Tribal Chief Scoops $1.4m Jackpot Win at Minnesota Casino

Fistful of cash at a slot machine


A big win

Lake Manitoba First Nation Chief Cornell McLean has scooped a $1.4m jackpot while playing a slot machine at a casino in Minnesota. The big win came on Monday during his trip to the Shooting Star Casino. McLean initially thought he had won $13,000 when he struck the jackpot.

a bystander informed him that he had actually won more than $13,000

Talking to local media on Tuesday, McLean explained how a bystander informed him that he had actually won more than $13,000, a fact soon confirmed by a casino employee.

McLean’s wife wasn’t beside him when he hit the jackpot, but she quickly arrived on the scene after hearing all the commotion. Talking about his wife’s reaction to the win, McLean said: “I think she was a little more excited than I was.”

Putting the winnings to good use

The Shooting Star Casino photographed McLean and his wife with an oversized check and posting the image to its Facebook page. It will take about ten days for the funds to hit McLean’s account, but he has already been thinking about how he will use the winnings.

In addition to being the Lake Manitoba First Nation Chief, McLean is also the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Deputy Chief.

He explained that they had been saving money to buy a house, which now can become a reality. While he said he didn’t grow up with much McLean, now can help change the lives of the people around him. The couple has five kids and 16 grandchildren, being the legal guardians for two of the grandchildren.

A lucky feeling in the air

McLean added that his family would say that he’s a “pretty lucky guy.” He isn’t the only person to win a big casino jackpot in recent weeks. Four different people managed to win six-figure sums at the same Las Vegas Strip casino in recent days.

The well-known Caesars Palace was the site of the wins, with a couple of people winning $100,000 jackpots over the weekend. Since then, someone won $400,000 after hitting a royal flush on a video poker machine following a $500 wager, while another person won $103,125 on a multi-hand poker machine.

The post Tribal Chief Scoops $1.4m Jackpot Win at Minnesota Casino appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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Jeff Molina Suspended in Nevada as UFC Wagering Scandal Rages On

Jeff Molina Suspended in Nevada as UFC Wagering Scandal Rages On


UFC fighter Jeff Molina received a temporary suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Although not officially disclosed, the reason for that decision is likely related to Molina’s association with controversial coach James Krause who is still under investigation for his suspicious betting activities. The NSAC will review the case in an upcoming meeting, revealing more details regarding the suspension.

UFC Wagering Continues to Spark Controversy

Jeff Molina is a long-time protege of 36-year-old MMA fighting veteran and coach James Krause, who recently got tangled up in an explosive, gambling-related scandal. Krause allegedly engaged in insider betting, an accusation supported by his boisterous claims. The UFC quickly took action, launching an official investigation and suspending Krause’s license until its completion.

Several gambling regulators also took notice as UFC betting got banned in Alberta and Ontario. Although Alberta eventually lifted the restriction, the incident’s fallout continues to spill through the industry. The UFC officially threatened to ban fighters who continued associating with Krause, apparently impacting one more of his trainees.

More Information Should be Soon Follow

On 3 December, just one day after the Championship denounced Krause, Jeff Molina, the UFC’s No. 14 ranked bantamweight, withdrew from his upcoming duel with Jimmy Flick. A recent update to his official profile displayed his status as “serving a suspension” as per the decision of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The NSAC has not yet provided a concrete reason for Molina’s suspension, with insider sources sharing that it is listed as “unspecified” in the official documentation. The Commission will hold a meeting after the holidays, where members will discuss the case, hopefully revealing the actual cause for the suspension.

Molina Has Close Ties to Krause’s Gambling Group

Although Molina may appear no different than the rest of Krause’s pupils, his connection to the controversial coach is more involved than the rest. The young fighter appeared in Krause’s gambling podcast, participated in his betting-focused Discord server, and is an avid sports betting fan. His Twitter bio described him as an “MMA gambling degenerate,” although it has since been edited.

The NSAC suspension may disrupt Molina’s winning streak. He is currently 3-0 in the UFC and ranks among the most promising young fighters. NSAC officials refused to share any additional information until their January meeting, and Molina likewise did not respond to questions regarding the situation.

With so many details remaining uncertain, any conclusions should wait until the NSAC releases additional information. However, suspending a fighter’s license is not a step to be taken lightly, indicating their decision is likely motivated by more than just speculation. The Commission’s actions also reflect the broader shift in opinion regarding gambling in the MMA world as sports integrity concerns come to the forefront.



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House of Fun: Play The Top Games

House of Fun: Play The Top Games



As you join House of Fun, located towards the bottom half of the screen, this is where you are presented with the current top games to play.

Through playing on House of Fun, you’ll notice the top slots are:

In this article, for each of the top presented slots, you’ll find out more information about the slot and what you’re able to win for the slots.

However, if you are presented with one of the jackpot slots, you’ll also find out information about the additional features.

Most importantly, as you reach towards the end of the article, you’ll find out where you’re also able to get involved!

Bank of Jackpots

Being one of the jackpot slots on House of Fun, this enables you to win even more coins through the range of bonuses and jackpots which you have the ability to achieve.

To understand this slot further, what is the Bank of Jackpots and what can you win?

What is the Bank of Jackpots?

Walking into the vault of jackpots, you’ll see the slot which could bring you the biggest fortune. Playing through the 30 lines, this is in addition to the feature upon the slot.

As featured on the slot, if you want quick access to the highest bets, there is a max bet button, which is featured next to the ‘fast’ button for when you want a quick game.

What Can You Win from Bank of Jackpots Slot?

Being able to bet to the maximum of 200,000 coins, this will rise the amount you’re able to win through the jackpots to 362.76 billion coins – enabling you to play every slot as much as you.

On top of the range of bonuses which range across the 5 starts and the 4 different rapid-fire levels which enable you to win those larger prizes – there is also a super bonus feature within the slot.

For the super bonus feature, if you want to the chance to be able to win this, you need to fill in the value by triggering the bonuses. Once you complete the vault, this is when you’ll trigger and win the super bonus!

Bank of Jackpots Slot

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Wyld

One of the two Monsterpedia slots which are within this slot, this presents the Dr Jekyll & Mr Wyld – this is where you’ll be able to collect coins and cards to win free spins.

In addition, to understand the slot and winnings, you’ll also understand about the Monsterpedia Cards and how you can utilize them to win!

Dr Jekyll and Mr Wyld Slot

What is the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Wyld Slot?

In the midst of the exploration within the laboratory, this is the place of understanding the different symbols and being able to win based on many factors.

Playing across 25 lines in addition to a feature, this is where understanding the slot starts…

What Prizes Can You Win?

Ranging from mini, minor, major, and the grand prize, this ranges up to 2.3 billion coins which can be won through the jackpot. As you vary the amount you wish to bet, this is also a factor determining how much you’ll win through the different jackpot prizes.

In addition to understanding how much you’ll earn, if you bet more this will also help you earn more cards for your HOF Album which will enable you to gain prizes such as coins, more experience points and so much more!

What are the Monsterpedia Cards?

Through the album where you need to place your Monsterpedia Cards, across the 22 different pages, there are between 1 and 5 different sets. As you progress through the album, the different levels of rarities get rarer.

For each page in the album, once you’ve completed them and it’s full, you will then win several free spins. However, for each set in the album on the different pages, when you collect all the cards this will win you mystery credit prizes!

To be able to gain more card packs, you can enter the card store and purchase with your Monsterpedia Coins.

Monsterpedia Cards HOF Slot

Gummy King 2

Gummy King 2 Slot

What is Gummy King 2?

In the midst of the gummyland bonus and colossal rewards respins, this is where the fun begins throughout this slot. Increasingly the lines compared to the slots seen previously, the Gummy King 2 slot is presented and played upon 40 lines and a feature.

What Prizes Can You Win in This Slot?

Through the mini, minor, major, and grand jackpot prizes, through increasing the prizes this is the way to be able to win even more bigger prizes. In these jackpots, when you bet a maximum of 200,000 slots, the grand prize is over 80,000,000 coins.

In addition, as you continue to spin the Gummy 2 Slot, being the main objective is you match the symbols this will enable you to win more coins – depending on the variety of your symbol.

How to Trade Your Gummies for Gifts?

Spinning is the one way to winning. As you spin through the slots, you’ll be able to collect gummies and use them to unlock prize boxes to play for the super bonuses.

Across the 4 different pages, for each page, once you’ve uncovered the number of gifts, this is when you’ll unlock the free spin prizes.

Gummy King 2 Gifts

Finnegan’s Fortunes

Finnegan's Fortunes Slot

What is the Finnegan’s Fortunes slot?

Playing across 25 lines, in addition to a feature, you can build your way to having your own dragons and completing the book of runes.

As you want to complete these options, there are features within all the slots, however, in this situation, it might help you complete it that bit faster through the maximum bet and fast button to speed up your mission.

What is the Dragon’s Den & Book of Runes?

As you continue to spin through the Finnegan’s Fortunes slot, there are four different dragons that you can have as your pet. Ranging across the fire, gold, hydra, and rainbow dragons you’ll gain free games throughout.

In the first dragon, being the fire dragon, in the random wild feature, you will be able to gain 15 free games which also include between 2 and 5 random wilds.

Dragon's Pet Finnegans Fortunes

Additionally, for the mission of completion, there is also the book of runes which is available to decide and complete. Throughout 3 different books, which each include 6 pages, there is a range of prizes to win across the pages.

Through the completion prize, this ranges from the rainbow dragon all the way to the completion prize of 50 times the average bet which also includes up to ultra-prize boost which had more than 10 duplicates.

Book of Runes House of Fun

Where Can You Play the Top Games?

Featured upon the top games, these are the games you’ll want to get involved with – especially when the slots are featuring jackpots to potentially win millions of coins.

If you want to get involved and play these slots, you can now on House of Fun via PokerNews and receive 1000 free coins and 100 free spins!





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Massachusetts Lottery Winner Takes More Than $2M Home from “Lucky for Life”

Massachusetts Lottery Winner Takes More Than $2M Home from “Lucky for Life”


Raymond Roberts Sr. managed to win the sizable prize across six tickets with the exact same numbers and for the same lottery draw.

The lucky man fetched a total of more than $2 million in the “Lucky for Life” multi-state lottery game which offers winners 20-year payments for their winnings. The game has been particularly popular around the United States, but it’s Roberts Sr. who claimed the massive reward this time.

The “Lucky Number” format is popular because of its low-cost entry and straightforward gameplay. Essentially, a participant pays $2 per ticket and then picks six numbers between 1 and 48, along with a lucky ball number from 1 to 18. This means that the winner managed to flip a $12 investment into a $2 million payday. Roberts Jr. got the five numbers right, but he missed the lucky ball.

Good Fortune Foretold and Massive Payday

The Massachusetts resident shared that he had a good feeling about the numbers and decided to replicate them across several tickets. All of the numbers held some significance to him, helping guide his picks.

The man bought the tickets from a liquor store in Fall River, which means that the retailer will also get a tidy $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ones. Roberts Jr. has decided to receive lump payments for his first five tickets or around $390,000 for each after tax. He has thus been paid $1.95 million. The sixth ticket, the winner decided to keep it as an annuity. It will be paid out in installments of $25,000 before tax over the next 20 years.

But while the man’s win may seem almost too good to be true, there are a few things about the nature of the victory. For one, Robert Jr. has been using the exact same numbers for more than two decades. 

The winner has already made up his mind on what he is going to spend his winnings with the first purchase coming his way being a new motorbike.



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Alex Fitzgerald Explains What to Do When Your Ace-King (AKA Big Slick) Misses

Alex Fitzgerald Explains What to Do When Your Ace-King (AKA Big Slick) Misses


poker big slick

People always want to know what to do when their ace-king (AKA Big Slick) misses. Today, we will take a look at that question. To begin, let’s start with preflop play.

There are very few situations where you should not be reraising with your ace-king preflop. Generally, you want to increase the size of the pot when you have this hand. It is highly likely your opponents will raise and call preflop with weaker dominated hands. If they raise and call with ace-queen, king-queen, or something similar they are headed for a world of hurt. Should they flop to their hand they will go broke to you.

For this reason, we will start with the assumption that you are three-betting preflop. If you are playing tournaments, you can almost always call a four-bet. The stacks will be short enough to call and your opponent will be moving all in enough to justify the play.

Should you be playing a deeper stacked game then you can call versus a four-bet and decline to five-bet. You can take the flop from that point. Most people do not four-bet enough at these stack depths. You can trust that you have likely run into a hand, so you don’t need to get all your hundreds of blinds in with just a high card.

Now, let’s assume you reraised in position with your ace-king. Let’s start with that scenario. This will come up often. Your opponents do not like folding to reraises so you will be taking flops with them.

Let’s say you reraise the ace-king in position and you miss the flop. You can check back in this situation, but today we are going to discuss an exploitative play you can use.

If You Miss… Exploit!

Look. It’s likely that no one has done as many private lessons as I have. I have watched more poker than any human ever should. I have gone through thousands of databases and watched tens of millions of hands.

When someone calls a reraise out of position they need to defend themselves. Calling huge bets out of position with a capped range is a weak play. To defend yourself when you do this play you need to check-raise more, donk lead more, float more, or something. What you can’t do is play fit-or-fold on the flop. That is a recipe to lose your ass off.

That said, that is what 98% of poker players do in this situation. In my private lessons, I can scream until I am blue in the face. It won’t matter. People still love calling out of position and then folding when they miss. At most, they will call a bet. What I can’t get most humans to do is check-raise bluff or call and then do something on a later street.

What this means for you is that you can bet small with your missed ace-king a lot of the time when you are in position. This will purchase you a cheap turn and river. This helps you realize your hand’s equity. Additionally, you will get value out of weaker ace-highs.

Alex Fitzgerald
Alex Fitzgerald competing at the WSOP.

What About the Turn?

You will likely end up checking the turn. After that, you can know that frequently your opponent will check their weaker ace-highs on the river since they have some showdown value. Many people will not turn those hands into bluffs. If they have less than ace-high it is probable that they folded that hand on the flop, so they are not bluffing with it at that river moment.

The wild players tend to stick out in your mind because they are less common.

Of course, there are some players who are wild enough to justify your hero calling with an ace-high on the river. You can usually identify these players by their inability to fold on the flop and a high river aggression frequency. If you are playing live, you will notice that this person never likes to fold to the first flop bet and is always betting when one street gets checked down. That said, there are not as many of these players as people think there are. The wild players tend to stick out in your mind because they are less common. If everybody was playing like that their generic play would become less memorable in your mind.

Out of position and heads-up with ace-kinging is trickier. There are not as many hard and fast rules with out-of-position play. You have to wing it more. That’s why it’s dangerous.

What has worked for me well in the past is betting 1/3rd pot heads up when I have my ace-king high. Almost no one in position wants to fold to the first continuation-bet, especially when it is that small. That allows me to get value from all of my opponent’s floats. On the turn, I check and call because most players will go ahead and bet all of the hands they floated with at that point.

On the river, you have to make a judgment call. Is this the type of person who could put the river bet in with just a high card?

Typically, aggressive preflop behavior will be a good hint as to someone’s post-flop behavior. If someone struggles to even do a basic three-bet bluff, then you are less likely to see them fire multiple shells post flop. That said, this rule is ironclad. There are many people willing to do small bluffs preflop who actually are not capable of firing big post-flop bets.

Alex Fitzgerald Shares 5 Ways to Know If You are Running Bad or Playing Badly

And the River

It’s not a perfect system, but until you have extra information it is better to fold more rivers. Many common players struggle to bluff at the correct frequencies. As you move up in stakes you will be forced to call more. If you are playing lower stakes, especially versus North American competition, I would not give the common player credit for firing a large river bluff that will get called a significant percentage of the time.

“That being said, in a multi-way pot if you see action it is probable that your ace-king is losing.”

In multiway pots, things get even hairier. Bluff betting should decrease. With multiple players in the pot, it is far more likely someone has hit a pair that they are unwilling to fold. You also are blocking most of the high cards that would be folding to a bet, so you’re not exactly cashing out your equity when you fire. Your high cards still have value, and it is less likely someone will fire with nothing into multiple people. That being said, in a multi-way pot if you see action it is probable that your ace-king is losing. Worse, if your opponent has an ace kicker with their pair, you actually have pronounced reverse implied odds. If the turn gives you top pair top kicker it will simultaneously give them two pair. Caution is advised.

Those are some broad strokes for how to play ace-king when the hand misses. Of course, this is not a complete guide. This is akin to you asking me how to play a missed ace-king 10 minutes before a game starts. I have to use some generalizations that I’m not in love with due to the lack of time I have with you.

If you want to get better at playing ace-king when it misses, I’d recommend you check out this free course I put together.

In this course, I put you in a number of exams and analyze your answers. I also teach you what to do when you hit your ace-king. You will learn how to get max value from ace-king when you hit and when you miss.

About Alex Fitzgerald

Alex Fitzgerald is a professional poker player and best-selling author who currently lives in Denver, Colorado. He is a WPT and EPT final tablist. He has WCOOP and SCOOP wins online. His most recent win was for $250,000 online. He currently enjoys blasting bums away in online tournaments while he listens to death metal.

Alex can be reached for private coaching at [email protected]

Learn how to three bet everybody here!

Name Surname
Alex Fitzgerald





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Harrah’s Nebraska Casino in Columbus to Begin Construction Work

Harrah’s Nebraska Casino in Columbus to Begin Construction Work


Harrah’s casino in Columbus, Nebraska, received the go-ahead from the state’s regulator and the developer is ready to begin construction on the building’s framework in the coming weeks.

Harrah’s Casino to Open in 2024

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission green-lighted during its meeting on December 21 the beginning of construction work for the permanent casino that will be located off of Highway 81 on the former Wishbones property, The Columbus Telegram reported.

The Harrah’s casino was announced in June 2021 after Caesars Entertainment and Columbus Exposition and Racing (CER), a not-for-profit entity dedicated to the future of horse racing in Columbus and Nebraska, signed an agreement to build and develop a casino and racetrack in Columbus.

The casino was made possible by Nebraska voters in the November 2020 election in which they allowed the state’s six racetracks to offer gambling as part of a statewide gambling expansion. Columbus is one of the six cities with a racetrack in the state.

The property which will feature a sports bar, a sportsbook and a restaurant, besides a gaming floor with hundreds of slot machines and electronic and table games, is expected to open to the public in March 2024. Caesars Entertainment is also planning to add a simulcast area and a one-mile horse track to the venue.

Convergence, LLC, the owner of the land off of Highway 81, will build and develop the casino, racetrack and Marriott Hotel near the racetrack. The hotel will be operated by neither Caesars nor CER.

Temporary Venue Functional within Months

A temporary Harrah’s casino at Platte County Agricultural Park featuring 250 slot machines is expected to become functional a year earlier and operate until the permanent property is constructed. The temporary venue was also approved during the commission’s meeting.

The temporary facility was made possible after an agreement signed between Caesars and the Platte Agricultural Society earlier this year allowed Caesars to use the downstairs exhibit hall at Ag Park until the permanent casino property is constructed.

Commissioners approved a request to modify the Ag Park ballroom and remodel the stewards’ stands, including replacing the stand catwalk areas and the windows.

Managing Partner of Columbus Exposition and Racing (CER), Tom Jackson, was excited to see that the temporary casino was approved as it is expected to advance things for horse racing and bring tax revenue to the state and communities.

Columbus Mayor Jim Bulkley was relieved that the project is finally moving forward, frustrated that the casino officials needed that much time to obtain the approval, while Dawson Brunswick, president of Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, expressed his confidence that the city “will soon see the economic impact from CER and Harrah’s investment” in the community.



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Andreas Christoforou Among the Big Christmas Day Winners at PokerStars

Andreas Christoforou Among the Big Christmas Day Winners at PokerStars



While most of our readers were opening presents and carving their turkey on Christmas Day, scores of high-stakes poker tournament players were grinding online at PokerStars. Andreas “daskalos20” Christoforou, Pedro “gusmaa” Gusma, and Malta’s “HypnosisMass” were just three stars who shone brightly on Christmas Day and who padded their bankrolls with stocking-filling amounts.

Christoforou celebrated Christmas in style by taking down the $5,200 Titans Event for $87,002. Fifty-six players bought in and created a $280,000 prize pool that the top seven players shared.

Artur “mararthur1” Martirosian was the unfortunate soul that popped the money bubble, leaving Pablo “pabritz” Silva, “drew.derzh,” and “mell131313” to see a return on their $5,200 investment.

Thomas “WushuTM” Muehloecker was the fourth-place finisher, which came with $32,559 in prize money. Former PCA Main Event champion Dimitar “KuuL” Danchev fell in third for $45,182, which left Christoforou heads-up against Germany’s “TheRealWoG.”

Christoforou sent his final opponent to the showers and claimed the $87,002 top prize for himself. The runner-up left the table with $62,697 reasons to be cheerful at Christmas.

$5,200 Titans Event Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize
1 Andreas “daskalos20” Christoforou Malta $87,002
2 TheRealWoG Germany $62,697
3 Dimitar “KuuL” Danchev Bulgaria $45,182
4 Thomas “WushuTM” Muehloecker Austria $32,559
5 mell131313 Thailand $23,463
6 drew.derzh Ukraine $16,908
7 Pablo “pabritz” Silva Brazil $12,185

Gusma Denied Danchev a New year Series Title

Dimitar Danchev
Dimitar Danchev

Dimitar “KuuL” Danchev finished third in the $5,200 Titans Event and followed that up with a runner-up finish in the $1,050 NLHE 8-Max PKO Kick-Off event, part of the New Year Series.

Danchev outlasted almost all of the 225-strong field, including the likes of Pavels “Rigapols81” Spirins, Sweden’s “ShipitFTW911,” and “A.Wesker999” who all navigated their way to the final table but busted before capturing the title.

Eventually, Danchev found himself heads-up against Pedro “gusmaa” Gusma. Just as it looked like Danchev was going to make amends for missing out on Titans Event glory by becoming a New Year Series champion, Gusma pulled the rug from under him and reeled in a first-place prize weighing in at $49,091. Danchev consoled himself with a $31,685 runner-up prize.

New Year Series 3-H: $1,050 NLHE 8-Max PKO Kick-Off Final Table Results

Place Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize
1 Pedro “gusmaa” Gusma Brazil $29,851 $19,240 $49,091
2 Dimitar “KuuL” Danchev Bulgaria $12,445 $19,240 $31,685
3 Gremio CEM Brazil $3,406 $12,533 $15,939
4 monzemann Austria $3,203 $9,479 $12,682
5 A.Wesker999 Latvia $3,125 $7,169 $10,294
6 ShipitFTW911 Sweden $2,000 $5,422 $7,422
7 Pavels “Rigapols81” Spirins Latvia $2,187 $4,101 $6,288
8 nomalice Croatia $2,343 $3,102 $5,445
9 Qee…:)AA Montenegro $2,406 $2,584 $4,990

HypnosisMass Defeats Wheeler Heads-Up

Jason Wheeler
Jason Wheeler

Just as Danchev fell at the final hurdle in the $1,050 NLHE 8-Max PKO Kick-Off, popular grinder Jason “jdjtpoker” Wheeler did the same in the $1,050 NLHE 6-Max Semi-Turbo.

Some 123 players bought in and created a $123,000 prize pool, including a $26,959 top prize. The seven-handed final table lost a player when the UK’s “Big_Fish83” fell by the wayside. Mario “t4t0PAGAU” Navarro, Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph, Dalton “daltonhb” Hobold, and Estonian “PIPON777” crashed out in succession, leaving Wheeler heads-up against Malta’s “HypnosisMass”. It was not to be Wheeler’s day because he busted in second place for $20,230, leaving the Maltese champion to capture the $26,959 top prize.

New Year Series 6-H: $1,050 NLHE 6-Max Semi-Turbo Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize
1 HypnosisMass Malta $26,959
2 Jason “jdtjpoker” Wheeler Mexico $20,230
3 PIPON777 Estonia $15,316
4 Dalton “daltonhb” Hobold Brazil $11,544
5 Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph Austria $8,701
6 Mario “t4t0PAGAU” Navarro Andorra $6,558
7 Big_Fish83 United Kingdom $5,183





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Man Who Gambled $2.4M Faces Allegations of Running a Ponzi Scheme

Man Who Gambled $2.4M Faces Allegations of Running a Ponzi Scheme


He was arrested earlier in December on a warrant for several charges related to what authorities have described as including security fraud, theft, and more.

Buckle did not enact his fraud alone, with Warisra Stevens, a person described as his “confident” also standing trial last year and pleading guilty to multiple charges, including securities fraud and theft conspiracy. Stevens will now have to serve a prison sentence of at least 19 months.

How the Ponzi Scheme Worked

Buckle run a number of businesses with closely linked names, including Rodd One, Rodd U, and Rodd United, through which he convinced his victims that he was a financial coach and advisor.

His business was based near Flamingo Road and Arville Street in Las Vegas, Nevada. Investors would turn to Buckle who promised to manage their stock accounts and various investments, including sports betting, guaranteeing returns between 1% and 52% weekly.

Buckle’s operation relied not so much on him offering direct advice, but rather on receiving money from his victims and using said money to allegedly make investments. At first, the man is said to have taken checks, but later switched to a cash-only model.

“The investment amounts ranged from anything to $100 to over $700,000,” said investigators cited by various media outlets. Buckle though managed to sell his operations well to investors who were keen to put down more money. Essentially, Buckle contended that he needed more money to create better ROI streams for his clients.

In 2015, for example, Buckle promised a couple that he would bring a 50% return on wagers that he would place on their behalf. In 2017, the couple would ask Buckle for some of the money back, but he failed to remit any money back. The couple actually discovered that back in 1999, Buckle was fined by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution.

Stevens confirmed that Buckle had used investor money to feed his gambling habit, and for personal use. Stevens contended that any business Buckle set up was purposefully intended as a Ponzi scheme.

Buckle’s Gambling Addiction Pushes Him to Great Lengths

Stevens confirmed that Buckle was struggling with gambling addiction, which is one of the reasons why he has been pushed to take advantage of investor money. Investigators say that Buckle spent as much as $2.4 million worth of wagers on various sportsbooks.

In fact, according to 8newsnow, the exact name of the sportsbook is Westgate Hotel and Casino. He was eventually banned from the casino. Buckle arguably wagered $440,000 at the South Point Casino and lost $434,000. Buckle was targeted in 2017 as part of an investigation during which he had his home raided and various electronics and gaming tickets seized.

The case against him is not quite over with everything brought against Buckle at the present time just being allegations, but investigators seem confident they may have sufficient proof to bring the case to court.



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Happy Holidays Sale Rounds Off Incredible Year for 888poker

Happy Holidays Sale Rounds Off Incredible Year for 888poker



The Happy Holidays Sale at 888poker was immense. 888poker, celebrating 20 years in the online poker business, slashed the buy-ins of some its most popular multi-table tournaments as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, and it is fair to say it was a roaring success.

The promotion ran from December 19-26 and offered $250,000 worth of guarantees. By the time the curtain came down on the Happy Holidays Sale and the dust had settled, 888poker had dished out $301,755 in prize money, and a cool 9,410 888poker players had enjoyed discounted tournament entries.

The $100,000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty Main Event saw 1,618 players buy in and make 485 rebuys between them, for a total attendance of 2,103. Those entrants created a guarantee-busting $105,150 prize pool, which included a top mystery bounty prize worth $10,000!

888poker LIVE 2023 Schedule Returns to Madrid, London, Barcelona & Bucharest

Canada’s “Josieviolet” was the lucky recipient of the $10,000 bounty. They busted in 113th place, which came with a $93.75 cash prize for their $55 investment, but the player they eliminated had a whopping $10,000 bounty in their golden envelope!

“Laszlo_Szucs” was the last player standing in this event, defeating “xCot_” heads-up to capture a total prize worth $7,450. The runner-up headed into the night with $5,899 added to their bankroll.

$100,000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty Main Event

Place Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize
1 Laszlo_Szucs   $258 $7,192 $7,450
2 xCot_ Vietnam $681 $5,217 $5,899
3 Bromista Mexico $345 $3,777 $4,122
4 Spiralblock Germany $36 $2,757 $2,794
5 linxzy United Kingdom $558 $2,029 $2,587
6 Mingming123 Germany $1,492 $1,489 $2,981
7 PagaAiTrouxa Brazil $197 $1,103 $1,300
8 PAOKIAN Germany $334 $821 $1,156
9 Mayanking Georgia $123 $617 $741

“Ognian1988” Reels in Five Figure Score

The $40,000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty only cost $265 to enter instead of the usual $530, and 185 entries meant a $46,250 prize pool, including a $4,000 top bounty payment.

Those players that navigated their way to the nine-handed final table got their hands on the larger mystery bounties. Sixth place finisher “Inflaatio” of Finland collected $1,141 from the main prize pool but a cool $7,815 worth of bounties for an $8,957 score. That included the $4,000 top bounty.

The champion, “Ognian1988” of Montenegro, won $6,103 from the main prize pool plus $5,930 worth of mystery bounties for a total haul weighing in at $12,033. What a way to celebrate the festive period!

Abel Gongora Wins €1,100 888poker Live Madrid 20th Anniversary Edition (€70,000)

$40,000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty High Roller

Place Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize
1 Ognian1988 Montenegro $5,930 $6,103 $12,033
2 wellyxx Finland $215 $4,370 $4,586
3 r4ndomr4gs Sweden $215 $3,150 $3,365
4 DirtyPig Montenegro $376 $2,254 $2,631
5 xxBanioNxx Ireland $2,107 $1,585 $3,693
6 Inflaatio Finland $7,815 $1,141 $8,957
7 NL_sport Lithuania   $829 $829
8 m3gAlol     $606 $606
9 sk8erisz Lithuania $53 $443 $497

888poker Holiday Sale Winners

Tournament Buy-in Entrants Prize Pool Champion Prize
$10,000 Monday Big Shot 215 $109 126 $12,600 Tom “sheeeeeeeet” Hall $2,667
$10,000 Mystery Bounty 22 $11 1,202 $12,020 cookie1010 $1,264
$15,000 Big Shot 320 $160 101 $15,150 xane7a $4,173
$8,000 PKO Rumble 22 $11 831 $8,310 PeakyCollins $1,120
$12,000 Mystery Bounty 109 $55 298 $14,900 _AnimA_ $2,357
$10,000 Mystery Bounty 11 $5.50 2,334 $11,670 AA_daforra $1,012
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 55 $27.50 892 $22,300 LeoJoseCarne $2,732
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 320 $160 140 $21,000 creature94 $5,174
$6,000 Big Shot 33 $16.50 457 $6,855 Unmoved44 $1,254
$8,000 PKO Rumble 109 $55 281 $14,050 GediminasDir $2,883
$5,000 Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55 $27.50 460 $11,500 sooqa $2,250
$40,000 Mystery Bounty High Roller $265 185 $46,250 Ogniani1988 $12,033
$100,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event $55 2,103 $105,150 Laszlo_Szucs $7,450

888poker Supersizes BLAST Jackpot Sit & Go Prize Pool to $2,000,000!

The Highlights of 888poker’s 20th Year in Business

888poker’s 20th year as a top-tier online poker operator was one to remember. The online poke giant added several new faces to its roster of ambassadors and sponsored pros.

Champion boxer Chris Eubank Jr, Brazilian influencer Caue Moura, and YouTuber Jack “JaackMaate” Dean became cultural ambassadors, while the pro team saw the popular Ian Simpson, Lucia Navarro and Alexandre Mantovani join and proudly display the famous 888 logo wherever they played poker.

Live poker returned after a two-year enforced hiatus. The 888poker LIVE tour headed to London, Barcelona, Bucharest, Madrid, and Rozvadov. Plans are already afoot for the 2023 edition, with the first leg of the new year’s tour taking place between January 19-23 in Madrid!

Lastly, among all the excitement, 888poker became the first online poker operator to host daily mystery bounty tournaments. 888poker has thoroughly embraced the mystery bounty craze and is the place to be if you love the excitement and unique twists the new format brings to tournament poker.

888poker has big plans for 2023 after its hugely successful 2022. You can stay up-to-date on all things 888poker by staying tuned to PokerNews throughout the year, and by joining the official 888poker Discord server.





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Michigan and New Jersey to Join PokerStars Shared Pact on January 1

Michigan and New Jersey to Join PokerStars Shared Pact on January 1


Poker in the United States has certainly been popular or why would the World Series of Poker, the world’s largest and most prestigious poker event, be held in the country in the first place?

Yet, online poker has been somewhat slow to catch on. In the absence of sufficient prize pools and enough cash games, many players have turned offshore – but no more, as PokerStars, one of the biggest card rooms in the US and beyond, has vowed to merge its operations in New Jersey and Michigan and create new opportunities to play poker in competitive and rewarding settings.

Pennsylvania could be coming next as a logical continuation of the latest announcement.

Merge Player Bases for Even More Opportunities

Announced earlier in December, the merger between PokerStars’ operations in the Great Lakes and Garden State will now happen on January 1, allowing the company to unite its player bases and let them play against each other. This will have immediate results on the overall liquidity and help boost prize pools, offer busier tournament schedules, and certainly, reduce waiting times when looking for cash games.

PokerStars US managing director Severin Rasset was thrilled with the opportunity and said that he was looking forward to offering a better experience and adding even more value to player bases in both states, which will now merge into one super community. He added:

Our community will experience more breadth and depth of games, more tournaments with bigger prizes to win, amped-up promotions, and more choice.

PokerStars US managing director Severin Rasset

Charting a Path for Other States to Follow Suite

PokerStars has not gone it alone having collaborated very closely with regulators in both states but also setting an example of what other states that move forward with such a move may expect. New Jersey presently participates in an interstate gambling compact with Nevada and Delaware, but it’s individual brands that also have to agree to merge their player bases.

The good news is that online poker is slowly picking up steam. Part of this is the newfound interest and legislative momentum in legalizing iGaming and launching online casinos, which in turn is emboldening operators to also pursue an expansion in the online poker space.

There have been quite a few prominent names to do so already, including BetMGM, Caesars Interactive Entertainment, and not least, PokerStars.



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