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FALLING INTO FALL: Online Poker Revenue Continues Decline, But Up Overall Year Over Year

Online poker saw huge spikes during the COVID-19 pandemic in early spring when all live rooms were closed. That has edged downward in recent months and that included another slide in September.

Revenue numbers may have come down month, but overall online casino gaming also continues to grow.

Brick and mortar poker rooms are also reopening throughout the northeast. That could account for some decline in the monthly numbers.

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NJ numbers slide in September

The NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement’s (NJDGE) revenue reports showed poker operators brought in $2.5 million in September. That’s down from the $3.1 million in August and continues a slide from a record-breaking peak of $5.1 million in April.

The positive angle is a 55.8% increase year over year for online poker in New Jersey for September. Currently there are three online poker operators in NJ:

WSOP.com remained at the top of the charts in September. The operator reported slightly over $1 million for the month. This was down from $1.3 million in August.

The site is partnered with Caesars in NJ. It’s the only regulated site in the country sharing liquidity among NJ and Nevada, and with 888poker in Delaware. 

Even though partypoker (along with the BorgataPoker.com and BetMGM skins) took second for the month, the company scored a victory. Partypoker slid up from third and showed a revenue increase month over month.

The site reported $781,912, up from $750,126 in August. In September, the operator joined forces with the World Poker Tour for the Online Borgata Series. The combined effort helped for an increase in monthly revenue.

PokerStars dropped to $767,272 in September, down from $971,811 in August and $1.1 million in July. Regularly finishing second in the market, the site looks to rebound in October. 

The New Jersey Championship of Online Poker (NJCOOP) is running Oct. 10-25 with 54 events and a $1 million guarantee.

Live poker returning to Garden State

Poker rooms in the state have been closed since March. The Borgata recently announced it will be the first New Jersey casino to reopen live poker. 

In July, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) rescinded his executive order and allowed for the reopening of Atlantic City casinos. However, poker rooms remained closed.

The reopening of physical casinos in Atlantic City hasn’t deterred the growth of online casino gaming. New Jersey reported huge revenue numbers again in September – bringing in $87.6 million.

The total represented a 113% year-over-year increase. This is the second-biggest month on record for online gaming in the Garden State. 

According to the NJDGE, the state brought in total gaming taxes of $32 million for September. Gaming taxes represent 8% of taxable casino gross revenue and 15% of Internet gaming gross revenue.

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Revenue dips in PA, WSOP.com moves to enter market

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reported online poker revenue of $2.3 million in revenue in September. This was down from $2.7 million in August.

PokerStars partners with Mount Airy Casino in Pennsylvania. The property which became the first casino in the state to reopen its poker room on Friday.

The site just finished up the Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP). The championship event ran into October, which may help with next month’s revenue report.

The state tax on online poker is 14% and the commonwealth benefited from tax revenue of $332,646 in September. 

PokerStars’ monopoly in the state may be coming to a close soon. The PGCB recently approved 888 Holdings for a  gaming license in Pennsylvania.

888poker is WSOP.com’s software partner and Caesars was already approved by the PGCB earlier this year. An official WSOP.com launch in PA hasn’t been announced yet.  

However, WSOP.com has already launched pages outlining some of what is planned. USPoker will continue to update this when more is known.

Delaware online poker dips slightly

The Delaware Lottery reported online poker in the first state totaled $51,403 in September. Those results are slightly down from $54,584 in August and $62,603 in July.

Delaware Park holds the trophy in the state by accounting for half of the poker revenue.

All Delaware online poker is operated through the 888poker platform. The site runs a shared player pool through Delaware Park, Dover Downs, and Harrington Casinos.

The state’s players benefit from being part of the WSOP.com shared liquidity pool with players in Nevada and NJ.

Delaware live rooms are still down because of Coronavirus pandemic closures. 

Gov. John Carney’s (D) reopening plan allows for casinos to open limited hours and occupancy. Under his order, live poker rooms remained closed however. 

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SHUFFLE UP & DEAL: New Jersey Live Poker Returns Next Week at Borgata

With the announcement this week that Pennsylvania is seeing poker rooms reopen, New Jersey players have also received some good news. The first of the state’s live poker rooms is set to reopen next week.

Garden State players have been locked out of live play for months during the Coronavirus pandemic shutdown. Now the Borgata is set to reopen its poker room next Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 10 a.m. (ET).

“We are happy to welcome back our loyal players as we reopen Atlantic City’s market-leading East Coast poker destination,” president and COO Melonie Johnson told the Press of Atlantic City.

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What to expect from the Borgata poker room reopening

The Borgata has become one of the East Coast’s premier poker destinations and poker revenue leader in New Jersey. The venue regularly hosts World Poker Tour events as well as its own popular series throughout the year.

The MGM property also runs BorgataPoker.com online poker as a skin of the partypoker US Network. The two recently teamed up for the WPT Borgata Online, which proved to be a nice success.

The state produced record online poker revenues in 2020. Players also yearning for some live action now have at least one Atlantic City option.

Those returning to the Borgata will find some changes. Visitors will find 30 socially-distanced tables with seven-handed play. Polycarbonate dividers are used to separate players and masks are required throughout the casino.

Upon reopening, the Borgata implemented MGM’s “Seven-Point Safety Plan” with additional safety protocols and procedures. Some of those include:

  • temperature checks
  • social distancing
  • thorough cleaning and filtration systems
  • additional hand washing and sanitizer stations throughout the casino
  • the use of digital menus

Additionally, drink service will be available, but food won’t be served in the poker room.

Borgata return is welcome news to some Garden State players 

Borgata is the first in the market to announce a reopening. Players will be welcomed back with only cash game play initially. 

The property hasn’t announced a timetable for when tournaments may return. The room’s bad beat jackpot will begin at $100,000.

Garden State grinder Dan Lupo plans to continue online for now. However, he knows many who are ready to hit the Borgata table.

Just before the pandemic, MGM also announced the launch of the East Coast Poker Tour. The property and online poker site were to be key parts of those events along with MGM Springfield and MGM National Harbor.

No word on when the tour as well as major tournament series will return. Atlantic City has four other live poker rooms:

None of those properties have announced any plans for reopening yet. But with the market leader now returning, more may be ready to get dealt in soon.

To get in the action at BorgataPoker.com with an exclusive USPoker bonus, click here.

Borgata photo courtesy WPT/Joe Giron

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GETTING CLOSE: First Pennsylvania Poker Room Set to Reopen Friday

Live poker has been on hold for months in Pennsylvania but that may be changing soon. The first of the state’s live poker rooms is expected to reopen on Friday.

Mount Airy Casino, PokerStars’ land-based partner in PA, is set to be the first to get the tables back open. The move comes as other properties in the state are also working toward reopening.

With other states allowing live poker for months, many poker players in PA are ready to return to the action.

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Mount Airy looks to be first back in action

The reopening is welcome news to many poker players in the state. PlayPennsylvania reported last week that some properties had submitted safety protocol plans to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).

Mount Airy seems to be the first heading to reopen. USPoker spoke with a poker room representative on Tuesday.

mount airy casino PA

The property hopes to reopen its 12-table room on Friday at noon and is expecting a big player turnout. However, the representative noted that plans could change depending on negotiations with the PGCB.

The property has numerous safety efforts in place including:

  • Only seven players to a table
  • Masks required
  • Plexiglass partitions in place between players

Poker room officials will stick to cash games for now. Adding tournaments back to the mix is expected sometime in the future.

Others hope to shuffle up and deal soon

All live poker has been paused in the Keystone State since mid-March. That predicament led to many players moving online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state has seen record online poker revenue since then and PokerStars remains the only operator in the state. The site just completed a huge Pennsylvania Online Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP) series.

However, 888poker and Caesars have also now been approved and expected to launch in the coming months.

Those looking for live action have been out of luck. That appears to be changing and others are considering reopening as well.

USPoker has learned that the Parx poker room is expected to open within the next five weeks. Poker rooms were left out of casino reopening plans from the PGCB in May. Several others are also submitting safety plans to the board.

States such as Nevada, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, have already reopened poker rooms. Some properties and tour operators have also begun slowly reviving the live tournament scene.

Like Pennsylvania, New Jersey poker rooms have yet to reopen.

PA players ready to get back to the tables

While safety is important in the current environment, some players are ready to resume live poker. Some wonder why PA is so far behind other states in getting back to the tables.

Bryan Carter, 35, lives in Monongahela, about 20 miles from the Meadows and Rivers casinos just south of Pittsburgh. He’s a recreational player and works at a plastic production facility.

Poker is a fun pastime for Carter, and he usually takes about five trips a year to play major tournaments. He’s frustrated live poker has been closed so long but glad to see at least a start in returning.

“I’m a much bigger fan of live poker and would play regularly again as soon as the poker rooms open up,” he says. “I have a lot of friends in Cherokee, North Carolina, and they are playing five-handed with dividers.

“Seems like it should be everyone’s own choice on what they feel is safe and make their own decision on if they want to play and go to a poker room when they feel comfortable. I’m ready and feel safe enough to play, that’s for sure.”

Carter is also ready for major poker festivals to return as well.

“Bring back big live tournaments,” he added. “I’m ready to travel after being inside for 10 months.”

Pittsburgh’s Matthew Anderson, 36, works as a CrossFit coach, personal trainer, and Uber driver. He’s also a recreational poker player and echoed some of those comments about reopening poker rooms.

“Honestly, I wish they were open already,” he says. “Even if they choose to take precautions it would be nice to play again.”

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A Gamble Worth Taking: ‘California Split’ Writer Joseph Walsh Pens New Memoir

Do you know Joseph Walsh? You should.

Walsh wrote, co-produced, and appeared in what many consider one of the greatest gambling movies ever made, 1974’s California Split directed by Robert Altman. In a ranking of the best movies about gambling compiled earlier this year by New York magazine’s Vulture website, Split earned the top spot ahead of other favorites like The Hustler, Rounders, and the recent Uncut Gems.

Walsh’s career in movies and television stretches all of the way back to the late 1940s when he was a child actor appearing in films alongside Danny Kaye and Kirk Douglas. Over the years since, he’s acted and/or interacted with a virtual who’s who of Hollywood.

As a dedicated gambler and sports bettor, Walsh also knows more than a little about the highs and lows of point spreads and parlays. Wondering about who to bet from next Sunday’s NFL slate? You could do a lot worse than to check with Joey.

If you don’t know Walsh, I have some good news. At age 83, he’s penned a fantastic memoir, Who Says It’s Over.

The book is a legitimate page-turner, packed with entertaining and edifying stories about his acting, his gambling, and other life adventures. It’s not only laugh-out-loud funny but full of insight about life’s many risks and rewards too.

I had the chance to talk with Walsh about both his new book and the continued appeal of California Split. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for our conversation about the film.

Meanwhile, read on for an introduction to Walsh’s new memoir, starting with the author’s explanation for how he came to write it.

From Billy the Kid to Billy the clerk to Joey the memoirist

More than four decades after California Split was made, Walsh remains in touch with both of its leads, Elliott Gould and George Segal. In fact, Gould is a lifelong friend with whom Walsh still talks several times a week.

However, it was Segal, as Walsh explains, who helped push him down the path toward writing Who Says It’s Over.

“Who Says It’s Over” by Joseph Walsh

Back in the 1960s, Walsh had earned a role in a western in which Segal also appeared, Invitation to a Gunfighter starring Yul Brynner. During the making of the film, the pair never interacted, as they hadn’t any scenes together.

For Walsh, his memory of the film primarily centers around a humorous, self-deprecating anecdote regarding his initial misunderstanding of his part.

Thinking he’d been hired to play a major role as Billy the Kid, in fact, Walsh’s part was much smaller. After building himself up with excited anticipation, Walsh was devastated to learn he was in fact playing Billy the clerk, a bit role with only two lines.

Once they got to know each other later, Walsh shared that story with Segal, who in turn, retold it many times to others over the years. Recently Segal reminded Walsh how far the story had traveled.

“I’ve gotten so much mileage out of it,” Segal told Walsh. “You should write it down. It’s hysterical.”

With some skepticism, Walsh did write it down, not knowing if anyone besides Segal would ever read it. Upon receipt Segal pushed him further, urging him to build upon references to other life episodes hinted at in the original tale.

“So that’s how three or four pages became 32 pages,” explains Walsh. “And I must say… beautifully written pages,” he adds with a laugh.

It was too long for a New Yorker piece, despite editor David Remnick‘s admiration for it. But time passed, others provided further encouragement, and the writing continued.

“My wife has always felt… you know, that there’s a movie in it,” explains Walsh. In the book’s introduction, he provides a thumbnail sketch of such a film’s plot, delivered in the form of a pitch:

“New York street kid becomes reluctant child star… interacts with famous people… faces career slide… turns into gambling guru… attracts the Hollywood wagering elite… faces death… writes classic movie… and for extras, experiences reincarnation.”

After more than a year of writing in earnest, the potential movie had become an actual memoir. Perhaps one day the memoir might itself be reincarnated as a movie. Whether that happens or not, Walsh will be content, given his other, most important reason for writing Who Says It’s Over.

“The biggest motivation for writing it was my kids,” he says. “I said to myself, ‘Joey, what do you have to lose? You can leave your whole story for your four kids.’” Thinking back to his own parents and how he’d missed the chance to learn their stories in a similar way, that was all the incentive he needed.

Recognizing a gamble worth taking, Walsh was all in.

Famous child actor, inveterate gambler, Hollywood home game player

That sketch above provides an idea of the book’s general outline. In the book, Walsh carries us from scene to scene in a quick-moving series of short chapters, many of which highlight a particular, notable life event.

The first act is marked by stickball games, aspirations to be a boxer, and Walsh almost accidentally becoming the most famous child actor in New York City.

Young adulthood then finds Walsh turning to gambling, sports betting in particular. That’s when his friendship with Gould first formed, highlighted early on by Walsh going an incredible 14-0-1 on his football picks betting he and Gould’s money. (More on that story in our discussion of California Split.) While Walsh’s new sports betting career occasionally brings him good fortune, at other times it puts him at serious risk, both financially and even physically.

Then comes the move to Hollywood, also happening somewhat by chance, followed by additional adventures in gambling, acting, and other contexts.

Walsh’s IMDB page is long and varied. It only represents a fraction of his credits as he appeared on over 300 television shows as well as in dozens of films where he mostly played supporting roles.

Meanwhile, in his book, A-listers constantly pop up as Walsh’s supporting cast, including:

  • James Dean
  • Frank Sinatra
  • James Garner
  • Gregory Peck
  • John Wayne
  • Robert Mitchum
  • Jack Lemmon
  • Steven Spielberg
  • Peter Falk
  • Elvis Presley
  • Groucho Marx
  • Jack Nicholson

Dozens of other familiar names from the small and big screens appear as well. The stories not only help chronicle various episodes and eras of Walsh’s life. Each also provides a hearty laugh, a life lesson, or oftentimes both.

“I actually left many people out,” Walsh explains. “I didn’t include anything in the book just to name drop. There had to be something to it… there had to be a story involved.”

For example, Walsh tells of playing in a regular poker game hosted by Hollywood legend John Huston. Walsh describes himself bluffing the director of The Maltese Falcon out of a pot in five-card stud. Later, during a break, Huston takes him aside to ask him a question.

In the hand when Walsh raised and Huston folded, did Walsh have more than the pair of fours he was showing? Walsh admits he did not, and Huston’s reaction is both amusing and affecting.

“‘Well done!!’ he declared jubilantly,” writes Walsh. “There wasn’t even a tinge of ego involved. It was the purest moment I ever witnessed.”

“In terms of life, he had upped the ante,” he writes.

The short tale reveals something meaningful about Huston, testifying to his character. It also says something about Walsh in the way he recognizes he earned something much more valuable than what was in the pot when Huston let his better hand go.

‘A kaleidoscope and gold mine about a one of a kind human being’

Walsh additionally shares how California Split ultimately went from idea to reality, its triumph completing a remarkable comeback for the child actor whose star had faded. Who Says It’s Over offers numerous other takeaways as well, perhaps especially for those who enjoy a gamble every now and then.

Joseph Walsh

It’s a story replete with unexpected turns. More than once what seems in the moment like a devastating loss turns out to be a substantial win.

In a way, exploring the significance of those surprising life detours is one of the book’s primary purposes. As Walsh writes early on, “in between what you want and what you get is why we tell each other stories.”

Walsh reiterates that theme when talking about his book. From Walsh’s perspective, the fact that life doesn’t always give you winners is no reason to discourage you from continuing the game.

“When you cry over something that doesn’t work out, you crowd out the next moment,” says Walsh. “Open the door to the next moment. Take everything for what it is. Don’t put it into a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ category. Stay humble. If you need to complain, get it out of your system right away and let it go. The universe is looking to work for you. Help the universe along.”

It’s an outlook gamblers should appreciate. It also one constantly present throughout Walsh’s book, helping to provide clarity to a story his friend Gould describes as “a kaleidoscope and gold mine about a one of a kind human being.”

Anyone with an interest in gambling, Hollywood, or great storytelling combining laughter and learning should take a chance on Who Says It’s Over.

Who Says It’s Over by Joseph Walsh is available now in paperback and as an e-book via Amazon.

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KEYSTONE CRUSHER: PokerStars SCOOP Tops $2 Million in Pennsylvania

The second edition of the PokerStars Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP) wrapped up recently with more than $2 million awarded.

The series ran from Sept. 19 to Oct. 5 and topped the $1.5 million guarantee by a hefty margin. The results also exceed the first PACOOP held last year, which awarded $1.6 million.

Only five events didn’t meet guarantees – a nice result considering there were so many tournaments. The Events in Pennsylvania exemplify the continued growth of legal US online poker. Revenue numbers have dropped a bit over the last couple months, but remain at historical highs.

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From twenty-buck ticket to PACOOP champion

The biggest story of the series was the road for “LetMeWin3437” to winning the $300 Main Event. The new champion began by winning a $20 Second Chance Freeroll ticket and turned that into a $46,319 score.

A key hand just before the final table saw LetMeWin in a crazy all-in situation against two other players. LetMeWin was all in with pocket Queens against his opponents’ Aces and Kings.

What looked like a tough cooler turned in LetMeWin’s favor however. He was able to outdraw his opponents and stay alive.

The Main Event attracted a field of 1,013 entries with a $283,640 prize pool. That was a nice leap over the $200,000 guarantee.

The Main Event wasn’t LetMeWin3437’s only win and that username seemed to become reality. He also took down the Event 45: $100 NLHE Progressive Knockout for $5,490 to become a double champion. It was quite a PACOOP run.

A look at the PACOOP statistics

PokerStars’ Pennsylvania online poker platform continues to score big numbers in 2020. That certainly was the case with the PACOOP as well.

Here’s a look at some other key statistics from the series:

  • There were 21,326 entries across the 50-event schedule.
  • “TryptophanMan” also became a double PACOOP champion after show some skills in Pot Limit Omaha. Tryptophan won Events 7 ($100 PLO Six-Max) and 30 ($500 PLO Six-Max High-Roller) for a total of $12,209.
  • Two players also managed to score a triple crown. “KennyTheRipper” won Events 25, 38, and 41 for a combined prize of $11,944. “AllinWithAJoff” took down Event 16, 31, and 37 for a total payday of $26,195.

Here’s a look at the complete PASCOOP statistics:

Event Buy-in Guarantee Entries Re-Entries Prize Pool
1: NLHE (Nightly Stars – PACOOP Warm-Up) $100 $50,000 401 231 $58,017.60
2: NLHE (8-Max, PACOOP – Warm-Up) $50 $30,000 537 271 $36,764.00
3: NLHE (8-Max, Turbo, Deepstack) $100 $35,000 226 121 $35,000.00*
4: NLHE (6-Max) $50 $20,000 271 163 $20,000.00*
5: NLHE (8-Max, Progressive KO) $150 $30,000 180 94 $37,729.80
6: NLHE (Sunday Special SE) $100 $100,000 673 444 $102,540.60
7: PLO (6-Max) $100 $15,000 135 56 $17,533.80
8: NLHE (8-Max, Sunday SuperSonic SE) $50 $10,000 210 55 $12,057.50
9: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Battle Royale SE) $50 $30,000 524 281 $36,627.50
10: PLO8 (8-Max) $75 $12,000 145 70 $14,673.75
11: NLHE (Super Tuesday SE) $200 $40,000 205 120 $60,450.00
12: NLHE (Mini Super Tuesday SE) $20 $15,000 667 375 $18,964.40
13: NLHE (8-Max) $150 $15,000 121 50 $23,546.70
14: NLHE (6-Max, High Roller) $500 $50,000 116 53 $79,430.00
15: NLHE $150 $15,000 135 55 $26,163.00
16: NLHE (Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill SE) $200 $40,000 196 90 $53,196.00
17: NLHE (Progressive KO, Mini Thrill) $20 $20,000 738 511 $22,731.80
18: PL 5-Card Draw (8-Max, Turbo) $100 $10,000 62 25 $10,000.00*
19: 8-Game $200 $15,000 70 23 $17,298.00
20: NLHE (6-Max, Turbo) $150 $20,000 157 69 $31,120.20
21: NLHE (8-Max, Deepstack) $100 $35,000 321 157 $43,880.40
22: NLHE (Saturday Speedway SE) $50 $15,000 322 156 $21,749.00
23: NLHE (8-Max, Turbo, Marathon) $100 $35,000 231 134 $35,000.00*
24: PLO (8-Max, Turbo) $100 $10,000 78 34 $10,281.60
25: NLHE (6-Max) $150 $25,000 128 68 $26,989.20
26: NLHE (Sunday Special SE) $100 $100,000 653 424 $100,000.00*
27: NLHE (Progressive KO) $200 $35,000 146 64 $39,060.00
28: NLHE (Sunday SuperSonic SE) $75 $12,000 162 40 $14,241.00
29: NLHE (4-Max) $200 $25,000 147 78 $41,850.00
30: PLO (6-Max, High-Roller) $500 $25,000 50 26 $35,720.00
31: NLHE (Hyper-Turbo, Super Tuesday) $250 $40,000 189 99 $68,400.00
32: NLO8 (8-Max) $100 $10,000 105 63 $15,422.40
33: NLHE (6-Max, Turbo) $30 $20,000 595 349 $25,771.20
34: NLHE $200 $30,000 130 54 $34,224.00
35: Stud Hi/Lo $100 $10,000 81 29 $10,098.00
36: NLHE (Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill) $250 $40,000 179 89 $62,444.00
37: NLHE $150 $20,000 147 56 $27,953.10
38: FLHE (6-Max, Turbo) $200 $10,000 48 19 $12,462.00
39: NLHE (Hyper-Turbo) $200 $15,000 82 20 $19,380.00
40: NLHE (6-Max) $300 $40,000 120 61 $50,680.00
41: NLHE (6-Max) $75 $20,000 284 131 $28,323.75
42: NLHE (Turbo, Progressive KO, Deepstack) $100 $25,000 322 153 $43,605.00
43: NLHE (Main Event) $300 $200,000 626 387 $283,640.00
44: NLHE (Mini Main Event) $50 $40,000 730 427 $52,643.50
45: NLHE (Progressive KO) $100 $30,000 252 94 $31,762.80
46: PLO (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo) $100 $10,000 81 30 $10,545.00
47: NLHE (Sunday SuperSonic SE) $75 $10,000 172 51 $15,721.50
48: NLHE (Nightly Stars SE – PACOOP Wrap-Up) $100 $35,000 379 207 $53,794.80
49: NLHE (8-Max, Phase 2) $50 $50,000 1892 0 $86,086.00
50: NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Deep Hyper Turbo) $100 $15,000 185 63 $23,560.00
TOTAL $2,039,132.90

 

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What’s next for PokerStars?

While another series in PA hasn’t been announced yet, it’s a good bet more is on the way. Despite some live poker rooms and tournaments returning, Pennsylvania live poker rooms remain closed. Online poker remains the only option for many.

And despite some news that other operators may be moving into the state, Stars still remains the sole operator. It continues to reap rewards for its quick move into the Keystone State.

The championship action has now shifted to New Jersey, where NJCOOP kicked off over the weekend. That series features 54 events with a $1 million guarantee and runs through Oct. 25.

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PA Gaming Review: Poker Rooms Could Reopen Soon; Eagles vs. Steelers – With Fans!

Ready for some rivalry and cross-state action? Pennsylvania’s two NFL teams square off on Sunday for the first time since 2016. The undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers will host the one-win Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday, and it appears PA will allow some fans in the stands for the first time this season.

Looks like poker rooms could be back in a few weeks following several months of COVID-19 shutdowns.

And while casinos are back in operation, the virus has taken a huge toll on the workforce.

Eagles vs. Steelers Sunday, with limited number of fans

Implausibly, the Eagles are atop first place in the NFC East with a 1-2-1 record even with their dreadful play. They will meet the Steelers, who are 3-0 and atop the AFC North, in Pittsburgh at 1 p.m.

Pennsylvania online sportsbooks list the Steelers at 7 or 7.5-point favorites with the over/under at 44.5. PlayPennsylvania has the odds and betting information for the highly anticipated Week 5 matchup here.

And thanks to some easing of crowd restrictions in Pennsylvania, it looks as though as many as 5,500 fans could attend Sunday’s Battle of Pennsylvania game at Heinz Field.

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Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Only 1x Wager Applies, Playable in PA Only

Poker rooms in PA can reopen soon

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board spokesman Doug Harbach confirms some casinos have submitted plans and safety protocols for review to reopen their poker rooms.

There are no specific dates or details for which properties yet.

But Harrah’s has shut its room permanently. And Wind Creek as of recently still had its poker room filled with slots.

Virus trimmed casino workforce

The headline at PlayPennsylvania captured the news starkly: PA Casino Jobs Plummet by 41% in 2019/20.

The recent 2019-2020 Gaming Diversity Report showed the grim statistic.

A year earlier, Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos had 16,717 employees. On June 30 this year, the same dozen properties had just 9,883 employees. That’s a reduction of 6,834 jobs. Upper-level employees accounted for 1,614 job slots.

And while many are back, approximately 900 casino employees have permanently lost their jobs, according to the report.

The post PA Gaming Review: Poker Rooms Could Reopen Soon; Eagles vs. Steelers – With Fans! appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.

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READY TO RUMBLE: Negreanu-Polk High Stakes Showdown Cranks Up Nov. 1 on WSOP.com

Place the bets and mark the calendar. More details look to be set, the heads-up matchup between Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk looks set to begin on Nov. 1.

After weeks of anticipation and years of sniping, both players have agreed to the matchup and some key details. And since both are residents of Nevada, that includes battling it out online at WSOP.com.

The site remains the only legal, regulated option in the Silver State and looks to be the host for this event. Many in the poker world will be tuning in to see how things turn out.

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Details on the big matchup

With the date and site now set, many details are now lined up for this poker heavyweight showdown. The two men previously agreed to playing No Limit Hold’em at stakes of $200/$400. They plan to play between 10,000 and 25,000 hands on two different tables.

“I’m willing to play four days a week, at least two-hour sessions,” Negreanu also noted on Twitter.

The matchup came about after some back-and-forth sparring in August. There was also some discussion on a neutral party being on site with each player. This is meant to make sure no outside influences were involved in each player’s action on the virtual felt.

The two players have been surprisingly civil in coordinating the events on social media. Both seem amenable to negotiation.

And while Nov. 1 seems to be the date, that could be shifted slightly depending on any production schedules involved in streaming the virtual battle.

Adding WSOP.com to the mix

Could some high-stakes action actually have thawed the tension? Who knows for sure, but there will be plenty of money on the line when they square off.

The matchup should make for some added publicity for the legal US online poker market. Both players live in Nevada and WSOP.com remains the only legal choice.

With the American online poker market seeing record revenues, a big matchup like this only adds to some of that momentum.

Negreanu is a brand ambassador for GGPoker. While he’d certainly prefer playing there, that isn’t possible. GG isn’t licensed in any legal jurisdictions as of now.

Polk and Negreanu have plenty of World Series of Poker history and both bring some of that to the online site. Negreanu has $19.5 million in winnings and six bracelets. Polk has three bracelets and $4.5 million in winnings.

But this grudge match won’t be about bracelets. It’s about settling a score for big money … or something like that. Whatever it’s about, the action should be fun.

A look at both players

When it comes to heads-up No Limit Hold’em, Polk has plenty of experience. He played the heads-up game for years at some of the biggest stakes around. He won a $20,000 buy-in, 15,000-hand challenge against Ben “Sauce123” Sulsky in 2013.

Two years later, Polk was part of a group battling an artificial intelligence bot at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. The challenge involved 20,000 heads-up hands and the humans, including Polk, came out on top.

Doug Polk should be ready for action when the matchup kicks off. (Photo courtesy WPT)

Negreanu admits he has less experience in playing big heads-up cash games but should be a formidable foe. He takes preparation seriously and spends plenty of time working on his game.

That should be no different in getting ready to face Polk.

Darren Elias analyzes heads-up cash games and what to expect

What are some challenges in playing heads-up and what can be expected? Four-time World Poker Tour champion Darren Elias offered some insight on this aspect of the game.

“The biggest challenge with heads-up versus a full ring or even a six-handed game is just adjusting to how wide players’ ranges are going to be every hand,” Elias says. “A player needs to be very comfortable playing big pots with weak holdings, which some full-ring players have trouble adapting to.”

As for preparation, Elias thinks players will go in two directions. First, he recommends studying heads up theory play in general for a heads-up event like this.

“They should learn to play fundamentally sound regardless of who their opponent is,” he says of those looking to play heads-up cash games. “The second step would be spending some time thinking about ways to deviate from this theory-based strategy to specifically exploit their opponent and win more money. 

“This could be done through study of their opponent’s past play, or just a good understanding of their psyche and how they approach specific spots.”

Elias adds that usually in deep-stacked heads-up No Limit Hold’em, win rates can still be quite high even if the players’ skill levels are somewhat close. He also predicts some fireworks in the Negreanu-Polk matchup.

“The nature of heads-up No Limit Hold’em usually leads to one player getting taken,” he says. “This should be great for the fans as either way they should see blood.”

Daniel Negreanu has begun preparing for the big heads-up duel with Polk. (Photo courtesy WPT)

Whatever the outcome, Elias adds one additional note – he’d enjoy being involved in a similar event.

“While I’ve never considered myself a heads-up cash game specialist,” he says, “I do enjoy the game and would enjoy playing something like this.”

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Ideas for enhancing the event coverage

With interest high for the matchup, poker fans should at least expect some kind of streaming coverage. The WSOP has a deal with PokerGO and it’s a good bet they’ll get in on the action.

Negreanu hinted as much at the network’s involvement this week on Twitter. 

“Working on details with PokerGO, etc., to figure out how those interested can watch,” he noted on Twitter.

Could he also utilize his own stream? Polk may want to stream his own action as well.

WSOP.comThere could be some opportunities for some interesting concepts. Both players are already interesting media personalities and that could make for nice viewing. Maybe views could switch back and forth between the two.

Another nice addition might be a “weigh-in” show as PokerGO did with its new High Stakes Duel heads-up matchups. Some pregame analysis only adds to the spectacle of the event.

PokerGoWSOP.com officials may have their own promotions in mind as part of the festivities. Maybe “Heads-Up Day” could be set for Nov. 1.

The site could offer its own promotion to encourage players to go mano-a-mano while checking out the action. A few interesting heads-up tournaments could highlight the day’s action – Nov. 1 is a Sunday after all. Some corresponding big heads-up Sunday majors might be fun.

No word on anything like that, but WSOP executive director Ty Stewart is pleased to see the matchup on the platform.

“I have my popcorn ready,” Stewart said. “As a poker fan, I think it will be one of the greatest online poker spectacles since the days of ‘who is isildur1‘ [Swedish high-stakes online pro Viktor Blom]. As a licensed poker operator under the regulations of Nevada, we’re pleased to offer a safe and secure platform so Doug and Daniel can play without fear. May the best man win.”

Whatever develops and whatever the outcome, Negreanu-Polk should draw plenty of interest. Slugging it out for six figures should be fun.

For even more on the big matchup, click here.

The post READY TO RUMBLE: Negreanu-Polk High Stakes Showdown Cranks Up Nov. 1 on WSOP.com appeared first on .