{"id":18685,"date":"2018-12-11T13:53:21","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T14:53:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=18685"},"modified":"2018-12-13T16:54:29","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T16:54:29","slug":"the-top-five-us-poker-stories-of-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/the-top-five-us-poker-stories-of-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top Five US Poker Stories Of 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

This year marked the 15th anniversary of Chris Moneymaker<\/strong>\u2018s historic, poker boom-sparking World Series of Poker Main Event<\/strong> win.<\/p>\n

However, 2018 was more than just a celebration of poker\u2019s past. In fact, 2018 will likely go down as one of poker\u2019s most memorable post-boom years.<\/p>\n

A new all-time leading money winner emerged. The youngest WSOP Main Event winner in history almost got there again. US online poker looked like it was growing for the first time since the first time. Plus, controversy surrounded poker\u2019s newest power couple and a former WSOP Main Event runner-up sued the World\u2019s largest poker site.<\/p>\n

As the year closes, we can see a number of stories made attention-grabbing headlines in 2018. However, just like we did last year, US Poker<\/strong> has boiled it down to an easily digestible top five, aimed at pleasing your poker palate. Here\u2019s US Poker\u2019s Top 5 Biggest Poker Stories of 2018<\/strong>, starting with number five:<\/p>\n

5. The shared liquidity launch<\/h2>\n

Considering May 1, 2018 marked the biggest day for online poker in the US since Black Friday<\/strong>, this story should have been higher up on this list.<\/p>\n

It was the day tri-state shared liquidity launched. The day the pooling of players from all three US states currently offering online poker began. It was a day full of hope, but those hopes were quickly dashed.<\/p>\n

WSOP.com\u2019s Head of Online Poker Bill Rini<\/strong> called it \u201ca monumental day for online poker in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the WSOP.com<\/strong> perspective, it certainly was. It is the only operation that runs online poker sites in more than a single state. Therefore, WSOP.com and software partner 888 Poker<\/strong> were the only ones to really benefit from shared liquidity.<\/p>\n

A network that included the WSOP.com sites in New Jersey and Nevada, 888poker in New Jersey, and the 888-powered Delaware online poker network\u2019s Delaware Park<\/strong>, Dover Downs<\/strong> and Harrington Raceway<\/strong> certainly used this to its advantage. In fact, it rose to the top of all three markets almost immediately.<\/p>\n

Players were able to compete for WSOP bracelets online from New Jersey for the first time this year. Plus, a couple of online series run on the network showed overlays aren\u2019t mandatory in legal US online poker events.<\/p>\n

Revenue numbers disappoint<\/h3>\n

Revenue numbers in New Jersey are the only ones that have ever been worth writing about. However, by the end of the year, they dropped to their lowest levels since launch.<\/p>\n

New Jersey more than doubled the size of the legal US-wide online poker market when it jumped aboard this multi-state agreement. However, it\u2019s apparent now it\u2019s going to need to double again at least once more before it can move the needle significantly.<\/p>\n

Pennsylvania will launch online poker in a fenced-in market in 2019. That will be a big story. However, it\u2019ll be an even bigger one if PA signs on to the multi-state agreement<\/strong> and the legal US-wide online poker market<\/strong> truly starts to become something worth paying attention to.<\/p>\n

4. Gordon Vayo sues PokerStars (and loses)<\/h2>\n

Anytime a WSOP Main Event runner-up sues the world\u2019s largest online poker site it\u2019s going to make headlines. However, the drama that unfolded with 2016 WSOP Main Event second-place finisher Gordon Vayo<\/strong> suing PokerStars<\/strong> took this story to the next level.<\/p>\n

Vayo first alleged PokerStars refused to pay him almost $700,000 he won in a 2017 Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP)<\/strong> event. He claimed they falsely accused him of breaching the site\u2019s terms of service by surreptitiously playing the event from inside the US.<\/p>\n

Vayo claimed to have been in Canada at the time and provided evidence of such. Then he said PokerStars lowered the bar, insisting it was \u201cnot inconceivable\u201d he was in the US at some point during the event and refused to pay.<\/p>\n

Vayo went as far as accusing the site of freerolling US players<\/strong>, taking relocating players\u2019 money when they lose and creating reasons not to pay when they win.<\/p>\n

There was some argument over whether the case should be heard in California or the Isle of Man before the big drama bomb dropped.<\/p>\n

PokerStars accused Vayo of forging the documents<\/strong> he was using as evidence he was in Canada during the 2017 SCOOP. Instead of denying it, Vayo and his lawyers dropped the suit.<\/p>\n

If that\u2019s not an admission of guilt, I\u2019m not sure what is. Moreover, if Vayo\u2019s lawsuit against PokerStars isn\u2019t one of the biggest poker stories of 2018, someone else should be putting together this list.<\/p>\n

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