With one knockout already under its belt, PokerStars is getting back in the ring for Pennsyl-MANIA II. The popular event proved a hit in the Keystone State in May and a second event set for Aug. 23-24 has even increased the guarantee.
This time, payers will be battling for a record-setting $350,000 guaranteed in the $200 buy-in event.FOX Bet and PokerStars have teamed up again for the two-dayonline poker extravaganza.
Those looking to get in the action for Pennsyl-MANIA will have numerous opportunities beyond the $200 buy-in. Satellites are running on the site with buy-ins beginning at just $5.
New depositors, also have an opportunity to earn a ticket to the Pennsyl-MANIA Depositor Freeroll. The top 50 players in the event will be awarded an entry into the wrestling-themed event.
PokerStars partners with Mount Airy Casino in Pennsylvania and remains the state’s sole online poker operator. The site has seen huge fields in recent months during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The recent Bounty Builder Series featured a guarantee of $603,500 but paid out a total of $710,910. The introductory Pennsyl-MANIA surpassed the previous high for an online tournament guarantee in PA by more than 40%.
It’s a good bet that type of success should continue when players hit the felt. The tournament is available to PA players using either the mobile or desktop client.
Puncher’s chance paid off in first Pennsyl-MANIA
Pennsylvania players were pleased with the first edition of Pennyl-MANIA. The series came with a $250,000 guarantee, but that swelled to $515,964.
May’s event brought in an impressive 1,760 entries and 1,014 re-entries. In the end, Dillon “D-Low1527” Longenbach came out on top for $69,670.
Longenbach is a recreational player from Telford. Winning the title didn’t come easy and early on it looked like he might just be another player to hit the rail.
Right before the end of Day 1, he was left with 12 big blinds and dealt pocket Kings. That helped him double up and then one hand later Longenbach was dealt Ace-King.
Big Slick gave him another big double-up and Longenbach was off and running for Day 2. The win became the highlight of his poker career.
“Honestly, it was a very surreal moment winning,” Longenbach told USPoker right after the win. “I’ve always dreamed of final tabling a major event, so winning one was an added bonus. Even over a week later it still doesn’t feel real.”
For a complete review of PokerStars PA including exclusive USPoker bonus offers of $30 in Free Play and a 100% Deposit Match of up to $600, click here.
Poker players in New Jersey have another nice reason to head back to the online tables this week. Partypoker launches yet another Online Series beginning Sunday with a nice week’s worth of action.
The series runs Aug. 16-23 with 15 events and features more than $160,000 in total guarantees. The $50,000 guaranteed Phased Main Event highlights the series and offers numerous ways to qualify.
Like other sites in recent months, partypoker NJ has seen some nice turnouts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legal US online poker market continues to record massive numbers. That has included some nice events in conjunction with the World Poker Tour.
The site has also capitalized by running its weeklong Online Series and Mini Series. While it may regularly finish third among operators in NJ, partypoker has found success.
Part of that has included catering to players with several buy-in levels and reaching out to low and mid rollers. In NJ, partypoker also includes the BetMGM and BorgataPoker.com skins, which all share players in the state.
Some highlights from the series
The latest Online Series looks to be part of those efforts. Players will find the majority of events with buy-ins ranging from $5 to $215 with nice guarantees.
However there’s even a $1 Micro Main Event on Aug. 23 with a $500 guarantee. There’s also a $20 Low Main Event with a $5,000 guarantee. Here’s a look at a few other highlights:
$215 Main Event (Aug. 23) – Phased Tournament with $50,000 guarantee
Main Event offers weeklong Phase Tournament action with numerous qualifiers
Players looking to get in the Main Event can buy in directly for $215. There are also numerous Day 1 flights for those seeking to get in via a bargain buy-in.
Partypoker’s popular “Phased Tournament” structure is being used again for the Main Event. Players can enter unlimited Phase 1 flights throughout the week. Those who advance can play with their best stack forward to Phase 2 on Sunday, Aug. 23.
The Main Event features a $50,000 guarantee with the first Phase 1 flight kicking off Aug. 16 for just $25. Here’s a look at the complete schedule.
Play At Borgata Poker Now With Free $20 On Sign Up
There’s no shortage of players getting online for some poker at the moment. From regulated US online poker to sweepstakes social gaming to poker apps, players are heading online in droves.
A Swedish gaming company sees this flood of activity as an opportunity to reach American players. However, HexiGames has taken a bit of a different approach when it comes to poker gaming.
The company produces skill-based card games where players have a chance to win real cash. The latest is “5-Hand Poker,” which is now available in 41 US states.
5-Hand Poker is a mashup between traditional poker and solitaire. The player has to create five separate poker hands from half a card deck of cards.
Cards are dealt similar as they might in solitaire. The tricky part is that players have to finish off each horizontal row of cards before they place new cards in another row.
This creates some interesting strategizing. Players can’t simply put each card into whichever of the five vertical hands is most ideal.
“A good poker player is able to quickly realize what hand to aim for depending on what cards they’re given and what cards to put in the hold pocket for later,” says Philip Carlson, HexiGamesgrowth marketing manager.
“By finishing the poker hands quickly, you get a time bonus that boosts your score.”
For every new card, players have to consider if it’s worth aiming for a straight flush and an extra 2,000 points. Or maybe it’s better to play it safe and go for just a flush and 500 points.
There are definitely quite a few decisions to consider when getting in the action.
Play it right & win some real money
HexiGames is focused on bringing skill-based card games to the US market. Company founder Joel Wikell is a pioneer in the online casino market.
He started BossMedia in 1997, which became a market leader in casino software. The company was later bought by GTECH Gaming in 2008.
HexiGames’ gaming platform allows for all its games to run on. This enables thousands of users a chance to play and win real money.
The 5-Hand Poker platform allows users to choose between five different matches – $1, $5, $10, $25, $100. Every tier has an entry fee, so if playing to win the $100 game each player bets $55.
“You’re always playing other users on our platform, and if you lose, you can ask for a rematch,” Carlson says. “ If you want to challenge your friend for a cash game, you can do that.”
Carlson adds that the unique HexiGames platform allows for payouts the same day as the match. 5-Hand Poker is available for cash play in most US states.
However, players in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee can only use virtual currency.
Other card-playing options in the works
Beyond 5-Hand, the company is planning more gaming options appealing to poker players. A Blackjack-type also combining Solitaire called “Play 21″ has also been released.
More poker games are also in the pipeline and all apps are available for iOS and Android devices.
With so many players taking their games online, HexiGames hopes to take advantage of an expanding market.
After some promising news out of Pennsylvania, it appears an August launch by partypoker or WSOP.com seems unlikely. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board spoke on the subject in a July 8 meeting and news looked promising.
Chief enforcement counsel Cyrus Pitre expected a partypoker approval at the group’s Aug. 5 meeting. In addition, PlayPennsylvania.com reported that WSOP.com has had approval from the PGCB since February 2020. However its online software provider, 888poker, has yet to get approved in PA.
Hopes of an August partypoker launch were dashed however, when the subject didn’t come up at the Aug. 5 meeting. No word on why there was a change in plans.
Will the September meeting offer some clarity on the situation? That remains to be seen. As of now, PokerStars remains the only operator in the state.
Arrest made in poker player’s murder
Many in the poker world were shocked recently at the brutal murder of poker pro Susie Zhao. Her badly burned body was found on July 13 at the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area in Michigan.
Two hikers found Zhao’s body in the park located near the town of White Lake Township, northwest of Detroit.
According to the Detroit News, Jeffery Bernard Morris, 60, of Pontiac, was charged this week with first-degree premeditated murder. Zhao, 22, recently moved to Michigan to live with her mother.
Police believe the two met at a motel the night before the murder, but their relationship remains unknown. Authorities describe Morris as a homeless sex offender.
Law enforcement officials have ruled out any connection to her poker career as motive. Morris has been denied bail in the case.
Global Poker GOAT pays out big for Sunday majors
For players outside markets with traditional online poker, Global Poker offers a unique sweepstakes poker model. The site’s GOAT II series is currently underway with a SC1.1 million guarantee and
The series’ Sunday majors show what’s available for players. Indiana player “@ChipsMaxwell” took down Event 8-M SC110 NLHE (SC25,000 guarantee) for SC7,391.
In Event 8-H SC218 NLHE (SC55,000 guarantee), California’s “ChasinStacks1” took the title and SC15,312.
The GOAT features 27 tournaments with a Low, Medium, and High version and runs through Aug. 23. The series also includes a Tournament of Champions for all winners on Aug. 30.
Each winner also takes home a nice trophy. For a complete preview of the series, click here.
Triton announces expanded TV deals
The high roller scene continues to grow both online and at the live poker felt (when there’s not a worldwide pandemic). In recent years, the Triton Poker series has been a major part of that growth.
Last week, the company announced a major expansion of its television partnerships. The deal includes several added markets for the 10-episode “Triton Million – A Helping Hand for Charity” tournament.
The event was held last year in London with 54 professional players and businessmen. First place paid out £19 million, the biggest payout in poker history.
Triton collected an additional £50,000 from each player for a total of £2.7 million donated to various charitable foundations.
A growing television presence, more to come
The television deal was negotiated by Protocol Sports Marketing and follows Triton’s launch on Canada’s largest sports network, TSN. The announcement includes broadcasts on Sport 5 in Israel and Sport 1 across several eastern European countries.
Richard Yong and Paul Phua created Triton Poker in 2016. The series caters to poker’s high rollers and features some of the biggest events in the world.
“Our vision for the Triton Poker brand has always been about bringing the world’s best players and providing them with the opportunity to play the highest stakes imaginable while also giving back to charity,” Phua said in a news release. “We are finding that this vision is resonating with major media platforms, leading to coverage on some of the world’s biggest channels.”
Unfortunately for American fans, that doesn’t include a US broadcaster at the moment. It looks like that situation could change however.
“There is much more to come,” Protocol Sports Marketing President Lowell Conn said. “We have numerous broadcast partners and sponsors that are expressing interest in Triton Poker, and we expect to very soon announce deals in more major markets, including the United States and the United Kingdom.”
Partypoker PKO Series error leads to nice overlay
Partypoker has been on a roll in New Jersey, offering several series including a major event with the World Poker Tour. Players in the PKO Series Phase Tournament main event on Aug. 2 received an added bonus.
The tournament featured a $75,000 guarantee with Day 2 also allowing additional $320 direct buy-ins. A software error, however, limited that registration period and only 79 players entered.
That meant an overlay of more than $47,000. With the payout structure already established, everyone in the field received at least a min-cash of $218.
Many players received a nice unexpected cash. In the end, “pay4medsch00l” took the title for $13,598.
PokerStars brought its annual Bounty Builder series to its two US markets in July. The Pennsylvania and New Jersey series both achieved major results beyond the series guarantees.
The New Jersey Bounty Builder featured a guarantee of $603,500 but paid out a total of $710,910. The festival produced 9,481 total entries
Dan “AvaGray” Lupo won the $300 Main Event for $6,273 and $7,984 in bounties as well as a championship belt. The tournament guaranteed $70,000 and generated a prize pool of $75,880.
Lupo is no stranger to New Jersey online success. In 2019, the 37-year-old architect won five SCOOP titles as well as a WSOP online bracelet. He’s now atop the NJ Championships leaderboard, and has won seven NJSCOOP and eight NJCOOP titles since 2016.
NJ Bounty Builder Main Event winner Dan Lupo.
“miw21000” won the $4,000 top prize on the $16,000 leaderboard,
In Pennsylvania, the series guaranteed $1.5 million but ended up paying out a nice $2 million. The series attracted 32,731 total entries.
In the $200 Main Event, “RiverMeDaddy” took the title for $13,617, $10,755 in bounties, and a championship belt. The event paid out $197,904, almost $48,000 on top of the $150,000 guarantee.
On the $16,000 leaderboard, “Homie Sr” earned the $4,000 first place prize. With major tournament poker still in lockdown, NJ and PA players can expect even more big online poker action in coming weeks.
Players pony up for GGPoker charity event
The World Series of Poker Online may be over, but the bracelet-hunting action continues at GGPoker for international players. The series kicked off with a $500 event that produced some big results for charity.
The “Every 1 for COVID Relief” tournament raised $257,853. GGPoker added another $96,903 for a total donation of $354,756.
GGPoker’s Daniel Negreanu presents a check to WSOP executive director Ty Stewart.
The tournament attracted 2,323 participants, with $111 of each buy-in going to the Caesars Cares assistance fund. This fund supports Caesars Entertainment employees across the US who have suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are incredibly grateful to our partner GGPoker for their contribution to Caesars Cares,” WSOP executive director Ty Stewart said in a news release. “This donation will provide needed support to Caesars Entertainment team members experiencing unexpected setbacks as we work towards resuming operations and restoring normal business conditions.”
GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu was pleased to present a check for the funds.
“The international poker community really stepped up this time, and GGPoker was there to push the effort forward,” Negreanu said. “We will continue to raise funds for worthy causes in the future, and I’m grateful to be part of something that’s helping to make such a difference.”
Players will be battling for 54 gold bracelets through Sept. 16. This marks the first time players located outside the US can compete for official WSOP bracelets online.
For a complete look at the recent winners and action, click here. For WSOP Online facts, information, and Twitch streams, click here.
The family of longtime poker proBrad Booth is seeking help from the public and poker community. The 43-year-old hasn’t been seen for almost a month and his family is deeply concerned.
Booth’s sister Jackie Martic has reached out via social media to spread the word and seek help. That has included filing a missing person’s report with police.
“I’m begging all who know him on your assistance for getting this photo to go viral in hopes of finding him,” Martic wrote in a message to the poker community. “We’re feeling very hopeless that he’s been absent for so long and we need your help.”
Booth was last seen on July 13 leaving the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. He told his roommate he was going camping.
However he took a minimal number of items, which would only last him a few days. Booth was driving a silver 2002 Toyota Tacoma truck with the Nevada license plate 601PMR.
Booth is described as 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds with brown hair and hazel-colored eyes. Police and family released this photo below of Booth in his truck.
They believe finding the truck may be key in locating Booth.
Friends and family are baffled by his disappearance and desperate for any help in the case. The missing person’s report was filed with the Reno Police Department.
Family members are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Tazy Ciofalo at 775-334-2175.
Poker players asked to offer information in case
Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Booth has almost $800,000 in live tournament winnings. His biggest tournament score came in 2006 when he finished third in the $10,300 World Poker TourMandalay Bay Championship. He took home more than $319,000 in that event.
Players remember him as more of a cash game player. During the poker boom, Booth was a regular on televised poker shows like High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark.
Many poker fans may remember a huge bluff he ran against Phil Ivey.
Booth spent some time in the Yukon Territory in Canada, which gave him the nickname “Yukon.” His Twitter handle is even @YukonBrad.
There have been numerous retweets and posts aiding in the search over the last few days. Some players offered comments about Booth as a person on Twitter.
“Played many hours with Brad, poker player Omar LoxTweeted. “He had his financial [problems], but he was always a pleasant dude. Hope all is well for him.”
Others relayed nice experiences with Booth at the cash game tables.
Share some POSITIVE Brad Booth stories. I was crushing this guy HeadsUp cash online, but in chat he said I hope you burn in a grease fire. I was so upset that someone wished me to die, I was bawling and could barely see the screen. Brad said. Don’t Ever Cry Over Poker.
When it comes to being on camera, Maria Ho is a pro – whether at a World Poker Tour final table or working for ESPN or PokerGO. The poker player now embracing a new role as coach and speaker that may find her reaching out to others via video technology.
Ho is one of several poker pros joining the new PepTalk startup. The company is a live video coaching and speaking platform.
Customers can use a computer or mobile device to connect with real-world experts. PepTalk launched this month with 200 coaches and speakers including entrepreneurs, writers, authors, adventurers, athletes, and more.
Ho spoke with USPoker about her new role with the company.
PepTalk is a web-based platform built for a modern remote workforce. Individuals and corporate teams to book a session directly with a coach or speaker.
As a speaker, Ho hopes to mentor others based on her own work on the poker felt and in the broadcast booth. With more than $4 million in live tournament winnings, she brings plenty of experiences to build on.
Ho is a communications graduate from the University of California-San Diego. After establishing a successful poker career, Ho also began putting her skills and degree to use as a broadcaster.
The merging of those two careers offers some unique angles to approach her PepTalk role.
“The idea behind PepTalk is that the coaches come from a place of personal experience that they would like to share with others,” she says. “It’s a way to take what I’ve learned from my experience as a poker pro and as a broadcaster, and pass them on in a way that could be relevant and helpful to others.”
Words of wisdom from a life in poker
For Ho, working with young women working to build a career is a meaningful part of that effort. She hopes some of her own success can serve as motivation.
Those seeking a career in media might also benefit from some words of wisdom.
“I’m excited to work with people who are striving to handle pressure that comes with being a poker pro,” she says. “Or young women who are putting together a career plan and need inspiration and encouragement, or people who are interested in honing their presentation skills and what it takes to succeed in broadcasting.”
Maria Ho (photo courtesy PokerStars)
When speaking, Ho takes a holistic point of view to reaching those she mentors. She tries to be encouraging – including with those needing some help with their poker game.
“I believe cultivating a strong mindset is just as important as learning a specific strategy,” she says.
Beyond poker, Ho believes her advice and motivation apply to much more than poker. Users can even tailor advice or mentorship to meet their own needs or situation.
“PepTalk can be utilized in a way where we can discuss general principles, motivation, and inspiration rather than specific roles necessarily,” she says. “I’m there to chat with PepTalk users about what they need, to encourage them to move forward in living successful, healthy, well-balanced lives.”
Successful poker players have many qualities that carry over to other walks of life. From patience and focus to goal setting and determination, these are some of the qualities PepTalk hopes to convey to others.
The company has gathered a roster of some of the most recognizable names in poker including:
Fedor Holz – GGPoker ambassador with $33 million in live tournament winnings
Liv Boeree – $3.9 million in tournament winnings; WSOP and EPT titles
Jamie Gold – 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event winner
Joe Stapleton – poker player, commentator, and comedian
Jennifer Shahade – Pennsylvania-based poker player and PokerStars ambassador
Learners will find ease of use a major plus, Ho says. The platform is completely virtual and can be accessed at any time. Someone short on time can easily book a quick pep talk to get in the right frame of mind.
Despite a busy schedule behind the mic, poker remains a major part of her life. She’s been staying in Las Vegas playing the WSOP Online at WSOP.com as well as working on other projects.
In late July, Ho was also heading out of the country to play in the partypokerWPT World Online Championships. Adding her name to PepTalk now becomes part of an effort to become even more of a public speaker.
“I’ve always been very interested in sharing my experiences and knowledge with others in a meaningful and impactful way,” she says.
“PepTalk works with individuals as well as corporate groups, so I plan to be giving larger talks with teams and inspiring them with poker principles, and how the skill set I have cultivated through the game can be applicable in other ways and industries.”
The online bracelet hunting may be over but plenty of action remains at WSOP.com. Fresh off the end of the World Series of Poker Online, the site has launched the Summer Series for players in Nevada and New Jersey.
The series kicked off on Sunday with 85 events running through Aug. 23. That includes a $3 million guarantee, a $200,000 guaranteed main event, and buy-ins ranging from $5 to $1,000. The series is also available to 888poker players in Delaware.
There just seems to be no slowing down for legal online poker operators in the US. July revenue figures aren’t available yet, but the bracelet series should mean huge numbers in Nevada and NJ.
Major tournament poker remains shut done with limited live poker returning. As USPoker reported this week, Atlantic City casinos have yet to reopen their poker rooms.
Online poker has moved to fill that void. WSOP.com now offers another opportunity for players missing the live poker grind.
While there are several big buy-in events, those with lower and mid-range bankrolls will find plenty of nice options. Those include:
$11/$11/$22 NLHE (Event 30, Aug. 9) – This event features a $22,222 guarantee with $11 buy-in, $11 rebuys, and a $22 add-on.
$10 NLHEDeepstack (Event 36, Aug. 11) – A shot at a $15,000 guarantee for only 10 bucks.
$30 NLHE (Event 54, Aug. 16) – Minimal buy-in for $30,000 guaranteed.
$55 NLHESunday 50 (Event 56, Aug. 16) – Look for a hefty guarantee of $50,000.
$100 NLHE Deepstack (Event 85, Aug. 23) – Final event of the series with $30,000 guaranteed.
Plenty of action for bigger bankrolls
Those looking to play a little bigger will also be in luck with the Summer Series. Here’s a look at what to expect:
$1,000 NLHE High Roller – Look for these big re-entry events each Sunday. Each feature with a $100,000 guaranteed. Also look for the $1,000 Tuesday High Roller on Aug. 11 with a $75,000 guarantee.
$320 NLHE Sunday Special Edition (Event 55, Aug. 16) – Another nice six-figure guarantee, this one at $150,000.
$525 Main Event (Event 79, Aug. 23) – The championship pays out a handsome $200,000. With guarantees getting smashed lately however, this one may grow even bigger.
$500 PLO High Roller (Event 82, Aug. 23) – Omaha fans can rejoice in a big buy-in with a big payout – $30,000 guaranteed.
There should be plenty of action once again in August. Here’s a look at the complete Summer Series schedule.
Date
Tour Name
Buy-in
Guarantee
Aug. 6
#17 – $25,000 NLHE [R&A]
$30
$25,000
Aug. 6
#18 – $5,000 NLHE Deepstack [R&A]
$5
$5,000
Aug. 6
#19- $20,000 NLHE [Freezeout]
$100
$20,000
Aug. 6
#20 – $10,000 PLO8 [Re-entry, 8-Max]
$100
$10,000
Aug. 7
#21 – $15,000 NLHE Deepstack [R&A]
$20
$15,000
Aug. 7
#22 – $30,000 NLHE 6-Max [Re-entry]
$100
$30,000
Aug. 7
#23 – $15,000 NLHE Turbo Deepstack [R&A]
$50
$15,000
Aug. 8
#24 – $30,000 NLHE 30 for 30 [R&A]
$30
$30,000
Aug. 8
#25 – $10,000 PLO 8-Max [R&A]
$50
$10,000
Aug. 8
#26 – $30,000 NLHE [Re-entry]
$100
$30,000
Aug. 8
#27- $30,000 NLHE Saturday Special [Re-entry, 8 Max]
$250
$30,000
Aug. 9
#28 – $10,000 NLHE [Knockout]
$75
$10,000
Aug. 9
#29 – $150,000 NLHE Sunday Special Edition [Re-entry]
$320
$150,000
Aug. 9
#30 – $22,222 NLHE [R&A]
$11/$11/$22
$22,222
Aug. 9
#31 – $100,000 NLHE High Roller [Re-entry]
$1,000
$100,000
Aug. 10
#32 – $25,000 NLHE [R&A]
$30
$25,000
Aug. 10
#33 – $20,000 NLHE Deepstack [Re-entry]
$75
$20,000
Aug. 10
#34- $15,000 NLHE Monster Stack [R&A, Super Turbo] CAPPED
$50
$15,000
Aug. 11
#35- $25,000 NLHE [R&A]
$50
$25,000
Aug. 11
#36- $15,000 NLHE Deepstack [R&A]
$10
$15,000
Aug. 11
#37- $75,000 NLHE High Roller [Re-entry, 6-Max]
$1,000
$75,000
Aug. 11
#38 – $75,000 Special Tuesday Showdown [Re-entry]
$500
$75,000
Aug. 11
#39 – $15,000 NLHE [Knockout]
$300
$15,000
Aug. 12
#40 – $30,000 NLHE Deepstack Super Addon [R&A]
$30
$25,000
Aug. 12
#41 – $30,000 NLHE [Re-entry]
$100
$30,000
Aug. 12
#42- $15,000 NLHE 8-Max [Turbo, R]
$50
$15,000
Aug. 13
#43 – $25,000 NLHE 8-Max [R&A]
$30
$25,000
Aug. 13
#44 – $5,000 NLHE Deepstack [R&A]
$5
$5,000
Aug. 13
#45 – $30,000 NLHE 6-Max [Re-entry]
$250
$30,000
Aug. 13
#46- $10,000 PLO 6-Max [R&A]
$50
$10,000
Aug. 14
#47 – $25,000 NLHE [R&A]
$30
$25,000
Aug. 14
#48 – $30,000 NLHE Monster Stack [1x Re-entry]
$215
$30,000
Aug. 14
#49- $30,000 NLHE [Re-entry]
$100
$30,000
Aug. 15
#50 – $10,000 NLHE Deepstack [R&A]
$10
$10,000
Aug. 15
#51- $30,000 NLHE [Re-entry]
$100
$30,000
Aug. 15
#52- $20,000 NLHE [Re-entry, Super Turbo]
$75
$20,000
Aug. 15
#53- $30,000 NLHE Saturday Special [Re-entry, 8 Max]
$250
$30,000
Aug. 16
#54 – $30,000 NLHE [R&A]
$30
$30,000
Aug. 16
#55 – $150,000 NLHE Sunday Special Edition [Re-entry]
Player Appreciation Tournaments offer $5,000 Added Plus Cash Drawings
Along with the Summer Series, the WSOP.comPlayer Appreciation Tournaments continue throughout August. The $100 tournaments come with a $100,000 guarantee.
The tournaments run every Sunday with an extra $5,000 in added cash prizes. Participants will also be entered into a random drawing to win one of several cash prizes including:
$500 – six winners
$250 – four winners
$100 – 10 winners
Players can also win a Player Appreciation Tournament seat for free each Saturday in the Five-Seat Freeroll. There are plenty of ways to win with this promotion and lots of cash on the line throughout the month.
Ali-Frazier, McEnroe-Borg, Larry Bird facing Magic Johnson. There are no shortage of big rivalries and showdowns in sports. Another one in poker may be playing out at the online tables soon.
The Daniel Negreanu–Doug Polk rivalry reached a peak over the last week. Both players have taken shots on social media and a heads-up matchuponline is now in the works.
After same back-and-forth online sparring and negotiation, the matchup looks like it’s officially on. Some details remain to be worked out, but both have agreed to the matchup.
Details on the Negreanu-Polk online poker challenge
After years of back and forth, the antipathy between Negreanu and Polk seemed to reach a boiling point last week. Negreanu made a comment to a video posted by Nick Schulman featuring Polk in a “More Rake is Better” T-shirt.
Polk responded with a couple shots after Negreanu was banned from Twitch recently. That included a video mocking his MasterClass course.
From there. the Twitter fire picked up with Polk openly challenging Negreanu. After some discussion on the terms of the duel, Negreanu agreed to the matchup.
I officially challenge Dnegs to a HUNL battle. I am hoping to leave with both his money, and my teeth still in my mouth. https://t.co/yE4ibc8Ydl
The action is expected to be streamed online but some of the details have been worked out. So far the plans include:
Game – heads-up No Limit Hold’em
Stakes – $200/$400
Number of hands – between 10,000 and 25,000
Number of tables – 2
Side bet – unknown as of now
Time – to be determined, but expected to be between September and October
“I never thought I’d see the day that this would actually happen,” Polk noted in a video about the challenge on Tuesday.
A look at the rivalry’s history
Charges and sniping have flown back and forth between Polk and Negreanu for several years. Much of that began in 2016 when Negreanu commented on increased rake while an ambassador at PokerStars.
He argued increased rake in some cash games would keep pros away. He believed that would be good for recreational players.
The rake argument didn’t sit well with Polk. He accused Negreanu of becoming a shill for the company rather than representing all players.
The antagonism has included a “More Rake is Better” billboard at the World Series of Poker. Polk also even donned a T-shirt with the phrase while seated next to Negreanu at the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl.
Much of Polk’s antipathy for Negreanu may boil down to this statement in his recent video.
“He changed into someone who doesn’t care about the players,” Polk says. “He’s also someone who belittles people quite frequently and then tries to get his way at whatever cost he can.”
For his part, Negreanu charges that Polk is simply a troll and makes money by producing trolling poker videos. Polk makes videos about other players as well, he argues, and that his Negreanu criticism is warranted.
Negreanu took to his blog site to describe why he accepted the challenge and believes Polk is obsessed.
“So in the end, why am I doing this?” Negreanu says. “To give the people what they want. For many years now this man has made a living off of trashing me on a regular basis, well past an unhealthy obsession, regurgitating the same attack lines over and over. Not because he truly believes I’m an evil monster, but purely for personal gain disguised as standing for some noble cause.”
When it comes to poker skills, Negreanu and Polk both bring plenty to the tables. There will be plenty of that on display when the matchup goes down and here’s a look at both players.
Doug Polk
Polk has $9.5 million in live tournament winnings and that includes three WSOP bracelets. The biggest of those came in 2016, when he won the $111,111 High Roller for One Drop for $3.7 million.
Polk also has considerable online winnings and is a co-founder of the Upswing Poker training site. In 2013, he won a $20,000 buy-in, 15,000-hand challenge against Ben “Sauce123” Sulsky. The two online poker phenoms battled at blinds of $100/200.
In 2015, Polk was part of a group of players taking on an artificial intelligence bot at Carnegie Mellon University. The challenge involved 20,000 heads-up hands and the humans, including Polk, came out on top.
In recent years, Polk retired from poker and sticks to producing YouTube videos. He’ll be coming out of retirement for the challenge.
Daniel Negreanu
On the other side of the table, Negreanu is one of the most recognizable names in the game. He has plenty of skins on the wall with $42 million in lifetime tournament winnings.
Negreanu’s winnings include six WSOP bracelets as well as two World Poker Tour titles. He’s third on the all-time money list and remains a major force in poker.
Beyond his work on the tables, “Kid Poker” was a longtime PokerStars ambassador and now reps GGPoker. He’s currently in Mexico playing in the WSOP Online on GG.
Bristling at the allegation that he’s been a major party to the rivalry, Negreanu believes Polk has been the antagonist. Either way, when the cards are dealt it will be quite a matchup for poker fans.
“Maybe this was all part of his long game plan,” he notes at his Full Contact Poker blog. “Attack me endlessly, bully me, mock me, in the hopes of getting me to agree to a high stakes poker match. If that’s the case, well played. You have your wish.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) gave the green light for Atlantic City casinos to reopen over the July 4 weekend. That didn’t include poker and players speculated rooms would soon follow with limited capacity.
It’s now August and all poker rooms remain closed. Online poker has boomed in the state, but many players are asking when live games will return.
Atlantic city currently has five live poker rooms: Harrahs, Borgata, Tropicana, Golden Nugget, and Caesars. All five casinos have reopened but have not released any information on reopening the poker rooms.
USPoker reached out to the properties but didn’t receive any information on poker room reopening plans. Poker player Jamie Giunta recently visited the reopened Borgata shared a video on Twitter of the normally bustling poker room.
“I teared up, felt lost, like it wasn’t real,” she says. “It was really sad to see no bodies in chairs and no faces. Borgata poker was the forefront of poker in Atlantic City. It was disheartening to see.”
Poker rooms face several requirements before reopening
On July 2, Murphy released updated executive orders regarding the casino industry. Atlantic City’s guidelines allowed for poker rooms to be reopen with the following rules in place:
All table games must have Plexiglas or glass barriers between dealers and guests.
Casinos must adhere additional cleaning and disinfecting protocols.
Casinos are subject to the state’s gathering limits. These currently restrict indoor capacity at 100 people or 25% of a room’s capacity.
Properties must promote social distancing and hygiene by establishing spacing and appropriate signage.
Casinos must place sanitizer stations throughout the property.
Players must wear masks in all public areas. However, guests must briefly lower masks for cage transactions for surveillance purposes.
Many poker rooms in other states, including Nevada, have already opened poker rooms. At properties like Bellagio in Las Vegas, players can expect to wear masks and see Plexiglass dividers at the tables.
Online casino numbers have skyrocketed, but Atlantic City casinos are feeling the pain of the financial downswing. According to MarketScreener, Atlantic City got hit the hardest with the worst unemployment rate in the country at 34.3%.
Live poker dealers account for some of these numbers. Pennsylvania and Delaware poker rooms are also closed.
Maryland Live! and MGM National Harbor are the closest open poker rooms for New Jersey players. However, there’s a 14-day quarantine travel restriction to Maryland.
For the time being, NJ poker players will have to enjoy playing online. Joe Shinn of Cherry Hill, NJ, plays both online and live, but is ready to head back to the real felt.
“Online poker is nowhere near as enjoyable, so the sooner the AC poker rooms can safely open, the better,” he says.
Others aren’t interested in state guidelines for short-handed play even if live poker does return.
“As much as I miss the juicy tourist cash games in the summer, I’m not sure I would enjoy playing four-handed,” Atlantic City cash grinder Charles Powell IV said.
When it comes to Atlantic City, poker tournament regular Marguerite Spagnuolo takes a libertarian approach.
“Get those dealers and floor people back to work,” she says. “Let the people choose to play or not.”
HexiGames is focused on bringing skill-based 
and could barely see the screen.
