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Malta Poker Festival Teams Up With PartyPoker, WPT, Luxon Pay; Online Qualifiers Continue

The Malta Poker Festival kicks off next week and players can qualify via PartyPoker for a complete tournament package.

The Malta Poker Festival kicks off next week and players can qualify via PartyPoker for a complete tournament package. The series runs Oct. 24-31 at the Portomaso Casino and is one of Europe’s premier low-stakes festivals.

Players will find a range of events with the €550 Grand Event running Oct. 26-31 with a €500,000 guarantee. The championship event offers players five starting flights.

Along with major tournament action, there is even more planned for the series. Luxon Pay serves as the official payment partner and has partnered with the World Poker Tour for a special bonus for the Grand Main Event winner.

The champion earns a WPT Prime tournament package for the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, which runs from Dec. 8-12. The prize includes a $1,100 buy-in for the $2 million guaranteed event.

“We are happy to welcome Luxon Pay to the Malta Poker Festival as official payment partner,” event director Ivonne Montealegre said in a news release. “Our well-established community, a magical location, and all the professionalism of a five-star poker experience at Casino Portomaso conjures a very special vibe.

“We are also happy to offer the Grand Event winner, powered by PartyPoker, the amazing opportunity to play the WPT Prime Championship event at Wynn Las Vegas.”

Malta Poker Festival highlights

Those heading to Malta, including PartyPoker online qualifiers, are in store for a nice poker experience. Along with the Grand Event, some other great tournaments await players.

That includes the €225 Hendon Mob Championship kicking off on Oct. 28. The €120 Amateur Poker Association and Tour Maltese Championship also begins on Oct. 29.

The €1,100 CasinoCoin Cup should also be a popular event, with Day 1 starting on Oct. 30. Along with the action on the poker table, several off-the-felt entertainment activities are also planned. That includes the All-In Friday player party at Club Level 22. Here’s a look at the complete tournament schedule.

Malta Poker Festival 2022 powered by PartyPoker

DateEventTournamentBuy-inChips
Oct. 24Opening Satellite to MPF Grand Event€55+5 ($54+5)15K
Oct. 25#1HORSE 5 Game Mix Powered by Cardplayer Lifestyle€200+30 ($197+30)25K
Oct. 25Satellite to MPF Grand Event€55+5 ($54+5)15K
Oct. 26MPF GRAND EVENT DAY 1A Powered by Party Poker : €500K GTD€500+50 ($493+49)50K
Oct. 26Satellite to MPF Grand Event€55+5 ($54+5)15K
Oct. 27MPF GRAND EVENT DAY 1B Powered by Party Poker : €500K GTD€500+50 ($493+49)50K
Oct. 27#3Bounty Hunter Days Malta€200+30 ($197+30)30K
Oct. 28MPF GRAND EVENT DAY 1C Powered by Party Poker : €500K GTD€500+50 ($493+49)50K
Oct. 28#4The Hendon Mob Championship Day1€200+25 ($197+25)30K
Oct. 29#4The Hendon Mob Championship Day2 and FT€200+25 ($197+25)30K
Oct. 29MPF GRAND EVENT DAY 1D Powered by Party Poker : €500K GTD€500+50 ($493+49)50K
Oct. 29#5Ladies First! Hosted by Katie Swift€90+10 ($89+10)20K
Oct. 29#6APAT Maltese Championship Day 1€100+20 ($99+20)100K
Oct. 29CasinoCoin Cup Satellite€130+20 ($128+20)20K
Oct. 29MPF GRAND EVENT DAY 1E TURBO Powered by Party Poker : €500K GTD€500+50 ($493+49)50K
Oct. 30MPF GRAND EVENT DAY 2 Powered by Party Poker : €500K GTD€500+50 ($493+49)50K
Oct. 30#6APAT Maltese Championship Day2 and FT€100+20 ($99+20)100K
Oct. 30CasinoCoin Cup Satellite Turbo€130+20 ($128+20)15K
Oct. 30#7CasinoCoin Cup Day 1€1,000+100 ($986+99)30K
Oct. 30#8PLO Knight Crusaders€180+20 ($178+20)30K
Oct. 31MPF GRAND EVENT Day 3 and Final Table : €500K GTD€500+50 ($493+49)50K
Oct. 31#7CasinoCoin Cup Day2 and FT€1,000+100 ($986+99)30K
Oct. 31#9Bounty Hunter Days Progressive Closer€100+20 ($99+20)20K
Oct. 31#10Win the Spooky CROSS Hosted by Ivonne Montealegre€130+20 ($128+20)20K

Qualifying online at PartyPoker

Players looking to win a seat online still have some opportunities at PartyPoker. Complete €2,000 VIP packages are up for grabs via satellites on the .EU platform. Tournament packages include:

  • five nights’ accommodation for two at the Hilton (Oct. 26-31)
  • €550 Grand Event buy-in
  • All-In Friday player party admission 
  • casino buffet meals during tournament play
  • VIP concierge service

 

Luxon Pay officials pleased to join the festival

Along with qualifying online, players can also buy into events via Luxon Pay. The company is also offering bubble insurance for players buying into any events. Players using Luxon Pay will get their buy-in back if they are eliminated on the bubble.

Company officials are glad to be joining the festivities in Malta and also teaming up with the WPT.

“We are pleased to be partnering with the Malta Poker Festival for the very first time as official payment partner,” Luxon Pay business development director Neil Barrett said.

“Ivonne Montealegre and her team, in conjunction with Portomaso Casino, put on a great event and we hope players take advantage of the bubble insurance on all events and the Luxon Pay simple and seamless buy-in experience. We are also delighted to partner with the WPT to offer the Main Event winner a very special bonus.” 

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Football Full House Kicks Off at PartyPoker With Free Prizes Up for Grabs, $5,000 to Weekly Winners

PartyPoker has launched the Football Full House promotion for online poker players with weekly prizes topped with $5,000 cash.

Football fans have a chance to win some free cash at PartyPoker this season. After the international break, the action on the field has returned and Party has launched the Football Full House promotion for online poker players with weekly prizes topped with $5,000 cash.

The contest is free to play for those in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and the segregated market in the Canadian province of Ontario. The promotion offers players some extra handicapping fun as the players on the pitch get the season started.

“I’m delighted for us to launch the brand’s very first free-to-play game on the sportsbook platform,” PartyPoker sports product marketing manager Myles Goodfellow said in a news release. “We’ve worked tirelessly since joining the team in May to get it live and we’re proud of the outcome we’ve achieved. Hopefully this is just the start of a potential series of Full House free-to-play games.” 

How to play PartyPoker’s Football Full House

Football Full House is a simple concept. Players predict the scores from a selection of five matches across a weekend. A maximum payout of $5,000 is up for grabs for players correctly guessing the score in all five matches.  

Players in Canada and the Ontario market will see the game option in the PartyPoker Sports and PartySports Ontario platforms.

Players even making one correct selection win a prize. That can include free casino spins, a $5 SPINS ticket, and free sports bets from $10 to $100. The more scores players get right, the more they win and prizes include:

  • 5 correct scores – $5,000 cash
  • 4 correct scores– $100 in free sports bets
  • 3 correct scores – $10 free sports bet
  • 2 correct scores – $5 poker SPINS ticket
  • 1 correct score – 5 free casino spins

* Prizes are also available in British pounds and euros.

More on the promotion

Football Full House kicks off a new round each Monday and is open until the first match begins on Saturday. Additionally, a player submitting predictions receives two personalized bets based on their selections.  

Players can edit their selections at any time up until the round closes.  On top of the chances to win every weekend, a monthly leaderboard offers an additional $1,000 prize.

Competitors can earn up to three points per match in each round. The player with the highest number of points overall each month wins the prize.

Players can also earn badges throughout the season. The more milestones reached, the more rewards earned. Those racking up five badges receive an extra bonus.  

The contest also gives players chances to win during the FIFA World Cup. Four rounds cover the group games and early knockout stages. 

“Football Full House represents a milestone in the Sportsbook’s development and offers our platform a unique and engaging free-to-play game ahead of the World Cup,” sports propositions and promotions manager Tim Anderson said. “This puts us right into the mix with some other products in our space, turning us into a true competitor for customers’ consideration this winter. 

“It is also testament to the Entain platform that we’ve been able to build and design a product we’re really proud of completely in house. The work now begins on making Football Full House even better for our customers, so keep your eyes peeled.” 

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MILLIONS Online KO Bringing Knockout Action to PartyPoker With $1 Million Main Event

The MILLIONS Online KO festival heads to PartyPoker Oct. 27 – Nov. 15  with plenty of PKO action and almost $3 million guaranteed.

Fresh off the MILLIONS Online wrapping up in September, PartyPoker is bringing more of the action to online poker players beginning in October. The MILLIONS Online KO festival runs from Oct. 27 – Nov. 15  with plenty of progressive knockout (PKO) action and almost $3 million guaranteed across the entire series.

The festival is a PKO edition of Party’s popular MILLIONS series and buy-ins range from $109 to $530. The action is highlighted by the $1,050 Main Event with a $1 million guarantee. Here’s a look at what to expect in the series.

What is a PKO?

PKO events have become a popular form of poker tournament over the last few years. They are a bit different than a traditional bounty tournament and come with some unique aspects.

When knocking out an opponent, a player only receives a portion of a player’s bounty. The other half is placed on the winning player’s head.

This format makes bounties increase throughout the tournament. The final winner usually has accumulated numerous bounties along the way. As bounties increase, players have some interesting decisions to make based on the total that could be won for eliminating an opponent.

The fun events are now found at numerous online poker sites and Party is again giving MILLIONS Online a PKO twist.

A look at the Main Event

The series offers a bit for every level of bankroll. Those looking to get in the Main Event will find seven starting flights. These feature players starting with one million chips and a 20-minute clock.

Each flight ends when only 15% of the field remains. Those players then progress to Day 2 and have already locked up at least a min-cash.

In June, 1,248 PartyPoker players bought into the MILLIONS Online KO Main Event. Brazil’s Felipe Boianovsky took the title for a total of $150,163 including bounties. The final table included Boris Angelov, Christopher Frank, and PartyPoker ambassador Patrick Leonard.

Other highlights from MILLIONS Online KO

Four other tournaments also stand out on the schedule. The $109 Mini Main Event comes with several starting flights and a $300,000 guaranteed prize pool. The $162 Opener offers $125,000 guaranteed with the final day of action playing out on Oct. 30.

Two major Weekender events are also a big part of the schedule. The $320 Seven-Max Weekender comes with $150,000 guaranteed. The traditional $215 Weekender brings players a $125,000 guarantee.

Numerous qualifying opportunities available

As in past series, the MILLIONS Online KO comes with plenty of opportunities to get in the action at a lower price point. Phased satellites return for a shot at a $1,050 Main Event seat.

 These qualifiers start at just $0.01 and are already underway. The “centrolls” award $1.10 feeder satellite tickets. Players can then progress into a $6.60 Phase 1 and from there into the $33 Phase 2.

Those advancing beyond Phase 2 grab a seat into the weekly final with at least 10 seats in the Main Event up for grabs. There is no direct buy-in for these weekly finals and the first is set for Oct. 9.

Along with those opportunities, special edition SPINS are returning as well. These $30 events pay out a mix of $60 cash or tournament tickets worth between $109 and $1,050. Here’s a look at the complete series.

MILLIONS Online KO October/November 2022

DateTournamentBuy-inGuaranteeFormatStarting stackSpeed
Oct. 27#01 Opener Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]1621250006-max1000000Slow
Oct. 27#02 7-Max Turbo: $20K Gtd215200007-max1000000Turbo
Oct. 28#03 8-Max: $15K Gtd109150008-max100000Regular
Oct. 28#01 Opener Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]1621250006-max1000000Slow
Oct. 28#04 6-Max Hyper: $10K Gtd109100006-max1000000Hyper
Oct. 29#05 7-Max: $25K Gtd215250007-max100000Regular
Oct. 29#01 Opener Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]1621250006-max1000000Slow
Oct. 29#06 7-Max Turbo: $15K Gtd109150007-max1000000Turbo
Oct. 30#07 8-Max Deepstack: $25K Gtd109250008-max150000Regular
Oct. 30#01 Opener Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]1621250006-max1000000Regular
Oct. 30#08 8-Max: $50K Gtd215500008-max100000Regular
Oct. 30#09 8-Max: $50K Gtd530500008-max100000Regular
Oct. 30#01 Opener Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]1621250006-max1000000Turbo
Oct. 30#01 Opener Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]1621250006-max1000000Hyper
Oct. 30#10 Main Event Day 1A: $1M Gtd [3-Day Event]105010000008-max1000000Slow
Oct. 30#11 Mini Main Event Day 1A: $300K Gtd [3-Day Event]1093000008-max1000000Slow
Oct. 30#01 Opener Day 2: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]1621250006-maxSlow
Oct. 30#12 8-Max Turbo: $25K Gtd320250008-max1000000Turbo
Oct. 31#13 8-Max: $25K Gtd215250008-max100000Regular
Oct. 31#14 6-Max: $40K Gtd320400006-max100000Regular
Oct. 31#15 7-Max Turbo: $15K Gtd109150007-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 1#16 7-Max: $25K Gtd162250007-max100000Regular
Nov. 1#17 6-Max: $40K Gtd109400006-max100000Regular
Nov. 1#18 6-Max Turbo: $20K Gtd215200006-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 2#19 8-Max: $20K Gtd109200008-max100000Regular
Nov. 2#20 8-Max: $40K Gtd215400008-max100000Regular
Nov. 2#21 7-Max Hyper: $15K Gtd162150007-max1000000Hyper
Nov. 3#22 7-Max: $30K Gtd320300007-max100000Regular
Nov. 3#10 Main Event Day 1B: $1M Gtd [3-Day Event]105010000008-max1000000Slow
Nov. 3#11 Mini Main Event Day 1B: $300K Gtd [3-Day Event]1093000008-max1000000Slow
Nov. 3#23 8-Max Turbo: $20K Gtd215200008-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 4#24 6-Max: $15K Gtd109150006-max100000Regular
Nov. 4#25 7-Max Weekender Day 1: $150K Gtd [2-Day Event]3201500007-max1000000Slow
Nov. 4#26 6-Max Turbo: $15K Gtd162150006-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 5#27 8-Max: $20K Gtd162200008-max100000Regular
Nov. 5#25 7-Max Weekender Day 1: $150K Gtd [2-Day Event]3201500007-max1000000Slow
Nov. 5#28 6-Max Hyper: $15K Gtd215150006-max1000000Hyper
Nov. 6#29 8-Max Deepstack: $25K Gtd109250008-max150000Regular
Nov. 6#25 7-Max Weekender Day 1: $150K Gtd [2-Day Event]3201500007-max1000000Regular
Nov. 6#30 8-Max: $50K Gtd215500008-max100000Regular
Nov. 6#31 8-Max: $50K Gtd530500008-max100000Regular
Nov. 6#25 7-Max Weekender Day 1: $150K Gtd [2-Day Event]3201500007-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 6#25 7-Max Weekender Day 1: $150K Gtd [2-Day Event]3201500007-max1000000Hyper
Nov. 6#10 Main Event Day 1C: $1M Gtd [3-Day Event]105010000008-max1000000Slow
Nov. 6#11 Mini Main Event Day 1C: $300K Gtd [3-Day Event]1093000008-max1000000Slow
Nov. 6#25 7-Max Weekender Day 2: $150K Gtd [2-Day Event]3201500007-maxSlow
Nov. 6#32 7-Max Turbo: $20K Gtd215200007-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 7#33 7-Max: $20K Gtd109200007-max100000Regular
Nov. 7#34 7-Max: $40K Gtd215400007-max100000Regular
Nov. 7#35 6-Max Turbo: $20K Gtd162200006-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 8#36 6-Max: $25K Gtd162250006-max100000Regular
Nov. 8#37 8-Max: $40K Gtd109400008-max100000Regular
Nov. 8#38 6-Max Hyper: $20K Gtd215200006-max1000000Hyper
Nov. 9#39 8-Max: $25K Gtd162250008-max100000Regular
Nov. 9#40 6-Max: $40K Gtd320400006-max100000Regular
Nov. 9#41 7-Max Turbo: $20K Gtd109200007-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 10#42 8-Max: $30K Gtd320300008-max100000Regular
Nov. 10#10 Main Event Day 1D: $1M Gtd [3-Day Event]105010000008-max1000000Slow
Nov. 10#11 Mini Main Event Day 1D: $300K Gtd [3-Day Event]1093000008-max1000000Slow
Nov. 10#43 6-Max Turbo: $20K Gtd215200006-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 11#44 6-Max: $20K Gtd162200006-max100000Regular
Nov. 11#45 Weekender Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]2151250008-max1000000Slow
Nov. 11#46 7-Max Hyper: $10K Gtd109100007-max1000000Hyper
Nov. 12#47 8-Max: $25K Gtd320250008-max100000Regular
Nov. 12#45 Weekender Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]2151250008-max1000000Slow
Nov. 12#48 6-Max Turbo: $15K Gtd162150006-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 13#49 8-Max Deepstack: $25K Gtd109250008-max150000Regular
Nov. 13#45 Weekender Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]2151250008-max1000000Regular
Nov. 13#50 8-Max: $40K Gtd162400008-max100000Regular
Nov. 13#51 8-Max: $50K Gtd530500008-max100000Regular
Nov. 13#45 Weekender Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]2151250008-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 13#45 Weekender Day 1: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]2151250008-max1000000Hyper
Nov. 13#10 Main Event Day 1E: $1M Gtd [3-Day Event]105010000008-max1000000Slow
Nov. 13#11 Mini Main Event Day 1E: $300K Gtd [3-Day Event]1093000008-max1000000Slow
Nov. 13#45 Weekender Day 2: $125K Gtd [2-Day Event]2151250008-maxSlow
Nov. 13#52 7-Max Turbo: $20K Gtd162200007-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 14#10 Main Event Day 1F: $1M Gtd [3-Day Event]105010000008-max1000000Regular
Nov. 14#11 Mini Main Event Day 1F: $300K Gtd [3-Day Event]1093000008-max1000000Regular
Nov. 14#10 Main Event Day 1 Turbo: $1M Gtd [3-Day Event]105010000008-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 14#11 Mini Main Event Day 1 Turbo: $300K Gtd [3-Day Event]1093000008-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 14#10 Main Event Day 2: $1M Gtd [3-Day Event]105010000008-maxSlow
Nov. 14#11 Mini Main Event Day 2: $300K Gtd [3-Day Event]1093000008-maxSlow
Nov. 14#53 8-Max Turbo: $25K Gtd320250008-max1000000Turbo
Nov. 15#10 Main Event Day 2: $1M Gtd [3-Day Event]105010000008-maxSlow
Nov. 15#11 Mini Main Event Day 2: $300K Gtd [3-Day Event]1093000008-maxSlow

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Poker Podium: Simon Mattson, Preben Stokkan Among Huge September Online Winners

September produced some massive winners in the international online poker market. Players saw some massive series and payouts on PokerStars, GGPoker, PartyPoker.

One major highlight included Simon Mattson taking down the World Series of Poker Online Main Event. Preben Stokkan also came up big, winning the PartyPoker Millions Online Main Event. Poker Podium takes a look at those winners as well as other action from September.

PartyPoker

The MILLIONS Online recently wrapped up at PartyPoker. In the $3,200 Main Event, Preben Stokkan (pictured in lead image, courtesy PartyPoker) found the winner’s circle for a payout of $391,731.

Originally from Norway and now living in the United Kingdom, Stokkan also earned a Party Ape NFT as part of the prize package. He took the chip lead into the final table and rode that to victory. 

Eelis Parssinen, of Finland, took runner-up for $270,213 with Austria’s Ole Schemion grabbing third for $186,168.

The win came only days after Stokkan also chalked up a victory in the $1,575 Closer PKO. That event brought in 253 players for a $379,500 prize pool. Stokkan added $73,423 for that win as well.


The $320 Min Main Event saw Franco Spitale, of Argentina, rise to the top for a payout of $100,480. Austria’s Leon Sturm finished runner-up for $68,227.

Two other players shined in the MILLIONS Online. Ricardo Arraiano, of Malta, won the Super 500 PKO for a total prize of $69,315. Emiliano Ricchini, of Argentina, won the Super 100 for a total of $31,765.

PokerStars

The World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) recently wrapped up at PokerStars, despite some hiccups. Stars has rescheduled main events and added some other tournaments for November after DDoS attacks led to some tournament cancellations.

The first running of WCOOP saw several big winners however. Well-regarded online player Renas Bruschi took the $5,000 Titans title for $173,239. Bruschi has more than $8 million in online winnings.

After two runner-up finishes in the series, Stars ambassador and Twitch streamer Patrick Leonard added a WCOOP ‘22 title by winning the $1,050 Six-Plus Hold’em event for $17,444. He also won events in this version of Short Deck in the 2021 WCOOP and in SCOOP earlier this year.

After the nice finish, Leonard then made a huge run in the $5,000 WSOP Online Main Event at GGPoker (more on that below) as well for a score of more than $91,000.

A look at other PokerStars winners

Winamax ambassador Joao Vieira also scored three WCOOP titles in the series. That included taking  down the $2,100 Deep Stack for $62,131. He also rose to the top in the $2,000 Deuce to Seven Triple Draw for an additional $32,230.

Women’s WCOOP event winner Charlotte Van Brabander. (photo courtesy PokerStars)

Brazil’s Rui Ferreira took runner-up in that Deep Stack event for $48,097 after already winning three events in the series as well.

Sweden’s Christian Jeppsson scored his third career WCOOP trophy in the $2,100 Thursday Thrill PKO for $115,695. He then added another win in the $1,000 NLHE freezeout for $47,880.

Ognjan Dimov was one of the series biggest winners, scoring three championships. That included winning the $5,200 High Roller for $160,277 and the $10,000 High Roller for $230,000.

In the first WCOOP Women’s World Championship, Belgium’s Charlotte Van Brabander (a former PokerStars ambassador) took the top spot for  $15,886. Current Stars ambassador Georgina “GJReggie” James also made a nice run, finishing seventh for $3,014.

GGPoker

Obviously much of September’s GG action focused on the WSOP Online. The series recently wrapped up and Simon Mattsson scored the biggest title of the series. He took down the $5,000 Main Event for a massive score of $2.8 million.

The WSOP Online wrapped up on Tuesday at GGPoker with Eric Mattsson winning the $5,000 Main Event for $2.8 million.
Main Event winner Simon Mattsson. (photo courtesy PokerStars/Danny Maxwell)

The championship easily topped the $20 million guarantee, bringin in 4,984 entries for a $23.7 million prize pool. That wasn’t Mattsson’s only win of the series. He also took down a $5,250 Bounty Hunters Super High Roller non-bracelet event for $23,293.

In total, the series’ 33 events produced a total prize pool of more than $66 million. Beyond the Main Event, the $1,500 Millionaire Maker saw the second-largest payout of the series. Markus Prinz scored that title for $1.2 million with the tournament attracting 4,706 entries for $6.7 million.

The $10,000 Super MILLION$ High Roller also produced hefty numbers with 593 entries for a $5.7 million prize pool. David Yan scored the win for almost $1 million.

888poker

A former WSOP Main Event champion scored a nice finish at 888 in September. Sweden’s Martin Jacobson, winner of the 2014 WSOP Main Event, came up just short of a title in the $109 Big Shot, which features a $100,000 guarantee.

The event brought in 909 total entries and Jacobson entered the final table as chip leader. However, the United Kingdom’s “Patsharpe” took the top spot for $15,480 with Jacobson as runner-up for $11,290.

In other news, 888 recently offered up some prizes for those who shared one of their best stories from the site. Numerous players submitted their memories including this winner from a recreational player.

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Partypoker Powers Up WPT Online Series With Robust Schedule, $3M Championship

The WPT Online is coming to partypoker and the site released the official schedule on Tuesday with plenty of action running May 14 to June 2.

The World Poker Tour is coming to partypoker and the site released the official schedule on Tuesday. The WPT Online Series runs May 14 to June 2 with plenty of action and tournaments for every bankroll.

The series once again promises players a shot at WPT glory. The $3,200 WPT Main Event highlights the series and is scheduled to kick off on May 23. The championship features a $3 million guarantee and concludes on June 2.

The WPT Main Event winner will have his or her name engraved on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup. The champion also receives a replica of the trophy and a Hublot watch.

“The inaugural WPT Online Series back in 2020 was the first purposely-designed WPT festival to be run fully online at partypoker and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to do this all over again,” partypoker’s head of poker room management Chris Donnachie said in a news release.

Some highlights from the partypoker WPT Online

WPT Online kicks off with plenty of excitement. Players have a chance to win a main event seat by beating Team partypoker pros in the $33 Pro Hunt.

The unique tournament runs on the first day of the series. Entrants can win main event satellite tickets by eliminating partypoker pros. Those expected to be in the field include:

  • Patrick Leonard
  • Mikita Bodyakovskiy
  • Kristen Bicknell
  • Jaime Staples
  • Joao Simao
  • Dzmitry Urbanovich
  • Joni Jouhkimainen
  • Louise Butler
  • Dayane Kotoviezy
  • Matt Staples
  • Monika Zukowicz
  • Courtney Gee
  • Jordan Banfield
  • Jeffrey Johnson (MaximusBlack)

The winner of the event earns a $3,200 Main Event seat and a trophy. Beyond that, players will also find numerous other events with buy-ins starting at just $10. The series features “micro” and “mini” versions of most tournaments.

Players will also find some nice value with two WPT500 events. The $530 WPT500 Knockout runs May 17-25 with nine starting flights and $1 million guarantee.

Another WPT500 runs May 24 to June 1 with the same guarantee, buy-in, and number of starting flights.

Fans of Pot Limit Omaha are also in luck with WPT Online. Several events in this format are part of the schedule. The $1,575 Omaha Knockout highlights those and runs May 16-18 with a guarantee of $250,000.

Qualifiers for all bankrolls

Partypoker again has included satellite events offering every level of player a shot to qualify for the main event. Players can attempt to qualify for just $0.01 with “centrolls” running daily.

Those events feed into a $3.30 Phase 1, followed by a $33 Phase 2, before the weekly Sunday final. There are also $320 mega satellites running on Day 1A (May 23) and 1B (May 30).

Mega satellites for the Mini Main Event are set for days 1A and 1B (May 15-16) with a $55 buy-in. Members of Team partypoker are ready to get in the WPT action.

“I can’t wait for the WPT Online Series to kick off this week,” Kristen Bicknell said. “To start with, you can have a go at knocking out us partypoker pros and some other guests in the WPT Pro Hunt, which should be a really fun event.

“After that, I’m particularly looking forward to the WPT Main Event, as I always feel it would be so special to take it down. partypoker and WPT as always have designed the schedule so everyone can get involved, particularly with the satellites, so I hope to see lots of you at the tables.”

Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

Partypoker WPT Online 2021

DateEventTournamentFormatBuy-InGuaranteeFeeDayTournament length
May 28#34Warm Up8-Max PKO$1,000$500,000$50Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 28#34Mini Warm Up8-Max PKO$100$250,000$9Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 28#34Micro Warm Up8-Max PKO$10$50,000$1Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 28#24WPT5008-Max$500-$30Day 1E[2-Day Event + FT Tuesday]
May 28#25Super508-Max$50-$5Day 1E[3-Day Event]
May 28#26Super58-Max$5-$0.50Day 1E[3-Day Event]
May 287-Max Turbo Knockout7-Max, PKO$200$30,000$15-[1-Day Event]
May 29#34Warm Up8-Max PKO$1,000-$50Day 1B[2-Day Event]
May 29#34Mini Warm Up8-Max PKO$100-$9Day 1B[2-Day Event]
May 29#34Micro Warm Up8-Max PKO$10-$1Day 1B[2-Day Event]
May 29#24WPT5008-Max$500-$30Day 1F[2-Day Event + FT Tuesday]
May 29#25Super508-Max$50-$5Day 1F[3-Day Event]
May 29#26Super58-Max$5-$0.50Day 1F[3-Day Event]
May 29Mix-Max TurboMix-Max$300$30,000$20-[1-Day Event]
May 30#34Warm Up7-Max PKO$1,000-$50Day 1C[2-Day Event]
May 30#34Mini Warm Up7-Max PKO$100-$9Day 1C[2-Day Event]
May 30#34Micro Warm Up7-Max PKO$10-$1Day 1C[2-Day Event]
May 30#24WPT5008-Max$500-$30Day 1G[2-Day Event + FT Tuesday]
May 30#25Super508-Max$50-$5Day 1G[3-Day Event]
May 30#26Super58-Max$5-$0.50Day 1G[3-Day Event]
May 30#35The Big Game8-Max$500$300,000$30-[1-Day Event]
May 30#35The Mini Big Game8-Max$50$150,000$5-[1-Day Event]
May 30#34Warm Up8-Max PKO---Final Day-
May 30#34Mini Warm Up8-Max PKO---Final Day-
May 30#34Micro Warm Up8-Max PKO---Final Day-
May 30#20Main Event8-Max$3,000-$200Day 1B[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
May 30#367-Max7-Max PKO$1,500$500,000$75Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 30#36Mini 7-Max7-Max PKO$150$200,000$12Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 30#36Micro 7-Max7-Max PKO$15$50,000$1.50Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 30#37Omaha Hi-Lo6-Max Hi-Lo PKO$1,500$250,000$75Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 30#37Mini Omaha Hi-Lo6-Max Hi-Lo PKO$150$50,000$12Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 30#37Micro Omaha Hi-Lo6-Max Hi-Lo PKO$15$20,000$1.50Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 30#38High Roller7-Max$10,000$1,000,000$300Day 1[2-Day Event]
May 30#24WPT5008-Max$500-$30Day 1H[2-Day Event + FT Tuesday]
May 30#25Super508-Max$50-$5Day 1H[3-Day Event]
May 30#26Super58-Max$5-$0.50Day 1H[3-Day Event]
May 30High Roller Turbo7-Max$5,000$250,000$200-[1-Day Event]
May 306-Max Hyper Knockout6-Max PKO$300$40,000$20-[1-Day Event]
May 31#24WPT5006-Max$500-$30Day 1 Turbo[2-Day Event + FT Tuesday]
May 31#25Super506-Max$50-$5Day 1 Turbo[3-Day Event]
May 31#26Super56-Max$5-$0.50Day 1 Turbo[3-Day Event]
May 31#20Main Event8-Max---Day 2[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
May 31#367-Max7-Max PKO$1,500-$75Day 1B[2-Day Event]
May 31#36Mini 7-Max7-Max PKO$150-$12Day 1B[2-Day Event]
May 31#36Micro 7-Max7-Max PKO$15-$1.50Day 1B[2-Day Event]
May 31#39Closer6-Max PKO$300$200,000$20Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 31#39Mini Closer6-Max PKO$30$50,000$3Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 31#39Micro Closer6-Max PKO$5$15,000$0.50Day 1A[2-Day Event]
May 31#37Omaha Hi-Lo6-Max Hi-Lo PKO$1,500-$75Day 1B[2-Day Event]
May 31#37Mini Omaha Hi-Lo6-Max Hi-Lo PKO$150-$12Day 1B[2-Day Event]
May 31#37Micro Omaha Hi-Lo6-Max Hi-Lo PKO$15-$1.50Day 1B[2-Day Event]
May 31#24WPT5008-Max---Day 2[2-Day Event + FT Tuesday]
May 31#25Super508-Max---Day 2[3-Day Event]
May 31#26Super58-Max---Day 2[3-Day Event]
May 317-Max7-Max$500$50,000$30-[1-Day Event]
June 1#20Main Event8-Max---Day 3[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
June 1#367-Max7-Max PKO---Day 2[2-Day Event]
June 1#36Mini 7-Max7-Max PKO---Day 2[2-Day Event]
June 1#36Micro 7-Max7-Max PKO---Day 2[2-Day Event]
June 1#37Omaha Hi-Lo6-Max Hi-Lo PKO---Day 2[2-Day Event]
June 1#37Mini Omaha Hi-Lo6-Max Hi-Lo PKO---Day 2[2-Day Event]
June 1#37Micro Omaha Hi-Lo6-Max Hi-Lo PKO---Day 2[2-Day Event]
June 1#408-Max8-Max$500$150,000$30-[1-Day Event]
June 1#40Mini 8-Max8-Max$50$50,000$5-[1-Day Event]
June 1#40Micro 8-Max8-Max$5$10,000$0.50-[1-Day Event]
June 1#41Omaha High Roller6-Max PLO$5,000$200,000$200-[1-Day Event]
June 1#41Mini Omaha Knockout6-Max PLO$500$50,000$30-[1-Day Event]
June 1#41Micro Omaha Knockout6-Max PLO$50$10,000$5.00-[1-Day Event]
June 1#42Super High Roller7-Max$25,000$1,000,000$500Day 1[2-Day Event]
June 1#39Closer6-Max PKO$300-$20Day 1B[2-Day Event]
June 1#39Mini Closer6-Max PKO$30-$3Day 1B[2-Day Event]
June 1#39Micro Closer6-Max PKO$5-$0.50Day 1B[2-Day Event]
June 1#24WPT5008-Max---Final Table-
June 1#25Super508-Max---Final Day-
June 1#26Super58-Max---Final Day-
June 1High Roller Turbo7-Max$5,000$250,000$200-[1-Day Event]
June 1Mix-Max Turbo KnockoutMix-Max PKO$200$30,000$15-[1-Day Event]
June 2#20Main Event8-Max---Final Table-
June 2#39Closer6-Max PKO---Final Day-
June 2#39Mini Closer6-Max PKO---Final Day-
June 2#39Micro Closer6-Max PKO---Final Day-
June 2#43Turbo Finale6-Max$500$75,000$30-[1-Day Event]
June 2#43Mini Turbo Finale6-Max$50$25,000$5-[1-Day Event]
June 2#43Micro Turbo Finale6-Max$5$10,000$0.50-[1-Day Event]
June 2Hyper Finale7-Max PKO$250$30,000$15-[1-Day Event]

* photo courtesy WPT

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Partypoker Continues War on Bots, Suspends 57 Accounts

Partypoker suspended 57 bot accounts in October.

Partypoker announced this week that it shut down 57 bot accounts in October as part of ongoing fraud detection efforts. The crackdown included the confiscation of $15,627 in account funds.

The site announced the October efforts by its online  poker fraud team in a news release. That included 50 fraudulent accounts on its two main partypoker url sites and seven on its European networks.

In detailing these latest moves, partypoker noted that suspending these accounts was part of the latest figures in its “ongoing war on fraudulent bot accounts.”

Partypoker battles bots, returns funds to players

A poker bot is a software program written to play against other players. The bots make use algorithms and mathematical formulas to play against human players.

Some bots are successful in siphoning away funds from other online poker players. Unscrupulous “players” may make use of several bots on differing platforms with hopes of regular profits. Bots usually violate a site’s terms of service.

As part of partypoker’s bot-busting efforts, the full amount seized in October was redistributed to all affected players.

“Partypoker encourages players to continue reporting all suspicious activity at its tables,” the site noted in a news release. “Partypoker promises to investigate all incidents reported.”

As with other poker sites, party invests in resources at safeguarding the safety of its players. That effort is spearheaded by a special poker fraud team made up of former poker pros.

This team investigates suspicious activity and aids in uncovering unscrupulous accounts. In the coming months, partypoker will continue updating players on the account closures made every month.

Part of a continued crackdown on bot usage

The latest moves by partypoker have been part of an industry wide effort to curb bots being used on online poker platforms. PokerStars and others have made attempts to rid sites of them.

With the prevalence of bots and artificial intelligence, Morgan Stanley even listed that as a reason to downgrade online poker stocks.

“This may be the first time that the investment world has taken a serious look at whether AI poses an existential risk to the business of online poker,” Online Poker Report noted in September. “It is, however, a problem that players and operators have worried about since the boom years.”

Some in the industry fear that the fear of bots and AI will deter players from getting in the online poker action. That could hamper efforts to grow the industry just as Pennsylvania has legalized online poker in the US.

Also in recent months, underground offshore sites have also revealed efforts to elimination of bots

PokerStars outlines security efforts in expanding into US

In August 2018, PokerStars gave a presentation to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as part of its efforts to launch in the state. The company touched on the issue of bots as part of its licensure efforts.

PokerStars noted that its protocols and safeguards are able to catch 89% of collusion efforts and 90% of bots. While these operators’ efforts may not be foolproof, they point to an industry trying to keep the game between humans.

More than 172 billion hands have been dealt on the PokerStars platform. The company outlined some of its security efforts and employs more than 240 security personnel at six offices around the world.

That personnel make use of proprietary fraud management systems to make sure the games are secure. The company employs another 65 employees to monitor for game integrity.

With money on the line, however, those efforts will need to continue. Player safety and security will be important caveats of growing the game beyond the four legal US states of New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

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Market Updates: Ontario Regulations Restrict Online Poker; Partypoker Pulls Out of Russia

WSOP.ca and GGPoker are hosting the WSOP Winter Circuit Ontario from Dec. 4 – Jan. 9 with $5 million guaranteed.

Canada has long been a card-playing hotspot and that goes for online poker as well. However, players in the province of Ontario may have received some unwelcome news recently.

In late January, provincial officials released a launch date for the Ontario private online poker market. The new rules, however, may leave players locked out of the international player pool.

Instead, players will find themselves in a “ringed-in” environment, similar to the state-by-state approach currently in the United States.

“On (Jan. 28), the province revealed the launch date for its new market, April 4,” Online Poker Report noted. “On that date, companies without an operating agreement will have to cease serving Ontario customers. Those that don’t comply will find themselves on the province’s black list.

“Those who do launch in the new market will have to comply with its regulations. Among these, Online Poker Report has learned, is the stipulation that Ontario poker sites cannot share traffic with other jurisdictions.”

 

A new playing field

Where the market is exactly headed remains an open question at this point. Until now, Ontario players could play in the open market on major sites like PokerStars and partypoker.

These sites would now have to re-enter the regulated market and provide a separate platform within the province. This would be a major departure from the historical online poker scene in the country and set it apart from other Canadian provinces.

“‘Sharing traffic’ is not allowed as pooled liquidity is not permitted in the Ontario regulated market,” a provincial gaming regulator told OPR.

Players in Quebec, British Columbia, and Manitoba have the option of official government-sanctioned sites. Those sites in Quebec and British Columbia already have a shared network and liquidity. Ontario could possibly join that at some point.

However, players in those other provinces also have the option of playing internationally in a gray market. Ontario players may not have that option.

Under the new regulations, poker platforms are disincentivized in Ontario under the plan. An operator that continues offering poker to Ontarians could be blackballed from ever offering legalized poker, sports betting, and other online gaming. That would curtail significant revenue generators in the province.

Players concerned about market changes 

Operators haven’t responded yet to the change in the Ontario market. The moves have left some players disappointed in how the process has played out.

Mike Millard, 33, live in Whitby, Ontario, just outside Toronto. He’s a part-time player who works in digital media strategy by day. However, Millard plays poker about 24 hours a week as a second job.

“I grind most of my schedule on partypoker, but fill the schedule with PokerStars and GGPoker tournaments sprinkled in,” he says.

For major series, Millard may even take the entire time off work. The new changes have him frustrated with where online poker is headed in his home province.

“To anyone – like me – who thought the new Ontario regulations were a good thing … this is absolutely brutal news for poker players based in Ontario,” he recently noted on Twitter.

“I’m really curious how successful this will be. With the ability to play on all major sites and anti-government sentiment regarding their involvement with live casino poker, I can’t see why anyone would play on an Ontario-only site.”

Another ringed-in market?

Ringed-in markets allow players only to compete against other players in the same jurisdiction. In other words, Ontario players would be limited to playing against others in that province only.

The potential player pool for these players would shrink from the global market to Ontario’s almost 14.6 million people. These types of “ringed-in” or “fenced-in” markets have limited success as seen in US states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

India and Italy also feature similar setups for players in those countries. Ontario’s population comes in just ahead of Pennsylvania’s 12.8 million in the US. The Keystone State is the US’s largest online poker market by comparison.

Another reason operators may want to comply is the potential to operate or continue doing business in the US. As more states expand online gaming, companies don’t want to be seen as operating illegally in other countries.

“US regulators tend not to look kindly on operators who serve black markets,” OPR notes. “Even if Ontario can’t directly force operators to comply, the threat of losing market access in the US will be sufficient in most cases.”

 

Partypoker exits Russia

In other news along these same lines as not serving black markets, partypoker also pulled out of Russia last week. Parent company Entain cited legal concerns for the move.

“It’s correct we are removing services from various locations due to regulatory issues,” party Twitch and community manager Colette Stewart noted on the site’s Discord server.

Russia is a large market that has seen considerable online poker growth recently. However, Entertain has worked to shift to regulated markets in recent years and left other markets as well.

PokerStars has made similar moves in some markets in recent years, but remains operating in Russia as of now. The company’s European Poker Tour also has a stop scheduled for Sochi from March 18-27.

888poker, GGPoker, and some other sites still operate in the country.

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FALL FUN: Grand Prix Autumn Edition Approaches at PartyPoker With $1.9 Million Guaranteed

The Grand Prix Autumn Edition heads to PartyPoker Oct. 6-24 with 11 PKO events with buy-ins from $11 to $320 and $1.9 million guaranteed.

Major tournament action continues at PartyPoker in October, with the Grand Prix Autumn Edition allowing players to rev their engines. The series runs Oct. 6-24 with 11 progressive knockout (PKO) events with buy-ins ranging from $11 to $320 and a total of $1.9 million guaranteed.

All tournaments feature No Limit Hold’em and the action also features plenty of satellite opportunities. The $109 Main Event comes with a $500,000 guarantee. Starting flights begin on Oct. 6 with Day 2 playing out on Oct. 24. Here’s a look at what players can find throughout the entire series.

Highlights from PartyPoker’s Grand Prix

The first day of action sees four Grand Prix events kick off. Along with the first starting flight of the Main Event, that includes the $33 NLHE PKO event with a $75,000 guarantee. Denmark’s Magnus Thomsen triumphed in the Grand Prix Summer Edition opener, outlasting 2,434 opponents for a $8,313 payday.

The $215 Six-Max Championship also begins on Oct. 6 with $200,000 guarantee. Players with lower bankrolls can also jump in the $22 Mini Six-Max Championship offering $75,000 guaranteed.

The $11 Mini Main Event also offers some nice bang for the buck for online poker players seeking lower price points. The tournament comes with a $100,000 guarantee and flights start on Oct. 8.

The $55 Super 50 kicks off two days later with $150,000 guaranteed. Two high rollers also highlight the schedule with guarantees of $250,000 and $200,000. Here’s a look at the entire schedule.

PartyPoker Grand Prix Autumn Edition 2022

DateEventBuy-inGuaranteeFormat
Oct. 6#01 Opener [2-Day Event]$33$75,0008-Max
Oct. 6#02 6-Max Championship [2-Day Event]$215$200,0006-Max
Oct. 6#03 Mini 6-Max Championship [2-Day Event]$22$75,0006-Max
Oct. 6#04 Main Event [2-Day Event]$109$500,0008-Max
Oct. 8#05 Mini Main Event [2-Day Event]$11$100,0008-Max
Oct. 8#06 7-Max High Roller [2-Day Event]$320$250,0007-Max
Oct. 10#07 Super 50 [2-Day Event]$55$150,0007-Max
Oct. 13#08 7-Max Championship [2-Day Event]$215$200,0007-Max
Oct. 13#09 Mini 7-Max Championship [2-Day Event]$22$75,0007-Max
Oct. 17#10 6-Max High Roller [2-Day Event]$320$200,0006-Max
Oct. 17#11 Closer [2-Day Event]$33$100,0006-Max

Satellites and qualifiers

Qualifying action has become a regular part of any Party series and that continues with the Grand Prix. The site again is offering satellite events for players of all bankrolls.

Satellites for each event are planned throughout the series. Once again qualifiers start at just one cent.

A look back at the summer Grand Prix

The Grand Prix Summer Edition saw 5,212 players for a total of $521,200 paid out, easily topping the prize pool guarantee. Players represented seven different countries at the Main Event final table with Brazilians taking the top two spots.

Lucas Ferreira Alves defeated countryman Igor Leao Versiani heads-up to score $49,693. Versiani snagged $31,621 for the runner-up finish.

PartyPoker officials are hoping for similar results from the autumn version of the festival. The Grand Prix has become a popular series appealing to a wide variety of players.

MILLIONS Online continues

Along with the Grand Prix, Party MILLIONS Online is also currently running on the site through Sept. 27. Site ambassador Patrick Leonard, of the United Kingdom, added his name to the list of MILLIONS champions.

He scored the title and $29,731 in the $1,050 Grand, which featured a $150,000 guarantee. The win added to a nice run for Leonard, who also won a bracelet this summer at the World Series of Poker.

Vojtech Skalak, of Czech Republic, was also another big winner in early action. He took the title in the $1,575 Opener PKO for a total of $71,466. The tournament saw 255 entries for a $382,500 prize pool.

In the $1,050 Seven-Max PKO Championship, Finland’s Sami Kelopuro topped a field of 495 to grab a payday of $78,653. For a complete preview of the series including a schedule, click here.

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