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The World Series of Poker Online enters its fourth week of action this week. There were some interesting names taking home bracelets in the last week including a Main Event champion.

A player awaiting to play in a World Poker Tour televised final table also won a bracelet last week. On Sunday, action also picked up internationally at GGPoker on Sunday as well. That certainly wasn’t without some controversy.

Once again, WSOP Weekly has these stories as well as all the highlights in the last week of action.

Joe McKeehen becomes 1st Main Event champ to win an online bracelet

Pennsylvania’s Joe McKeehen added a bit of added hype to last week’s series events. He became the first Main Event champion to also win a WSOP bracelet online.

The winner of the 2015 Main Event took down the biggest WSOP Online tournament so far on July 14. In Event 14: $3,200 NLHE High Roller, McKeehen topped a field of 496 entries for his third bracelet and $352,985.

The event featured a prize pool of $1.5 million. Beyond his Main Event title, McKeehen also won a bracelet in 2017 in the $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship for $311,817.

He now has almost $11 million in series winnings. That also includes three WSOP Circuit championship rings.

McKeehen has been one of the most successful Main Event champs in recent years. Beyond the WSOP, he also has plenty of big scores on other tours.

The World Poker Tour has been a big part of that with more than $1 million in winnings and four final table appearances. Can another deep run be in his future? With his consistency, don’t rule it out.

Six-figure payouts continue at WSOP.com

With 19 of 31 events complete, the big numbers continued at WSOP.com last week. Every event has paid out six-figure prizes for first place except for two.

The $3,200 NLHE High Roller, won by McKeehen, even produced six-figure payouts for the top four players. These are nice numbers considering players can only participate in New Jersey and Nevada.

As of July 18, tournaments were attracting an average of 980 unique entries. The average prize pool was $847,661 with a payout average of $152,084.There are some interesting events set for this week and a few highlights include:

Event 20: $500 PLO Six-Handed – Monday, July 20

The final PLO event on the schedule should attract a nice field of players who like playing with four cards. The one remaining Omaha event is in the Hi/Lo format on July 28.

Event 21: $777 No Limit Hold’em – Tuesday, July 21

A higher buy-in event, which should produce a nice first-place payout as players see the end in sight next week.

Event 26: $500 No Limit Hold’em Grande Finale – Sunday, July 26

This should be a big Sunday event to kick off the final week of play at WSOP.com. Look for a strong field of weekend warriors giving it a shot for some gold.

Here’s a complete look at the statistics and winners from the action so far.

WSOP Online 2020 Statistics and Winners

Event	Buy-In	Unique Entries	Re-Entries	Total	Prize Pool	Top Prize	Winner
#1 NLHE Kick-Off	$500	1195	520	1715	$771,750	$130,426	Jonathan “Art.Vandelay” Dokler
#2 NLHE 8-Handed Deepstack	$1,000	647	272	919	$873,050	$168,586	Louis “PokeThese” Lynch
#3 NLHE	$400	1450	641	2091	$752,760	$115,850	Robert “bustinballs” Kuhn
#4 NLHE Super Turbo	$500	828	351	1179	$530,550	$97,091	Matt “Bodeyster” Bode
#5 NLHE Freezeout	$1,000	854	0	854	$811,300	$161,286	Allen “Acnyc718” Chang
#6 PLO 6-Handed	$600	497	386	883	$449,820	$89,424	Nathan “surfbum” Gamble
#7 NLHE Knockout Deepstack	$800	989	NA	989	$731,660	$103,127	Joon “jykpoker” Kim
#8 NLHE Freezeout	$500	1,479	0	1,479	$665,550	$119,400	Alan “GladiusIII” Goehring
#9 NLHE Six-Max	$1,000	658	368	1026	$974,700	$188,214	Ron “MacDaddy15” McMillen
#10 NLHE Monster Stack	$600	1,505	569	2,074	$1,119,960	$172,361	Ryan “Im.sorry” Torgerson
#11 NLHE Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed	$500	1,081	610	1,691	$760,950	$128,601	Raman “Acrogum” Afanasenka
#12 BIG 500 NLHE	$500	1,624	803	2,427	$1,092,150	$159,563	Ryan “joeyisamush” Depaulo
#13 NLHE High Roller Freezeout	$1,500	649	0	649	$924,825	$164,249	Michael “miguelfiesta” Lech
#14 No Limit Hold’em High Roller	$3,200	368	128	496	$1,507,840	$352,985	Joe “fanofdapoker” McKeehen
#15 PLO 8-Max HR	$1,000	386	277	663	$629,850	$133,780	Guy “PhilLaak” Dunlap
#16 NLHE Turbo	$500	1,044	484	1,528	$687,600	$116,204	Terrell “Heezahustla” Cheatham
#17 NLHE	$777	917	465	1,382	$967,400	$173,551	Pat “IchiiKawawa” Lyons
#18: NLHE 8-Handed Turbo DeepStack	$1,000	697	290	987	$937,650	$181,060	Scott “BudLightLime” Hempel
#19: NLHE	$400	1,757	788	2,545	$916,200	$133,856	Kenny “Chopuh” Huynh
TOTALS		18625		25577	$16,105,565	$2,889,614

Winning a bracelet, awaiting WPT final table

It’s been quite a year Scott Hempel. In March, the 31-year-old online grinder qualified for the televised final table of the LA Poker Classic.

He’ll be fifth in chips when play picks up at the final table in front of WPT cameras at the HyperX Esports Arena at Luxor in Las Vegas. When that happens is still up in the air, but that hasn’t slowed Hempel down.

Originally from Chicago and now spending much of his time in Canada, Hempel notched his fourth cash of the series in a big way on July 18.

Hempel won Event 18: $1,000 NLHE Eight-Handed Turbo DeepStack for $181,060. That comes after finishing seventh a day earlier in a $777 NLHE event for $22,500.

When play resumes in the LAPC, Hempel faces quite a challenge. His final table includes WPT champions James Carroll and Matas Cimbolas as well as three-time WSOP bracelet winner Upeshka De Silva.

Hempel credits his online skills for a late rally at the Bike to qualify for the final table. He now has a shot at a WPT title as well in his first-ever cash on the tour.

“Today I was down to 10 blinds several times,” he told WPT.com. “I guess fortunately with an online background, I’m very comfortable playing those stack sizes. I think a lot of people find themselves in nebulous spots, but you play enough of these online tournaments and you get in tons of reps on those shorts stacks. But you still have to get extremely lucky once you’re that short.”

Those online skills continue to pay off in big ways.

Flyin’ Lyons soars to WSOP title

Another WPT regular also added a bracelet to his poker resumé last week. Pat Lyons already has a WPT title after winning the Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino in 2016 for $615,346.

He’s now added a bracelet after winning Event 17: $777 NLHE. Lyons took home $173,552 for his efforts.

One of the more interesting players in the game, Lyons is originally from San Mateo, California, and has $1.6 million in live tournament winnings.

I won the bracelet #wsop 777 #braceletHunting #worldfamousPatLyons style. #imcoollikeThat #blessed

#ichiiKawawa pic.twitter.com/3uzx8k6luG

— Pat Lyons (@flyinlyons) July 18, 2020

 

Beyond poker, he enjoys sports betting and horse race handicapping. He admits his big wagers are pretty crazy, including occasional six-figure bets.

“It’s a little ridiculous,” he says. “Life is so short, I enjoy life. You can’t take money with you.”

Lyons now has another six figures to consider for sports about to get back in action.

GGPoker forced to delay events on 1st day after server issues

The WSOP Online moved to a second platform on Sunday. GGPoker is scheduled to offer 54 bracelet events to international players.

With three events set for Sunday, an unexpected high number of players led to numerous disconnections, lag, bugs, and log-in issues.

The issues caused numerous complaints among players on social media. The site was forced to reschedule two of Sunday’s three events to July 26.

The rescheduling was also met with complaints from players who lost significant chips after they were disconnected. Others weren’t pleased the events were postponed as they may not be able to play in a week.

GG ambassador Daniel Negreanu even took to Twitter to apologize for the issues.

Apologize for the issues today on @GGPokerOfficial I totally feel your pain. Nothing more aggravating than software issues!

Be sure to follow @GGPokerOfficial for the compensation plan for those of you who were affected.

Really brutal. Sorry everyone! https://t.co/PQpIZvoeQQ pic.twitter.com/Zmtt58my0X

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) July 19, 2020

Not everything was problematic however. The $525 Super Turbo Bounty ran as scheduled with Japanese player Shoma Ishikawa taking home $117,650. Ishikawa became the first player to win an online bracelet outside the US.

The rough start comes at a time when online poker has experienced a mini-boom in recent months. That has included nice revenue numbers for June in the US.

With events currently running at WSOP.com and PokerStars, nice revenue numbers should continue in July.

Robert Kuhn still atop WSOP leaderboard

After already scoring one bracelet in the series, Robert “bustinballs” Kuhn continues earning big results. He also has a fourth-place finish as well as eight total cashes.

Kuhn remains atop the Online Bracelet Leaderboard. There’s an extra $100,000 on the line with the winner taking home $18,000.

• 1st – Robert “BustinBalls” Kuhn, 2,439.7 points
• 2nd – Michael “miguelfiesta” Lech, 2071.12
• 3rd – Ryan “Im.Sorry” Torgerson, 2068.81
• 4th – Roland “prngls12” Israelashvili, 2062.91
• 5th – Philip “tomte” Yeh, 2038.93

* standings as of July 19

WSOP Online schedules, information

Here’s a look at the remaining events on the schedule as well as the international half of the series at GGPoker.

For more information, including facts, events, and Twitch streams, visit the USPoker Total WSOP Online page.

2020 WSOP Online

Event	Date	Time (PT)	Game	Buy-In
1	July 1 (W)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Kick-Off	$500
2	July 2 (Th)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed Deepstack	$1,000
3	July 3 (F)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em	$400
4	July 4 (Sa)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Super Turbo	$500
5	July 5 (Su)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Freezeout	$1,000
6	July 6 (M)	3 p.m.	PLO8 6-Handed	$600
7	July 7 (Tu)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Knockout Deepstack	$800
8	July 8 (W)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Freezeout	$500
9	July 9 (Th)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em 6-Max	$1,000
10	July 10 (F)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em MonsterStack	$600
11	July 11 (Sa)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed	$500
12	July 12 (Su)	3 p.m.	The BIG 500 No Limit Hold’em	$500
13	July 13 (M)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em High Roller Freezeout	$1,500
14	July 14 (Tu)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em High Roller	$3,200
15	July 15 (W)	3 p.m.	PLO 8-Max HR	$1,000
16	July 16 (Th)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Turbo	$500
17	July 17 (F)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’emÊ	$777
18	July 18 (Sa)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed Turbo DeepStack	$1,000
19	July 19 (Su)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em	$400
20	July 20 (M)	3 p.m.	PLO 6-Handed	$500
21	July 21 (Tu)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed	$777
22	July 22 (W)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack	$500
23	July 23 (Th)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Knockout	$500
24	July 24 (F)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed	$400
25	July 25 (Sa)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Summer Saver	$500
26	July 26 (Su)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Grande Finale	$500
27	July 27 (M)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Freezeout	$400
28	July 28 (Tu)	3 p.m.	Omaha 8 6-Max	$1,000
29	July 29 (W)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed	$600
30	July 30 (Th)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Seniors Event	$500
31	July 31 (F)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Championship	$1,000

2020 GGPoker WSOP Online

Date	Event Number	Tournament	Buy-in	Prize Guarantee	Notes
Sunday, July 19, 2020 ** Day 2 postponed to July 26	1	$100 The Opener [Final Day], $2M GTD	$100	$2,000,000	2-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Sunday, July 19, 2020 ** Day 2 postponed to July 26	2	$1,111 Every 1 for Covid Relief [Caesars Cares]	$1,111		2-Day Event
Sunday, July 19, 2020	3	$525 Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed	$525
Tuesday, July 21, 2020	4	$5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship	$5,000
Wednesday, July 22, 2020	5	$1,500 FIFTY STACK No Limit Hold’em	$1,500
Thursday, July 23, 2020	6	$1,050 Bounty Pot Limit Omaha	$1,050
Saturday, July 25, 2020	7	$600 Monster Stack No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed	$600		Asia Time Zone
Sunday, July 26, 2020	8	$1,500 No Limit Hold’em	$1,500		Asia Time Zone
Sunday, July 26, 2020	9	$2,500 Pot Limit Omaha	$2,500
Sunday, July 26, 2020	10	$400 COLOSSUS [Day 2], $3M GTD	$400	$3,000,000	3-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Sunday, July 26, 2020	11	$400 PLOSSUS [Day 2], $1M GTD	$400	$1,000,000	3-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Tuesday, July 28, 2020	12	$10,000 Short Deck No Limit Hold’em Championship	$10,000
Wednesday, July 29, 2020	13	$2,500 No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed	$2,500
Thursday, July 30, 2020	14	$840 Bounty No Limit Hold’em	$840
Saturday, August 01, 2020	15	$500 Deepstack No Limit Hold’em	$500		Asia Time Zone
Sunday, August 02, 2020	16	$1,000 Short Deck No Limit Hold’em	$1,000		Asia Time Zone
Sunday, August 02, 2020	17	$1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER [Day 2], $5M GTD, $1M to 1st	$1,500	$ 5,000,000	3-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Sunday, August 02, 2020	18	$500 Turbo Deepstack No Limit Hold’em	$500
Tuesday, August 04, 2020	19	$2,100 No Limit Hold’em Bounty Championship	$2,100
Wednesday, August 05, 2020	20	$400 Pot Limit Omaha	$400
Thursday, August 06, 2020	21	$1,000 No Limit Hold’em	$1,000
Saturday, August 08, 2020	22	$800 Double Stack Pot Limit Omaha	$800		Asia Time Zone
Sunday, August 09, 2020	23	HK$8,000 No Limit Hold’em Asia Championship [Final Day], HK$8M GTD	HK$8,000	HK$8,000,000	2-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Sunday, August 09, 2020	24	$150 GGMasters WSOP Edition [Freezeout], $1M GTD	$150	$1,000,000	Freezeout
Sunday, August 09, 2020	25	$10,000 Heads Up No Limit Hold’em Championship [No Late Reg, 128 Cap]	$10,000		2-Day Event, Freezeout
Tuesday, August 11, 2020	26	$5,000 No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed Championship	$5,000
Wednesday, August 12, 2020	27	$2,500 Double Stack No Limit Hold’em	$2,500
Thursday, August 13, 2020	28	$525 Bounty No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed	$525
Saturday, August 15, 2020	29	$300 Monster Stack No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed	$300		Asia Time Zone
Sunday, August 16, 2020	30	$1,500 Pot Limit Omaha	$1,500
Sunday, August 16, 2020	31	$500 Mini Main Event [Final Day], $5M GTD	$500	$5,000,000	2-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Sunday, August 16, 2020	32	$840 Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold’em	$840
Tuesday, August 18, 2020	33	$600 No Limit Hold’em Deepstack Championship	$600
Wednesday, August 19, 2020	34	$800 Pot Limit Omaha	$800
Thursday, August 20, 2020	35	$500 Limit Hold’em	$500
Saturday, August 22, 2020	36	$500 Deepstack No-Limit Hold’em	$500		Asia Time Zone
Sunday, August 23, 2020	37	$1,500 Marathon No Limit Hold’em	$1,500		Asia Time Zone
Sunday, August 23, 2020	38	$25,000 NLH POKER PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, $10M GTD	$25,000	$10,000,000	2-Day Event
Sunday, August 23, 2020	39	BIG 50 [Final Day], $1M GTD	$50	$1,000,000	2-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Tuesday, August 25, 2020	40	$1,500 Limit Hold’em Championship	$1,500
Wednesday, August 26, 2020	41	$1,000 No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed	$1,000
Thursday, August 27, 2020	42	$1,500 Pot Limit Omaha	$1,500
Saturday, August 29, 2020	43	$300 Double Stack No Limit Hold’em	$300		Asia Time Zone
Sunday, August 30, 2020	44	$400 FORTY STACK No Limit Hold’em	$400
Sunday, August 30, 2020	45	$5,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event [Day 2], $25M GTD	$5,000	$25,000,000	3-Day Event, Feezeout Flights
Sunday, August 30, 2020	46	$1,000 Turbo No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed	$1,000
Tuesday, September 01, 2020	47	People’s Choice Event [Most Popular]	TBA	TBA	TBA by Vote
Wednesday, September 02, 2020	48	People’s Choice Event [Pros Vote]	TBA	TBA	TBA by Vote
Thursday, September 03, 2020	49	People’s Choice Event [Spin the Wheel]	TBA	TBA	TBA by Vote
Saturday, September 05, 2020	50	People’s Choice Event [Most Popular]	TBA	TBA	Asia Time Zone, TBA by Vote
Saturday, September 05, 2020	51	$1,050 Beat the Pros [Bounty]	$1,050
Sunday, September 06, 2020	52	$10K WSOP Super MILLION$, $5M GTD	$10,000	$5,000,000	2-Day Event
Sunday, September 06, 2020	53	$100 WSOP MILLION$ [Final Day], $2M GTD	$100	$2,000,000	2-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Sunday, September 06, 2020	54	$500 The Closer [LAST CHANCE]	$500

Joe McKeehen photo courtesy of WPT/Joe Giron

The post WSOP WEEKLY: McKeehen Grabs Gold, GGPoker Struggles, Lyons Flyin’, & More appeared first on .

Poker rooms remain closed in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. But online there is a great deal of poker being played on practically every site.

On PokerStars PA the ongoing Bounty Series has provided poker players in the Keystone State an opportunity to play their favorite card game, and they have taken advantage in large numbers. Through the first 40 events of the 70-event series, more than $1 million has been awarded.

Guarantees routinely bested during Bounty Builder first week

Players in neighboring New Jersey are currently vying for World Series of Poker bracelets in the WSOP Online series on WSOP NJ. Pennsylvanians cannot participate in those events, although players continue to keep an eye out for WSOP potentially launching a PA site.

The lone operating online poker site in the state, PokerStars PA continues to attract consistently high traffic. Such has been shown by turnouts for Bounty Builder series, a 15-day series of progressive knockout tournaments.

Of the 40 completed events, 38 have featured prize pools exceeding the scheduled guarantees. Of those, four events had prize pools that more than doubled the guarantees. Interestingly, three of those four were non-hold’em events — pot-limit Omaha, pot-limit Badugi, and pot-limit 5-Card Omaha.

The largest single prize pool thus far came in last night’s Sunday Special – Bounty Builder Edition (Event #35). The $100 event carried a $100,000 guarantee, and with 1,166 total entries the prize pool ultimately totaled just over $107,000.

Just two overlays so far, both small

The two events with overlays both missed their guarantees by about 30 entries.

One was the first version of the $100 buy-in Sunday Special – Bounty Builder Edition (Event #4) on July 12 that also carried a $100,000 guarantee and ultimately had an overlay of close to $2,700.

The other was a $50 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Turbo (8-Max) (Event #27) on Saturday with a $12,500 guarantee that ended up with about a $1,450 overlay.

Bounty Builder Championship Belts still up for grabs

Thirty events remain on the PokerStars PA Bounty Builder schedule. Among highlights still to come will be the awarding of more Championship Belts, a first for tournaments on PokerStars PA.

Out of the 70 events, winners of 18 of them are being awarded a Bounty Builder Championship Belt for their victories. So far 10 “belt events” have completed. Of the eight Championship Belt events that remain, highlights include:

• Thursday Thrill Special Edition on July 23 ($200 buy-in, $50,000 guaranteed prize pool)
• Mini Main Event on July 26 ($50 buy-in, $40,000 gtd.)
• Main Event, a two-day event starting on July 26 ($200 buy-in, $150,000 gtd.)

Overlays in PokerStars New Jersey version of Bounty Builder

Over in New Jersey, PokerStars NJ is running its own version of the Bounty Builder series. There the series features 53 events taking place over the same 15-day period, with guarantees adding up to $600,000. (With its 70 events, the PokerStars PA version’s guarantees total just over $1.5 million.)

Perhaps reflecting the fact that some NJ players may have been drawn to play in the daily World Series of Poker bracelet events on WSOP.com NJ, there have been a number of overlays thus far in the PokerStars NJ Bounty Builder series.

Through the first 31 events, 11 have had overlays ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to more than $3,000. Overall, almost $400,000 has been awarded in the PokerStars NJ Bounty Builder Series so far, which is ahead of the total guarantees (about $333K).

Weekend events in particular appear to be the ones most affected on PokerStars NJ. Of the 11 events with overlays, 10 have come in weekend tournaments.

Like the PokerStars PA Bounty Builder, the New Jersey version culminates next Sunday, July 26 with several events including a two-day Main Event.

PokerStars PA Bounty Builder Series by the numbers

Here’s a look at the Bounty Builder Series through Event #40.

Event	Buy-In	Guarantee	Entries	Re-Entries	Prize Pool
1: NLHE Series Kick-Off (8-Max)*	$100	$40,000	368	168	$49,204.80
2: NLHE Mini Kick-Off (8-Max)	$25	$15,000	563	227	$17,972.50
3: NLHE	$75	$15,000	214	78	$19,929.00
4: NLHE Sunday Special – Bounty Builder Edition*	$100	$100,000	750	310	$100,000.00**
5: NLHE Mini Special (8-Max)	$20	$15,000	699	284	$17,890.60
6: NLHE Sunday High Roller – Bounty Builder Edition (6-Max)	$250	$30,000	150	53	$47,299.00
7: NLHE (8-Max)	$50	$10,000	270	98	$16,744.00
8: NLHE Turbo (8-Max)	$20	$7,500	393	136	$9,627.80
9: NLHE SuperSonic – Bounty Builder Edition	$50	$12,500	211	67	$13,066.00
10: NLHE Battle Royale Special Edition (6-Max)*	$50	$25,000	580	364	$42,952.00
11: PL Omaha (8-Max)	$100	$10,000	167	106	$25,061.40
12: NLHE (8-Max)*	$75	$20,000	440	213	$44,567.25
13: NL Omaha Hi-Lo (6-Max)	$100	$7,500	110	45	$14,229.00
14: NLHE Turbo (8-Max)	$50	$12,500	340	135	$21,612.50
15: NLHE (6-Max)	$50	$15,000	400	176	$26,208.00
16: NLHE High Roller (8-Max)*	$500	$60,000	124	50	$81,780.00
17: NLHE Hyper-Turbo (8-Max)	$20	$5,000	350	113	$8,704.40
18: PL Badugi	$50	$2,000	84	43	$5,778.50
19: NLHE Thursday Thrill Special Edition*	$200	$50,000	215	82	$55,242.00
20: NLHE Mini Thrill	$25	$17,500	650	340	$22,522.50
21: NLHE BigStack Turbo (8-Max)	$75	$12,500	237	79	$21,567.00
22: NLHE Hyper-Turbo (6-Max)	$50	$10,000	239	79	$14,946.00
23: PL 5-Card Omaha (6-Max)	$30	$5,000	216	171	$10,565.10
24: NLHE Escalating Antes (8-Max)*	$50	$20,000	453	109	$25,571.00
25: NLHE Turbo (6-Max)	$20	$7,500	427	211	$11,611.60
26: NLHE DeepStack (8-Max)	$100	$30,000	212	123	$30,753.00
27: NLHE Turbo (8-Max)	$50	$12,500	181	62	$12,500.00**
28: NLHE (8-Max)*	$200	$30,000	148	82	$42,780.00
29: NLHE (4-Max)	$20	$10,000	413	204	$11,229.40
30: NLHE Hyper-Turbo (8-Max)	$50	$10,000	230	63	$13,771.00
31: NLHE Marathon	$100	$20,000	230	118	$31,946.40
32: H.O.R.S.E.	$50	$3,000	139	37	$8,008.00
33: NLHE Warm-Up – Bounty Builder Edition	$30	$12,500	392	161	$15,096.90
34: NLHE Storm – Bounty Builder Edition (6-Max)	$10	$5,000	467	209	$6,151.60
35: NLHE Sunday Special – Bounty Builder Edition*	$100	$100,000	703	463	$107,038.80
36: NLHE Mini Special*	$25	$25,000	752	399	$26,185.25
37: Sunday High Roller – Bounty Builder Edition (6-Max)	$250	$30,000	127	53	$41,940.00
38: PL Omaha (8-Max)	$100	$15,000	133	75	$19,094.40
39: NLHE Turbo (8-Max)	$75	$20,000	259	94	$24,092.25
40: NLHE Hyper-Turbo SuperSonic – Bounty Builder Edition	$50	$10,000	229	70	$14,053.00

*Championship Belt event
**Event #4 had an overlay of $2,692; Event #27 had an overlay of $1,443.50

The post PokerStars PA Bounty Builder Series Update: $1 Million Paid Out, $150K Main Event Still to Come appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.

New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware online casino numbers came back to reality a bit in June. Despite a decline, all three states continue to show impressive numbers.

The states may have seen their peaks, but still show impressive growth overall for online poker and gaming in general. 

New Jersey sees decline in online poker, but revenue continues hitting big totals

The New Jersey online poker curve seems to be flattening, dropping 22% from May to June. Online poker operators brought in $3.5 million in revenue. Even though that total is down month over month, this is still double the revenue this time last year.

WSOP.com still holds the gold medal for poker revenue. The site totaled $1.3 million in June, up 61% year over year but down 17.7% from May.

The site is currently in the middle of its bracelet series, WSOP Online. That should bring big numbers for WSOP.com in July’s report.

WSOP.com is the only regulated online poker site operating in a shared liquidity market. That includes Nevada and New Jersey, and also with its software partner 888poker in NJ and Delaware. 

PokerStars finished up the month with $1.2 million in revenue, good for second in the market. This is a 129% increase year over year.

The site is currently running the Bounty Builder Series alongside its Pennsylvania platform. Both are “fenced-in” markets, meaning players only play against others in the state.

PartyPoker and its BorgataPoker.com and BetMGM skins combined for $914,503 in June. Even with the lowest revenue of the poker operators, the site saw the highest percentage growth year over year.

The site also had the smallest decline month over month. Party partnered with the World Poker Tour in June for a big series. That certainly added to the site’s totals.

A look at New Jersey sports betting and online casino numbers

With sports like the UFC, MLB, and MLS slowly returning, NJ sports betting is up 40% since May. The state produced $165 million in handle for June, $12.6 million in casino revenue. 

Online casinos had one of their best months ever in June. Operators brought in $84 million in June with $81.3 million coming from slots and table games. 

The Golden Nugget continued to be the top dog in the industry, bringing in $29 million in revenue. 

In July, gamblers have had the opportunity to get back to live gaming. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) gave the okay for Atlantic City casinos reopening on July 4 weekend.

Casinos will be permitted to open on July 2nd at 25% capacity.
 
If any visitor refuses to comply with our simple safeguards, they’ll be escorted out.
 
We’re not going to tolerate any knuckleheads trying to ruin it for those who wish to enjoy themselves responsibly.

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 22, 2020

Casinos have been closed since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. With the reopenings it will be interesting to see how much that affects online gaming. 

And even though casinos have begun reopening, Atlantic City poker rooms are still closed.

PA numbers still showing strength as more operators look to enter market

PokerStars brought in $3.2 million in revenue in June, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. PokerStars currently holds an online poker monopoly in the Keystone State, but that looks to be changing soon.

Additional operators are looking to get in on the action. Partypoker looks to enter the market in August, with WSOP.com also debuting by the fall.

Since launching in November 2019, PokerStars PA has brought in over $24 million in revenue. 

In total, Pennsylvania online casinos grossed $49.9 million in June among all slot, poker, and table games. That was the second biggest month in state history. 

A majority of live casinos are also now open in PA. All casinos have guidelines requiring:

• mask usage
• no indoor smoking
• limited capacity
• enhanced social distancing measures

With casinos reopening, expect to see some declines in the online casino market.

Delaware posts second biggest poker month to date, continues hovering at $1 million

While it may be small, Delaware continues to see an online boom since the Coronavirus pandemic as well. In May, Delaware online poker had its first $1 million since launching in 2013. 

June numbers came down but held strong at $964,606, the second biggest month of online poker revenue to date. 888poker offers the only online poker platform through an agreement with the state.

On July 6, 888 also announced that it had extended it’s operator deal with Delaware Lottery for two more years. The company also provides the software for all online casino games. 

Most Delaware casinos have re-opened up, but live poker rooms still remain closed.

The post AIMING HIGH: June Online Poker Numbers Decline, But Remain Strong appeared first on .

Amid a 51 percent year-over-year PA gaming revenue decline, online gambling in June remained a bright spot and hope is dawning for land-based casinos.

The post A $50 Million June for PA Online Casino Promotes Recovery in Wounded Market appeared first on PA Online Casino.

The first ever World Series of Poker Online tournament series is well underway on WSOP.com. There have been a number of interesting stories to emerge from the series already.

Forced by the coronavirus pandemic to scrap a plan to feature over 100 bracelet events both live and online, the WSOP chose to move its annual series entirely to the virtual tables. The WSOP Online series includes 85 events, the first 31 one of which are being played once per day every day in July on WSOP.com. The remaining 54 events start July 19 and take place on the international site GGPoker (not available to US players).

Working in partnership with 888, WSOP.com currently operates online poker rooms in three states — Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey. An interstate compact between the three states enables WSOP.com to share player pools from each state. However, only players playing on WSOP NV or WSOP NJ can play in WSOP Online series events.

WSOP Online winners earning big prizes, attention for storylines

That means players must be physically located within either Nevada or New Jersey to play the WSOP.com bracelet events. Each event begins at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET and other than the turbo events, most last 11-12 hours, meaning they aren’t finishing until 2-3 a.m. in NV and 5-6 a.m. in NJ.

Despite that limitation, there have still been some interesting stories to emerge from the two weeks’ worth of one-day tournaments that have played out thus far.

Last week, Ryan “MacDaddy15” McMillen won a $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Max event. He outlasted a 1,026-entry field to win the bracelet and $188,214.57, the biggest first prize of the series up to that point.

Even better, while the 70-year-old McMillen is a veteran of live poker, it was apparently his first ever online tournament!

On Sunday the vlogger Ryan “joeyisamuch” Depaulo won The BIG 500 No-Limit Hold’em event, a $500 tournament that saw 2,427 entries. The New Yorker won $159,563.11 for topping that field.

Depaulo drove over to New Jersey to play the event which took 12-and-a-half hours to complete. In fact, he played the tournament in his car from a grocery story parking lot, finishing it as dawn broke and the store was opening up.

What WSOP Final Tables look like in 2020 pic.twitter.com/my9kQ4GbK8

— Ryan Depaulo: Degenerate Gambler (@depaulo_ryan) July 13, 2020

Other winners so far have included Nathan Gamble (who won a bracelet in Vegas three years ago), the two-time World Poker Tour champion Alan Goehring, and 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen.

McKeehen won his third career bracelet Tuesday night in the $3,200 High Roller event. That is the largest buy-in of any of the WSOP Online series events on WSOP.com. McKeehen won $352,985.34 for besting the 496-entry field.

Pennsylvania players wait for WSOP.com launch

A Pennsylvania native, McKeehen also had to travel in order to participate in the WSOP.com series. However, one day McKeehen and other Pennsylvania players might be able to play for WSOP online bracelets without having to leave home.

That day might come sooner than later. That’s because the WSOP is already in the process of obtaining regulatory approval to launch a site in the Keystone State.

Since early November 2019, PokerStars PA has enjoyed an online poker monopoly as the state’s only site. PokerStars operates in Pennsylvania through a partnership with the land-based Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono.

As the only option for players, PokerStars PA has enjoyed a surge of traffic over the spring and summer months, not least because of COVID-19 having forced the closure of brick-and-mortar poker rooms in the state since mid-March. By this Friday, all 12 of the state’s casinos will have reopened, albeit at limited capacity. However in all cases, the casinos’ poker rooms remain closed per recommendations from CDC and the PA Department of Health.

In late May, Doug Harbach of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board confirmed to PlayPennsylvania that an online poker application from Caesars (who owns the WSOP) is currently pending. While no timeline has been made public, once regulators complete their review of the application, the PGCB will make their decision.

Other online poker sites soon to challenge PokerStars in PA

Pennsylvania passed a gambling expansion bill in 2017. Soon after, seven PA casinos acquired the $10 million license enabling them to operate online casino games, including online poker. In addition to Mount Airy, the other six casinos licensed to operate online poker rooms in the state (pending PGCB approval) include:

• Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack
• Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
• Parx Casino and Racing
• Rivers Casino Philadelphia (formerly SugarHouse)
• Valley Forge Casino Resort
• Wind Creek Bethlehem (formerly Sands Casino Resort)

WSOP.com already has a candidate for a land-based partner in Caesars-owned Harrah’s Philadelphia. In April, Caesars also launched an online sportsbook and online casino in PA, further establishing WSOP.com as a probable frontrunner to launch online poker in the state.

Another likely candidate to launch in the state in the near future is partypoker, perhaps as soon as August. The partypoker platform is owned by GVC Holdings which, with MGM, jointly owns ROAR Digital. ROAR currently operates the partypoker NJ site. ROAR may have its license to operate in Pennsylvania approved by the PGCB as early as August 5.

Interstate compacts needed for PA players to play for online bracelets

Of course, should WSOP.com launch in Pennsylvania, another step will have to be taken for players in the state to be able to compete for WSOP online bracelets. Pennsylvania will still need to forge an interstate compact with other states in which WSOP.com operates.

In late 2018, a revised opinion of the 1961 Wire Act emanating from the Department of Justice made some states less eager to explore the idea of sharing liquidity for their online poker rooms via interstate agreements.

The revised opinion suggested the law prohibits all types of gambling conducted across state lines (and not just sports betting). However, a U.S. District Court in New Hampshire subsequently rejected that revised opinion in 2019.

The DOJ is currently mounting an appeal to try to reverse that lower court decision. In the interim, enforcement of the new DOJ opinion of the Wire Act has been delayed. Even so, the prospect of the case’s outcome has understandably slowed momentum for more states to enter interstate compacts for online poker.

Experienced poker players well understand that patience is a much needed attribute for winning. Pennsylvania poker players are hoping their patience with regard to online options — and perhaps the ability to play for WSOP bracelets — will eventually be rewarded.

Lead image via Ryan Depaulo’s twitter page (@depaulo_ryan).

The post Early WSOP Online Series Winners Produce Fun Stories, PA Players Await Their Turn appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.

Poker players in Pennsylvania may receive some welcome news soon. It looks like partypoker may launch in the state as early as August.

Additionally, WSOP.com may launch in the state shortly afterward as well. The news comes from PlayPennsylvania.com. The site reports that Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board chief enforcement counsel Cyrus Pitre spoke on the subject at the group’s July 8 meeting.

Pitre expects partypoker to be approved at the group’s Aug. 5 meeting. The site could then go live in the Keystone State afterward.

Adding a second state to the partypoker fold

Another gaming option would be a welcome addition for many in the state. PokerStars, the top operator in the world, has been going it alone since launching in November 2019.

Stars has experienced a surge in players since the Coronavirus pandemic. An additional operator offers a chance to grow the market even more.

Partypoker already operates a “fenced-in” platform in New Jersey. However, company owner GVC Holdings has been bullish on expansion.

Whether the two sites will share liquidity remains an open question until jurisprudence surrounding the Wire Act is resolved. The issue remains tied up in federal appeals court as the Department of Justice argues it applies to other forms of iGaming and not just sports betting.

What to expect from partypoker PA

Partypoker PA will also operate in a ringed-in environment. In New Jersey, the platform also includes the BorgataPoker.com and BetMGM skins.

The platform regularly places third behind WSOP.com and PokerStars. However, party has also benefited from the pandemic lockdown.

In recent months, the site has offered several series with a wide range of buy-ins. The site’s Phased Tournaments have also proven popular. These are larger buy-in events with multiple starting flights throughout the week and culminating with Day 2 on the weekend.

The company also regularly partners with the World Poker Tour internationally.

In June that included the first-ever partnership in NJ for the WPT Online Poker Open. The $400 championship event features a guarantee of $300,000. That total was topped with $317,540 paid out.

The WPT heavily promotes its partypoker events. The NJ event also awarded a tour trophy and an $11,000 package to play in the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic. 

NJ poker pro David Coleman took the title for $56,586 after topping a field of 868 entries.

BorgataPoker.com ambassador Katie Stone expects many similar promotions in PA. That also may include partypoker LIVE events eventually.

“I think the residents of Pennsylvania are in for a treat,” Stone says. “Lots of new tournaments will be available that Pennsylvania players will enjoy. And once live poker gets back to normal, it’s also a great opportunity for PA players to be able to satellite their way into bigger live buy-in events.”

WSOP.com may be on the way too

With the partypoker launch, the state will host versions of the top two operators in the world. The current top operator in the US, WSOP.com, could also be on the way in the Keystone State.

WSOP.com operates the country’s only shared liquidity compact between NJ and PA. Delaware is also part of that compact through 888poker, its software partner which also offers poker in NJ.

“Caesars Interactive Entertainment, which owns WSOP.com, has had approval from the PGCB since February 2020, but its online software provider, 888, has yet to get approved in PA,” PlayPennsylvania reports. “But 888 is already approved by gaming regulators in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.”

A Caesars launch of WSOP.com would also mean a PA ringed-in market until the Wire Act issue is resolved. However, the addition of WSOP.com would all be welcome news to PA players.

WSOP.com is currently running the WSOP Online in NJ and Nevada, allowing US players to win a bracelet online. Turnout and prize pools have been nice so far.

The platform also regularly hosts online WSOP Circuit events with a chance to win championship rings. It’s not difficult to imagine something similar coming to PA.

A quick look at the PA market

The PA market as a whole has benefited from the pandemic lockdown. Despite having only one operator, the state has had three straight huge months.

That includes topping New Jersey revenue totals in April. With 12.8 million people, about 4 million more than NJ, Pennsylvania offers a promising market.

After setting revenue records in March and April, that dipped a bit in May. These totals still remain strong however.

• March – $3.1 million
• April – $5.2 million
• May – $4.5 million

PokerStars is currently running its Bounty Builder Series in PA and NJ. Pennsylvanians may soon have some new options for tournaments and cash games.

The post ON A ROLL: Partypoker Pennsylvania Launch Expected in August; WSOP.com May Follow appeared first on .

The World Series of Poker may not be live from Las Vegas this summer, but the biggest spectacle in poker kicked off online July 1. WSOP.com and GGPoker will be offering 85 bracelet events giving players a shot at poker glory.

ESPN has been along for the ride during much of the last two decades. The network always likes to frame a good “poker villain” for the coverage. These aren’t necessarily bad guys, but more work as nice foils to other players.

“Villain” is certainly in the eye of the beholder and some movie fans definitely enjoy cheering for the gunslinger in the black hat instead of the hero. Or rooting for the heel wrestlers. Many tennis fans enjoyed John McEnroe’s on court-rants as much as his wins.

Poker fans can now check out some of these players on PokerGO as part of the new WSOP Classic. The show runs through July 24, mimicking the usual WSOP tournament’s summer dates. Viewers will find daily, exclusive footage for series from 2003-10.

Every sport needs players to cheer for and against, and these guys fit the bill. Here’s a look at some players that draw the ire of many poker fans.

Phil Hellmuth – the champ that becomes the brat

Even his nickname offers a glimpse into his attitude at the table — the Poker Brat. Hellmuth is the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to WSOP bracelets at 15.

Two of those include the US and European Main Events, a feat no other player has accomplished. He’s also planning to play a full slate online this summer to try and add to that total.

“I think online poker is legitimate,” he told USPoker recently. “I’m looking forward to battling tens of thousands of poker players for WSOP gold this summer.”

But it may be his penchant for occasional petulance that many think of when it comes to Hellmuth. Despite his blowups and antics, his skills at the table leave little room for criticism.

And in an era of high roller events where players sit stone faced, Hellmuth can make for great TV. Who could forget some of his quips on ESPN through the years?

Love him or hate him, the brat is good for poker. An online bracelet has remained elusive so far despite coming close in 2019. Could No. 16 come this summer?

 

William Kassouf – Insufferable with speech play 

If Hellmuth is the guy fans love to hate, Kassouf may the poker equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. The Englishman’s mouth never seemed to stop during the 2016 WSOP Main Event.

During his 17th-place finish, his “speech play” drew the ire of players and viewers alike. His play was slow, his words repetitive, and his action annoying.

Kassouf defended his style as gamesmanship meant to put opponents on edge and leading to mistakes. Hellmuth may blow up now and again, but Kassouf was like the dog next door that never stops yapping. Add in the slothful pace of play and he left many frustrated.

“Just look at your cards in advance,” Cliff Josephy told him in a particularly frustrating situation during the Main Event. “We don’t need the clown show.”

Clown show or not, Kassouf scored $338,000 and now has more than $1.4 million in live tournament winnings. Some players believe the criticism of his table talk went too far, including Daniel Negreanu. 

“Table banter and slow play are two separate issues,” he noted on Twitter.

Kassouf’s infamy in poker would continue however. At the 2018 Main Event, hitting on Shaun Deeb’s wife landed him in hot water. Later in the year, he was caught palming £100 chips at the roulette table at Grosvenor Casino. Deeb seemed giddy in breaking the news.

Just got a very interesting message about @WilliamKassouf getting caught palming 100$ chips at roulette table and getting banned from all properties and dropped by his sponsorship shocked to hear it but now we know where his buyins were coming from #goodriddence

— shaun deeb (@shaundeeb) September 16, 2018

 

Grosvenor actually sponsored Kassouf at the time. The company quickly dropped that deal and banned him from all properties. The speech play wizard fessed up to a drunken error in judgement. But not before poking the poker world in the eye just a bit.

“I will continue to do what I do best by bringing the fun and entertainment factor back to poker as that’s what’s most important to me in my poker career,” he noted. “I wish all of you the best of luck and look forward to seeing you at the tables.”

Some players might not share that last sentiment.

Chris Ferguson – Main Event champ to public enemy

Before the demise of online poker site Full Tilt Poker, Ferguson may have been one of the biggest names in the game. He has plenty of poker skins on the wall:

• Six WSOP bracelets
• $9.5 million in live tournament winnings
• 150 WSOP cashes
• 2017 WSOP Player of the Year
• Two WPT final tables

Ferguson had the steely stare, the cowboy hat, and the lengthy locks of a 1980s hair metal band. During the poker boom, he was a mainstay on televised poker.

Those checking out ESPN telecasts may remember seeing him ballroom dance. Or maybe you saw him throw a playing card to slice a banana. There were plenty of good vibes and Ferguson was everywhere poker was on TV.

Then came Sept. 20, 2011 – aka Black Friday. The federal government shut down online poker in the US. Government officials named Full Tilt a virtual Ponzi scheme and player funds were nowhere to be found.

Ferguson went from poker legend to poker pariah. In the aftermath he was nowhere to be found before finally returning to the WSOP in 2016. Many players still hold plenty of ill will toward Ferguson. A 42-second “apology” in 2017 didn’t ease much of that.

He may be a pariah, but Ferguson continues to play and won another bracelet in 2017 at the WSOP Europe. Once nicknamed Jesus, many players consider him more of a Judas.

 

Mike Matusow – The Mouth and the Main Event

“The Mouth” falls a bit more in line with Hellmuth than Kassouf, although he cranks up the conversation. Matusow has proven to be televised poker gold – whether at the WSOP or running deep on the World Poker Tour.

Matusow has plenty of skins on the wall, including four WSOP bracelets. He might be best known by poker fans for two massive runs at the Main Event. The first came in 2001 when he finished sixth for $239,675.

Lightning struck again right at the height of the poker boom. In 2005, Matusow had a brief incarceration for a drug charge. All he thought about in the Clark County jail was winning the Main Event.

After his release, he almost did just that. This time The Mouth took ninth in a field of 5,619 players.

That finish scored him $1 million and plenty of play on ESPN. He scored another million bucks that same year when he won the WSOP Tournament of Champions. His big runs weren’t finished, however, and he added a 30th-place finish in 2008 for $193,000.

Matusow can be bold and brash, and wears his heart on his sleeve. Never shy for some trash talk, the “Matusow Meltdown” has become part of poker lore. His antics may annoy some but certainly make for great TV.

Jamie Gold – Brash, bold, and commanding

This Hollywood producer and talent agent rode the poker wave to a massive Main Event win in 2006. His bracelet came with the largest Main Event payout in history – $12 million. Like Chris Moneymaker, his surname seemed perfect for poker headlines and a huge story.

But something about Gold rubbed many the wrong way. A bit smug and brash, Gold also brought plenty of table talk – although not quite to Kassouf’s extremes.

Throughout the tournament, players seemingly did Gold’s bidding. Folding better hands when instructed? Yes. Calling after being told to do so when Gold had the nuts? Several times.

Critics noted that Gold violated WSOP rules on numerous occasions by telling opponents his hand. He even showed an opponent a card – another violation. He never received a penalty however.

Gold may have rubbed some the wrong way, but also made for some interesting poker TV drama.

Following his bracelet win, a legal dispute also irked many poker fans. Prior to the WSOP, Gold had agreed to pay a business associate half of his winnings. The associate alleged Gold reneged on this deal and a lawsuit followed. 

The suit was eventually settled out of court. Unlike Gold’s table talk commands, the amount wasn’t disclosed.

For a complete review of WSOP.com and exclusive bonuses, click here for New Jersey and click here for Nevada. For a complete review of GGPoker, click here.

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The WSOP Online bracelet hunting rolled on last week with plenty of interesting stories for poker fans. From an online newbie winning a bracelet to additional big numbers to Alan Goehring returning in a big way.

USPoker once again brings you a complete look at last week’s action and upcoming events at WSOP.com. That includes an interview with Nathan Gamble, the Omaha crusher who won Event 6: Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Six-Max.

The series continues to attract major action from players in New Jersey and Nevada. Action continues throughout July with international players getting in on the action at GGPoker beginning July 19.

Big numbers continue in WSOP Online

With 14 events now in the books, there have been some nice numbers in WSOP.com bracelet events. That includes a total prize pool of almost $10.5 million so far.

Those events have paid out $1.8 million to winners with an average payout of $128,441. Every event has paid out six figures for first except two.

Tournaments have seen a total of 13,456 unique entries for an average of 961 per event. Here’s a look at the statistics from the action so far.

Event	Buy-In	Unique Entries	Re-Entries	Total	Prize Pool	Top Prize	Winner
#1 NLHE Kick-Off	$500	1195	520	1,715	$771,750	$130,426	Jonathan “Art.Vandelay” Dokler
#2 NLHE 8-Handed Deepstack	$1,000	647	272	919	$873,050	$168,586	Louis “PokeThese” Lynch
#3 NLHE	$400	1450	641	2,091	$752,760	$115,850	Robert “bustinballs” Kuhn
#4 NLHE Super Turbo	$500	828	351	1,179	$530,550	$97,091	Matt “Bodeyster” Bode
#5 NLHE Freezeout	$1,000	854	0	854	$811,300	$161,286	Allen “Acnyc718” Chang
#6 PLO 6-Handed	$600	497	386	883	$449,820	$89,424	Nathan “surfbum” Gamble
#7 NLHE Knockout Deepstack	$800	989	NA	989	$731,660	$103,127	Joon “jykpoker” Kim
#8 NLHE Freezeout	$500	1,479	0	1,479	$665,550	$119,400	Alan “GladiusIII” Goehring
#9 NLHE Six-Max	$1,000	658	368	1,026	$974,700	$188,214	Ron “MacDaddy15” McMillen
#10 NLHE Monster Stack	$600	1,505	569	2,074	$1,119,960	$172,361	Ryan “Im.sorry” Torgerson
#11 NLHE Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed	$500	1,081	610	1,691	$760,950	$128,601	Raman “Acrogum” Afanasenka
#12 BIG 500 NLHE	$500	1,624	803	2,427	$1,092,150	$159,563	Ryan “joeyisamush” Depaulo
#13 NLHE High Roller Freezeout	$1,500	649	0	649	$924,825	$164,249	Michael “miguelfiesta” Lech
TOTALS		13,456		17,976	$10,459,025	$1,798,178

‘MacDaddy15’ makes statement in first attempt at playing online poker

Winning a massive event the first time playing online poker seems unlikely. But that’s just what happened when Ron “MacDaddy15” McMillen took down Event 9: $1,000 NLHE Six-Max on July 10.

McMillen has some nice finishes on the Mid-States Poker Tour and a 10th-place finish in 2015 in a $1,000 WSOP Hyper Hold’em. His win became one of the highlights for the second week of action including the celebration that followed.

Pretty awesome reaction! WSOP bracelet glory congrats!!! https://t.co/Gzb4IqSpfl

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) July 10, 2020

 

A native of Iowa, the 70-year-old now has a bracelet and the biggest score of his career. 

PLO Hi/Lo assassin Nathan Gamble strikes again

Speaking of big scores, Nathan Gamble notched his second WSOP bracelet on July 7. A native of Richland Hills, Texas, he took down Event 6: $600 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or Better for $89,424.

“Honestly I didn’t realize how in the zone I was until I won,” says Gamble, who now lives in Las Vegas. “I was just playing my heart out. The same flood of adrenaline and disbelief hit me as the first bracelet, it’s a feeling you don’t ever want to forget.”

When it comes to PLO8, not many are better. Gamble has excelled at the game in WSOP events in recent years. In 2017 at the WSOP, he won the $1,500 version for his first bracelet and $223,339.

A year later, he finished eighth in a mixed $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo for $17,279. In 2018 he also took 10th in the $1,500 PLO Hi/Lo. He then added an 18th in the $10,000 PLO8 and then a 17th in that event in 2019.

Before the WSOP.com event, Gamble told his wife it would be his best shot at a bracelet. That proved to be some fortuitous thinking.

“It was literally an offhand comment,” he says. “She asked for a schedule of my WSOP tournaments the other day. I hadn’t given her one and this one was the next day.

“I told her, ‘I owe you a schedule, but tomorrow is the $600 PLO8, the type I’ve won before, so I’m setting up in the back office – no distractions, dogs are yours, going to give this my all because it’s my best shot at a bracelet this year and I want to make it count.’”

Gamble also finds WSOP last longer success 

No Limit Hold’em is the primary game in the WSOP Online, but Gamble knows it’s not his bread and butter. He plans to jump in a few of those, but will focus on the Omaha action.

Along with his bracelet, Gamble found some success in a “last longer” bet. That win adds to an interesting trend in WSOP events for him.

“When I won in 2017 I was part of a last longer, probably 50 people worth,” he says. “I ended up winning it. This time I was part of a last longer – only three people but still ended up winning it. Those are the only two last longer bets I’ve participated in as best I can recall.”

It will be interesting if Gamble gets any more last longer action with three Omaha events still on the schedule:

• $1,000 PLO 8-Max High Roller, July 15
• $500 PLO 6-Handed, July 20
• $1,000 Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or Better, July 28

Just registered for my 3rd @WSOP of the summer. Trying to maintain a perfect 100% cash rate but I’m confused on how to play with only 2 cards… help me @jeffplatt !

— Nathan Gamble (@Surfbum4life) July 12, 2020

A blast from the past – and a bracelet

A few other interesting names have made nice WSOP runs in the last week. One of those has been off the poker radar for a while.

In Event 8: $500 NLHE Freezeout, Alan Goehring found the winner’s circle for the first bracelet of his career. He’s also a two-time World Poker Tour champion from 2003 and 2006.

A regular on the scene during the poker boom, he’d been away from the game for a few years until 2019. He’s now returned to the action in a big way for a bracelet and $119,400. What kept him away from the game for so long?

“I’m trading financial markets – index futures, bond futures, forex,” he told WPT.com in January. “I retired from Wall Street and now I trade on my own. I didn’t play a single hand of poker in 2018.”

Goehring may not have played poker in a while, but has returned to the action in grand style.

Other names with big WSOP Online scores

In other action, longtime pro John Esposito took third in the PLO8 event won by Gamble. In a poker career dating back to the early 1980s, he has $3.7 million in live tournament winnings.

Esposito won a bracelet in 1999 and now has three third-place finishes in the last two years. The biggest of those came last summer in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship for $466,407.

In Event 7: $800 NLHE Knockout Deepstack, two-time bracelet winner Eric Baldwin took third for $44,914. PokerGO broadcaster and Twitch streamer Jeff Platt also took seventh for $12,657.

While he may only have a few cashes, New Jersey’s Ryan Torgersen has impressed during the series. He finished runner-up on July 9 in the $1,000 NLHE Six-Max for $116,379.

A day later, Torgersen followed that up by winning the $600 Monster Stack for $172,362. He’ll be a player to watch in the second half to see if he can continue that streak of success.

Another player always on the radar is Chance Kornuth. The founder of Chip Leader Coaching came close to his third bracelet in Event 9: $500 NLHE Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed.

Kornuth took second for a payday of $79,291, and is also anxiously awaiting another big final table. In January he qualified for the final table of the WPT Gardens Poker Championship. He returns as chip leader when that final table finally plays out at HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas.

Robert Kuhn continues crushing Online Bracelet Leaderboard

After already scoring one bracelet in the series, Robert “bustinballs” Kuhn came close to a second. He finished fourth in the same event Goehring won.

Kuhn now has seven cashes and two final table appearances and remains atop the leaderboard. There’s an extra $100,000 on the line with the winner taking home $18,000. Here are the top spots as of Monday, July 13.

• 1st – Robert Kuhn, 1,613.7 points
• 2nd – Allen Chang, 1,475.02
• 3rd – Alan Goehring, 1,138.48
• 4th – Philip Yeh, 1,068.25
• 5th – Jonathan Dokler, 1,042.75

Here’s a look at the remaining events on the schedule.

2020 WSOP Online bracelet series

Event	Date	Time (PT)	Game	Buy-In
13	July 13 (M)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em High Roller Freezeout	$1,500
14	July 14 (Tu)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em High Roller	$3,200
15	July 15 (W)	3 p.m.	PLO 8-Max HR	$1,000
16	July 16 (Th)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Turbo	$500
17	July 17 (F)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’emÊ	$777
18	July 18 (Sa)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed Turbo DeepStack	$1,000
19	July 19 (Su)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em	$400
20	July 20 (M)	3 p.m.	PLO 6-Handed	$500
21	July 21 (Tu)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed	$777
22	July 22 (W)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack	$500
23	July 23 (Th)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Knockout	$500
24	July 24 (F)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed	$400
25	July 25 (Sa)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Summer Saver	$500
26	July 26 (Su)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Grande Finale	$500
27	July 27 (M)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Freezeout	$400
28	July 28 (Tu)	3 p.m.	Omaha 8 6-Max	$1,000
29	July 29 (W)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed	$600
30	July 30 (Th)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Seniors Event	$500
31	July 31 (F)	3 p.m.	No Limit Hold’em Championship	$1,000

For a complete WSOP Online guide including Twitch streams to follow all the action, click here.

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