As September winds down, the five Atlantic City poker rooms remain closed. While indoor dining returned, the future of live poker in AC remains a mystery.
The post When Will Live Poker Rooms Reopen At Atlantic City Casinos? appeared first on Play NJ.
An interstate online poker bill goes to the Michigan Senate, while a hearing on online gambling draft rules will take place this week.
The post Michigan Online Poker Bill Surging Forward, Reaches Senate Floor appeared first on Online Poker Report.
While ‘Rounders 2’ may not be a reality, Peter Alson’s new novel about underground poker in New York City will delight poker players and gamblers alike.
The post Peter Alson Explores Life, Family & NY Poker Clubs In ‘The Only Way To Play It’ appeared first on Play NY.
The disappearance of Brad Booth made plenty of headlines in August. However, family and friends announced last week that the longtime poker pro had been contacted and was alive.
“Effective today, September 16th, we have confirmation that Brad is alive and well, but has been taking some time to himself as anticipated and hoped by many,” the family posted on a Facebook group dedicated to finding Booth.
“Again, we cannot thank you enough for your support and well wishes in locating him.”
Many poker players and fans expressed positivity at the news that Booth. However, his location remains a mystery and many were curious as to why he disappeared for almost two months.
“We really don’t have any information at this time – just that Brad is alive and off the grid for a bit,” his sister Jackie Martic told USPoker.
The 44-year-old hadn’t been seen since July 13 and the announcement of his disappearance was first made public in early August. He was last seen leaving the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, telling his roommate he was going camping.
However, Booth took a minimal number of items with him, which would only last him a few days. That prompted concern among family and friends, who took to social media to ask for help in locating him.
The family has now received news that Booth is okay, but the circumstances of his disappearance remain unclear.
After a missing person’s report was filed, searches were conducted around the Reno/Lake Tahoe area. Many in the poker community followed the news and sent well wishes.
Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Booth was a regular on televised poker shows like High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark in the 2000s. He also has almost $800,000 in live tournament winnings and at one time Booth was even a Full Tilt Poker pro.
Booth’s biggest tournament score came in 2006 when he finished third in the $10,300 World Poker Tour Mandalay Bay Championship for $319,000.
Booth spent some time in Canada’s Yukon Territory, which gave him the nickname “Yukon.” That inspired his Twitter handle, @YukonBrad. That account is private and Tweets are unavailable.
Despite the mystery surrounding the incident, friends and family are simply happy he’s alive.
Glad to hear “yukon” Brad booth is alive and well ! This guys a living legend who bluffed phil Ivey with a 250,000 $ bet and nothing but air !
— CoddzWorld (@CoddzW) September 17, 2020
The post ALIVE & WELL: Family Confirms Brad Booth Contacted After Disappearance appeared first on .
With casinos reopening and more people back to work, is the end of the poker pandemic boom near? That appears to be so, with a significant drop in New Jersey and slight decrease in Pennsylvania.
However, the big picture year-over-year outlooks still show much stronger revenue for the legal US online poker market. Some live poker tournaments have begun slowly returning, but many players are still heading online.
The online New Jersey poker curve has begun to flatten, seeing big revenue drops in August. NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) revenue reports showed poker operators brought in $3.1 million in August. That’s down 37% from the $4.8 million in July.
However, that’s not the whole story. Year over year, online poker is up 77% from the same time in 2019.
WSOP.com was the top gun again in August by totaling $1.3 million in revenue. However, this is less than half of July revenue. The operator shares liquidity with Nevada and with 888poker in Delaware, is closing out a big summer from the success of the WSOP Online bracelet events.
PokerStars NJ dipped under the million-dollar mark totaling $971,811. This was down from $1.1 million in July. Despite that, the site has shown continued growth year over year.
Partypoker (along with the BorgataPoker.com and BetMGM skins) took a small hit as well in August . Partypoker reported $750,126 in the last month of the summer.
The company may see a boost in September. Party has joined forces with the WPT for the Online Borgata Series. The two powerhouses are finishing up the series and have seen big prize pools so far.
In early July, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) allowed for the reopening of Atlantic City casinos. However, live poker rooms remain closed in NJ. A June 30 protocol outlined that poker tables could only open up four-handed.
Casinos and players are awaiting an update for more players at the table.
Despite the downturn in online poker, plenty of NJ players were heading online to gamble. Brick and mortar casinos have been open all summer, but online games are still hot.
The state beat its own record from a month prior and brought in $87.7 million. This was a 0.3% gain month over month and up 113% year over year.
That led to total gaming taxes of $32.4 million in August. Total gaming taxes represented 8% of taxable casino gross revenue and 15% of Internet gaming gross revenue.
Despite recent news that partypoker was close to launching in PA, PokerStars retains the only option in the state. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reported that PokerStars (partnered with Mount Airy Casino) reported $2.7 million in revenue.
This is a small drop from the $2.9 million reported in July, but overall revenue remains strong. The recently-announced PokerStars Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP) should help September numbers.
State tax on online poker is 14% in Pennsylvania. The people of the commonwealth benefited from this tax that raked in $382,088 for August.
Players are still waiting for the launch of WSOP.com and partypoker. The PGCB has yet to grant approval for those operators in the Keystone State.
All live casinos in Pennsylvania continue to reopen, but all PA poker rooms remain closed. Despite games like live Blackjack and Roulette open to the public, the PGCB hasn’t allowed poker rooms to reopen yet.
The state’s poker players recently received some more bad news. Despite a 2019 renovation, Harrah’s Philadelphia notified employees that the poker room would be closed for good.
Delaware online poker revenue decreased more than 10% month over month in August. Delaware Lottery gaming numbers showed poker brought in $54,584 – down from $62,603 in July.
Online poker in Delaware runs on the 888poker platform. The company runs three shared player pools through:
Brick and mortar casinos are still in Phase 2 of Gov. John Carney’s (D) economic reopening plan. This allows for casinos to open at limited hours and 60% occupancy. Under this order, live poker rooms remained closed.
The post PANDEMIC POKER: US Online Numbers Dip But Remain Historically Strong appeared first on .
Longtime poker pro Jonathan Little awoke to the news on Sept. 9 that his account had been suspended at Americas Cardroom (ACR). The unregulated offshore operator’s CEO Phil Nagy even took the unusual move of taking to Twitter to call Little out.
The incident set off a firestorm with charges flying in both directions.
Hi Phil, It seems my account has suddenly been banned. I was not told why I was banned. I tried to log in to cash out my funds but it is not letting me. Is it because I said ACR is not as safe as a bank? I always spoke highly of your game volume and marketing skills. https://t.co/sRTCYds8xN
— Jonathan Little (@JonathanLittle) September 9, 2020
ACR is an offshore site that serves American players despite a new US legal environment since Black Friday. Since the federal government shut down several online poker sites on April 15, 2011, online poker has been legal only on a state-by-state basis in the US.
Under a variety of US and state laws, offshore sites like ACR are generally operate illegally in America. To publicly criticize a user was an unusual step even from an offshore poker site. The back and forth brought plenty of interest among players.
As well as a player, Little is a poker author and founder of the training site PokerCoaching.com. He has more than $7 million in live tournament winnings and released the book Excelling at Tough No Limit Hold’em Games this year.
He also regularly posts strategy advice and his thoughts on the game via social media. When COVID-19 shut down live poker, some of his students asked Little to start streaming online. Little hadn’t previously played at any of the unlicensed and unregulated sites.
“I figured I would play on Sundays to generate content for my students,” he says. “I decided to play on ACR because they have the most volume of medium and high buy-in tournaments. I would then play 14 tables at a time while my students watched.”
The ban came as a bit of a surprise.
“I have not actually streamed for about a month,”Little says, “but when I tried to log in a few days ago, it told me I had been banned.”
He believes some sarcasm toward ACR on his streams was the reason behind the ban. Little joked about how the paid ACR pros seemed to run hot against him and everyone else. He emphasizes they were jokes simply with a deadpan sense of humor.
Little notes that he doesn’t think the site rigs game play in any way and said so on his streams when speaking seriously.
“I was under the impression these types of jokes were acceptable because Nagy often discusses using a doom switch and the paid ACR pros frequently joke about how the site is rigged, either for or against them,” Little told USPoker.
“Perhaps they did not like the fact that I had substantially more viewers than their paid ACR pros and was not afraid to point out flaws with the site, such as when all the tournaments crashed, when the software would randomly freeze, or when there was a misdeal.”
In addition to the jokes, Little also offered some advice on playing at unregulated sites. Platforms like ACR don’t face the same regulations as legal sites in Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
“I also advised keeping relatively little money on the site just in case it goes down sometime in the future,” Little says.
Several offshore sites closed in the past decade, leaving many players unable to get funds back. Earlier this year, ACR users reported numerous technical issues including players getting only one card or none at all, hands labeled as misdeals, tournament suspensions, and more.
Little noted in his stream that players should basically take a buyer beware approach with these types of sites
“I always advise keeping the minimum amount required to play on any unlicensed or unregulated poker site,” he says. “History has taught us that these sites are prone to close up for all sorts of reasons with no advance notice.
“I made a point to make this clear because multiple paid ACR pros have told their audiences that their money is as safe in ACR as it is in a US bank.”
Little also complained about the site’s poor functionality at times. He said he realizes only high-quality legal sites have top-notch software. However, those criticisms were only a fraction of Little’s ACR streaming.
Apparently Nagy didn’t take Little’s complaints well. ACR didn’t officially give a reason his account was suspended, Little says. Nagy tagged Little in a Tweet that seemed to point to the criticism as the reason behind the ban.
“It’s one thing if you’re going to treat WPN [Winning Poker Network] like some side chick,” Nagy noted on Sept. 9. “But I’ll be damned if I’m going to give you the privilege of getting to fuck me on the daily if you’re going to punch me in the head while doing it.”
To some players it seemed like an odd reaction. Online poker sites regularly ban players for incidents like multi-accounting, collusion, and other game-play issues.
Criticizing the platform isn’t usually one of those. Other players felt Little had been going too far with his complaints and player warnings. Nagy viewed the action similar to a casino removing an unruly player.
“So why is it when someone acts disorderly in a casino or live tournament, they can be banned for life, and it’s okay?” he posted. “The Borgata can ban you for making a video. How is WPN any different?”
Nagy went on to post a video clarifying his side of the issue.
“After watching Jonathan Little’s videos, I realized they didn’t make me happy,” Nagy said, “and there was not a world where I was going to win him over or make him happy unless ACR got regulated, in which case he wouldn’t get dealt cards by us anyway.
“When you’re in a no-win situation or drawing dead, you fold the hand. That’s all. I was in a no-win situation and backed into a corner, and I folded the hand.”
So this is about as honest as I can get agree or not, this is my logic. pic.twitter.com/uksyTUSgKh
— Phillip Nagy (@WPN_CEO) September 10, 2020
The CEO of a major online poker operator so publicly sparring with a player is certainly unique.The reaction hasn’t surprised Little however.
“In the past he would randomly post vulgar responses to my posts, so I blocked him,” he says. “I’m not surprised he continues to use vulgar speech toward myself and other players he has never interacted with in any way.”
Whatever the case, Little moved on from ACR and cashed out $19,000 he had on the site. He doesn’t see his own incident affecting the site’s traffic.
Little lives in New York, where regulated US online poker isn’t an option.
Since the ban, Little has received his own share of criticism online. Some didn’t like his jokes about favorable hand run outs. Others noted that if he had issues with the site he shouldn’t have played there.
Jonathan-I don’t disagree with your comments about bankroll safety.Issue for me is there are naive folks out there that now think that pros are getting favorable run outs.I know you are kidding, but many don’t know. Wrong to assume lack of knowledge in one area & not another.
— Peter Steel (@MMA_Analysis) September 12, 2020
Supporters noted that his banning was unwarranted simply for cautioning students about an unregulated site. They point to Tweets by Nagy himself saying that players shouldn’t be banned for criticizing a poker site.
“I think that everyone knows sites that the unlicensed/unregulated sites can do pretty much whatever they want,” Little says. “This incident just makes that a bit more clear.
“I hope ACR and their paid pros look at this situation from an unbiased point of view and right their ways. I want poker to thrive, and lies and vulgarity are not the way to make that happen.”
One Twitter user found a solution to all the issues regarding unregulated sites like ACR.
“With all the drama happening with ACR and Johnathan Little, another reminder to play on regulated sites and give partypoker and Run It Once Poker your business,” Chip Up training site founder Christopher George noted. “They are doing a great job listening to players and running good games.”
Photo courtesy WPT/Joe Giron
The post HITTING THE RAIL: Jonathan Little Discusses Ban by Unregulated Poker Site appeared first on .
Today, Michigan lawmakers will hold a public hearing on a bill which would open the door for the regulator to enter interstate compacts for poker.
The post Will Michigan Have Interstate Poker? Bill Is Getting A Look Today appeared first on Online Poker Report.
Lead plaintiff Veronica Brill is not among the 60 who have agreed to settle the suit against Kings Casino which relates to Mike Postle’s alleged cheating.
The post Has The Final Chapter Been Written In The Mike Postle Poker Saga? appeared first on Online Poker Report.
Live poker rooms may remain closed in Pennsylvania, but players have another major online option beginning Sept. 19. The second edition of PokerStars’ Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP) runs through Oct. 5 with an overall guarantee of almost $1.6 million.
That’s a nice increase over last year’s PACOOP, which guaranteed $1.2 million. PokerStars PA smashed that total with $1.6 million awarded.
With so many players at home, that is now the starting point and it’s a good bet that may be beaten as well. The series includes 50 events with buy-ins ranging from $20 to $300.
The $300 Main Event highlights this year’s PACOOP on Oct. 4, with a guarantee of $200,000. That’s twice the guarantee of last year’s Main Event.
Ryan “Gyea08” Gerber, of Alburtis, PA, won the first PACOOP for $31,335. He outlasted a field of 639 entries, which produced a prize pool of $179,200.
The road to the championship came with an interesting route for Gerber. He earned a $30 tournament ticket in a Second Chance Freeroll and then parlayed that into a Main Event seat.
“It feels pretty awesome,” he told USPoker after the win. “It definitely took a little bit to settle in, but I think it’s finally hit me that I won. It’s funny, I joked with some of my friends that I don’t know what’s cooler, the money or the title of first PACOOP Main Event champion. I’ll take both.”
Players with lower bankrolls have a nice highlight to look forward to as well. The $50 Mini Main Event is also set for Oct. 4 with $40,000 guaranteed.
Other highlights include the $100 Sunday Specials on Sept. 20 and 27, each with a guarantee of $100,000. Satellites for these events start for as little as $2.
Players will find plenty of No Limit Hold’em action, but there are also some other options including:
Here’s a look at the complete schedule:
| No. | Date | Time (ET) | Event (Gtd.) | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep. 19 (Sa) | 6:00 p.m. | NLHE (Nightly Stars – PACOOP Warm-Up), $50K Gtd | $100 |
| 2 | Sep. 19 (Sa) | 8:00 p.m. | NLHE (8-Max, PACOOP – Warm-Up), $30K Gtd | $50 |
| 3 | Sep. 20 (Su) | 1:00 p.m. | NLHE (8-Max, Turbo, Deepstack), $35K Gtd | $100 |
| 4 | Sep. 20 (Su) | 2:00 p.m. | NLHE (6-Max), $20K Gtd | $50 |
| 5 | Sep. 20 (Su) | 3:30 p.m. | NLHE (8-Max, Progressive KO), $30K Gtd | $150 |
| 6 | Sep. 20 (Su) | 5:00 p.m. | NLHE (Sunday Special SE), $100K Gtd | $100 |
| 7 | Sep. 20 (Su) | 7:00 p.m. | PLO (6-Max), $15K Gtd | $100 |
| 8 | Sep. 20 (Su) | 10:00 p.m. | NLHE (8-Max, Sunday SuperSonic SE), $10K Gtd | $50 |
| 9 | Sep. 21 (M) | 7:00 p.m. | NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Battle Royale SE Progressive KO), $30K Gtd | $50 |
| 10 | Sep. 21 (M) | 8:00 p.m. | PLO8 (8-Max), $12K Gtd | $75 |
| 11 | Sep. 22 (Tu) | 7:00 p.m. | NLHE (Super Tuesday SE), $40K Gtd | $200 |
| 12 | Sep. 22 (Tu) | 8:00 p.m. | NLHE (Mini Super Tuesday SE), $15K Gtd | $20 |
| 13 | Sep. 22 (Tu) | 8:00 p.m. | NLHE (8-Max), $15K Gtd | $150 |
| 14 | Sep. 23 (W) | 8:00 p.m. | NLHE (6-Max, High Roller), $50K Gtd | $500 |
| 15 | Sep. 23 (W) | 9:00 p.m. | NLHE, $15K Gtd | $150 |
| 16 | Sep. 24 (Th) | 7:00 p.m. | NLHE (Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill SE), $40K Gtd | $200 |
| 17 | Sep. 24 (Th) | 7:30 p.m. | NLHE (Progressive KO, Mini Thrill), $20K Gtd | $20 |
| 18 | Sep. 24 (Th) | 8:00 p.m. | PL 5-Card Draw (8-Max, Turbo), $10K Gtd | $100 |
| 19 | Sep. 25 (F) | 7:30 p.m. | 8-Game, $15K Gtd | $200 |
| 20 | Sep. 25 (F) | 9:30 p.m. | NLHE (6-Max, Turbo), $20K Gtd | $150 |
| 21 | Sep. 26 (Sa) | 5:00 p.m. | NLHE (8-Max, Deepstack), $35K Gtd | $100 |
| 22 | Sep. 26 (Sa) | 8:00 p.m. | NLHE (Saturday Speedway SE), $15K Gtd | $50 |
| 23 | Sep. 27 (Su) | 1:00 p.m. | NLHE (8-Max, Turbo, Marathon), $35K Gtd | $100 |
| 24 | Sep. 27 (Su) | 2:00 p.m. | PLO (8-Max, Turbo), $10K Gtd | $100 |
| 25 | Sep. 27 (Su) | 3:30 p.m. | NLHE (6-Max), $25K Gtd | $150 |
| 26 | Sep. 27 (Su) | 5:00 p.m. | NLHE (Sunday Special SE), $100K Gtd | $100 |
| 27 | Sep. 27 (Su) | 7:00 p.m. | NLHE (Progressive KO), $35K Gtd | $200 |
| 28 | Sep. 27 (Su) | 9:00 p.m. | NLHE (Sunday SuperSonic SE), $12K Gtd | $75 |
| 29 | Sep. 28 (M) | 7:00 p.m. | NLHE (4-Max), $25K Gtd | $200 |
| 30 | Sep. 28 (M) | 8:00 p.m. | PLO (6-Max, High-Roller), $25K Gtd | $500 |
| 31 | Sep. 29 (Tu) | 7:00 p.m. | NLHE (Hyper-Turbo, Super Tuesday), $40K Gtd | $250 |
| 32 | Sep. 29 (Tu) | 8:00 p.m. | NLO8 (8-Max), $10K Gtd | $100 |
| 33 | Sep. 30 (W) | 7:00 p.m. | NLHE (6-Max, Turbo), $20K Gtd | $30 |
| 34 | Sep. 30 (W) | 8:00 p.m. | NLHE, $30K Gtd | $200 |
| 35 | Sep. 30 (W) | 9:00 p.m. | Stud Hi/Lo, $10K Gtd | $100 |
| 36 | Oct. 1 (Th) | 7:00 p.m. | NLHE (Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill), $40K Gtd | $250 |
| 37 | Oct. 1 (Th) | 9:00 p.m. | NLHE, $20K Gtd | $150 |
| 38 | Oct. 2 (F) | 7:00 p.m. | FLHE (6-Max, Turbo), $10K Gtd | $200 |
| 39 | Oct. 2 (F) | 9:00 p.m. | NLHE (Hyper-Turbo), $15K Gtd | $200 |
| 40 | Oct. 3 (Sa) | 6:00 p.m. | NLHE (6-Max), $40K Gtd | $300 |
| 41 | Oct. 3 (Sa) | 9:00 p.m. | NLHE (6-Max), $20K Gtd | $75 |
| 42 | Oct. 4 (Su) | 2:00 p.m. | NLHE (Turbo, Progressive KO, Deepstack), $25K Gtd | $100 |
| 43 | Oct. 4 (Su) | 5:00 p.m. | NLHE (Main Event), $200K Gtd | $300 |
| 44 | Oct. 4 (Su) | 6:00 p.m. | NLHE (Mini Main Event), $40K Gtd | $50 |
| 45 | Oct. 4 (Su) | 8:00 p.m. | NLHE (Progressive KO), $30K Gtd | $100 |
| 46 | Oct. 4 (Su) | 9:00 p.m. | PLO (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo), $10K Gtd | $100 |
| 47 | Oct. 4 (Su) | 10:00 p.m. | NLHE (Sunday SuperSonic SE), $10K Gtd | $75 |
| 48 | Oct. 5 (M) | 7:00 p.m. | NLHE (Nightly Stars SE – PACOOP Wrap-Up), $35K Gtd | $100 |
| 49 | Oct. 5 (M) | 8:00 p.m. | NLHE (8-Max, Phase 2), $50K Gtd | $50 |
| 50 | Oct. 5 (M) | 9:00 p.m. | NLHE (6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Deep Hyper Turbo), $15K Gtd | $100 |
Once again, PokerStars is bringing plenty of promotional efforts for Pennsylvania players getting in on PACOOP. Players eliminated from any event before making the money receive an entry into a Second Chance Freeroll.
These run daily Sept. 20 to Oct. 3, and award $1,250 in satellite tickets and entries into PACOOP events.
A Main Event Depositor Freeroll on Oct. 4 will also be awarding 25 Main Event tickets worth $7,500.
For players in Pennsylvania, PokerStars remains the only game in town. The site launched in November 2019 and continues offering players plenty of major tournament series.
Numbers have surged during the Coronavirus pandemic. The site has regularly seen 900 cash game players and as many 1,100 in recent weeks, according to PokerScout.
In May, the site launched its Pennsyl-MANIA tournament with a $200 buy-in and $250,000 guarantee. The event was so successful that it returned in August with a $350,000 guarantee.
The two-day tournament beat expectations again and awarded $376,836. The tournament attracted 2,026 entries with “SlotWinna777” winning the title and taking home $44,642 after a four-way deal.
SlotWinna777, aka Jason (he didn’t want to reveal his name), spoke with USPoker about his victory. The win came after having to re-enter the tournament once.
“It feels great, I was eating well and drinking some excellent beers, and then bam – five-figure payday,” he said. “I was a little tired so I was equally excited about being able to go to bed.”
Jason became interested in poker after seeing some ESPN broadcasts of the World Series of Poker.
“Some years later when I found some pool hall poker games, I started playing and never looked back,” he said.
What’s Jason’s outlook on the US and Pennsylvania online poker market? He echoes the thoughts of many players.
He notes: “It’s not a great future until every state can play and player pools are shared.”
The post ONWARD & UPWARD: PokerStars PACOOP Returns with $1.6 Million on the Line appeared first on .
Having authorized Gaming Laboratories International to begin testing, Michigan has taken one more step closer to getting iGaming off the ground within 2020.
The post Michigan Online Gambling Operators Start Testing And Certification appeared first on Online Poker Report.
