolt is a great representation of the Micro Thunder attitude. Even players jumping in GC events also have a chance to “grab some lightning.”
Along with numerous daily tournaments and cash games, Global Poker also hosts some big Sunday majors. These regularly top the guarantees with some big payouts for players.
The SC110 Sunday Teaser features a SC25,000 guarantee. On Jan. 3, the event attracted 310 entries for a SC31,000 prize pool. California player “Michaelgreer22” took the title for Michaelgreer22.
The SC218 Sunday Scrimmage features a SC50,000 guarantee and attracted 332 entries for a SC66,400 prize pool. New Jersey player “HolySmokes” took that one down for SC12,709.
The action in both events continues this Sunday. Click here for a complete Global Poker site review and exclusive USPoker bonus offers.
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Live poker may be a struggle at the moment, but the regulated US online poker market continues to grow. That received a significant boost Wednesday with the announcement of a packed World Series of Poker Online Circuit schedule.
The first Online Circuit Series kicks off Jan. 14 with a total of 13 events in 2021 on WSOP.com. The online festival will be available for players in Nevada and New Jersey.
Some added good news for US online poker players? WSOP.com’s announcement hinted that a 13th series could be in a new market.
“An additional 13th online circuit event is earmarked pending launch of the WSOP.com service in a newly regulated market,” a news release announcing the circuit launch notes.
That location is likely Pennsylvania or Michigan. PA seems the most obvious as the platform has been approved in the Keystone State.
Players can expect an experience as close as possible to traditional live WSOP Circuit events. The schedule includes an online festival each month throughout 2021.
All tournament series will feature at least 12 official WSOP gold ring events. Four special “Super Circuit” series come with an expanded slate of 18 ring events. Super Circuits also include $1,000 and $2,000 high rollers and a $500 Pot Limit Omaha tournament.
Some series will be co-branded with official WSOPC host casinos, highlighting “cash at the cage” buy-in and cash out availability. These events also offer out-of-market players special promotional rates to stay onsite.
“Players deserve great tournaments and great value year-round, and that’s what we aim to do with the 2021 WSOP Online Circuit Series,” WSOP executive director Ty Stewart said in a news release. “We’ve been thrilled with the big prize pools for WSOP.com events in 2020, and we only expect to see that grow with this new model.”
In total, WSOP Online Series events feature over $600,000 in added prize money across a variety of promotions. That includes leaderboard points awarded for every gold ring event.
Players can earn eligibility for freeroll events and other incentives. The entire schedule culminates with the WSOP Online Circuit Championship. This signature tournament comes with some extra incentive – an official WSOP gold bracelet.
The year-end Circuit Championship is capped at 256 players competing for a $250,000 prize pool. Players can qualify by winning a:
Those who finish among the top 50 players on the cumulative circuit leaderboard also earn an entry. Here’s a look at the complete schedule:
| Event | Dates | Championship rings | $25,000 freeroll date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Online Super Circuit | Jan. 14-31 | 18 | Feb. 2 |
| Planet Hollywood Circuit | Feb. 17-28 | 12 | March 2 |
| Silver Legacy Circuit | March 19-30 | 12 | April 1 |
| Spring Online Super Circuit | April 10-27 | 18 | April 29 |
| Caesars Atlantic City Super Circuit | May 8-25 | 12 | May 27 |
| Summer Online Super Circuit | June 10-27 | 18 | June 29 |
| Bally’s Online Circuit | July 16-27 | 12 | July 29 |
| Rio Online Circuit | Aug. 20-31 | 12 | Sept. 2 |
| Caesars Las Vegas Online Circuit | Sept. 15-26 | 12 | Sept. 28 |
| Fall Online Super Circuit | Oct. 9-26 | 18 | Oct. 28 |
| Paris Las Vegas Online Circuit | Nov. 10-21 | 12 | Nov. 23 |
| Harrah’s Las Vegas Online Circuit | Dec. 8-19 | 12 | Dec. 21 |
| $250,000 Year End Championship | Dec. 28 | * Gold bracelet event | NA |
Players getting in the WSOP Online Circuit action have plenty of extras to look forward to. Each series features a $25,000 freeroll for top performers. This tournament comes with exclusive eligibility only to those who:
Additionally, players receive a Second Chance Freeroll for participating in at least four tournaments in each series. The winner-take-all event rewards a seat into the year-end WSOP Online Circuit Series Championship.
WSOP.com has added even more for 2021. The WSOP Circuit Series leaderboard will reward the top 10 players with a share of $10,000 in tournament tickets. Players earn points by participating in WSOP gold ring events each month.
These players also receive entry into a $25,000 monthly freeroll. The leaderboard’s first-place finisher also wins a seat into the $250,000 WSOP Online Circuit Championship.
The new year looks to be bringing plenty of action for WSOP.com online poker players.
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The post GOLD RUSH: WSOP.com Announces Packed 2021 Online Circuit Schedule; Hints at Launching in Another State appeared first on .
After months of postponed tournaments, the World Poker Tour is returning to the live poker felt. The tour announced this week that Season XVIII will continue with the WPT Venetian from March 5-9 in Las Vegas.
The $5,000 event comes with a $1.5 million guarantee and is the second tour event at the venue. The last Venetian event was held during Season XVII in March 2019.
“We are excited for the return of the World Poker Tour to The Venetian,” Venetian tournament director Tommy LaRosa said. “We strive to provide our players with as many options as possible and have been working throughout the last year to deliver the great poker experience our players have come to expect, but in a Venetian clean way.”
With the Venetian, the WPT now has two events back on the Main Tour schedule. The $3,500 Lucky Hearts Poker Open is set for Jan. 22-26 at Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock with a $1 million guarantee.
Both events offer a look at the bounce back of the live poker scene. In announcing the Venetian tournament, the tour and property stressed their commitment to safety during the pandemic.
The Venetian operates under its “Clean Commitment” program, featuring 800 initiatives to minimize risk for guests, players, and employees. The poker room safety measures include:
Players can expect a traditional WPT experience in the Venetian and Lucky Hearts. Winners earn Hublot WPT Player of the Year points and add their names to the Mike Sexton Champions Cup.
The winner also earns a $15,000 seat to the season-ending Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions. More Season XVIII events are expected to be announced at a later date.
The tour also still has three final tables left to play at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas. Delays have left the final six players in the LA Poker Classic, Borgata Winter Poker Open, and Gardens Poker Championship in limbo. Those events will be filmed for broadcast on the FOX Sports regional networks.
Along with a Main Tour event heading to the Venetian, WPTDeepStacks is also heading to the property in 2021. The WPT’s lower buy-in tour kicks off the new year with a $1,600 event from Jan. 29 – Feb. 1.
That event is part of the Venetian’s DeepStack Showdown Series and features a $500,000 guarantee. The entire festival offers more than $1 million in guarantees and begins on Jan. 18. A second DeepStacks event will be announced at a later date
Players in the Venetian event will be eligible for the DeepStacks North America Player of the Year race. That comes with $15,000 in prizes and the winner earns a $3,000 package toward the WPTDeepStacks Championship.
“The World Poker Tour returns to live WPT Main Tour events in Las Vegas at the Venetian and to add another member to the WPT Champions Club,” WPT vice president of global tour management Angelica Hael said in a news release.
“All parties expect a strong turnout to support three of the best brands in poker in the WPT, WPTDeepStacks, and Venetian. We look forward to a great event in a safe playing environment thanks to the hard work from the Venetian team.”
While live WPT tournaments may be coming back, the company has been anything but quiet. The tour has focused more on online poker through co-branding with partypoker and its own ClubWPT sweepstakes poker site.
WPT and party have partnered on several major online events in recent months. Some of those have included Main Tour tournaments. In the US, that meant the first Main Tour online event available to American players.
The $3,500 Online Poker Open was held Dec. 27-29 and attracted 395 entries for a $1.3 million prize pool. The event was held on the partypoker US Network in New Jersey with Soheb Porbandarwala taking the title for $239,820.
Online poker continues to surge, but the tour’s upcoming Las Vegas and Florida events show live poker’s revival. In Las Vegas, Bally’s held its inaugural “Back in Action” poker tournament series recently.
A few other casinos around the country have also begun adding tournament series in recent months. The World Series of Poker also held the live Main Event final table on Monday.
The WPT adds to this growing trend and many poker players are happy to see events returning.
* Lead image courtesy WPT/Joe Giron
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The Poker Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that 1996 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Huck Seed is the newest inductee. The honor recognizes a card-playing career dating back to the late 1980s.
Seed received the greatest number of votes from living Hall of Fame members. That totaled 76 votes with tournament director Matt Savage getting the second-largest total at 51.
“Hearing the news that I am being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame this year brought back memories of my early poker days, walking into the Binion’s Horseshoe, about to start a poker session, admiring all the Poker Hall of Famers on the wall,” Seed said in a news release.
“It feels good to be included with all the poker legends that I once idolized and competed against over the years. Thank you everyone.”
Originally from Corvallis, Montana, the 6-foot, 7-inch Seed was a star basketball player in high school. He earned all-state honors and went on to study electrical engineering and play basketball at the California Institute of Technology.
However, Seed left college behind in 1989 to play poker full time. Along with being a regular high stakes cash game player for several decades, Seed has several notable tournament wins. Along with the Main Event, Seed has three other WSOP bracelets.
In 2009, he won the NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship for $500,000. Winning the WSOP Tournament of Champions followed a year later for another $500,000. Seed currently boasts live tournament winnings of $7.7 million.
Along with prowess at the poker table, Seed’s prop betting antics are also well known. His wagers included learning to do a standing backflip within six months and not shaving for an entire year.
Many poker players applauded Seed’s election to the hall after such a long career in the game. WSOP/ESPN commentator Lon McEachern was also a nominee with broadcast partner Norman Chad. He congratulated Seed on a worthy career for the honor.
Huck Seed is such an amazingly worthy new member of the Poker Hall of Fame. His accomplishments are more than “Hall-worthy” and the stories of him off the felt would have lasted forever even if he were not voted in. I am very happy for him.
— Lon McEachern (@lonmceachern) December 31, 2020
Poker legends Erik Seidel and Phil Hellmuth expressed their congratulations on Twitter as well. Daniel Negreanu, who is locked in a heads-up battle wth Doug Polk, also offered some words about Seed’s induction.
Was happy to see @HuckleberrySeed finally get the call for the Poker Hall of Fame, his induction was long overdue.
He was a hero of mine growing up in Vegas trying to make it. We used to go for drinks then play $200-$400 Stud 8 heads up for hours.
He won.
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) December 30, 2020
The Hall of Fame added only a single member this year as done from 1980 to 2004. Hall member Linda Johnson congratulated Seed, but wished the process still inducted more than one person.
“Congratulations to Huck Seed,” she noted. “I sure wish they had inducted two people this year. Matt Savage also deserves to be in.”
Among the qualifications for the Hall of Fame include playing against top competition for high stakes and standing the test of time. Non-players must have contributed to the growth and success of the game with “positive and lasting results.”
Several big names were among this year’s nominees – from Antonio Esfandiari and Mike Matusow to Eli Elezra and Ted Forrest. PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg was also included for the first time.
Scheinberg finished third in the voting with a tally of 45 and Elezra behind him with 30. The hall was acquired by Caesars Entertainment in 2004 when the company bought the WSOP. This was the first year that the Hall of Fame has released official voting results.
All 31 living Hall of Fame members could cast up to 10 votes across the slate of finalists. In total, members cast 30 ballots with one abstention. The hall plans an induction ceremony sometime later in 2021. Here’s a look at the final voting:
* Lead image courtesy WSOP
* Legends of Poker photo courtesy WPT
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Not everything about US online gambling is hard to predict. Here are seven stories you can bet on hearing about in the coming year.
The post Gazing Into The Crystal Ball: Seven Online Gambling Industry Stories To Watch For In 2021 appeared first on Online Poker Report.
We have finally arrived at the last rewind of 2020.
The year has brought a multitude of gambling-related stories (and there will be plenty to look forward to in 2021.) For our final three, multistate poker clears a major hurdle in Michigan, Hawaii could be getting its first casino, and Tenessee mobile wagering debuts big.
On the rewind:
Our top story has to do with Michigan. No, not the state’s efforts to launch online sports betting and iGaming before year’s end. For that, residents will have to wait till mid-January.
Instead, this story deals with a bill that would allow Michigan residents to play MI online poker against challengers in other states.
The bill, SB991, passed through the House 85-16 and through the Senate 36-1 with ease. Many consider it a “cleanup” to the 2019 law which legalized online casinos.
While not boring you with legal jargon, a specific passage in the bill reads:
The board may enter into agreements with other jurisdictions, including Indian tribes, to facilitate, administer, and regulate multijurisdictional internet gaming for poker by internet gaming operators to the extent that entering into the agreement is consistent with state and federal laws and if the internet gaming under the agreement is conducted only in the United States.
Now to be completely transparent, the language only allows for multistate poker to happen should Michigan enter into some type of interstate compact. It’s not a “flip of the switch” kind of bill.
The takeaway: Many believe the online gaming market in Michigan to be huge. The addition of multistate poker could be a game-changer. Don’t expect online poker anytime soon though, there are still many things to iron out. (But it is coming!)
A proposal to build a casino in the community of Kapolei, Hawaii, located on the island of O’ahu, was approved in a 5-4 vote by the Hawaiian Homes Commission.
Now, before you start booking that long-awaited Hawaiian vacation, this is simply a “proposal,” meaning several rounds of discussions still need to occur. Casinos do not magically appear overnight, especially in a state where all forms of gambling are illegal.
With that being said, you would think a major tourist destination like Hawaii would have at least one casino resort already.
However, there is one city on the mainland that might hope these plans stay ideas — Las Vegas.
According to KITV-4, Las Vegas attracts thousands of visitors from Hawaii a year but due to COVID-19 restrictions, those numbers have significantly decreased this year.
The takeaway: This is a major step for Hawaii, a picturesque destination that could benefit from a major casino resort. Or, should they take a much easier route, perhaps a bill could emerge that lets casino operators invest in existing resorts and outfit them with gambling. Only time will tell. Either way is a longshot at this point.
And with only four operators, Tennessee mobile sports betting is off to a massive head start.
In November, the Volunteer State collected a record-setting $131.4 million in handle — the most of any state in its first month of operations, ever.
The four operators, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Action 24/7, combined for $13.2 million in sports betting revenue which equates to a 10% hold.
On the state side of things, these numbers translate to $2.4 million in state taxes.
That’s the good stuff. The bad stuff is, we don’t exactly know who were the top performers. Unfortunately, the information provided by the Tennessee Education Lottery only gives handle, payouts, and taxes but no specific breakdowns.
The takeaway: This is excellent news for a state like Virginia, which plans to debut mobile wagering first before brick-and-mortar locations are up and running. Experts were a bit confused by Tennessee’s approach to sports betting at the start but in a world where smartphones are in the hands of almost every US citizen, mobile sports betting became the logical choice. And so far, it has not disappointed. Of course, this is only month one, but the bar has been set pretty high.
The post PlayUSA Rewind: Multistate Poker Bill On Its Way To Michigan Governor appeared first on Play USA.
After coming to the table as chip leader with more than twice his nearest rival, Joseph Hebert closed the show on Monday. He won the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event US side at the live final table at the Rio in Las Vegas for $1.55 million.
The 38-year-old from Metairie, Louisiana, now has a shot to play the international final table winner, Argentina’s Damian Salas. That heads-up duel pays the winner $1 million, awarding the Main Event bracelet and champion’s title.
Hebert’s mother Linda passed away recently and he dedicated his win to her.
“It still hasn’t hit me yet – this is a life-changing experience,” Hebert said after the win. “It feels like a dream. I felt like I was dreaming the whole time I was playing. I know my mom was here with me, and this was for her.”
With a sizable chip stack and large payout ladder jumps, Hebert was able to utilize his chip stack well. He dominated play from the beginning, eliminating four of the eight remaining players.
Runner-up Ron Jenkins scored the other three knockouts and certainly improved his standing at the final table. He entered seventh in chips and now takes home just over $1 million.
It took only one hand to end the heads-up play between Hebert and Jenkins. Hebert held about 27 million in chips to Jenkins’ 13 million with blinds at 150,000/300,00 with a 300,000 ante.
In the 98th hand, Hebert four-bet all in with A
Q
and Jenkins called with Q
Q. The flop brought K7A, hitting the Ace for Hebert.
Jenkins needed the final Queen in the deck or an unlikely Jack-10 runout. The turn brought the 4
with the river 8 to give Hebert the victory.
The win for Hebert comes after scoring his Main Event entry via a $300 satellite at WSOP.com. He greatly increases his career earnings, which included $668,000 in live tournament winnings before the final table. Hebert felt in control throughout the final day of action.
“I was just really confident,” Hebert told WSOP.com afterward. “I was excited to play and it was just a battle. It wasn’t easy, I tell you that much. The guys played great. It was just a battle the whole way through.”
The win came with some emotions for Hebert. He unexpectedly lost his mother in September due to a pulmonary embolism. In their final text conversation, Hebert told her about his dream to win a WSOP bracelet.
He began a social media campaign #ForLinda before the final table. His dream ultimately became reality and Hebert said he could feel her presence throughout the competition.
“I really felt like I was dreaming,” he said. “And I thought about my mom, and I know that she was here and this was for her. She would be so excited to see it, so I’m just so happy I got it for her.”
Hebert has been a longtime grinder in mostly smaller stakes, regional tournaments. Back in Louisiana, he’s also worked part-time as a waiter at The Galley Seafood for 20 years. He has no plans to quit the job even if he adds another $1 million in the heads-up duel.
After the score, Hebert had a couple items on his shopping list. He planned to buy his father a new car. His 8-year-old son has been hoping for a pet bird and that is also in order.
Getting to the heads-up matchup hasn’t come without issues. Three-time bracelet winner Upeshka De Silva was disqualified from playing the US final table after a positive COVID-19 test.
Per the tournament rules, anyone testing positive before play would receive ninth-place money. Hebert now faces Salas at the Rio, but that also faced some problems.
Due to pandemic travel complications, the heads-up finale was moved from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3. The two winners will play live at the Rio in Las Vegas with ESPN filming the action.
“Certainly 2020 has been a year of challenges for so many and we experienced them in organizing this unique format for a poker tournament on two continents,” WSOP executive director Ty Stewart said in a news release. “We are so proud of this event, and the showcase it will provide for poker on Jan. 3.
“We’ve seen memorable moments you can’t believe and discovered two central characters you can’t help but root for. A dream will be dealt on Jan 3, and that’s exactly what we need heading into 2021.”
The players weren’t the only ones who benefited from final table payouts in 2020. In the spirit of giving, eighth-place finisher Gershon Distenfeld has pledged to donate 100% of his winnings to charitable causes. Here’s a look at the complete payouts:
| Place | Name | Hometown | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Joseph Hebert | Metairie, Louisiana | $1,553,256 |
| 2nd | Ron Jenkins | South El Monte, California | $1,002,340 |
| 3rd | Michael Cannon | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | $529,258 |
| 4th | Ryan Hagerty | Somerset, New Jersey | $387,130 |
| 5th | Ye “Tony” Yuan | Madison, Wisconsin | $286,963 |
| 6th | Harrison Dobin | West Long Branch, New Jersey | $215,222 |
| 7th | Shawn Stroke | Lawrence, NY | $163,786 |
| 8th | Gershon Distenfeld | Bergenfield, New Jersey | $125,885 |
| 9th | Upeshka De Silva | Houston, Texas | $98,813 |
The 2020 Main Event brought some big numbers to the legal US online poker market. The tournament set a new benchmark for prize pools after generating $6.8 million.
That easily eclipsed the $2 million achieved for the WSOP Online championship in July. The Main Event attracted a total of 705 players.
This also becomes the first time an online event in the regulated US market has paid a winner $1 million. In this case, the first- and second-place finishers both scored more than a million.
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The post MAIN MAN: Joseph Hebert Wins WSOP Main Event US Final Table in Memory of Mother appeared first on .
