Online Series Kicks off Sunday at Partypoker in New Jersey With $280,000 Guaranteed

The latest Online Series promises New Jersey players more than $280,000 in guaranteed prize pools June 6-13. The festival features 10 events via the partypoker US Network.

The series plays out on the partypoker, BetMGM, or Borgata Poker skins. Players will find a $535 Main Event on June 13 with a $75,000 guarantee. The series features multiple tournament games and styles including progressive knockout (PKO), Pot Limit Omaha ( PLO ) and Six-Max events.

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Partypoker Online Series highlights

The partypoker US Network Online Series should offer something for every type of player. Tournament buy-ins range from $20 to $535

“I like when online tournament series include different buy-in sizes,” says Frank DiRe, a poker player from Chesterfield, New Jersey. “This way I can still get in the action and stay within my bankroll.”

Beyond the main event, a few other highlights from the series include:

  • $215 NLHE 8-Max (Event 1, June 6) – $50,000 guaranteed
  • $109 Pot Limit Omaha (Event 4, June 9) – $10,000 guaranteed
  • $320 NLHE 8-Max PKO (Event 6, June 11) – $25,000 guaranteed
  • $109 Half Priced NLHE (Event 9, May 13) – $30,000 guaranteed

Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

Partypoker Online Series New Jersey

Date MTCT Name Buy-in Guarantee Time
6-Jun #1: 8-MAX NLHE $215 $50,000 5 pm
7-Jun #2: 8-MAX NLHE $215 $20,000 8 pm
8-Jun #3: 8-MAX NLHE $535 $25,000 8 pm
9-Jun #4: 6-MAX PLO $109 $10,000 8 pm
10-Jun #5: 40 STACK NLHE $215 $20,000 8 pm
11-Jun #6: 8-MAX PKO BOUNTY ($150) $320 $25,000 8 pm
12-Jun #7: 8-MAX NLHE $215 $20,000 8 pm
13-Jun #8: 8-MAX MINI NLHE $20 $5,000 5 pm
13-Jun #9: 8-MAX $109 HALF-PRICE NLHE $109 $30,000 5 pm
13-Jun #10: 8-MAX NLHE $535 $75,000 5 pm

 

Daily promotions and Sunday Special 

Each month during the Online Series, players can still participate in multiple events each Sunday. Weekly Sunday specials include the $10 and $20 Deepstack events with $250 and $500 guarantees.

Partypoker also hosts a $20 daily bounty tournament with a $1,000 guarantee and nightly PLO tournaments as well. 

The popular nightly $10,000 guaranteed tournament also runs daily and is available in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey. Here’s a quick look at that event:

  • Start time: 7 pm (ET)
  • Buy-in: $109
  • Starting chips: 50,000 
  • Late registration: Re-entries allowed until the end of Level 15

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A look at some recent winners 

Partypoker US network has been running successful Online Series each month and some players are scoring big. In New Jersey, Ryan “Whosyourdoddy” Dodd is one of the hottest players in the market. He took down the May partypoker main event for $22,500. Dodd recently spoke with USPoker about his hot streak.

During the May Online Series in Michigan, “Jimmy561” took down the  title for $23,758. The $1,060 buy-in championship event boasted a $100,000 guarantee. 

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WPT Deals in New Season With Release of 2021 Dates; 7 Live Events Return Including Bellagio

With live poker returning to normal, the World Poker Tour officially released its schedule of 2021 events on Wednesday. Players will find seven live events in the tour’s 19th season with several North America-based events returning to the schedule.

Following a record-breaking Season XVIII, the new live campaign kicks off with the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Tampa from June 18-22. The new event is one of three events held in Florida in 2021 with two events also heading to Las Vegas.

The extended Season XVIII included several massive turnouts in some of the tour’s final events earlier this year. Tour officials are hoping that signals even more interest in returning to the live tournament felt.

“As we emerge from restrictions throughout North America,” CEO Adam Pliska said in a news release, “we have bolstered the momentum from last season’s historic numbers and are eager to meet the great demand for WPT events leading up to our twenty-year anniversary in 2022.”

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A look at the WPT schedule

After the Tampa stop, the tour heads to Las Vegas for the WPT Venetian from July 2-7. With the World Series of Poker moved to the fall, the tour has added some summer dates for players to fill that void. The Venetian also hosts a WPTDeepStacks event from July 9-13.

Next up is a stop in Oklahoma with the WPT Choctaw running July 23-27. The bestbet Scramble closes out the summer action in Jacksonville, Florida, from Aug. 27-31. That event remains a favorite as the venue adds several bounties on players in the field.

As fall rolls around, the action shifts to the East Coast for WPT Maryland at Live! Casino from Sept. 24-28. Players will then find a two-month break as the WSOP plays out in Las Vegas from Sept. 30 to Nov. 23. This allows WPT players to get in both series’ major events. 

Back to the WPT action

The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown closed out Season XVIII in May and exemplifies the demand for live poker. That event became the largest WPT Main Tour field in history with 2,482 entries and a $7.9 million prize pool. Intensive care unit nurse Brek Schutten claimed the title for $1.3 million.

In Season XIX, the action returns to the Seminole for the Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open from Nov. 26-30. The last event set a record for this tournament as well with 988 entries.

The WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic closes out 2021 at Bellagio in Las Vegas from Dec.15-19. This event has become the Super Bowl of the WPT, setting attendance records for each of the last five seasons.

Alex Foxen celebrates winning the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic in 2019. (photos courtesy WPT/Joe Giron)

The Five Diamond remains a hallmark on the tour calendar dating back to the first season. Some of the biggest names in poker have won this event including Antonio Esfandiari, Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, Joe Hachem, Eugene Katchalov, and others.

The last Five Diamond was held in 2019 with Alex Foxen topping a field of 1,035 entries to score $1.6 million.

“Live poker is back at full strength on the World Poker Tour and we are ecstatic to once again be able to provide a full and exciting schedule of events for our players,” WPT Vice President of Global Tour Management Angelica Hael said.

“We want to sincerely thank the players and global casino partners for their unwavering support during a challenging year and look forward to showcasing some of the best casino properties in North America.”

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Online events also still in the works

Along with live tournaments returning to the WPT felt, more online poker offerings are also in the works. The WPT World Online Championships are also provisionally scheduled at partypoker from Sept. 1-30. The WPTDeepStacks Online is also set to play out on the site from July 18-28.

The new season actually kicked off on partypoker in May with the WPT Online Series. The championship event wrapped up on Tuesday with Christian Rudolph to become the first champion of Season XIX.

Rudolph topped a field of 1,065 for $487,443 in an event that saw a $3.2 million prize pool. 

More Season XIX events including stops planned for 2022 are expected to be announced at a later date. Here’s a look at the complete schedule:

WPT Season XIX (2021)

Date Buy-in Event Guarantee Casino Location
June 18-22 $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Tampa $2 million Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa Hollywood, Florida
July 2-7 $5,000 WPT Venetian $3 million Venetian Resort Casino Las Vegas, Nevada
July 23-27 $3,700 WPT Choctaw $1 million Choctaw Casino & Resort Durant, Oklahoma
Aug. 27-31 $5,000 WPT bestbet Scramble $1 million bestbet Jacksonville Jacksonville. Florida
Sept. 1-30 (provisional) NA WPT World Online Championships NA partypoker NA
Sept. 24-28 $3,500 WPT Maryland at Live! Casino NA Live! Casino & Hotel Hanover, Maryland
Nov. 26-30 $3,500 WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open $2 million Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood Hollywood, Florida
Dec. 15-19 $10,400 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic NA Bellagio Resort & Casino Las Vegas, Nevada

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Summer Sizzles With WSOP.com Online Super Circuit Series, $1.6 Million Guaranteed 

Poker players would normally in the early days of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas during this time of year. Players looking for hardware now move online with the series now shifted to the fall.

The WSOP Circuit tour looks a little different this year as well, but still comes with action each month. WSOP.com kicks off June with the Summer Online Super Circuit, running June 10-27.

Players can compete for 18 championship gold rings and $1.6 million in guaranteed prize pools. The events are available to players in the New Jersey and Nevada markets at WSOP.com.

WSOP.com Summer Series highlights

The Summer  Super Circuit includes a $525 Main Event on June 27 with a $250,000 guarantee. All events in the Summer Circuit series are in No Limit Hold’em with the exception of two Omaha tournaments. Some other standout events include:

  • $215 Monster Stack (Event 4, June 13) – $125,000 guaranteed
  • $500 Pot Limit Omaha BIG (Event 5, June 14 – $50,000 guaranteed
  • $320 Double Stack (Event 10, June 19) – $100,000 guaranteed
  • $2,000 Super High Roller Six-Max (Event 13, June 22) – $100,000 guaranteed
  • $5,300 Ultra High Roller (Event 17, June 26) – $100,000 guaranteed

Here’s a look at the entire schedule:

WSOP.com Summer Online Super Circuit 2021 

Date Name Buy-in GTD
June 10 #1 – NLHE BIG $500 Kick-Off 3x Re-entry 8-Max $500 $75,000
June 11 #2 – Limit Omaha 8 or Better 8-Max 3X Re-entry $215 $40,000
June 12 #3 – NLHE Double Stack 2x Re-entry $320 $100,000
June 13 #4 – NLHE Monster Stack 2x Re-entry $215 $125,000
June 14 #5 – PLO BIG $500 6-Max 3X Re-entry $500 $50,000
June 15 #6 – NLHE High Roller 6-Max 2x Re-entry $1,000 $100,000
June 16 #7 – NLHE 6-Max 2x Re-entry $320 $75,000
June 17 #8 – NLHE Knockout Freezeout $300 $50,000
June 18 #9 – NLHE Deep Turbo 2x Re-entry $215 $50,000
June 19 #10 – NLHE Double Stack 2x Re-entry $320 $100,000
June 20 #11 – NLHE Monster Stack 3x Re-entry 8-Max $525 $150,000
June 21 #12 – NLHE Freezeout $250 $50,000
June 22 #13 – NLHE Super High Roller 6-Max 2x Re-entry $2,000 $100,000
June 23 #14 – NLHE 2X Re-entry $215 $75,000
June 24 #15 – NLHE 2x Re-entry $320 $75,000
June 25 #16- NLHE Turbo 2x Re-entry $250 $50,000
June 26 #17 – NLHE Ultra High Roller $5,300 $100,000
June 27 #18 – NLHE Main Event 3x Re-entry 8-Max $525 $250,000

 

Rumors have swirled online, but there is still no confirmed live WSOP Circuit events running this year.  WSOP.com Online Circuit events remain the only option each month at this time.

Monthly leaderboard cash is still up for grabs

WSOP.com continues to run a $10,000 monthly leaderboard for each online series. The top 10 circuit grinders each month win WSOP.com tournament tickets.

The winner also earns a seat into the year-end WSOP Online Circuit Championship with a $250,000 guarantee. That tournament is set for Dec. 28 and rewards the champion with a WSOP gold bracelet.

Players qualify for the championship by winning a:

  • gold ring event 
  • $10,000 Player of the Month leaderboard
  • Second Chance Freeroll

Players also earn entry by being one of the top 50 players on the cumulative circuit leaderboard. Currently, the top five players on the cumulative leaderboard are:

  1. juice – 255.57
  2. APokerJoker2 – 209.55
  3. Slapshot1085 – 198.94
  4. BrockLesnar – 170.74
  5. Jchak – 167.59

Winners from May’s WSOP Online Circuit events 

The Caesars Atlantic City Online Circuit shipped 12 championship rings in May. Online grinders continue to come out in droves trying to score some. 

Anthony “Flawlessbink” Maio earned his third ring in the $525 Monster Stack for $36,231. Romain “terrrr1”

Daniel Buzgon recently scored his eighth WSOP Circuit ring.

Lotti took down the $300 Knockout Freezeout to take home his second ring and $14,711.

Also, Daniel “stayactive” Chan won ring number four after scoring $23,187 in the $300 Monster Stack. Stanley “stanman420” Lee added his second ring and $22,240 after taking down the $320 Double Stack.

On the year-long circuit leaderboard, New Jersey’s Daniel “juice” Buzgon remains king of the mountain. He scored his eighth ring in the $500 Big PLO event for $12,936.

Buzgon has some competition in New Jersey lately as Ryan “WHOSYOURDODD” Dodd shows he isn’t a one-hit wonder. Dodd scored rings in back-to-back months.

He took down the $2,000 High Roller on May 25 for $51,267. Back in April Dodd padded his bankroll when he took down the $320 Main Event for $51,300

“I never won a high roller before so it was nice to get two wins in only three days,” Dodd told USPoker.

Dodd also won an event a day earlier on Borgata Poker. USPoker recently caught up with Dodd about his current heater.

WSOP.com offers plenty of freeroll cash

All June Summer Circuit ring winners earn entries into a $25,000 freeroll set for June 30. Those finishing among the top 10 on the monthly leaderboard also receive freeroll entries.

Also on June 30, WSOP.com hosts a Second Chance Freeroll for players who participated in at least three June ring events. The winner-take-all tournament awards a seat in the $250,000 Online Circuit Championship.

Upcoming major series 

Following this series, the WSOP Online runs  July 1 to Aug. 1 with 33 online gold bracelet events. The series hopes to fill the void of the usual summer bracelet action. GGPoker will also host summer bracelet events for international players again from Aug. 1 to Sept. 12.

The WSOP.com July Summer Circuit is next on dock for the WSOPC. Players can expect 12 ring events running July 16-27.

World Series officials announced in April that the annual live series would be played in the fall this year in Las Vegas. The series runs Sept. 30 to Nov. 23 with a schedule expected to be released this summer.

* Buzgon photo courtesy WPT

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Connecticut Passes Online Casino Gaming and Poker, Illinois Efforts Fall Short So Far

The US regulated online poker market saw some mixed news last week. The good news is another state legalizing online poker. The bad news is that promising legislation in Illinois didn’t reach a vote.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed a bill last week legalizing online casino gaming, sports betting, and poker. The Constitution State becomes the seventh state legalizing online poker and that list now includes:

“By signing this bill into law, Connecticut is now on the cusp of providing a modern, technologically advanced gaming experience that will be competitive with our neighboring states and positions us for success into the future,” Governor Lamont said after signing the bill. 

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Inside the Connecticut online gaming legislation

The path to legalization came fairly quickly for Connecticut. Lamont expressed support for the legislation earlier this year and the issue received bipartisan support.

The state legislature passed the bill in late May and the senate followed through last week. Lamont signed the bill on Friday.

As part of the legislation, the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes tribes and state lottery can offer online gaming and sports betting.

While the legislation passed swiftly, that doesn’t mean gaming will necessarily start quickly. 

“The administration and the tribes will seek approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the US Department of Interior to amend the state’s compact with the tribes, which needs to happen before online gaming and sports wagering can be offered in the state,” NBC Connecticut notes.

As part of the law, the state’s general fund receives monthly payments from the tribes and state lottery. That ranges from 13.75% to 20% of gross revenues from sports wagering, online casino gaming, and fantasy contests.

The state also receives $500,000 yearly payments from each tribe and $1 million from the lottery to fund problem gambling programs.

What’s the future of online poker in Connecticut?

A quick launch of online poker seems unlikely. Connecticut is a state of just 3.6 million people, making its possibilities limited.

That population places it above Delaware (974,000), West Virginia (1.8 million), and Nevada (3.1 million). It still falls well behind New Jersey (8.9 million), Michigan (10 million), and Pennsylvania (12.8 million).

Delaware and Nevada have only one online poker operator. A platform has still hasn’t launched in WV.

WSOP.com operates in Nevada with 888poker as the sole platform in Delaware. 888 is the World Series of Poker’s software partner and is working to expand in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

888/WSOP.com operates the country’s only online poker interstate compact, the All-American Poker Network. The network pools players in prize pools among New Jersey, Nevada, and with 888 in Delaware.

Shared liquidity would be the best solution for smaller states like Connecticut and West Virginia. 

That doesn’t mean a platform won’t take a chance in Connecticut. But the state certainly won’t be a priority until interstate compacts are launched.

Poker fans at least saw some news recently on that front, but that doesn’t mean agreements are imminent.

“I expect a multi-state poker agreement to be signed,” new Michigan Gaming Control Board executive director Henry Williams told Online Poker Report. “The agency has been in discussions with other states and hopes to announce an agreement later this year.”

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Legislative session closes without vote in Illinois

Illinois has become the other hope for the industry over the last few months. The Internet Gaming Act received plenty of support but the legislative session came to a close Tuesday morning without passage.

With 12.7 million people, Illinois offered some real promise – as a standalone poker market or added to a shared liquidity agreement.

Had it passed, the legislation featured language allowing for expedited approval of some operators. That could have meant online poker launching this year.

Players in the state now have to hope legislators take up the issue again in the fall. iGaming has received support among state representatives, but other issues have taken priority.

The legislature is considering some adjustments to the state sports wagering in the fall, OPR reports. That could offer some hope for online gaming to be included in the mix. If not, players will have to wait for 2022.

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Lady Luck Strikes at Live! Casino Philadelphia Poker Room: Bad Beat Jackpot Winners Collect Over $600K

It was a Memorial Day Weekend to remember for seven players at the Poker Room at Live! Casino Philadelphia.

The Bad Beat jackpot hit for $609,627.50 on May 28. The big Bad Beat prize is one the largest jackpots in recent history at a Pennsylvania casino.

Huge Bad Beat jackpot win at Live! Casino Philadelphia

Who won the Bad Beat Jackpot?

Seven players at Table 9 at the Poker Room at Live! Casino Philadelphia. According to a representative from Live! they had all been playing 1/3 No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em for a few hours when the Bad Beat hit. The poker players who won the jackpot were:

  • Howard Ohline, of Media, PA
  • Demerus Lambeth, of Temple Hills, MD
  • John Dowling, of Kennett Square, PA
  • Jorge Torrez, of Philadelphia, PA
  • Francis Baccare, of Sewell, NJ
  • William Platt, of Folsom, PA
  • Konstanti Simotas, of Landsdale, PA

What makes a Bad Beat Jackpot in Poker?

A Bad Beat Jackpot hits when four-of-a-kind Jacks (or better) is beaten by a better hand. In this case, four queens, held by Ohline, was beaten by a king-high straight flush, held by Lambeth. A king-high straight flush is a five-card hand of the same suit in sequence.

How was the Bad Beat jackpot divided?

  • Ohline collected 50% ($304,814) with the losing hand of four-of-a-kind queens (a.k.a the Bad Beat).
  • Lambeth held the winning hand of king-high straight flush and won 25% ($152,407).
  • The other five players split the remaining 25% of the jackpot ($30,482).

Live! Casino Philadelphia poker room FAQs

Details about the Live! Casino Philadelphia poker room:

  • Number of tables: 29
  • Twitter page for Live! Casino Philadelphia poker room: @LivePoker_PHL
  • Live! Casino rewards for poker: One hour of poker played equals 100 points. For more information on tier levels and rewards visit Live! Casino Philadelphia’s website.

Poker promotions at Live! Casino Philadelphia

  • Thursdays: $40/$80 HOE starting at 10:00 a.m.
  • Fridays: $5/$10 Omaha 8 w/ Full Kill starting at 1:00 p.m.
  • Sundays: $40/$80 HOE starting at 1:00 p.m.

Tournaments are coming soon to the Poker Room at Live! Casino Philadelphia.

Fans and drink service add more life to Live! Casino

Coronavirus rules and restrictions have been updated. However, Philadelphia remains slightly behind the rest of the state. Masks are still required indoors until at least June 11.

Most of the other casinos in Pennsylvania do not require masks for vaccinated visitors. Currently, smoking is not permitted at any casino in Pennsylvania due to COVID restrictions put in place by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Live! Casino Philadelphia got a big boost when drink service returned to the gaming floor recently. Also, they undoubtedly got more visitors as capacity limits were loosened for Wells Fargo Center and Citizens Bank Park.

Live! Casino Philadelphia has made fast friends with its neighbors. When it opened in February, Live! offered a Philadelphia Phillies player’s card. Now, they are running a package deal for tickets to the Phillies game on June 6 which includes an overnight stay and a dining credit.

Image via Dreamstime.

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Everyday Grinder: Preaching the Word and Winning a PokerStars SCOOP Title

Two words that may seem a little odd together are “poker” and “pastor.” But for Gilbert Thurston, this is a way of life. 

By day, the 47-year-old  preaches at Exponential Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. But in his free time Thurston plays online poker – certainly a unique lifestyle for a grinders.

“We are a very contemporary church with rock music, casual dress, and messages that provide both Biblical wisdom and practical advice for navigating through this journey we call life,” he says.

Whether it was divine intervention or not, Thurston found a nice win on May 23. During a trip to New Jersey, Thurston took down a PokerStars $10 Sunday Storm SCOOP event for $583.

This poker-playing pastor evidently has some skills away from the pulpit as well. 

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Deep thoughts on his calling

Thurston grew up playing cards with family members. As he grew older he began playing in home games and on free money sites like Zynga.

He eventually found PokerStars before Black Friday and began grinding even more. Currently, Thurston has over $367,000 in online reported tournament earnings.

The card-playing clergyman drew a line in the sand at one point and stopped playing altogether. He had some moral reservations about gambling. During a night out at a movie theater, Thurston began thinking deeper on the subject. 

“When I first became a Christian in 1993, I did stop playing poker for a while because I just assumed it’s gambling and it must be wrong,” says Thurston, who has degrees in Biblical preaching and business admin degree from Hagerstown Community College. “A few years later though my wife and I were sitting at a movie theater watching a movie when it hit me.

“We had just spent $40 on tickets, drinks, popcorn, and candy and called it ‘entertainment.’ Yet if someone spent that same $40 at a casino I was calling it sin. So this led me to do an in-depth study of scripture to see what the Bible actually had to say about this topic.” 

Thurston concluded some key differences among gambling, entertainment, and business. 

“So based on that, my personal conviction is that Christians should only gamble with money that’s been marked aside as entertainment dollars,” he says, “and those entertainment dollars can only be spent once all other financial obligations have been met.

“In this way, playing poker is no different than someone playing a round of golf or spending money for their gardening hobby or whatever else they may be into.”

Thurston says poker pros buying into larger buy-in events are an exception. He sees them more as businessmen using their skills and buy-ins to earn a living.

Poker remains his game of choice and he doesn’t play casino games. He feels if someone else wants to use some entertainment dollars for slots, craps, blackjack, that’s their decision.

For Thurston however, he doesn’t find the fun in knowing the house has the edge. 

Church is still his Ace

Even though Thurston enjoys playing online, he makes it clear that his church is his priority. COVID increased his responsibilities over the last year, which led to a decrease in time playing online. He’s also involved with mission work in various parts of the world.

“The last 11 years have been very challenging, yet we’re still going at it – making a difference in Harrisburg as well as internationally in Haiti, Kenya, and India,” Thurston says. 

Over the last year, Thurston couldn’t spread the word and help parishioners first-hand. Instead he recorded, edited, and uploaded church services online. 

Besides trying to win tournaments, the pastor found another benefit from playing poker. He shares his faith and life as a pastor with those who are interested, sometimes with positive results.

“Through the years I’ve been able to befriend many poker players from all around the world and show them a different side of Christianity, Jesus, and the church than what they may have encountered in the past or had a perception of,” he says.

“This has led to helping players overcome addiction, mend broken marriages, discover good money management, and more.”

Helping others discover their own paths in life is also one of the main reasons Thurston loves his calling. He’s active on Twitter, fittingly at @YourPokerPastor, and is always available to help poker players needing to talk.

Considering this poker player has such a unique job, the situation begs the question: would Jesus have been a good poker player?

“The answer is yes,” he says. “Jesus is God in the flesh and knows all things, so he’d be unbeatable. Perhaps only Mike Postle could give him a run for his money.”

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Ed Asner Center Poker Fundraiser Welcomes a Host of Celebrities, Registration Still Open

Celebrities taking a seat at the poker table to raise funds for a good cause is nothing new. However, the Ed Asner Celebrity Poker Night has ramped things up and is now in its ninth year.

Once again this year’s event goes virtual on June 12 with a host of big names taking part and some big prizes for winners. Players can get in on the action for a $250 donation.

The annual event benefits the Ed Asner Family Center, an all-encompassing resource dedicated to helping individuals, and their families, with autism, developmental delays, and other special needs. Players have until June 4 to register for the tournament..

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What to expect playing poker with Ed

Asner is beloved by many for his role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He’s also starred in numerous films and television shows and won seven Emmy awards. At age 91, Asner still acts and recently appeared in the popular Netflix series Cobra Kai.

Reigning champion Clancy Brown (Highlander, Shawshank Redemption) will be back in the field this year. Players can also expect:

  • a silent auction
  • special musical performance by Aimee Mann
  • a livestream of the event

Organizers also announced possible appearances by past celebrity players including Jack Black, Ben Affleck, and Don Cheadle.

The event features a 300-seat field using the online Poker 501 platform. The virtual poker rooms give players like Triumph the Insult Comic Dog the ability to see and bluff other players. Look for plenty of heckling of table mates from Triumph as well.

The event features numerous celebrities and some of those familiar at poker tables include Jason Alexander, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Ian Black, Brad Garrett, and others.

A few other celebrities attending include Dave Foley, Matthew Modine, Michael McKean, Anna Paquin, Keith Morrison, Daryl Hannah, Danny Bonaduce, Haley Joel Osment, Richard Kind, Natasha Henstridge, Rosie O’Donnell, and numerous others. Players can expect plenty of interaction via the poker platform.

“We’re very excited about this year’s Poker Night, because the virtual platform is brand new and really amazing,” says Matt Asner, Ed’s son and co-founder of the center. “It’s cutting edge and allows our players to see and talk to one another in real time at their tables.

“This virtual poker night will be truly groundbreaking and the closest you’ll get to in-person, live table action. It’s light years ahead of the video game vibe we had last year. I can’t wait to see who has the best poker face.”

A look at players and hosts

Poker fans will recognize the hosts for the annual event. Phil Gordon, Maria Ho, and Nick Geber will check in on tables throughout the live stream.

Gordon returns to poker a bit after retreating to a life back in the tech world. He was a major player throughout the Moneymaker and online poker boom. Gordon has $2.8 million in live tournament winnings including one World Poker Tour title. He also hosted Celebrity Poker Showdown on the Bravo network.

During a media event to promote the fundraiser last week, Gordon spoke with USPoker about seeing the game’s growth during the 2000s to where it is today.

“I turned pro almost 20 years ago to the day and made the World Series of Poker Main Event final table in 2001,” Gordon said. “The boom years with Chris Moneymaker were amazing and all the celebrities on the show were super fun. Obviously all the networks had their own poker show.

“I think one of the things that happened over the course of time, the young kids saw all the money that was being thrown around, and that started playing and playing really well. They had simulation tools, they had forums to help each other, the computers got a lot more powerful and were able to solve with game theory. It became a much different game than it was 15 or 20 years ago.”

When the cards get in the air, Gordon will once again be in the mix. This time the goal is not to win a pile of money, but score plenty of donations for the Asner Family Center.

To register or for more information, click here.

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SCOOP Produces Record US Numbers for PokerStars Across Three States

PokerStars’ trifecta of Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) series concluded this week and produced record US numbers.

Run in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Michigan, the three series paid out $6.35 million to players. That was more than $1 million over the original guarantee of $5.2 million.

In total, the SCOOP festival produced more than 117,000 entries and 406 champions

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A look at the PokerStars SCOOP numbers

SCOOP became the largest US online poker series of 2021 and offers another positive sign for US market. Since the Coronavirus pandemic began in 2020, states have seen record online poker revenue numbers.

The SCOOP main events in all three states collectively awarded more than $625,000. Here’s a look at some highlights from each series.

Michigan

The Wolverine State is the latest market for PokerStars and has seen some nice numbers so far. This first SCOOP attracted more than 40,000 entries across 120 tournaments.

The series awarded $2.3 million to players, exceeding the $2.2 million guarantee. The Main Event drew 871 entries for a total prize pool of $243,880.

Stozypokes” came out on top, winning $41,074. It turned out to be an excellent series for this Michigan player. Stozy also took down an earlier Sunday Marathon event for $2,650.

Another Main Event finish certainly stood out. “healybuck2021” won entry into the Main Event via a Depositor Freeroll. Healy went on to parlay that into a third-place finish for $20,965

Another highlight for Michigan was the performance of “Dublistic,” who scored an impressive four MISCOOP titles.

New Jersey

In the Garden State, the series attracted 26,000 entries across 163 tournaments. That produced $1.36 million in total prize pools, beating the original $1.2 million guarantee.

The Main Event produced a final table deal between two players with “TrashNinja00” taking the top prize of $18,183. The tournament saw 391 entries, building a series-high prize pool of $109,480.

Several players took down multiple titles with these players taking four each:

  • 09123459
  • Dan “AvaGray” Lupo
  • Barney889
  • TopDogCD

Pennsylvania

Isaac "KingBoss92" Vasquez won the PokerStars PASCOOP Main Event on May 3 and spoke with USPoker about the big win and his poker life in PA.
Isaac Vasquez took down the SCOOP title in Pennsylvania.

Players in Pennsylvania saw the biggest bump to the guarantee among all three states. The series came with a $2 million guarantee and awarded $2.6 million.

That included more than 47,000 entries across 41 events. The Main Event High brought in 1,015 entries for a $284,200 prize pool, exceeding the $200,000 guarantee.

Isaac “Kingboss93” Vasquez won that title for $46,410. He spoke with USPoker earlier this month about winning his first major online championship.

“Honestly, it felt incredible and to win hours before my birthday on May 4, it’s almost like it wasn’t real,” he said. “I was still thinking about last month’s second-place finish in the Pennsyl-Mania. I’ve been waiting for a score like that and to follow it up with a main event win, emotions hit me hard. It’s surreal.”

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