Sean Chaffin, Author at - Page 30 of 31

January 18, 2019September 20, 2022

What the DOJ Opinion Means for Online Poker in NJ and PA

Poker players across the country, including in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, are wondering what this week’s Department of Justice opinion on the Wire Act means for online poker. The new opinion reversed a previous department opinion of the act, which stated that the Wire Act affected sports betting only.

The new opinion stands in stark contrast to the previous one. As Online Poker Report noted:

“The new opinion now makes the Wire Act applicable to any form of gambling that crosses state lines, including online gambling and online lottery. Several states have legalized online gambling in the wake of the 2011 opinion, including New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware and Pennsylvania.”

The DOJ finalized the opinion in November 2018, but it wasn’t released until Jan. 14. The department has delayed implementation of the new opinion of the act for 90 days to give operators time to comply. A department official told Reuters:

“DOJ will continue to prioritize the most egregious conduct, including gambling activity that is part of a larger criminal scheme.”

The Impact in NJ and PA

New Jersey

Legal experts believe the opinion will be challenged in court soon. New Jersey officials have shown particular stubborness in challenging gaming laws in court as of late.

In fact, New Jersey led the fight for state-by-state sports betting to the US Supreme Court. Now, less than a year after the state’s triumphant Supreme Court victory, there may be another major legal case about gambling taking shape.

“The opinion acknowledges that the decision will likely be tested judicially,” tweeted gaming attorney Daniel L. Wallach. “I think we could be headed toward the next big gambling case that reaches the Supreme Court, or at the very least, the U.S. Court of Appeals.”

Wallach, a Florida-based attorney and a founding director of the sports wagering program at the University of New Hampshire School of Law, believes several entities will look to challenge the DOJ. Potential challenges possibly range from online poker operators and their land-based casino partners, as in New Jersey, to vendors and suppliers.

Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the online poker industry appeared to be gaining a bit of traction after the state passed legislation last year. Online gaming, including poker, expected to come online in the early part of this year.

Observers also expect that Pennsylvania will want to share liquidity with New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware. However, Monday’s opinion casts considerable doubt on the viability of the Keystone State’s plan. For that matter, it casts doubt on the existing compact itself.

There are many possible scenarios for the outcome of this opinion

It may become hard to play and hard to pay

The DOJ’s move could be quite a setback for the industry. The opinion casts uncertainty on the future of online poker operators and support companies.

One possible scenario is that operators may revert solely to intrastate poker offerings until the legal situation can be clarified. Obviously, that would be a setback for what had been a slowly burgeoning industry. The effects would manifest in the form of lower player pools and smaller prizes.

Unfortunately, it is even possible that the opinion would affect intrastate online poker and gaming. Even though the start and end point of a signal could be in the same state, it is possible that it could go out of state during its travel. Hence, a court could conceivably classify the transmission as an interstate transaction, and subject to the Wire Act.

Payment processing might also suffer due to this opinion. Some banking institutions may fear DOJ action for taking payments that might cross state lines. In states like New Jersey and Delaware, payment processing has already been problematic from time to time.

The silver lining to a rather dark cloud

However, online poker players don’t need to start closing their accounts just yet. In past rulings, the 1st and 5th Circuit Courts of Appeal have defined the scope of the Wire Act to sports betting only – in direct opposition to the DOJ opinion.

The DOJ may also choose not to enforce its own opinion. Several states have passed recreational marijuana usage laws in recent years, but the practice remains technically against federal law. On the other hand, a federal solution via Congress seems highly unlikely.

Investors Business Daily notes that the DOJ may have difficulty justifying its opinion, too. There is considerable legal opposition, which includes previous court opinions, regarding the Wire Act.

That could offer some hope for online poker. As Deutsche Bank managing director Carlo Santarelli said,

“Given the genie has left the bottle, we think the DOJ will have a somewhat uphill battle to successfully defend its new position. We think it will require considerable leg work to undo what’s been done, and we think the process will take an extended period of time.”

December 7, 2018December 7, 2018

Global Poker Christmas Drop Offers Chance At Some Big Holiday Cash

Global Poker has gotten into the holiday spirit with numerous promotions and tournaments throughout December. The U.S. and Canada-friendly site is offering players plenty of goodies with big tournaments but also plenty of promotions available throughout the month via its email newsletter and special offers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The Christmas Drop offers a chance to play in either of two series – one for Gold Coins and one for $weeps Cash, which is awarded for the purchase of Gold Coins and in can be earned in promotional tournaments. $weeps Cash, unlike Gold Coins, can be redeemed for cash.

As part of the fun, players can expect freerolls, special-edition avatars, time-limited promotions, photo competitions, and huge guarantees for Gold Coin and $weeps Cash games and tournaments. That includes numerous tournaments in the $11 to $33 range with some nice guarantees.

An example of the action is a $33 Christmas Turbo tournament on Dec. 21 featuring a SC$7,000 guarantee. An $11 event on Dec. 19 offers a prize pool of SC$3,000. PLO fans will enjoy a $22 tournament on Dec. 28 with a SC$4,500 guarantee.

The series also features two SC$55 tournaments on Dec. 23 and 30 with SC$10,000 and SC$15,000 guarantees. Here’s a look at some of the other offerings in the coming days:

Dec. 8 – Look for three Pop-up Freerolls totaling SC$3,000 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. (EST). The tournaments will pop-up and be open for registration 60 mins before start time.
Dec. 11-12 – The Daily Bonanza guaranteed prize pools receive boosts SC$500 per day for a total of SC$2,000 over two days.
Dec. 13-14 – Finish among the Top 25 in the Daily Gold Rush Leaderboard and earn an exclusive Santa avatar.
Dec. 15 – Three more Pop-up Freerolls totaling SC$2,000 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Tournaments are open for registration 60 mins before start time after popping up.
Dec. 18-19 – Like those Daily Hundos? The popular tournaments will feature double guarantees – a chance to win 100 times the SC$1 buy-in. Players qualify by playing at least 25 Gold Coin ring-game hands before the tournament starts and the challenge resets daily at 10 p.m.
Dec. 20-21 – Play 100 Pot Limit Omaha Gold Coin ring-game hands and earn 100,000 GC and a Santa avatar.
Dec. 24-25 – Play one of several hyper-turbo tournaments on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with a buy-in of SC$5.35 and guarantees from SC$150 to SC$500. Here are the tournament options:
- Breakfast Epiphanies – 7 a.m., 8.30 a.m., 10 a.m.
- Lunch Money – 12 p.m., 1.30 p.m., 3 p.m.
- Eyes Wide Shut – 12 a.m., 1.30 a.m., 3 a.m.
Dec. 26-27 – Play 15 Gold Coin Sit and Go hands and earn GC 100,000.

For the complete Gold Coin and $weeps Cash Christmas Drop schedule, click here.

October 29, 2018

Report Reveals North Korea Cyber Criminals Targeting Online Poker

That tough day at the online poker table just seems to be getting worse. No matter what you do, those two players at the table just have your number. Are they bots or are they just that much better? Most of the time, the latter is the answer. But maybe not always.

According to a new study and recent media reports, one country stands out as a home to online poker collusion – North Korea. That’s right, when it’s not holding the world ransom with its nuclear weapons programs, dictator Kim Jong Un has his underlings cheating at poker.

How does this work? Cybercrime has long been a major part of the regime’s efforts to secure dollars in the face of crippling global economic sanctions. Those crimes range from digital bank heists to email phishing scams and mining operations to cryptocurrency thefts, according to a new study by cyber threat intelligence service Recorded Future.

As if the country’s hackers weren’t busy enough, the study also notes that Kim’s henchmen are even involved in petty crime to acquire cash for the regime – and that includes cheating at online poker and other online gaming. The enterprise is just a small part of an effort to siphon money into regime coffers via the Internet.

“The Kim regime has developed a model for using and exploiting the internet that is unique – it is a nation run like a criminal syndicate,” the report notes. “In particular, the Kim regime has cultivated the Internet as a potent tool for revenue generation and sanctions circumvention by utilizing (and exploiting) cryptocurrencies, various interbank transfer systems, the pluralized nature of the ‘gig economy,’ online gaming, and more. They have paired this with a decades-old smuggling network and system of corrupted diplomats, embassies, and consulates.”

The regime is believed to be responsible for a 2016 cyber-bank heist of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in which hackers were able to get away with $81 million.

North Korea has long been involved international criminal enterprises to secure hard currency for the regime – from trafficking drugs and arms to counterfeiting currency – as it circumvents sanctions that Kim himself has described as the work of “hostile forces trying to stifle the Korean people.

Why online poker?

It seems so small-time. But not all those online crimes have to be seven or eight figures – every dollar counts.

“North Korean hackers spend most of the day doing low-level crime — cheating at online poker, cracking video games, committing low-level financial crime,” Recorded Future Director of Strategic Threat Development Priscilla Moriuchi told Axios.com. “That’s where most of the money comes from.”

A major score online through collusion or hacking adds to the Kim bottom line and keeps the regime afloat. The Recorded Future study notes that Internet usage has been embraced more by the regime in recent years, and that leaders are given more freedom to use it at their disposal to bring in dollars for the country. The report noted higher levels of usage on Saturdays and Sundays, which could be timed well with major online tournaments and increased player traffic.

Interestingly, the increased usage of the Internet by North Korea has also made the country itself now more of a target for hackers around the world hoping to thwart some of the regime’s efforts. More computers accessing the Internet means more opportunities to be hacked itself.

“We can’t say the online computers are, say, missile testing systems,” Moriuchi tells Axios. “But knowing that they are increasingly reliant on the Internet realistically means more targets.”

September 24, 2018September 24, 2018

Eagle Cup Returns To Global Poker In October With SC$750,000 Up For Grabs

Online poker fans in the U.S. have quite a bit to look forward to as the Global Poker Championships Eagle Cup series returns in October for the second straight year.

The Cup is the inaugural leg of the GPCs, featuring 135 championship events and a guaranteed $750,000 in $weeps Cash prizes. GlobalPoker.com is the fastest growing poker site for American players. For those new to the site, Global Poker offers opportunities at real-money cash and prizes.

Through its sweepstakes model, players use virtual chips (Gold Coins), which they accumulate but cannot redeem for real money. However, when purchasing Gold Coins, players receive sweepstakes prizes called $weeps Cash. This virtual currency can be used for $weeps Cash tournaments and ring games, and can also be won in freerolls.

As a player wins, $weeps Cash can be cashed out as real prizes using Global Poker’s unique sweepstakes model, and many players are getting in on the action. The Eagle Cup offers just one more chance for players to win some real cash in a major online tournament series environment.

Series-opening freeroll

The tournament series kicks off with an Opening Freeroll on Sept. 30 with $5,000 in prizes up for grabs. The first official championship event is set for Oct. 1 and continues for three weeks.

The Global Poker Eagle Cup offers two concurrent schedules, tournaments using Gold Coins and $weeps Cash tournaments with low, medium, and high buy-ins for every bankroll. A highlight is the SC$100,000 guarantee Main Event on Oct. 21.

Prizes will be awarded not only for $weeps events, but also for Gold Coin events. Winners will snag a Champions Pack filled with Global Poker merchandise and gear. Champions also win Eagle Cup Champion trophies engraved with the winner’s name.

The site is also once again offering one player a chance to represent Global Poker at a live tournament. This year, any player finishing first or second in a GPC event receives an invitation to play in the Tournament of Champions. The TOC winner earns a $5,000 package to head off and represent Global Poker in a major live tournament. Additionally, there is $10,000 of added prizes for the TOC.

The GPCs are right around the corner. Sign up for Global Poker and join in on the fun.

2018 Global Poker Eagle Cup Schedule

Date	Time ET	Tournament Name	Buyin SC$
Sun Sep 30	2:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup: Opening $5,000 Freeroll	$0.00
Mon Oct 1	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 01-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 01-M: NLHE $5,000 Guaranteed	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 01-H: NLHE $10,000 Guaranteed	$110.00
Tue Oct 2	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 02-L: PLO $2,000 Guaranteed [6-Max]	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 02-M: PLO $3,500 Guaranteed [6-Max]	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 02-H: PLO $5,000 Guaranteed [6-Max]	$55.00
Wed Oct 3	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 03-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [2R1A]	$5.50
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 03-M: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [2R1A]	$22.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 03-H: NLHE $12,500 Guaranteed [2R1A]	$55.00
Thu Oct 4	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 04-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [Rebuy, 4-Max]	$3.30
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 04-M: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [Rebuy, 4-Max]	$11.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 04-H: NLHE $12,500 Guaranteed [Rebuy, 4-Max]	$33.00
Fri Oct 5	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 05-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [Turbo]	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 05-M: NLHE $5,000 Guaranteed [Turbo]	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 05-H: NLHE $10,000 Guaranteed [Turbo]	$110.00
Sat Oct 6	3:15 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 06-L: NLHE $2,500 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$5.50
	3:45 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 06-M: NLHE $4,000 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$11.00
	4:15 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 06-H: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$33.00
	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 07-L: NLHE $2,500 Guaranteed [Big Ante]	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 07-M: NLHE $4,000 Guaranteed [Big Ante]	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 07-H: NLHE $5,000 Guaranteed [Big Ante]	$55.00
Sun Oct 7	3:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 08-M: NLHE $20,000 Guaranteed [Deep]	$110.00
	4:15 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 08-L: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [Deep]	$22.00
	5:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 08-H: NLHE $50,000 Guaranteed [Deep]	$218.00
	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 09-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [1R1A, 6-Max]	$5.50
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 09-M: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [1R1A, 6-Max]	$22.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 09-H: NLHE $12,500 Guaranteed [1R1A, 6-Max]	$55.00
Mon Oct 8	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 10-L: NLHE $4,000 Guaranteed [2x-Chance]	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 10-M: NLHE $6,000 Guaranteed [2x-Chance]	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 10-H: NLHE $10,000 Guaranteed [2x-Chance]	$110.00
Tue Oct 9	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 11-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [1R1A, Turbo]	$5.50
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 11-M: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [1R1A, Turbo]	$22.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 11-H: NLHE $12,500 Guaranteed [1R1A, Turbo]	$55.00
Wed Oct 10	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 12-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [Rebuy, 6-Max]	$3.30
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 12-M: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [Rebuy, 6-Max]	$11.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 12-H: NLHE $12,500 Guaranteed [Rebuy, 6-Max]	$33.00
Thu Oct 11	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 13-L: FLHE $2,000 Guaranteed	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 13-M: FLHE $3,000 Guaranteed	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 13-H: FLHE $4,000 Guaranteed	$55.00
Fri Oct 12	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 14-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [2R1A, 6-Max]	$5.50
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 14-M: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [2R1A, 6-Max]	$22.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 14-H: NLHE $12,500 Guaranteed [2R1A, 6-Max]	$55.00
Sat Oct 13	3:15 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 15-L: NLHE $2,500 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$5.50
	3:45 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 15-M: NLHE $4,000 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$11.00
	4:15 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 15-H: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$33.00
	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 16-L: NLCP $2,500 Guaranteed	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 16-M: NLCP $4,000 Guaranteed	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 16-H: NLCP $5,000 Guaranteed	$55.00
Sun Oct 14	3:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 17-M: NLHE $20,000 Guaranteed [Deep]	$110.00
	4:15 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 17-L: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [Deep]	$22.00
	5:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 17-H: NLHE $50,000 Guaranteed [Deep]	$218.00
	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 18-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [Turbo, 6-Max]	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 18-M: NLHE $5,000 Guaranteed [Turbo, 6-Max]	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 18-H: NLHE $10,000 Guaranteed [Turbo, 6-Max]	$110.00
Mon Oct 15	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 19-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [Rebuy]	$3.30
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 19-M: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [Rebuy]	$11.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 19-H: NLHE $12,500 Guaranteed [Rebuy]	$33.00
Tue Oct 16	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 20-L: NLHE $2,500 Guaranteed [Ante Up]	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 20-M: NLHE $4,000 Guaranteed [Ante Up]	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 20-H: NLHE $5,000 Guaranteed [Ante Up]	$55.00
Wed Oct 17	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 21-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$5.50
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 21-M: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$22.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 21-H: NLHE $12,500 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$55.00
Thu Oct 18	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 22-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [6-Max]	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 22-M: NLHE $5,000 Guaranteed [6-Max]	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 22-H: NLHE $10,000 Guaranteed [6-Max]	$110.00
Fri Oct 19	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 23-L: PLO $2,000 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$5.50
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 23-M: PLO $3,500 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$11.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 23-H: PLO $5,000 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$33.00
Sat Oct 20	3:15 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 24-L: NLHE $2,500 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$5.50
	3:45 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 24-M: NLHE $4,000 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$11.00
	4:15 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 24-H: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [1R1A]	$33.00
	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 25-L: NLHE $4,000 Guaranteed [2x-Chance, 6-Max]	$11.00
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 25-M: NLHE $6,000 Guaranteed [2x-Chance, 6-Max]	$33.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 25-H: NLHE $10,000 Guaranteed [2x-Chance, 6-Max]	$110.00
Sun Oct 21	3:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 26-M: Main Event NLHE $40,000 Guaranteed [Deep]	$110.00
	4:15 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 26-L: Main Event NLHE $15,000 Guaranteed [Deep]	$22.00
	5:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 26-H: Main Event NLHE $100,000 Guaranteed [Deep]	$218.00
	8:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 27-L: NLHE $3,000 Guaranteed [2R1A, Turbo]	$5.50
	9:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 27-M: NLHE $7,500 Guaranteed [2R1A, Turbo]	$22.00
	9:30 PM	GPC Eagle Cup 27-H: NLHE $12,500 Guaranteed [2R1A, Turbo]	$55.00
Sun Oct 28	2:00 PM	GPC Eagle Cup: Tournament of Champions	$0.00

September 20, 2018September 20, 2018

Koon, Haxton Win Big As Last Weekend Of partypoker POWERFEST Approaches

After almost three weeks of action, players have just a few days left to get in on the partypoker POWERFEST action. There were plenty of big winners in the final week, including Team partypoker members Jason Koon and Isaac Haxton coming up just short of a title in the $500,000 Guaranteed Championship 6-Max PKO.

Final week of action

Tuesday brought some huge action for Week 3 of the POWERFEST with the kickoff of the $10,300 buy-in $2 Million Guaranteed Championship with 208 entries adding an extra $80,000 to that guarantee. Poker pro Chance “ChanceSeeYou” Kornuth took third in the event for $219,440 as he streamed his play Twitch.

“Alien_Army” and “mbtremendo” battled heads-up for the championship. In the end, mbtremendo took the title and $424,112. It was a nice few days for Alien_Army, who won $307,840. Alien_Army also won the $540 buy-in $200,000 Guaranteed PKO Mix-Max on Friday for $20,515 plus $5,434 in bounty cash.

If that weren’t enough, Tuesday featured a second $10,300 event in the $500,000 Guaranteed Championship 6-Max PKO. With 97 entries, the prize pool swelled to $970,000. Partypoker team members Isaac “Ike_Haxton” Haxton and Jason “Jason_Koon” Koon advanced to the final three. Ultimately, Haxton finished third for $116,400 and Koon took second for $189,150. “MysterioBrown” took the title for a nice $303,421 score.

The $1,050 buy-in $500,000 Guaranteed, also played on Tuesday, ended in a deal between the final two players. The event attracted 405 entries, just short of the guarantee, and “SUPERSCOUSER” and “TheFatMexican” split a combined first- and second-place prize pool of $161,350 for $80,675 each.

Emma “cr3zyem34” Fullarton highlighted Wednesday’s action after winning the $300,000 Guaranteed 6-Max event, which featured a $1,050 buy-in. Fullarton best a field that included 280 entries to win $68,452. MOTHERSMATT finished runner-up for $45,750.

The same day, 749 players bought in the $200,000 Guaranteed 6-Max for $215. “Duda850” and “farell8” ended up heads-up for the title, with Duda coming out on top for $34,000. Farell8 took $26,000 for finishing runner-up.

Big weekend ahead

There is still plenty of fun for those looking for some poker at any buy-in level. So far, there have been 550 events played and more than $53.6 million awarded in prize money. As the weekend approached, 120 tournaments remain.

Thursday brings several major events – highlighted by the $3 Million Guaranteed Super High Roller. With a $25,500 buy-in, someone will take home a big payday in an event that is sure to attract plenty of poker sharks. Also on Thursday is the $500,000 Guaranteed Mix-Max ($1,050 buy-in), and Omaha fans will be pleased with the $200,000 Guaranteed 6-Max PLO ($1,050 buy-in).

Plenty of big weekend action awaits with nice six-figure and $1 million guarantees. Here’s a look at some of the weekend’s highlights:

Friday, Sept. 21 – $300,000 Guaranteed 6-Max PKO ($1,050 buy-in)
Saturday, Sept. 22 – $200,000 Guaranteed PKO ($1,050 buy-in)
Sunday, Sept. 23 – $500,000 Guaranteed PKO ($1,050 buy-in)
Sunday, Sept. 23 – $1 Million Guaranteed Championship ($5,200 buy-in)
Sunday, Sept. 23 – $1 Million Guaranteed Championship ($1,050 buy-in)

Along with those big buy-in events, there are also several $530 buy-in events with guarantees ranging from $50,000 to $300,000. Lower rollers also have numerous options, including events such as a $16.50 buy-in with a $30,000 guarantee and a $27.50 event for $50,000 guarantee.

Promotions

Partypoker offers several ways for players to win free tournament tickets. Check out the daily Click Card promotion where players can win POWERFEST buy-in tickets up to $5,200 in value.

The site is also running the series-long Leaderboards with $60,000 worth of MILLIONS Online tickets up for grabs. One additional way to win POWERFEST tickets for only $2.50 is to give one of the POWERFEST Sit & Go Jackpot tournaments a shot.

Cash game players aren’t left out. Of the POWERFEST promotions. During the daily Power Hour, cash game and fastforward players can earn double cashback points for an hour every day. There’s a promotion for everyone during this fun poker festival.

***

There are only a few days left for your chance to get in on the action and take a shot at big money. For the complete POWERFEST schedule, click here.

September 17, 2018

POWERFEST Week 2 Recap: Patrick Leonard Earns Second Title Of Series

Major prize pools and major payouts were on hand as the $60 million guaranteed partypoker POWERFEST continued over the weekend. The festivities were highlighted by some big scores by some big names including Ben Tollerene with a huge six-figure win and Bertrand “ElkY_” Grospellier taking a runner-up finish in a $500,000 guarantee.

With 461 events in the books and $45.4 million awarded, the series continues to reward players looking to get in on the action – with buy-ins ranging from from $1.10 to $25,500. The events run through Sept. 23 and feature nice payouts for even low and medium rollers.

ElkY And Tollerene score big; ‘IEatBears’ attacks

As POWERFEST played into the weekend, Bertrand “ElkY_” Grospellier highlighted Thursday’s play as he bagged a runner-up finish in the $1,050 buy-in $500,000 Guaranteed Mix-Max event with “MoNddLeR” taking the title and $96,997 top prize. Another well-known partypoker team member, Kristen “Krissyb24” Bicknell, finished 15th for $4,500.

Another team member scored big on Friday, Sept. 14, with Patrick Leonard earning his second win of the series. Leonard shIpped the $300,000 Guaranteed for $34,796 and $34,315 in bounties in an event that featured 305 entries. Leonard also took down a $200,000 Guaranteed 6-Max PKO event last week for $41,000.

Also on Friday, the $540 buy-in $200,000 Guaranteed PKO Mix-Max produced a nice 423 entries for an extra $16,787 for the prize pool. “Alien_Army” came out with guns blazing and finished on top for $20,515 plus $5,434 in bounty cash.

The festival reached its 14th day of action on Saturday, Sept. 15, and there was plenty of big money awarded. The day was highlighted by the $200,000 Guaranteed PKO, featuring a $1,050 buy-in The tournament attracted 272 entries for an extra $77,440 above the guarantee. In the end, it was “b0b_z00m” zooming to the title – taking home $27,064 and $29,079 in bounty bucks.

Saturday’s events also included two $530 events. The $200,000 Guaranteed 6-Max PKO attracted 368 entries with “IEatBears” gulping down the $20,680 top prize and $20,042 in bounties. In the $100,000 Guaranteed, “FairPlay373” came out on top for $12,328 and a bounty total of $12,202. IEatBears made another deep run in this one, finishing fifth for $2,970 plus $1,296 in bounties.

Sunday was highlighted by another nice score from poker pro Ben “CowEyed” Tollerene, who took down the $1 Million Guaranteed Championship, which featured a buy-in of $5,200. Tollerene took home $310,400 for the title. He’s no stranger to winning in the series, and won the $25,500 Super High Roller in the 2017 POWERFEST for $850,000. The event featured 312 entries with an extra $560,000 above the guarantee. Also on Sunday, Canada’s “nolet20” emerged as the winner of the $1,050 buy-in $1 Million Guaranteed Championship PKO for $102,214 and $88,328 in bounties.

This week’s action

A total of 209 tournaments remain for partypoker players this week. There is still $27 million up for grabs as the third and final week gets underway, culminating in the final day on Sunday. In total, 247 tournaments remain.

On Monday, players are treated to another $1,50 buy-in event, $300,000 Guaranteed 6-Max PKO as well as another $530 event, $200,000 PKO. Tuesday brings another $1,050 event ($500,000 Guaranteed) and also the $2 million Guaranteed Championship with a $10,300 buy-in. There’s also another event at the same buy-in with a $500,000 guarantee.

The rest of the week brings more big guarantees including the massive $3 million Super High Roller on Wednesday, which should attract plenty of big names with sizable bankrolls. Here are some other highlights to look forward to in Week 3:

Wednesday, Sept. 19 – $300,000 Guaranteed 6-Max ($1,050 buy-in)
Thursday, Sept. 20 – $3 Million Guaranteed Super High Roller ($25,500 buy-in)
Thursday, Sept. 20 – $500,000 Guaranteed Mix-Max ($1,050 buy-in)
Thursday, Sept. 20 – $200,000 Guaranteed 6-Max PLO ($1,050 buy-in)

For the complete POWERFEST schedule, click here.

September 10, 2018April 6, 2023

Chris Moorman, Kristen Bicknell Shine In partypoker POWERFEST Weekend Action

It was another big few days with millions of dollars awarded as the $60 million guaranteed partypoker POWERFEST played out its first full weekend. Some big names had big paydays including British poker pro Chris Moorman and Canadian Kristen Bicknell.

The entire tournament series features 635 events for players of every bankroll – ranging from $1.10 to $25,500 and running through Sept. 23. Through Sunday’s action, 249 events had been completed with $25.3 million awarded.

Bicknell and big buy-ins

The weekend offered plenty of high-buy-in action for those looking for a nice score. Saturday’s action brought the $1,020 buy-in $300,000 Guaranteed PKO. The event attracted 316 entries for an extra $22,320 in the prize pool. In the end, it was “DOnt_DO-iT” who did it – taking home $36,051 and $38,528 in bounties.

In Saturday’s $1,050 buy-in $200,000 Guaranteed PKO Team partypoker’s Kristen “Krissyb24” Bicknell came up just short of a title, finishing second for $18,500 and $4,850 in bounty winnings. It was “benderbei1” who came out on top, collecting $25,487 and an astonishing bounty total of $35,059.

Sunday brought the $5,200 buy-in $1 Million Championship POWERFEST PKO event. After 203 entries, $35,300 was added to the prize pool, It was “BackDoorMat” kicking in the door for the title – $103,479 in first-place prize money and $123,698 in bounty cash.

Another $1,050 buy-in event brought the second $1million guarantee of the day with 1,001 entries adding an extra $21,020 to the prize pool. “Paul_Folders” came out on top for $86,086 in first-place prize money and $62,745 in bounties. It’s been a great start to the POWERFEST for Paul, who also won a $530 event last week for $24,906.

Moorman and the mid-stakes

A great example of POWERFEST big money at a low price, Friday $215 Six-Max PKO featured a $200,000 guarantee and attracted 932 entries. It also featured a big-name winner with Chris “Therealmoorm” Moorman topping the field for a $16,420 score and $13,472 in bounty money after eliminating 15 players.

There was another nice payout on Friday in the $530 buy-in $200,000 Guaranteed PKO Mix-Max. The event brought in 376 entries with another British player, Chris “C12SLY” Sly, ending up on the top spot for $20,260.

Saturday brought another big finish from an English player. In the $200,000 Guarantee 6-Max PKO, Patrick “Patrick_Leonard” Leonard turned his $530 buy-in into first-place money of $20,102 and a whopping $21,650 in bounties. Bicknell also made another deep run after his big runner-up finish, final tabling the $100,000 Guaranteed Fast 6-Max and ultimately fifth for $6,000 in the $530 buy-in event. Andreas “daskalos20” Christoforou took the top spot for $24,905.

On Sunday, there was plenty of action for every bankroll size. In a $530 event, $500,000 Guaranteed, the 136 entries helped grow the prize pool to $538,000. Brazil’s Igor “IgorFederal” Trafane came out on top for the $92,536 top prize.

The week ahead

While there has been a ton awarded so far, there is much more yet to be won. Beginning Monday, 421 events remain with several big events planned for the week ahead.

A few big events kick off the action on Monday with a $1,050 buy-in event with a $300,000 guarantee and a $530 event with a $100,000 guarantee. There are also numerous other events throughout the schedule for a shot at some nice money for only a few bucks.

The action really heats up on Tuesday with the $5,200 buy-in $1Million Guaranteed Championship event and another $1,050 event with a $500,000 guarantee. Wednesday brings more $1,050 and $530 events ($300,000 and $200,000 guarantees).

Thursday and Friday’s action brings even more major events:

$5,200 buy-in – $1 Million Guaranteed (Sept. 13)
$1,050 buy-in – $500,000 Guaranteed Mix Max (Sept. 13)
$1,050 buy-in – $300,000 Guaranteed 6-Max PKO (Sept. 14)

Along with plenty of action, partypoker announced a new promotion over the weekend. Players who knock at a team pro in some events can earn a $1,050 bonus entry into Event #44-HR $1 Million Guaranteed Championship, which is set for Sept. 23. An eligible tournament was scheduled each day this week at several different buy-ins. For the complete POWERFEST schedule, click here.

September 7, 2018September 7, 2018

Powerful Payouts, Big Turnouts As partypoker POWERFEST Gets Underway

The $60 million guaranteed partypoker POWERFEST kicked off on Sept. 2 and is off to a fast start with plenty of big money already awarded. The entire tournament series features 635 events for every bankroll – ranging from $1.10 to $25,500 and running through Sept. 23.

Through the first five days, 154 events had already been played with more than $16 million awarded.

Big action early

The first day already featured some major action playing out with the $1 Million Guaranteed Championship (Event #003) attracting 181 players in the $5,200 buy-in event. It was WWWpartyCOM collecting $221,300 for first place.

Five partypoker team members had nice finishes including Anatoly “NL_Profit” Filatov, who finished runner-up for $159,000. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier also fared well, finishing in fourth for a cool $83,000. Other team members cashing included: Joao “joaosimaobh” Simao, 22nd for $13,300; Patrick “Patrick_Leonard” Leonard, 18th for $13,300; and Roberto “WelshWizard” Romanello, 16th for $17,200.

Event #004 featured a nice $500,000 guarantee with a $530 buy-in. The tournament attracted 924 entries with 120 making the money. That included Simao again with a deep run (32nd for $2,350).

In the end, it was“bagoch” and “GlobalHappiness” heads-up for the title. They reached a deal for the remaining $149,800 with bagoch pocketing $71,800 and GlobalHappiness taking $78,000 and the title.

Yet another big buy-in tournament, Event #005 $1 Million Guaranteed Championship PKO, attracted 876 players. The $1,050 buy-in event paid 120 players with “SirStanleyRoyce” coming out on top with a combined $178,519 after eliminating 18 players.

Teams members Filatov, Romanello, Kristen “Krissyb24” Bicknell, and Dzmitry “Dzmitry_Urbanov” Urbanovich all cashed in the event.

Another chance at a big score came in Event #011 on Day 2, the $300,000 Guaranteed 6-Max PKO, which featured a $1,050 buy-in, attracted 359 entries, and built a nice prize pool of $366,180.

Romanello was at it again, finishing sixth for a combined $12,857. It was “RosenheimCops” coming out on top and collecting $35,900 and $32,391 in bounties.

Event #013 offered a $100,000 guarantee for a $530 buy-in and brought in 194 entries. Romanello and Simao continued big runs for the team. Romanello took 16th for $1,300, and Simao notched an impressive third place for $11,250. In the end, “Paul_Folders” defeated “IEatBears” heads-up for the championship and $24,906.

Lucky Leon

Day 3 was highlighted by the $5,200 buy-in $1 Million Guaranteed Championship, which fetched 204 entries and topped the guarantee by $20,000. Leon Tsoukernik, owner of King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, and host of the World Series of Poker Circuit Kings and World Series of Poker Europe, took the title and $207,978.

The fourth day featured Event #024: $300,000 Guaranteed 6-Max. The tournament’s $1,050 buy-in attracted 360 entries and a $360,000 total prize pool. “Ilijix133” finished in the top spot, pocketing $64,452, with “skippyskip5” taking runner-up for $60,827.

The $550 Event #023: $200,000 Guaranteed PKO added almost an extra $40,000 to the prize pool with 438 entries. “Mateee” emerged as champion and won $22,054 and $22,328 in bounties.

On Day 5, Hungary’s Andras “probirs” Nemeth topped a field of 195 players in the $5,200 Event #029: $1 Million Guaranteed Championship. Nemeth was heads-up with “rdcrsnn” for the title when they struck a deal. rdcrsnn took home $173,965 and Nemeth snagged $177,934. He now has more than $8.5 million in lifetime online winnings.

Looking ahead

Plenty of action awaits partypoker players no matter the bankroll size as the weekend rolls in, including Friday’s Event #037: $300,000 Guaranteed 6-Max PKO ($1,050 buy-in). On the same day, two $530 events offer $200,000 and $100,000 guarantees.

Saturday and Sunday should bring in plenty of weekend players for even bigger turnouts. That includes another $1,050 buy-in $200,000 PKO event on Saturday, and a $530 buy-in $100,000 Guaranteed Fast 6-Max tournament.

Plenty of big prize pools await Sunday players. That includes two $1,050 events with $1 million and $500,000 guarantees. The day is highlighted by the $5,200 buy-in Event #049, the $5,200 Championship PKO.

And while these may be a bit out of your bankroll, there are even $33 events that offer $100,000 guarantees. Grab the keyboard and get registered.