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A second online poker operator – partypoker PA – is likely for Pennsylvania as early as August, breaking the monopoly PokerStars has enjoyed in the market since November of 2019.

Party Poker is a player favorite internationally and the second-biggest online poker operator. The partypoker platform, now owned by GVC Holdings, is already in use in New Jersey. For three years running (2017-2019), partypoker has won the title of Poker Operator of the Year at the EGR Operator Awards.

MGM and GVC’s joint online gambling company, ROAR Digital, operates as BetMGM in the US. That company also includes the partypoker site in New Jersey.

Approval could come Aug. 5 for partypoker

ROAR, also the operator of partypoker PA, may have its license approved as soon as Aug. 5, the next meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).

That’s according to Cyrus Pitre, Chief Enforcement Counsel for the PGCB, during Wednesday’s monthly Board meeting.

If it doesn’t come on that date, it shouldn’t be long after.

And there is WSOP in the wings

And a third operator, WSOP.com could follow soon afterward.

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. But 888 is already approved by gaming regulators in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.

Rebecca McAdam Willetts, PokerStars Associate Director of Public Relations has welcomed the anticipated competition:

“Looking to the future, we welcome the competition. Our goal has always been to promote poker as a safe, social, and exciting way to sit down with friends at the table for a bit of competition at any stakes. As the market expands, so too will awareness of regulated online poker. That’s how we sustain the game well into the future.”

PA poker industry going from strength to strength

The eventual increase to three – and eventually more – online poker rooms in PA will only grow the healthy market even more. Players will have more tournament and game options, plus more sign-up bonuses and promotions. Operators will have to compete for market share, which should benefit the players. Plus, states like neighboring NJ have shown that there’s room in the market for multiple operators.

Furthermore, if PA eventually joins the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, it would mean a huge boost to player pools and thus tournament prize pools for not only PA players, but those in NJ, Nevada, and Delaware as well. The latter three already share player pools per the agreement, and there is speculation that PA regulators may follow suit.

But a resolution of the Wire Act case may need to come first. At present, PA gambling law requires separate servers to be located in PA. But it doesn’t rule out the possibility for interstate player pooling.

Even without that shared pool yet in place, PA has jumped to the top of the pile in terms of monthly online poker revenue in the US. Since launching in November, PA has posted the highest revenue each month (through May), except for March. In March, NJ surpassed it by less than $500,000 albeit with three operators vs. PA’s one.

Testing of partypoker underway

The testing of the partypoker platform by the PGCB has already begun. Also under review is the BetMGM app, which will include interactive slots and table games.

ROAR Digital has invested $450 million in the PA rollouts. ROAR’s network hosts its own partypoker-branded online poker room along with poker rooms under the BetMGM and Borgata Poker brands.

The post Looking to Join the PA Online Poker Party: partypoker Nearing Regulatory Approval appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.

The online poker onslaught for US players continues beginning Sunday at PokerStars in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Players can once again expect plenty of action with the Bounty Builder Series awarding $2.1 million between the two states from July 12-26.

PokerStars again brings some hardware to the mix with several championship belts on the line. It should be another nice series after the Summer Series crushed guarantees recently in both states. Can Bounty Builder yield similar results?

A look at the PokerStars PA Bounty Builder

Players in the Keystone State will find 70 tournaments with a guarantee of $1.5 million. Bounties are featured in every event across the series.

These include traditional bounty events as well as progressive knockouts. Players will also find buy-ins ranging from $10 to $500 and several poker variations.

Players can flex their bounty-busting muscles with an opportunity to win a championship belt in 18 events. The $200 Main Event is set for July 26 with $150,000 guaranteed. Other highlights include these championship belt events:

• $250 Sunday High Roller – July 12, $30,000 guaranteed
• $100 Sunday Special – July 12 and 19, $100,000 guaranteed
• $25 Mini Special – July 19, $25,000 guaranteed
• $200 Thursday Thrill SE – $50,000 guaranteed
• $50 Mini Main Event – July 26, $40,000 guaranteed

Players can also battle for a spot on the KO Leaderboard, awarding an extra $16,000. Knock out the most players in the entire series for a chance to win up to $4,000. Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

2020 PokerStars Bounty Builder Series PA

Date	Event	Format	Total Buyin	Guarantee
July 12	1	Series Kick-Off (**championship belt event)	$ 100.00	$ 40,000.00
July 12	2	Mini Kick-Off	$ 25.00	$ 15,000.00
July 12	3	Bounty Builder $75	$ 75.00	$ 15,000.00
July 12	4	Sunday Special – Bounty Builder Edition (**championship belt event)	$ 100.00	$ 100,000.00
July 12	5	Mini Special	$ 20.00	$ 15,000.00
July 12	6	Sunday High Roller – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 250.00	$ 30,000.00
July 12	7	Bounty Builder $50	$ 50.00	$ 10,000.00
July 12	8	8-Max Turbo PKO	$ 20.00	$ 7,500.00
July 12	9	SuperSonic – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 50.00	$ 12,500.00
July 13	10	Battle Royale SE (**championship belt event)	$ 50.00	$ 25,000.00
July 13	11	PL Omaha	$ 100.00	$ 10,000.00
July 14	12	Bounty Builder $75 (**championship belt event)	$ 75.00	$ 20,000.00
July 14	13	NL Omaha Hi/Lo	$ 100.00	$ 7,500.00
July 14	14	Turbo	$ 50.00	$ 12,500.00
July 15	15	6-Max	$ 50.00	$ 15,000.00
July 15	16	High Roller (**championship belt event)	$ 500.00	$ 60,000.00
July 15	17	8-Max Hyper	$ 20.00	$ 5,000.00
July 16	18	PL Badugi	$ 50.00	$ 2,000.00
July 16	19	Thursday Thrill SE (**championship belt event)	$ 200.00	$ 50,000.00
July 16	20	Mini Thrill	$ 25.00	$ 17,500.00
July 16	21	BigStack Turbo	$ 75.00	$ 12,500.00
July 16	22	6-Max Hyper	$ 50.00	$ 10,000.00
July 17	23	PL 5-Card Omaha	$ 30.00	$ 5,000.00
July 17	24	Escalating Antes (**championship belt event)	$ 50.00	$ 20,000.00
July 17	25	6-Max Turbo	$ 20.00	$ 7,500.00
July 18	26	DeepStack	$ 100.00	$ 30,000.00
July 18	27	Deep Turbo	$ 50.00	$ 12,500.00
July 18	28	Bounty Builder $200 (**championship belt event)	$ 200.00	$ 30,000.00
July 18	29	4-Max	$ 20.00	$ 10,000.00
July 18	30	Hyper-Turbo	$ 50.00	$ 10,000.00
July 19	31	Sunday Marathon	$ 100.00	$ 20,000.00
July 19	32	HORSE PKO	$ 50.00	$ 3,000.00
July 19	33	Warm-Up – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 30.00	$ 12,500.00
July 19	34	Storm – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 10.00	$ 5,000.00
July 19	35	Sunday Special – Bounty Builder Edition (**championship belt event)	$ 100.00	$ 100,000.00
July 19	36	Mini Special (**championship belt event)	$ 25.00	$ 25,000.00
July 19	37	Sunday High Roller – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 250.00	$ 30,000.00
July 19	38	PL Omaha PKO	$ 100.00	$ 15,000.00
July 19	39	8-Max Turbo PKO	$ 75.00	$ 20,000.00
July 19	40	SuperSonic – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 50.00	$ 10,000.00
July 20	41	4-Max	$ 20.00	$ 10,000.00
July 20	42	Battle Royale SE (**championship belt event)	$ 50.00	$ 25,000.00
July 20	43	Deep Turbo	$ 100.00	$ 15,000.00
July 21	44	Bounty Builder $50	$ 50.00	$ 10,000.00
July 21	45	Super Tuesday – Bounty Builder Edition (**championship belt event)	$ 200.00	$ 50,000.00
July 21	46	Mini Super Tuesday SE	$ 20.00	$ 15,000.00
July 21	47	8-Game	$ 50.00	$ 2,500.00
July 21	48	Turbo	$ 50.00	$ 12,500.00
July 21	49	Hyper-Turbo	$ 100.00	$ 5,000.00
July 22	50	Bounty Builder $200	$ 200.00	$ 30,000.00
July 22	51	Bounty Builder $50 (**championship belt event)	$ 50.00	$ 15,000.00
July 22	52	PL Omaha	$ 200.00	$ 10,000.00
July 22	53	6-Max Turbo	$ 100.00	$ 17,500.00
July 23	54	Thursday Thrill SE (**championship belt event)	$ 200.00	$ 50,000.00
July 23	55	Mini Thrill	$ 20.00	$ 15,000.00
July 23	56	BigStack Turbo	$ 50.00	$ 10,000.00
July 24	57	Bounty Builder $10	$ 20.00	$ 6,000.00
July 24	58	PL 5-Card Draw	$ 30.00	$ 1,500.00
July 24	59	6-Max (**championship belt event)	$ 50.00	$ 25,000.00
July 24	60	Hyper-Turbo	$ 100.00	$ 10,000.00
July 25	61	25% KO (**championship belt event)	$ 100.00	$ 25,000.00
July 25	62	Turbo	$ 50.00	$ 12,500.00
July 25	63	8-Max, Turbo	$ 10.00	$ 5,000.00
July 26	64	Sunday Marathon	$ 50.00	$ 15,000.00
July 26	65	Warm-Up – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 30.00	$ 12,500.00
July 26	66	Main Event (**championship belt event)	$ 200.00	$ 150,000.00
July 26	67	Mini Main Event (**championship belt event)	$ 50.00	$ 40,000.00
July 26	68	Bounty Builder $100	$ 100.00	$ 20,000.00
July 26	69	PL Omaha	$ 50.00	$ 10,000.00
July 26	70	Series Wrap-Up	$ 75.00	$ 20,000.00

 

Inside the PokerStars Bounty Builder NJ

The NJ Bounty Builder Series also runs from July 12-26 with a total guarantee of $600,000 guaranteed. The NJ series features 53 events running the same dates as in PA.

The series is highlighted by the $300 Main Event on July 26 with a $70,000 guarantee. Those with more modest bankrolls will also find a $50 Mini Main Event the same day with $20,000 guaranteed. Other highlights includes:

• $200 Sunday Special – July 12 and 19, $40,000 guaranteed
• $750 High Roller – July 15, $20,000 guaranteed
• $200 Bounty Builder – July 18, $15,000 guaranteed
• $25 Mini Special – July 19, $7,500 guaranteed
• $250 Super Tuesday – July 21, $25,000 guaranteed

The KO Leaderboard is also awarding $16,000 for those who knock out the most players in the series. Players can win up to $4,000. 

There should be plenty of action and big payouts once again. Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

2020 PokerStars Bounty Builder Series NJ

Date	Event	Format	Total Buyin	Guarantee
July 12	1	Series Kick-Off (**championship belt event)	$ 100.00	$ 20,000.00
July 12	2	Mini Kick-Off	$ 20.00	$ 5,000.00
July 12	3	Bounty Builder $75	$ 50.00	$ 7,500.00
July 12	4	Sunday Special – Bounty Builder Edition (**championship belt event)	$ 200.00	$ 40,000.00
July 12	5	Mini Special	$ 20.00	$ 6,500.00
July 12	6	Bounty Builder $50	$ 50.00	$ 7,500.00
July 12	7	SuperSonic – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 75.00	$ 6,000.00
July 13	8	Battle Royale SE (**championship belt event)	$ 100.00	$ 15,000.00
July 13	9	PL Omaha	$ 30.00	$ 3,000.00
July 14	10	Bounty Builder $75 (**championship belt event)	$ 75.00	$ 10,000.00
July 14	11	Turbo	$ 30.00	$ 5,000.00
July 15	12	6-Max	$ 20.00	$ 3,000.00
July 15	13	High Roller (**championship belt event)	$ 750.00	$ 20,000.00
July 15	14	8-Max Hyper	$ 100.00	$ 7,500.00
July 16	15	Thursday Thrill SE (**championship belt event)	$ 200.00	$ 17,500.00
July 16	16	Mini Thrill	$ 30.00	$ 6,500.00
July 16	17	BigStack Turbo	$ 75.00	$ 6,500.00
July 17	18	Escalating Antes (**championship belt event)	$ 150.00	$ 12,500.00
July 17	19	6-Max Turbo	$ 30.00	$ 3,500.00
July 18	20	DeepStack	$ 100.00	$ 10,000.00
July 18	21	Deep Turbo	$ 50.00	$ 5,000.00
July 18	22	Bounty Builder $200 (**championship belt event)	$ 200.00	$ 15,000.00
July 18	23	4-Max	$ 150.00	$ 10,000.00
July 18	24	Hyper-Turbo	$ 100.00	$ 7,500.00
July 19	25	Warm-Up – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 50.00	$ 10,000.00
July 19	26	Storm – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 10.00	$ 5,000.00
July 19	27	Sunday Special – Bounty Builder Edition (**championship belt event)	$ 200.00	$ 40,000.00
July 19	28	Mini Special (**championship belt event)	$ 25.00	$ 7,500.00
July 19	29	Sunday High Roller – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 500.00	$ 10,000.00
July 19	30	PL Omaha PKO	$ 100.00	$ 5,000.00
July 19	31	SuperSonic – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 75.00	$ 6,000.00
July 20	32	4-Max	$ 30.00	$ 6,000.00
July 20	33	Battle Royale SE (**championship belt event)	$ 50.00	$ 10,000.00
July 21	34	Super Tuesday – Bounty Builder Edition (**championship belt event)	$ 250.00	$ 25,000.00
July 21	35	Mini Super Tuesday SE	$ 30.00	$ 7,500.00
July 21	36	8-Game	$ 75.00	$ 3,000.00
July 21	37	Turbo	$ 100.00	$ 7,500.00
July 22	38	Bounty Builder $200	$ 200.00	$ 10,000.00
July 22	39	Bounty Builder $50 (**championship belt event)	$ 50.00	$ 10,000.00
July 22	40	6-Max Turbo	$ 100.00	$ 8,500.00
July 23	41	Thursday Thrill SE (**championship belt event)	$ 250.00	$ 25,000.00
July 23	42	Mini Thrill	$ 30.00	$ 7,500.00
July 23	43	BigStack Turbo	$ 50.00	$ 5,000.00
July 24	44	6-Max (**championship belt event)	$ 150.00	$ 12,500.00
July 24	45	Hyper-Turbo	$ 50.00	$ 5,000.00
July 25	46	25% KO (**championship belt event)	$ 100.00	$ 10,000.00
July 25	47	Turbo	$ 50.00	$ 5,000.00
July 25	48	8-Max, Turbo	$ 20.00	$ 2,500.00
July 26	49	Warm-Up – Bounty Builder Edition	$ 30.00	$ 5,000.00
July 26	50	Main Event (**championship belt event)	$ 300.00	$ 70,000.00
July 26	51	Mini Main Event (**championship belt event)	$ 50.00	$ 20,000.00
July 26	52	PL Omaha	$ 75.00	$ 5,000.00
July 26	53	Series Wrap-Up	$ 100.00	$ 10,000.00

The post BOBA FETT POKER STYLE: PokerStars Unleashes Bounty Builder Series in PA, NJ appeared first on .

The World Series of Poker in Las Vegas is considered the mecca for the poker world. Since 1970, players put up large amounts of cash to chase gold bracelets. The Coronavirus pandemic changed those this year’s live tournament scene. 

However, WSOP.com is holding the first strictly online bracelet series in a partnership with GGPoker. There has been major debate over the changes among players. 

Poker continues to be an evolving game and the tournament poker world has transformed over the past 20 years. PokerGO is now offering viewers a chance to look back at some of these series. WSOP Classic runs through July 24. Viewers will find daily, exclusive footage for series from 2003-10.

With that in mind, USPoker offers the WSOP Retro series throughout the WSOP Online. Here’s a look at some of those changes at the WSOP throughout the last two decades.

2000 – Massive fields welcome in Y2K

The beginning of big field poker. The 2000 WSOP was the first time the Main Event saw more than 500 entries. This was a big step from the six contestants who entered in 1971.

Chris Ferguson becomes a poker hero winning the Main Event for $1.5 million. He’s become a poker villain later after Black Friday.

2001 – Record attendance, millions of dollars

This year showed that large tournament fields from the previous year were not a fluke. The Main Event produced 613 entrants. That was the largest live poker tournament ever played at the time.

Also notable was the fact that for the first time in poker history, the 2001 Main Event paid out two $1 million dollar payouts in one tournament. Carlo Mortensen took down the Main Event for $1.5 million and Dewey Tomko took second for $1.1 million. 

2002 – Hole card cam changes the course of poker history

A new invention called the “hole card camera” changes the game forever.As the name implies, the cameras allow the viewer to see a player’s hole cards. For the first time, others get a peek into the mind of some of the top players in the world.

This inside view has helped launch poker as a spectator sport. The World Poker Tour first used hole card cameras in 2002. The WSOP was late to the party but made use of the cameras a bit in 2002.

New York poker amateur Robert Varkonyi becomes the Main Event’s first $2 million winner.

2003 – A perfect storm for the Moneymaker boom

Online satellite winners and sponsorships become huge at the series. Following the introduction of hole cameras, Chris Moneymaker won a PokerStars satellite entry into the Main Event.

With poker experiencing massive popularity kickstarted by the WPT in 2002, the series was huge on ESPN. Moneymaker’s story from poker amateur satellite qualifier to WSOP champion helped launch the “poker boom.”

The boom also brings the rise of “poker celebrities” like Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu. Online poker also explodes around the world.

2004 – Change ahead for the WSOP after purchase

Harrahs (now Caesars Entertainment) purchased the rights to the WSOP. The series was created in 1970 by Benny Binion at the Horseshoe in downtown Vegas.

The purchase sets in motion plans to move and expand the festival. Big fields continue as the Main Event goes from 839 players in 2003 to 2,576 in 2004. Greg Raymer tops the field for a $5 million payday.

2005 – Rio welcome series

One of the pivotal moments in the history of the WSOP came when the series moved to the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino. More gaming space meant more tournaments with players from around the world finding even more action.

The WSOP Circuit was also introduced allowing players around the country to vie for championship rings.

2006 – Reese rides the $50K HORSE

Chip Reese won the inaugural $50,000 HORSE tournament. The event is now known as the Poker Player’s Championship and is one of the most prestigious WSOP events.

This is also the height of the poker boom, yielding a record 8,773 Main Event entries. Jaime Gold takes the top spot for a record $12 million. 

2007 – Deepstack poker gains major traction

The birth of deepstack poker goes mainstream. In 2007, the WSOP doubled the starting stack of 20,000 chips in the Main Event.

The series also expanded to Europe with a series in the United Kingdom. This was the first time in WSOP history a bracelet was won outside of Las Vegas.

2008 – Building hype for the final table

The controversial “November Nine” begins. The WSOP began suspending the Main Event final table in July. Players are then allowed to train and prepare for a showdown in November.

The idea also allowed ESPN and Caesars to heavily promote the final table. The concept received mixed reviews but continued through 2016. Peter Eastgate won the first November Nine final table for $9.2 million.

 

2009 – Bye-bye rebuys

The WSOP eliminated “rebuy” events and later changed to a re-entry style. The series also tripled starting stacks, further adding the concept of deepstack style poker in the series.

With 6,012 entries, the WSOP sets a record for the biggest live event outside of the Main Event. The $1,000 “Stimulus Bracelet Tournament” event was named after stimulus checks Americans received during the economic downturn.

Steve Sung won the event for $771,106 and the event portends more smaller buy-in events to come with massive fields.

2010 – WSOP goes intercontinental

Expansion continued for the WSOP when Johannesburg, South Africa, hosted two bracelet events. 

The $50,000 HORSE event was changed. The Poker Players Championship became an eight-game style format and has maintained that every year since.

2011 – Tuning in for even more coverage

For the first time ever, the final table of the Main Event was shown live in its entirety on ESPN. The entire 55-event schedule was also shown via ESPN, WSOP.com, and ESPN3.com.

2012 – Seven-figure buy-in and a huge score for ‘The Magician’

A $1 million dollar buy-in bracelet event is organized by Cirque Du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. The Big One for One Drop had $111,111 of each buy-in donated to the One Drop Foundation, which offers clean water initiatives worldwide.

Poker pro Antonio Esfandiari took the title for $18.3 million.He remains a major name in poker and a frequent ESPN analyst.

 

In the Main Event, Greg Merson scored the title and $8.5 million. That came after also winning a $10,000 event that summer for $1.1 million.

2013 – WSOP Asia-Pacific, masterful comeback in Main Event

Following the success of the Big One for One Drop, the charity concept expanded to the masses. The Little One for One Drop is created with a $1,111 buy-in. 

Sweden’s Martin Jacobson began the Main Event final table eighth in chips but rallied to take the bracelet and $10 million.

The series also expanded for the third time and went down under. The Asia-Pacific WSOP takes place in Melbourne, Australia, and awarded five bracelets.

2014 – Millionaire Maker 

Another year, another new record. Large player pools for low buy-in events continually grow. The $1,500 Millionaire Maker attracted 7,977 entries – a new non-Main Event record.

The event pays out $1.3 million to the winner, New York’s Jonathan Dimmig.

2015 – Bargain prices for big fields

Low buy-ins continue to attract large crowds. The series offers several events to attract “weekend warriors” looking for a shot at poker glory.

One of those events is the $565 Colossus. This was the lowest-priced event since 1980 and produced a colossal 22,374 entrants. This was the largest live tournament in the history of poker.

A 65 and older Super Seniors bracelet event was also added with 70-year-old Jon Andlovec winning the inaugural tournament. The WSOP Circuit events also went international, debuting in five different continents.

Daniel Negreanu also just missed making the Main Event final table, finishing 11th. An appearance would have brought in even bigger numbers for television. Pennsylvania’s Joe McKeehen wins for $7.7 million.

2016 – Tag team, back again

Back from the dead, the first tag team event since 1983 is reprised as a bracelet event. The $1,000 tournament proves popular and continues to find a place on the schedule. 

2017 – End of an era, online bracelets added, PokerGO launches

The November Nine is no more as the Main Event play resumes in its original format.

Also, for the first time ever online bracelets are offered to players in Nevada. With so many players in town for events, the series hopes the added events give a boost to WSOP.com.

Three events were launched on WSOP.com. Joseph Mitchell, of Las Vegas, became the first online winner after taking down a $333 event for $122,314.

Poker Central also signs a four-year deal with the WSOP to stream live events throughout the series on its PokerGO service. Fans now see more live coverage than ever before.

2018 – Big blind format, Doyle exits with a final table appearance

The “big blind ante” format had been introduced at several casinos over the last year and the WSOP introduced the format into limited events. 

Poker Hall of Famer and 10-time bracelet winner Doyle Brunson announces he will be playing his last WSOP event in the $10,00Deuce to Seven Championship. That included a memorable final table appearance.

2019 – Biggest crowds to date as series celebrates 50 years

Multi-flight tournaments have now become a new normal at the WSOP. The Big 50 becomes another huge event to commemorate the series’ 50th anniversary.

The $500 buy-in event becomes the largest live poker tournament in history with 28,371 players.

2020 – Live series delayed, bracelet hunting shifts online

The WSOP announces that all summer events are postponed to the fall due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Instead, 85 bracelet events will be offered through WSOP.com and GGPoker. This becomes the first year players outside the US can win a bracelet online.

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

The post WSOP RETRO: 20 Years and 20 Changes at the World Series of Poker appeared first on .

The WSOP Online kicks off July 1 at WSOP.com for players in Nevada and New Jersey. International players can also get in the mix beginning July 19 at GGPoker.

Poker fans can expect coverage of the series throughout the summer through Poker Central and the WSOP Twitch stream. The stream is posted here for players to easily follow the action.

Each week fans will find a weekly recap and preview show from Poker Central. Also, each WSOP.com final table will be live streamed.



Other Twitch streams to follow the action

Poker Central and WSOP.com aren’t the only places to follow the WSOP Online action via Twitter. Here’s a look at some others to check out.

Jeff Platt (poker commentator)

Daniel Negreanu (six WSOP bracelets)

Matt Stout ($2 million in WSOP winnings)

Mike “The Mouth” Matusow (four WSOP bracelets)

Matusow is streaming his WSOP Online action via his YouTube channel.

Max Pescatori (four WSOP bracelets)



WSOP Online winners so far

Here’s a look at the winners and payouts from the series so far. This page will be updated throughout the series.

• Event 1: $500 Kickoff – Jonathan Dokler, $130,426
• Event 2: $1,000 NLHE 8-Handed – Louis Lynch, $168,586
• Event 3: $400 NLHE – Robert Kuhn, $115,850
• Event 4: $500 Super Turbo – Matt Bode, $97,091
• Event 5: $1,000 Freezeout – Allen Chang, $161,286

Quick facts about the WSOP Online

WSOP.com players can expect 31 gold bracelet events from July 1-31 – one event daily. Buy-ins range from $400 to $3,200.

Players will find mostly No Limit Texas Hold’em with four Omaha events as well. USPoker has created a complete guide to the WSOP.com series. Also, here are some quick facts about what to expect.

WSOP.com

• Number of bracelet events – 31 
• Dates – July 1-31 (one event per day)
• States available to play – Nevada and New Jersey
• Game formats – Mostly No Limit Hold’em events with three Omaha tournaments
• Buy-in range – $400 to $3,200
• Low roller options – Several $400 NLHE events, July 3, 19, 24, 27
• Main Event – $1,000 No Limit Hold’em Championship, July 31

GGPoker

• Number of bracelet events – 54
• Dates – July 19 to Sept. 16
• Locations available to players – Around the world including Canada and Mexico
• Game formats – No Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Short Deck, Mixed Games, Bounty, Heads-up
• Buy-in range – $50 to $25,000
• Low roller options – The $100 Opener features a $2 million guarantee with multiple starting flights and Day 2 on July 19. The Big 50 comes with a $50 buy-in, $1 million guarantee, multiple starting flights, and Day 2 on Aug. 23.
• Main Event – The $5,000 championship features a $25 million guarantee with numerous starting flights beginning Aug. 16. Day 2 is set for Aug. 30.

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

The post TOTAL WSOP ONLINE – Facts, Schedule, Twitch Streams, Winners, and More appeared first on .

Online poker in the US continues to roll. The WSOP Online series kicked off this week and operators just wrapped up some big series.

There has been plenty of good news for players and Chip Chatter once again has the ins and outs of the online poker world. That includes news and notes from the Wire Act to political poker. Here’s what’s happening.

Wire Act reaches appellate court

The jurisprudence surrounding Wire Act remains an obstacle for the growth of the industry. The Department of Justice issued a reinterpretation of the act in 2019. That changed an Obama-era opinion and now stated that the opinion applied to more than just sports betting.

The New Hampshire lottery sued to block its implementation and there has been a court battle ever since. As expected, gaming interests have aligned with the lottery.

The lottery and industry won the first round in court, but the issue remains tied up in appeals. The First Circuit Federal Court of Appeals heard arguments on June 18.

The issue could have a massive impact on the gaming industry. Interstate compacts offer a chance at increased player pools and payouts as seen in the WSOP interstate compact in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.

If the industry wins, states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia could join these compacts. A loss could see the industry unravel with “fenced-in” markets becoming the norm. That would hamper small population states like West Virginia.

OnlinePokerReport.com recently offered a great look at even more of the issues involved during the appeals court hearing.

“Whatever decision ultimately emerges from the First Circuit,” the site notes, “will have significant implications for the future of legal online gambling in the US.”

Connecting with voters via online poker

While the Wire Act is tied up in court, one legislator is using poker to connect with constituents. Pat Garofalo is a Republican state representative in Minnesota and loves playing poker.

Garofalo even hosts a regular online tournament with anyone who wants to jump in the action. He’s also been a driving force behind attempts at legalizing sports betting in the state.

The weekly games use PokerStars Home Games option on the operator’s free poker site. The weekly events started during the Coronavirus pandemic. The virtual tournaments are open to anyone and he sends out an invitation on Twitter.

The first game brought in 10 people and has continued to grow. There are now a few games a week consistently attracting more than 180 players. As a politician, Garofalo wants to make a few things clear about the games. He stresses everything is on the up and up, and winners don’t even take home campaign swag.

“It is very important that people know I take no rake or charge any money to play,” Garofalo tells USPoker. “I just enjoy bringing people together to play a game I enjoy.”

As a state legislator, Garafalo doesn’t get to play as much as he’d like so the online fun has been nice. He enjoys the math, probabilities, and numbers involved in poker as well as the competition. Despite his own gaming efforts and interest in poker, don’t look for legalization in his state anytime soon.

“The establishment gambling industry fears anything online,” he says. “They have made a lot of investments into a business model that revolves around people being onsite. Until that changes, I am pessimistic anything will change in Minnesota.”

Positive press for poker with new book by Maria Konnikova

With the release of The Biggest Bluff by Maria Konnikova, the poker world has seen some nice press lately. That has included articles in the New York Times and the Guardian in the United Kingdom.

The book highlights the bestselling author’s interest in poker as well as the role of luck in people’s lives. Some tutoring from Erik Seidel helped kickstart a poker career that has included a major tournament win.

Konnikova even became a PokerStars ambassador for a bit. She spoke with USPoker last week about the book and even online poker. When the WSOP Online kicks off, the New Yorker may even head to New Jersey for some bracelet hunting.

“I don’t think online bracelet events should necessarily exist because I do think there’s a lot of potential for cheating and shenanigans online,” she says. “That said, it’s happening so why not see if I can go out there and play a few events. It almost seems lazy not to.”

No doubt winning a bracelet would add to her book promotion even more. The Biggest Bluff and the growth of online poker during the Coronavirus adds to a nice wave of industry positivity. Many hope that continues with more states willing to open up with legalization.

WPT event tops guarantee in New Jersey 

The big online numbers in New Jersey continued Sunday with the WPT Online Poker Open at partypoker in New Jersey. David Coleman took down the $400 buy-in tournament for a cool $56,586.

He also takes home an $11,000 package to play in the Five Diamond Poker Classic in Las Vegas. The event attracted 868 entries for a $317,540 prize pool of a nice addition to the $300,000 guarantee. The event featured live updates on the WPT website as well as on social media.

This marked the first time longtime partners WPT and partypoker have teamed up in the Garden State. The Online Open became the biggest partypoker event ever held in the state. Additional co-branded events between the two companies seem likely, although no events have been announced yet.

In recent years, partypoker NJ has moved to smaller buy-in qualifiers and a wide range of buy-ins for tournament series. That seems to be paying off at least during the Coronavirus era.

“The event was a huge success, and to be honest I thought the guarantee was a little too aggressive but thrilled to see they surpassed it,” WPT executive tour director Matt Savage told USPoker. “It’s a testament to the outstanding satellite program that the team put in place. I envision our WPT partnership role increasing in the near future.”

PokerStars Summer Series Crushes Guarantees

Players in New Jersey as well as Pennsylvania have also had plenty of action in the PokerStars Summer Series.

The PA series featured 38 events with an overall guarantee of $757,000. That total prize pool, however, swelled to almost $1.3 million.

Unique players equalled 3,342, producing a total of 19,492 entries. The $200 Main Event featured a $150,000 guarantee with a final prize pool of $242,358. That included 811 unique players and 492 re-entries.

“ComecomecomeTD” took the top spot for $30,146 after a three-way deal. Two players – “thpinal” and “AndrewYang2020” both won two events during the series. “Thpinal” was also a double event winner during PASCOOP as well.

In New Jersey, the Summer Series was made up of 40 events with a $500,000 guarantee. That total was also cracked with a total prize pool of $642,165.

That produced 1,315 unique entrants and 7,796 total entries. The $300 Main Event promised a $75,000 guarantee but ultimately paid out $97,440. That included 229 unique players and 119 re-entries.

“Mummy’s Bitch” took home the title for $17,896. Two players won more than one event: “senor stinks” won two; and “laura33188” took down five events.

With live tournament poker still on hold, it’s a good bet operators will be cranking up even more series in the coming weeks.

The post CHIP CHATTER – Wire Act, Poker Politics, WPT Goes Big in NJ, PokerStars Summer Series appeared first on .

The July 4^th holiday weekend is almost here. But this year, it will take on a special meaning.

Even though the pandemic that kept all nine Atlantic City casinos closed since March 16 is far from over–which means special safety precautions still apply—the casinos have been given the go-ahead to reopen.

This is the exciting news we have been waiting for, but for anyone planning to make the trip, I can’t emphasize too strongly that this no time to throw caution to the wind. The Atlantic City casinos can only reopen at 25% capacity, and there are many other restrictions they—and you as their guests—will have to abide by as well. If you’re expecting to be able to do many of the things that you might have done at the resort a year ago, you will be in for a rude awakening.

Keep in mind that the information in this article is subject to change, as the casinos are still scrambling to find the best ways to comply with the latest regulations, which have also undergone recent changes. So use the material provided here as a guide, but check ahead of time with the individual properties you plan to visit as well.

Scheduled opening dates for the different Atlantic City casinos

The following five casinos will reopen on Thursday, July 2.

• Golden Nugget
• Hard Rock
• Ocean
• Resorts
• Tropicana

Opening times may vary for the different properties. Check with the property directly beforehand if you plan to arrive in the morning.

The three Caesars-owned properties—Caesars, Bally’s, and Harrah’s Resort—will all have a sot opening for invited guests starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 2. Then, at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 3, they will reopen to the public.

Borgata Casino, which was originally scheduled to have a soft reopening for invited guests but wait until Monday, July 6 to reopen to the public, has issued a change of plans based on
Gov. Murphy’s new order on Monday, June 29 not to permit any in-house eating or drinking.

Borgata explained its decision In the following statement issued by its parent company MGM the same day.

“Our guests expect a special experience when they come to our property, and if we cannot provide that level of hospitality, we feel it best that we remain closed until such time that the governor lets us know it is safe to offer food and beverage.”

 People who spent time recently in any of 16 states cannot come to an Atlantic City casino this weekend

So far, Borgata is the only Atlantic City casino that will not reopen this weekend. But you still might not be able to go if you are traveling from or have otherwise recently spent time in one of the following 16 states:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Arizona
• California
• Florida
• Georgia
• Iowa
• Idaho
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• Nevada
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas

The Governors of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut have jointly issued a travel advisory directing anyone who has recently been to any of these states, all of which have had a significant spike in positive COVID-19 test results lately to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Thus for example, if you traveled to Las Vegas for the reopening of their casinos earlier in June or if you vacationed or visited relatives in the south or southwest, you could fall into this category. Furthermore, the list of applicable states is being updated daily, so additional states could be added. 

Masks and social distancing are mandatory

Masks and social distancing are mandatory inside all Atlantic City casinos, and indoor food and beverage service is now a no-no as well.

In case you didn’t get the memo, no one not wearing a face mask will be allowed inside any Atlantic City casino. Once inside, you will be expected to keep the mask on at all times. Slot machines and table game seats will be spaced sufficiently apart to meet established social distancing criteria, but it will also be each player’s responsibility to observe the rules.

Unfortunately, Gov. Murphy revoked his earlier decision to lift the ban on indoor dining.

He made this decision in the wake of not only the alarming spike in positive COVID-19 cases in other states but the fact that many people in New Jersey were being lax about adhering to mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines.

As reported in an article on PressofAtlanticCity.com, Gov. Murphy felt he had no choice but to make this decision, knowing it would not be well received either by the casinos or players.

“Unfortunately the national scene compounded by instances of knucklehead behavior here at home are requiring us to hit pause on the restart of indoor dining for the foreseeable future,” he said. Asked about a time frame, he replied, “I don’t think it’s a matter of days, but a matter of weeks. We have enormous sympathy but the alternative here is worse and unacceptable.”

Casinos are still trying to adjust to the new rules

Publishing deadlines combined with the fact that individual casinos are still in the process of revising their plans to make visitors’ experience this weekend as enjoyable as possible precludes going into specific details here.

However, one property that has gone the extra mile to make sure that no guest goes hungry or thirsty is Ocean Casino Resort.

Here are some of the new provisions that Ocean Resort Casino will make available when the casino reopens.

• Take Out Dining will be offered at BOARD WOK, DISTRICT GRILL, CAFÉ 500, FROSE COFFEE BAR, LOBBY BREW, HARPER’S, PIT BOSS, ROCCO’S ITALIAN KITCHEN, SEASIDE DELI, SCOOPS, SIMPLY SALADS, THE GRIND, ZHEN BANG, AND WAHLBURGERS. (Offerings subject to change.)
• Food and beer trucks: Bites + Brews will feature Bud Lite and Stella Artois beer trucks and local food trucks featuring all your favorite food and desserts!  Stop by the Boardwalk Entrance to see all that there is to offer.  Hours of Operation: Starting July 2 from Noon to 9  PM.  Must be 21 to experience beer trucks.
• Frosé Coffee Bar – Now serving coffee, cappuccino, hot tea, Danish, muffins,  and croissants to go.
• Outdoor Bar Areas located in the O2 area adjacent to the Hotel Lobby, Sky Garden, Pool Areas, and Boardwalk Brow.

It’s a safe bet that all of the other Atlantic City casinos will also offer outdoor and takeout food and beverage service. They want your business and will do what is necessary to make your visit enjoyable while still adhering to the restrictions imposed on them.

On that note, I wish all NJ Online Casino readers a happy, safe, and healthy holiday weekend.

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