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GGPoker Unveils WSOP Spring Circuit With $100M Guarantee; Overlay Edition Updates

The championship ring action returns for online poker players in March at GGPoker. The World Series of Poker Spring Circuit runs March 5-28 with 18 ring events, $100 million guaranteed, and plenty of other tournaments on the schedule as well.

The series “opens this year’s WSOP season at GGPoker,” the company notes in announcing the schedule. The Spring Circuit gives players around the world a chance at winning some hardware.

The $525 Main Event highlights the action with multiple starting flights and a $5 million guarantee. Day 2 starts on March 27.

“The WSOP Spring Circuit is back, and so is another $100 million GGPoker guarantee,” GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu said. “There are piles of cash prizes and WSOP gold rings to be snagged, and you can win your way in from just $1; take a seat and try to claim a ring!”

In other news, Day 2 was set to get started in the GGPoker Overlay Edition on Tuesday. The massive event has highlighted play on the site in recent weeks with players seeing a $10 million tournament guarantee. GG released official numbers from the event on Tuesday.

GGPoker WSOP Spring Circuit highlights

Players have several other big events to look forward to during the WSOP Spring Circuit. Players will find a wide range of tournament styles including bounty tournaments, six-max, giant stacks, and more. Most events feature No Limit Hold’em but a few Omaha events are also thrown in.

Beyond the Main Event, the $210 Secret Bounty should also bring in plenty of entries and gets started on March 5. The event features a $1 million guarantee and a $100,000 top bounty.

Players with smaller bankrolls can also get in on the mystery bounty action. The Big 25 Mystery Bounty comes with a $25 buy-in and also includes a $100,000 top bounty. Here’s a look at a couple other highlights.

  • $1,050 GGMasters Circuit Championship (Event 11) – March 19, $1 million guaranteed
  • $10,300 Super MILLION$ High Rollers (Event 12) – Day 2 set for March 20, $6 million guaranteed
  • $1,500 The Closer Bounty (Event 16) – March 26, $1 million guaranteed 

Satellites & extras planned for Spring Circuit

Players jumping in the circuit action have even more on the line. Ring event winners earn an invitation to the WSOP Tournament of Champions during the live series in Las Vegas this summer. The freeroll features a $1 million prize pool and is open to all bracelet and ring winners.

Along with that perk, winners receive a $1,500 entry in the WSOP Online Millionaire Maker event later this year. Those winning a ring also add a special GGPoker ring badge reward as well.

Winners also earn access to the GGPoker Platinum Lounge at the live WSOP. The Main Event winner also scores GGPoker “Team Champions” status. Numerous bargain-priced qualifiers are available throughout the Spring Circuit.

“There are piles of cash prizes and WSOP gold rings to be snagged, and you can win your way in from just $1,” Negreanu added.

Throughout the Spring Circuit and the month of March, GG is also running the $300,000 “GG x WSOP Giftbox.” The promotion rewards players with leaderboard prizes for participation in series events and other tournaments through March 31. Here’s a look at the complete ring schedule.

2023 GGPoker WSOP Spring Circuit

DateEventBuy-inGuarantee
March 5#2: $210 Secret Bounty NLH - $100K Top Bounty$210$1,000,000
March 6#1: BIG 500 NLH Spring Kick-Off [Final Day]$500$2,500,000
March 7#3: $800 Pot-Limit Omaha Spring Championship$800$500,000
March 9#4: $800 Bounty Hunters NLH Spring Championship$800$1,000,000
March 11#5: $320 Bounty GIANT No Limit Hold'em$320$500,000
March 12#6: $365 GIANT No Limit Hold'em$365$1,000,000
March 13#7: BIG 25 Mystery Bounty - $100K Top Bounty [Final Stage]$25$1,000,000
March 14#8: $800 Deepstack NLH Spring Championship$800$1,000,000
March 16#9: $320 March Mayhem Bounty 6-Max NLH$320$500,000
March 18#10: $525 MONSTER STACK Bounty NLH$525$500,000
March 19#11: $1,050 GGMasters NLH Circuit Championship$1,050$1,000,000
March 20#12: $10,300 Super MILLION$ High Rollers NLH [Day 2]$10,300$6,000,000
March 21#13: $800 6-Max NLH Championship$800$1,000,000
March 23#14: BIG 500 PLO Bounty$500$500,000
March 25#15: $108 DOUBLE STACK Bounty NLH$108$500,000
March 26#16: $1,500 The Closer Bounty No Limit Hold'em$1,500$1,000,000
March 27#17: WSOP Spring Circuit MAIN EVENT, $5M GTD [Day 2]$525$5,000,000
March 28#18: $400 Ultra Deepstack Turbo NLH [Series Saver]$400$500,000

Overlay Edition coming to a close

In other GGPoker news, the $150 Overlay Edition concludes this week. Day 3 begins Tuesday with the winner taking home $806,385. A player named “wrJke@” returns as chip leader with 27.5 million.

GG doubled the guarantee for this year’s event to $10 million, promising an automatic overlay of at least $1 million. The tournament’s final numbers saw 64,622 entries for an $8.9 million prize pool. That means $1.1 million added to the prize pool for the overlay.

The tournament will pay out to 6,383 players with $362 paid out for players scoring a min-cash. Stay tuned to PokerScout for tournament results.

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Triton Vietnam Features GGPoker Qualifiers, Live Super MILLION$; Overlay Edition Now Underway

After announcing a partnership with Triton Poker last year, GGPoker is now sending online qualifiers to the upcoming stop in Vietnam.

After announcing a partnership with Triton Poker last year, GGPoker is now sending online qualifiers to the high stakes series’ upcoming stop in Vietnam.

The series will see Average Joe online poker qualifiers taking a shot on one of poker’s biggest stages. These players will take on some of the best and well-heeled players in the world, adding a unique twist to the nosebleed stakes festival. The event also marks GG’s first live Super MILLION$ tournament. 

In other news, the Overlay Edition event is now underway, offering players a shot at a big payout for a small buy-in. The event features several days of starting flights and an eight-figure guarantee.

Previewing the Triton Vietnam series

The Triton Super High Roller Series Vietnam is set for March 1-13 at the Hoiana Resort. Players will find 13 events with buy-ins ranging from $$15,000 to $100,000.

Events feature No Limit Hold’em as well as Short Deck, and two championship events highlight the schedule. The $100,000 NLHE Main Event begins on March 8 with the $100,000 Short Deck Main Event set for March 12. The series also includes a $20,000 Mystery Bounty event on March 3 as well.  

Triton has become a popular series for poker fans to check out online. Organizers offer viewers a high-quality streaming production available on the Triton YouTube and Twitch channels.

As organizers told PokerScout in August, the company has also invested heavily in the Triton app. This allows poker fans to easily follow the action at home as well with updates, chip counts, and more. Here’s a look at the entire Vietnam schedule.

Triton Super High Roller Series Vietnam

DateEventBuy–inDay
March 1#1 GG SUPER MILLIONS LIVE$25,0001
March 2#1 GG SUPER MILLIONS LIVE$25,0002
March 2#2 NLHE – 7 HANDED$15,0001
March 3#2 NLHE – 7 HANDED$15,0002
March 3#3 NLHE – 8 HANDED MYSTERY BOUNTY$20,0001
March 4#3 NLHE – 8 HANDED MYSTERY BOUNTY$20,0002
March 4#5 NLHE – 7 HANDED$30,0001
March 5#5 NLHE – 7 HANDED$30,0002
March 5#6 NLHE – 8 HANDED$50,0001
March 6#6 NLHE – 8 HANDED$50,0002
March 6#7 NLHE – 8 HANDED$75,0001
March 7#7 NLHE – 8 HANDED$75,0002
March 7#8 NLHE – TURBO$25,000single
March 8#9 NLHE – MAIN EVENT$100,0001
March 9#9 NLHE – MAIN EVENT$100,0002
March 9#10 NLHE – TURBO$50,000single
March 10#9 NLHE – MAIN EVENT$100,000final table
March 10#11 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$25,0001
March 11#11 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$25,0002
March 11#12 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$50,0001
March 12#12 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$50,0002
March 12#13 SHORT DECK MAIN EVENT$100,0001
March 13#13 SHORT DECK MAIN EVENT$100,0002
March 13#15 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$20,0001

Triton online qualifying at GGPoker

Once again, GGPoker is a Triton title sponsor for the Vietnam stop. The site has run numerous satellites, allowing players to potentially score a hefty five-figure buy-in for a much lower price point.

Players can begin in a $25 Road to Triton qualifier, which then leads to a $250 satellite. Players advancing in those then move into $2,625 Road To Triton super satellites.

Those guarantee one live tournament seat for every $26,500 in the prize pool. These lucky players will then take a seat in Event 1: $25,000 GGPoker Super MILLION$ Live on March 1.

“As the event is a high roller tournament, there’s not massive numbers going but I would expect a dozen or so GGPoker players will qualify,” company head of media relations Paul Burke said.

This is the first of the new live GGPoker Super MILLION$ events as well. Players can earn points for the SuperRanking leaderboard, which GG announced in January.

The leaderboard combines live and online Super MILLION$ results. The top players at the end of the year is designated as a “SuperPro” and receives:

  • Super Platinum level designation in GGPoker’s Fish Buffet loyalty program. This entitles the player to the equivalent of 100% cashback at GGPoker and in all online and offline Super MILLION$ events.
  • A custom GGPoker SuperPro avatar.
  • Additional benefits revealed throughout the year.

The second- and third-place finishers also earn the same benefits (except for the SuperPro avatar).

Overlay Edition kicks off, $10 million guaranteed

Along with a chance to get in the Triton action at a small buy-in, GG is also offering the GGMasters Overlay Edition for players with smaller bankrolls. The event features a $150 buy-in and offers a $10 million guarantee, meaning plenty of bang for the buck.

The site is also offering numerous qualifiers starting at just $2. GG is promising at least $1 million of overlay no matter if the tournament meets the guarantee or not.

Starting flights began on Sunday with numerous opportunities to enter until Day 2 gets started on Feb. 27.

“We’re happy with the participation so far,” Burke said. “We are still confident there will be a big overlay, a minimum of $1 million to be added by either GGPoker or (site ambassador) Daniel Negreanu, depending on the final prize pool generated by players. There is still lots of time for players to take part though, so we won’t know numbers for sure until after the weekend.”

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POKER PODIUM: Nice Wins from Kenny Hallaert, Niklas Astedt; PCA, PSPC Events Wrap Up & More

Poker Podium once again takes a look at online and live poker winners from January including nce scores from Kenny Hallaert and Niklas Astedt.

The poker world was busy in January with many online events as well as players heading to some major live events. That included some major online series with Kenny Hallaert, Niklas Astedt, and others finding some nice wins.

GGPoker ambassador Jason Koon also received some welcome news in January, meaning keeping some big winnings from his heads-up battle with Phil Hellmuth. The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure also recently wrapped up with some huge winners.

Poker Podium once again takes a look at January winners from the online and live poker felts.

PokerStars

No doubt the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) was a major event for the site over the last month. Several players won big in the series in January and early February. That included Belarus’s Aliaksandr Shylko scoring the win in the $25,000 PokerStars Player Championship for $3.1 million.

The tournament included 400-plus Platinum Pass winners and attracted 1,014 entries for a $24.8 million prize pool.

The $10,000 PCA Main Event also wrapped up in January. That tournament saw Portugal’s Michel Dattani grab the top spot for $1.3 million. The event produced a field of 889 entries for an $8.6 million prize pool.

A few PokerStars online winners

In the online arena, Huber Sebastian celebrated his recent win in the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). The Stars ambassador and Twitch streamer scored a victory back in September, scoring more than $2,800 in the process. He was pleased with receiving his trophy.

Fellow ambassador Lex Veldhuis made a deep run in the New Year Series Main Event. That included knocking out fellow ambassador Ben “Spraggy” Spragg.

In the end, the tournament saw 5,362 entries with Switzerland’s “Scoops2022” scooping the title for $143,479. 

GGPoker

It’s been a huge run recently for GGPoker ambassador Jason Koon, with 2022 bringing plenty of wins and big finishes. A massive Triton Poker win for more than $1.9 million came his way in May.

In October, Koon added a Poker Masters title for $666,000. In December he also chalked up a win in the $50,000 PokerGO Tour Championship for $500,000.

If that weren’t enough, Koon walks away a winner from PokerGO’s High Stakes Duel. He scored $1.6 million after beating Phil Hellmuth in December. When no one stepped up to battle Koon, he was declared the winner of the series in January. He now has more than $42 million in live tournament winnings.

GG online winners

Numerous online players continue celebrating some GG tournament wins as well. That included streamer and YouTuber “Questje,” who also made his first online final table deal on the site.

Brazilian recreational player “Be Lima” turned a free qualifier ticket into a $1 tournament entry. He then took the top spot for a hearty return on investment.

https://twitter.com/robertapker/status/1618534984155017217?s=20&t=so-7QXHX7x3f-CPnZKxsxw

888poker

The XL Winter Series wrapped up at 888 in January and awarded more than $1.5 million. The result easily topped the $1 million overall guarantee and saw several players scoop some nice paydays. In total, the series produced 16,168 entries with most buy-ins ranging from $5.50 to $55.

In the international competition, players from Romania and Brazil came out on top with five wins each. German players scored four titles while Lithuanians snagged three.

The $250 Main Event highlighted the series and featured a $500,000 guarantee. The mystery bounty event also featured a top bounty of $50,000 and the tournament saw 2,059 entries.

In the end, “AMG_people” came back from one of the shorter stacks at the final table to secure the win. The Ukrainian player bagged $37,592 in prize money and bounties. Ukraine’s “alwaySsmilee” finished runner-up for $32,567.

The $2,100 Super High Roller was another highlight and guaranteed $100,000. The event saw 51 entries for a $102,000 prize pool.

Sweden’s Niklas “tutten7” Astedt found the winner’s circle for $37,740. No stranger to poker success, Astedt has $1.8 million in live tournament winnings as well as other major wins online. Canada’s “beebsterizer” took runner-up for $25,500.

A look at 888 Live winners

In other 888 news, the site recently headed to Mardrid for the latest 888poker Live series. Spain’s Adrian Garcia came out on top for a nice score of €92,000.

Russia’s Oleg Bystrenin took runner-up for €60,000. 888’s newest ambassador Lucia Navarro also shined. The poker YouTiuber scored fourth for €27,000 and was pleased overall with her play.

PartyPoker

The PartyPoker Championship Winter Edition took center stage at PartyPoker in January. The  $530 Main Event highlighted the series, attracting 1,089 entries.

The tournament easily topped the $500,000 guarantee, garnering a $544,500 prize pool. Ireland’s Rytis Strigunas claimed the win for $78,160 after a deal with runner-up Victor Oliveira Girao, of Brazil, who scored $72,827.

Henrique Miguel Santos Da Silva, of the United Kingdom, took down the $35 Mini Main Event for $20,284. Well-regarded pro Kenny Hallaert scored the win in the $215 PKO Championship for $24,937.

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Daniel Negreanu Guarantees $10M in $150 GGPoker Overlay Edition

GGPoker kicks off the third edition of the $150 GGMasters Overlay Edition on Feb. 19 with a guaranteed prize pool of $10 million.

GGPoker kicks off the third edition of the GGMasters Overlay Edition on Feb. 19 and the site is offering a guaranteed prize pool of $10 million. That doubles last year’s $5 million guarantee, offering plenty of value for a tournament priced at only $150.

Beyond that bang for the buck, as the name implies, the event features at least $1 million of guaranteed overlay as part of the prize pool. If the tournament reaches the guarantee, players can expect an extra million bucks added either way. GG ambassador Daniel Negreanu is making quite a promise of that.

“I promised last year that there would be a ton of value, but this year blows 2022 out of the water – we are doubling the guarantee to $10 million,” he said in a news release. “I’m so confident that this will miss that if I’m wrong and the prize pool reaches more than $9 million, I will personally use my own money to increase the final overlay to $1 million. That’s right – ‘DNegs’ is guaranteeing a $1 million overlay!”

Details on GGPoker Overlay Edition

The Overlay Edition is part of GG efforts to reach online poker players of all levels. Starting flights for the Overlay Edition start Feb. 19 with several leading up to Day 2 on Feb. 27.

Players also have opportunities to get in the action at a much lower price point as well. Satellites are already running daily, with buy-ins starting at just $2.

This allows players of all levels to take a shot at securing a seat and playing for massive prizes. The site is even running hourly freerolls for a shot at qualifying without spending any cash.

What is an overlay?

Ina  typical tournament, the overlay is what a casino adds to the prize pool should the event fall short of the guarantee. This is extra money put up to make sure the guarantee is met.

In essence, the Overlay Edition is promising an extra $1 million in the prize pool. The company is promising that “overlay” no matter if the tournament meets the guarantee of not.

“From Honeymoon Missions to daily leaderboards, GGPoker already gives back $10 million to our players every month,” GGPoker managing director Sarne Lightman said. “I am delighted to see this $1 million in overlay guarantee, and it’s yet another reason why every poker player should be playing at GGPoker. With a buy-in of only $150, this year’s $10 million GGMasters Overlay Edition is simply unmissable.”

Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

2023 GGPoker GGMasters Overlay Edition

DateEventBuy-inGuarantee
Feb 19GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1A, Asia]		$150$10,000,000
Feb 19GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1A, Europe]		$150$10,000,000
Feb 19GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1A, Americas]		$150$10,000,000
Feb 25GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1B]		$150$10,000,000
Feb 26GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1C, Asia]		$150$10,000,000
Feb 26GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1C, Europe]		$150$10,000,000
Feb 26GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1C, Americas]		$150$10,000,000
Feb 27GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1D]		$150$10,000,000
Feb 27GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1D, Last Chance]		$150$10,000,000
Feb 27GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 2]		$150$10,000,000

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Pays to Be Bad: Players Rack Up Some Major Jackpots at GGPoker

GGPoker platforms have chalked up more than $300,000 in bad beat jackpot payouts since just before the new year.

It’s been a few weeks of bad beat jackpots across GGPoker platforms. The online poker site has chalked up more than $300,000 in payouts since just before the new year.

A bad beat jackpot is awarded in cash games when a player lands a premium hand and still loses to an even bigger hand. For example, the recent payouts came as players actually lost hands with quads.

The player who loses the hand rakes in the largest share of the jackpot with the winning player also getting a big chunk. The other players at the table also receive a nice reward from the pool as well.

Several players were happy to have been at these tables over the last month.

Bad beat jackpot No.1: Massive payout on GGPoker/WSOP site in Canada

The first big bad beat payout came on Dec. 28 at WSOP.ca. The site that is a partnership with the World Series of Poker in Ontario, Canada. WSOP.ca features championship ring and bracelet events throughout the year and is exclusive to that Canadian province.

In an Omaha cash game in early January, a player named “Bafaym” flopped a royal flush. A second player named “timmy turnem” landed a set on the flop with his pocket Queens. The case Queen then fell on the river and brought about the $130,673 payout.

The winner of the hand collected $27,515 from the pool. The “loser” grabbed $84,853 and three other players at the table scored $6,788 each. The huge hand seemed to kickstart a few weeks of massive payouts on GG.

Bad beat Jackpot No.2: King Richard with Queens

Another batch of Omaha players cashed in again on Jan. 19 for another $94,924. During the hand, “Jakob Madsen” was in a great spot by flopping four Kings.

Another player named “richardtkr94” held Queens and landed a third on the flop. When that fourth Queen hit on the river, the bad beat jackpot was triggered.

That meant some hefty winnings for all players at the table. Richardtkr94 was rewarded with $65,016 while his opponent landed $19,913. The other two players at the table won $5,201 for just being at the table.

What had been a much smaller pot ballooned to a massive payout.

Bad beat Jackpot No. 3: Quads quiver on the river

As if those two payouts weren’t enough, another table cashed in on Jan. 22 when two players were heads-up with huge hands. A player named “Africabomb” held 9♠9♦ and found a third 9 on the flop.

An opponent named “Martin Neil” scored a flush and gutshot straight draw with his 10♣7♣. The 9♣ on the river gave Africabomb four of a kind. However, that also gave Martin a straight flush.

For the losing hand, GG shipped Africabomb a payout of $70,700. As the winner, Martin scored $22,897. The other three [ayers no doubt appreciated their share of $5,612 each for a total of $108,040 paid out.

Sometimes being in the right place at the right time really pays off.

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GGPoker Expands Super MILLION$ With New Rankings, Live Events, & Low Buy-in Online Qualifiers

GGPoker announced some additions to the Super MILLION$ tournaments on Monday as well as a new ranking system.

The mini MILLION$ is currently underway at GGPoker, and the site also announced some additions to its high stakes events as well on Monday. GG is making a range of improvements to the site’s Super MILLION$ tournaments.

The biggest addition is the launch of the “SuperRanking” leaderboard. These standings rank players purely on profit-and-loss results in all online and live Super MILLION$ events. The leaderboard displays the top 20 players.

“The player that finishes the year at the summit of the SuperRanking leaderboard will be crowned SuperPro and can legitimately be recognized as poker’s best player,” GG noted in announcing the additions.

Along with high-stakes online action, GG is promising live Super MILLION$ events this year as well. Players can also qualify online for as little as $10 for a shot at these mega-stakes tournaments.

What to expect from GGPoker Super MILLION$ additions

Players seeking some larger stakes will find plenty at GGPoker. The weekly $10,300 Super MILLION$ events attract amateur players and serious poker pros alike. The player finishing at the top of the rankings, aka the SuperPro, receives:

  • Super Platinum level designation in GGPoker’s Fish Buffet loyalty program. The winner receives the equivalent of 100% cashback at GGPoker and in all online and offline Super MILLION$ events.
  • A custom GGPoker SuperPro player avatar.
  • Additional benefits revealed throughout the year.

The players finishing in second and third place earn the same benefits, except for the special SuperPro avatar. Players must take part in at least five Super MILLION$ events per calendar year to be eligible for consideration.

Live events, online qualifying part of the Super MILLION$ action

Beyond the online tables, GG is also partnering with Triton Poker and other live operators for Super MILLION$ tournaments. The first live Super MILLION$ Live tournament is scheduled for March 1 during the Triton Super High Roller Series stop at the Hoiana Resort in Vietnam.

GG also introduced new ways to qualify for Super MILLION$ online events.

“The satellites will help ensure that almost all players, no matter their bankroll, will have an opportunity to win their way into online poker’s most prestigious tournaments,” GG notes.

First up is a massive Super MILLION$ 2023 satellite on Jan. 29 with a buy-in set at just $10. The event guarantees 10 tournament tickets, each valued at $10,300.

“This new edition of Super MILLION$ will really be exceptional, including a new SuperRanking format which will be based on pure win-loss, for the first time in poker history,” GGPoker ambassador Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier said.

“The winners will be recognized as the best poker players of our era, and crowned GGPoker’s first SuperPros. We’re also expanding live and bringing the Super MILLION$ experience worldwide to everyone. I can’t wait to see some new faces in the world’s greatest high roller games.”

A look at Super MILLION$ Week

Super MILLION$ Week recently concluded with the series highlighted by a $10 million guaranteed Main Event. The event easily topped the guarantee, awarding more than $11.5 million.

That is the biggest prize pool ever in a $10,000 online tournament. Since the series’ inception in June 2020, Super MILLION$ tournaments have awarded more than $300 million.

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GGPoker Teams Up With King’s to Operate in Czech Republic

GGPoker announced a partnership with a subsidiary of King’s Entertainment on Monday to launch in the Czech Republic.

Online poker players in the Czech Republic will soon have the option to play at GGPoker. The company announced a partnership with King’s slots sro (a subsidiary of King’s Entertainment, the parent company of King’s Casino) on Monday to launch in the country.

The county’s ministry of finance recently granted GG a license for the launch of GGPoker.cz in the near future. Czech Republic becomes just the latest expansion location for GG.

“I’m delighted to work with King’s slots sro to extend GGPoker access to Czech players,” GG head of Europe Marco Trucco said in a news release. “We will have a lot to offer the market in 2023 and beyond, including World Series of Poker satellites, massive tournaments, the most exciting cash games, exclusive promotions and more!”

What can Czech players expect with GGPoker

The news comes as GGPoker continues to expand around the world. The company topped PokerStars over the last year as the largest online poker platform. 

All Czech players will be part of GGPoker’s global player base. Many players praise the company’s poker software, regular tournaments, and major series. Czech players will now have access to all of these offerings. 

“We are excited for this announcement and the continued development of our partnership with GGPoker globally,” King’s Entertainment Leon Tsoukernik said. “As the leading casino and poker venue in Europe and home of WSOP Europe, it was only natural for both our companies to come together to introduce GGPoker to our local audience in Czech Republic.

“The timing of this launch is particularly significant as King’s Casino celebrates 20 years in the market and our business continues to grow from strength to strength.”

Busy new year for GGPoker

Beyond the news in the Czech Republic, it’s been a bustling month for GGPoker. The company recently announced the launch of the mini MILLION$ series with $10 million guaranteed.

The festival runs Jan. 15 – Feb. 6 with buy-ins ranging from $1 to $25. The $10.50 Mystery Bounty MILLION$ headlines the series with $1 million guaranteed. For a complete series preview, click here.

The online poker operator is also teaming up with the Dublin Poker Festival. The live tournament series runs Feb. 16-26 at the Bonnington Hotel in Dublin.

Players will find two major events to look forward to including the €570 European Deepstack Championship with a €200,000 guarantee. The series also hosts the €300 Amateur Championship of Poker runs with a €100,000 guarantee.

GG is offering players a chance to win a seat in both events. Online qualifiers are already underway. Click here for a complete preview of the series.

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POKER PUNCH BOWL: Negreanu’s Rap, Spraggy’s Downswing, Platinum Pass, & Bad Beat Jackpot

Poker Punch Bowl offers a look at the interesting, weird, fortuitous, and strange from the world of poker.

Welcome to the Poker Punch Bowl, offering a look at the interesting, weird, fortuitous, and strange from the world of poker. This inaugural column offers a look at some poker rap lyrics via artificial intelligence and Daniel Negreanu.

With the PokerStars Players Championship, another well-known online poker player also scored a Platinum Pass over the weekend. A Stars poker streamer also gave some insight on how tournament life can go bad.

All that as well as a huge bad beat jackpot that had several players thankful they chose to jump in the online poker action. Here’s some interesting news in the Poker Punch Bowl.

Daniel Negreanu impressed with AI poker rap

The new ChatGPT tool has been in the news quite a bit recently. Users are astounded by the capabilities of the app and how thorough the results can be. The artificial intelligence (AI) can produce written works, solve problems, hold a conversation, and more.

“We’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way,” research and deployment company OpenAI notes about the app. “The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer followup questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.”

Many have hailed the technology as revolutionary. Investors are eager to get on board and there are even rumors of a possible $10 billion investment from Microsoft.

Apparently there’s also some interest from poker players as well. Maybe some players are interested in how the technology could be used in a man-versus-technology matchup? Or what about as a training tool or to offer some hand analysis?

Those may be interesting considerations, but Daniel Negreanu recently had a more pressing concern. Could the chat app create some unique poker rhymes? The six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner was impressed with the results.

 

Facing the reality of a downswing

Ben “Spraggy”Spragg has almost $200,000 in live tournament winnings and much more online. The PokerStars ambassador  is known for his streaming and as well as being quite a soccer/football fan.

And despite a long career at the poker tables, Spragg recently took a look at that dreaded poker reality – the downswing. The new year apparently brought a tough run of cards for the Twitch streamer and YouTuber.

Dealing with a downswing is something most players can commiserate with. Even the best players experience some time in the red, no matter how well they might be playing.

“In the modern game, everyone knows the percentages and the correct plays,” 1999 WSOP Main Event champion once Dan Harrington noted. “What marks out the top players is how they handle themselves when they are losing.”

Spragg eventually bounced back, notching a 17th-place finish in the Irish Poker Open for $4,213. He also scored a nice online finish as well.

Vanessa Kade scores Platinum Pass

The PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) is right around the corner. The $25,000 event runs from Jan. 30 – Feb. 3 and the site continued dishing out Platinum Passes in January.

Canadian poker pro Vanessa Kade was one of the latest, receiving a pass out of the blue over the weekend. She was thrilled with her good fortune.

“I was just settling in to play my Sunday game and logged into Stars, and this is the first thing I see,” she said in a video posted on her Twitter account. “Thanks so much PokerStars.

“You guys have already given me three incredible life-changing experiences with the opportunity to win the Sunday Million, a trip to Barcelona, and an amazing trip to Brazil to see F1 (Formula One) and meet so many incredible people. I will happily join you in the Bahamas for yet another adventure, thank you so much.”

Kade has more than $1.1 million in live tournament winnings and plenty of major scores online. As she noted, the biggest of those may be winning the 15th anniversary of the Sunday Million in 2021 for $1.5 million.

“This is the best month of my life and it’s not even close,” she said after the win. “This is the best day of my life.”

No doubt Kade is now hoping for an even bigger run in the Bahamas.

GGPoker has players heading to Brazil

Brazil has become a key online poker market in recent years. Poker sites continue reaching out to players in the land of samba and sun, and GGPoker recently made an additional foray into the country.

The company has added its name to Brazil’s largest live poker series, rebranded the Kings Series of Poker by GGPoker. GG hasn’t embraced live poker as much as competitors so far, but continues partnering with other tournament series.

The first stop on the Kings tour is set for Feb. 8-14 in Rio de Janeiro. GG is already offering online qualifiers for a chance at a nice South American getaway.

An awesome Omaha bad beat jackpot

Speaking of GGPoker, the site partnered with the World Series of Poker in 2022 for an exclusive site for players in Ontario, Canada. WSOP.ca features championship ring and bracelet events throughout the year as well as plenty of other action.

The site was also recently home to a massive bad beat jackpot payout in an Omaha cash game. The hand saw a player named “Bafaym” flop a royal flush.

Another player named “timmy turnem” held pocket Queens and hit a set on the flop. The fourth Queen in the deck hit on the river and triggered the $130,673 payout.

The winner of the hand scored $27,515 with the “loser” collecting an extra $84,853. The three other players at the table collected $6,788. No doubt these cash game players were definitely saying “good game” at GG on this occasion.