Two new players have been unveiled as PokerStars Ambassadors with Brazilian Lali Tournier and Spain’s Irene ‘Frogy’ Albarrán set to join the roster.
The pair join the likes of André Akkari, 2019 PSPC Champion Ramón Colillas and Lex Veldhuis, along with Sam Grafton and Parker Talbot who joined back in 2021.
Scott Goodall, Poker Commercial Director at PokerStars, said he was delighted to welcome Lali and Frogy to the team.
“Lali is an incredible ambassador for the thriving poker community in Brazil,” he said. “Frogy has lit up our screens as part of our commentary team in Spain, and both are fantastic role models.
“We’ve seen both create memorable moments with PokerStars already, and as members of Team Pro, we can look forward to many more.”
Lali Tournier
A two-time World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) champion, Tournier is Brazilian poker pro and streamer, as well as a member of top Brazilian eSports organisation Furia.
“But now, my dream has come true, and it is even better than I could wish for”
“Thirteen years ago I started playing $0.25 Sit & Go’s on PokerStars,” she said. “And I remember looking at the Team Pro page and would imagine my picture there. It was a very distant dream.
“But now, my dream has come true, and it is even better than I could wish for; being a Team Pro, joining my husband Rafa and one of my best friends, Akkari. Thanks, PokerStars! I am really happy to be part of the best poker platform.”
Irene ‘Frogy’ Albarrán
“Being able to share these times with the community as well as the team is something that excites me a lot”
Meanwhile, Spanish poker coach and Twitch streamer ‘Frogy’ will join PokerStars not just as Ambassador, but also as a member of the PokerStars commentary team in Spain cover the PokerStars Players Championship. She says joining PokerStars is a dream come true.
“I have fulfilled one of my dreams; to be the voice of such a big poker community, alongside a great team who also feel like family, representing PokerStars,” she said. “I feel very excited about everything that is to come.
“There are going to be many beautiful moments, and being able to share these times with the community as well as the team is something that excites me a lot. The best is yet to come!”
Will Shillibier
Executive Editor E.U.
Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German, and then studied for a NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism at Sportsbeat in Manchester. He previously worked as a freelance live reporter, and video presenter for the World Poker Tour.
The company’s metrics improved across the board with revenues more than tripling. The executives believe that the provider is poised for future growth.
Golden Matrix’s Revenues Went Through the Roof
As outlined in Golden Matrix’s report, the company’s revenues for the year increased to $36 million, which represents a stellar 219% year-on-year increase from FY 2021. The bigger part of this revenue was thanks to the company’s business-to-customer operations, which earned it $21.2 million. At the same time, the business-to-business segment earned Golden Matrix an additional $14.8 million.
EBITDA levels were positive, with the company recording an adjusted EBITDA of $3.5 million. However, as revenues rose, so did expenses. The company reported that its general and administrative expenses skyrocketed from $1.26 million in 2021 to a whopping $5.44 million in 2022. Most of the expenses were related to the RKings B2C brand, Golden Matrix reported. It attributed the higher sum to an increase in marketing and payroll costs.
On the upside, the company’s B2B operations now number 685 and the total number of registered users sits at 7 million. Meanwhile, the B2C segment under the RKings brand now has over 45,000 unique active users each month.
Other reported metrics covered the company’s cash and cash equivalents, valued at $14.9 million as of October 31. In addition, the company reported total assets of $32.5 million. Liabilities as of October 31, 2022, sat at $2.77 million.
The Company Will Close a Major Deal in H1 2023
Golden Matrix’s chief executive officer, Brian Goodman, commented on the results. He called FY 2022 “a highly constructive year” for his company and praised his team for its hard work. He believes that the company is now well-positioned to drive strong and sustainable revenue. Even so, Golden Matrix will not stop improving its products.
To remain competitive in the worldwide gaming industry, we are continually upgrading our systems and gaming content offerings to support the needs of our millions of participants.
Brian Goodman, CEO, Golden Matrix
Goodman used the opportunity to further talk about the company’s acquisition of the MeridianBet Group for $300 million in cash and stock. The deal in question is expected to be closed in H1, 2023. Golden Matrix is certain that this M&A agreement will help the company further accelerate its growth while bolstering its global footprint.
The combined pro forma revenues of Golden Matrix and MeridianBet are expected to be greater than $100 million for FY2022, with an Adjusted EBITDA estimated to be greater than $22 million for the pro forma year ended October 31, 2022, making the combination financially appealing and earnings-accretive.
Brian Goodman, CEO, Golden Matrix
Goodman concluded by teasing that the company plans to double down on its efforts in Mexico and use it as a foothold to make a foray into Latin America.
It’s fair to say her trip to the Bahamas hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts for Alexandra Botez.
She almost missed her flight. She was coolered out of her first tournament. And — perhaps most unbelievably of all — she forgot to bring a chess board.
“One of my close friends is Dan Smith and at every event we get together to play chess for like five hours,” she told PokerNews. “And we were going to do that this time. But I was so late to my flight and I almost missed it — and I forgot to bring a chess board.
“I’m going to have to order a board otherwise I’m gonna start getting withdrawals.”
Warming Up for the PSPC
The popular chess and poker Twitch streamer and YouTuber is in the Bahamas to play in the PokerStars Players NL Hold’em Championship (PSPC) which gets underway today, and was playing in yesterday’s Ladies Event alongside PokerStars Ambassadors Jennifer Shahade and Georgina James.
“I just flew in and jumped straight in. I busted my first bullet in a cooler — I flopped a set and lost to a slightly higher set. I love ladies events — they’re my favorite. In poker, you’re allowed to talk at the table so it’s a lot more friendly, whereas with chess nobody talks and it tends to get super serious.
“It’s a lot more intimidating in ladies chess events. You could be friends afterward but [during the match] you’re just staring at each other in silence angrily for like six hours.”
PokerStars Announces the Dates for the 17th Anniversary Sunday Million
Poker and Twitch Streaming
With over a million followers on both YouTube and Twitch, Botez has made streaming chess engaging, exciting and entertaining, in equal parts. Now she’s begun turning her attention to streaming poker, and says it offers different opportunities to make the stream as enjoyable as possible — for everyone involved.
“I definitely play differently and give more action when I’m hosting a game and when there are cameras filming the game. I’ll play more loose and I’ll do things like straddles because I think it’s important to create a good product. Not just for the viewers, but for any potential poker sponsors and for all of the guests who decided to come out on the show.
“I definitely play differently and give more action when I’m hosting a game and when there are cameras filming the game”
“So it does influence my actual play, whereas when I’m playing chess, obviously, it’s perfect information and I’m a little bit distracted because I’m talking or I’m chatting, but poker feels like there’s a lot more pressure to make interesting hands and to get that cool clickable moment because that’s how you kind of create virality in poker
“I mean, you do it a little bit with chess to where you’ll play into something that isn’t as good but it might have some kind of an attack. That said, it doesn’t necessarily correlate to more views or anything like that.
“I suppose I don’t actually think of [making it more exciting] in chess — it’s more just my style! Whereas in poker I’m actively thinking about it while I’m doing the content.”
Did You Know? In May 2022, Botez won almost $500,000 in an eight-hour Hustler Casino Live stream alongside Mr. Beast, Ludwig, and Ninja as well as professional poker players Tom Dwan, Phil Hellmuth and Alan Keating
The Key to A(nother) Poker Boom
The B-word has been thrown around in both chess and poker in recent years, and Botez says she believes the ingredients are there for poker to follow in chess’ footsteps and enjoy a “boom” of sorts.
“A lot of people think the big break for chess was Queen’s Gambit, and it did contribute to getting more players, but what actually was the break for chess was COVID,” she said. “More people were playing casually online because they had more time to do so.
What Can Poker Learn From The Queen’s Gambit?
“I think poker is even more accessible than chess”
“And what happened after is a lot of streamers started doing chess and there was a boom. So I think what actually happened with chess is it became way more accessible to the average person. And I think you can absolutely do that with poker.
“That’s why I’ve also been doing creator games where you bring people who have an audience from somewhere else and you make it fun. It shows that it’s not just about GTO — there are personalities and you get people watching and start being like “Wow, this is actually super fun to watch!”
The Accessibility of Poker is Key
At its core, the game of chess didn’t change as it enjoyed a surge in interest and player numbers. Instead, Botez says there was a change in the way it was marketed.
“It took a while for chess people to understand that you really have adapted the format for the more casual viewers. And I think if you could do that with poker as well, then I don’t see why it wouldn’t be able to. I think poker is even more accessible than chess because there’s RNG. With chess, you can get tired of grinding and it’s all your fault when you lose!”
Poker at its core is recreation — according to Botez, the creator games were set up for people to hang out, laugh and learn — and she says these three tenets are the key to encouraging new players to seek out poker and realize how much they can enjoy it.
“I think poker is even more accessible than chess”
“I think it’s important for people who are getting into poker to think about it in a different way. Think of it like ‘I’m spending $100 to play poker’ instead of ‘I’m spending $100 to try and win’
“It needs to be all about the experience. I spent hours grinding $2/$3 in the casino because I enjoyed it and it was therapeutic! I had earphones on just thinking about life and waiting to get good hands.
“And I was there for a good five or six hours and it was an incredible experience. I just thought about it like I’m not expecting to win but that I’m paying for the experience. That’s what I got out of it.”
Top 5 Most Epic Hustler Casino Live Poker Hands of 2022
Enjoying the PSPC Experience
Starting tomorrow Botez will be playing for a lot more than just the experience — albeit the PSPC does constitute an experience of a lifetime for many — with millions of dollars in prize money up for grabs in this $25,000 buy-in tournament.
“I know I’m less experienced than most of the people here. I think my coach said I’m like bottom 15% — at least! — which is you know, totally okay. I’m just gonna go and do my best, try to learn and pay attention while I’m at the table. I’m going to be vlogging and creating content while I’m there because after all, that’s my job.
“But if I do my job well and I enjoy the experience. That’s all I can ask for.”
Will Shillibier
Executive Editor E.U.
Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German, and then studied for a NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism at Sportsbeat in Manchester. He previously worked as a freelance live reporter, and video presenter for the World Poker Tour.
International Game Technology (IGT) has received an improved, higher-than-average score from the environmental non-profit company for successfully addressing the impact of its business and improving its environmental management.
“Steadfast Commitment to Sustainability”
IGT’s score, which is higher than the company’s rating received in 2021, came from CDP’s assessment of how the gaming company managed to limit its carbon footprints. This was achieved by IGT sharing crucial information regarding its efforts to lower its carbon footprints.
IGT’s senior vice president, marketing, communications, and sustainability, Wendy Montgomery, explained that the company had “made great strides” to enhance its environmental efforts in the last years. Montgomery also explained that IGT was well-aware that they are directly responsible to generate action plans that would help cut their carbon footprint.
The company’s commitment to helping to put a stop to the devastating climate change has been extended to their customers as well as their own sustainable operations, added the SVP.
The fresh B score from CDP is meant to assure all of IGT’s stakeholders that the company plans to keep advancing using its “steadfast commitment to sustainability.”
What Are CDP Scores?
CDP scores offer quick snapshots of companies’ disclosure and environmental performance. With the help of this scoring, companies can start taking important environmental action by accurately and transparently assessing the impact of their businesses on the environment.
CDP scores explain the way companies together with stakeholders are doing in their efforts to be aligned with a 1.5-degree future with zero deforestation and safe water. When companies choose to fully and openly disclose their progress over the course of consecutive years, they can get a better understanding of their environmental journey’s direction.
The not-for-profit charity’s scoring methodology is completely synchronized with the Taskforce for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures along with other critical environmental standards. This means it can offer a relevant comparable dataset across all markets.
Disclosure is the main driver for action. When companies are scored from D- to A, CDP carries them on a journey from disclosure via awareness and management, culminating with leadership.
A company that has received an A score has not, however, reached the end of its journey. The highest score means that the respective company counts among the most transparent operators in terms of climate change performance and disclosure, along with water security and deforestation.
IGT kickstarted 2023 by signing an important RGS IP alliance with Greentube, partnering with UBetOhio while filing a lawsuit against the UK Gambling Commission in relation to the fourth National Lottery license.
On Monday, the 2023 PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) kicked off, and midway through Level 4 the field is already closing in on 1,000 runners! It’s a truly special event with hundreds of Platinum Pass winners doing battle with some of the biggest names in the game.
While players started with 60,000 in chips and are playing one-hour levels, it didn’t take long for the action to heat up. In fact, there has already been a slew of eliminations with the first coming in Level 1. Ever since there’s been a steady stream of players headed to the exit.
Here’s a look at some of the early bust-out hands from the 2023 PSPC.
Follow live updates from the 2023 PSPC here!
Eliminations Come Quick
Alexandru Papazian
In Level 2 (100/300/300), PokerNews’ Kirk Brown caught a big hand between Alexandru Papazian and PokerStars Platinum Pass winner Hugo Rodilla. They involved in a heads-up pot and faced a board of . Papazian was first to act from the small blind and he bet out 7,400 into the pot of 10,000.
Rodilla made the call from under the gun and the two went to the river . Papazian fired again for 18,200, which left him with a 25,000 chip behind.
After a few moments, Rodilla then moved all in, covering Papazian, and now he was the one under pressure.
Papazian just chuckled to himself, checked his cards once more, and shook his head as he threw in his last chip. He then flipped over for a full house, jacks full of fives, but then Rodilla tabled his hand of for an even bigger full house to win the pot.
The table collectively groaned as they saw what a beat that was, and Papazian was sent to the rail becoming the third elimination of the day.
He was far from the last though as the likes of Juan Pardo, David Yan, Marius Gierse, Fintan Hand, Dan Sepiol, Johan Guilbert, Thomas Boivin, and UFC announcer Bruce Buffer, who earlier in the day had given the traditional, “Shuffle up and deal.”
Moneymaker Busts Coutinho
Chris Moneymaker
One player who got off to a good start was 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Chris Moneymaker, who you might recall finished 11th in the 2011 PCA Main Event for $130,000.
In Level 3 (200/400/400), PokerNews reporter Connor Richards caught a hand between Moneymaker and Sergio Coutinho. In it, Moneymaker was on the good end of a massive cooler.
Coutinho was seen getting up from his seat with his face-up against the of Moneymaker with the board reading . Just like that Coutinho found himself on the rail while Moneymaker grew his stack up to 135,000.
Aces Giveth and Taketh for Anthony Hu
Anthony Hu in the PCA.
In Level 3 (200/400/400), PokerNews’ Calum Grant caught a big hand involving Anthony Hu, who you might recall survived the PCA Main Event money bubble in a back-and-forth ace-versus-kings showdown. That hand was featured in our “Biggest Hands of the Week” recap here.
In the PSPC, Hu opened to 800 from under the gun and was called by a player in late position. Tamer Alkamli then three-bet to 4,200 from the big blind and only Hu called.
Hu called bets of 3,600 and 9,500 for the final board to read
Alkamli put in his last 26,000 on the river and was snap-called.
Alkamli tabled for top set but Hu had the for the seven-high straight. Alkamli looked less than impressed when he exited the room.
2023 PCA Hands of the Week: What Player Said “I Don’t Know Why I Tried Against this Guy”
ICE London 2023 is set to break the attendance record for the event as exhibitors from 68 nations have already confirmed their participation in the event, announced the event organizers, Clarion Gaming, in a press release.
Affirming as the Industry’s Leading Exhibition
Running from February 7-9, 2023, ICE London will feature 623 exhibitors coming from 68 countries around the world, spanning from Argentina, Mexico and the US, to Australia and Macau. ICE London 2020 featured exhibitors from 65 nations worldwide.
Commenting on the news, Clarion Gaming’s managing director Stuart Hunter highlighted how much the event had grown through the years to reach a level of internationalization “no other exhibition in the gaming space can come anywhere near.”
Hunter added that the industry’s interest in the event positions ICE London as “a global experience with unique access to the smartest gaming innovations drawn from every corner of the world,” adamant that there are “very few exhibitions of scale in any industry sector” that can be compared with the event and claim to be global or world events.
As the biggest B2B gambling industry event, ICE 2023 will feature game creators, distributors, operators, retailers, trade associations, strategic bodies, and industry regulators all gathered at ExCel London to represent every gaming vertical.
A Week That Sets Directions for the Year
“Research that we’ve undertaken has shown that for many people ICE and iGB Affiliate London actually start on the Sunday pre-ceding and finish on the following Saturday,” Hunter continued, sharing the company’s estimations that “in that week, … over 100 gambling industry events will take place outside of the show hours providing a new and compelling perspective on why ICE and iGB Affiliate London are so influential and important to the world industry.”
His opinion was shared by Simon Thomas, executive chairman of The Hippodrome Casino which serves as a member of the ICE Ambassador Group of industry advisers, who stated that “to see ICE as simply being a three-day live event” is no longer appropriate.
According to the casino’s observations, “the industry is arriving in London a lot earlier and staying considerably longer,” making ICE London “a full week of intensive networking, events, presentations, award ceremonies, meetings, and socializing.”
“The phenomenal international credentials make this coming together of buyers, games creators, influencers, and thought leaders into what I would describe as World Gaming Week,” Thomas continued, connecting industry developments taking place over the year “to conversations that occurred during the week in London.”
ICE London 2023 will also feature the biggest Consumer Protection Zone to date, according to an earlier announcement made by Clarion Gaming.
PokerStars is currently hosting the 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), and today the second ever PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) begins and runs through February 3. The buy-in for the PSPC will be $25,000, mirroring that of the first installment.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team has been on-site to offer live updates from a slew of PCA tournaments. Here’s a look at five of the more interesting hands captured in our live updates from the Bahamas.
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Follow live updates from the 2023 PCA here!
Beresford’s Aces Lead to a Double
Conor Beresford & Fedor Holz
On Day 2 of the $50,000 7-Handed High Roller, it was Level 22 (25,000/50,000/50,000) when Dan Smith opened on the button to 100,000 and quickly faced a three-bet from Conor Beresford in the small blind to 260,000. Ben Heath got out of the way and Smith called to see the flop.
Beresford led out for 65,000 and Smith called again to the turn. The action repeated as Beresford fired 80,000 and Smith called to the river.
Beresford used a time bank card before sliding in a bet of 100,000. Smith then used a time bank of his own and announced all in, committing enough chips to put Beresford at risk.
Beresford’s chips moved forward instantly as he tabled for a turned full house. Smith flashed his cards to his opponents before mucking them to the dealer, giving Beresford the chip lead at the end of Level 22.
Beresford went on to win the tournament, which you can read about here!
“There’s No Folding Range!”: Addamo Floats Beresford
Michael Addamo
On Day 1 of the $25,000 8-Handed High Roller, it was Level 9 (1,500/3,000/3,000) when in a three-way pot on a board of , Dimitar Danchev checked in the big blind and Beresford checked from the hijack before Michael Addamo bet 5,500 on the button. Danchev folded and Beresford check-raised to 14,500. Addamo called.
Beresford bet 8,000 on the turn and Addamo sat perfectly still before raising to 24,000. Beresford folded to hang onto his remaining 33,500.
“I don’t know why I tried against this guy. There’s no folding range!” lamented Beresford. “But I’ll keep f***ing fighting.”
Badziakouski Exits Holding Aces; Mikolaitis Soars into Chip Lead
Dominykas Mikolaitis
On Day 2 of the same tournament in Level 20 (15,000/30,000/30,000), Mikita Badziakouski and Dominykas Mikolaitis got it all in preflop for piles, with Badziakouski at risk.
Mikita Badziakouski: Dominykas Mikolaitis:
Badziakouski was on the right side of this cooler going into this hand, but the tables quickly turned on the flop of to give Mikolaitis top set of kings.
The board completed with to secure Mikolaitis’ victory and sent Badziakouski to the rail. Mikolaitis now has a massive stack of 1,900,000 and is the tournament’s clear chip leader.
Find out who won the $25,000 8-Handed Event here!
Double Elimination at the Feature Table
Ramon Colillas
On Day 4 of the 2023 PCA Main Event, just 23 players remained from an 889-player field when, in Level 22 (10,000/20,000/20,000), Michel Dattani raised to 40,000 from early position. Ramon Colillas was in middle position and three-bet to 185,000 leaving himself only 5,000 behind. Elias Gutierrez in the cutoff four-bet to 330,000. Action was back on Dattani who moved all in for 1,005,000. Colillas tossed in his last chip and Gutierrez snap-called.
Ramon Colillas: Elias Gutierrez: Michel Dattani:
Board:
Dattani was in a great position to secure a double knockout and win a huge pot. The board ran out nine-high and eliminated both Colillas and Gutierrez as Dattani moved up to more than two million chips.
Raymond Folds Full House Correctly
Alexandre Raymond
On Day 5 of the PCA Main Event, it was Level 26 (25,000/50,000/50,000) when Pedro Neves raised to 100,000 from early position and was called by Alexandre Raymond from the big blind.
Raymond, with , check-raised to 200,000 on the flop after Neves continued for 70,000 with his . Neves called.
Raymond improved to a full house on the turn and action checked through.
The river then improved Neves to a superior full house and Raymond led out for 325,000. Neves then raised, choosing a sizing of 1,800,000. Miraculously, Raymond found the correct fold and did it without using up a time bank card.
Representatives of Palms Casino Resort Las Vegas and San Manuel Casino in California will be among the thought leaders at the International Casino Conference on February 6, 2023, at ICE London 2023.
Laurens Vosloo, chief executive officer of San Manuel Casino at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Southern California, and Cynthia Murphey, general manager of Palms Casino Resort Las Vegas, will share their experience during the ICE London’s curtain-raiser event in relation to the opening of the first casino resort in Las Vegas that is owned and operated by a Native American tribe.
Speaking ahead of the event, Vosloo, who is also the chief executive officer of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, outlined the prospect of owning a casino in Las Vegas as “a long-term vision” and part of the tribe’s investment and diversification strategy.
“At the International Casino Conference, we will be sharing the story of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and how they made history by becoming the first Native American tribe to wholly own and operate a casino resort in Las Vegas,” Vosloo said.
Vosloo also noted that the San Manuel tribe is popular with its generosity and contributions to its communities, expressing this way its “gratitude for the kindness” shown by others throughout the tribe’s “journey to self-reliance and sovereignty.”
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is among the leading employers in Southern California and providing for the community is central to the tribe’s values, hence, the history-making acquisition of Palms Casino Resort Las Vegas was no different having created jobs for 1,200 team members half of which were returning casino employees.
Challenges Did Not Stop the Team
The casino was sold to the San Manuel Gaming & Hospitality Authority in May 2021 and was opened in April last year, just 132 days after receiving its operational license, and the casino’s general manager will reflect on the huge logistical challenges of preparing such an iconic hospitality venue.
Commenting on the experience, Murphey said that the team at Palms had managed to open the casino resort in less than four months, doing the “sourcing, hiring, and training” of its team members, “overcoming strategic sourcing and supply chain issues,” as well as “dealing with anything else they had not planned for but had “encountered as the first Tribal entity to own and operate a casino resort in Las Vegas.”
Murphey also expressed her gratitude to the numerous original Palms team members who had decided to rejoin at the opening, highlighting “their energy and enthusiasm” as the reasons for the casino resort to continue to thrive.
She also paid tribute to the vision of the San Manuel Gaming & Hospitality Authority and its desire to create positive change in the Las Vegas community, making it stronger and more resilient with its contributions.
Between entertaining gimmicks and all-star endorsements, it’s easy to see how online gambling promotions could catch the attention of those under the legal betting age. While online gambling is illegal in Florida, promotions are still reaching minors and introducing them to gambling before they’re of age to make informed decisions. It’s important to learn more about how these promotions are inadvertently reaching kids, how they lead to problematic behavior, and the normalization of gambling ads during popular sporting events.
Reaching the Wrong Audience
Most online platforms have some regulations regarding gambling ads and minors, but what happens when these platforms aren’t enforcing their own policies? In 2021, the Tech Transparency Company ran an experiment where they submitted ads to Facebook that targeted teens with age-inappropriate content, such as gambling and alcohol, and found all their ads approved within hours.[1] Intentional or not, there are commonly jokes, memes, celebrity and athlete endorsements, and imagery that appeal to younger audiences.
Not only are children more exposed to ads of this nature, they’re also more able to act on these ads than before. This generation is quick to adopt the newest technologies and can access online gambling sites due to poor or no age verification or through a parent’s account. And, in some cases, children are not monitored by adults when on their devices.
Gambling Ads Affect Minors
The earlier children are exposed to gambling advertisements and opportunities the more likely they are to develop compulsive gambling behaviors in the future. Research shows that regular exposure to gambling ads can change a minor’s perception of the activity and make it normalized at a younger age.[2] In fact, children introduced to gambling by age 12 are four times more likely to compulsively gamble. Because a minor’s brain isn’t fully developed, they lack a refined sensitivity to risky behaviors when presented. Currently, 4-5% of minors ages 12-17 meet the criteria for a gambling problem, with an additional 10-14% at risk of developing one.[3]
How Major Sporting Events Could Cause Problems
It’s that time of year when many exciting sporting events are anticipated, from the big football game final to March Madness. While sports betting isn’t legal in the Sunshine State for anyone, children, teens, and others are still being bombarded with commercials promoting betting while watching their favorite teams compete. It’s become the norm for minors to see athletes endorse gambling, which can be harmful for impressionable young fans who view these players as idols.
Working Together for Education and Prevention
Whether your child or someone you know has been asking questions about sports betting commercials or displaying concerning behaviors, the FCCG has the resources you need to protect those at-risk or experiencing the impacts of problem gambling. Your One Sure Thing can help you, a minor and others to understand the risks of gambling addiction by contacting the Problem Gambling HelpLine at 888-ADMIT-IT (888-236-4848), texting (321-978-0555), emailing ([email protected]), chatting (gamblinghelp.org), or visiting us on social media.
REFERENCES:
Mayer, Beth Ann. “Kids as Young as 11 Are Becoming Addicted to Online Gambling.” Parents, 23 Dec. 2021, https://www.parents.com/kids/safety/kids-as-young-as-11-are-becoming-addicted-to-online-gambling/.
Davies, Rob. “Children More Likely to Become Gamblers Due to High Volume of Betting Ads.” The Guardian, 27 Mar. 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/27/children-more-likely-to-become-gamblers-due-to-high-volume-of-betting-ads.
High School Gambling Fact Sheet. National Council on Problem Gambling, https://www.ncpgambling.org/files/HS_Fact_Sheet.pdf.
The RunGood Poker Series at Hard Rock in Tulsa, Oklahoma, came to an end Sunday night with the conclusion of the $600 Main Event. The guaranteed prize pool of $100,000 was blown out of the water as a total of 649 entrants (a venue record) came out to make a total purse of $337,480, which was paid out to the top 81 players.
After the dust settled, it was Oklahoma resident Pete Petree who dominated the final table to win his first RGPS main event for a career-best score of $62,911.
“I was fortunate enough to have a chip lead at the final table,” remarked the newest champion after the win, “I bet it when I had it, and I got lucky.”
Prior to this win, Petree had lifetime earnings of $125,225, and victories that included a WSOP circuit ring, and a RGPS Pot-Limit Omaha title in 2017 in Tulsa. With this win, Petree triples his biggest prior cash, and becomes the first player to win the free seat to the Thunder Valley freeroll, where he will have an opportunity to play in The PokerGO Tour $1,000,000 freeroll.
“A trip to California, it sounds awesome. My wife will love it,” Petree responded when asked about the seat.
RGPS Tulsa Final Table Results
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Pete Petree
Broken Arrow, OK
$62,911
2
Sam Panzica
Deadwood, SD
$39,350
3
Grant Hart
Conway, AR
$29,091
4
Mark Martin
Dexter, KS
$21,767
5
Nikhil Behl
Tulsa, OK
$16,469
6
James Herderhorst
Kansas City, MO
$12,622
7
Travis Speck
Wichita Falls, TX
$9,821
8
Jeff Tolbert
Broken Arrow, OK
$7,728
9
Joseph Gargiulo
Port Charlotte, FL
$6,176
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Action of The Day
The eliminations started out slow at the beginning of the day, but once the clock ticked down to 60 players, a flurry of competitors headed to the exit. Among the fallen were Keith Jeffrey (58th-$1,215), Brian Frenzel (40th-$1,384), Duster Ellis (31st-$1,654), start of day chip leader Kris Burchfield (28th-$1,856), Ashley “PokerFaceAsh” Frank (22nd-$2,430), Caitlin Comeskey (19th-$2,835), and Sandra Main (13th-$4,084). On the final table bubble, it was Kyle Michael who ended up going to the exit when his ace-five could not hold against Jeff Tolbert’s king-queen. Michael ended the tournament in tenth place for $4,961.
Final Table Recap
Joseph Gargiulo started off the week by winning the RGPS ambassador bounty, and he ended it by making an appearance at the $600 Main Event final table. His run was cut short when he doubled up Sam Panzica, with ace-nine against Panzica’s ace-king, leaving him with just two big blinds. Shortly after he found himself all in and holding king-queen suited. He was unable to improve against Mark Martin’s ace three suited and the colorful RGPS ring winner exited the tournament in ninth place for $6,176.
Hard Rock Tulsa January 2023 Main Event Final Table
The next eliminations came together in the same hand. Tolbert came into the final with a larger-than-average chip stack, but an ace-king to kings confrontation with Petree left him with just two big blinds. He moved all in from first position getting called by Petree and Martin. The short-stacked Travis Speck then moved all in from the small blind, which folded out Martin, but Petree called. Petree’s ten-nine suited was able to improve against both Tolbert’s ace-jack offsuit and Speck’s ace-king suited, adding to Petree’s growing chip stack while eliminating Tolbert in eighth place for $7,728, and Speck in seventh place for $9,821.
It was James Herderhorst who was eliminated next in a multiway pot that saw both Grant Hart and Herderhorst make a flush. Herderhorst held jack-eight of hearts looking at a board with three hearts on it. He moved all in for his last eight big blinds, only for Hart to move all in over the top with king-ten of hearts for the second nut flush. Herderhorst wished his table mates well as he exited the tournament in sixth for $12,622.
Nikhil Behl fell next in fifth place for $16,469. Behl started as one of the shorter stacks at the final table, but managed to ladder up multiple spots to see his stack make it to five-handed play. When he moved in his final four big blinds, he was called by three players who checked down a board and his ace-high was unable to best Martin’s rivered pair of sevens and he left the tournament area.
Nikhil Behl
Mark Martin doubled through Hart when his queens held against ace-king suited, which saw Martin put himself in a clear second place while Hart fell very short. What seemed like a high likelihood of a Martin versus Petree heads-up match, vanished in an instant when Martin held ten-nine suited and flopped a straight, only for Petree’s king-ten off to make a superior straight on the turn. Both players got in their chips on the turn and Martin could not find a river chop to survive and the RGPS Joplin champion ended his impressive run in fourth place for $21,767.
Hart fell very shortly after his confrontation with Martin and he got in his final chips with pocket fours, flipping with Panzica’s ace-jack. A jack on the flop and an ace on the river ensured a victory for Panzica and the RGPS regular finished in third place for a career-best cash of $29,091.
Panzica hung around at the bottom of the chip counts most of the final table, but by the time he had gotten to heads up, he was at his tournament peak. Despite that, just two hands into heads up, the chips went all in with Panzica holding king-queen against Petree’s ace-king. A nine-high board did not change anything for the hand rankings and the most experienced tournament player at the final table ended his run in second place for $39,350 to add to his $4,700,000 in lifetime earnings.
. Papazian was first to act from the small blind and he bet out 7,400 into the pot of 10,000. 
. Papazian fired again for 18,200, which left him with a 25,000 chip behind. 
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for an even bigger full house to win the pot. 
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to secure Mikolaitis’ victory and sent Badziakouski to the rail. Mikolaitis now has a massive stack of 1,900,000 and is the tournament’s clear chip leader.
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