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WSOP ROUNDUP: Big 50 Turns Huge, Ireland’s Toby Joyce Wins Bracelet, Main Event Starts, & More

The WSOP Online continued this week at GGPoker with Scott Ball winning $1 million in the Mystery Bounty and players from Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Finland, and Canada earning bracelets.

With three weeks left in the World Series of Poker Online at GGPoker, there’s still plenty of action in store for international players. The last week saw plenty of headlines including a big score for a World Poker Tour regular, another five-figure player pool, and much more.

Players will also be looking forward to Day 2 of the Main Event on Sunday. That event comes with a monster $25 million guarantee. The WSOP in Las Vegas may not be on, but there is plenty of betting and bluffing online.

Here’s a look at the news over the last week.

Entry field average ticks up; prize pool, payouts drop slightly

With the Big 50 bringing in massive numbers, the average field size saw a hefty increase over the last week. That moved up about 700 entries to an average of 4,363 per event.

Despite that, prize pools and winner payouts fell a bit over the week. The average prize pool dropped about $100,000 and winner payout fell by about $18,000.

Here’s a quick look at the current averages from the series overall as well as complete winners and statistics:

Tournament averages

  • Entries – 4,363
  • Prize pool – $2 million
  • Winner payout – $295,205

Series totals

  • Entries – 174,507
  • Prize pool – $79.1 million
  • Winner payout – $11.5 million

* Figures as of Aug. 26. For complete facts and information about the WSOP Online, including Twitch streams, click here.

EventBuy-inTotal entriesPrize poolWinner payoutWinnerCountry
#32: The Opener NLHE$10029,306$2,696,152$265,880Marcelo Jakovljevic PudlaBrazil
#33: Every 1 for Covid Relief$1,1112,323$2,580,853$343,204Alek StasiakCanada
#34: Super Turbo Bounty NLHE 6-Handed$5252,214$1,107,000$117,650Shoma IshikawaJapan
#35 Pot Limit Omaha Championship$5,000328$1,558,000$306,622Juha HelppiFinland
#36 FIFTY STACK NLHE$1,5001,342$1,912,350$297,496Michael ClacherSouth Africa
#37 Bounty Pot Limit Omaha$1,050971$971,000$161,887Hun Wei LeeAustralia
#38 Monster Stack NLHE 6-Handed [Asia Time Zone]$6002,007$1,143,990$171,389Aaron WijayaChina
#39: NLHE [Asia Time Zone]$1,500922$1,313,850$216,213Roberto RomanelloUnited Kingdom
#40: Pot Limit Omaha$2,500532$1,263,500$224,493Klas LofbergSweden
#41: COLOSSUS$40012,757$4,796,632$595,930Ranno SootlaEstonia
#42: PLOSSUS$4004,356$1,637,856$221,557Yuri DzivielevskiBrazil
#43: Short Deck NLHE Championship$10,000301$812,700$276,393Lev "LevMeAlone" GottliebUnited States
#44: NLHE 6-Handed$2,500892$2,118,500$356,412Kristen BicknellCanada
#45: Bounty NLHE$8402,382$1,906,500$245,448Patrick "Muddington" KennedyUnited Kingdom
#46: Deepstack NLHE$5002,307$1,095,825$189,098Sung Joo "ArtePokerTV" HyunSouth Korea
#47: Short Deck NLHE$1,000487$462,560$88,202Paul TeohMalaysia
#48 MILLIONAIRE MAKER$1,5006,299$8,976,075$1,489,289Daniel DvoressCanada
#49 Turbo Deepstack$5002,978$1,414,550$192,523Vladas "apuokos" BurneikisLithuania
#50: Bounty Championship$2,1001,168$2,336,000$327,319Enrico "GTOExploiter" CamosciItaly
#51: Pot Limit Omaha$4002,005$753,880$100,945Eoghan "DrRoche" O'DeaIreland
#52: NLHE$1,0002,006$1,905,700$273,505Alek StasiakCanada
#53: Double Stack PLO [Asia Time Zone]$800831$631,560$94,253Frank CrivelloUnited States
#54: Heads-Up Championship$10,000128$1,241,600$360,480David PetersUnited States
#55: NLHE Asia Time Zone ChampionshipHK$8,0003,247$3,184,074$458,261Luis Eduardo Assuncao GarlaBrazil
#56: GGMasters WSOP Edition$1502,153$3,068,025$444,869Seth FischerUnited States
#57: GGMasters WSOP Edition$1509,835$1,357,230$183,526Anatoly "Pohitrusha" SuvarovRussia
#58: NLHE 6-Handed Championship$5,000672$3,192,000$531,513Ravid "jerbi9999" GarbiIsrael
#59: NLHE Double Stack$2,5001,061$2,519,875$399,047Leonardo "Babaehduro" MattosBrazil
#60: $525 Bounty NLHE 6-Handed$5253,170$1,585,000$180,177Orhan "yirtil" AtesTurkey
#61: Monster Stack NLHE 6-Handed$3003,491$973,989$127,660Alexander "MightyWarior" StaceyUnited Kingdom
#62: Pot Limit Omaha$1,500990$1,410,750$220,160Bradley "DrStrange7" RubenUnited States
#63: Mini Main Event$50015,205$7,222,375$843,460Ivan "zufo16" ZuficCroatia
#64: Super Turbo Bounty NLHE$8402,207$1,765,600$131,461Kartik "Mandovi" VedIndia
#65: NLHE Deepstack$6002,911$1,659,270$227,906Dmytro "Too Bad" BystrovzorovUkraine
#66: Pot Limit Omaha$8001,281$973,560$139,453Toby JoyceIreland
#67: NLHE$500706$335,350$45,101Gregor "soulsntfaces" MullerAustria
#68: Deepstack NLHE [Asia Time Zone]$5002,315$1,099,625$150,460Yan Shing TsangHong Kong
#69: Marathon NLHE$1,5001,438$2,049,150$302,472Nick "rdcrsn" MaimoneUnited States
#70: NLHE Poker Players Championship$25,000407NANA* event not yet completedNA
#71: BIG 50 NLHE$5044,576$2,050,496$211,282Huahuan "F7588" FengChina
TOTALS174,507$79,083,002$11,512,996
Average (8/26/20)4,363$2,026,475$295,205
Average (8/19/20)3,641$2,134,553$313,654.00
Averages (8/11/203,830$1,997,347$299,896

WSOP Big 50 goes gargantuan at GGPoker

Another week, another huge-field event at the GGPoker WSOP Online. This week it was the Big 50, with a fitting $50 buy-in and $2 million guarantee.

The event produced a Herculean 44,576 entries, the biggest number of the series. The tournament beat the guarantee and ultimately paid out $2.1 million.

The WSOP and GGPoker have announced a new summer online bracelet series.

When the dust settled, it was China’s Huahuan Feng coming out on top of the fifty-buck bonanza. For his efforts Feng took home a bracelet and $211,282. 

Feng has just over $391,000 in live tournament winnings. The biggest of that was an event in Korea, where he finished runner-up for $176,985.

The Big 50 became the fourth event with a player pool reaching five figures. The others were the Opener, Colossus, and Mini Main Event. Here’s a quick look at all these events.

  • $100 Opener – 29,306 entries, $2.7 million prize pool
  • $400 Colossus – 12,757 entries, $4.8 million prize pool
  • $500 Mini Main Event – 15,205 entries, $7.3 million
  • $50 Big 50 – 44,576 entries, $2,050,496 guarantee

Massive run continues for Toby Joyce

It’s been quite a year for Toby Joyce. He now has 12 cashes in the series on GG and the 11th was quite special.

In the $800 Pot Limit Omaha, Joyce won his first bracelet for $139,453. He also scored a 13th-place finish in the $5,000 PLO Championship for $20,872.

The PLO results show the versatility in this player originally from Galway, Ireland. In December, Joyce finished runner-up in the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic for $1.1 million.

WSOP Online bracelet winner Toby Joyce

Joyce also scored 12th and 14th-place finishes on the tour this season. He now sits in fourth in the WPT Player of the Year standings. 

After several years devoted to online poker, Joyce transitioned to traveling the world playing poker over the last few years. He likes the travel and interactions with new people that go with life on the poker circuit.

“For the first few years I played kind of by myself in an isolated way and didn’t really know anybody else in poker,” he told WPT.com in December. “I then came a bit fed up with poker. I was kind of over it. I’d won a bunch of money and didn’t feel great. I didn’t get what I expected from it.

“I then started traveling more to play live and met a lot of friends in poker and traveled with them to different places. It would be great to get a big score live after putting in so much work.”

Another bracelet adds to series-leading US total

As the WSOP Online marches on, the US added to its total lead among all countries in the series. Nick Maimone took down the $1,500 Marathon for his first bracelet and $302,472.

Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Maimone has $2.2 million in live tournament winnings. That includes a deep run in the WSOP Main Event in 2009, finishing 15th for $633,022.

The Marathon win added to the American success in the competition for which country could win the most bracelets. The US has a total of six bracelets, now a two-tournament lead.

Huahuan Feng’s win in the Big 50 added a second bracelet to China’s total. Here’s a look at the standings as of Aug. 26.

Bracelets by Country

  • US – 6
  • Canada – 4
  • Brazil – 4
  • United Kingdom – 3
  • China – 2

Canadians score top spots on leaderboard

A pair of Canadians continue to dominate the top two places in the GGPoker WSOP Online leaderboard. Daniel Dvoress, winner of the Millionaire Maker, remains in the lead.

Canada’s Alek Stasiak also keeps his spot in second place. Mini Main Event winner Ivan Zufic moved to third last week but hasn’t added to that total since then.

Here’s a look at the complete leaderboard:

  • 1st – Daniel Dvoress (Canada), 6,326.03
  • 2nd – Alek Stasiak (Canada), 6,174.40
  • 3rd – Ivan Zufic (Croatia), 5,719.69
  • 4th – Ranno Sootla (Estonia), 5,021.13
  • 5th – Belarmino De Souza (Brazil), 4,962.18

The winner receives a solid gold mouse trophy (the computer type). Players finishing second through fifth earn a solid gold playing card.

A golden dragon is awarded to the player winning the WSOP Asia Time Zone leaderboard. Brazil’s Luis Assuncao currently leads that race.

WSOP Online week ahead at GGPoker

Plenty of interesting events remain on the schedule over the next week including the first People’s Choice events. GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu announced the first of these this week.

A $25,000 Head-Up tournament is set for Tuesday, Sept. 1, with a field capped at 128. Two more People’s Choice events are planned for next Wednesday and Thursday, but those specifics haven’t yet been announced.

A few more smaller buy-in events dot the schedule this weekend. The $300 Double Stack is set for Saturday and the $400 Forty Stack on Sunday. These should produce some nice results for weekend warriors.

Sunday also brings Day 2 of the $5,000 Main Event after numerous starting flights and satellites. It may not be the real championship in Las Vegas, but plenty will be out for some online glory.

The $25 million guaranteed prize pool only adds to the prestige. Here’s a look at the remaining events on the schedule.

2020 GGPoker WSOP Online

DateEvent NumberTournamentBuy-inPrize GuaranteeNotes
Wednesday, September 02, 202048People's Choice Event [Pros Vote]TBATBATBA by Vote
Thursday, September 03, 202049People's Choice Event [Spin the Wheel]TBATBATBA by Vote
Saturday, September 05, 202050People's Choice Event [Most Popular]TBATBAAsia Time Zone, TBA by Vote
Saturday, September 05, 202051$1,050 Beat the Pros [Bounty]$1,050
Sunday, September 06, 202052$10K WSOP Super MILLION$, $5M GTD$10,000$5,000,0002-Day Event
Sunday, September 06, 202053$100 WSOP MILLION$ [Final Day], $2M GTD$100$2,000,0002-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Sunday, September 06, 202054$500 The Closer [LAST CHANCE]$500

For a complete review of GGPoker including exclusive GGPoker bonuses, click here.

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WSOP Roundup: Mini Main Swells Prize Pool, Americans Score Gold, Negreanu Frustrated, & More

The World Series of Poker Online continues at GGPoker with just a few more events remaining. Here's a look at some action from the last week.

Less than a month of bracelet hunting remains for players in the World Series of Poker Online at GGPoker. However, plenty of action lies ahead and the last week saw some big names make waves in the series.

One of those is David Peters, who added a bracelet to his illustrious career. Chris Moorman also came close to poker’s biggest prize and Daniel Negreanu has experienced some frustration.

Here’s a look at all the major WSOP headlines over the last week.

WSOP Online numbers stay strong with increasing prize pools and winner payouts

With 34 events at GGPoker now in the books, the numbers in the series continued to shine. In the last week, the average winner payout increased by more than $135,000.

The average prize pool rose by almost $14,000. The $500 Mini Main Event was a massive part of those increases. That tournament alone had 15,205 entries and a prize pool of $7.2 million. Croatia’s Ivan Zufic took the title for $843,460.

The WSOP and GGPoker have announced a new summer online bracelet series.

The Mini Main was one of the tournaments offering players a guarantee – $5 million. That total was destroyed and the event became the second-largest prize pool and winner of the series after the Millionaire Maker ($9 million and $1.5 million).

The $5,000 NLHE Six-Handed Championship also drew well with a $3.2 million prize pool. Israel scored its first bracelet winner of the series with Ravid Garbi winning $531,513.

Here’s a look at complete numbers, averages so far.

Tournament averages

  • Entries – 3,641
  • Prize pool – $2.1 million
  • Winner payout – $313,654

Series totals

  • Entries – 123,784
  • Prize pool – $72. 6 million
  • Winner payout – $10.7 million

* Figures as of Aug. 19. For complete facts and information about the WSOP Online, including Twitch streams, click here.

EventBuy-inTotal entriesPrize poolWinner payoutWinnerCountry
#32: The Opener NLHE$10029,306$2,696,152$265,880Marcelo Jakovljevic PudlaBrazil
#33: Every 1 for Covid Relief$1,1112,323$2,580,853$343,204Alek StasiakCanada
#34: Super Turbo Bounty NLHE 6-Handed$5252,214$1,107,000$117,650Shoma IshikawaJapan
#35 Pot Limit Omaha Championship$5,000328$1,558,000$306,622Juha HelppiFinland
#36 FIFTY STACK NLHE$1,5001,342$1,912,350$297,496Michael ClacherSouth Africa
#37 Bounty Pot Limit Omaha$1,050971$971,000$161,887Hun Wei LeeAustralia
#38 Monster Stack NLHE 6-Handed [Asia Time Zone]$6002,007$1,143,990$171,389Aaron WijayaChina
#39: NLHE [Asia Time Zone]$1,500922$1,313,850$216,213Roberto RomanelloUnited Kingdom
#40: Pot Limit Omaha$2,500532$1,263,500$224,493Klas LofbergSweden
#41: COLOSSUS$40012,757$4,796,632$595,930Ranno SootlaEstonia
#42: PLOSSUS$4004,356$1,637,856$221,557Yuri DzivielevskiBrazil
#43: Short Deck NLHE Championship$10,000301$812,700$276,393Lev "LevMeAlone" GottliebUnited States
#44: NLHE 6-Handed$2,500892$2,118,500$356,412Kristen BicknellCanada
#45: Bounty NLHE$8402,382$1,906,500$245,448Patrick "Muddington" KennedyUnited Kingdom
#46: Deepstack NLHE$5002,307$1,095,825$189,098Sung Joo "ArtePokerTV" HyunSouth Korea
#47: Short Deck NLHE$1,000487$462,560$88,202Paul TeohMalaysia
#48 MILLIONAIRE MAKER$1,5006,299$8,976,075$1,489,289Daniel DvoressCanada
#49 Turbo Deepstack$5002,978$1,414,550$192,523Vladas "apuokos" BurneikisLithuania
#50: Bounty Championship$2,1001,168$2,336,000$327,319Enrico "GTOExploiter" CamosciItaly
#51: Pot Limit Omaha$4002,005$753,880$100,945Eoghan "DrRoche" O'DeaIreland
#52: NLHE$1,0002,006$1,905,700$273,505Alek StasiakCanada
#53: Double Stack PLO [Asia Time Zone]$800831$631,560$94,253Frank CrivelloUnited States
#54: Heads-Up Championship$10,000128$1,241,600$360,480David PetersUnited States
#55: NLHE Asia Time Zone ChampionshipHK$8,0003,247$3,184,074$458,261Luis Eduardo Assuncao GarlaBrazil
#56: GGMasters WSOP Edition$1502,153$3,068,025$444,869Seth FischerUnited States
#57: GGMasters WSOP Edition$1509,835$1,357,230$183,526Anatoly "Pohitrusha" SuvarovRussia
#58: NLHE 6-Handed Championship$5,000672$3,192,000$531,513Ravid "jerbi9999" GarbiIsrael
#59: NLHE Double Stack$2,5001,061$2,519,875$399,047Leonardo "Babaehduro" MattosBrazil
#60: $525 Bounty NLHE 6-Handed$5253,170$1,585,000$180,177Orhan "yirtil" AtesTurkey
#61: Monster Stack NLHE 6-Handed$3003,491$973,989$127,660Alexander "MightyWarior" StaceyUnited Kingdom
#62: Pot Limit Omaha$1,500990$1,410,750$220,160Bradley "DrStrange7" RubenUnited States
#63: Mini Main Event$50015,205$7,222,375$843,460Ivan "zufo16" ZuficCroatia
#64: Super Turbo Bounty NLHE$8402,207$1,765,600$131,461Kartik "Mandovi" VedIndia
#65: NLHE Deepstack$6002,911$1,659,270$227,906Dmytro "Too Bad" BystrovzorovUkraine
TOTALS123,784$72,574,821$10,664,228
Average 3,641$2,134,553$313,654.00

‘Unknown’ players shine – and shine up new WSOP bracelets

A few “unknown” names came to the forefront over the last week. Ivan Zufic, winner of the Mini Main Event, leads the pack after winning the event for $843,460.

The Croatian had only one $571 score on his Hendon Mob profile before cashing in. Russia’s Anatoly Suvarov’s win in the $ 150 GGMasters WSOP Edition topped his entire live tournament earnings of $178,947.

Ravid Garbi now has eight cashes in the series but only $29,000 in live tournament winnings. He capped his series off by winning the $5,000 NLHE Championship for $531,513.

Alexander “MightyWarrior” Stacey, of the United Kingdom, also hit the poker scene in a big way last week. Despite only $1,100 in live tournament winnings, he showed some chops at the virtual tables.

Stacey won the $300 Monster Stack NLHE 6-Handed for $127,660. In this case, the warrior slayed the monster. 

Dmytro Bystrovzorov had just a single $555 live tournament cash before winning the $600 NLHE Deepstack for $227,906. His ironic GGPoker username is “Too Bad.” Insert your own joke here.

A few bigger names running deep

While several unknowns made some waves in the WSOP Online, a few heavyweights also checked in with nice scores. Chris Moorman battled for his first bracelet last week in the $5,000 NLHE Championship.

The English poker pro and Team 888poker ambassador came up just short, finishing runner-up for $398,393. He now has five cashes in the series and despite not winning the bracelet, Moorman was pleased.

In July he also had a fourth-place finish in a $500 PLO event at WSOP.com for $28,601. Moorman now has 15 cashes in the WSOP Online at both sites.

In the $10,000 Heads Up Championship, David Peters added the second bracelet of his career. No stranger to success on the felt, he’s now seventh on the all-time money list.

The win brought $360,480 and adds to a stellar career that includes $34 million in live tournament winnings.

Daniel Negreanu has also been finding plenty of deep runs. The GGPoker ambassador has been quite a grinder, totaling 15 cashes on WSOP.com and 12 on GG.

Despite that, it’s been frustrating for the Canadian six-time bracelet winner. His best finish came in the $10,000 Heads Up Championship, where he took 13th for $24,832.

“Constantly getting there,” he noted on Twitter. “Constantly on the outside looking in at the final table.”

That’s included several rough beats and this hand from Tuesday provides a good example.

Canadian tops series leaderboard

Daniel Dvoress remains in the top spot on the bracelet series leaderboard after winning the Millionaire Maker for $1.5 million. The Canadian remains just ahead of his fellow countryman Alek Stasiak.

Mini Main Event winner Ivan Zufic now vaults into the third-place spot.  Here’s a look at the complete leaderboard:

  • 1st – Daniel Dvoress (Canada), 6,185.90
  • 2nd – Alek Stasiak (Canada), 6,063.43
  • 3rd – Ivan Zufic (Croatia), 5,719.69
  • 4th – Ranno Sootla (Estonia), 5,021.13
  • 5th – Belarmino De Souza (Brazil), 4,912.17

US overtakes Canada in bracelet totals

In the race to see which country can collect the most hardware, the United States moved ahead with five bracelets. That comes after wins by Americans David Peters and Bradley Ruben. The latter won the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event for $220,160.

The Americans find the top spot despite not legally being able to play the series within their own borders.

Brazil also tied the Canadians with four bracelets after Leonardo Mattos took down the $2,500 Double Stack for $399,047. The United Kingdom sits behind those with three bracelets.

Looking at the week ahead

Some major action is planned for the week ahead. On Thursday and Saturday, players will find a pair of $500 bargain buy-ins. The deep stack is in the Asian time zone, but both should attract nice numbers.

Sunday, Aug. 23, brings big events as well. Look for big names in the $25,000 Poker Players Championship – with a $10 million guarantee.

The final day of the Big 50 also plays out on Sunday. That event comes with a $1 million guarantee for just $50. Here’s a look at the complete schedule remaining in the series.

DateEvent NumberTournamentBuy-inPrize GuaranteeNotes
Wednesday, September 02, 202048People's Choice Event [Pros Vote]TBATBATBA by Vote
Thursday, September 03, 202049People's Choice Event [Spin the Wheel]TBATBATBA by Vote
Saturday, September 05, 202050People's Choice Event [Most Popular]TBATBAAsia Time Zone, TBA by Vote
Saturday, September 05, 202051$1,050 Beat the Pros [Bounty]$1,050
Sunday, September 06, 202052$10K WSOP Super MILLION$, $5M GTD$10,000$5,000,0002-Day Event
Sunday, September 06, 202053$100 WSOP MILLION$ [Final Day], $2M GTD$100$2,000,0002-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Sunday, September 06, 202054$500 The Closer [LAST CHANCE]$500

Poker chips photo courtesy WSOP/Tomas Stacha

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WPT ROUNDUP: Tour Awards First Online Cup Title via Partypoker; Bicknell Shines and More

The $100 million WPT World Online Championships have reached the halfway point at partypoker. There’s been plenty of action and two players have already seen their names etched to the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.

The series becomes the first time a WPT champion has been awarded online. The series features 12 championship events with five of these champions getting their names engraved on the Sexton Cup.

Winners of those five championship main events also receive:

  • individual trophies
  • a $15,000 entry and travel package for the WPT Tournament of Champions
  • membership into the Champions Club

There remains plenty of action and here’s a complete look at the headlines so far.

Cochrane wins first online WPT Champions Cup title awarded online at partypoker

Gavin Cochrane made some poker history by winning the $3,200 WPT 8-Max Championship on Aug. 4. After reaching the final table of the first championship event (PLO Hi-Lo), he took the title for $540,664.

From St. Albans, United Kingdom, Cochrane beat Belgium’s Thomas Boivin heads-up to become a WPT champion. The event featured a $3 million guarantee, but topped that at almost $3.2 million with 1,062 entries.

Cochrane’s name will be engraved on the Sexton Cup and he’ll receive a replica version as well. He will also receive a Hublot Classic Fusion Titanium watch and a set of Baccarat Crystal tumblers.

The Champions Cup namesake offered plenty of praise for the new champion.

“Becoming a Mike Sexton Champions Cup winner is a truly special achievement, and I congratulate Gavin Cochrane on his victory in a prestigious event,” Sexton said. “There is nothing quite like being a WPT champion, and there are still plenty of opportunities for players to join that list before the end of the series.”

A look at some other partypoker WOC winners

In the second event awarding Champions Club membership, American Nick Petrangelo came out on top for his first WPT title. The win in the $3,200 6-Max Championship included a $494,550 payday and Tournament of Champions entry package.

Petrangelo’s name will also go on the Sexton Cup and he received a Hublot watch.

The WPT ONline Championships kicked off over the weekend.

Petrangelo has had a few close calls before at WPT events. He finished runner-up in a WPT Alpha8 in 2015 for $1 million. He also finished second in a WPT High Roller at the LA Poker Classic in 2018 for $425,000.

A couple other winners in main events include:

  • $3,200 PLO Hi-Lo Championship ($500,000 guaranteed) – Paul Tedeschi (France), $97,109
  • $3,200 Omaha Championship ($1 million guaranteed) – Alex Manzano (Chile), $76,131

Plenty of side action remains on tap beyond championship events

There may be plenty of hardware and prestige on the line, but the WOCs offer nice side events as well. The WOC features 12 championship events divided into three categories; Micro, Mini, and Main.

Ireland’s Daniel McAulay won the Mini version of the 8-Max Championship for $118,433. Boris Angelov, of Canada, won the Micro version for $44,807.

Some other notable side event winners include:

  • Gabriele Lepore of Italy won the $1 million guaranteed WPT Opener for $172,000.
  • Russia’s Artur Martirosian took down the $1 million guaranteed WPT High Roller for $251,000.
  • Aleksejs Ponakovs of Latvia edged out Team partypoker’s Kristen Bicknell to win “The Big Game” for $219,750.

Bicknell rolls, takes top spot on leaderboard

Speaking of Kristen Bicknell, she’s been one of the hottest players in poker. She currently leads the Player of the Championships leaderboard.

Along with her runner-up in the Big Game, Bicknell won the $5,200 7-Max High Roller for $79,275. 

Kristen Bicknell (photo courtesy WPT/Joe Giron)

The big scores haven’t come just at partypoker. In July, she earned her second World Series of Poker bracelet by winning the $2,500 NLHE 6-Handed event online at GGPoker for $356,412.

If she can keep the WPT success going and win the leaderboard title, Bicknell will add another $50,000 to her winnings. Here’s a complete look at the leaderboard ro far.

  • 1st – Kristen Bicknell, 157.94
  • 2nd – Lars Kamphues, 130.62
  • 3rd – Nick Petrangelo, 128.77
  • 4th – Gavin Cochrane, 127.87
  • 5th – Sam Grafton,  122.66

Satellite success means big bucks

There has been plenty of satellite success so far for players in the WPT World Online Championships. Four players at the final table of the 8-Max Championship main event won their places via satellite.

Artsiom Prostak finished runner-up in the 6-Max Championship and qualified via a $320 satellite. That proved a nice option – leading to a score of $388,119.

In total, $1.5 million in seats were awarded for the 8-Max tournaments via satellites. Mega satellites continue running for all championship events. Thousands of dollars in tournament seats are still up for grabs as the series advances.

Looking at upcoming WPT partypoker events

Players looking to get in on the WPT action at partypoker still have plenty to check out. That ranges from Micro buy-in events to the Main category including three more Sexton Cup events.

Those looking for some real WPT glory have three more Sexton Cup events to check out. All these include a TOC package for the winner as well as Hublot watches and Baccarat Crystal.

  • $3,200 Knockout Championship, Aug. 15 – $3 million guarantee
  • $3,200 Mix-Max Championship, Aug. 22 – $3 million guarantee
  • $10,300 WPT World Championship Online Main Event, Sept. 5 – $10 million guarantee

A few upcoming side events should also attract plenty of interest. The $3,200 World Championship 6-Max begins on Aug. 15 and features a $3 million guarantee.

The $320 Mini version comes with a $1 million guarantee and $300,000 for the $33 Micro version.

The $3,200 Heads-Up World Championship is set for Sept. 2 and comes with a $500,000 guarantee.

There is also a $320 Mini version for $320 and a $100,00 guarantee. The $33 Micro version has a $20,000 guarantee.

Here’s a look at the complete schedule of events remaining.

2020 WPT partypoker World Online Championships

DateEventBuy-inFeeGuarantee
Aug. 29#07 World Championship Main Event Day 1A [4-Day Event]$10,000$300$10,000,000
Aug. 30#07 World Championship Main Event Day 1B [4-Day Event]$10,000$300None
Sept. 2#08 World Championship Heads Up [No Late Reg, 256 Cap, 2-Day Event]$3,000$200$500,000
Sept. 2#08 Mini World Championship Heads Up [No Late Reg, 512 Cap, 2-Day Event]$300$20$100,000
Sept. 2#08 Micro World Championship Heads Up [No Late Reg, 1024 Cap, 2-Day Event]$30$3$20,000
Sept. 5#09 World Championship Mix-Max Day 1A [3-Day Event]$3,000$200$3,000,000
Sept. 5#09 Mini World Championship Mix-Max Day 1A [3-Day Event]$300$20$1,000,000
Sept. 5#09 Micro World Championship Mix-Max Day 1A [3-Day Event] $30$3$300,000
Sept. 5#10 World Championship Super High Roller Day 1A [3-Day Event]$25,000$500$10,000,000
Sept. 6#09 World Championship Mix-Max Day 1B [3-Day Event]$3,000$200None
Sept. 6#09 Mini World Championship Mix-Max Day 1B [3-Day Event]$300$20None
Sept. 6#09 Micro World Championship Mix-Max Day 1B [3-Day Event]$30$3None
Sept. 6#10 World Championship Super High Roller Day 1B [3-Day Event]$25,000$500None
Sept. 7#11 World Championship Super High Roller [2-Day Event]$100,000$2,000$5,000,000
Sept. 8#12 World Championship Turbo$3,000$200$1,000,000
Sept. 8#12 Mini World Championship Turbo$300$20$300,000
Sept. 8#12 Micro World Championship Turbo$30$3$100,000
*** All events allow one re-entry per Day 1

* Sexton Cup photo courtesy WPT/Joe Giron

* Gavin Cochrane photo courtesy Poker Central

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WSOP ROUNDUP: First Double Bracelet Winner, Ireland’s O’Dea Scores Gold, Numbers Rise, & More

The WSOP Online continues at GGPoker.

The World Series of Poker Online produced some big news over the last week at GGPoker. That included the first player to win not only two bracelets in the series, but the first to ever win two online bracelet events.

There were also some big $10,000 heads-up fireworks and a WSOP final table player winning a bracelet. The series has now awarded 24 bracelets with plenty of big online poker remaining. Here’s a look at some of the news from the series over the last week.

Numbers in WSOP Online at GGPoker continue to grow after big events

Recent major events like the Millionaire Maker have inflated the nice WSOP Online numbers even more. The last week has seen the average number of entries rise from 3,754 last week to 3,830 this week.

The average prize pool has also climbed by about $300,000 over the last week to $2 million. The average payout has now ballooned to almost $299,896, an increase of almost $45,000 from last week.

The Millionaire Maker easily became the largest payout and prize pool of the series. The prize pool almost reached $9 million with Daniel Dvoress taking the title for $1.5 million.

With some nice tournaments set for the coming week, these numbers should continue. Here’s a look at all winners and statistics.

For complete facts and information about the WSOP Online, including Twitch streams, click here.

EventBuy-inTotal entriesPrize poolWinner payoutWinnerCountry
#32: The Opener NLHE$10029,306$2,696,152$265,880Marcelo Jakovljevic PudlaBrazil
#33: Every 1 for Covid Relief$1,1112,323$2,580,853$343,204Alek StasiakCanada
#34: Super Turbo Bounty NLHE 6-Handed$5252,214$1,107,000$117,650Shoma IshikawaJapan
#35 Pot Limit Omaha Championship$5,000328$1,558,000$306,622Juha HelppiFinland
#36 FIFTY STACK NLHE$1,5001,342$1,912,350$297,496Michael ClacherSouth Africa
#37 Bounty Pot Limit Omaha$1,050971$971,000$161,887Hun Wei LeeAustralia
#38 Monster Stack NLHE 6-Handed [Asia Time Zone]$6002,007$1,143,990$171,389Aaron WijayaChina
#39: NLHE [Asia Time Zone]$1,500922$1,313,850$216,213Roberto RomanelloUnited Kingdom
#40: Pot Limit Omaha$2,500532$1,263,500$224,493Klas LofbergSweden
#41: COLOSSUS$40012,757$4,796,632$595,930Ranno SootlaEstonia
#42: PLOSSUS$4004,356$1,637,856$221,557Yuri DzivielevskiBrazil
#43: Short Deck NLHE Championship$10,000301$812,700$276,393Lev "LevMeAlone" GottliebUnited States
#44: NLHE 6-Handed$2,500892$2,118,500$356,412Kristen BicknellCanada
#45: Bounty NLHE$8402,382$1,906,500$245,448Patrick "Muddington" KennedyUnited Kingdom
#46: Deepstack NLHE$5002,307$1,095,825$189,098Sung Joo "ArtePokerTV" HyunSouth Korea
#47: Short Deck NLHE$1,000487$462,560$88,202Paul TeohMalaysia
#48 MILLIONAIRE MAKER$1,5006,299$8,976,075$1,489,289Daniel DvoressCanada
#49 Turbo Deepstack$5002,978$1,414,550$192,523Vladas "apuokos" BurneikisLithuania
#50: Bounty Championship$2,1001,168$2,336,000$327,319Enrico "GTOExploiter" CamosciItaly
#51: Pot Limit Omaha$4002,005$753,880$100,945Eoghan "DrRoche" O'DeaIreland
#52: NLHE$1,0002,006$1,905,700$273,505Alek StasiakCanada
#53: Double Stack PLO [Asia Time Zone]$800831$631,560$94,253Frank CrivelloUnited States
#54: Heads-Up Championship$10,000128NANAevent not yet finishednot yet finished
#55: NLHE Asia Time Zone ChampionshipHK$8,0003,247$3,184,074$458,261Luis Eduardo Assuncao GarlaBrazil
#56: GGMasters WSOP Edition$1509,835$3,068,025$183,526Anatoly "Pohitrusha" SuvarovUnited States
TOTALS91,924$49,647,132$7,197,495
Average3,830$1,997,347$299,896

Two cashes, two WSOP bracelets

It’s been a dominating performance so far at GGPoker for Alex Stasiak. The Canadian first won Event 32: $1,111 Every 1 in for COVID Relief for $343,200.

In his second cash of the series, Stasiak did it again. He won Event 52: $1,000 No Limit Hold’em on Aug. 6 for $273,505. That made him the series first two-time winner, and that included the US half at WSOP.com.

Beyond that feat, he also becomes the first player to ever win two online bracelets. That’s quite a feat and he still has time to attempt the trifecta.

2011 Main Event final table player scores bracelet

Irish eyes were smiling for Eoghan O’Dea on Aug. 5 in Event 51: $400 Pot Limit Omaha. The Dublin, Ireland, native scored the first bracelet of his career and took home $100,945.

O’Dea is no stranger to WSOP success and now has almost $2.4 million in series winnings. That included a sixth-place finish in the 2011 Main Event for $1.7 million.

In 2019, he also scored a nice PLO finish in the $10,000 championship in Las Vegas. He took sixth in that event for $143,128. O’Dea now becomes the fifth Irish player to win a bracelet.

Poker runs in the O’Dea family. His father Donnacha O’Dea is a card-playing legend in Ireland. He made two Main Event final table appearances, finishing sixth in 1983 and ninth in 1991.

PLO seems to be a nice game for the O’Deas with Donnacha also winning his bracelet in the game in 1998. 

Dvoress wins Millionaire Maker, vaults into top spot on WSOP Leaderboard

The battle for the player of the series continues to heat up. Last week, three Brazilians took the top three spots.

However, a pair of Canadians now slide into first and second place with Daniel Dvoress taking the lead. He took down the Millionaire Maker on Aug. 8 for $1.5 million.

A coach at the RunItOnce training site, Dvoress offered some thanks to a friend who offered some pre-tournament help.

This becomes just the latest huge score for Dvoress. He has more than $15 million in live tournament winnings. That includes winning the partypoker Live $250,000 Super High Roller Bowl in November for $4.1 million.

Here’s a look at the complete leaderboard:

  • 1st – Daniel Dvoress (Canada), 6,095.66
  • 2nd – Alek Stasiak (Canada), 5,973.95
  • 3rd – Ranno Sootla (Estonia), 4,931.59
  • 4th – Yuri Dzivielevski (Brazil), 4,334.47
  • 5th – Belarmino De Souza (Brazil), 3,968.44

Canada leads bracelet total by country

Which country will end the WSOP Online with the most bracelets? That remains to be seen, but Canada leads as of Aug. 11.

Wins by Dvoress, Alek Stasiak (2), and Kristen Bicknell move the country into the top spot.

Two other countries are just behind the Great White North. The United States and Brazil both have three winners each. 

Players from the United Kingdom have won two bracelets. No other country has more than one.

A look at the week ahead at GGPoker

The WSOP Online at GGPoker runs through Sept. 6 and plenty of action remains. In the coming week a few tournaments stand out

Don’t have enough for the $5,000 Main Event? Then check out the $500 Mini Main Event on Sunday, Aug. 16. The event comes with a $5 million guarantee – plenty of bang for the buck.

Another lower buy-in event should attract a nice number on Saturday, Aug. 15. The $300 Monster Stack Six-Handed (Asia Time Zone) should build a nice prize pool, though without a guarantee.

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the $600 NLHE Deepstack Championship should bring out plenty of online rounders looking for a title. Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

DateEvent NumberTournamentBuy-inPrize GuaranteeNotes
Wednesday, September 02, 202048People's Choice Event [Pros Vote]TBATBATBA by Vote
Thursday, September 03, 202049People's Choice Event [Spin the Wheel]TBATBATBA by Vote
Saturday, September 05, 202050People's Choice Event [Most Popular]TBATBAAsia Time Zone, TBA by Vote
Saturday, September 05, 202051$1,050 Beat the Pros [Bounty]$1,050
Sunday, September 06, 202052$10K WSOP Super MILLION$, $5M GTD$10,000$5,000,0002-Day Event
Sunday, September 06, 202053$100 WSOP MILLION$ [Final Day], $2M GTD$100$2,000,0002-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Sunday, September 06, 202054$500 The Closer [LAST CHANCE]$500

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TALE OF THE TAPE: Daniel Negreanu, Doug Polk Heading Toward Big Poker Showdown

Doug Polk and Deniel Negreanu have agreed to a high-stakes online poker matchup.

Maybe the upcoming battle between Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk should be billed as the Tank Top Tussle. Whatever the name, the matchup has been confirmed and should be a blockbuster poker showdown.

After plenty of back and forth, Polk and Negreanu have arrived at a general agreement on how things will go down. Some details remain to be sorted out, but there should be plenty of fireworks when the online poker battle commences sometime in September or October.

Bad vibes for a big event

Another big heads-up match took place recently as part of the new PokerGO series, The Duel. That featured Phil Hellmuth and Antonio Esfandiari battling it out for $50,000 each.

Unlike that event, this battle should be a little more salty. Both come into the event not as friendly rivals, but more as definite adversaries.

The animosity started in 2016 when Negreanu offered his opinions on increased rake at PokerStars. An ambassador at the company at the time, he argued increased rake in some cash games could keep pros away. That would be good for recreational players, he noted.

Polk believed Negreanu wasn’t representing players well. He’s since been a frequent critic and that included a “More Rake is Better” billboard at the World Series of Poker in 2018.

Negreanu says Polk uses him as a foil to grow his YouTube audience. He’s also taken a few jibes in recent years as well.

The insults have flown over the last week. Negreanu says Polk has bullied him and has an “an unhealthy obsession.”

Polk has referred to Negreanu as a sellout who “belittles people quite frequently.” He threw some shade in his nemesis’ direction.

A look inside the numbers

Whatever the case, the antagonism boiled over throughout the last week. Polk challenged Negreanu heads-up and that was accepted. Here are some of the details that have been ironed out so far.

  • Game – Heads-up No Limit Hold’em
  • Stakes – $200/$400
  • Number of hands – Between 10,000 and 25,000
  • Number of tables – 2
  • Side bet – unknown as of now
  • Time – To be determined, possibly September or October

Where do the two combatants stand heading into the matchup? Like two boxers ready to slug it out, here’s the complete tale of the tape.

Daniel Negreanu

Originally from Canada and now living in Las Vegas, he’s one of the most recognized names in poker. No stranger to table talk, Negreanu also brings big skills.

However, the six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner says he’ll be at a disadvantage heads-up against Polk.

Major accomplishments: $42 million in lifetime tournament winnings; six WSOP bracelet, two WPT titles

  • Poker style: Small-ball poker, but adapted style through the years
  • Poker media/business: Longtime ambassador for PokerStars, but now part of Team GGPoker; streams his online play and produces daily vlogs during WSOP events
  • Interests away from the tables: hockey
  • Extra bullet point: Produced a MasterClass on poker strategy

Doug Polk

A YouTube poker sensation, Polk has plenty of heads-up online poker experience. However, he’s been out of the game for a few years and focused on other topics.

Originally from California and now based in Las Vegas, Polk has come out of retirement for this challenge. The poker world will be buzzing when they take a seat at the table.

  • Major accomplishments: $3.7 million in live tournament winnings as well as significant online winnings; three WSOP bracelets including the $111,111 High Roller for One Drop for $3.7 million
  • Poker style: Highly experienced, technically sound, ability to make correct adjustments relative to opponents
  • Poker media/business: Co-founder of Upswing Poker training site; successful YouTube channels  
  • Interests away from the tables: Trading cryptocurrency
  • Extra bullet point: Part of a team that beat artificial intelligence bot at Carnegie Mellon University

Players ready to take in the action

Many players have taken to Twitter to voice their anticipation of the event. It seems many poker fans have been dreaming of the tank top-clad poker warriors battling it out.

Popular commentator Nick Schulman expressed the thoughts of many in the poker world. With Team Polk versus Team Negreanu, he believes a large multimedia presentation should be part of the fun.

“Listen buddy, as far as commentary goes there should be different teams/platforms covering this thing,” he noted in a response to a Polk Tweet. “I really don’t know but everyone should come out of the woodwork. All I ask is for a little sit down with you both before playing face to face. Borderline aroused thinking about it.”

Shaun Deeb also took to Twitter offering some speculative lines related to the event. He even threw in a tank top wager.

Look for more at PokerScout as more details are announced. Whatever the outcome, it should be quite an interesting poker brawl.

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STADIUM STORIES: Player Scores Five Figures With Promo Entry; PokerStars Series Tops Guarantee

The 2020 Stadium Series produced big numbers for PokerStars.

The PokerStars Stadium Series turned into quite an event for John “99rocks” Vallis. The 52-year-old was among those who cashed in. His $57,000 score didn’t come from hours and hours at the table, however. 

Instead, this recreational player turned a $22 ticket from a promotional chest into a five-figure online poker payday. That’s just one interesting story coming out of a huge Stadium Series, which wrapped up on Sunday.

From free money player to PokerStars satellite success story

John Vallis

At home in Surrey, United Kingdom, Vallis works as a compliance manager. Married with two daughters ages 18 and 19, poker isn’t a big part of his routine.

In fact, he usually plays with free tokens rather than real money. Occasionally Vallis might jump in a micro tournament, but real money tables aren’t a regular part of his online life. Before last week, his biggest win was around $70.

Then a $22 promotional satellite ticket popped in his inbox. If he advanced in the satellite it would then be on to another $109 qualifier.

If he advanced in that, an entry into a $2,100 Heat Deepstack was next. Vallis did just that and was primed for the biggest event of his life.

“I hadn’t played a single real money game in over four months going into the tournament,” he tells PokerScout.

The run of his life at PokerStars

Going into the event, Vallis kept his expectations low. Throughout both satellites as well as Day 1 of the tournament, an online quiz game occupied much of his time as well.

He played both qualifiers and the deepstack event, as well as the quiz, on his mobile phone. After reaching Day 2, however, Vallis shifted to playing on his computer but other duties still occupied much of his time.

“I still found time to cook the family supper, steak and chips, while we were closing in on the final table,” says Vallis, who enjoys running and cycling when not playing poker or spending time with family. “I think those distractions actually worked in my favor as I didn’t have time to think about the amount of money at stake.”

Those efforts paid big dividends. Vallis ultimately finished third for $57,229 out of a field of 234 entries. That’s a big score – all from a freeroll.

“Playing in the tournament was an amazing experience – I did not even contemplate the potential outcome until relatively late,” he says. 

How did it feel to turn his promo ticket into such a massive score?

“Extremely strange,” Vallis says. “I have absolutely no experience playing high stakes poker, so I have never really considered the money angle. I think that removed the pressure as I got deeper into the tournament, as I felt absolutely no expectation to actually convert the result into a prize.”

Ever the family man, wife and children come to mind when Vallis considers what he’ll do with the winnings.

“There’s some things I want to get done to the house,” he says, “a car for my kids to use and a spectacular holiday when COVID permits.”

Considering his massive finish, it’s fortuitous that PokerStars email didn’t land in the spam folder. For Vallis, it definitely paid to check his email.

PokerStars Stadium Series brings out plenty of competitors

Speaking of Stadium Series success, the festival came right after an unprecedented Summer Series. That scorched the $25 million guarantee by paying out $34 million.

The Stadium Series also produced plenty of bang for the buck. Wrapping up on Aug. 2, the festival brought some big numbers. The series paid out $54.3 million – more than $4 million above the guarantee.

The series attracted 698,964 entries across 102 events. In the $10,000 Grand Final, “Lena900” came out on top for a score of $230,435.

The France, Spain, and Portugal version of the series saw 228,799 entries and a prize pool of €6.6 million. Spain’s “Sick2BeatMe” won the €250 Grand Final for €66,882 plus €44,273 in bounty bucks.

In Italy, the series attracted 127,252 players and a €4 million prize pool. “NNWPT” took the €250 Grand Final for €34,792 plus €17,002 in bounties.

The action continues this week with several Stadium Series after party events. PokerStars is offering several phase tournaments featuring these buy-ins with hefty guarantees:

  • $1.10 – $100,000 guaranteed
  • $11 – $250,000 guaranteed
  • $109 – $500,000 guaranteed
  • $1,050 – $1 million guaranteed

Team PokerStars streamers score big, reach impressive Twitch numbers

Along with a massive score by a recreational player, some PokerStars ambassadors also produced during the Stadium Series.

PokerStars streamers Fintan “Easywithaces” Hand and Ben “Spragg” Spragg made deep runs in the $5,200 event on July 29.

Spragg’s stream reached more than 30,000 viewers, who saw him finish third for $70,633. That became the largest score of his career.

Hand took 10th in the event for $14,732. It’s been quite the run for these two poker streamers.

A year ago, both were streaming their play in $5, $11, $55, and $109 events on the main PokerStars channel. Spragg Tweeted his delight at the progress he’s made in his own game.

 

In other action, Stars streamer Jens “TheRealKnossi” Knossalla broke the Twitch Poker record for concurrent viewers. His stream peaked at more than 91,000 and is part of a growing presence on the platform for streamers during the pandemic.

Knossalla wasn’t playing himself, instead calling the action as his moderator Frank “Knueppel” Stockhaus played for a Platinum Pass. He ultimately finished runner-up in the $1,000 event for more than $117,000.

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WSOP ROUNDUP: Player Pools Explode at GGPoker, Colossus Attracts Huge Field, & More

Now in its third week at GGPoker, the WSOP Online now takes the spotlight with WSOP.com events wrapped up. The series has already awarded 18 bracelets with 36 more to go.

As expected, with players around the world now involved, the series has seen a nice increase in prize pools. That includes massive numbers in some of the smaller buy-in events.

Here’s a look at some bracelet-hunting news from the last week at GGPoker.

Quest for bracelets drives big numbers at GGPoker WSOP Online

A quick look at the numbers shows players have responded well to the GG events. The series runs through Sept. 16 and has already attracted 67,673 entries.

That more than doubles the entries from the WSOP.com side, which was available only in New Jersey and Nevada. The average winner payout has been about $100,000 more per event at GGPoker.

There has been $29.7 million paid out so far with a total of $4.6 million to winners. Here’s a comparison of the averages from the GGPoker series so far compared to WSOP.com.

GGPoker

  • Total entries – 3,754
  • Prize pool – $1.7 million
  • Winner payout – $255,429

WSOP.com

  • Total entries – 1,427
  • Prize pool – $866,809
  • Winner payout – $152,208

* averages as of Aug. 5

Those trends should continue in the coming days. Here’s a look at statistics and winners so far.

For complete facts and information about the WSOP Online, including Twitch streams, click here.

TournamentBuy-inEntriesPrize poolWinner payoutWinner
#32: The Opener NLHE$10029,306$2,696,152$265,880Marcelo Jakovljevic Pudla
#33: Every 1 for Covid Relief$1,1112,323$2,580,853$343,204Alek Stasiak
#34: Super Turbo Bounty NLHE 6-Handed$5252,214$1,107,000$117,650Shoma Ishikawa
#35 Pot Limit Omaha Championship$5,000328$1,558,000$306,622Juha Helppi
#36 FIFTY STACK NLHE$1,5001,342$1,912,350$297,496Michael Clacher
#37 Bounty Pot Limit Omaha$1,050971$971,000$161,887Hun Wei Lee
#38 Monster Stack NLHE 6-Handed [Asia Time Zone]$6002,007$1,143,990$171,389Aaron Wijaya
#39: NLHE [Asia Time Zone]$1,500922$1,313,850$216,213Roberto Romanello
#40: Pot Limit Omaha$2,500532$1,263,500$224,493Klas Lofberg
#41: COLOSSUS$40012,757$4,796,632$595,930Ranno Sootla
#42: PLOSSUS$4004,356$1,637,856$221,557Yuri Dzivielevski
#43: Short Deck NLHE Championship$10,000301$812,700$276,393Lev "LevMeAlone" Gottlieb
#44: NLHE 6-Handed$2,500892$2,118,500$356,412Kristen Bicknell
#45: Bounty NLHE$8402,382$1,906,500$245,448Patrick "Muddington" Kennedy
#46: Deepstack NLHE$5002,307$1,095,825$189,098Sung Joo "ArtePokerTV" Hyun
#47: Short Deck NLHE$1,000487$462,560$88,202Paul Teoh
#48 MILLIONAIRE MAKER$1,500NANANAevent not completed
#49 Turbo Deepstack$5002,978$1,414,550$192,523Vladas "apuokos" Burneikis
#50: Bounty Championship$2,1001,168$2,336,000$327,319Enrico "GTOExploiter" Camosci
TOTALS67,573$31,127,818$4,597,716
AVERAGES3,754$1,729,323$255,429

Shah, Watson chalk up nice scores; Hellmuth’s wife not happy

Several big US-based players, such as Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth, are heading to Mexico to play the series. However, a lesser-known American player has already made some waves at GG.

Michelle Shah, from Delray Beach, Florida, has already recorded nine cashes. That includes runner-up in the $1,000 Short Deck for $60,254 and a 10th-place finish in $525 Super Turbo Bounty.

Canada’s Mike Watson took third ($44,166) in that short deck event and is also having a nice series. In total, Watson has five cashes which includes a fourth-place finish in the $5,000 PLO Championship for $115,117.

In a career dating to 2005, Watson has more than $12 million in live tournament winnings including a WPT title. However, he’s still looking for that first bracelet.

Hellmuth is looking for his 16th bracelet. He couldn’t wrangle one while playing in Las Vegas, but is hoping for better results while playing in Mexico.

He’s also fresh off a $50,000 buy-in heads-up battle with Antonio Esfandiari on PokerGO. However, so much time away from home may have Hellmuth in the dog house with his wife.

Colossal turnouts in massive-field events

Two of the bargain buy-in events stood out recently just as at the live WSOP in Las Vegas. Massive-field tournaments like Colossus have become a major part of the annual series.

That’s carried over to the online events at GGPoker and began with the $100 Opener. That event produced 29,306 entries for a $2.7 million prize pool. Brazil’s Marcelo Jakovljevic Pudla took the title for $265,880.

That is easily the largest number of entries so far. But two other events also produced big fields. The $400 COLOSSUS drew 12,757 entries and a prize pool of $4.8 million. 

The event smashed the $3 million guarantee with Estonia’s Ranno Sootla earning his first bracelet and $595,530.

In the $400 PLOSSUS, another Brazilian scored a big win. Yuri Dzivielevski topped a field of 4,356 entries for $221,557.

This becomes his second bracelet after winning one in 2019. The event drew a $1.6 million prize pool, easily topping the $1 million guarantee.

A look at the WSOP Online leaderboard

Sootla and Dzivielevski now sit atop the WSOP Online Leaderboard after big wins in the COLOSSUS and PLOSSUS. Two other Brazilians are also among the top five. Here’s a look at the complete standings.

  • 1st – Ranno Sootla, 4,719.82
  • 2nd – Yuri Dzivielevski, 4,018.81
  • 3rd – Belarmino De Souza, 3,579.84
  • 4th – Enrico Camosci, 3,539.22
  • 5th – Marcelo Jakovljevic, 3,283.99

Some big upcoming events at GGPoker

GGPoker is offering several WSOP Online events in Asian time zone to cater to its large player pool there. The highlight of that is set for Sunday, Aug. 9. 

The HK$8,000 ($1,032) NLHE Asia Championship features a HK$8 million ($1.02 million) guarantee.

Also on Sunday, players looking for a bargain buy-in and big payday should check out the $150 GGMasters Special Edition. The freezeout comes with a $1 million guarantee.

One the same day, plenty of high-stakes players should jump in the $10,000 Heads-up Championship. A regular part of the WSOP in Las Vegas, there should be plenty of big names in the mix.

Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

2020 WSOP Online GGPoker Schedule

DateEvent NumberTournamentBuy-inPrize GuaranteeNotes
Wednesday, September 02, 202048People's Choice Event [Pros Vote]TBATBATBA by Vote
Thursday, September 03, 202049People's Choice Event [Spin the Wheel]TBATBATBA by Vote
Saturday, September 05, 202050People's Choice Event [Most Popular]TBATBAAsia Time Zone, TBA by Vote
Saturday, September 05, 202051$1,050 Beat the Pros [Bounty]$1,050
Sunday, September 06, 202052$10K WSOP Super MILLION$, $5M GTD$10,000$5,000,0002-Day Event
Sunday, September 06, 202053$100 WSOP MILLION$ [Final Day], $2M GTD$100$2,000,0002-Day Event, 1-RE Flights
Sunday, September 06, 202054$500 The Closer [LAST CHANCE]$500

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NEED A PEP TALK? Poker Stars Liv Boeree, Fedor Holz Join Startup Coaching Platform

Fedor Holz and Liv Boeree have joined the PepTalk startup.

Video conferencing, Zoom calls, and Facetime have become part of life for many during the Coronavirus pandemic. A new startup is hoping to capitalize on that trend with an easy connection to experts providing some personalized motivation.

PepTalk is a live video coaching and speaking platform connecting interested learners with real-world experts. That includes some of the biggest names in poker.

Founded on the idea that experience is the ultimate teacher, PepTalk launched this month with 200 coaches and speakers. Those include entrepreneurs, writers, authors, adventurers, athletes, and more.

The platform even collected a nice roster of poker stars ready to offer some advice and coaching. Two of those, Liv Boeree and Fedor Holz, spoke with USPoker about what to expect in a session with them

A pep talk to improve your poker game

PepTalk was designed for a modern remote workforce. The web-based platform allows individuals and corporate teams to book a session directly with a coach or speaker. 

Entrepreneurs Ant Cauchi and Lloyd Salmons founded the company after careers in the music industry at EMI. After leaving that industry, they launched the digital marketing agency Outside Line.

“In creating PepTalk, we were inspired by our early days in the music industry when we were fortunate to work with some of the most inspirational artists in the world,” they said in a news release.

“In time we became mentors to our own employees, and we realized that coaching and mentoring from a place of experience is invaluable. Our goal is to make that experience available to anyone.”

That could include poker players seeking a mental kick in the pants. Along with Boeree and Holz, the site’s roster of card sharks includes:

  • Maria Ho – poker pro and commentator
  • Jamie Gold – 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event winner
  • Maria Konnikova – author, poker player, and former PokerStars ambassador
  • Joe Stapleton – poker player, commentator, and comedian 
  • Jennifer Shahade – Pennsylvania-based poker player and PokerStars ambassador

The PepTalk platform can be accessed via computer or mobile device. A pick-me-up session with a poker pro is only mouse click or tap away.

Poker and life lessons from Liv

No stranger to speaking in front of a crowd or offering some insight, Live Boeree took a unique path to poker. Originally from the United Kingdom, she received a degree in astrophysics before launching a successful poker career.

At the tables Boeree has $3.9 million in live tournament winnings including WSOP and EPT titles. She sees her role with the startup as a way to work with others around the world.

Liv Boeree (photo courtesy of Poker Central)

The site allows people from all walks of life to gain some insight from experts in their field. Boeree’s career in science and poker offer a unique opportunity for some inspiration beyond just poker.

“I’ve joined PepTalk as a medium to share experiences and lessons learned in my life and career – including my time as a poker pro – with a broad audience,” says Boeree, who also hosts her own YouTube channel about space and science.

“I believe the principles of success at the poker table have value in life, business, and beyond.”

From TED Talk to PepTalk

Boeree’s coaching focuses on life strategies, improving decision-making, how poker principles can be used every day, and other concepts. She expressed similar ideas on her 2018 TED Talk, “Three Life Lessons from the Poker Table.”

 

“We know poker principles apply effectively to business and other parts of life, and I’m looking forward to sharing those with PepTalk’s customers,” she says. “My background includes speaking and writing on science, logic, math and philosophy, and I’ll be bringing all of that to the table – no pun intended!”

It’s a good bet Boeree might answer a couple questions on table strategy. Overall, however, she sees her PepTalk time as a way to give customers a boost – as the company name implies.

“In these times when we can’t necessarily interact in-person,” she says, “I hope to have a positive impact on people’s lives when they need a boost.”

Face to face with Fedor

While he may not be an astrophysicist, Fedor Holz brings his own skills to the PepTalk team. The German poker pro has almost $33 million in live tournament winnings including numerous major titles. What’s expected in one of his PepTalk sessions?

Fedor Holz (courtesy Poker Central)

“I’m set to share my experiences and respond to questions they may have or situations they may want to talk through, applying my pro poker lens to it all,” Holz says. “I’m excited to be part of what PepTalk is building – accessibility to coaches with all different experiences and perspectives and wisdom.

“There’s an incredible range of coaches and speakers – there are a few of us from the professional poker world, Olympic athletes, adventurers, entrepreneurs. Experts from obvious and non-obvious arenas and career backgrounds who have a lot to share.”

Lessons learned preparing for poker success

Winning eight figures at the poker table isn’t easy. It takes perseverance and plenty of focus – traits Fedor hopes to drive home in his discussions.

“Building a poker career has been partially about the game and the skill and partially about discipline, preparation, and a ton of other lifestyle strategies,” he says. “They can expect to learn the big picture of poker – the big themes of what it’s about, what it takes to become a pro.”

Currently, Fedor has been playing in the WSOP Online at GGPoker, hoping to win his second career bracelet. The site signed the poker coach as an ambassador in May.

Holz worked his way up to the biggest games around conveys come of what he’s learned on PepTalk.

“It’s an opportunity to share poker wisdom in new ways,” he says, “how to win at work, for example, or how to manage a strong team.”

The startup’s poker team is ready – no cards and chips required.