After the immense popularity of the 2021 Korean drama Squid Game on Netflix, variations of the famous game series (less violent versions, to be clear) began to pop up everywhere.
Squid Craft, the Minecraft version of Squid Game, was first hosted in 2022 and is set to return in just a couple days. Created by Spanish Twitch streamers Rubis, Ibai, and AuronPlay, this year’s roster includes about 200 participants.
takes place on a Minecraft map containing various minigame sections
Resembling the Squid Game television series, Squid Craft takes place on a Minecraft map containing various minigame sections. The participants compete to survive each round and eventually win the competition as the lone player to make it through each game.
Big names to appear
Though it caters to Spanish creators, the tournament is now being further geared toward a North American audience. As a result, many English-speaking creators will be featured at the Twitch Rivals event taking place on February 28, 2023.
Popular Spanish streamers Ibai, Xokas, and El Rubius will return to participate in Squid Craft 2023. Hailing from North America, streaming icons Pokimane, xQc, Amouranth, and MoistCr1TiKaL will also enter the mix. Plus, some prominent names in the Minecraft world will be joining, such as Dream and GeorgeNotFound:
Though 200 people are invited to the 2023 event, it is likely only 199 will actually play, as AuronPlay (real name: Raúl Álvarez Genes) will reportedly not be participating after recent grooming allegations surfaced.
A competition with a prize
Last year, the Squid Craft Twitch Rivals competition was hosted by Komanche and AuronPlay, who created the Minecraft mod for the game. With around 150 predominately Spanish-speaking creators in the competition, the winner came away with $100,000 in prize money.
compete for a grand prize of $100,000
This year, the 200 participants will again compete for a grand prize of $100,000. Players will compete on unique Minecraft maps specially designed for the competition.
The participating streamers will likely broadcast on their own channels, which last year garnered massive viewership across the board. Squid Craft 2022 became the most popular event of Twitch Rivals and peaked at 2.2 million viewers. Many streamers even set their own personal viewership records during the event.
The post This Year’s Squid Craft 2 Will Feature xQc, Pokimane, Amouranth, and More appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit online series on the WSOP.com poker site in New Jersey and Nevada is underway, and there have already been five winners, all first timers.
A WSOP Circuit ring is one of the most coveted pieces of jewelry in poker, and they aren’t only won at a land-based casino anymore. Online poker has changed the game significantly and dozens of rings are handed out to those who take down Circuit tournaments on WSOP.com.
In this specific series, which began Feb. 17 and will end Feb. 28, there will be a total of 12 players securing one of those shiny pieces of jewelry. Let’s take a look at how the series has gone up to this date.
New Jersey Online Poker Revenue for 2022
Rudy Cadenas Gets it Started with a Circuit Win
Event #1 of the NV/NJ online Circuit series was $300 No-Limit Hold’em Knockout Freezeout, which meant players could only buy-in once. Rudy Cadenas of Las Vegas made the most of his one permitted bullet by taking it down for $10,635.
Cadenas beat out Jeffrey Dobrin, a 2020 WSOP bracelet winner and three-time Circuit ring winner, heads-up to take it down. Dobrin, who also resides in Las Vegas, received $8,025. Katie Lindsay also notably reached the final table, taking fifth place for $3,295.
WSOP NJ/NV Online Circuit Event #1 Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Rudy Cadenas
$10,635
2
Peter Dobrin
$8,025
3
Aneris Adomkevicius
$6,225
4
Giuseppe Pantaleo
$3,955
5
Katie Lindsay
$3,295
6
Denis Gnidash
$2,340
7
Jeffrey Lewis
$2,190
8
Denver Combs
$1,895
9
Zachary Okin
$1,305
Close Call for Garry Gates
Garry Gates, a former poker media member, took fourth place for $3 million in the 2019 WSOP Main Event. He also won a Circuit ring in Aruba that same year. In Event #2 of the current WSOP.com online series — $500 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Max ($100,000 guaranteed) — he almost won another ring.
Gates took second place for $20,697. The only player the Henderson, Nevada resident lost out to was Shaun Goodman, who was playing from New Jersey. Goodman, a first-time ring winner, received $29,002. Giuseppe Pantaleo, who finished fourth in Event #1, reached consecutive final tables, this one a $7,710 score for fifth place.
WSOP NJ/NV Online Circuit Event #2 Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Shaun Goodman
$29,002
2
Garry Gates
$20,697
3
William Hutchinson
$14,786
4
Jordyn Miller
$10,633
5
Giuseppe Pantaleo
$7,710
6
Will Clarke
$5,588
7
Daniel Johnson
$4,075
8
Kijoon Park
$2,975
9
Harvey Alegado
$2,186
What Are The Best New Jersey Online Poker Sites?
Michael Hauptman Wins First Ring
Michael Hauptman won his first Circuit ring on Feb. 19 in Event #3: $100 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack ($100,000 guaranteed). He took home the top prize in the field of $15,480. In second place was Michael Reisman, and he received $11,290.
The one-day event brought out a large field with the champion earning nearly 155 times the buy-in. Hauptman is listed from Los Angeles, California.
WSOP NJ/NV Online Circuit Event #3 Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Michael Hauptman
$15,480
2
Michael Reisman
$11,290
3
Denver Combs
$8,300
4
Marcus Acuna
$6,150
5
Patricia Dalton
$4,550
6
Carmen Dimaria
$3,400
7
Melissa Morgan
$2,560
8
Zachary Epstein
$1,940
9
William Albin
$1,480
Jason Somerville Runs Deep
Gennady Krolik was the champion in Event #4: $215 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Max ($50,000 guaranteed), and he beat a brutally tough final table that included poker stars Jason Somerville, Daniel Buzgon, and Adam Hendrix.
Krolik won $20,177 for first place, beating out Jariah Waring ($14,602) heads-up for the ring. Somerville, who doesn’t play poker as much these days as he used to, finished fourth for $7,699. Ben Abrahams, aka “chaipoker,” a long-time grinder in Las Vegas card rooms and on WSOP.com, finished in third for $10,627, just two spots away from his first Circuit ring.
WSOP NJ/NV Online Circuit Event #4 Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Gennady Krolik
$20,177
2
Jariah Waring
$14,602
3
Ben Abrahams
$10,627
4
Jason Somerville
$7,699
5
Dave Alfa
$5,607
6
Cody Sadreameli
$4,142
7
Daniel Buzgon
$3,044
8
Adam Hendrix
$2,259
Joseph Cheong Deep in Another Tournament
Joseph Cheong added another deep run in a poker tournament — Event #5: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller 6-Max ($125,000 guaranteed). The three-time Circuit ring and one-time WSOP bracelet winner finished in second place for $32,426.
Cheong’s run was impressive but quite as impressive as Brian Gates, the last player standing in the tournament. Gates received $45,279 for winning his first ever World Series of Poker piece of jewelry.
WSOP NJ/NV Online Circuit Event #5 Final Table Results
The sixth-largest PokerStars European Poker Tour Main Event in history has crowned a winner at the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile. Out of a field of 1,606 entries in the 2023 EPT Paris €5,300 Main Event, PokerStars online qualifier Razvan Belea claimed the biggest portion of the €7,708,800 prize pool after defeating Sweden’s Peter Jorgne in heads-up play.
Coming into the final day as the chip leader, the Romanian with $1.25 million in MTT cashes on PokerStars, Belea remained ahead of his final four opponents all the way to continue a remarkable run throughout the last couple of days. He held the top spot after Day 4 and 5, never surrendering the top spot on the leaderboard during an action-filled grand finale.
It was the first EPT Main Event title for a poker player from Romania, as Belea finished one spot higher than Dany Parlafes at 2015 EPT Deauville when the popular tour visited France for the last time. His trademark victory came with a payday of €1,170,000 while Jorgne had to settle for a consolation prize of €780,100, picking up by far his biggest cash on the live poker circuit.
The final day also featured the red-hot running Fabrice Bigot, Brian Delaney and Henri Kasper. Since July 2021, Bigot notched three victories in the French capital before coming up just short of the final table in the 2022 EPT Prague Main Event, finishing in 11th place for €74,950.
Final Table Results 2023 EPT Paris €5,300 Main Event
Place
Winner
Country
Prize
1
Razvan Belea
Romania
€1,170,000
2
Peter Jorgne
Sweden
€780,100
3
Fabrice Bigot
France
€535,850
4
Brian Delaney
United Kingdom
€412,200
5
Henri Kasper
Estonia
€317,050
6
Konstantin Held
Germany
€244,000
7
Denzel Spekman
Netherlands
€187,650
8
Johan Schultz-Pedersen
Denmark
€144,300
9
Mehdi Chaoui
Morocco
€111,000
Belea started his poker journey grinding freerolls to build a bankroll and already participated in several EPT Main Events before earning his entry to this one via a $530 buy-in satellite on PokerStars.
“That this is unreal, that it couldn’t happen like this. I mean, yeah, it’s all I ever dreamed of since I started to play poker. I was watching all the time EPTs, have played a couple, and now I am here, it is an unbelievable feeling, I don’t know what to say … I am a bit emotional, but anyways, I follow my dream from the beginning and I studied a lot of hours behind the computers. Everything is possible!” Belea told commentator Joe Stapleton in the interview after all was done and dusted.
The Romanian wreaked havoc on the tables during the last two tournament days, sending several opponents to the payout desk and that directly correlates with one of the meanings of his last name translated into English: Trouble. He didn’t really have any of that en route to victory. Belea also had plenty of support from his fellow Romanians back home.
“They gave to me all the support and all the messages,” Belea told PokerNews after the win. “The entire country followed me to the end. And they said, ‘You’re going to win and you’re going to win it’. And I did believe it.”
Action of the Final Day
Only five players returned to their seats on the main feature table and there was a huge discrepancy between the top four on the leaderboard and Henri Kasper, as the Estonian had a mere 11 big blinds and change at his disposal. He got through with some preflop jams while chip leader Belea scooped a significant pot when flopping a full house as Bigot and Delaney clicked it back despite having missed entirely.
Kasper then eventually ran out of chips when his ace-six suited stood no chance against the ace-king of Jorgne. The Swede became the second-biggest stack by some margin only to double Delaney with tens versus kings in a preflop contest. Until the first break, Belea had increased his stack to more than half of the chips in play while Bigot was the shortest stack on a still comfortable 27 big blinds.
The Frenchman continued to get involved in the action and clashed eventually with Delaney when he flopped bottom pair and turned a flush draw. Delaney looked him up with top pair, top kicker, but another club on the river cut down his stack and shifted the momentum once again.
It was the first ever EPT Main Event cash for Delaney, which became a six-figure payday. Belea, in the meanwhile, had a near three-to-one lead over Bigot in second place while Jorgne was not far behind. The two bottom stacks got their chips in the middle soon after and Jorgne had the best of it.
Bigot was denied a victory on home soil when he ran out of chips in a duel of PokerStars online qualifiers but the third-place finish once more confirmed the hot run of the Frenchman in the past two and a half years. He qualified via PokerStars and collected €535,850 for his efforts.
That elimination set up a heads-up duel between Belea and Jorgne with a very comfortable lead for Belea. A rather timid affair unfolded in which Belea retained a two-to-one lead all the way without any major drama.
When the biggest pot of heads-up play suddenly emerged, Jorgne flopped top pair and turned a straight draw. The very same card completed a gutshot straight draw of Belea and Jorgne called his raise before jamming the blank river. There was no snap-call by Belea but the Romanian eventually did come along to emerge as the latest EPT Main Event champion.
This concludes the PokerNews coverage for this flagship tournament. Be sure to return again for more live updates from your favorite poker tournaments around the world.
check out the rest of the ept paris coverage on the pokernews live reporting hub
1Don’t Miss Out on These Player Experiences at EPT Paris
2EPT Paris: A Brief History of Poker and Gambling in the Capital
3Andre Marques Wins Maiden EPT Title in the €10,200 Mystery Bounty
4Chris Brewer Wins the 2023 EPT Paris €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em (€357,180)
5EPT Paris: 8 Unusual Activities to Do in Paris to Take a Break from Poker
6PokerStars Apologizes for ‘Subpar Experience’ for Some at EPT Paris Festival
7Teun Mulder Eviscerates Final Table to Win EPT Paris €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em II
8EPT Paris: Alan Goasdoue Wins Largest-Ever FPS Main Event
9Chris Brewer Takes Down €50,000 Super High Roller for SECOND EPT Paris Title
10Mohamed Mokrani Wins the 2023 EPT Paris €2,200 FPS High Roller (€305,300)
11Humberto Lopes Galindo Triumphs in EPT Paris €3,000 Mystery Bounty (€258,656)
12PokerStars Qualifier Razvan Belea Cruises to Victory in 2023 EPT Paris €5,300 Main Event (€1,170,000)
Throughout the heated competition in the European Champions League the young and explosive 22 – year – old, Vinícius Júnior, as well as the veteran pro striker in Karim Benzema are both demonstrating to be an amazing tag – team of attacking partners for the Real Madrid football club, teaming up to superior and excellent perfection in order to maintain the European champion continue to thrive.
The supreme duo of Benzema and Junior once again came up huge against Real Madrid’s amazing bounce back in the Champions League that commenced on last Tuesday, February 21st, 2023, as they managed to score 2 – goals apiece in the 5 to 2 come – back victory at Liverpool during the 1st – leg of the round of 16 of in the Champions League competition.
Both of them also added another assist to this season’s stat sheet as the Real Madrid football club came – from – behind back 2 – goals in order to take a dominant lead into the 2nd – leg at the legendary and historic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Major Combined Threat of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior
Vinícius and Benzema have each mutually combined to account for 17 – goals as well as 8 – assists for Real Madrid just this year alone. For the current season, the combined total amount of goals is 54, and they have come together to help out with 14 – assists.
They have been able to complemented each other extremely nicely on Real Madrid’s up – front portion of their offense as they are always finding ways to somehow find each other with fast and aggressive passes as well as their long through balls in order to set up prime scoring opportunities for each other and their teammates.
Vinícius makes his largest contributions mainly with his runs and slick footwork so that he can dazzle the crowd while devour the defenders that he passes. While the now 35 – year – old Benzema adds his well – know and experienced touches and accurate finishing strikes.
They played so well together last season too, when Benzema was awarded for being the best football player in the entire world. This season, it is Vinícius grabbing the bull by the horns as Real Madrid’s leading role in the offensive attack of his football club.
“Vinicius right now in my opinion is the most decisive player in world football, the man who can make the biggest difference,” the head coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, expressed.
The head coach of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, seemed to have agreed that Vinícius is one of the very best players in the world right now, and he has this to say, “Benzema is not bad.”. The Liverpool coach also commended Rodrygo, the other forward for the Real Madrid forward who has quite effectively paired up with Vinícius and Benzema for a superior offensive threat for their opponents to deal with.
Karim Benzema’s Injuries
Benzema has recently blamed his injuries for the reason that he has not been able to play even than he has been over the course of the past year, but he is deemed to be better, and his match play consists of very impressive numbers from last season.
“I’ve not played much so far, but the important thing is that I’m contributing to the team with goals and assists,” the veteran striker of Real Madrid, Karim Benzema, explained. “I’m coming off the back of a season where I played a lot of games. I was injured after the World Cup and it’s difficult to reach the top level. But I’m feeling gradually better. Today I put in a good performance and I’m going to keep going.”
Vinícius Junior has been able to succeed despite the fact that he has had to deal with racist insults hurled from spectators as well as hate attacks from opposing supporters since the very start of this current season.
Junior has scored two – times during the 1st – half in order to bring the Real Madrid football club back into their come – from – behind victorious match win on last Tuesday, February 21st, 2023.
“Vini’s performance lifted us,” says the Real Madrid midfielder, Federico Valverde.
Karim Benzema’s goal scores came during the 2nd – half of Real Madrid’s last match on Tuesday, and their defender Éder Militão also scored for Real Madrid.
ANCELOTTI’S ADJUSTMENTS
Head coach Ancelotti stated that he had to make the necessary changes to Real Madrid’s formation following their slow and inadequate start to the contest, when Liverpool managed to get out in from of Real Madrid as they took advantage of Real Madrid’s vulnerability specifically on the left flank of the pitch.
“I asked Luka (Modric) to press Fabinho, but that left us unguarded on the left side,” Ancelotti goes on to say. “In the second half I put Valverde there and we could fix it.”
The 2nd – leg versus the Liverpool football club is on Wednesday, March 15th, 2023.
2nd – place Real Madrid soccer team, which is behind their rival in Barcelona by only 8 – points at the moment, will now have to face off against another one of their bitter rivals in Atletico Madrid in the Spanish League on this Saturday, February 25th, 2023.
Karim Benzema’s Football Career Achievements, Honors, & Awards
UEFA Champions League: 2013 – 2014, 2015 – 2016, 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018, 2021 – 2022
UEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022
FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
France U – 17
UEFA European Under – 17 Championship: 2004
France
UEFA Nations League: 2020 – 2021
FIFA World Cup runner – up: 2022
Individual
Ballon d’Or: 2022
UEFA Men’s Player of the Year: 2021 – 2022
Golden Player Man Award: 2022
Onze d’Or: 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
French Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2021
UEFA Champions League Player of the Season: 2021 – 2022
UEFA Champions League top goal scorer: 2021 – 2022
La Liga Player of the Season: 2019 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
La Liga Best Player (voted by Marca fans): 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano: 2019 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
Pichichi Trophy: 2021 – 2022
UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2011 – 2012
UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2020 – 2021
UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2021 – 2022
IFFHS Men’s World Team: 2022
Globe Soccer Awards Men’s Player of the Year: 2022
Bravo Award: 2008
Ligue 1 top scorer: 2007 – 2008
Coupe de France top scorer: 2007 – 2008
UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: January 2008, April 2008
UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2007 – 2008
UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2007 – 2008
Golden Lion for the best Lyon sportsman: 2007, 2008
French Rookie of the Year: 2006
Étoile d’Or: 2007 – 2008
La Liga Team of the Season: 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2019 – 2020
La Liga Player of the Month: October 2014, June 2020, March 2021, September 2021, April 2022
Supercopa de España top scorer: 2021 – 2022, 2022 – 2023
Real Madrid Player of the Season (voted by supporters): 2015 – 2016, 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
Best French Player playing Abroad: 2019, 2021, 2022
AS Player of the Year: 2021
Kicker Player of the Season: 2022
Madrid Sports Press Association Award (APDM)
ESM Team of the Year: 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
L’Équipe’s Team of the Year: 2020, 2021, 2022
2005 UEFA – CAF Meridian Cup top scorer
UEFA European Championship Bronze Boot: 2020
UEFA Nations League Finals Bronze Boot: 2021
UEFA Nations League Finals Goal of the Tournament: 2021
Member of Guinness World Records 2021: Player with the most consecutive seasons in the UEFA Champions League (qualified for and played in the competition without interruption since 2005)
Vinicius Junior’s Football Career Achievements, Honors, & Awards
Real Madrid
La Liga: 2019 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
Supercopa de España: 2019 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
UEFA Champions League: 2021 – 2022
UEFA Super Cup: 2022
FIFA Club World Cup: 2018, 2022
Brazil U – 15
South American U – 15 Championship: 2015
Brazil U – 17
South American U – 17 Championship: 2017
BRICS U – 17 Football Cup: 2016
Individual
Copa São Paulo de Futbol Júnior Best Left – Winger: 2017
South American U – 17 Championship Best Player: 2017
La Liga Player of the Month: November 2021
UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2021 – 2022
UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season: 2021 – 2022
La Liga Team of the Season: 2021 – 2022
FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2022
Sources:
Azzoni, Tales. “Young Vinícius, veteran Benzema make perfect duo for Madrid”. The Associated Press. Wednesday, February 22, 2023.
Football Reference News Services. “Karim Benzema”. Football Reference. Thursday, February 23, 2023.
Football Reference News Services. “Vinícius Júnior”. Football Reference. Thursday, February 23, 2023.
The post Vinícius Júnior and Karim Benzema leading Real Madrid to success in Champions League appeared first on Casino News Daily.
Encore Boston Harbor in Massachusetts took illegal bets on the Boston College Eagles women’s basketball team for the second time this month.
betting on in-state college teams is prohibited
In a meeting on Thursday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) noted that the casino self-reported a similar incident earlier in February. Betting on in-state college teams is prohibited under the framework of Massachusetts’ sports betting legislation.
The casino has pulled all women’s college basketball betting lines until it can figure out the issue. The MGC believes that there was a problem with the technology platform provided by GAN.
More illegal bets in Massachusetts
Encore Boston Harbor assured the commission after its first infraction that it “implemented additional measures to ensure compliance.” Infractions were said to have occurred “over the past few days.”
According to Bruce Band, the MGC’s sports betting director, the casino tuned its system to prevent individuals from betting on in-state college teams. However, the system automatically reverted itself and allowed bets on any team.
we have locked all NCAA women’s college basketball betting”
“Through our audits we identified a programming error in the system as it relates to NCAA women’s college basketball markets and are currently working with our provider on a permanent solution,” a spokesperson for Encore Boston Harbor spokesperson wrote in an email. “In the interim, we have locked all NCAA women’s college basketball betting.”
Massachusetts bettors will not be able to wager on women’s college basketball games until officials can figure out how to stop the technology from automatically resetting itself and allowing bets on any teams.
Officials have not revealed how long betting lines were unlocked or how much money was illegally allowed to slip through the cracks. Band promised that the MGC will release more details “in the coming week or so.”
Working out the kinks
Massachusetts retail sports betting went live on January 31 at three casinos—Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Plainridge Park. Online betting has already been agreed upon and is expected to launch on March 10, just in time for the annual college basketball tournament affectionately known as March Madness.
Both fortunately and unfortunately, the Boston College women’s team is not having the best season and is unlikely to participate in the national tournament. The Eagles are just 14-16 and 4-13 in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play.
MGC officials said that moneyline betting was allowed during BC’s February 2 game against Notre Dame for roughly five hours, which was the incident Encore Boston Harbor previously self-reported. Only one bet was placed on this line, and it was part of a $70 five-leg parlay.
not only at Encore but the two other casinos in Massachusetts
The state plans on holding meetings to determine why illegal bets have been allowed not only at Encore but the two other casinos in Massachusetts.
Plainridge Park let bettors wager on in-state Merrimack College during its February 2 game against Long Island University. A total of $6,848 in wagers and $4,270 in winnings were transacted.
MGM Springfield also accepted bets on two Harvard University men’s basketball games.
The post Encore Boston Harbor Took Illegal Bets on Boston College Women’s Basketball…Again appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
Twitch is a live streaming platform where viewers and content creators worldwide can unite and share in live entertainment. From video games to in-real-life (IRL) streams, Twitch’s popularity stems from the fact that it has something for almost everyone.
many creators on Twitch gambled thousands of dollars live to entertain their audiences
With a platform so diverse, online gambling soon found a home on Twitch. Gambling companies such as PokerStars and Stake started to partner with big Twitch streamers, including AdinRoss, xQc, and Trainwreck. As a result, many creators on Twitch gambled thousands of dollars live to entertain their audiences while gaining massive viewership.
Streamers like Trainwreck, Roshtein, and xQc found massive success in their slots streams, and gambling grew in popularity. In addition, many gambling companies continued to increase sponsorship on the site, further boosting the presence of online gambling.
Calls for a ban
As gambling gained eyeballs on Twitch, it also garnered plenty of controversies. Many have claimed that Twitch’s gambling is damaging the younger users on the site while promoting an addictive lifestyle. Though gambling had been met with a fair bit of pushback from the community for some time, it wasn’t until streamer ItsSliker admitted to scamming friends and followers that the issues of Twitch gambling were truly accentuated.
According to reports, ItsSliker scammed his victims out of nearly $300,000 to fuel his gambling addiction. Popular creators such as xQc (Félix Lengyel) and Ludwig Ahgren worked to refund the victims of ItsSlicker’s scam.
To put more pressure on Twitch to do something about the problems with gambling on the site, streaming icons Pokimane (Imane Anys), Mizkif (Matthew Rinaudo), and Asmongold all agreed to go on strike. This would have caused damage to Twitch’s revenue:
Twitch’s ban of gambling
In response to the barrage of pressure the platform was facing, Twitch eventually announced that streamers would no longer be allowed to broadcast gambling sites. This ban would include slots, roulette, or dice games if they weren’t licensed in the United States or provide “sufficient consumer protection.”:
The ban took effect on October 18, 2022. Sites like Stake, Rollbit, Duelbits, and Roobet were subsequently prohibited on Twitch. Many streamers called this a victory, with some prominent creators such as Pokimane, Hasanabi, and Ludwig praising the move.
However, not everyone was pleased. Streamer FaZe Ronaldo took to Twitter to call out Twitch for still allowing controversial hot tub streamers, while Fortnite streamer SAEVID argued that hot tub streams are “arguably even worse morally.”:
I don’t advocate gambling but seems a little bit wrong to ban gambling & allow all these pool & hot tub (etc) streams. If you’re going to ban something that’s immoral, it doesn’t make sense to keep something arguably even worse morally, make an age restriction that actually works
Trainwreck, who had gained massive success as a gambling streamer on Twitch, also voiced his distaste and called the site “corrupt” for continuing to allow sports betting. In a September 21, 2022 Tweet, he stated, “banning other forms of gambling while keeping the most prevalent form of it that gets them paid is a f*cking joke.”
The post Why Did Gambling Become Such a Big Deal on Twitch? appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
The popularity of sports betting in online gambling has grown in recent years due to a Supreme Court ruling that paved the way for individual states to legalize it. Even though over half of all states have legalized sports betting, it is still illegal in many regions of the country. From 2018 till now, around 30 states have legalized sports betting, with 21 allowing online betting.
It’s difficult to predict whether 2023 will be the year for the legalization of online poker and sports betting in the US, as the legality of these activities varies by state and is subject to change. Currently, online poker and sports betting are legal in a limited number of states, with more states considering legalizing or regulating these activities.
As of 2023, only a small number of states have permitted and managed online poker: Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan. If more states pass legislation to legalize or regulate online poker and sports betting, 2023 could be a year of significant progress in this area.
In 2022, sports betting was legalized in Kansas, Maine, and Massachusetts. This means that there are still 16 states in the US without legal sports wagering options. These 16 states include large populations attracting the attention of sports betting operators, such as California, Florida, and Texas. Recently, a State representative of Texas, Charlie Geren, has filed for the legalization of gambling in Texas. Since the state’s constitution does not allow sports gambling, Geren has filed a resolution to amend the constitution, preventing the state from losing huge amounts of money to betting giants. Although legal sports betting in Texas and other such states are not expected to happen soon, it may make progress in 2023. Additionally, some other jurisdictions are likely to legalize sports betting this year.
States Most Likely to Legalise Sports Wagering in 2023
Kentucky
A bill was introduced in the 2023 legislative session to legalize online sports betting and daily fantasy in Kentucky. The state is surrounded by states that already allow sports betting, including Missouri, which is considering similar measures. Public opinion in Kentucky supports the legalization of sports betting by a two-to-one margin, and about half of the eligible population has already placed bets on sporting events.
Governor Andy Beshear has also expressed support for legalization, but the Kentucky General Assembly has been reluctant to expand gambling in the state. However, the continuing outflow of Kentuckians going to other states to place bets may eventually sway lawmakers to change their stance on the issue.
Missouri
Optimism surrounding the legalization of sports betting in Missouri was rampant heading into 2022, but those aspirations were dashed with the return of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs). Now a third bill has been filed for consideration during the 2023 legislative session that could potentially bring legal sportsbooks to Missouri. Whether or not this dream becomes a reality will ultimately depend on negotiators being able to reach an agreement between VLT proponents and supporters of legalized sports betting.
Minnesota
Minnesota has the best prospects for passing sports betting legislation. In 2022, the House approved a sports betting bill, but most senators voted against it. However, last year’s election saw the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party gain control of the Senate, which are much more supportive of sports gambling. Representative Jeremy Miller has already claimed “Minnesota is falling behind” as he continues to try and push a bill through.
Apart from these states, Georgia, Massachusetts, Kentucky, and South Carolina are also in the race to make sports wagering legal this year.
Last States to Legalize Online Poker and Online casinos
However, while there has been a lot of movement in regard to sports betting across the US, there has been a stark contrast in the number of states to have legalized online poker and online casinos.
Michigan
Michigan is the latest State to have fully embraced online casinos and poker. Poker was made legal around the same time as Michigan online casinos were back in 2019. Since then, a number of operators have since acquired licenses and are now able to offer residents and visitors to the state the ability to enjoy a safe wagering experience. Indeed, there has been evidence that the move to do so has benefited the state economically, as almost $2 billion was generated in revenues in 2022; a number that is likely to grow.
However, it does not appear as though there are many moving on the figures being generated at the moment, as Michigan was the last state to have legalized iGaming and online poker.
New Jersey
It could be argued that New Jersey was the driving force behind the shift in legalized online gambling and the industry in the US. Of course, Nevada had always been considered the home for this activity, but following the Garden State’s victory in 2018 in front of the Supreme Court, it has opened up opportunities for everyone else. Since going legal, NJ has recently managed to match and create a new joint record of $5.21 billion in terms of revenue in 2022, thus highlighting it is still going as strong as ever.
Pennsylvania
Following in the footsteps of NJ, Pennsylvania was another of the early adopters when it came down to legalizing online casinos and online poker in the US. Again, it is also another state that has been able to benefit by doing so, as there have been a number of strong revenue performances. Indeed, PA was another state that managed to have another record year in 2022, with almost half-a-billion more being generated.
Future of Sports Betting and Online Poker in the US
In the United States, sports betting has become widely available across the country, whereas, in the past, only Nevada offered legal sports betting. This shift was a result of a Supreme Court ruling in 2018. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. predicts that the online sports betting market will generate up to $39 billion in yearly revenue by 2033, compared to the current less than $1 billion. The rapid growth of digital betting is a major contributor to this surge, which received a significant boost during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns due to increased online activities.
As each state in the US can establish its sports wagering laws and regulations, the sports betting experience can vary greatly from one state to another. For instance, one state may only permit in-person betting on sports, while another state may provide online sports betting. This creates challenges for lawmakers who try to legalize sports betting in certain states. Despite the difficulties, the growing popularity of sports gambling and online poker games has prompted many states to legalize it to bring in significant revenue.
2023 Could See Significant Progress
2023 could be a year of significant progress for legalizing online poker and sports betting in the US. Only six states have legalized and regulated online poker, with around 30 states allowing legal sports betting, including online betting in 21 states. Several states are considering legalizing or regulating online poker and sports betting. The success of 2023 in this area will depend on the outcome of ongoing legislative discussions and compromises.
During Friday night’s marathon stream, the Lodge Live cracked 100,000 YouTube subscribers while the Texas poker room’s owner, Doug Polk, won nearly $500,000.
The game, which started as $200/$400 no-limit hold’em became $500/$1,000 as the drinks kept flowing, featured a stacked lineup that included Ben Lamb, Bill Perkins, Dan “Jungleman” Cates, Keith Tilston, and Robbi Jade Lew.
Lew, who played in three consecutive live-streams at The Lodge Card Club, busted her first $60,000 bullet before rebuying for $40,000. She didn’t erase the entire deficit, but did make up some ground and finished down $36,200. Perkins, who appeared on this week’s High Stakes Poker episode, started off crushing it to the tune of a $200,000 profit before coming back to the pack. Still, he ended the 12-hour session with an $88,000 win.
Cates and Lamb, however, would probably like to forget about their Friday night in Austin, Texas. They were the two biggest losers in the game, in the red by a combined $566,000.
Check out the three most thrilling pots from the memorable live-stream.
Nate Silver Gets Crushed at The Lodge
Brutal Cooler for Robbi
Lew raised from an early position to $3,200 with before Tilston, in the small blind, called with , as did Perkins in the straddle with . The flop came out , just about the most action-packed flop imaginable.
Action checked around and Tilston hit his straight when the appeared. Not wanting to slow-play, he fired out a bet of $5,000 before Perkins made an interesting raise to $15,000. Lew then moved all in for $64,800 with a set, and Tilston made the call having her covered. Perkins, of course, folded his pair.
The two players remaining in the hand agreed to run it twice for the $155,800 pot, neither run-out pairing the board, which meant Tilston took down the entire pot.
Nightmare turn card for @RobbiJadeLew in this $155,800 pot #
— The Lodge Card Club (@LodgePokerClub)
Polk’s Straight Flush Cracks “Jungleman’s” Queens
This hand began with Polk raising to $2,000 initially with and then calling when Cates three-bet him to $7,000 with . The flop came out , safe for “Jungleman” at first glance, although he had to be a little concerned with some backdoor draws.
The Lodge co-owner checked and then called a bet of $5,500 to see the on the turn give him a straight flush draw. He again checked, inducing his opponent to bet, this time for $21,500, leaving $58,500 behind.
Polk took a moment to ponder his move before announcing “all in.” Cates didn’t take long before calling with the best hand at the time, and they agreed to run it twice. On the first river run-out, the completed the straight flush and then the gave Polk just a boring old straight the second time, and he scooped the full $185,800 pot.
$185,500 pot between @DougPolkVids and @junglemandan
When in doubt at the poker table, just flip a coin. That’s exactly what Polk opted for when faced a tough river decision against Perkins, whom he’d recently lost $200,000 to in a year-long body fat loss prop bet.
With $79,400 in the pot on a board of , Polk, with , faced a bet of $25,000 from Perkins, who was kind-of-sort-of bluffing with .
That’s a tough decision to make even, so Polk understandably went into the tank. After a few minutes, he decided that he would let the flip of a button determine his play. If it landed on one side, he’d call and the other side he’d fold. The Upswing Poker founder let it be known that his word was binding, so Perkins comfortably turned over his cards to show. We won’t spoil this one for you so you can watch the following video to see how it all played out.
This is epic ###
— The Lodge Card Club (@LodgePokerClub)
The Lodge was back in action Saturday evening with another $200/$400 game that will likely once again run deep into the night or early hours of Sunday morning.
On Saturday, March 4, One Step Closer Foundation is joining forces with PokerGO and ARIA for the All In for CP Charity Event, which will be held inside PokerGO Studio (just one day after the Global Poker Awards will take place in the same space).
The event costs $1,000 to enter – 50% will go to the charity and the other 50% to the prize pool – is extremely limited due in no small part to who will be in attendance. There will also be $500 rebuys and a $500 add-on for those interested.
Hollywood actors Ted Danson, Cheryl Hines, and Kevin Pollak are all slated to participate, as are MMA fighter Roy “Big Country” Nelson and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Joe Cada. Jessa Hinton will also be featured as the red-carpet interviewer. Those interested in participating can register at 1scf.org.
Click here to register for the One Step Closer Charity Event!
Founded in 2007 by Jacob Zalewski and the late Sam Simon, the One Step Closer Foundation has raised approximately $1.5 million via poker charity events. The latest tournament marks its post-pandemic return as the last iteration was back in 2019.
“It was very hard to get it going again things got a lot stricter since COVID,” Zalewski, who battles cerebral palsy himself, told PokerNews. “We had to get reapproved in Nevada and get the green light from NGC. That was a fun experience!”
Jacob Zalewski w/ Jennifer Tilly & Phil Laak
He added: “While a lot of organization’s ultimate goal is to find a cure for the affliction, we strive to help ease the lives of those with Cerebral Palsy and various disabilities now. Of course, we hope that one day we’ll be instrumental in finding a cure, but there’s so much to do in the meantime. One step closer!”
Tournament Information
WHEN: Saturday, March 4, 2023 at 5:00 pm
WHERE: PokerGO Studio at Aria Resort & Casino- 3730 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89158
NOTE: There will be $500 rebuys and a $500 add-on for those interested
“Jacob is quite an inspiration,” Hines told PokerNews during a previous event. The Curb Your Enthusiasm actress continued: “I have a nephew who has Cerebral Palsy, he’s been in a wheelchair since he was born, and I know what a challenge that is, not only for the individual but for all the loved ones that support them. For Jacob to create an organization to help other people with CP is just amazing.”
Haralabos Voulgaris is not exactly a household name, but if you follow the NBA, bet on basketball, or are seriously into poker, you may have heard of him.
In 2013, ESPN ran a story on “Bob” titled “Meet the world’s top NBA gambler” where they detailed how Voulgaris had earned a fortune in sports betting before he was even 30.
He has played in the World Series of Poker, worked for the Dallas Mavericks and is even the owner and president of the Spanish third-division soccer club, Castellón. Oh, and his current net worth is estimated to be $5 million.
So, we’re going to break down the story of one of the gambling world’s most exciting characters and look at his life in betting, sports, and beyond.
How Did Voulgaris Make His Fortune?
Haralabos “Bob” Voulgaris was born in Canada to Greek parents, who had moved to the country in their 20s.
His father was an entrepreneur in Winnipeg and had a real estate business and a Greek restaurant named after the Greek god Hermes.
In Greek mythology, Hermes is the god of several things, including games, sports, and sudden enrichment, which probably wasn’t coincidental because Voulgaris Sr. was a serious gambler who gave his son the bug.
Through his business ventures, Voulgaris’s father became a multi-millionaire, and after Bob finished high school, they traveled together to Las Vegas for a two-month trip spent almost entirely at Caesars Palace.
Bob was too young to go on the casino floor, so he spent most of his days in the sportsbook, where he watched countless NBA games.
He took notes on the games and the book’s adjustments and started gambling on them with his father at night.
It was by no means high stakes (his largest bet was for $100), but this Vegas education left a lasting imprint on Voulgaris, who said, “I learned at a young age that it’s tough to beat the house – unless you know what you’re doing.”
After returning to Canada and starting his studies at the University of Manitoba, Bob continued to bet and took what he’d learned on board. He would bet on NBA and CFL games, making tidy profits while studying and holding down a part-time job.
When he finished college, he decided to up the stakes, and ahead of the NBA season, he placed his life savings of $70,000 on the Lakers to win the 1999/00 NBA championship.
This was a massive gamble, as the Lakers didn’t make it past the previous season’s second round of the playoffs, but it paid off.
And when captain Shaquille O’Neal raised the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy above his head, Voulgaris cashed a slip for nearly $500,000.
Professional Gambling
This was the injection of cash and confidence that Bob needed to take things to the next level, and in the 2000/01 season, he made around 350 wagers on the NBA with a lot of success.
Sportsbooks were nowhere near as sophisticated as they are now, and Voulgaris spotted a weakness that he could exploit.
Different books would make projections for how many points they thought would be scored in a game but would also take bets on how much would be scored in each half.
Unbelievably the sportsbooks just divided their projected game total in half, which didn’t account for the fact that many close NBA games have lots of fouls in the fourth quarter.
Fouls mean free throws, and free throws mean points, so more often than not, teams would score more in the second half of games.
Voulgaris noticed this trend and took full advantage of it, but he knew this wouldn’t last, and eventually, the sportsbooks realized the errors of their ways.
So, Bob decided to move on to bigger and better things and had the idea to build a predictive betting model that could take the intuition out of betting.
The Model Student
Bob Voulgaris clearly had a talent for numbers, but he knew he needed someone genuinely gifted to make his dream of beating the bookies come true.
So, in 2007, he hired a math prodigy (who he has never named publicly) to help him build a predictive model that could be used on any NBA game.
This prodigy wasn’t just the smartest kid in class, by the way.
He scored a perfect 800 on the math SAT in seventh grade and won national competitions before becoming a teenager.
Eventually, after two years of trial and error, Voulgaris and his prodigy developed the model to a level he was happy with.
So, he used it heavily during the second half of the 2009 NBA season to significant effect.
He made up to 1,000 wages a season and made cumulative bets that would reach in excess of $1 million daily.
World Class Poker
Image: Twitter/djbantiben1
After developing a model that any other bettor would kill for and making what must have been an incredible amount of money (he never confirmed numbers), Voulgaris started to appear in major televised poker events.
In 2012, he entered the World Series of Poker’s Big One for One Drop $1 million buy-in event where he played well but just missed out on making any money.
👉Which WSOP Events Have The Biggest Prize Pools?
But this didn’t deter Bob – professional bettors know that you win some and you lose some – so he continued playing in several World Poker and European Poker Tour events over the years.
In 2017, he returned to the WSOP’s One Drop event and landed the largest tournament win of his poker career.
He earned a whopping $1,158,883 for finishing in fourth place and has amassed a career total of over $3 million in live poker tournaments worldwide.
Move Into Pro Sports
After spending nearly two decades as a professional bettor, Haralabos Voulgaris formally moved into a role in professional basketball.
In 2018, he joined the Dallas Mavericks as Director of Quantitative Research and Development.
No doubt this appointment was made for his ability to analyze the game of basketball, use statistics, and predict outcomes of games.
This was a dream move for Voulgaris, who harbored dreams of being an NBA GM one day.
He even went on record saying, “I’d be able to put together a better team than almost any general manager in the league. If not, maybe all.”
Now, this might seem a bit arrogant, but when you consider his professional gambling record and deep understanding of the NBA, he probably has a point.
👉How To Become A Professional Gambler
This wasn’t Bob’s first foray into professional basketball.
In the 2009-10 season, he signed a contract with an unnamed NBA franchise co-owner to become a consultant on player acquisition and roster assembly.
His skill set matched perfectly with the goal of NBA front offices. They were both trying to understand the value of different players, and for NBA franchises, knowledge was power.
Ultimately, though, neither stint on the inside of professional basketball developed into a career.
He spent five months with the unnamed NBA team before feeling he was being excluded from decision-making and choosing to return to betting full time.
He also left the Dallas Mavericks in 2021, after less than three years with the organization.
It was reported that he had a rift with Mavs’ star guard, Luka Dončić, and player power obviously won out.
CD Castellon
In his 2013 ESPN interview, Bob Voulgaris said if he won enough money gambling, he would buy an NBA franchise.
But they don’t come cheap, so instead, he settled for a third-division Spanish soccer club.
CD Castellon was founded in 1922, has a loyal following, and a stadium with a 15,000 capacity – but a poor recent history.
In July 2022, Voulgaris purchased the club and was confirmed as its owner and president.
He insists buying the club – in a sport he is not associated with – was not a “vanity play” and he has set out a six-year plan for the club to reach the top division in Spanish soccer, La Liga.
Whether he can achieve his goals and turn the team into success on and off the pitch will remain to be seen, but he will take inspiration from neighboring team Villarreal.
Villarreal CF spent almost all of its history in the lower divisions of Spanish soccer, but after reaching La Liga in 1998, they have slowly developed into a powerhouse domestically and in European competition.
In 2021, the club won its first-ever major trophy, winning the UEFA Europa League and beating Manchester United in the final.
It is the stuff dreams are made of, and Bob Voulgaris will undoubtedly have similar ambitions for Castellon.
What’s Next For Bob Voulgaris?
Image: Twitter/haralabob
Bob Voulgaris is one of the most interesting figures in the world of sports betting.
If he can translate his basketball knowledge into soccer, it’s undoubtedly a matter of time before he returns to the US and professional sports management in some capacity.
But, no matter what he does next, one thing is for sure – it won’t be boring.
If you want to keep a close eye on Bob Voulgaris’ life (he has a super cute dog) and get some fantastic betting insights, be sure to follow his twitter page.
before Tilston, in the small blind, called with 
, as did Perkins in the straddle with 
. The flop came out 
, just about the most action-packed flop imaginable.
appeared. Not wanting to slow-play, he fired out a bet of $5,000 before Perkins made an interesting raise to $15,000. Lew then moved all in for $64,800 with a set, and Tilston made the call having her covered. Perkins, of course, folded his pair.
and then calling when Cates three-bet him to $7,000 with 
. The flop came out 
, safe for “Jungleman” at first glance, although he had to be a little concerned with some backdoor draws.
on the turn give him a straight flush draw. He again checked, inducing his opponent to bet, this time for $21,500, leaving $58,500 behind.
completed the straight flush and then the 
gave Polk just a boring old straight the second time, and he scooped the full $185,800 pot.
