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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:

• Connecticut
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• Michigan
• Nevada
• Delaware
• West Virginia

“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.

The post Connecticut Passes Online Casino Gaming and Poker, Illinois Efforts Fall Short So Far appeared first on .

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?

How was the Bad Beat jackpot divided?

The post Lady Luck Strikes at Live! Casino Philadelphia Poker Room: Bad Beat Jackpot Winners Collect Over $600K appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.

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.

In Atlantic City for a week and @PokerStarsUSA is wrapping up their SCOOP series in NJ. After not getting a title in the PA version I won the 1st I played here for my 1st career SCOOP title. Late regged after dinner & had to fire 5 bullets but got it done! #SCOOPChamp #ThinkBink pic.twitter.com/h0y9nzpjf9

— Gilbert Thurston (@YourPokerPastor) May 24, 2021

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. 

Our Easter Worship Experience is now fully shot, edited and uploaded. Would love to have you join us on Sunday at 10am EST for great music and a message, from me, of hope in a time of crisis. Hope to see you then!https://t.co/NXGZZOPiNF pic.twitter.com/jslnb3Oz5F

— Gilbert Thurston (@YourPokerPastor) April 10, 2020

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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The post Everyday Grinder: Preaching the Word and Winning a PokerStars SCOOP Title appeared first on .

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.

The post Ed Asner Center Poker Fundraiser Welcomes a Host of Celebrities, Registration Still Open appeared first on .

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

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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The post SCOOP Produces Record US Numbers for PokerStars Across Three States appeared first on .

There has been plenty of activity at partypoker US Network recently for online poker players. The platform is now in three states and recently announced a slate of promotions.

Online Series in New Jersey and Michigan also just wrapped up with some nice payouts for championship winners.

Players in New Jersey now have a shot at a $25,000 freeroll, set for May 30. The platform operates three skins including:

• Partypoker – New Jersey
• BetMGM – New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan
• Borgata Poker – New Jersey, Pennsylvania

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A look at partypoker promotions

The $25,000 Invitational Freeroll highlights this month’s partypoker promotions. Players can still qualify to get in the action. 

The New Jersey event is available across all three skins. Players who earn 25 IRP rewards by May 29 become eligible to participate.

The $25,000 prize pool will be awarded to the top 100 finishers in the event. Here’s a look at the payouts:

• 1st – $535 ticket and $500 in tournament dollars
• 2nd – $535 ticket + $250 in tournament dollars
• 3rd – $535 ticket + $100 in tournament dollars
• 4th through 18th – $535 ticket
• 19th through 43rd – $215 ticket
• 44th through 73rd – $109 ticket
• 74th through 123rd – $50 in tournament dollars
• 124th through 208th – $25 tournament dollars
• 209th through 333rd – $10 tournament dollars

Also in New Jersey, it pays to play with Ace-Five suited this month. Players who win with that hand can also take home a $215 tournament ticket for the upcoming Online Series. The series runs June 6-13 and the ticket applies to the opening event with a $50,000 guarantee.

This promotion comes from partypoker’s “Pocket Strategy” partnership with LearnWPT. The site offers exclusive strategy content to players on the network.

Players winning a hand starting in any cash game or tournament with Ace-Five suited automatically receive the prize.

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Partypoker Online Series continue

As noted above, another Online Series heads to New Jersey soon. Another series is also planned in Michigan for June 20-27. Pennsylvania dates haven’t been released yet. The NJ and Michigan spring Online Series wrapped up this week.

The final event in New Jersey featured a $1,060 buy-in and $100,000 guarantee. Ryan “Whosyourdoddy” Dodd took the title for $22,500. This came after Dodd spoke with USPoker recently about winning the $320 WSOP.com Super Circuit Main Event for $51,300.

In Michigan, a $1,060 buy-in championship also closed out the series with a $100,000 guarantee. “Jimmy561” took down that title for $23,758.

The Pennsylvania series took place a week after the other two states and continues through May 30. Buy-ins range from $20 to $535 and the $535 main event runs on the final day with $100,000 guaranteed. Here’s a look at the remaining events

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The post Promotion Roundup: Partypoker Gives Players Chance at $25K Freeroll, Online Series Coming appeared first on .