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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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GGPoker Heats Up in June with Giant $200K Hold’em Festival

Asia’s biggest poker network is loading up another huge promotion with over $200,000 in prizes set to be doled out in June.

The GGPoker $200K Hold’em Festival will run all of June with leaderboard prizes for four different levels of stakes.

Once again players will benefit from point multipliers on Saturday and Sunday, which gives the weekend warriors a fighting chance.

GGPoker will also have a high-stakes featured table tier where blinds range from $25/$50 all the way up to $100/$200, which should create some extra fireworks on the site.

Players who take part in said feature table games will receive 50 percent more points during the month of June.

Featured, High, Middle and Low stakes return

GGPoker will once again be utilizing the Featured, High, Middle, and Low stakes for June’s Hold’em festival.

The festival comes hot off the heels of the $200K PLO Festival that’s currently running for the rest of May.

Points for the Hold’em festival will be tabulated at the end of June with prizes being handed out for top players in the four different leaderboards. For instance, the points generated at the high tables will not count towards the low leaderboard and vice versa.

Players earn 1 point for every $.01 of rake generated at Hold’em cash game tables.

Here’s how the prizes will be allotted:

  • Low: Top 50 players receive their share of $20,000
  • Middle: Top 50 players receive their share of $60,000
  • High: Top 30 players receive their share of $90,000
  • Featured: Top five players receive share of $30,000

GGPoker will also be running frequent point multipliers for certain days of the month. The multipliers range from 1.5X all the way up to 3X for the last Saturday of June.

Be sure to check the GGPoker June Hold’em Festival calendar to get an idea of the best times to play.

GGPoker introduces action-packed Three-Blind Hold’em

The $200k Hold’em Festival is just one of the many reasons to play on GGPoker in the month of June.

GGPoker is also launching a brand-new Hold’em variant called Three-Blind Hold’em to ratchet up the action.

As you might expect, Three-Blind Hold’em adds yet another blind after the big blind, which cranks each hand’s mandatory bet from 1.5 big blinds to 3.5 big blinds.

Action junkies will love the format as players are incentivized to play more hands so they don’t get blinded down.

Three-Blind Hold’em tables also feature antes so it will be difficult for anyone to hide for very long. Players can expect to see a lot more flops and more consistent multi-way action.

New players looking to try Three-Blind Hold’em will be happy to note that games played in the variant count towards the June $200k Hold’em Festival leaderboard.

Three-Blind Hold’em goes live on GGPoker on May 28th so players will get a few days to try it out before the June Hold’em Festival begins.

Even More Gamble in All-in or Fold Sit & Go’s

It may not count towards the June Hold’em Festival but GGPoker also launched All-in or Fold Sit & Go’s for players who enjoy a little more gamble in their poker.

As with most all-in variants players are simply given two choices on each hand: Fold or go all-in. No calling allowed.

Regardless of how you play, it’s going to be a big summer on the burgeoning GGPoker network.

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GGPoker Promo Offering $200K For Cash Grinders At Every Omaha Stake

a sirloin steak

Ever experience No-Limit Hold’em fatigue?

Apparently, people behind the GGPoker Network are familiar with the feeling. The network is loading up a huge $200,000 guaranteed Omaha points race for May.

The $200,000 GGPoker Omaha Festival will run from May 1-30, 2018, with a variety of different prizes up for grabs.

The promo will reward players at four different buy-in levels including low, medium, high and the very special “featured” category that offers stakes up to $100/$200.

The points will be added up for each different category. There will be cash prizes for the players who finish in the upper echelon for their respective category.

For every $.01 of rake that players generate while playing Omaha on GGPoker they will receive one point towards the race in that respective buy-in level.

Over 100 players will win prizes

You don’t have to finish first in the GGPoker Omaha Festival to win some cash. In fact, over 100 players on GGPoker will receive something.

It breaks down as follows:

  • Low: Top 50 players receive their share of $10,000
  • Medium: Top 50 players receive their share of $20,000
  • High: Top 30 players receive their share of $70,000
  • Featured: Top 15 players receive their share of $100,000

That’s a total of $200,000 in prizes. Players could conceivably hit the leaderboard in several different buy-in levels if they decided to put in some serious volume.

It also means that dedicated PLO players can simply play the stakes where they usually play and still get in on the action. Even players who never play Omaha will likely want to try playing for a few days just to see if they can get an early lead in the race.

Bonus points available on Saturday, Sunday, Monday

GGPoker is giving players a little extra incentive to get busy around the weekend.

The network will multiply points by:

  • 2.5X on Saturday
  • 2X on Sunday
  • 1.5X on Monday

The points multipliers mean that weekend warriors won’t be completely locked out of the challenge as they can put in some serious time on Saturday and Sunday to receive more than double their usual amount of points.

Players will have until May 30 to earn points. At the end of the month, all the points will be tallied up. Then the respective winners will be able to claim their share of the prize pool.

GGPoker Bolsters Pro Roster with Bryn Kenney

GGPoker, which has always been a popular poker portal for Asian players, seems to be set on expanding its market share.

The network’s traffic has been steadily growing over the last couple years (it’s currently a top 10 ranked site on PokerScout). Last month it added noted high-stakes pro Bryn Kenney to its pro team.

Kenney will serve as an ambassador for GGPoker around the world in addition to acting as a consultant for the player experience on the site.

You can even buy some of Kenney’s action through the site if you’ve always wanted to sweat one of the most successful high-stakes pros in poker.

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GGPoker Receives ISO 27001 Certification As Company Continues Expansion

NSUSLAB Korea, parent company of GGPoker, announced this week that it has received ISO 27001 certification for its online gaming platform.

NSUSLAB Korea, parent company of GGPoker, announced a new certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) this week. The company received ISO 27001 certification for its online gaming platform.

The distinction outlines a framework of “policies and procedures that includes all legal, physical, and technical controls involved in an organization’s information risk management processes,” according to TechTarget.com.

Company officials said the certification signals GG’s dedication to safety and security on the platform.

“NSUSLAB is proud to have secured this ISO 27001 certification, as we have always placed information security at the forefront of our efforts,” NSUSLAB CEO Daniel Lim said in a news release.

“We hope that the news further assures GGPoker, its players, partners, and regulators of our commitment to maintaining the security of their information.” 

 

Details on the GGPoker certification

ISO 27001 is an international standard recognized globally for managing risks to the security of organization’s information. The process provides a set of standardized requirements for securely managing information.

With poker sites hosting thousands of players and maintaining their information funds, security is of top importance in the industry.

NSUSLAB Korea’s software powers GGPoker, which hosts hundreds of thousands of players and games each week. The company operates in a number of regulated markets.

Beyond poker, NSUSLAB also produces omni-channel online casino table games, proprietary gaming platforms, and business intelligence systems. The company boasts more than 200 developers.

The site is licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission.

More major events coming to GGPoker

GGPoker has made some major poker news in recent weeks. Once again the site will host World Series of Poker online bracelet events for international players this summer.

The international half of the series runs on GG from Aug. 1 to Sept. 12 and awards 33 bracelets.

The site is also hosting the WSOP Super Circuit Online Series May 1-30. That series features a $100 million guarantee and awards 18 championship rings.

The site is also running satellites for the $10,000 WSOP Main Event from Aug. 1 to Oct. 1. World Series officials announced recently that the annual series in Las Vegas was being moved to the fall this year. The annual festival runs Sept. 30 to Nov. 23 at the Rio.

Much of the 2020 Main Event played out online with international players competing on GGPoker. The site also announced another major series in the works. The WSOP Winter Online Super Circuit will run at the site with a schedule released later.

★★★ Looking to get in the GGPoker action? Click here for a complete site review and exclusive PokerScout bonus offers. ★★★

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GGPoker acquires WSOP brand in $500M landmark deal, WSOP to remain in Las Vegas until 2044

GGPoker acquires WSOP brand in $500M landmark deal, WSOP to remain in Las Vegas until 2044

On August 1st, 2024, Caesars Entertainment announced the sale of the World Series of Poker brand to iGaming investment group NSUS Group Inc. for $500 million via press release. 

NSUS Group Inc., the operators of GGPoker and ClubGG, received $250 million in cash and includes a $250 million promissory note that’s due in 2029.

This will be exactly five years after the closing of the deal, which should take place before the end of the year.

Caesars Entertainment sell WSOP brand to NSUS Group Inc.
Source: https://twitter.com/CaesarsEnt/status/1819101984709898531

Caesars Entertainment had owned the brand since 2004, when MTR Gaming Group purchased the World Series of Poker tournament from Binion’s and the rights to the Horseshoe name in Nevada for just $44.3 million. That’s an 11.3x increase in value over the last two decades.

“We’ve enjoyed a longstanding and successful partnership with GGPoker that has helped spur the growth of the WSOP brand,” said Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital. 

“This transaction is an exciting step for Caesars as a company and the WSOP brand as it continues to evolve. We can’t wait to see what NSUS has in store for growing the WSOP’s legacy in poker, and we look forward to continuing to deliver an unmatched and familiar experience to poker players going forward.”

“After collaborating with Caesars Entertainment for years, NSUS Group, the operators of GGPoker, is thrilled to announce their new role in leading the World Series of Poker, the world’s most renowned poker brand,” said Michael Kim, Chief Executive Officer of NSUS Group Inc. 

“We will leverage GGPoker’s cutting-edge technology and industry expertise to create an exciting future for WSOP, ensuring players have an increasingly improved, safe, and seamless poker experience. Under the new leadership, NSUS intends to expand WSOP worldwide, positioning it at the forefront of poker’s growth.”

As a major part of the deal, Caesars will continue to host the World Series of Poker’s flagship summer series for the next 20 years. 

Caesars will keep displaying WSOP branding in their poker rooms and Caesars properties will be the first choice to host upcoming WSOP Circuit events. 

For the moment, WSOP will continue to operate their WSOP Online poker site for a limited period of time, with a number of exceptions in place. WSOP Online currently operates one of the top real money poker apps in Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

In addition to cash games and regular tournaments, WSOP Online has hosted a large number of WSOP online bracelet and circuit ring events.

So too has GGPoker, one of the world’s biggest online poker sites, who have worked extremely closely with the World Series of Poker brand over the last handful of years.

During COVID, GGPoker hosted an incredible 54 bracelet events on their poker platform.

In addition to hosting a large number of official WSOP events on their website, their ambassadors, such as Daniel Negreanu, have heavily promoted WSOP’s international series. 

This includes the inaugural WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas, which will return for a second edition in December and include a $25,000 Super Main Event with a world-record $50 million guarantee.

From an American perspective, one thing clearly sticks out: GGPoker is not currently available in the United States. GGPoker did obtain a supplier license in Pennsylvania in 2021 but has yet to appear in the market.

While poker players certainly have approved of the GGPoker takeover of the World Series of Poker, it may cause quite a stir if players aren’t able to play summer online bracelet events while they simultaneously play in Las Vegas.

A week after the announcement of the acquisition, GGPoker revealed the addition of 33 bracelet events that will take place on the GGPoker platform from August 18th all the way until September 30th. 

Opening flights have already started and can be found in the GGPoker lobby.

  • Event 1 (Aug 18):  $500 Annual WSOP Kickoff Bounty NLHE (final stage)
  • Event 2 (Aug 19):  $300 Gladiators of Poker NLHE (Day 2) ($2.5M GTD)
  • Event 3 (Aug 20):  $2,100 NLHE Bounty Championship
  • Event 4 (Aug 22):  $840 PLO Bounty
  • Event 5 (Aug 24):  $500 Ladies NLHE Championship
  • Event 6 (Aug 25):  $1,500 Monster Stack NLHE
  • Event 7 (Aug 26):  $215 Mystery Millions NLHE (Day 2) ($10M GTD, $1M top bounty)
  • Event 8 (Aug 27):  $2,500 NLHE Turbo Championship
  • Event 9 (Aug 29):  $320 NLHE Bounty
  • Event 10 (Aug 31):  $1K 5-Card PLO
  • Event 11 (Sept 1):  $100 NLHE Flip & Go (Go stage) ($1M GTD)
  • Event 12 (Sept 2):  $500 NLHE Mini Main Event (Day 2) ($2.5M GTD)
  • Event 13 (Sept 3):  $5K NLHE 6-Handed Championship
  • Event 14 (Sept 5):  $500 Big NLHE Bounty
  • Event 15 (Sept 7):  $800 NLHE Ultra Deepstack
  • Event 16 (Sept 8):  $215 Beat the Pros NLHE Bounty
  • Event 17 (Sept 9):  $1,500 Millionaire Maker NLHE (final stage) ($5M GTD, $1M first place)
  • Event 18 (Sept 10):  $5K Short Deck 3-Stack Championship
  • Event 19 (Sept 12):  $777 Lucky Sevens NLHE 7-Handed Bounty
  • Event 20 (Sept 14):  $1K Double Chance 2-Stack NHLE
  • Event 21 (Sept 15):  $1,500 GGMasters NLHE High Roller Freezeout
  • Event 22 (Sept 16):  $400 Colossus NLHE (Day 2) ($4M GTD)
  • Event 23 (Sept 16):  $400 Plossus PLO Bounty (final stage) ($1M GTD)
  • Event 24 (Sept 17):  $10K PLO Championship
  • Event 25 (Sept 19):  $525 Superstack NLHE Turbo Bounty
  • Event 26 (Sept 21):  $10K NLHE Heads-Up Championship
  • Event 27 (Sept 22):  $1,050 PLO Mystery Bounty
  • Event 28 (Sept 23):  $5K WSOP Online NLHE Main Event (Day 2) ($25M GTD)
  • Event 29 (Sept 24):  $25K GGMillion$ NLHE Super High Roller Championship
  • Event 30 (Sept 26):  $2,100 NLHE 6-Handed Bounty
  • Event 31 (Sept 28):  $5K PLO High Roller
  • Event 32 (Sept 29):  $1,500 Closer NLHE Bounty Turbo (final stage)
  • Event 33 (Sept 30):  $10,300 GGMillion$ NLHE High Roller (Day 2) ($10M GTD)
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GGPoker Announces WSOP Main Event Online Qualifying; $1M Bonus Added to ‘Road to Vegas’ Plans

Hundreds of online poker players will head off to Las Vegas this summer to play in the WSOP $10,000 Main Event, courtesy of GGPoker.

Hundreds of online poker players will head off to Las Vegas this summer to play in the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event, courtesy of GGPoker.

On Thursday the company announced details on the Road to Vegas 2023 qualifying promotion, which includes at least 600 seats won via satellite tournaments.

That total includes 500 seats guaranteed at GGPoker and another 100 through the ClubGG subscription poker platform. The company also announced a nice bonus for players heading to Vegas this summer. Some extra cash will be on the line.

“To sweeten the pot, if any player that qualifies for the 2023 Main Event at GGPoker becomes this year’s WSOP Main Event champion,” the company notes in a news release, “GGPoker will hand them an extra $1 million bonus on top of the winner’s purse.”

 

WSOP Main Event qualifying at GGPoker

The WSOP $10,000 Main Event is the biggest tournament in live poker each year. This year’s event begins on July 3 with the action playing out at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos on the famous Las Vegas Strip.

Satellites for the event kick off at GG on March 19 with dozens of packages up for grabs each week.

“I can’t believe it’s time to start thinking about the WSOP Main Event again – the most exciting live tournament in the world, without a doubt,” GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu said.

“I’ll be there in July dreaming of Main Event glory, just like thousands and thousands of other players, whether professionals like me or amateurs playing their first big event – get onto GGPoker and ClubGG to win your way there too.”

Grabbing a tournament seat

Qualifying events are available for every bankroll level with qualifier buy-ins starting at just $1. Freeroll qualifiers are also a major part of the promotion. Each Main Event package includes:

  • $10,000 tournament entry
  • Accommodations at the Horseshoe Las Vegas Hotel and Casino for seven nights (July 1-8 including resort fees)
  • $1,000 in travel expenses (credited to each player’s GGPoker account)
  • $1 million bonus if a GG qualifier wins the Main Event
  • GGPoker-branded merchandise and gifts
  • Access to the GGPoker Platinum Lounge

“For many, competing in the WSOP Main Event is the ultimate poker dream,” GG managing director Sarne Lightman said. “As the exclusive WSOP international satellite provider, GGPoker is thrilled to be able to fulfill this dream for at least 600 of our players. We’ll also throw in an extra $1 million bonus should any GGPoker qualifier go on to win the Main Event!”

In the United States, WSOP.com will also have tournament seats up for grabs as well. For a complete WSOP preview and schedule, click here.

★★★ Ready to get in the action at GGPoker? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive PokerScout bonus offers. ★★★

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Poker Podium: Online Qualifiers Crushing, Ambassadors Chalk Up Nice Wins, Big Bluffs, & More

While it may have been a short month, some big online poker winners rose to the top in the month of February.

While it may have been a short month, some big online poker winners rose to the top in February. Online operators offered plenty of action with a few players also reaping massive rewards in live events after qualifying online.

Severa site ambassadors also recorded nice scores including Lex Veldhuis, Ian Simpson, and Vivian Saliba. Here’s a look at the latest Poker Podium and some players recording some wins in February.

PokerStars

The ability to qualify for major online events remains a nice incentive for many online poker players. PokerStars offers numerous opportunities, whether just smaller buy-in satellites or major promotions like Platinum Passes.

The last month saw some of these qualifiers win big. That includes Razvan Belea recently winning the European Poker Tour Paris main event title for $1.2 million. He secured his seat via a €530 online qualifier and is more accustomed to playing low roller events, especially freerolls.

The Romanian may now be tempted to move up in stakes after such a life-changing win.

“This is unreal,” he said after the win. “It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of since I started playing poker.”

If that weren’t enough, the series also featured a stop on the France Poker Series. Another online qualifier found the winner’s circle with France’s Alan Gaosdoue taking down the €1,100 Main Event for €287,830.

PokerStars ambassador Lex Veldhuis also showed off a massive hand in February when heads-up in the $540 Marathon. He ran a huge bluff with 5-high to take a massive pot and then went on to win the event for $5,213.

GGPoker

The $150 Overlay Edition highlighted much of the online action at GG in February. That culminated with Germany’s Philipp Gruissem taking the title earlier this week for $806,385.

The tournament brought in 64,622 entries for an $8.9 million prize pool. As part of the overlay, GG added $1.1 million to the prize pool. The win came after Gruissem took some time away from the game.

“I can still do it,” he noted on Twitter.

In other action, Collin Capone offered a look at what it’s like to win a GG Bounty Jackpot. Playing in a $10.80 Bounty Hunters event, he cashed in for more than $1,000.

Some good vibes also headed the way of GGPoker ambassador Kevin Martin recently. The Canadian poker pro and former Survivor contestant made quite the hero call in a huge pot with only Ace high. His instincts proved correct, eliminating his opponent in a $100 Sunday Hyper event.

888poker

A few days remain in the 888poker Mystery Bounty Series. The action runs through March 7 and the entire series features $2 million guaranteed.

The festivities kicked off on Feb. 19 and 888 ambassador Vivian Saliba making a deep run on the first day of action in the $109 Mystery Bounty Opening. The tournament came with a $120,000 guarantee and saw 1,032 entries. Players also vied for a top bounty of $12,000.

Saliba, of Brazil, ultimately finished fourth for $4,002. A pair of fellow Brazilians took the top two spots with “Leofoliveira” winning the event for a total of $10,812. “perrivini” took runner-up for $9,210, and here’s a look at the final hand.

As of March 1, Brazilians were dominating the series with six titles. The closest other countries were Montenegro, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom with two each

One of the other big events so far included the $109 Mystery Bounty Eight-Max, which came with a $150,000 guarantee. The action produced a field of 1,820 entries for a $182,000 prize pool with a top bounty of $15,000. 

player named “Anywayz” entered the final table in the middle of the pack, but was able to move up and take the win. Anywayz scored the $15,633 top prize plus $1,215 in bounties for a total of $16,848.

Another 888 team member scored a nice run in the series. In the $109 Mystery Bounty ($15,000 guaranteed), StreamTeam member Josh Manley made a final table appearance, finishing eighth for a total of $540.

Fellow ambassador Ian Simpson has quite the celebration after scoring a bounty tournament win for a $5,000 night.

PartyPoker

This operator recently announced a new tournament schedule including the weekly $109 Sunday Party. The PKO (progressive knockout) event comes with a $150,000 guarantee. Online qualifiers start at just $0.01.

The first event debuted on Feb. 6 with 1,608 entries, topping the guarantee by $10,800. “BinkusMaximus” took the inaugural Sunday Party win for a total of $15,955.

On Feb. 26, Party boosted the prize pool to $200,000 and saw 2,014 entries for a $201,400 prize pool. In the end, “Nepomniachtch” ended the party on top, scoring $10,985 with an additional $13,014 in bounties for a total of $23,999. “Takafogonela” took runner-up for a total payout of $13,634.

The new $22 Sunday Carnival includes a $50,000 guarantee and saw a boost to $75,000 on Feb. 26. The tournament saw 3,436 entries for a small overlay. In the end, “Spakman0888” grabbed the win in this PKO event for a payout of $4,254 plus $2,900 in bounties for a total of $7,154.

In other news, PartyPoker ambassador Jaime Staples remains a popular Twitch streamer and recently gave fans a look at how he streams on Twitch. Not a bad online poker setup.

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MASSIVE RETURN: Germany’s Philipp Gruissem Wins GGPoker Overlay Edition for $800K

After more than 64,000 entries, the Overlay Edition wrapped up at GGPoker on Tuesday with Philipp Gruissem winning more than $800,000.

After numerous $150 starting flights and more than 64,000 entries, the Overlay Edition wrapped up at GGPoker on Tuesday night with Philipp Gruissem taking the top spot.

The win rewarded Gruissem with a payout of $806,385, a massive online poker score for the German poker pro. The event is billed as the Overlay Edition because GG basically builds in an automatic overlay with some free money rewarding the site’s players.

The tournament promised a $10 million prize pool, doubling last year’s $5 million guarantee. The 64,622 entries produced a prize pool of $8.9 million, meaning GGPoker added an additional $1.1 million in overlay to that total.

Scoring big in GGpoker Overlay Edition

After three days of action, Gruissem eventually found himself heads up against a Brazilian player named “GuGaGi.” Gruissem held just under a 2-to-1 chip advantage when heads-up play began – 404 million to 234 million.

GuGaGi battled back, however, and eventually took the lead with 500 million chips to Gruissem’s 125 million.

The former partypoker ambassador  began to turn things around after that, picking up some pots without reaching a showdown. When the stacks were about level, Gruissem moved all in on the river of a board of 6-8-A-8-10 for the last of his 222 million chips.

GuGaGi folded and Gruissem recaptured the lead, 475 million to 165 million. The final hand saw both players get it all in with Gruissem holding [pokercards cards=”As Qs”] versus GuGaGi’s [pokercards cards=”Kd 4h”].

The board brought a flop of [pokercards cards=”7d 3d Kc”], giving GuGaGi some hope by pairing his Kings. But the [pokercards cards=”Ah”] on the turn moved Gruissem ahead.

The [pokercards cards=”9c”] on the river brought no help for GuGaGi and the title went to Gruissem. For runner-up, GuGaGi collected a nice payout of $572,777.

The top seven players all earned payouts of at least six figures. In total, the tournament paid out 6,383 entries with $362 paid out for players scoring a min-cash.

A look at the winner

On Twitter, Gruissem has documented his “comeback” to poker recently after some time away from the game. He’s even offered players a chance to stake some of his action. That comeback attempt looks to be complete with the huge score from this week.

“I can still do it,” he noted on Twitter.

At the live poker felt, Gruissem has more than $11.5 million in lifetime winnings. However, his last tournament score was two years ago.

Gruissem’s biggest win came in 2014 when he won the €25,500 High Roller at the PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo stop for $1.4 million. A year earlier, he took down a $100,000 World Poker Tour Alpha8 event for $1.1 million.

Gruissem’s poker results include other big finishes at events around the world in a tournament career stretching back to 2009.

After welcoming a new baby to his family in the last couple years, Gruissem looks to have decided to spend some time away from the tables. But it appears the German poker pro was ready for a return to the action.

“I’m back in the game!” he posted in January. “After getting a baby and opening up the HPO stable I discovered I still want to play and challenge myself to new heights! Poker never lets me go, so there must be something more in it for me! Different approach, same game! Let’s go!”

That approach certainly paid dividends so far and he now has a herculean win under his belt.

* Lead image courtesy WPT

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