Grandmaster chess player Savielly Tartakower once said: “The winner of the game is the player who makes the next-to-last mistake.”
Even though Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk aren’t playing chess, heads up No Limit Hold’em has often been compared to the game of knights and kings. With potentially millions of dollars on the line, one mistake could be devastating.
Negreanu and Polk are now headed into Day 14 and the match was back and forth early. As of Monday, however, Polk had taken a sizable lead.
The two are playing between 10,000 and 25,000 hands on two tables at blinds of $200/$400 on WSOP.com. Both players live in Nevada and the match has also put the spotlight on legal US online poker.
With that in mind, here’s a look at a few interesting hands from the first few weeks of play.
1 – Negreanu lays a trap in the PokerGO Studio
The first session in the series featured 200 hands of live play on PokerGO and brought a win for Negreanu. Though this is a marathon, coming out with an early strong finish had to feel good.
Negreanu had been playing aggressively and was rewarded handsomely near the end of the night. Polk was dealt QJ and raised to $900 with Negreanu reraising to $4,000 with 106.
Polk called and the flop landed hard for Negreanu – 6K6. Negreanu led out small with a $1,600 bet into the $8,000 pot and Polk called. This play seemed part of Negreanu’s continued strategy of betting small after a three-bet.
The sizing seemed designed to price Polk in, but also disguise huge hands when they hit. The turn was an 8 and Negreanu checked – laying a trap. Polk bet $7,600 into a $11,200 pot and Negreanu simply called.
A brick landed on the river, the 2. Negreanu checked again. Polk bluffed at the wrong time and moved all in. Negreanu called and took a $114,350 pot.
The first match closed shortly thereafter with Negreanu up $116,500.
2 – Pocket Aces and a then a full house
The first online session produced another massive pot. This time Polk scooped a giant score. After Negreanu raised to $1,000 with 97, Polk three-bet to $3,768 with the goods – AA.
Negreanu called and the flop came 885. Polk fired a continuation bet of $3,766. Negreanu called and the board now produced trips with the 8 on the turn.
The third 8 also gave Polk a monster full house. He bet out $15,069 and Negreanu called.
The river was a 9, giving both players a full house. Negreanu called when Polk moved all in – handing him a huge pot of $130,301.
3 – Missing the flush and a big payoff for Polk
Early in the Day 2 session, Polk raised to $910 with 64 and Negreanu reraised to $4,140 with J9. Polk called and the flop was 642, giving Polk top two pairs.
Negreanu fired out $6,210, about two-thirds of the pot and Polk called. The 10 hit the turn and Negreanu checked his flush draw.
Polk bet $6,830 and was quickly reraised all in. That was music to his ears.
Polk snap called and the river brought the A. Negreanu missed the flush and Polk scored a $92,205 pot.
4 – Bluff catching with Aces full
Session four brought a big score for Negreanu. In one big hand, Polk opened to $948 with QJ and Negreanu three-bet with AQ. The action continued preflop as Polk four-bet to $12,876 and his opponent called.
The pot was already at $25,749 and the flop fell A84. Negreanu checked and Polk continued, betting about one-fifth of the pot.
Negreanu called and the turn card was the A. He set the trap again, checking a monster hand on the turn again. Polk continued his bet by dropping $11,896 in the pot and was called.
The river brought the 4, with the table showing A84A4. Daniel risked missed value betting and checked again. What must have felt like déjà vu for Polk, he bluffed – putting Negreanu all in for $34,633.
Of course, Negreanu snap called with Aces full and scooped $129,108.
5 – I runner-runner flushes
Doyle Brunson once noted: “Everyone gets lucky once in a while, but no one is consistently lucky.” This wasn’t the biggest hand of the session so far, but it shows that luck still plays a factor in the short term.
This is one of the reasons the series is being played out over multiple sessions and up to 25,000 hands.
In another early session hand, Negreanu was dealt JJ and raised to $1,000. Polk held TT and three-bet to $4,110. Negreanu four-bet to $10,220 and received a call.
The flop was 652 and Doug checked. Negreanu continued the action by betting small – $4,087 – into the $20,437 pot. This has been a trend in some of Negreanu’s hands.
Polk moved all in for $30,687 with Negreanu insta-calling and seemingly in great shape. But the 37 turn and river made a runner-runner flush for Polk. He scored $81,812 in the process.
It’s been an interesting matchup so far, but Negreanu now has an uphill climb. He’s continually said over the years that Rocky is his favorite movie. The film even inspired him to accept the challenge in the first place.
Why would I accept a match as a huge underdog?
1) I can afford it. 2) I love Rocky movies too much 3) My wife thinks it’s hot
After a successful first year in Pennsylvania, PokerStars recently celebrated with the First Anniversary Series. The series ran Nov. 8-15 with an overall guarantee of $1 million and exceeded that by about 20%.
The series featured 36 events and paid out $1.2 million – attracting 11,181 entries. That entry total doesn’t include an added event ($1,000 No Limit Hold’em event), which helped boost the prize pool.
PokerStars remains the only legal online poker operator in the Keystone State after launching in 2019. The site has experienced considerable growth during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The site has gone big with numerous series throughout 2020 including PACOOP, PASCOOP, Bounty Builder, and others. The site’s two one-off Pennsyl-MANIA events have also been well received.
There were several overlays in the Anniversary Series, but still topped the guarantee overall. The $100 Main Event highlighted the action and also came with a slight overlay after registration reached 1,966 entries.
The event featured a $200,000 guarantee with “GB1409” taking the title for $27,266.
Other PokerStars PA winners
Beyond the Main Event, a few other players stand out. Following a double win in the recent Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP), “TryptophanMan” completed the achievement again.
Tryptophan was the only double winner of the series. The first score came in Event 21: $400 Fixed Limit Hold’em Six-Max Turbo for $3,756.
The next win came in Event 23: NLHE Hyper Turbo for $3,761. That was quite an accomplishment as TryptophanMan won both on the same night.
In the $500 High Roller, “CallYourMommy” took the title for $10,589. “PhilIveys Dad2” took down the $1,000 added event for $15,689.
One second chance freeroll winner also turned into a nice success story. After winning a $100 ticket into the Main Event, “sbeales” turned that into a third-place finish. The second chance turned into a score of $15,207.
PokerStars EPT Online plays out on international platform
On the international online poker scene, PokerStars has added a new EPT Online series for 2020. The festival wrapped up recently with more than $21 million awarded
EPT Online featured 20 events with buy-ins ranging from $215 to $25,000 and winners receiving iconic EPT “spade” trophies.
The $5,200 Main Event capped the action with 1,304 entries. Sweden’s “WhatIfGod” came out on top for the $1 million top prize.
Canadian player and EPT regular Timothy “Tim0thee” Adams finished runner-up for $728,633.
★★★ Looking to get in the action at PokerStars in Pennsylvania and New Jersey? Check out USPoker’s complete review of the site with exclusive bonus offers. ★★★
Daniel Negreanu found another small win against Doug Polk on Wednesday in a wild four-hour session. Polk’s hefty lead is still intact, but Negreanu is still showing he’s game and looking to fight back.
For more of the Day 14 action, check out the updates just below the links. This page follows the action of the Daniel Negreanu-Doug Polk matchup as it plays out over the next few weeks.
The High Stakes Feud kicked off on Nov. 4 with live play on PokerGo and then shifted online. Here are all the match details and updates.
Day 14: Dec. 2 – Negreanu scores small victory in massively swingy day
Team Negreanu has some reason for optimism. While they haven’t been huge wins, Wednesday brought the second-straight positive day for Negreanu.
There’s still a mountain to climb, but any momentum is good for Negreanu backers. The day started with Negreanu grabbing a few pots including a three-bet pot eventually won with Queen-high.
A few nice more would follow and then 10 minutes in, Polk utilized an all-in shove on the river. With a board of 10475Q Negreanu bet $9,000 and Polk moved all in for $35,000. That was enough to win about $30,000.
Things continued to swing back and forth for much of the day, which went for four hours.
Polk finds a flush and more
In the first hour of play, one interesting hand saw Polk raise to $900 from the button. Negreanu called and the flop came Q64.
Negreanu checked and Polk bet $600 and received a call. On the turn, the 3 hit the board and Negreanu checked again. Polk bet $2,000 and Negreanu check-raised to $7,500.
Polk called and the river brought the 2. Negreanu bet $13,500, about two-thirds of the pot, and Polk made the call. Showing A5, Negreanu made a straight.
However, Polk showed J2 for a flush and raked a $45,000 pot. The Polk train continued to roll when he took down another $45,000 with two pairs shortly afterward.
As part of this big run, Polk also picked off a Negreanu bluff for $36,000. He built about a $60,000 lead at the half-hour mark.
Negreanu battles back
Despite some huge Polk runs, Negreanu would find his share of big pots as well. Just short of an hour in, Polk raised to $910 and Negreanu reraised to $4,100. Polk four-bet to $11,100 and Negreanu called.
The flop brought 48Q and Negreanu checked. Polk bet about $4,500 and Negreanu called, building the pot to $31,000.
The turn brought the 4 and Negreanu again checked with Polk betting $6,800. That brought an all-in shove from Negreanu for his last $31,000.
Polk called and tabled 1010 to his opponent’s AQ. Negreanu added to his hand with a K on the fiver and the nut flush. He took $94,000 on that one.
This win came right after Negreanu took a $63,000 pot with a King-high straight. He’d moved up over $30,000 by about midway through the action.
That lead wouldn’t stand, however, and he was down later as much as $70,000. There were plenty of big pots and by the end, it was Negreanu who rallied and edged out ahead.
Inside the 13th day of action
When it all wrapped up, Negreanu booked another small win of about $13,000 after 788 hands. This came after a win of almost $18,000 on Monday.
These aren’t massive days and Negreanu will need much bigger scores to get back in the series. However, Polk said this week would be crucial for Negreanu and the match overall.
The two are closing in on the 12,000-hand mark where either player can decide to quit. Negreanu has answered the bell so far this week.
But if he remains down more than a half-million bucks, tapping out might be a possibility. Adding a couple six-figure wins in the coming days would certainly help his cause. Accomplishing that is easier said than done.
Not only is Polk a heads-up shark, he’s also running well in big spots. He noted this on Twitter after the match about another huge hand from session 14.
On the GGPoker stream afterward, Negreanu described Wednesday’s session as emotional with “crazy back and forth.”
Some added streaming coverage coming from Polk
Players checking out Friday’s action will find an added bonus from Polk. He’s decided to stream his play so viewers can see his hands throughout the session.
Ok you guys got close enough. Let’s roll. Planning on most likely this Friday session streaming it. https://t.co/islRe5pGtj
In a matchup that is attracting plenty of interest, this should bring some extra excitement. Less experienced players may be amazed at the hands each play for so much money.
The Polk stream should offer some insight into the thinking of players at this level.
Day 13: Nov. 30 – Negreanu books small win to break Polk streak
After 12 days of play, Polk noted the importance of this week in the High Stakes Feud. He sees it as a big week in the challenge with Negreanu now down more than a half-million dollars.
“A swing towards Dnegs and it will be back in any man’s game territory,” he noted on Twitter. “A swing towards me and it will start to get out of hand. Could be a make or break week for the challenge.”
From Polk’s perspective, Negreanu would need to cut into that lead this week to have a chance to stay close. After four straight days on the losing end, Negreanu was at least able to stop the bleeding on Monday.
Negreanu looks at some of the showdown hands
While the Negreanu-Polk matchup has been making news, viewers haven’t been able to see hole cards. Negreanu offered some insight on Tuesday with a look at some of the bigger hands of the day. All the hands made it to a showdown.
Viewers will get some insight on how Negreanu plays some of his hands. An early hand saw him flop top pair with his 10J on a board of 106439. Negreanu bet the hand through only to see Polk rake a $23,000 pot with 46.
A similar hand saw his K5 hit top pair. However, Polk’s A9 drew four spades for a flush and a $28,000 pot.
Negreanu would find some of his own pots however. Negreanu raised to $4,100 with AK and Polk called. The flop brought A3Q and Negreanu checked, as did Polk.
The 10 came on the river and both players checked again with the 9 falling on the river. Negreanu checked again and received no action with Polk checking again. He may have raked a small pot, but was unhappy with his passive play and not betting the hand.
“Bet your own hand you dumb idiot,” he says about his play in that spot.
Adding some nice wins
Later he would bet a big hand, with his pocket 10s taking a $32,000 pot. That win came despite a Jack and Queen hitting the board.
Another big hand saw him dealt AK again and three-bet before the flop to $4,100. A flop of Q2K had him in even better shape and he bet $2,400.
Polk called and the turn produced the 7 giving him a nut-flush draw. He bet $9,800 this time and the two players saw the 5 on the river. Negreanu moved all in and Polk called with QJ.
Negreanu raked a pot of just under $100,000. Here’s a look at Negreanu reviewing all the hands.
Inside the 13th day of action
After 476 hands, Negreanu came out on the plus side with a $17,780 win. Some of the draws Negreanu missed in earlier matches seemed to be hitting Monday.
A few straights and flushes produced some nice results. Negreanu felt like he could have possibly won some big hands in other spots as well. However, timely Polk folds kept that from happening.
A win is a win but this freaking guy is WORLD CLASS at folding preflop when I have Aces! I have video evidence we are now at exactly 10 straight times where he has either open folded, folded bb, or folded t a 3 bet.
Putting the day in perspective, it was still a tiny win in the big scheme of things. Polk believes he made some errors and that Negreanu keeps improving.
“Poker is so humbling,” he noted on Twitter. “You can play great several sessions in a row then get a couple tough spots and be super inaccurate. Just gotta keep doing your best to improve.”
Polk has also put together his own analysis of some of the bigger hands in the matchup so far. He’ll be looking to make it a tough week for Negreanu and make his prediction a reality.
Day 12: Nov. 28 – Polk scores huge post-holiday win
After some Thanksgiving festivities, Polk did a bit more celebrating on Saturday. His sharp play and some nice cards ushered in a fourth-straight win.
After some early Negreanu pots, Polk grabbed a nice one after making a pot-sized $13,500 river bet. With a board of 545KK, Negreanu folded and his opponent raked a nice pot.
More pots would continue to go his way. Later, Negreanu three-bet a small Polk raise to $4,100. Polk called and the flop brought 4910.
Negreanu bet $3,200, Polk made the call, and the turn brought the A. This time, Negreanu checked and his opponent did the same.
The 2 fell on the river and Negreanu ripped in almost $11,000. Polk has traditionally played fast throughout the series, but gave it some deep thought here.
Eventually, Polk clicked call and showed 88 while Negreanu held 76. Polk took down a pot of $36,500 after sniffing out the bluff.
Polk rolls on, bags a six-figure pot
About a half hour into the action, Polk took down another nice one. Negreanu raised to $1,000 on the button and Polk three-bet to $4,100.
Negreanu called and the flop brought 47A. Polk bet $1,800 and received a call, with the K coming on the turn. This time Polk bet $9,500.
Doug Polk
After a bit of thought, Negreanu called and saw the 6 on the river. Polk then moved all in for $24,600 and his opponent folded. Polk took about $31,000 on that one.
A short time later, the two saw a board of 78AJ6 with $19,500 already in the pot. It went check-check on the river and Negreanu grabbed that one with a pair of Jacks.
Close to the hour and a half mark, Polk three-bet to $4,100 followed by a four-bet from Negreanu to $10,400.
Polk called and Negreanu’s pocket Kings would eventually be good for a $30,000 pot. But the Polk pots continued throughout the day.
One massive pot stood out later in the day. After raking a $13,000 pot Polk raised to $928 from the button. Negreanu three-bet to about $4,200 and Polk called.
The flop brought 106J and Negreanu checked. Polk bet $2,300 and received a call. The turn was the Q and Negreanu checked again.
Polk bet $12,300 and Negreanu called. With the 7 falling on the river, Negreanu checked and Polk moved all in for his last $35,000.
After a snap call, Negreanu showed AK for a Broadway straight. However, Polk hit runner-runner flush with his 46 and won $108,000 in a huge cooler.
Inside the 12th day of action
After 684 hands, Polk had notched a win of $332,178 – the biggest session score by either player. As the match has gone deeper, Polk seems to have gotten comfortable and been in a groove.
“It’s honestly just too unfair I think, when I’m playing good and getting good spots and then the deck [ hits me],” Polk said on the Upswing Poker stream. “Obviously this was the session that I was hoping for for a while. You don’t want to get too excited because it can easily just flip back the other way.”
Despite a rough day, Negreanu felt good about the day.
“He ran hotter than the sun, and if didn’t admit that he’d be lying,” Negreanu said on the GGPoker stream. “That was absolutely insane.”
The action lasted a bit over three hours and Polk now has a solid lead of about 15 buy-ins. He spoke at length about how certain spots are becoming understandable and recognizable.
However, Polk also realizes things can change quickly in heads-up play.
Also he did make some improvements in the last session. Don’t completely write him off cause he went on a big downswing.
Also next time I lose 250k lets not overreact the other way lol.
Polk once again took command the day before the Thanksgiving holiday. This win made it three in a row for the heads-up specialist.
One hand on the day stood out and came early in the match. With Negreanu raising to $1,000 on the button, Polk made the call and saw a flop of 873.
Polk checked and Negreanu bet $1,500. After another call, the turn brought the J. After a Polk check, Negreanu bet $3,750 with another call behind.
The river brought the 3 and Negreanu bet $3,200 after another check. Negreanu tabled J9 for a flush, but Polk showed 107 for a bigger flush. That sent almost $19,000 Polk’s way.
The Polk river over-betting continued on Wednesday as well. One big pot near the end of the session saw Polk raise to $928 from the button and Negreanu call.
The flop brought 78J and Polk bet $400. After a call, the two players saw the J on the river. Negreanu checked and Polk bet about $1,800 with Negreanu calling.
The river brought the A and Negreanu checked. In a $6,200 pot, Polk then bet $9,300. Negreanu eventually called and Polk flipped 88 for a full house and a $25,000 pot.
Inside the 11th day of action
The day was fairly quiet considering some of the recent fireworks. There were no big all-in pots and lots of small and mid-range pots heading to Polk.
The two went for about two hours during this session. When the dust settled, Polk added to his total again – finishing up $120,024 over 416 hands.
Despite that, Negreanu is down only less than seven buy-ins and seems to have felt he could have lost more.
I don’t know how I only lost 3 buy ins in today’s session but I’m thankful for it!
“Of the entire match … that was easily the worst two hours I’ve run,” Negreanu said in the post-session interview with GGPoker.
Negreanu noted that he could have easily lost 35 buy-ins. Polk has said his opponent has been much tougher than he expected. But he continues to come out on top in the online sessions to build his lead.
Lotta pros in the chat telling @RealKidPoker how he needs to play. Wonder how many of them would be doing better than he has so far.
Day 10: Nov. 20 – Polk extends lead with another six-figure day
After moving back ahead last week on Day 9, Polk built on his lead Monday with an impressive day. Polk scored a win of $117,624 over 852 hands on a day when there were plenty of big pots shipped back and forth.
“This was our longest session we have played yet I think,” Polk noted on Twitter. “Lots of big pots back and forth. Some coolers, some bluffs, this one had it all.”
It was also the longest day of the series, checking in at over four hours. The action got underway with a decent-sized pot just a few minutes into the day. After Negreanu three-bet to $4,100, the players saw a flop of 829.
Kid Poker then fired $6,100 into the pot and Polk called. The turn brought the 2 and both players checked. The 6 fell on the river and Negreanu checked again. Polk bet almost $14,000 and Negreanu folded, sending his opponent about a $21,000 pot.
At the same time, another big hand developed on the second table. On a board of AJ45Q with about $5,000 in the pot, Negreanu bet $3,400.
Polk raised to almost $15,000 and Negreanu went into the tank for quite a while. He eventually called with A3 for top pair while Polk revealed KK. Negreanu raked a $34,000 pot.
This was the kind of back and forth action Polk referred to, and it continued throughout the day.
Polk throttles ahead again
About 30 minutes into the match, another interesting hand played out. On the button, Negreanu raised to $1,000 and Polk made the call. The flop brought 999 and Polk checked. Negreanu made a min-bet of $400 and Polk raised to almost $2,700.
Negreanu called and the turn brought the 2. Polk bet $2,400 and received a call. The 8 fell on the river and Polk bet $4,000.
Negreanu called and turned AA for a massive full house, while Polk tabled J2 for a smaller boat. Negreanu raked a bit over $20,000 on that one.
That may have been a rough hand for Polk, but plenty would go his way too. After an early Negreanu lead, Polk began finding his own pots.
At just over the hour mark with a pot of about $21,000 the two players saw a board of K49104. Polk then used a common weapon in his arsenal, the over-bet all-in shove. The move worked with Negreanu folding and Polk snagging the pot.
A hand just a short time later saw Polk raise from the button to $928. Negreanu then reraised to $4,100 and Polk called. The flop brought K22 and Negreanu bet $2,000.
Polk called and the turn brought the A. Negreanu bet $9,300 and Polk called to see the 4 on the river. Negreanu bet $35,000 and Polk moved all in for his last $39,000.
Negreanu called and showed J4 for two pairs, but Polk tabled Q6 for a flush. Polk raked more than $111,000.
Inside the 10th day of action
The last two sessions may have shown why many picked Polk to win the match. He booked his second straight six-figure win.
Negreanu has been game, however, and has shown he can battle. Polk’s total win still only amounts to a bit over three buy-ins.
Either player has the option to call it quits after 12,500 hands. The action is just a bit more than a third to that point. If he’s deep in the hole at that point, would Negreanu hang it up?
That doesn’t seem likely. Negreanu has noted how he’s pleased to see so many in the poker world watching the action. Bringing the series to an end, especially when he’s played well, doesn’t seem to fit that narrative.
One of the coolest things about this challenge is the buzz it’s creating in the community and seeing so many different commentary teams covering the same event.
Everyone has different taste which makes this a win for poker fans across the globe.
Day 9: Nov. 20 – Polk notches nice win to edge ahead in series
Team Polk should be happy after a big finish to the week. Polk scored a nice win on Friday after three straight losing sessions. The win moves him back into the series lead.
One of the first major hands of the day saw Polk call about a $14,000 river bet on a board of 59643. He showed A9 for top pair to Negreanu’s QJ to win about $48,000.
Polk doubled up with a $12,000 win on the second table at the same time. The heads-up specialist seemed off and running from the beginning. He led by about $33,000 about 15 minutes into the session.
One interesting Negreanu win came in the first hour. Negreanu raised to $1,000 on the button and Polk three-bet to $4,100. Negreanu called and bet $2,000 after a Polk check on a flop of 579.
Polk then raised to about $10,000 and his opponent called. The turn brought the 2 and Polk moved all in for $32,000.
Negreanu snap called, showing 77 for trips with Polk tabling KK. The J on the river changed nothing and Negreanu raked a pot of about $53,000.
Polk takes command
Negreanu may have taken that one, but much of the day went Polk’s way. A short time after that cooler, the two locked horns in another big hand.
After Negreanu raised from the small to $1,000, Polk called and the flop came 954. Negreanu then called Polk’s bet of about $5,000.
The turn brought the 2 and Polk bet $5,800. Negreanu continued with a call and the river brought the 9. Polk moved all in for $42,000 and Negreanu called with the last of his $40,000.
Negreanu showed J10 for a flush, but Polk had a bigger flush with K7. He raked a pot of almost $111,000. About an hour in, Polk raked $54,000 also after an all-in shove on the turn and a Negreanu fold.
That was a move Polk utilized throughout the day. For example, late in the day Negreanu raised the action to $1,000 with Polk three-betting to about $1,800.
Negreanu called for a 5310 flop and his opponent fired another $1,800. Negreanu again called and the 2 fell on the turn. This time Polk bet almost $14,000 and received another call.
The river brought the 9 and Polk moved all in. Negreanu eventually folded and Polk took a $43,000 pot.
A short time later, the two were involved in another three-bet preflop hand. On a board of 572102, Polk moved all in again. Negreanu folded and Polk added another $43,000.
Inside the ninth day of play
It was a big day for Polk, who dominated much of the action on Friday. He continued to take most of the big pots and his aggressiveness scored plenty of small ones also.
After 377 hands, Polk scored $205,522 in a session that lasted a bit more than two hours. A couple coolers also went his way leading to a nice win.
“It was good that I finally got a win after a little bit,” Polk said on the GGPoker stream. “It’s anyone’s game at the moment.
“Sometimes when you’re on a big upswing, it feels like you can’t lose. And sometimes when you’re getting beat every session, it feels like you forgot even what it’s like to win.”
Going into the series, Polk said he expected Negreanu to be weak and easily run over. He’s been surprised at his aggressiveness and strength. He believes Negreanu isn’t afraid to make tough calls at times, but also still has some leaks in his game.
“A lot of the situations in heads up are really difficult, very complicated and you really have to think about how often you should take some lines,” Polk said.
“I do think there are some errors that he’s making that make me feel good about my side, but he’s not going to get totally run over. I don’t think that’s going to happen in this one.”
For his part, Negreanu felt good about his play and that he took some tough situational beats. He believed he played better on Friday than he did when booking a small win on Wednesday.
“I’m glad this is a close match,” Negreanu said. “I wanted it to be competitive and it is.”
What’s up next?
With the Thanksgiving holiday this week, the upcoming schedule has been adjusted slightly. Look for action on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday.
Day 8: Nov. 19 – Negreanu adds another session to the win column
With eight sessions into the High Stakes Feud, Negreanu continues to defy the doubters. There’s still plenty of poker to be played, but he again extended his lead with a small victory on Thursday.
One of the first major pots of the day fell Kid Poker’s way with a fortuitous river card. Polk started the action with a raise to $910 and Negreanu three-bet to $4,100.
Polk made the call and flop brought 42Q. Negreanu led out with $6,155 and Polk called. The turn brought the 4 and Negreanu checked, with his opponent doing the same.
The river card was the 2 and Polk bet almost $14,000. Negreanu made the call with J9 for a flush and Polk turned Q10 for two pairs. Negreanu raked a $48,000 pot.
Polk grabs his share of pots and then a big cooler
Thursday’s action saw a bit of a see-saw battle with Negreanu able to book a win just over a single buy-in. Polk certainly had his moments as well. Early in the day he raised from the button to $910.
Doug Polk
Negreanu called and the flop came 9J3 and Negreani checked. Polk bet a bit over $760 and received a call. The turn was the 4 with Negreanu checking again.
Polk bet $5,000 this time, Negreanu called, and the 4 fell on the river. After another Negreanu check, Polk went for his signature over-bet on the river – this time for $20,000. Negreanu thought a bit before calling and Polk showed AJ for two pairs and a $53,500 pot.
At about the 90-minute mark Polk made an all-in river bet of about $53,000 into a $42,000 pot. With the board showing 81022K. Negreanu went into the tank and eventually folded.
The crazy hand of the day came just short of two hours into the match and produced plenty of fireworks. After Polk’s raise to $910, Negreanu three-bet to $4,100.
Polk called and the flop brought 5AQ. Negreanu bet $2,000 and received a call with the turn bringing A. This time Negreanu checked and Polk did as well.
The 3 fell on the river and Negreanu bet about $9,200. Polk moved all in for his $103,000 stack and his opponent called the last of his almost $32,000 chips instantly.
Polk showed K8 for the nut straight, but Negreanu tabled AA for quads. It was a massive cooler hand for Polk and Negreanu pulled in almost $94,000.
Inside the eighth day of play
The action swung back and forth a bit Thursday. Negreanu finished up ahead again for the session, scoring $24,157 after 457 hands.
The win moves his total number of days won to five, including the live session to start the series. Here’s a review of the sessions won by each player:
Negreanu – sessions 1, 4, 5, 7, 8
Polk – sessions 2, 3, 6
Both players took to Twitter afterward to comment on a couple hands and had some back and forth. Polk noted losing with a nice pocket pair.
Day 7: Nov. 18 – Negreanu bags nice day to reclaim lead
The back and forth battle between Negreanu and Polk continued on Wednesday as these two upped their session frequency. After about three meetings a week, that moves to four this week.
Polk jumped out to about a $65,000 lead early after raking a few decent pots. But Negreanu turned the tables at about the five-minute mark. In one big hand, Negreanu raised from the button to $1,000 and Polk three-bet to $4,100.
The flop brought K58 after a Negreanu call. Polk bet $2,300 and Negreanu called before seeing the Q on the turn. Polk now bet $9,600 and Negreanu called, swelling the pot to just over $32,000.
The river brought the 7 and Polk moved all in for $32,000. His opponent thought a bit before making the call with K10 for a pair of Kings. Polk tabled AJ for Ace-high and his opponent raked an $80,000 pot.
Shortly afterward, Negreanu raked a nice pot again after calling some hefty bets from his opponent. Negreanu hung in to secure a pot of $122,000 after Polk missed on his flush draw.
Kid Poker continues to build
The pots continued to go Negreanu’s way throughout the afternoon. After about 20 minutes, both players flopped a flush. Negreanu came out on top of that one with a Queen and won $20,000.
Later Negreanu scored a $31,000 pot when his pocket Queens hit trips on the flop. He was able to bet the hand all the way through the river.
Daniel Negreanu
By the hour mark, Negreanu had moved up to more than $160,000 for the session. Polk did find his share of pots, such as a three-bet forcing a Negreanu fold after an hour of action.
On a flop of K26, Polk bet $2,300 followed by a Negreani raise to $7,000. Polk then escalated the action to more than $14,300. Negreanu got out of the way and Polk took down about $30,000.
However, most of the really big pos went Negreanu’s way. One more example came late in the match with about $7,200 in the pot and a board of 42QQ3.
After a Nreganu check on the river, Polk made a signature over-bet of almost $11,000. Negreanu made the call with Q10 for trip Queens and a $29,000 pot while Polk showed J9.
Inside the seventh day of play
It was that kind of day for Polk. Negreanu just seemed to have the nuts in big spots and picked off his opponent at key times. He finished $222,833 to the good after 591 hands.
The Poker Hall of Famer is pleased with his play so far and feels his preparation has paid dividends.
“I’m looking at my balance now and it’s definitely bigger than when I deposited online, so I’m happy about it,” he said afterward on the GGPoker stream. “I think my play’s improving with each session and one think I’ve always prided myself in is that I work hard and learn fast.
“This isn’t my first time playing poker. I did have to re-learn a lot about how the game is structured and the best way to play it, but I’m willing to do that. It requires a good amount of humility to ask other people for help.”
It was certainly a nice day for Negreanu, but still only a small win in comparison to the buy-in. Polk remains a favorite, but so far Negreanu has shown he can play in this arena.
“Lowest point in the challenge yet,” Polk noted on Twitter. “Luckily only about four buy-ins or so. Looking forward to getting in a lot of volume tomorrow and Friday.”
The heads-up specialist Polk remains confident in his play and his chances.
Day 6: Nov. 16 – Controversy over hand histories, Polk slides back ahead
After plenty of fireworks in Day 5, there may have been more interest in a post-session controversy after Monday. Businessman and poker player Bill Perkins charged Polk with using study methods outside the rules.
Match delayed due to disagreement over rules. One party(@DougPolkVids )thinks its ok to manually enter in hand history to software and have frequency analysis done and the other does not (@RealKidPoker) Big disadvantage that Dnegs has not been doing this. @PhilGalfond time #Poker
That drew some quick responses from Polk, who said the charge was completely baseless. He noted on Twitter that both players can open the WSOP.com client and review hand histories. The “cheating on his homework” charge was out of line, he noted.
“The rules were, no hand histories and no HUDs [head-up display, an app that collects and displays statistics about opponents],” Polk said. “We both agreed and were clear on that. Neither was used.”
After a brief discussion on data mining, Negreanu agreed with Polk. The matter now seems to be in the past and players can again focus on the match.
At the tables, Negreanu found the first big pot on Monday. Early action saw him score $34,000 when his Q5 made two pairs on the flop.
After about 10 minutes, Negreanu seized a lead of about $22,000 and then snatched two more nice pots. At about the 20-minute mark, Polk scooped a small one but there were big developments on the second table.
After a pre-flop four-bet from Polk, the players saw a board of 10102. Negreanu checked and Polk bet a bit over $4,100.
Negreanu called and the 9 landed on the river. After another check, Polk checked as well and the river brought the 7.
After another check, Polk thought a bit and checked again – sniffing out a trap as Negreanu tabled 1010. Kid Poker scooped a $28,000 pot with his quad 10s but missed out on more.
Action shifts Polk’s way
After two straight losing days, Polk would find some nice pots of his own – and one would come quickly. Just a couple hands later on the same table, Polk picked up pocket Aces and three-bet.
The flop brought 5KQ and he led out with a $6,700 bet. His opponent moved all in and Polk snap-called. Negreanu turned over Q5for two pairs and looked to be in good shape to crack his foe’s Aces.
A 4 on the turn was no help for Polk, but a second King on the river gave him a bigger two pairs. That gave him the $81,000 pot.
Polk grabbed another big pot a short time later, taking $37,000 with a full house. That win moved him ahead in the session and he continued battling.
Inside the sixth day of play
For much of the day, Polk’s aggression paid some big dividends including a five-bet pre-flop shove at one point. His typical river over-bet shoves also scored some nice pots.
The chips just kept going his way much of the day. That was enough to book a win of almost $93,542 on the day, moving Polk back up for the series. However, that’s not a huge lead – just a bit more than two buy-ins for this High Stakes Feud.
The capper for Tuesday’s controversy may have been a video released by poker pro Will Jaffe calling Perkins out. He advised that this was “the ultimate stay in your lane moment.”
After Monday’s session, the heads-up challenge is now about 10% complete. The play went more than three hours and both players have promised moving past the early two-hour sessions.
There are also plans for more frequent matches, with more play set for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week. USPoker will update all the action as it plays out.
Hands played: 2,374
Total: Polk up $67,625.81
Next match: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 5:30 pm ET
Day 5: Nov. 13 – Negreanu makes it two in a row, climbs ahead in series
After rallying late in Wednesday’s session, Negreanu built on that momentum Friday. He notched his second straight online win, this time much bigger than his previous score and putting him ahead in the match.
There was plenty of action in session four with plenty of three- and four-bets with big pots. The three-bets came early in the fifth session and Negreanu took the first $20,000-plus pot.
A few more pots went Negreanu’s way early before Polk scored a $7,000 pot with a full house. He followed that up with a few more nice ones.
Just after raking an $11,000 pot, Negreanu raised to $1,000 from the button. Polk three-bet to $4,110 and his opponent made the call.
The flop brought Q9A and both players checked with 8 coming on the turn. Polk checked and Negreanu bet $6,165.
Polk called and the flop brought the 6. After a check from his opponent, Negreanu fired $15,413 and Polk made the call. Negreanu tables 89 for two pairs and took down a $51,373 pot.
Kid Poker finds some big pots
Things seemed to be going Negreanu’s way and he’d seized a small lead by the first half hour. A massive hand then developed after Negreanu five-bet shoved all in with AK.
Polk quickly called with 1010 for an $83,000 pot. The flop brought Polk a set with 2410 followed by a J on the turn. The 7 on the river meant a huge win for Polk.
A few hands later, Negreanu added an $11,000 pot and then found another for $20,000. A $25,000 pot then immediately went Negreanu’s way as another big hand also developed on the second table.
In that one, Polk raised to $910 from the button and was three-bet to $4,241. Polk called and the flop brought 723. Negreanu bet $1,600 and received a call.
The turn brought the 5 and Negreanu bet a hefty $8,762 before receiving another call. On the river 6, Negreanu moved all in and Polk snap-called.
Polk showed 64 for a straight while Negreanu tabled 89 for a bigger straight. Kid Poker collected a nice $80,000 score.
Truck driver rolls, Negreanu fights back
After a break in the action, the truck driver rallied back with a few nice pots at just over an hour into the session. However, Negreanu seemed more aggressive throughout the day. A big hand developed at about the 90-minute mark.
After Polk raised to $910 on the button, Negreanu three-bet to $4,241. Polk called and the two players saw a flop of 8J10. After Negreanu checked, Polk bet $2,798 and was called.
The 6 fell on the turn and Negreanu checked. With the pot at about $14,000, Polk bet $11,542. After Negreanu’s call, the K fell on the river and he checked again. Polk then jammed all in with Negreanu snap calling.
Polk held Q9 for a King-high straight, but Negreanu showed AQ for a Broadway straight. The hand shipped him more than $93,000.
Inside the fifth day of play
It was that kind of day for Negreanu and he seemed to collect plenty of nice pots with big hands. Just a short time after the big Ace-high straight, another pot fell his way.
With 45, Negreanu flopped a straight and snagged another $24,000. By the end of the two-hour session, Negreanu had erased his deficit and climbed ahead. He’s now winning almost $26,000 for the series.
That represents less than one buy-in, but so far Negreanu has been competitive in an event many felt Polk would dominate.
“A long way to go to the finish line, but very happy to be ahead obviously,” Negreanu noted on Twitter, and broke out a Rocky shirt to commemorate his success so far.
Beyond hitting big hands, many feel Negreanu heads-up skills have sharpened since earlier online sessions. Even Polk echoed those thoughts.
“The worst part of today’s session wasn’t getting stacked repeatedly for $200,000, it was also seeing Dnegs making less and less errors in other pots,” Polk noted on Twitter. “If the challenge keeps going this direction, may need to trade in the truck for a used Honda Civic.”
Polk probably won’t be heading to the Honda dealership any time soon. He remains confident and is looking forward to next week’s action.
Hands played: 1,737
Total: Negreanu up $25,916.87
Next match: Monday, Nov. 16, 5:30 pm ET
★★★ Those looking to follow the action live, should check out our complete review of the GGPoker and Upswing Poker streams. ★★★
Day 4: Nov. 11 – Daniel Negreanu rallies for first online win
Score one for Kid Poker. After two straight losing sessions, Daniel Negreanu notched a winning session online Wednesday against Doug Polk. It was a nice result for Negreanu, who is considered the online underdog.
Polk made a small aesthetic change on Wednesday, switching his avatar to the American flag. It may have been a Veterans Day gesture with or a slight needle to his foe’s Canadian flag.
The two traded pots early, moving just above and below each player’s $40,000 starting stack. At about the five-minute mark, Polk made the day’s first four-bet for more than $10,000.
Negreanu made the call and the two saw a Q7Q flop with almost $22,000 in the pot. After a check, Polk bet $4,318 and his opponent called. The J came on the turn and Polk bet $6,650 after a Negreanu check.
Again Negreanu called and the 10 came on the river. Polk shoved all in for $25,000 and Negreanu went in the tank. He eventually folded and Polk dragged a $43,528 pot. More fireworks would follow.
Polk dominates early play
A few hands later, another big pot developed with $34,000 in the pot on a board of 529K7. Both players checked the river and Negreanu took it down with KQ.
Despite that, Polk was up about $45,000 the first 20 minutes. A $42,000 pot after a half-hour moved that up to $65,000 and later more than $90,000.
Just short of an hour into the match, a couple interesting hands developed. Polk shoved all in on both tables, one on the turn and one on the river.
I think the average player really underestimates the amount of time and work it takes to become even somewhat decent at HUNL. With the info out there now the bar is just absurdly high and you will constantly be making mistakes.
Negreanu folded on both, and Polk took almost $14,000 on one and $29,000 on the other. A few hands later Negreanu raked a $17,000 pot, but Polk soon gobbled up one for $32,000. For the first hour, Polk seemed to take pot after pot with aggressive bets on the turn and river.
Kid Poker surges late in the session
Despite Polk’s early domination, Negreanu got back into it. A few hands later, a check-raise on the river worked out well when he caught a straight. Polk called and Negreanu won $24,000.
With about 30 minutes left, another huge hand developed. Negreanu raised to $1,000 from the button and Polk three-bet to $4,110. Negreanu then four-bet to $10,220.
Polk moved all in for another $47,495 with Negreanu making an insta-call. Polk tabled JJ to Negreanu’s KK. The flop didn’t change things and Negreanu took a $95,000 pot.
That became the largest pot so far for Negreanu during online play and cut his session deficit to about $30,000. Another $41,000 pot would ship his way a short time later.
In the last 15 minutes, Polk four-bet a pot to $12,876 and Negreanu called. The flop came A84. Negreanu checked and Polk bet $5,150 and Negreanu called before the turn brought the A.
Again Negreanu checked and Polk bet $11,896. His opponent called once again and the river produced a 4. Negreanu checked again and Polk moved all in with $126,351.
With only $34,633 in front of him, Negreanu made a snap call and revealed AQ for a full house. Polk showed JQ, handing Negreanu a pot of $129,109 after picking off his bluff.
Inside the fourth day of play
The late comeback brought Negreanu his first winning online session in the series. He finished the day winning $87,167 and the late wins helped overcome some early struggles and frustrations.
“It didn’t feel like a win did it?” he said on the GGPoker stream. “The first hour I just kept missing all these hands. I was getting annoyed.”
Nice to book a win today of about 2 buyins. Lost that pesky JJ vs TT hand on the river or it would have been 4 buy ins, but a win is a win.
1372 hands played of 25,000 and currently down about 4.5 buy ins.
While Polk was dominant for much of the day, Negreanu’s late push seemed not to bring any real concerns. Polk knows it’s a long haul.
“Obviously it was not the best of runs there at the end,” he said after the match on the Upswing Poker stream.
Polk said when Negreanu seemed to bet aggressively, he always seemed to have a strong hand. He also feels his opponent has ramped his game up a bit.
“I think he’s playing a little more aggressive online overall than when we played live,” Polk said. “It’s been interesting. It was an interesting swing today.”
Despite the big numbers, Polk notes that he’s up only two and half buy-ins. There haven’t been any massive swings so far and Negreanu also made note of that as well.
Hands played: 1,372
Total: Doug Polk up $180,865.22
Next match: Friday, Nov. 12, 5:30 pm ET
Day 3: Nov. 9 – Doug Polk extends his lead
The High Stakes Feud action resumed on Monday between Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk. After one live session won by Negreanu, Polk again won in the second online session at WSOP.com.
The pair got in another 382 hands and Polk came out on top for an additional $166,239. This moves his total up to a positive $268,032.
Monday’s action began well for Polk after his 25 hit two more fives on the flop early in the match. He got paid off on the river for almost a $27,000 pot.
However just after that, Negreanu raked his own $29,000 pot on the second table. He added another $10,000 pot a few minutes later with a flush.
There was plenty of three-bet action early. About 15 minutes into the match, Negreanu also picked up a $93,000 pot after picking off a Polk bluff. He seemed to be rolling through the second online session.
Polk turns it around and turns it on
That momentum would change however. About a half-hour in, Polk moved all in for $42,000 on a board of J734. This came after Negreanu three-bet pre-flop and then bet the flop and the turn. Polk took the $34,000 pot instead.
Several five-figure pots continued to go his way. Polk picked up a $16,000 pot when his K-J hit a King on the river. Polk’s stacks on both tables continued to grow.
He raked a $25,000 pot at about the one hour, 15-minute mark. After three-betting pre-flop, he check-raised the flop and bet big on the turn to draw a fold.
A few hands later, Polk raked a $12,000 pot after betting $17,000 on the river. More pots would go Polk’s way including two simultaneous pots for about $30,000, both of which Negreanu had three-bet.
Polk methodically took control and continued to over-bet often on river cards. Negreanu was put in numerous tough spots and a critical hand came late in the match.
With $13,000 in the pot and a board of K7385, Polk moved all in for $81,000. Negreanu tanked before eventually making the call.
Polk tabled K7 for two pairs with his opponent showing K5 for a smaller two pairs. The $96,000 pot was sent to Polk after a tough cooler for his opponent.
Inside the third day of play
After 1,006 hands played so far, Polk looks to be in control. However, there is plenty of poker left to be played. Polk’s lead looks hefty at more than a quarter of a million dollars. However, players start each session with $40,000 and Polk noted his lead isn’t large in this kind of challenge.
“I will say this though, just cause the number is big doesn’t mean Dnegs is down that much,” he noted on Twitter. “He is down a little under seven buy-ins. That is a completely normal result over 1,000 hands of heads-up no limit.”
The two foes are about 4% through the challenge and Polk looks to be in command online so far. His river aggression on Monday seemed constant and gave Negreanu some trouble. Polk did note that Negreanu faced some tough hands.
At the end of the challenge ill give my thoughts on Negreanu’s play, but until then not going to say much.
I will say he is obviously running bad in a bunch of standard cooler spots. His game does have some issues though.
Negreanu said the big two pairs versus two pairs hand was indicative of how things went. He still seems pleased with how he’s played and believes he’s on the right path overall.
“I was very happy,” Negreanu said on the GGPoker stream after the day’s action wrapped up (see complete stream replay above). “I felt like I ran kind of bad in the last session … but in this one I was quite certain I ran worse. I generally felt pretty comfortable, pretty good.”
Can Kid Poker turn it around? There are plenty more online sessions and USPoker will be tracking all the action.
Day 2: Nov. 6 – online action begins, Polk storms ahead
After battling on PokerGO live, the action shifted to WSOP.com on Friday. The heads-up game is Polk’s forté and that came through in the first session online.
When it comes to usernames, Polk brings some humor – going with “MicroStakes” as his moniker. Negreanu goes with “DNegs” at these virtual tables. Here is all the action below via the GGPoker stream.
There was plenty of action right from the beginning with Negreanu scooping a few pots early . Then almost simultaneous $20,000-plus pots developed on both tables within the first 10 minutes.
Negreanu won the first for $120,698, then action shifted to the second table. That hand produced some fireworks.
With Polk on the $200 small blind, Polk raised to $918 and his opponent three-bet to $4,140. Polk made the call and the flop brought 624. Negreanu then bet $6,210 and Polk called with the 10 landing on the turn.
Kid Poker checked and Polk bet $6,830. Negreanu, on a stack of just over $56,000, then moved all in. Polk snap-called with almost $29,000 left in front of him – producing a $92,205 pot.
With the call, Negreanu held J9 for a flush draw. Polk flashed 46 for two pairs. The river brought the A and Polk raked the massive pot.
Inside the second day of play
That’s the kind of day it would be for Polk on Day 2 online. He completely flipped the table from the first session – winning $218,292.78 after 424 hands.
I won 200k but I still feel bad because I made more misclicks in my session than a man 2 tabling in a recliner
“Felt good today,” Polk added on Twitter. “Obviously ran hot in some important spots. Much happier to be back on the online felt.”
A few coolers ran Negreanu’s way and he wasn’t disappointed with his play.
“I’m playing against a really great player,” Negreanu said after the match on the GGPoker stream. “It’s going to be tough and put you in really tough spots. Overall I think I played pretty well.”
Hands played: 624
Total: Doug Polk up $101,792.78
Next match: Monday, Nov. 9, at 5:30 ET
Day 1: Nov. 4 – kicking things off on PokerGO
The two combatants got things started at the PokerGO Studio at Aria casino in Las Vegas. The live component was a late addition but added extra excitement to the series to get fans even more interested.
Ali Nejad and Kane Kalas called the action as the series, known as High Stakes Feud, got underway. Those looking for some contentious banter wouldn’t find it on PokerGO.
While they may trade barbs on social media, Polk and Negreanu were friendly and even wished each other good luck.
I was happy that despite our history, and with all the divisiveness in the country right now, that @DougPolkVids and I could be civil and put on a show that the poker community could both be proud of and enjoy the fireworks.
The action began with Negreanu raising to $1,000 with K4 and Polk called with A4. Both players continued checking on the flop of K29 and turn of 6.
Negreanu then fired a $1,500 bet on the river with Polk raising to $8,500. After some thought, Negreanu made the call and jumped out to a lead of $9,500.
“How many hands left?” he said as he got up from his seat. The joke drew a laugh from his opponent.
That run would continue and the two continued talking poker and other topics throughout. Both players even needled Phil Hellmuth a bit.
Negreanu finds some big hands to take lead
Some poker fans may have preferred more combative conversation. However, even the friendly chit chat made for better viewing. High stakes players simply staring at cards hasn’t made for great viewing.
Negreanu even mentioned his new chair for the online portion of the match – complete with built-in massager.
By Thursday morning, High Stakes Feud had been viewed more than 260,000 times on YouTube. At the table, Negreanu seemed in control in the first match.
A look at the action from the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.
An early win with a flush saw Polk dip below half his starting stack and add $30,000. Negreanu kept a small advantage of $10,000 to $15,000 for much of the early play.
Polk reversed Negreanu’s lead after a break in the action. He flopped a flush while Negreanu hit the nut-flush draw. Polk ultimately raked a pot of $11,600 for his first lead in the match.
That lead disappeared soon as Negreanu took a few big pots and found a lead of about $50,000. One of the biggest hands then came right before the end of the night.
Polk raised the action to $900 with QJ and Negreanu three-bet to $4,000 with 106. Polk made the call and the flop brought 6K6.
Negreanu then bet $1,600 and Polk called. The river brought the 8 and he then checked. Polk fired $7,600 and Negreanu called.
The 2 fell on the river and Negreanu checked again. Polk continued the bluff moving all in, swelling the pot to more than $70,000.
Negreanu called and raked a massive pot with Polk adding another $50,000. The match would come to a close a few hands later with Negreanu finishing up $116,500 for the first session.
In his post-match interview, Negreanu spoke about how the live game was to his advantage.
“I’ve got 20 years of playing under the lights in this scenario, but unfortunately for me that’s just a very small portion of the match,” he said. “I know that we’ve got a long road ahead and we’re going to be walking into his arena, which is online.
“I felt like I played well and executed my strategy. It was really important to me to get off to a good start and I want to make this match competitive.”
Negreanu did just that. With action shifting online, Polk is in his element and it will be interesting to see how things play out.
“I had some spots that I thought were good to bluff – they weren’t,” Polk said about the live play element. “Just really didn’t get things going my way.”
Felt good about my play tonight despite going -$116,500. Couple hands were slightly loose (first hand of the night I misread the board to be totally honest lol)
Looking forward to not getting stacked bluffing into trips next session.
“I always feel bad [for the sites] because it’s not their fault,” Negreanu noted about regulations legal operators faced. “It’s all politicians just doing their best.”
The site, however, apparently made some moves to facilitate the large deposits. WSOP.com has also designated two cash game tables for the match.
“It was pretty cool they made it work for us,” Negreanu noted.
Kid Poker went on to detail some of the frustrations the industry initially faced in Nevada. The two continued discussing the state of online poker and now take the game to the virtual tables.
After the loss, Polk to Twitter to offer an interesting post-match note as the action heads online.
Getting ready for bed and I get a text from my dad “Doug had a rough night, lost 100k”. Then texted back, oh wrong person.
Officials for three cities based in Los Angeles County implored the Board of Supervisors to reverse its order closing cardrooms.
The Board forced the seven Los Angeles cardrooms to close Monday in an effort to address rising coronavirus cases. The shutdown will last through at least Dec. 20.
It’s the third time this year that the cardrooms have been forced to close entirely. They had reopened in early October, offering gaming only outdoors.
City officials from Bell Gardens, Hawaiian Gardens and Commerce made clear the impact these closures have on city services.
“It’s important to note that our communities of color depend heavily on card club revenues to provide basic and essential public services such as public safety, youth and senior services,” said Eddie Hernandez, city manager for Hawaiian Gardens. “The partnerships that exist between our cities and these businesses are critical to our communities and our quality of life.”
Commerce MayorIvan Altamirano added:
“Shutting down the casino is like shutting down the City of Commerce.”
CA cities suffering from lost cardroom revenue
Hernandez explained that Hawaiian Gardens receives more than 70% of city revenue from Gardens Casino. With the cardroom closed between March and June, opening briefly before shutting down again until October, the city has lost 50% of its revenue and had to lay off more than 40% of city staff.
While gambling venues may provide an essential service, city officials asserted that the revenue they provide supports essential services.
“If these closures continue, we will have to cut essential services,” Hernandez said.
Altamirano added that Commerce has furloughed 200 employees.
Alejandra Cortez, mayor of Bell Gardens, noted that The Bicycle accounts for more than 50% of the city’s general fund, and projected losses in city revenue thus far amount to $9 million.
“We are so close to a vaccine,” Cortez said. “However, this may be the last nail for some of our businesses and some of the services in our city. … This is more than just gaming — it’s a vital resource to our community.”
Cardrooms already adhere to strict regulations
Most frustrating to cardrooms and the municipalities they support is that they are being shut down while having stricter safety protocols than many businesses allowed to remain open.
“Outdoor gaming is not permitted while other businesses with far less protections for their patrons have been allowed to remain open,” Hernandez said. “This was an arbitrary decision not made on science or any other measurable information, as card clubs have not been identified on a state, county or local agency to be a primary source of infections.”
Safety procedures put in place by cardrooms include:
Temperature checks prior to admittance
Sanitizing every time a player leaves a seat
Plexiglass barriers separating players from each other and dealers
Masks worn at all times, including by employees
No food or drink at tables
“There’s no data behind the closing of our casinos,” Cortez said. “We weren’t informed prior to the new policy. All we ask is for our community to be part of the decision-making process, but also to come up with better ways of dealing with the pandemic.”
LA cardrooms hurt more than others in California
Cardrooms in other areas throughout California remain open for outdoor gaming, though the state recently mandated they close between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Cities with a health department don’t have to follow Los Angeles County health orders. Pasadena, for example, allows restaurants to operate outdoor dining currently banned by the county.
Altamirano called on neighboring cities to form a coalition toward creating their own health department.
Collectively, according to Gardens General CounselKeith Sharp, LA cardrooms employed 10,000 people prior to the pandemic and have reduced that workforce by 70% because of the spread of coronavirus.
“Closing us down will not impact the surge, but it will leave thousands of Angelenos out of work right at holiday time, further harm our businesses and put our cities in deeper financial peril.”
Poker rooms slowly started to reopen at casinos in Pennsylvania nearly seven months after the casinos and subsequently poker games were shut down in March as a result of coronavirus.
Due to the social nature of the game, poker rooms were not permitted to welcome back players when casinos started reopening in June.
Five poker rooms reopened as of mid-November with Parx, the state’s largest, set to return in December. The city of Philadelphia added restrictions included another shutdown of Rivers Casino Philadelphia until at least Jan 1, taking away another option for live poker.
One poker room continues to remain conspicuously quiet – Wind Creek Casino.
Wins and losses for Wind Creek
Wind Creek is one of the larger poker rooms in Pennsylvania rooms with 26 tables. Located in Bethlehem, PA, it’s in a prime spot to attract visitors from New York City and northern New Jersey.
A representative from Wind Creek told PlayPennsylvania they had no update on when the poker room would open. On Nov. 18, Wind Creek opened the Betfred sportsbook. The sportsbook is the first for Wind Creek in the United States and the third US retail location for Betfred Sports.
Wind Creek claimed a number of honors from Casino Player Magazine in October including being named best:
Overall Gaming Resort
Table Games
Poker Room
However, it hasn’t been all good news at Wind Creek Casino. Wind Creek announced layoffs on Sept. 24 that affected about 20% of its workforce. Total revenue in October was $33.1 million, a 16.41% decrease from October 2019.
“With recent business volumes significantly lower than we had hoped, we were forced to make this incredibly difficult decision. The hospitality and gaming industries have been crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that our reduction in workforce will in the long term positively affect our future success.”
A Wind Creek employee provided an update on some of the happenings at Wind Creek including the poker room. The person agreed to share their insight based on the condition of anonymity.
“When Wind Creek shut down in mid-March, they could’ve easily had a mass layoff but they didn’t. They continued to pay all employees until May 31, 2020. Even those that work on tips got an average hourly wage and they continued to pay for benefits. Most casinos around the country just straight up laid off hundreds of dealers back in the spring.”
On June 1, the poker room employees were furloughed. They stopped getting paid but the full-time workers could keep their health benefits as long as bi-weekly premiums were paid. On Sept. 30, all poker room employees were laid off/terminated and the poker room was made into a high-limit slots parlor.
“We were told it was being turned into a high-limit slots parlor for the time being. Obviously a casino makes way more money on slot machines than a poker room, so I believe they’re focusing on that right now.”
The employee said it is their belief along with other employees that the poker room is not closed permanently and will eventually reopen.
“The plan is to reopen the poker room in the future. But who knows what the future entails considering what is looking like another round of closures. Wind Creek does see the value in the poker room but I think right now they’re trying to recover from the major financial hit they took during the 3.5 months we were closed up. The client base of the poker room really enjoyed playing at Wind Creek. I know some of them think it’s closed permanently but that isn’t likely the case.”
Poker pales in revenue comparison
In fiscal year 2019/2020, poker accounted for $37 million in total revenue across the state’s ten poker rooms. That number pales in comparison to the $607 million in total revenue by all other table games.
Casinos, trying to recover from an unprecedented financial hit as a result of COVID closures and operating at reduced capacity, are likely allocating resources to games that generate more revenue.
A new curfew to address the rising amount of COVID-19 cases in the state will affect California cardrooms and tribal casinos.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a curfew for nonessential businesses, including cardrooms. Beginning last Saturday and lasting until at least Dec. 21, cardrooms must close between the hours of 10 p.m and 5 a.m.
Many California cardrooms have operated outdoors 24/7, trying to recoup some of the losses sustained during the coronavirus shutdown.
Kyle Kirkland, president of the California Gaming Association, expressed frustration with another setback to the cardrooms.
“It is disappointing that the state is implementing a one-size-fits-all,” Kirkland said, “as the cardrooms are one of the only industries with COVID-19 regulations in place and they do not permit mask removal.
“There is no eating permitted at the tables and every table has plexiglass or social distancing between players. We urge the state and county officials to allow our businesses to continue to safely operate outdoors as we have not been able to open indoors for months.”
Some, such as Graton Resort & Casino in the Bay Area, elected to close overnight.
But tribal casinos that remain open will likely face some loss in business. The curfew figures to discourage Californians from going out at night.
Worsening COVID-19 rolls back California cardrooms
There are no longer any cardrooms operating indoors in California.
When two cardrooms reopened for indoor operations, it was supposed to be just the beginning. As more California counties improved in tiers, cardrooms would add limited capacity indoor gaming to their outdoor offerings.
Instead, counties have moved backward in tiers. Out of 75 California cardrooms, 70 sit in purple-tier counties.
Nevada County dropped two tiers from orange to purple. Towers Casino, which reopened indoors Sept. 22, was forced to close. The cardroom’s website indicates it is closed until Dec.29 at the earliest.
Similarly, Casino Club in Redding closed Oct. 30, when Shasta County dropped from the orange tier. It has since moved all the way into the purple tier.
Only one cardroom in the state remains in an orange-tier county with indoor operations possible: St. Charles Place in Sierra County. The small poker room, though, hasn’t reopened.
Cardroom
County
Tier
Indoors
Outdoors
Livermore Casino
ALAMEDA
Purple
N
N
Oaks Card Club
ALAMEDA
Purple
N
N
Palace Card Room
ALAMEDA
Purple
N
N
Parkwest Casino 580
ALAMEDA
Purple
N
N
Casino 99
BUTTE
Purple
N
N
California Grand Casino
CONTRA COSTA
Purple
N
N
Kelly’s
CONTRA COSTA
Purple
N
N
Nineteenth Hole
CONTRA COSTA
Purple
N
N
Clovis 500 Club
FRESNO
Purple
N
N
Club One Casino
FRESNO
Purple
N
N
North Coast Casino
HUMBOLDT
Red
N
N
Tommy’s Casino & Saloon
IMPERIAL
Purple
N
N
Aviator
KERN
Purple
N
N
Diamond Jim’s
KERN
Purple
N
N
Golden West Casino
KERN
Purple
N
8/12
Bicycle Casino
LOS ANGELES
Purple
N
10/5
Commerce Casino
LOS ANGELES
Purple
N
10/5
Crystal Casino
LOS ANGELES
Purple
N
10/8
The Gardens Casino
LOS ANGELES
Purple
N
10/5
Hollywood Park
LOS ANGELES
Purple
N
10/5
Hustler Casino
LOS ANGELES
Purple
N
10/12
Larry Flynt’s Lucky Lady Casino
LOS ANGELES
Purple
N
10/8
La Primavera Pool Hall & Café
MADERA
Purple
N
N
Club San Rafael
MARIN
Red
N
N
Golden Valley Casino
MERCED
Purple
N
N
Banker’s Casino
MONTEREY
Purple
N
N
Marina Club
MONTEREY
Purple
N
N
Mortimer’s Card Room
MONTEREY
Purple
N
N
Pinnacle Casino
MONTEREY
Purple
N
N
Napa Valley Casino
NAPA
Purple
N
N
Towers Casino
NEVADA
Purple
N
N
Bruce’s Casino
RIVERSIDE
Purple
N
N
Lake Elsinore Hotel and Casino
RIVERSIDE
Purple
N
N
Capitol Casino
SACRAMENTO
Purple
N
N
Hotel Del Rio & Casino
SACRAMENTO
Purple
N
N
Folsom Lake Bowl
SACRAMENTO
Purple
N
N
Limelight Card Room
SACRAMENTO
Purple
N
N
Magnolia House Casino
SACRAMENTO
Purple
N
N
Parkwest Casino Cordova
SACRAMENTO
Purple
N
N
Parkwest Casino Lotus
SACRAMENTO
Purple
N
8/27
Rogelio’s Inc.
SACRAMENTO
Purple
N
N
Stones Gambling Hall
SACRAMENTO
Purple
N
8/24
Lucky Lady
SAN DIEGO
Purple
N
N
Ocean’s Eleven Casino
SAN DIEGO
Purple
N
N
Seven Mile Casino
SAN DIEGO
Purple
N
8/25
Casino Real
SAN JOAQUIN
Purple
N
N
Kings Card Club/ Westlane Cardroom
SAN JOAQUIN
Purple
N
8/26
Parkwest Casino Lodi
SAN JOAQUIN
Purple
N
8/24
Star’s Casino
SAN JOAQUIN
Purple
N
8/8
Central Coast Casino – Grover Beach
SAN LUIS OBISPO
Purple
N
N
Paso Robles Casino
SAN LUIS OBISPO
Purple
N
N
Oceana (Brooks) Card room
SAN LUIS OBISPO
Purple
N
N
Old Cayucos Tavern
SAN LUIS OBISPO
Purple
N
N
Outlaws Card Parlour
SAN LUIS OBISPO
Purple
N
N
Artichoke’s Joe’s Casino
SAN MATEO
Red
N
9/4
Lucky Chances
SAN MATEO
Red
N
N
Jalisco Pool Room
SANTA BARBARA
Purple
N
N
Bay 101
SANTA CLARA
Purple
N
9/11
Casino M8trix
SANTA CLARA
Purple
N
9/12
Garlic City Club
SANTA CLARA
Purple
N
N
Tres Lounge and Casino
SANTA CRUZ
Purple
N
N
Ocean View Card room
SANTA CRUZ
Purple
N
N
Casino Club
SHASTA
Purple
N
N
St. Charles Place
SIERRA
Orange
N
N
Parkwest Casino Sonoma (The 101)
SONOMA
Purple
N
N
The River Card room
SONOMA
Purple
N
N
Empire Sportsmen’s Assoc.
STANISLAUS
Purple
N
N
Mike’s Card Casino
STANISLAUS
Purple
N
N
Turlock Poker Room
STANISLAUS
Purple
N
N
Deuce Lounge & Casino
TULARE
Purple
N
N
The Mint
TULARE
Purple
N
N
Sundowner Card Room (Visalia)
TULARE
Purple
N
N
Player’s Poker Club
VENTURA
Purple
N
N
Casino Marysville
YUBA
Purple
N
N
Golden State Casino
YUBA
Purple
N
N
LA cardrooms face additional county restrictions
In Los Angeles, cardrooms face even stricter restrictions. The curfew lasts an extra hour, until 6 am, and the county limits outdoor gaming to 50% of capacity.
Beginning Wednesday, Los Angeles County will also prohibit outdoor dining for the next three weeks.
As the US online poker market reaches unprecedented heights, more players are getting in the game. From major buy-in tournaments like the upcoming World Poker Tour Main Tour event to the World Series of PokerMain Event, there’s never been a better time to bet and bluff online.
And while those big buy-in, prestigious events garner headlines, low- and mid-stakes players remain vital to the industry. Maybe it’s a guy who gets off work and plays a few sit and go’s after dinner.
A commuter might break out the cell phone for a few hands while sitting on a train heading to work. Perhaps the $5 tournament grinder has won a ticket for a bigger buy-in event that’s part of a major tournament series.
Adding more recreational players to the mix is what will grow the game in the long run. USPoker reached out to major operators to get their perspectives and how they’re appealing to this player segment.
The partypoker US Network currently operates in New Jersey and has been approved in Pennsylvania. Party officials make efforts to reach out to recreational players through tailored events and promotions.
Like most operators, partypoker offers a wide range of price points for tournaments, sit and go’s, and cash games. The site’s regular Online Series offer opportunities for players in the $5-10 range up to a few hundred bucks.
The site has also found success with its popular Phase tournaments as well. These offer numerous flights and qualifiers to earn entry into a bigger event.
Satellites will also be a major part of the upcoming WPT Online Poker Open. In this case, qualifiers offer players a chance to live a dream and join the WPT Champions Club.
Another new promotion offers rec players a shot at big money. Players who took part in two or more Sunday$35,000 Guaranteed tournaments (Nov 1-22) earned a $215 entry into the Sunday $100,000 Guaranteed on Nov. 29.
The Grind (BorgataPoker.com) and Regulars Rewards (BetMGM) programs also offer ongoing monthly promotions to reward all players. In the daily “Spin the Wheel” promotion, players simply earn 1 or more iRPs playing poker to claim a spin. Prizes include:
Hot Cash Bonus
loyalty points
tournament tickets valued up to $215
“Recreational players and low to mid-stakes players are the backbone of the poker community,” BetMGM/partypoker US Network director of poker Ray Stefanelli says. “Without this group, which makes up a large percentage of the poker player pool, it would be difficult to run a poker network.”
PokerStars brings plenty of ways to win
This is another operator that recognizes the need to bring more recreational players into the market. With Americans seeing so many options for their extra time, company officials view keeping the entertainment value as critical to success.
“Players of all skill levels and bankrolls play pivotal roles in the success of online poker for different reasons,” PokerStars head of poker operations Luke Staudenmaier said. “An operator’s ability to attract recreational players is linked to poker’s capacity to entertain, while more skilled players provide the liquidity needed for games to start.
“Still, nothing is more important for the growth and health of online poker than legal, shared poker in as many markets as possible.”
Staudenmaier says every aspect of the PokerStars experience is viewed through the lens of a recreational player. That includes software, rewards, and even tournament structures for US players in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Progressive knockout (PKO) tournaments are one example he offers. The last time Pennsylvania residents were able to play on PokerStars in 2011, these tournaments didn’t exist.
“Now they make up a sizable portion of all scheduled tournaments we offer,” Staudenmaier says. “The reason is simply that recreational and skilled players alike have shown that they enjoy the mechanics, and of course, we want to maximize everyone’s entertainment in the community. We’ll continue to adapt based on what our players are telling us and trends in the industry.”
The Bounty Builder Series highlights the popularity of PKO tournaments, Staudenmaier notes. Tournament players will also find plenty of satellites, qualifiers, and affordable buy-ins.
These offer plenty of value and start as low as $1 with freerolls also in the mix. In Pennsylvania, the recent Anniversary Seriesfeatured events starting in the $10-$30 range.
PokerStars sees recreational players as a huge segment to the US market and works to cater to this group.
Winning some hardware remains a major attraction for players at WSOP.com. From bracelets to championship rings to title belts, there’s plenty of bling to battle for.
That includes series like the recently announcedSuper Online Circuit Series. WSOP.com offers numerous satellites and mega satellites for these events – some nice opportunities at a low price point.
“The online circuit events continue to be highly successful and something we will look to expand upon in 2021 as live events should return gradually to the schedule,” WSOP executive director Ty Stewart says.
Rec players even have some opportunities to play in the $10,000 Main Event, which moved online for 2020. Qualifiers start at just $1 and there will also be weekly freerolls.
Players will also find numerous sit and go’s with smaller buy-ins as well as the $100 Daily Freeroll. The $1,000 Hero Freeroll also honors current or former members of the armed forces and fire or police departments.
In recent years, WSOP officials have worked to reach “weekend warrior” players at the live series each summer. The goal is to give players with smaller bankrolls plenty of value. That spirit appears to apply to the online product as well.
Global Poker brings the social gaming fun
This social gaming, sweepstakes poker site has seen huge growth over the last year. A big part of that has been its efforts at reaching poker players just looking for some fun.
Global Poker stresses the fun of poker through interesting avatars, trophies, and swag for winners as well as unique events. Global uses a two-tiered virtual currency system.
Players can use Gold Coins for free play or receive Sweeps Coins as a bonus when purchasing more Gold Coins. Sweeps Coins can be used in separate ring games and tournaments. They can also be redeemed for cash prizes and gift cards.
Players will find plenty of micro- to mid-stakes action as well as numerous satellites even for daily tournaments. There are also freerolls and regular tournaments starting at only SC1 (known as “Buckaments”). Global is available to players in the US and Canada (excluding Washington and Quebec).
The site also adds to the fun on social media. Global often rewards players for showing off their winning trophies on Twitter or Facebook. Recreational players seem to be a huge part of the Global Poker experience and site management seems to understand that.
US online poker market continues to see major growth
With more lockdowns in some states and major live poker on hold, the American online poker market continues to surge. US online operators have worked to meet growing demand.
Numbers have ebbed downward since the highs of March, April, and May. However, year over year the US regulated market remains in great shape.
Recreational players remain a huge part of that and poker sites are working to keep them coming back.
★★★ For more information on the US online poker market, including exclusive bonus offers, click here. ★★★
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. Negreanu led out small with a $1,600 bet into the $8,000 pot and Polk called. This play seemed part of Negreanu’s continued strategy of betting small after a three-bet.
Staudenmaier says every aspect of the PokerStars experience is viewed through the lens of a recreational player. That includes 
Players can use Gold Coins for free play or receive Sweeps Coins as a bonus when purchasing more Gold Coins. Sweeps Coins can be used in separate ring games and tournaments. They can also be redeemed for cash prizes and gift cards.