NJ Online Poker Treads Water Heading Into Two Big Tournament Series

NJ online poker

There is a lot of excitement in New Jersey these days. Unfortunately, it isn’t around online poker. Instead, all eyes are on legalized sports betting as the first big week of betting on football concludes.

A weekend full of games and mobile sports betting did nothing to help bolster the fledgling online poker market. The good news is it didn’t really hurt it either.

Consequently, the bottom line is online poker in New Jersey is just treading water.

Here are the key stories from the U.S. regulated poker scene since our last report published on Aug. 28 are:

  • The three major online poker networks are showing declining trends across the board
  • WSOP.com continues to show the sharpest declining trends post World Series of Poker
  • PokerStars NJ gave a few cash game players back to WSOP.com
  • partypoker NJ is holding steady and remains relatively flat across the three major metrics

Now, let’s take a look back at the cash game and tournament trends for the two-week period ending Sept. 9, 2018.

U.S. Regulated Online Poker Operators

The major U.S. poker operators are:

Operator Network Provider Other Sites in the Network
WSOP.com 888 888poker
PokerStarsNJ PokerStars None
partypokerNJ partypoker Borgata Poker and PlayMGM-NJ

Pala Poker also operates in New Jersey on its own network. We do not include Pala Poker in this report because the traffic volume is low and doesn’t affect the latest US online poker trends.

Major online poker tournaments summary

The poker tournament schedule was void of any major tournament series over the past two weeks, and it shows. Not even Sunday football was successful in attracting players to the virtual felt.

With the launch of New Jersey mobile sports betting, there was hope that players would fire up their poker client while rooting on their favorite team. The hope was short-lived.

Each online poker site held their regular scheduled Sunday Major tournaments, with one exception. WSOP.com lowered its Sunday $100,000 guarantee to $75,000 over the Labor Day holiday.

It was surprising to see WSOP.com lower its guarantee. It has, after all, handily met its guarantee all but once since the launch of shared liquidity.

WSOP.com, thanks to the lower guarantee, generated prize pools well north of the posted guarantee. PokerStars NJ and partypoker NJ, however, posted overlays for each of their major Sunday tournaments.

The tournament scene is likely to get a boost with two upcoming tournament series on the docket.

From Sept. 18 through Sept. 30, WSOP.com will offer the first WSOP.com Online Circuit event. The series boasts over $700,000 in guarantees and will award 13 rings over the 13 days of play.

WSOP.com combines the player pools between Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey. This Online Circuit series stands to impact New Jersey online poker more than most.

Right on the heels of the WSOP.com Online Circuit event, PokerStars NJ is bringing NJCOOP back to the Garden State. The popular tournament series will run from Sept. 29 through Oct. 15 and guarantee over $1 million in prizes. The 47-event series will also be giving away three Platinum Passes.

There is a lot of excitement around the inaugural online circuit event and the return of NJCOOP to New Jersey’s online poker rooms. Let’s hope that enthusiasm translates to some large prize pools.

Sunday major online tournaments by the numbers

Information for the tournaments held on Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018

Tournament Entries Guarantee Prize Pool Difference
WSOP $320 Sunday Weekly $175,000 NLH 213 $75,000 $92,100 $17,100
PokerStarsNJ $200 Sunday Special, $35,000 Guaranteed 146 $35,000 $27,156 -$7,844
partypokerNJ $215 Sunday $35,000 Guaranteed NLH 150 $35,000 $30,000 -$5,000

Information for the tournaments held on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018

Tournament Entries Guarantee Prize Pool Difference
WSOP $320 Sunday Weekly $100,000 NLH 247 $100,000 $113,100 $13,100
PokerStarsNJ $200 Sunday Special, $35,000 Guaranteed 181 $35,000 $33,666 -$1,334
partypokerNJ $215 Sunday $35,000 Guaranteed NLH 168 $35,000 $33,600 -$1,400

Average cash game and peak traffic summary

Much like the tournament report, the cash game numbers are relatively unexciting. That is actually not entirely bad news.

For the past month, we’ve seen an exodus of poker players in the online poker market. For the past few weeks at least, all three operators are holding relatively steady.

WSOP.com gained some cash game players while PokerStars NJ lost a few, but overall there were not any big shifts like we saw a month ago. The loss of players post WSOP is still affecting WSOP.com’s sharply declining trend line. Expect that to begin to flatten out over the coming weeks.

Peak traffic numbers, with the exception of some good days, seem to be on a constant decline. When you think about it, it’s a pretty interesting number to track.

If a more significant number of players on a site at one time has the power to attract more players, then this number tells a pretty grim story. Most poker players prefer to play when the most games were running. Knowing that, the peak traffic number should continue to climb, or at the very least hold steady. Instead, it continues to decline.

It will be interesting to see how a month of big tournaments will impact the cash game and peak traffic numbers.

Factors that will impact U.S. regulated online poker in the coming weeks

Obviously, the most significant factor to impact New Jersey online poker is the two upcoming New Jersey online poker tournaments. Both series are sweetening the pot enough to entice serious poker players in the region to set up shop in the Garden State for a while.

The excitement around sports betting is another area that may impact poker. New Jersey is now home to seven sportsbooks. Avid sports bettors (which describes many poker players) may choose to spend their evenings and weekends at their favorite sportsbook. Of course, that may result in taking players away from the virtual felt.

Pennsylvania, which many hope will launch online gaming soon is taking its sweet time in doing so. While we continue to keep an eye on the state’s progress, don’t expect any movement in the near future.

We will keep our eyes on the New Jersey poker scene, and the complete U.S. regulated online poker landscape and report back here on Sept. 25.

Bracelet Hunting Action Cranks Back Up With WSOP Online at GGPoker, WSOP.com

GGPoker is launching the WSOP Online in Ontario, Canada, and also partnering with Dusk Till Dawn for the UK Poker Championships.

Less than a month after events wrapped up at the World Series of Poker, the bracelet action returns for online poker players at GGPoker and WSOP.com.

The action runs at WSOP.com in the United States  and GGPoker for all international territories. This marks the third year of WSOP Online, which features plenty of side events at GG along with gold bracelet tournaments. The action runs at GGPoker from Aug. 14 – Sept. 27 and at WSOP.com from Sept. 10 – Oct. 18.

At GG, the $5,000 World Championship, also known as the WSOP Online Main Event, highlights the series. The championship event comes with a $20 million guarantee and features numerous Day 1 stages with Day 2 playing out Sept. 26.

“No one wanted to see this year’s WSOP come to an end,” WSOP Senior Vice President and executive director Ty Stewart said in a news release.

“However, in many ways, the return of WSOP Online is even more exciting. Together with GGPoker, we have a clear vision to make this festival annually the biggest deal in online poker so that the WSOP offers players the marquee event in both live and online poker each year.”

What to expect from WSOP Online at GGPoker

GGPoker will offer 33 bracelet events with buy-ins ranging from $100 to $10,000. The $500 Housewarming helps kick off the series on Aug. 15 with $2 million guaranteed. A Ukraine war charity event, the $1,111 Every 1 For War Relief, also helps get the action started on Aug. 14.

Another highlight is the $210 Million Dollar Mystery Bounty, featuring multiple starting flights and a  $10 million guarantee. As the name implies, players will find a $1 million top bounty prize with the second day beginning Aug. 22.

The $1,500 Millionaire Maker offers players $5 million guaranteed and $1 million for the winner. The final day of action is set for Aug. 29. Here’s a look at some other events that stand out on the schedule:

  • $10,000 Heads-up Championship – Aug. 27 (capped at 128 players)  
  • $10,000 Super MILLION$ High Roller, $5 million guaranteed – Aug. 28
  • $100 FLIP & Go, $1 million guaranteed – Sept. 5 (Go Stage)
  • $1,050 GGMasters High Roller Freezeout, $2 million guaranteed – Sept. 11
  • $400 Colossus, $3 million guaranteed – Sept. 19 (final day)

“Online bracelets are just as prestigious as live tournament bracelets,” GGPoker ambassador and six-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu said. “I’m glad that we’re creating a new tradition to celebrate the online game, and I’m striving to add my first WSOP Online bracelet to my collection.”

GG plans numerous online satellites for all WSOP Online international bracelet events. This allows players of all bankrolls to win a tournament seat. Here’s a look at the entire bracelet schedule.

WSOP Online 2022 – GGPoker

DateEventBuy-inGuarantee
Aug 22#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Day 2]$210$10,000,000
Aug 25#9: $525 Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha$525-
Aug 27#10: $10,000 Heads Up NLH Championship [No Late Reg, 128 Cap]$10,000-
Aug 28#11: $400 DOUBLE STACK Bounty No-Limit Hold'em$400-
Aug 28#12: $10,000 Super MILLION$ High Roller NLH$10,000$5,000,000
Aug 29#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Final Day]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 30#14: $2,500 Deepstack Championship NLH$2,500-
Sep 1#15: $777 LUCKY SEVENS Bounty 7-Handed NLH$777-
Sep 3#16: $1,000 Ultra Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em$1,000-
Sep 4#17: THE BIG 500 No-Limit Hold'em$500-
Sep 5#18: $100 FLIP & GO No-Limit Hold'em [Go Stage]$100$1,000,000
Sep 6#19: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship$5,000-
Sep 8#20: $888 CRAZY EIGHTS Bounty 8-Handed NLH$888-
Sep 10#21: $500 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship$500-
Sep 11#22: $1,050 WSOP GGMasters HR Freezeout NLH$1,050$2,000,000
Sep 12#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Final Stage]$400$1,000,000
Sep 13#24: $2,100 Bounty NLH Championship$2,100-
Sep 15#25: $315 Superstack Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold'em$315-
Sep 17#26: $600 DOUBLE CHANCE NLH [2-Stack]$600-
Sep 18#27: $1,500 FIFTY STACK Bounty No-Limit Hold'em$1,500-
Sep 19#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Final Day]$400$3,000,000
Sep 20#29: $5,000 Short Deck Championship [3-Stack]$5,000-
Sep 22#30: $840 6-Handed Bounty No-Limit Hold'em$840-
Sep 24#31: $1,050 Beat the Pros Bounty Freezeout$1,050-
Sep 25#32: $400 The Closer NLH [Series Saver]$400-
Sep 26#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Day 2]$5,000$20,000,000

Here’s a look at the complete schedule at GGPoker including non-bracelet side events.

WSOP Online 2022 Bracelet & Side Events– GGPoker

DateEventBuy-inGuarantee
Aug 8#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 8#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 8#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 8#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1A]$500$2,022,000
Aug 8#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 8#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 9#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 9#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 9#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 9#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 9#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1B]$500$2,022,000
Aug 9#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 9#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 9#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1C]$500$2,022,000
Aug 9#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 9#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 10#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 10#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 10#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 10#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 10#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1D]$500$2,022,000
Aug 10#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 10#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 10#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1E]$500$2,022,000
Aug 10#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 10#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 11#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 11#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 11#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 11#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 11#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1F]$500$2,022,000
Aug 11#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 11#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 11#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1G]$500$2,022,000
Aug 11#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 11#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 12#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 12#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 12#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 12#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 12#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1H]$500$2,022,000
Aug 12#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 12#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 12#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1I]$500$2,022,000
Aug 12#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 12#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 13#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 13#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 13#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 13#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 13#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1J]$500$2,022,000
Aug 13#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 13#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 13#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1K]$500$2,022,000
Aug 13#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 13#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 14#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 14#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 14#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 14#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 14#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1L]$500$2,022,000
Aug 14#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 14#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 14#2: $1,111 Every 1 for War Relief$1,111-
Aug 14#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1M]$500$2,022,000
Aug 14#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 14#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 15#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 15#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 15#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 15#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 15#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Day 1N]$500$2,022,000
Aug 15#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 15#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Last Chance]$500$2,022,000
Aug 15#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 15#1: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em [Final Day]$500$2,022,000
Aug 15#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 15#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 16#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 16#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 16#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 16#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 16#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 16#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 16#3: $2,500 Limit Hold'em Championship$2,500-
Aug 16#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 16#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 17#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 17#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 17#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 17#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 17#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 17#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 17#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 17#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 18#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 18#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 18#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 18#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 18#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 18#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 18#4: $1,050 Bounty Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em$1,050-
Aug 18#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 18#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 19#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 19#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 19#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 19#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 19#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 19#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 19#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 19#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 20#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 20#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 20#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 20#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 20#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 20#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 20#5: $315 6-Handed Bounty No-Limit Hold'em$315-
Aug 20#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 20#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 21#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 21#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 21#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 21#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 21#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 21#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 21#6: $800 MONSTER STACK No-Limit Hold'em$800-
Aug 21#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 21#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 22#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 22#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 22#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 22#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 22#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Stage 1]$210$10,000,000
Aug 22#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Last Chance]$210$10,000,000
Aug 22#7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty - $1M Top Bounty Prize [Day 2]$210$10,000,000
Aug 22#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1A]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 23#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1B]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 23#8: $5,000 6-Handed NLH Championship$5,000-
Aug 23#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1C]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 24#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1D]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 24#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1E]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 25#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1F]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 25#9: $525 Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha$525-
Aug 25#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1G]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 26#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1H]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 26#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1I]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 27#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1J]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 27#10: $10,000 Heads Up NLH Championship [No Late Reg, 128 Cap]$10,000-
Aug 27#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1K]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 28#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1L]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 28#11: $400 DOUBLE STACK Bounty No-Limit Hold'em$400-
Aug 28#12: $10,000 Super MILLION$ High Roller NLH$10,000$5,000,000
Aug 28#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1M]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 28#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Day 1A]$5,000$20,000,000
Aug 29#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Day 1N]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 29#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Last Chance]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 29#13: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Final Day]$1,500$5,000,000
Aug 30#14: $2,500 Deepstack Championship NLH$2,500-
Sep 1#15: $777 LUCKY SEVENS Bounty 7-Handed NLH$777-
Sep 3#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1A]$400$1,000,000
Sep 3#16: $1,000 Ultra Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em$1,000-
Sep 3#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1B]$400$1,000,000
Sep 4#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1C]$400$1,000,000
Sep 4#17: THE BIG 500 No-Limit Hold'em$500-
Sep 4#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1D]$400$1,000,000
Sep 4#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Day 1B]$5,000$20,000,000
Sep 5#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1E]$400$1,000,000
Sep 5#18: $100 FLIP & GO No-Limit Hold'em [Go Stage]$100$1,000,000
Sep 5#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1F]$400$1,000,000
Sep 6#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1G]$400$1,000,000
Sep 6#19: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship$5,000-
Sep 6#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1H]$400$1,000,000
Sep 7#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1I]$400$1,000,000
Sep 7#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1J]$400$1,000,000
Sep 8#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1K]$400$1,000,000
Sep 8#20: $888 CRAZY EIGHTS Bounty 8-Handed NLH$888-
Sep 8#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1L]$400$1,000,000
Sep 9#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1M]$400$1,000,000
Sep 9#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1N]$400$1,000,000
Sep 10#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1O]$400$1,000,000
Sep 10#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1A]$400$3,000,000
Sep 10#21: $500 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship$500-
Sep 10#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1P]$400$1,000,000
Sep 10#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1B]$400$3,000,000
Sep 11#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1Q]$400$1,000,000
Sep 11#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1C]$400$3,000,000
Sep 11#22: $1,050 WSOP GGMasters HR Freezeout NLH$1,050$2,000,000
Sep 11#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1R]$400$1,000,000
Sep 11#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1D]$400$3,000,000
Sep 11#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Day 1C]$5,000$20,000,000
Sep 12#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Stage 1S]$400$1,000,000
Sep 12#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1E]$400$3,000,000
Sep 12#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Last Chance]$400$1,000,000
Sep 12#23: $400 PLOSSUS [Bounty, Final Stage]$400$1,000,000
Sep 12#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1F]$400$3,000,000
Sep 13#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1G]$400$3,000,000
Sep 13#24: $2,100 Bounty NLH Championship$2,100-
Sep 13#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1H]$400$3,000,000
Sep 14#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1I]$400$3,000,000
Sep 14#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1J]$400$3,000,000
Sep 15#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1K]$400$3,000,000
Sep 15#25: $315 Superstack Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold'em$315-
Sep 15#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1L]$400$3,000,000
Sep 16#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1M]$400$3,000,000
Sep 16#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1N]$400$3,000,000
Sep 17#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1O]$400$3,000,000
Sep 17#26: $600 DOUBLE CHANCE NLH [2-Stack]$600-
Sep 17#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1P]$400$3,000,000
Sep 18#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1Q]$400$3,000,000
Sep 18#27: $1,500 FIFTY STACK Bounty No-Limit Hold'em$1,500-
Sep 18#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1R]$400$3,000,000
Sep 18#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Day 1D]$5,000$20,000,000
Sep 19#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 1S]$400$3,000,000
Sep 19#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Last Chance]$400$3,000,000
Sep 19#28: $400 COLOSSUS [Final Day]$400$3,000,000
Sep 20#29: $5,000 Short Deck Championship [3-Stack]$5,000-
Sep 20#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Day 1E]$5,000$20,000,000
Sep 22#30: $840 6-Handed Bounty No-Limit Hold'em$840-
Sep 22#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Day 1F]$5,000$20,000,000
Sep 24#31: $1,050 Beat the Pros Bounty Freezeout$1,050-
Sep 24#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Day 1G]$5,000$20,000,000
Sep 25#32: $400 The Closer NLH [Series Saver]$400-
Sep 25#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Day 1H]$5,000$20,000,000
Sep 26#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Last Chance]$5,000$20,000,000
Sep 26#33: $5,000 WSOP Online MAIN EVENT [Day 2]$5,000$20,000,000

Real names and streaming the action

The WSOP Online tries to mimic the feel of the live series. That will include the use of real names at official bracelet final tables. Players will also not be allowed to make deals at the final table.

Poker fans around the world can check out some of the action as well. GG will stream the Million Dollar Mystery Bounty final table on Aug. 27. GG ambassador Jeff Gross and Ali Nejad will call the action in that event along with the Main Event on Sept. 27.

Leaderboard opportunities

Beyond the deep tournament schedule, players have even more opportunities to win with GG’s daily leaderboard. The site is awarding $22,000 in gift boxes full of tournament tickets each day.

The promotion awards 1,500 players daily. Here’s a look at the total in the gift boxes that players can win:

  • 1st to 100th – $100
  • 101st to 440th – $20
  • 441st to 1,500th – $5 

WSOP.com online bracelet action

Players in the US also have a chance to score an online bracelet. WSOP.com is available to players in the following states:

The 2020 and 2021 versions of WSOP Online created prize pools of more than $25 million in the combined markets of Nevada or New Jersey. Players will find 33 bracelet events in Nevada/New Jersey.

This year’s festivities also expand to Michigan and Pennsylvania for the first time. Those ringed-in markets will feature a total of bracelet tournaments each during the series.

Buy-ins range from $365 to $10,000 with the $1,000 Online Championship set for Oct. 16. Another nice event is the $500 Monster Stack, running in all markets on Sept. 11.

The $500 Big 500 event is also scheduled in all markets on Oct. 9. Here’s a look at some other highlights.

  • $400 PLOSSUS Six-Max – Sept. 24 (NV/NJ only)
  • $365 NLHE Turbo Deepstack – Sept. 29 (NV/NJ only) 
  • $777 Lucky 7’s – Oct. 2 (NV/NJ, PA, MI)
  • $1,500 No Limit Hold’em – Tuesday, October 4 (NV/NJ only)
  • $10,000 Super High Roller with Single Re-entry – Oct. 18 (NV/NJ only) 

The series is scheduled “adjacent to a series of notable live tournaments in Las Vegas this fall,” the WSOP notes. That includes series at Venetian, Aria, and the World Poker Tour’s Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Wynn.

A WSOP Circuit event is also scheduled in October at ​​Harvey’s Lake Tahoe. More Las Vegas tournament action may be in the works as well. This means more players have the opportunity to play in the WSOP Online while in Nevada.

Daily satellites for all WSOP Online 2022 bracelet events will be available on WSOP.com. Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

 WSOP Online 2022 – WSOP.com

DateEventBuy-in
Sept. 10#1: Series Kick-Off (NV/NJ)$400
Sept. 11#2: MonsterStack (NV/NJ)$500
Sept. 11#3: High Roller (NV/NJ)$3,200
Sept. 11#1: Monster Stack (PA)$500
Sept. 11#1: Monster Stack (MI)$500
Sept. 13#4: PLO 6-Max (NV/NJ)$1,000
Sept. 15#5: Turbo Deepstack (NV/NJ)$500
Sept. 17#6: Ultra Deepstack (NV/NJ)$800
Sept. 18#7: NLHE (NV/NJ)$365
Sept. 18#8: NLHE 6-Max (NV/NJ)$1,000
Sept. 18#2: NLHE (MI)$365
Sept. 18#2: NLHE (PA)$365
Sept. 20#9: Deepstack Championship (NV/NJ)$600
Sept. 22#10: NLHE (NV/NJ)$2,500
Sept. 24#11: PLO 6-Max (NV/NJ)$400
Sept. 25#12: Ultra Deepstack (NV/NJ)$400
Sept. 25#13: NLHE (NV/NJ)$1,000
Sept. 25#3: Ultra Deepstack PKO (PA)$400
Sept. 25#3: Ultra Deepstack PKO (MI)$400
Sept. 27#14: NLHE 6-Max (NV/NJ)$500
Sept. 29#15: Turbo Deepstack (NV/NJ)$365
Octt. 1s#16: Deepstack (NV/NJ)$500
Octt. 2n#17: Lucky 7s (NV/NJ)$777
Octt. 2n#18: Turbo Deepstack (NV/NJ)$1,000
Octt. 2n#4: Lucky 7s (MI)$777
Octt. 2n#4: Lucky 7s (PA)$777
Octt. 4t#19: NLHE (NV/NJ)$1,500
Octt. 6t#20: NLHE Turbo (NV/NJ)$500
Octt. 8t#21: NLHE 6-Max (NV/NJ)$600
Octt. 9t#22: BIG 500 (NV/NJ)$500
Octt. 9t#23: NLHE (NV/NJ)$1,500
Octt. 9t#5: BIG 500 (PA)$500
Octt. 9t#5: BIG 500 (MI)$500
Octt. 11#24: Lucky 7s High Roller (NV/NJ)$7,777
Octt. 12#25: NLHE 8-Max (NV/NJ)$2,000
Octt. 13#26: High Roller 6-Max (NV/NJ)$3,200
Octt. 14#27: Super Turbo (NV/NJ)$500
Octt. 15#28: Monster Stack (NV/NJ)$365
Octt. 16#29: Online Championship (NV/NJ)$1,000
Octt. 16#30: High Roller (NV/NJ)$5,300
Octt. 16#6: Online Championship (MI)$1,000
Octt. 16#6: Online Championship (PA)$1,000
Octt. 17#31: Deep Freeze (NV/NJ)$600
Octt. 18#32: Super High Roller 8-Max (NV/NJ)$10,000
Octt. 18#33: Fall Finale (NV/NJ)$500

Tournament of Champions

The WSOP is once again bringing back the Tournament of Champions for 2023. The event is available to all bracelet and WSOP Circuit championship ring winners.

The event is a $1 million freeroll and is also open to all ring and bracelet online winners as well. That includes the  WSOP Online, with all bracelet winners earning a seat in the Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas.

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WSOP Roundup: Series Wraps Up With Big Wins from French, Canadian Players; TOC Continues

Gregory Teboul

With the Main Event now in the rearview mirror, most of the World Series of Poker has come to a close but there has been some big action over the last week. That includes big performances by some international competitors.

Players from France found the winner’s circle in the series’ final week including Julien Martini scoring bracelet No. 4. His countryman Gregory Teboul also won some gold and a massive payday as well.

The last week also produced winners from Canada, Latvia, Italy, the Netherlands, and more. Here’s a look at some of the action from last week.

Event #75: $777 Lucky 7s NLHE 7-Handed

This event kickstarted a nice run by French players. Gregory Teboul (pictured in lead image) captured his first bracelet in the Lucky 7s. That brought a huge score of $777,777 with the tournament drawing 6,891entries and a $4.7 million prize pool.

Just prior to this win, Teboul also won a $400 WSOP Daily Deepstack for $31,583 – not a bad few days in Sin City.

“I feel very, very well because it’s not nothing to win a tournament in Las Vegas,” he said after his bracelet win. “It’s my fifth year here and this was the good year.”

Event 78: $2,500 NLHE

Sebastien Aube, of Quebec City, Canada, made it to the top in this event for his first bracelet and $499,636. France’s Jilien Loire took second for $308,817. This was only Aube’s second WSOP cash and taking up the game again recently proved to be a nice decision.

“I played recreationally in my 20s and when I opened my last business in the pandemic, I came upon the MasterClass of Daniel Negreanu,” he said after the win. “I always liked the guy so was like, ‘Alright, let’s go.’ He really psyched me up. It’s the same recipe to succeed in poker as it is in business, so it really called to me.”

The tournament brought in 1,364 entries for a $3 million prize pool with France’s Axel Hallay finishing fourth for $162,627.

Julien Martini after his latest WSOP victory. (photos courtesy WSOP_

Event 79: $10,000 Razz Championship

It was another big day for a French player in this lowball championship. Julien Martini made his entry count, scoring his fourth bracelet for $328,906.

Martini’s previous WSOP titles came in Omaha Hi/Lo, Short Deck, and Eight-Game Mix. In 2018, he also  took third in the Razz Championship for $134,587. This year’s tournament produced 125 entries for a $1.2 million prize pool.

China’s Yueqi Zhu took third for $149,958 and 2021 Main Event winner Koray Aldemir, of Germany finished fourth for $111,991. Brazilian poker pro and GGPoker ambassador Felipe Ramos finished fifth for $84,683.

Online Event 10: $3,200 High Roller

Another Canadian found the top spot at the virtual WSOP tables.  Julien Perouse, of Toronto, won his first bracelet for $324,767 and his fourth series cash, which all came in online events. Israel’s Gabriel Nastasa found third place for $137,055.

Event 80: $600 Mixed NLHE; Pot Limit Omaha Deepstack

A field of 2,107 entries produced a $1.1 million prize pool in this mixed action. Romans Voitovs, of Latvia, brought home his first bracelet and $158,609. Brazilian Francisco Baruffi finished fourth for $54,172.

Online Event 12: $5,300 High Roller Freezeout Encore

Italy’s Gianluca “Inmyhouse” Speranza found success in the penultimate online event. He locked up his first bracelet and $324,625 in an event featuring 245 entries and a $2.1 million prize pool. Japan’s Kazuki “hyahhoo3” Ikeuchi scored a fourth-place finish for $83,300.

A look at other winners

Several other players made deep runs in the series’ final week. In Event 77: $1,500 Mixed NLHE; Pot Limit Omaha, Canada’s Vincent Lam was fourth for $91,800. The United Kingdom’s Richard Kellett finished fifth for $68,274.

Johannes Straver, of the Netherlands, made a huge run in Event 81: $5,000 Freezeout NLHE. He took runner-up for $411,279. Hungary’s Peter Turmezey took third for $292,665 and UK’s Toby Lewis finished fifth for $154,806.

In Event 82: $800 Eight-Handed NLHE Deepstack, another UK player found a nice finish. Gary Whitehead secured second place for $168,093 and Ireland’s Marc MacDonnell was fourth for $95,487.

Tomasz Gluszko, of Poland, reached third place in Event 84: $3,000 HORSE for $87,687. In Event 86: $10,000 Six-Handed NLHE Championship, the Czech Republic’s Pavel Plesuv took runner-up for $509,674. Israel’s Barak Wisbrod scored fifth for $164,304.

India’s Kartik Ved finished fifth in Event 87: $5,000 Eight-Handed NLHE for $172,103. In Online Event 13: $500 NLHE Summer Saver, Bulgaria’s Boris “goldenbracelet” Kolev also finished fifth for $29,738.

Tournament of Champions closes out WSOP

Only one event remains in the 2022 WSOP, the Tournament of Champions. The $1 million freeroll is open to all bracelet winners as well as all WSOP Circuit ring winners. Day 1 kicked off on Monday and the event concludes on Wednesday.

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WSOP Update: Main Event Reaches Final Table; Players From South Korea, Canada, UK Come Up Big

The WSOP Online action continued over the last week at GGPoker with Taiwan's Pete Chen grabbing his second bracelet.

After an action-packed week at the World Series of Poker, several players found championship bracelets and the $10,000 Main Event reached the final 10 players in Thursday’s early morning hours.

The final 10 players are now battling for a top prize of $10 million, which will be streamed on PokerGO. In other action, players from Canada, South Korea, and the United Kingdom all found wins as well. Here’s a look at some of the recent tournaments from Las Vegas.

Main Event down to final table

Espen Jørstad

The Main Event has now reached the “unofficial” final table with 10 players returning for Day 8 on Friday. Players have an off day and scheduled media interviews on Thursday.

Just 35 players returned on Wednesday and were scheduled to reach the final nine. After a long day that stretched into Thursday morning, however, tournament officials stopped play with 10 players remaining.

Matthew Su

Leading the final table are Norway’s Espen Jorstad and Massachusetts’ Matthew Su. Both players have 83.2 million chips and are seeking their first bracelet. Here’s a look at the players’ chip stacks as well as the payouts for the winners.

WSOP Main Event final 10 players

  1. Espen Jorstad, Norway – 83.2 million
  2. Matthew Su, United States – 83.2 million
  3. Matija Dobric, Croatia – 68.7 million
  4. Aaron Duczak, Canada – 56 million
  5. John Eames, United Kingdom – 55 million
  6. Adrian Attenborough, Australia – 50.8 million
  7. Michael Duek, United States – 49.8 million
  8. Jeffrey Farnes, United States – 35.4 million
  9. Asher Conniff, United States – 29.4 million
  10. Philippe Souki, United Kingdom – 13.5 million

Main Event payouts

  • 1st – $10 million
  • 2nd – $6 million
  • 3rd – $4 million
  • 4th – $3 million
  • 5th – $2.25 million
  • 6th – $1.75 million
  • 7th – $1.35 million
  • 8th – $1.075 million
  • 9th – $850,675 million
  • 10th – $675,000
Jerry Li shows off his new bracelet. (photo courtesy WSOP)

Event 74: $1,500 Bounty Pot Limit Omaha Eight-Handed

Canada’s Pei “Jerry” Li came out on top in this event for his first bracelet and $190,219. Florida’s Nolan King finished runner-up for $117,545 and the later stages of heads-up play saw an interesting scenario.

As pots shipped back and forth in a long battle, the two players agreed to skip two levels later in the action.

“He’s a very aggressive player, but so am I, so it made it a fun time heads up,” Li said afterward.

That seemed to go his way as he eventually closed out the event. This tournament attracted 1,390 entries, producing a prize pool of $1.9 million. Finland’s Eemil Tuominen took fourth for $63,231 and Belgium’s Eric Lescot finished sixth for $35,561.

Event #76: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty

Jinho Hong after his win. (photo courtesy WSOP)

Members of the Poker Hall of Fame all received a freeroll into this event. Each of those also had a bounty on their head corresponding with the year in which he or she was inducted.

The event also was held in conjunction with the announcement of the latest addition to the Poker Hall of Fame. Layne Flack was named as the latest addition and will be inducted posthumously following his death last year.

In the action at the tables, South Korea’s Jinho Hong took home his first bracelet and $276,067 top prize. It’s been a nice few weeks for Hong, who also won the $3,500 NLHE Championship at the Wynn Poker Classic in late June for $696,011.

“The win at the Wynn Summer Classic was a bigger cash, but the bracelet is a lot more meaningful to me and hopefully in the future, a lot more Koreans keep on trying to get the bracelet and hopefully our country grows (in regards to poker),” he said afterward.

 The tournament produced a $1.5 million prize pool from 865 entries. Thailand’s Punnat Punsri finished runner-up for $170,615 with Germany’s Jakob Miegel taking third for $120,756.

Pavel Spirins, of Latvia, scored third for $63,225 and PartyPoker ambassador Yuri Dzivielevski continued a nice series run. The Brazilian finished sixth for $46,791 and also has a second, fourth, and fifth this summer.

Online Event 8: $7,777 Lucky 7s High Roller

England’s Harry “timexCNT” Lodge found the winner’s circle in this larger buy-in online poker event. He has produced several deep runs at the WSOP, but has always come up short of a bracelet.

That changed in this online event and he also took home $396,366. The event drew 161 entries for a $1.5 million prize pool.

 

A look at other winners

A few other players have also found some nice scores recently. In Online Event 9: $1,000 NLHE Online Bracelet Championship, Dragos “luxifer03” Trofimov, of Moldova, finished second for $147,585.

Event 73: $1,500 Razz saw Brazil’s Sergio Braga finish fifth for $25,198.

Upcoming tournaments

The Main Event final table takes the spotlight in the coming days, but several other tournaments are set in the coming days before the end of the series on July 20. Here’s a look at the final events on the schedule:

  • $3,000 HORSE (Event 84) – July 15
  • $1,500 The Closer (Event #85) – July 15-16, two starting flights 
  • $10,000 Six-Handed NLHE Championship (Event 86) – July 16
  • $5,000 Eight-Handed NLHE(Event 87) – July 16
  • Online Event 11: $777 Lucky 7ss Second Chance – July 17
  • $1,000 Super Turbo NLHE (Event 88) – July 17
  • Online Event 12: $5,300 High Roller Freezeout Encore – July 17
  • Online Event #13: $500 NLHE Summer Saver – July 18
  • Tournament of Champions $1 million freeroll – July 18

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WSOP Update: Players from China, Canada, France, Austria Secure Bracelets; Neymar Jr. Joins Action

It was a nice few days for international players over the last week at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Several players scored bracelets including China’s Tong Li, who took home the largest of those scores for $1.5 million.

Canada’s Alex Livingston struck gold for the first time as well and then promptly lost his new bracelet along the way. Austria’s Stefan Lehner also was among the big winners, taking his first bracelet for $558,616.

Here’s a look at some players on the international poker scene scoring hardware and winning big on the Vegas Strip.

Event 9: $1,500 Seven Card Stud

Livingston secured his first bracelet for $103,282 in this event. He now has $5.9 million in live tournament winnings.

Poker fans may recognize Livingston for finishing third in the Main Event in 2019 for $4 million. He made some news after winning the Stud event for actually losing his gold bracelet.

Another Canadian, Thomas Taylor,  finished third for $44,112.

Event 14: $1,500 Six-Handed NLHE

Vive la France! Frenchman Leo Soma scored not just his first career WSOP cash, but also his first bracelet in this event. 

The final day saw 16 players return and Soma was in the middle of the pack. He continued working his way back into contention throughout the day, eventually topping Thomas Schultz heads-up for the title and $456,889.

The tournament produced 2,392 entries for a $3.2 million prize pool. Schultz took home $282,358 for runner-up and Argentina’s Maximiliano Gallardo finished third for $203,451. 

Event 16: $3,000 NLHE

Most players would love winning a half-million dollars. Austria’s Stefan Lehner (pictured in lead image, courtesy WSOP) did just that in this event,  pocketing a nice $558,616.

This was his first bracelet and came after winning a WSOP Circuit ring in Aruba in December. Lehner detailed his road to victory, which included some major swings at the final table.

“I don’t have the words for it I think,” he told WSOP.com. “At the beginning I was second in chips but then I was short stacked all the time. So I played very well and I’m very happy that I have this [bracelet] now.”

The win came at a tough final table that included Alex Foxen, Joey Weissman, and David Miscikowski. Toby Boas scored runner-up for $345,244 in an event featuring 1,240 entries for a $3.3 million prize pool.

China’s Tong Li shows off his new WSOP bracelet. (photo courtesy WSOP)

Event 19: $25,000 High Roller PLO

Omaha players with some big bankrolls found their way into this tournament with China’s Tong Li coming out as champion. This marked not just his WSOP cash, but also his first bracelet as well with a nice $1.5 million also headed his way.

The tournament brought in 264 for a $6.2 million prize pool. Fabian Brandes finished runner-up for $907,132 and 2021 WSOP player of the year Josh Arieh finished third for $644,365.

Event 20: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw

Russia’s Denis Nesterenko took home the title and $108,250 in this lowball event. His previous best career cash was a win for $7,702.

This was Nesterenko’s first bracelet, but he also scored a WSOP Circuit ring in 202, also in 2-7 Triple Draw. The tournament saw 350 entries and a $467,250 prize pool. California’s Von Altizer took second place for $66,910.

A look at other players running deep at WSOP

Several other international players found some nice finishes over the last week as well. In Event 7:  $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Brazil’s Murilo Figueredo finished fourth for $80,671.

Event 10: $10,000 Dealers Choice Six-Handed Championship saw Japan’s Naoya Kihara finish fifth for $73,453. Thailand’s Punnat Punsri also ran deep in Event 12: $25,000 High Roller Eight-Handed with a third-place finish for $593,481

In online action, Italy’s Gianluca “inmyhouse” Speranza notched third in the $400 Ultra Deepstack on Sunday for $50,218.

Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr. also jumped in the WSOP action on Sunday as well.  A longtime poker player, he is also a PokerStars ambassador when not on the pitch.

Upcoming events

The action continues this week in Las Vegas and here’s what to expect.

  • $1,500 Shootout NLHE (Event 27) – June 13
  • $50,000 High Roller PLO (Event 28) – June 13
  • $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw (Event 29) – June 14
  • $1,000 PLO (Event 30) – June 14
  • $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship (Event 31) – June 15
  • $1,500 HORSE (Event 32) – June 15
  • $3,000 Six-Handed NLHE (Event 33) – June 15
  • $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Holdem (Event 34) – June 16
  • $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event (Event 35) – June 16
  • $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better (Event 36) – June 17
  • $1,500 Millionaire Maker (Event 37) – June 17
  • $10,000 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship (Event 38) – June 18
  • $3,000 Six-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha (Event 39) – June 18
  • $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship (Event 40) – June 19
  • $1,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout (Event 41) – June 19
  • $100,000High Roller NLHE (Event 42) – June 19
  • $1,000 Online Event 4: PLO Six-Max – June 19

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Scoring Seats: GGPoker Launches ‘Road to Vegas’ Promo; WSOP.com Qualifiers Also Underway

GGPoker has launched the "Road to Vegas" promotion for online poker player hoping to win a WSOP Main Event tournament package.

For online poker players outside the US, GGPoker is the official partner for World Series of Poker satellites. The site announced on Monday that its “Road to Vegas” satellites have launched. The event allows players to grab a seat in the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event this summer.. 

Starting on April 3, online grinders will have multiple chances to win a package to Las Vegas

“I’ll be playing the WSOP Main Event again this year, and I hope to be joined by hundreds of fellow GGPoker players from every corner of the planet,” GG ambassador Daniel Negreanu said in a news release. “It’s every poker player’s dream to win the biggest tournament there is; there’s no other poker experience like playing the Main Event.”

WSOP.com also has qualifiers running for players in US legalized markets as well. Here’s a look at how to win a seat.

Plenty of perks for GGPoker satellite winners

GG plans a wide range of satellite buy-in price points and qualifying tournaments are already going strong at the site.

Buy-ins start at $1. The site awards dozens of WSOP Main Event packages each week. Winner packages are expected to include:

  • $10,000 Main Event entry
  • seven-night hotel accommodations at Bally’s Las Vegas
  • $1,200 cash for round-trip airfare
  • exclusive GGPoker player party
  • GGPoker lounge access

Winners will also receive merchandise swag packs. A special “last-longer” prize is also planned for GG satellite qualifiers that includes a ticket to WSOP Europe.

WSOP Main Event details

GGPoker is offering weekly satellites to win a prize pack. Players winning a Main Event seat online can choose one of four starting flights to play this year.

Registration is open until July 6 and here’s a look at the starting days for the tournament:

  • 1A – Sunday, July 3
  • 1B – Monday, July 4
  • 1C – Tuesday, July 5
  • 1D – Wednesday, July 6

For players that win a seat but can’t attend, they will forfeit GG’s travel money and accommodations. However, these players can still claim funds from the site. 

“If you cannot attend the 2022 WSOP Main Event,” GG notes, “you will be offered $10,000 (in tournament dollars).”

https://twitter.com/lappypoker/status/1510731832031006722?s=21&t=fsJSfB32zEm-AFXQMMEeIA

WSOP.com offers qualifiers for US-based players

For players located in New Jersey and Nevada, WSOP.com is offering players a “Draft Pack” for the series. Until April 16, online grinders can win a chance at the ultimate prize pack. 

Each day WSOP.com will offer two daily draft tournaments. Each winner of those events will play in a special 32-player tournament on April 19.

The tournament will play down to one winner who scores the draft package. The prize includes:

  • $25,000 worth of gold bracelet buy-ins for the 2022 WSOP
  • three-night luxury hotel stay
  • $500 airfare travel stipend
  • Dinner at a celebrity chef’s restaurant in las Vegas

Qualifying opportunities are also expected in the ringed-in WSOP.com markets of Pennsylvania and Michigan. PokerScout will offer updates as more WSOP satellite information becomes available.

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WSOP Roundup: Chris Moneymaker Runs Deep in Main Event, French Player Leads Bounty PLO

Poker Hall of Famer Chris Moneymaker returns for Day 4 as one of the chip leaders in the World Series of Poker Main Event.

Poker Hall of Famer Chris Moneymaker returns for Day 4 as one of the chip leaders in the World Series of Poker Main Event. The 2003 champion scored some huge hands on Day 2 and that big run continued on Day 3.

Some international players also return among the chip leaders as well. In other action, a French player leads the pack in the Pot Limit Omaha Bounty event. The Little One for One Drop also returns to action on Friday. Here’s a look at some of the headlines from Las Vegas.

Event 67: $10,000 Main Event

The Main Event is heating up as players move on to Day 4 on Friday. The bubble burst on Thursday and all players have now reached the money with 1,000 left in the field.

Those now hitting the rail will at least earn a min-cash of $15,000. The event brought in 6,650 players for a $62 million prize pool, bringing a winner payout of  $8 million. The runner-up takes $4.3 million with ninth-place even earning $1 million.

The series is seeing a bit of deja vu so far, with 2003 Main Event winner Chris Moneymaker among the top chip stacks returning to the Rio. Moneymaker took his seat at the ‘03 Main Event via an $86 PokerStars qualifier.

His win was captured on ESPN and helped kickstart the poker boom. Another big score would make for big news.

Florida’s Jessica Cai leads the field going into Day 4 with 1.8 million. She comes into the Main Event with only $78,454 in live tournament winnings.

“(It’s) surreal,” she told PokerGO’s Jeff Platt of her run so far. “I’m still in shock, but I’m definitely grateful to be here.”

International players running deep in Main Event

Those aren’t the only players making nice runs. Thailand’s Phachara Wongwichit finished second in chips with just under 1.8 million. A regular in Asian events, he has $1.5 million in live tournament winnings and is looking for his first bracelet.

Ehsan Amiri, of Australia, bagged 1.6 million for the fourth-place spot. He’s seeking his first bracelet and the best finish of his career.

Another player to watch is Italy’s Gianluca Speranza, who finished the day with 1.3 million. In 2017, he took runner-up in the WSOP Europe Main Event for €689,246.

Event 68: $1,111 Little One for One Drop

This event heads to the third day of action on Friday after three Days 1s to get things started. The tournament produced 3,797 entries for a $3.8 million prize pool with a winner’s haul of $396,445.

GGPoker qualifier Mathew Solitro, of Massachusetts, returns as chip leader with 228 players remaining. Chile’s Oscar Alache sits second in chips with a few other international players among the chip leaders as well.

Germany’s Jan Wagner checks in at fourth with France’s Idris Ambraisse sitting in fifth. Japan’s Masaki Nakamura returns ninth in chips.

Event 71: $1,500 Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha

This tournament began on Thursday with France’s Mourad Amokrane returning as chip leader.

He’s the only player to top 1 million chips so far and this could be a career-defining tournament for the Frenchman. Amokrane currently has only $21,244 in live tournament winnings.

Bulgaria’s Nikolay Yosifov is third in chips with Greece’s Miltiadis Kyriakides in fifth. Canada’s Kirk Dillon and Spain’s Paulo Villena are in sixth and seventh as well.

The tournament attracted 860 players with only 84 returning for Day 2. Others advancing to Day 2 include Calvin Anderson, Team GGPoker’s Felipe Ramos, and Dario Sammartino.

Josh Ariah moved to the top of the Player of the Year standings. (Photo courtesy WSOP))

Player of the Year update

Josh Arieh has been the player of the series so far and moves into the No. 1 slot in the Player of the Year standings. The American rounder has already won two events and scored two other final table appearances. Here’s a look at the standings as of Friday:

  • 1st – Josh Arieh, 3,110.91 points
  • 2 – Jake Schwartz, 2,757.37
  • 3 – Anthony Zinno, 2,731.32
  • 4 – Ryan Leng, 2,684.04
  • 5 – Kevin Gerhart, 2,643.23

Upcoming events

Plenty of events remain in the series including some interesting tournaments over the weekend. That includes plenty of mixed games and two online events set for Sunday. Here’s a look at the action over the next few days:

  • 70: $888 Crazy Eights – Nov. 12
  • 72: $1,500 Mixed NLHE; PLO – Nov. 12
  • 73: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship – Nov. 13
  • 74: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event – Nov. 14
  • Online Event 8: $7,777 WSOP.com Lucky 7s High Roller – Nov. 14
  • Online Event 9: $777 WSOP.com Lucky 7s – Nov. 14
  • 75: $1,500 Freezeout NLHE – Nov. 15
  • 76: $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty – Nov. 15

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WSOP Roundup: Players From France, Japan, Taiwan Win Bracelets; Others Running Deep

GGPoker has launched the "Road to Vegas" promotion for online poker player hoping to win a WSOP Main Event tournament package.

It’s been a good week at the World Series of Poker with some international players snagging bracelets. Players from France, Japan, and Taiwan all scored tournament wins.

With the $10,000 Main Event starting next week, several other players made final table appearances as well. Here’s a look at some of the headlines from the Rio in Las Vegas over the last week.

Event 41: $2,500 Freezeout NLHE

A player from Taiwan won this event to become the second player from that country to win during the series. Carlos Chang won his first bracelet for $364,589 in an event with a field of 896 entries and a $1.9 million prize pool.

Chang has made a few WSOP final table appearances over the last few years. However, this time he broke through with a win with Brady Osterman taking second for $225,333.

Carlos Chang shows off his WSOP bracelet. (photo courtesy WSOP)

Chang had confidence going into the final table and was pleased to finally break through with a victory.

“I told myself, this year if I make a final table, I will win the bracelet,” he told WSOP.com afterward. “And it happened! I am pretty excited. I was focused all day and yesterday.”

Event 48: $5,000 Freezeout NLHE Eight-Handed

It was a nice week for French poker fans with France’s Alexandre Reard securing his first bracelet in this tournament. The event produced 491 players for a $1.9 million prize pool.

Reard took $428,694 for the top spot. Already with a resumé packed with numerous big finishes around the world, he now adds a WSOP title as well. Reard’s lifetime tournament winnings now top $3.4 million.

Online Event 5: $1,000 Online Bracelet Championship

The online bracelet action continued on Sunday at WSOP.com.  Japan’s Kazuki “hyahhoo3” Ikeuchi took down this event for $152,797. The tournament saw 854 entries for a prize pool of $768,000.

In September, Ikeuchi came close to winning a bracelet in the GGPoker WSOP Online. He finished runner-up in the $500 Closer for $ 270,127. Just over a month later, Ikeuchi now adds a bracelet.

A look at some other  WSOP winners

Plenty of other international players have made deep runs as well over the last week. Some of the best of those came from Japan’s Kosei Ichinose and Canada’s David Guay.

Both players found runner-up finishes with Ichinose pocketing $67,796 in Event 44: $3,000 Six-Handed Limit Hold’em.

Guay grabbed a silver medal in Event 45: $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Eight-Handed Championship for $276,269.

French players continue to run deep as well. Ivan Deyra took fourth in Event 39: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha for $64,890

In the Event 49: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship, Germany’s Johannes Becker took runner-up for $183,591. The UK’s Benny Glaser finished third for $132,685 and France’s Julien Martini took sixth for $54,359.

Johannes Becker battling it out in the $10,000 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship. (photo courtesy PokerGO)

Argentina’s Andres Jeckeln secured a nice finish in In Event 46: $800 NLHE Deepstack. He scored third for $98,269. Ivan Uzunov, of Bulgaria, finished fifth for $55,279.

Colten Yamagishi, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, finished fourth in Event 50: $600 Mixed NLHE/PLO Deepstack for $42,192. Austria’s Hanan Braun took fifth for $31,425.

The $3,000 Six-Handed NLHE (Event 51) saw three international players make final table appearances including:

  • 4th – Nick Yunis (Chile), $141,478
  • 5th – Jun Obara (Japan), $100,827
  • 6th – Francisco Benitez (Uruguay) – $73,107

Previewing upcoming events

Action continues in Las Vegas through mid-November with plenty of tournaments still on tap. The $400 Colossus kicks off Friday and once again should bring in huge fields.

Several other events also get underway including the Super Seniors and Poker Players Championship all getting started as well. Some group play also begins this weekend with the Tag Team event.

The sixth online bracelet event is also set for Sunday at WSOP.com with a Halloween-friendly buy-in of $666. Here are the events coming this weekend.

  • 55: $400 Colossus NLHE – starting flights Oct. 29, 30, 
  • 56: $10,000 Six-Handed NLHE Championship – Oct. 29
  • 57: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship – Oct. 30
  • 58: $1,000 Super Seniors NLHE – Oct. 31
  • 59: $1,000 Tag Team NLHE – Oct. 31
  • 60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship – Oct. 31
  • Online Event 6: $666 NLHE – Oct. 31

* Lead image courtesy PokerGO 

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