Posted on

Party Poker Releases New Power Series Tournament Schedule

Party Poker has released a new Power Series tournament schedule, packed full of the site´s most popular tournaments and based around a daily theme. The schedule has buy-ins starting at $1.10, is supported by the site´s comprehensive satellite structure, and guarantees a minimum of $10 million each week in prize money.

Posted on

Don’t Look Now, But Online Gaming IS Spreading Across The US

It’s been over six years since the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion that opened the door for states to legalize certain forms of online gaming.

In response to inquiries by New York and Illinois, the OLC determined (as have the courts) that states could offer online lotteries, and by extension online casino and poker games, within their borders.

To date, nine states have done just that:

The pace of action may seem slow. It’s not as frustratingly slow as it first appears though.

In addition to the nine states listed above, another 19 states have passed legislation legalizing and regulating daily fantasy sports. DFS is a product that might not be classified as “gambling” in most states. Nonetheless, it does have all the mechanics of online gaming and occurs almost exclusively online.

There is also online gaming and lottery legislation active in a number of states, with more legislation expected as we move deeper into 2018.

2018 is shaping up to be a busy year

Just two months into 2018 there are already six states with pending online gaming or online lottery legislation:

  1. Connecticut (online lottery and possibly online gaming)
  2. Illinois (online gaming bill carried over from 2017)
  3. Louisiana (online gaming)
  4. Michigan (online gaming bill carried over from 2017)
  5. New York (online poker bill carried over from 2017)
  6. West Virginia (online gaming)

Legislation is already in the pipeline in several other states as well.

Massachusetts, a state that already has a vague bill referencing online gaming, and New Hampshire are solid candidates to introduce online gaming legislation this year, considering both states introduced online gaming legislation in 2017.

Massachusetts is even more likely to take another crack at an online lottery. The state was one of the leading candidates to pass an online lottery bill last year but failed to see it across the finish line.

This year it has even more reasons to add online lottery products to its offerings. Now, one of its northern neighbors, New Hampshire, passed a bill last year. Elsewhere, one of its southern neighbors, Connecticut, has active legislation.

And speaking of Connecticut, the Constitution State isn’t just exploring online lottery and sports betting, it also appears to be taking the first steps towards online gaming legislation.

You also have a full list of potential online gambling candidates for the year.

We’ve come a long way in five years

It’s been over five years since the first online gaming bills were passed, and over four years since Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey launched their online gaming industries. It’s safe to say the conversation has undergone a paradigm shift.

Online gaming is no longer an ethereal product that opponents can blindly claim will wreak havoc on the land-based gaming industry while simultaneously bringing about untold consequences on society writ large.

There’s simply no evidence of this. Rather than being a disruptive force to the social fabric and existing forms of gaming, the legalization of online gaming has been virtually incident-free. Moreover, it exists in absolute harmony with land-based gaming options.

Essentially, online gaming’s five-year track record has put to rest many of the unfounded criticisms that have been lobbied against the industry. It’s been normalized, and that’s led to more and more states are dipping their toes into the water.

Other than a few outliers who continue to cling to the “casino in every pocket,” and “think about the children,” talking points, the conversation has moved from lawmakers asking, “should we do this?” to, “how should we do this?”

Lawmakers are now focused on:

  • Eradicating the existing black market
  • Supporting and modernizing existing gaming operators and state lotteries
  • Providing robust regulations and consumer protections
  • Creating a new stream of revenue for the state

Upshot

With each new state that introduces online gaming legislation, each new state that passes online gaming legislation, and each new state that launches online gaming in an ordered and systematic way, momentum will continue to build.


 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Don’t Look Now, But Online Gaming IS Spreading Across The US appeared first on Play USA.

Posted on

David Larson Wins World Poker Tour Rolling Thunder; McKeehen Finishes Third

Recreational poker player David Larson closed out the World Poker Tour’s California swing with a win in the WPT Rolling Thunder event. Larson defeated a field of 440 entrants and walked away with $295,128 and a seat in the $15,000 WPT Tournament of Champions.

Larson followed up Dennis Blieden’s win at the L.A. Poker Classic by staring down a field of pros and walking out a winner.

The tournament at Thunder Valley is the WPT’s fifth trip to Lincoln, CA and coincided with the opening of the casino’s new poker room.

Final table lineup

Seat 1:  Joe McKeehen  –  2,755,000  (69 bb)
Seat 2:  David Larson  –  700,000  (18 bb)
Seat 3:  Ping Liu  – 3,330,000  (83 bb)
Seat 4:  Rayo Kniep  –  2,435,000  (61 bb)
Seat 5:  D.J. Alexander  –  1,425,000  (35 bb)
Seat 6:  Ian Steinman  –  2,480,000  (62 bb)

Larson catches some early heat

The short stack when the final table started, Larson worked hard to get himself out of the danger zone. In the second hand of the final table, Larson doubled up through Joe McKeehen. Larson was all-in with pocket queens against the ace-jack of hearts of McKeehen.

In Hand 43, Larson eliminated D.J. Alexander. With only 12 big blinds, Alexander shoved with king-nine of diamonds and ran into the pocket tens of Larson. No help came and Alexander exited from his second final table of WPT Season XVI.

The hand heard around the world

Chips changed hands for the middle portion of the final table with McKeehen accumulating most of them. McKeehen had a chance to take permanent control with five players left until Ian Steinman made one of the best folds in poker history.

With the blinds at 30,000/60,000, Steinman raised to 160,000 in the small blind with pocket kings and McKeehen called out of the big blind with queen-ten offsuit.

A flop of ace-seven-five with two hearts led Steinman to bet 150,000. McKeehen called and Steinman conceded the betting lead on the jack of clubs turn. McKeehen put in 370,000 and Steinman called to the king of clubs river.

Steinman bet 800,000 and McKeehen moved all-in to put most of Steinman’s stack at risk. After four minutes, Steinman folded his set of kings to McKeehen’s straight and kept himself alive.

Stalemate finally ends

Five-handed play lasted for three and a half hours before Rayo Kniep exited in fifth place. The San Francisco amateur hit the rail in Hand #104. McKeehen opened to 200,000 under the gun and Kniep called in the small blind with two kings. Steinman put in chips from the big blind with ten-eight offsuit.

The jack-ten-five flop checked around and Steinman bet 255,000 when another ten fell on the turn. Kniep pushed all-in for 1,100,000 and Steinman called with his trips. No help came for Kniep on the river and he departed with $69,650.

Start of final table chip leader Ping Liu was the next to go. Five hands after the departure of Kniep, Liu busted to Steinman. Liu moved all-in with queen-ten offsuit on the button for 14 big blinds and Steinman woke up with ace-queen in the small blind. Nothing materialized for Liu and he moved off the final table stage.

New Players Get A Free Bonus At WSOP.com NJ

    • $10 No Deposit100% to $400 With Deposit
    • WSOP NJ ReviewOverall Grade A-
      • Games B+
      • Support B
      • Banking A-
      • Player Value A
    • PLAY NOW

McKeehen falls hard

The 2015 WSOP Main Event champion had his best chance to win a World Poker Tour title but the deck failed to cooperate down the stretch. McKeehen lost a few showdowns during three-handed play and doubled up Larson before being felted by him.

In a blind-on-blind encounter, McKeehen shoved for 11 big blinds effective with queen-seven and Larson had the fortune of being dealt ace-king. The board gave Larson what he needed to hold on and double. McKeehen terminated a dozen hands later.

On the button, McKeehen opened to 250,000 with queen-nine of clubs and Larson came in from the small blind holding ace-seven of hearts. Larson bet the jack-five-four two heart flop for 400,000 and McKeehen went all-in for 1,320,000. Larson called right away.

A king on the turn opened straight outs for McKeehen but a dud on the river sent him out in third place. McKeehen improved on his fourth-place finish from the Borgata Winter Poker Open.

Larson takes heads up 

Steinman opened heads up play with an edge on Larson but the man from San Jose, CA flipped the tide quick. In only five hands, Larson took the lead.

Larson ended things on the 171st hand of final table play. Larson opened to 375,000 on the button with ace-six offsuit and Steinman made it 1,100,000 on the button with pocket kings. In position, Larson called and the ace-jack-six flop gave him two pair. Steinman check-called for 400,000 and the ace turn was checked by both.

Steinman bet 500,000 on the queen of spades river and Larson raised all-in for one million more. The kings of Steinman were good enough to call but he saw the bad news when Larson turned over his full house. The Northern California local finishes with his best career score in a second-place effort.

Final table results

1st Place: David Larson – $295,128
2nd Place: Ian Steinman – $201,428
3rd Place: Joe McKeehen – $131,081
4th Place: Ping Liu – $97,510
5th Place: Rayo Kniep – $69,650
6th Place: D.J. Alexander – $56,417

WPT takes a breather

WPT Rolling Thunder is the end of a recent busy stretch for the tour. The next North American Main Tour stop takes place starting on April 13 in Hollywood, FL with the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown.

The post David Larson Wins World Poker Tour Rolling Thunder; McKeehen Finishes Third appeared first on .

Posted on

Poker Industry PRO: Unibet Launches Global Campaign To Challenge Gender Bias

A new campaign called #QueenRules that includes live stops and a bespoke deck of cards has been revealed by Unibet’s parent company Kindred ahead of International Women’s Day.

Unibet is working with London-based creative agency FCB Inferno to challenge gender biased stereotypes within the poker world by launching their #QUEENRULES campaign which tweaks traditional poker rules so that the Queen outranks the King. The launch of Queen Rules coincides with International Woman’s Day (March 8) and has been designed to incite conversation about gender inequality.

The campaign features by a bespoke deck of cards drawn by 16 women illustrators from Woman Who Draw—a creative directory for female artists—along with merchandise such as t-shirts and artwork.

Read the full article on pokerfuse →

Posted on

Poker Industry PRO: Partypoker Earmarks Over $3 Million in Leaderboard Prizes for December’s Millions Online

 

Partypoker has revealed details of its new weekly tournament leaderboard promotion, as the operator starts in earnest to ramp up for its audacious Millions Online tournament that will guarantee $20 million, the largest prize in online poker history.

Every week from now until the end of November, the operator has committed to giving away over $60,000 in tournament tickets, with the top finishers in the leaderboard winning direct entry into the tournament, valued at $5300.

Read the full article on pokerfuse →

Posted on

PokerStars Announces $10 Million High Rollers Series

PokerStars has announced it will be running a High Rollers tournament series from March 18th to 26th. The series will be guaranteed for $10 million and will have more events packed into it than last year´s equivalent series, including a selection of tournaments starting at the more affordable (!) buy-in of $530.