Chrysalis “GO ALL IN” Charity Poker Night Returns to Los Angeles on May 3

Chrysalis “GO ALL IN” Charity Poker Night Returns to Los Angeles on May 3



On Wednesday, May 3, the Southern California nonprofit Chrysalis “GO ALL IN” Poker Night will return to Los Angeles’ luxury landmark hotel, Fairmont Century Plaza. It marks the sixth edition of the Chrysalis “GO ALL IN” Poker Night, which has traditionally attracted a slew of celebrities including Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Chery Hines and Glee and The Office star Kevin McHale.

The annual event will feature a night of competitive play, buffet dinner, cocktails, a silent auction, and prizes for the first, second, and third-place finishers. Latham & Watkins and Ernst & Young (EY) are returning as Title Sponsors for the event, which has raised over $650,000 since 2016.

Last year, Jakson Alvarez, a member of the Chrysalis Young Professionals Advisory Council, won the tournament and for his prize chose a trip for two to Catalina Island. Meanwhile, actress Mimi Rogers finished in second place while the aforementioned Kevin McHale took third.

2022 Chrysalis Poker Night Final Table
The 2022 Chrysalis Poker Night Final Table

While the exact lineup is to be determined, Chrysalis officials did confirm to PokerNews that they will once again be inviting celebrity guests to the event.

The charity event will help raise funds for Chrysalis, a nonprofit organization that helps clients navigate barriers to the workforce by preparing for, finding, and retaining employment through Chrysalis’ job-readiness program, individualized supportive services, and paid transitional employment.

“Chrysalis Poker Night is sure to be an exciting evening and opportunity for attendees to GO ALL IN to support our mission in changing lives through jobs,” said Mark Loranger, President & CEO of Chrysalis. “The critical work of Chrysalis empowers our clients on their pathway to stability, security, and fulfillment in their work and lives.”

Event Details

  • Date: Wednesday, May 3
  • Time: 6-10:30 p.m.
  • Ticket Cost: $300 for a Gallery Ticket and $400 for a Player Ticket.
  • Sponsorship: Corporate packages are available for $5,000.
  • Cause: All funds raised will benefit Chrysalis’ services available to anyone navigating a barrier to employment such as housing instability, experience with the justice system, or other systemic barriers to the workforce.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit ChangeLives.org/Poker and follow @ChrysalisSoCal on Twitter.

Buy tickets to the Chrysalis Poker Night Here!

About Chrysalis

Chrysalis serves people navigating barriers to the workforce by offering a job-readiness program, individualized supportive services, and paid transitional employment. We empower our clients on their pathway to stability, security, and fulfillment in their work and lives. Since 1984, Chrysalis has served more than 77,000 individuals at its six centers and locations throughout Southern California. In 2022, nearly 3,000 Chrysalis clients secured employment while participating in Chrysalis’ program and/or worked a transitional job with the organization’s social enterprise. Learn more at ChangeLives.org.

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world’s largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability.

*Images courtesy of Chrysalis.

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  • On Wednesday, May 3, the Southern California nonprofit Chrysalis “GO ALL IN” Poker Night will return!

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Chad Holloway

Executive Editor U.S.

Executive Editor US, PokerNews Podcast co-host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.





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Starburst Slot – Play for Free or Real Money with a Bonus

Starburst Slot - Play for Free or Real Money with a Bonus


  • Starburst is the all-time favorite slot across all online casinos
  • Experience the fun of Starburst Wilds
  • The RTP (Return -to-Player) is 96.1%

If there’s one online game everyone plays, it’s the Starburst Slot. Considered to be one of the most popular online Slots of all time, the game is available in free play mode and for real money on many of the world’s best online casinos.

In this review of the Starburst Slot I am going to tell you everything about this interesting online game – including useful tips on how to play and about the best sites where you find it in free play and for real money.

But if you’re itching to give it a try, you can do that right here with this free play version of Starburst Slot. Press Continue and start playing for fun.

Ready to play Starburst Slot for Real Money? If you’re in a State where real money gaming is allowed, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan or New Jersey, head on over to FanDuel Casino, taking advantage of the welcome offer, and start spinning for real money.

PLAY STARBURST FOR REAL MONEY AT FANDUEL CASINO

If you’re based in the US in a State where online gaming isn’t yet legal, although Chumba Casino and Luckyland slots don’t allow real money play or offer the Starburst Slot, they do have a vast array of Slots for you to play for free.

If you are located outside of the USA, you can find Starburst on most online casinos, but the one we recommend is 888casino.

Starburst Slot Review

It’s hard to guess if the guys at NetEnt imagined the success this Slot machine would have when they started to work on it.

What is safe to say, however, is that they changed the whole gambling industry forever the moment they released the Starburst Slot online.

What made this game stand out from the very beginning was that the Starburst Slot didn’t just mimic the Vegas-style Slot machines everyone was used to play on the internet.

Rather than coming out with yet another ripoff of a physical Slot, NetEnt decided to switch gears and offer to the world a completely new game that no one ever played before.

And that’s how the Starburst Slot machine was born.

Imagined to be an online game from the very beginning, Starburst is one of the first Slots that made use of the best online gambling had to offer.

Technology, music, video effects, left-to-right and right-to-left wins: everything in this game is just tuned to perfection.

It’s a modern and vibrant mobile Slot machine game so packed with animations and features to make most of the other Slots blush. You won’t find any online casino that doesn’t have this beauty in their catalogue.

Ever wondered why most casinos offer free spins to play on Starburst? That’s because they know you will love it.

Starburst Slot: Introducing NetEnt’s Masterpiece

Let’s imagine you don’t know what this game is about and you have never played Starburst before.

Some introductions are in order.

Play Starburst Slot Online

The Starburst Slot is a five-reel online game with 10 paylines released by NetEnt in 2012.

It’s a space-themed slot game with bets ranging from a minimum of 10 up to a maximum of 100 credits.

The game plays on a fixed amount of paylines (10). To adjust the size of your bets, you can change parameters like the Bet Level (1 to 10) and the Coin Value.

Coin values on Starburst start at 0.01 and move up to a maximum of 1.00.

Feeling confused?

Let’s make things simpler. The minimum bet is of 0.10 (Bet Level: 1; Coin Value: 0.01) while the maximum bet is of 100 (Bet Level: 10; Coin Value: 1.00). The currency depends on the one you use.

The Starburst Slot does not feature a progressive jackpot (more on this on the next paragraph) but it comes with a sweet Return to Player (RTP) of 96.1 percent.

What Are the Prizes Available on Starburst?

Starburst Video Slot
Didn’t a little bird tell me I could win more than 50,000 coins…?

Starburst features an RTP of 96.1 percent. In this part of our guide, we are going to look at how much can you win on Starburst Slot, exactly?

Best practices say we should never play online Slots before we had a thorough look at the official payout structure of each game, so that’s precisely what we are going to do in this part of my Starburst Slot review. You might also want to read How to Pick a Winning Slot Machine.

“Numbers should speak for themselves,” a clever salesman once told me

The Starburst Slot features seven paying symbols.

Two suck, three are good, another two lead to the top prizes.

The Smallest Wins on Starburst

The two symbols that suck are the purple gem and the blue gem. Although I have nothing against the way these two look – I don’t like the wins they bring.

Here’s why:

Symbol How Many How Much You Win
Purple Gem 3 5
Purple Gem 4 10
Purple Gem 5 25
Blue Gem 3 5
Blue Gem 4 10
Blue Gem 5 25

The Mid-Size Wins on Starburst

One good thing about the Starburst Slot machine is that not all the gems in this game suck.

Here’s why:

Symbol How Many How Much You Win
Red Gem 3 7
Red Gem 4 15
Red Gem 5 40
Green Gem 3 8
Green Gem 4 20
Green Gem 5 50
Yellow Gem 3 10
Yellow Gem 4 25
Yellow Gem 5 60

The Top Wins on Starburst

Finally, let’s have a look at the top combinations – those that will never come as often as you would like them to.

The top-paying symbols on Starburst are the Seven and the Bar. Here’s how much you will be winning in those rare occasions when you line up three or more of them on one of the 10 active paylines:

Seven 3 25
Seven 4 60
Seven 5 120
BAR 3 50
BAR 4 200
BAR 5 250

Want to know how did I calculate the wins? The coin payout values are based on a standard Bet Level of 1.

Please, keep in mind that Starburst is a standard online Slot in the sense that only the highest win per active bet line from both ways is paid.

How to Play Starburst Video Slot

Starburst Slot Machine
Yeah, baby! THIS is how you plat Starburst!

This game would not be as popular as it is if it wasn’t one of the easiest video Slots on the internet.

Coming with a fixed number of paylines, playing a round of Starburst is super easy. Here’s how to play:

  • Select the Bet Level (1 – 10)
  • Select the Coin Value (0.01 – 1)
  • Spin the reels

By default, you can choose between 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 750, 1,000 auto spins. However, you can personalise that through Starburst’s Auto Settings.

There, is where you can make the auto play stop:

  • On any win
  • If a single win exceeds a specific amount
  • If cash increases by a specific amount
  • If cash decreases by a specific amount

Special Features on the Starburst Slot

This game wouldn’t be the blockbuster it is today if it didn’t carry some interesting features.

On this game, everything changes when the real hero comes into play: the Staburst Wild symbol.

Starburst Slot Machine Game Online
Oh, hello Mr. Starburst Wild!

When one or more Starburst Wild symbols make their appearance on any of those reels, you trigger a special that can lead you to the game’s largest win:

the 50,000 coin jackpot.

When the special feature begins, the Starburst Wilds expand until they cover the entire reel and stay there while all the other reels re-spin.

Wild symbol that should appear during the free spin rounds will expand and trigger more free spins. The feature continues until there are no more Starburst Wilds on the screen.

Where can I play Starburst Slot Games?

Although you can play the Starburst Slot in free play and for real money nearly anywhere, for US players where real money gaming is allowed I recommend FanDuel Casino and for players outside of the USA I suggest playing at 888casino.

Not only we are talking about some of the most famous online casinos on the planet – but they offer a superb bonus to play Starburst.

Other Sites to Play Starburst

This article was first published in 2018.

The promotion presented on this page was available at the time of writing. With some Casino promotions changing on daily basis, we suggest you to check on the site if it still available. Also, please do not forget to read the terms and conditions in full before you accept a bonus.





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How Many Decks In Blackjack?

An over head view of a dealer using many decks in blackjack


It seems like a simple question: how many decks in blackjack? Casual players may be surprised to find that there can be one, two, four, six or eight decks used in a game of blackjack. While friendly games of blackjack are usually only played with one deck of cards, when you step into a casino you will find double deck deals, alongside four, six and eight deck games. So, lets examine why that is and also how many decks are used in two of the most famous gambling cities, Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

Why Do Casinos Use More Than One Deck?

In 1966 the brilliant mathematician, Edward Thorp, released his ground-breaking book ‘Beat The Dealer’. In this book, Thorp mathematically proved that players could use a points-based system to beat the house in blackjack. Gamblers across the world soon adopted Thorp’s system, including one of the most famous gamblers in history – Bill Benter.

Until the release of Thorp’s book, almost every casino in the world would only have offered single-deck blackjack. However, card counting with a single deck was not an incredibly intellectual task that required a computer-sized brain; thus, it was quite an accessible system and a danger for casinos.  Before long, as casino bosses started to see the profits get eaten into by teams of card counting gamblers, changes had to be made. Casinos would soon introduce multiple-deck games, change minimum bets and alter pay-outs to protect themselves from card counters. Whilst card counting is still possible with multiple decks, it does not offer as significant an opportunity to gamblers as in the single-deck games.

How Blackjack Works in Atlantic City

Atlantic City has a particular set of rules that means that casinos need to be a little bit more wary of their players’ abilities. The rules in the city state that skilled players cannot be banned from playing in any casino. This means that if a casino suspects that a certain player is counting cards, they cannot ask them to leave. Therefore, the casinos have found other ways to protect themselves.

To do this, the casinos of Atlantic City almost exclusively use either six or eight decks. This is due to the fact that increasing the number of decks will slightly increase the house edge. This is illustrated in the table below:

Number of Decks House Advantage
1 0.25%
2 0.46%
4 0.60%
6 0.64%
8 0.65%

Here we can see that the house edge in six or eight deck games is more than double of that in a single deck game. This is an important edge for the casinos of Atlantic City as they look to protect themselves against the sharper players.

Spanish 21 is also on offer more often in Atlantic City than in other gambling cities – however, this is not due to the generosity of the casinos! Again, the house edge in Spanish 21 is quite high – some believe it to be anywhere up to 4%. Expert players are only thought to bring the edge down to around 0.45%, but this will only happen for the most skilled players using a most robust strategy.

How Many Decks Are Used in Vegas?

As you would expect, Las Vegas presents a huge variety of options for its visitors. If you look hard enough, you are going to find single and double deck games – although these are not very common. The most popular offerings will be the six or eight deck games, which you can find at almost any casino. You can even find single deck blackjack in Las Vegas in some of the most popular resorts.

However, the variety of games on offer will differ depending on your budget and on the casino. For example, the MGM Las Vegas will let you play almost any variety of blackjack. On offer is single, double, six and eight deck blackjack. Be warned though, the minimum bet will be different depending on the game you choose. Our guide below illustrates this for you:

Type of Game Minimum Bet Maximum Bet
Single-Deck Blackjack $15 $2,000
Double-deck-Blackjack $50 $5,000
Six-deck Blackjack $15 $10,000
Eight-deck Blackjack $5 $5,000

What you may find surprising here is that the minimum bet for single-deck blackjack is $15, the same as six-deck and considerably less than double-deck blackjack. How can this be the case when we are taught that less decks are better for players?  Well, the casino has done this by offering 5 to 6 pay out for natural blackjack rather than the standard 3 to 2 that is available on the other games. By doing this, the house can increase its edge from 0.25% up to 1.24%. This is why it’s vitally important to know which of the variations of blackjack you are playing before you start, otherwise a winning hand could still provoke disappointment!

What About Playing Online?

If you are reading this then the likelihood is that your next game of blackjack is not going to be in Vegas or Atlantic City. More likely you are going to get dealt in at an online casino. So, how many decks in online blackjack? Again, the answer will vary depending on the type of game you play.

If you are on the virtual tables then you will most-likely be playing with a single deck. Why? Well, as the software “shuffles” the virtual deck after every hand, card-counting will offer minimal benefit. Live games, however, are a different story. In the live games you will have a live croupier who will deal you in. Card counting would then be possible in the same as in any land-based casino. This is why in online casinos have followed suit with their land-based cousins and introduced six or eight deck games as the standard in their live games.

Casino.com’s Live Casino offers not only blackjack, but roulette, baccarat and much more! Sign up today to take advantage of our very special Welcome Package!

The post How Many Decks In Blackjack? appeared first on Casino.com Blog.

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PokerNews Op-Ed: Garrett’s Right – Modern Day High Stakes Poker Has Become a Bloodsport

PokerNews Op-Ed: Garrett's Right - Modern Day High Stakes Poker Has Become a Bloodsport



The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of PokerNews or its members.

Poker is full of survivors of pre-Black Friday online poker. I am not one of them. I wasn’t around to enjoy Rail Heaven, the Durrrr Challenge or the rise of Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom.

By the time I came into the industry, high-stakes online usernames were almost anachronisms of a golden age of poker, appearing only in archived forum posts; various legendary hand histories more akin to myth or legend.

Make no mistake, the world of high-stakes poker has always been where the interests of most poker fans lie. The first $1,000,000 buy-in One Drop, massive online pots and scrutinizing of the All-Time Money List are evidence of this. But the seven-figure online cash game swings of yesteryear are all but gone, while tales of Tom Dwan’s exploits in Macau have also faded.


Read More: The Rise and Rise of Tom “durrrr” Dwan


However, the desire for the biggest games and most salacious rumors certainly have not.

As the poker industry evolved, a new battleground emerged for poker fans. Cash game streams exploded in popularity during 2022, making overnight names of previously unknown poker players. But in some instances, these weren’t always ordinary grinders — rather extraordinarily wealthy individuals whose presence ensured that not only the streams grew, but the size of the pots as well.

And as the streams grew, so did the popularity and accompanying expectations. Fans lusted for confrontations; huge clashes between personalities and bankrolls. And stream organizers worked hard to ensure that their product was the most desirable — for fans, if not for their players.

Join your fellow PokerNews readers in our Discord server, where you’ll find exclusive offers, special freerolls, and all the latest poker-related news and tournament live updates.

The players meanwhile needed to adapt to this scrutiny. The spotlight had been shone on a previously hidden underbelly of high-stakes poker. Cash game streams were now the new Rail Heaven, with bigger and bigger pots, record-breaking streams and scandals galore.

Robbi Jade Lew

The modern-day poker industry has struggled to adjust, with recent feuds and arguments lifting the curtain on what was previously a more “micro-industry” within poker, according to Garrett Adelstein.

I have never met Garrett, but you’d be hard-pushed to find someone in poker who is not at least aware of him. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that gone are the likes of ‘Stinger88‘, ‘OMGClayAiken‘ or ‘WCGRider‘, and instead, there is Garrett along with Robbi Lew (pictured), Nik Airball and Eric Persson, all of whom I guarantee over the past six months have been the main topic of conversation in casinos and at home games around the world.

In the past, there were always stories of cash games — in the US or in some far-flung destination — with blinds of one house/two house, or bigger. But these were more often than not rumors. They were poker’s very own form of Chinese whispers. A crumb of truth within an ecosystem of high-stakes players.

There would be rumors of poker players — WSOP Main Event champions, even — that would win a major tournament, secure a massive payday and use their new-found wealth to enter larger and larger cash games; elusive ones that only players of a certain calibre would be invited to. They would turn their back on tournament poker, having entered a cutthroat world that was secretive. Away from the spotlight. And hardly ever heard of.

But this is becoming less and less the case.

Streams are streaming and players are playing in games that would seldom run in the past. The stakes may not be in the levels of Andy Beal vs The Corporation in the mid 2000s, but in modern terms, they are becoming astronomical, and the stresses that these players are under are often overlooked.

Garrett says that poker is “endlessly fascinating from a strategic, emotional and psychological perspective” and ends with the mention that at its highest stakes, it’s a bloodsport. He’s right.

Poker is not the WWE with manufactured storylines and heel turns. This makes spectacles like the one currently enveloping the high-stakes poker community appear even more barbaric and uncivilized than at first glance.

Trash“, “Scammer“, “Washed Up Geezer” — Inflated egos and the use of social media to amplify opinions mean that it’s the discussion surrounding high stakes poker, and not just the poker itself, that has become a brutal zero-sum game where the only winners are fans yearning for one such poker star to bloody another;s.

Forget the “mind-boggling amount of money” that used to be at the centre of the poker world. Instead, it’s politics and feuding and dick-measuring that is the topic du jour.


Patrik Antonius Wins $1,978,000 Pot, the Largest Ever Broadcast on a US Live Stream


Conflicts between poker players definitely happened in the olden days — looking at you Doyle — and heads-up for rolls was an oft-repeated refrain in the early 2000s.

But the power of a 2+2 forum post back then compared to a Twitter thread is vast. Poker and poker players have surely changed in the intervening years. 2010 is a long time ago. Anyone who was grinding back then in their early 20s — at any stakes — is now 13 years older. Some are even pushing 40.

The visibility of poker’s combatants, if you can call them that, is markedly increased. The cockfighting between high-stakes poker pros, coupled with the mechanisms of modern-day social media means that everything is increasingly on full display.

There will always be antagonism and antagonists in poker — some are even in the Poker Hall of Fame! But I just hope that the current trend for barbarism beats a hasty retreat.

Name Surname
Will Shillibier

European Executive Editor

Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019.

He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.





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2023 March Madness: Will Kansas State Win Its First Team National Championship?

Kansas State logo


Kansas State nearing a national championship

The Kansas State Wildcats advanced one step closer to their first-ever national championship with a win in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 over the Michigan State Spartans.

20 points, an NCAA Tournament-record 19 assists, and five steals

K-State’s win in the famed third round of March Madness was nothing short of Hollywood material. 5-foot-8 Markquis Nowell, returning to his home state of New York to play in Madison Square Garden, dropped 20 points, an NCAA Tournament-record 19 assists, and five steals to drag his team to a 98-93 overtime victory. That’s all despite turning his ankle and barely being able to put weight on that leg early in the second half.

The Wildcats are still dancing and will play the red-hot Florida Atlantic Owls in the Elite Eight. They need just three more wins to capture the elusive national title and change their school’s history forever.

Up-and-down history 

Kansas State is one of two Power Five conference teams, which includes the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and the Pac-12, that do not have a national championship in any certified team sport. The other is Virginia Tech, although the list will be expanded to three once the University of Central Florida joins the Big 12 on July 1.

Despite the struggles from a team perspective, the Wildcats have had many outstanding individual performances. In the 2007-08 season, Kansas State was the only school to have a consensus All-American in both football (Jordy Nelson) and basketball (Michael Beasley). It has also produced numerous individual national champions, and in 2012, had the most profitable athletics department in the country.

Despite those achievements, the Wildcats are often defined by their shortcomings on the big stage. 

it has not made the Final Four since 1964

The basketball team has not been to a national championship game since 1951, when it finished runner-up 68-58 to Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky Wildcats. It made the Elite Eight in 2018 as the No. 9 seed, but fell to No. 11 Loyola-Chicago, meaning that it has not made the Final Four since 1964.

Precedent aside, there is reason to believe in this iteration of the Wildcats. They have a great blend of abilities, which allows them to match up well against nearly any team they face, and they are sky-high in momentum. 

On top of that, they rank well in important indicators of tournament success, most notably three-point defense, in which they are 15th and allow just 29.7% of long-range shots to go in.

Hitting the ground running

The Wildcats are also a model of excellence from a personnel perspective. First-year head coach Jerome Tang was enlisted after he helped guide Baylor to a national championship as an associate head coach in 2021, and he guided the program to its best regular season record and March Madness seeding since the 2009-10 season.

Nowell, the star of the tournament thus far, was also brought in as a transfer last year after he spent three years with the Little Rock Trojans. He had the best year of his five-year career this year, averaging 17.2 points and 8.1 assists (second in Division-I).

Keyontae Johnson, the team’s leading scorer at 17.7 points per night, is also a fifth-year transfer in his first year with the Wildcats. Johnson was an impact player at the University of Florida, but fell onto hard times when he collapsed during a 2020 game as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition. He played just five games during his third and fourth seasons before transferring to his current program.

Nine of the Wildcats’ 11 players that received minutes this season are either transfers or freshmen. Their ability to form such a coherent unit on the court despite being a hodgepodge assembly speaks to their level of focus and organization.

Kansas State national championship odds 

According to FanDuel sportsbook, Kansas State is a 1.5-point favorite over FAU in the Elite Eight. They are also +1100 to win the national title, which is seventh overall and third amongst the four teams that won Thursday (FAU is fourth). Nowell is +1500 to win Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. 

their upcoming opponent is now a ridiculous 34-3 on the year

Although the Wildcats are expected to beat the Owls, that does not mean that they will have an easy time doing so. Their upcoming opponent is now a ridiculous 34-3 on the year and showed championship-level determination in the Sweet 16 as they rebounded from a five-point halftime deficit against No. 4 Tennessee to win 62-55. 

FAU’s path through the tournament so far includes a 66-65 win over No. 8 Memphis, a 78-70 win over No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson (which beat No. 1 Purdue in the Round of 64), and the recent win over Tennessee. 

Despite the Owls reaching the Elite Eight, they have not looked totally in control of any game they have played. That is much different from K-State, which has come up with a clutch play seemingly every time it has needed one and has this unwavering spirit about it.

The two teams will decide which one will win the East Region and advance to the Final Four when they meet back inside Madison Square Garden Saturday at 6:09pm ET.

The post 2023 March Madness: Will Kansas State Win Its First Team National Championship? appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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Queens Lawmaker Submits Citi Field Parking Lot Redevelopment Bill

Queens Lawmaker Submits Citi Field Parking Lot Redevelopment Bill


On Wednesday, March 22, Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry (D-Queens) officially submitted legislation that would permit New York city to construct on the parking lot at Citi Field, which would further aid Mets owner Steve Cohen’s redevelopment plans that involves constructing a new casino.

However, a previous attempt to renovate the parking lot by a Queens Development Group, which included former Mets owners, the Wilpons, Saul Katz, and the Related Group, was struck down by a state appeals court in 2017. The team aimed to construct a shopping center in the parking lot and renovate parts of the Willets Point.

New legislation:

This new bill requires a parking lot to be “developed for a gaming facility and, in conjunction with such facility, commercial, retail, entertainment, recreational, hotel, convention, and or community facility uses,” according to the legislation’s text.

Because the Citi Field lot is considered parkland, created in 1939 as part of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, it needs “state intervention to alienate it to facilitate construction.”

The legislation emphasizes that the parkland legacy will be terminated “through the entering of leases or other agreements with New Green Willets, LLC, its affiliates, or any other entity or entities,” citing a lobbying firm owned by Cohen.

“As part of what’s known as park alienation, the city would have to find at least 20 acres of replacement parkland or significantly improve other existing greenspace — paid for by the private developer,” the bill states.

Commenting on the bill, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, a Democrat who also represents the neighborhood, said: “I was blindsided by the legislation — the version I was planning to introduce. 

“I was taken aback this morning, it was quite a surprise to see legislation submitted. However, any park alienation would require my sign-on in a jointly-introduced bill.

She added: “I haven’t had a chance to read Aubry’s legislation yet.

“Not only do I have some reading to do but I also have some conversations to be had.”

A tough fight:

Mets owner Cohen has fought to renovate the Citi Field parking lot, which is officially owned by the city and leased to the Mets, not long after purchasing the team for $2.4 billion in November 2020.

He went so far as to set up visitation periods with local residents and their leaders to learn their desires about what Queens residents and Mets fans across the city would want to see in the region.

In this regard, the aforementioned Aubry said: “I’ve spoken many times with Cohen’s lobbying firm, New Green Willets, about their ideas for the parking lot. 

“I was mostly involved with creating jobs and recreational activities for his district, which includes Corona and East Elmhurst. They have talked to me about it a number of times. The casino in my mind is important to them — not so important to me.” 

What’s more, Aubry, Ramos and Area City Councilman Francisco Moya were appointed to place one member each on a six-person advisory board, together with Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, the mayor and the governor to further validate any casino construction.

On that note, commenting on the bill, President Donovan Richards said: “I was encouraged to see this legislative process beginning … but the most critical facet of this and any proposal for wide-scale development in Queens will continue to be community engagement, community feedback and community benefits.”

Moreover, Cohen and his team spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to get local politicians on their side for the development plan. He, his family and their associates also spent big money on the election campaigns of few crucial elected officials.

For example, Cohen’s wife alone spent $117,300 on the state Democratic Committee last year, and New Green Willets’ in-house lobbyist and top aide, Michael Sullivan, gave almost $35,000 to local elected officials. That involves $9,400 to Aubry and $5,000 to Ramos and State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria).

Just the beginning:

This is now just the beginning of the road for legislation. The next steps are to secure state Senate co-sponship and then city-level land use decisions.

On that note, Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said: “I was aware of the Mets’ hopes for development but I’m not aware of this legislation.”

Citi Field operates under a lease contract with the Parks Department, which owns and manages Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

In that regard, Cohen spokeswoman Maria Comella said: “The local community and Mets fans have told us emphatically that they want more from the 50 acres of asphalt around Citi Field.

“Steve Cohen and his team are committed to delivering a vision with dedicated green space, year-round entertainment and good-paying local jobs.

“We are supportive of efforts to create a process that does this the right way and makes it possible to expand use of the area beyond just parking lots.”





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Discover Why JackPoker is one of the Fastest-Growing Online Poker Sites

Discover Why JackPoker is one of the Fastest-Growing Online Poker Sites



Have you heard about JackPoker and its meteoric rise in the online poker world? You are about to. JackPoker is one of the fastest-growing online poker sites in the world today, and it is doubling down on its promise to provide a safe haven for recreational players all while offering the best possible bonuses and rewards. Sound good? Then keep on reading to discover what you can expect as a JackPoker customer.

The Jack Bonus Bonanza Series

The Jack Bonus Bonanza series has been running throughout March, a series of low buy-in yet high guaranteed tournaments just the way we like them. The series runs until March 31, so you still have time to get involved, put your skills to the test, and reel in some of the incredible value offered in the festival’s events.

Buy-ins of $1, $5, $10, and $20 are available, and they come with guaranteed prize pools tipping the scales at $600, $3,500, $8,000, and $16,000. Overlays are common in the Bonus Bonanza tournaments, and even more so on Sundays when JackPoker boosts those guarantees to $800, $4,000, $10,000, and a cool $20,000 respectively.

Boost Your Bankroll With $300 Daily Freerolls

Everyone loves being able to win money for free, which is why JackPoker runs two Daily freerolls, each with a $300 guaranteed prize pool. The Daily $300 freerolls shuffle up and deal at 2:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. UTC to suit European players and those in South America, where JackPoker is extremely popular.

All JackPoker players can access up to three of these exciting freerolls per week, but make a deposit of at least $10 and generate at least $5 in rake during a calendar week to gain access to all of the freerolls that week!

Freeroll winnings are paid in bonus money that can be spent in cash games. You’ll be please to know that JackPoker boasts of some of the softest cash games on the planet, so you could turn your freeroll winnings into a much more substantial haul.

$16,000 is Won at JackPoker Each Day in the Flip-Out Tournaments

JackPoker

JackPoker’s Flip-Out tournaments are a massive hit, not least because they award $16,000 in bonuses every day, and they require little effort on your part. Flip-Out tournaments see all entrants set all-in from the first hand until the crowning of the champion. Simply, register for the Flip-Out tournament, say a little prayer to the Poker Gods, keep your fingers crossed, and hope you flip your way to a chunky bonus.

You are gifted a daily Flip-Out tournament ticket each time you make a deposit at JackPoker.

  • Deposit $10-$50 for a $1,000 guaranteed Flip-Out entry
  • Deposit $51-$200 for a $5,000 guaranteed Flip-Out entry
  • Deposit $201+ for a $10,000 guaranteed Flip-Out entry

An Incredible Three-Tier Welcome Bonus Including a Huge Rakeback Offer

The value does not stop with the current crop of JackPoker promotions because the three-pronged welcome bonus is out of this world.

First, you receive an instant 50% cash bonus when you make your initial deposit between $20-$500. You also receive 300% of your first deposit back as poker rakeback, with $5 refunded to your account each time you generate $20 in rake or tournament fees. Lastly, depending on the size of your initial deposit, you get your hands on up to $150 free spins on selected slots in the bustling JackPoker casino!

  • Deposit $20 to receive 25 free spins
  • Deposit $30 to receive 60 free spins
  • Deposit $50+ to receive 150 free spins

If all of the above is not enough to have you clambering for your mouse and joining the fun at JackPoker we do not know what is! Download JackPoker via PokerNews to ensure you capture the very best and latest offers and promotions. Already have an account? Fire up JackPoker and take advantage of the recreational-player heavy cash games and tournaments!





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Malaysian Casino Market Growth ▶️ Expected to Rise in 2023

Macau Skyline at Night


If you are interested in gambling across Asia, then this article might be just the right read for you. Below you will discover more about the factors driving the expansion of the casino industry in Malaysia and why you should consider the country as your next destination. Bear with us and explore some of the best casino sites in Malaysia that offer a wide range of games, secure payment methods, and generous bonuses for an ultimate gaming experience.

Gambling in China – Laws and Regulations

The gambling industry growth is expected to rise significantly in the following years due to the popularity of online casinos and the trend of quick casino games. While this is true for one part of the world, some countries still have certain regulations when it comes to gambling. The Chinese government, for instance, has very strict laws that prohibit most forms of gambling across the mainland, expect for Hong Kong and Macau.

With the Communist Party taking over, new laws were established. In 1949, the Chinese government banned all forms of gambling. The country operates two lotteries, the Welfare Lottery and the Sports Lottery, which are the only legal forms of gambling. Citizens are also allowed to play cards and other games, such as mahjong, for example, if there are non-currency winnings.

🤑 State Lottery ✔️
🏀 Sports Betting ✔️
🍀 Unofficial Lotteries
🎰 Clandestine Casinos
🃏 Card Games
🎲 Table Games
📱 Online Gambling

Despite the strict regulations and laws, Chinese people are considered some of the biggest gamblers by country with a significant percentage of the population engaging in gambling. Chinese tourists are now seeking new gambling destinations, and Malaysia is often among the preferred ones. Read along to find out more about the factors that influence the potential of gaming and casino industry growth in Malaysia.

Potential of Gaming and Casino Industry Growth in Malaysia

The potential of gaming and casino industry growth in Malaysia is enormous since Genting Berhad, one of the largest casino conglomerates in Southeast Asia, is operating exactly there. The company is best known for its casino and resort brand, Resorts World, which operates in Malaysia and several other countries across the world. With its luxurious casinos and betting shops, the resort is attracting not only tourists but also many wealthy locals.

📛 Name Genting Berhad
📅 Founded 1965
🏢 Parent Organization The Genting Group
📍 Headquarters Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
🌐 Operating in Worldwide
🏭 Industry Leisure, Hospitality, Power Generation, Oil & Gas, Property Development, Life Sciences & Biotechnology
ℹ️ Website genting.com

Another factor contributing to the potential of the gaming and casino industry growth in Malaysia is the strategic location of the country and its visa-free entry for Chinese tourists. More and more premium customers have come to the country in the past year and chose the Genting Highlands Resort as a place to stay. According to the company, their revenue went up by 75% in comparison to the figures for 2021.

The casino market growth in Malaysia is expected to reach new heights in the following years as the country continues to improve its image as a safe and nice leisure destination for tourists. What is more, the casino industry in Malaysia does not boil down solely to land-based casinos. There are various great online real money casinos in Malaysia that are also contributing to the country’s reputation as a gambling destination.

Online Gambling in Malaysia – Diverse & Secure Entertainment

Online Casino Gambling

Despite Malaysia’s strict gambling laws, the online casino industry’s growth is a fact, as it has experienced significant changes in recent years. Online operators are attracting more and more players not only in Malaysia but also outside the country. This makes it difficult for authorities to regulate and control the industry.

Online gambling operators are providing enough measures to ensure a safe and secure environment for their players. In addition, more and more online casinos are introducing cryptocurrencies as deposit and withdrawal methods for even more convenience. These are only a few of the perks that you can enjoy by visiting some of the best Malaysian gambling sites.

Conclusion

Regardless of its strict gambling laws, the casino market growth in Malaysia will expand further thanks to the luxurious tourist destinations like Genting Highlands. While there is currently no clear indication that gambling will become legal in Malaysia anytime soon, any changes to the law could have a significant impact on the tourism industry of the country.

For now, if you are looking taste the thrill of playing at an Asian casino, you might try out some of the best live dealer casino sites in Malaysia offering a realistic gaming experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our article on the possibilities for the casino market growth in Malaysia ends with a section comprised of the most common questions related to the topic. Here, you will find answers on topics concerning the legal gambling requirements in both China and Malaysia as well as what the future may hold for the industry.

1️⃣ Does Malaysia’s gambling growth affect online casino regulations?

If you are interested in trying out some of the best online casinos in Malaysia, you must be aware of the regulations and restrictions on gambling within the country. At the beginning of our blog post we talked about the top casino sites in Malaysia where you can enjoy a variety of games in a safe and secure environment even if you are playing from overseas.

2️⃣ Do Chinese regulations impact Malaysia’s gambling growth?

The only legal forms of gambling across China are the welfare lottery and the sports lottery. According to the Chinese laws and regulations all other forms of gambling are prohibited, including casinos, sports betting, and online gambling. Thаt’s why many Chinese gamblers prefer gambling in Malaysia.

3️⃣ Is online gambling in Malaysia worth it?

Yes, online gambling in Malaysia is worth your time as it comes with many great perks. Online casinos operating in and outside the country are ticking every box on your criteria list. With state-of-the-art technologies, a user-friendly interface, secure payment methods and a wide selection of games, Malaysian online gambling sites are not to be missed.

4️⃣ Does the Malaysian casino market have any potential to grow?

Yes, it does. The Malaysian casino market has potential to grow, since it was namely here where the largest casino conglomerate in Southeast Asia was once established and is still operating to this day. What is more, the country is perceived as an attractive destination, especially for Chinese tourists who are seeking new gambling opportunities.

5️⃣ Will gambling ever be legal in Malaysia?

There is currently no clear indication that gambling will become legal in Malaysia anytime soon. As we discussed in conclusion of our blog post, the country’s government has maintained a strict stance against gambling for years. Any changes, however, would likely be very beneficial for the tourist industry in the country.



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Aces Vs. Kings Vs. Kings: Mariano Scoops $788K Poker Pot on HCL

Aces Vs. Kings Vs. Kings: Mariano Scoops $788K Poker Pot on HCL



Poker vlogger Mariano won one of the most epic pots — a three-way all-in for stacks — late in Friday night’s Hustler Casino Live stream.

It’s been a magnificent month on the poker show from Hustler Casino in Los Angeles. On last Friday’s stream, Ethan “Rampage” Yau obliterated Nikhil “Nik Airball” Arcot en route to a $523,000 profit. This week, it was Mariano who booked a $568,000 win before the cameras stopped rolling, most of it in one incredible hand.

The hand in question was reminiscent to the 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event when Nic Manion won an enormous pot, busting one player, with pocket aces against two players holding pocket kings to force the start of the final table.

While the stakes weren’t quite as high as the WSOP Main Event final table, and there wasn’t a bracelet and world title on the line, the hand you’re about to witness played out in a similar fashion.

Epic Poker Hand

The hand began with HCL regular Double M raising it up to $1,000 with {k-Hearts}{k-Diamonds} from an early position, and then Dario, a newcomer to the stream, called $1,000 from the cutoff with {q-Clubs}{j-Clubs} and Han did the same in the hijack with {a-Clubs}{q-Diamonds}. Yang, on the button, then made it $6,000 with {k-Spades}{k-Clubs}, matching Double M’s hand.

Mariano, in the straddle, looked down at {a-Spades}{a-Diamonds} and wasn’t about to slow play the best starting hand in no-limit Texas hold’em, especially not out of position against a three-bet. Thus, he four-bet the preflop nuts to $16,000.

When action returned to Double M, he decided to just call. Han and Dario sent their cards into the muck, but Yang went for the five-bet to $55,000. Mariano, who had both players covered with about $305,000 behind, opted to sneakily call. That convinced Double M to move all in for $259,800.

Action was back on Yang and he had a difficult decision to make with $208,100 behind. He tanked for a bit before coming to the conclusion that folding pocket kings is never easy. After Yang called, Mariano snap-called and had both players in a world of hurt for a $788,400 pot. They all agreed to run it twice.

On the first run out, Mariano wrapped up at least half the pot when it came out {3-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds}{5-Clubs}{3-Spades}{j-Hearts}, and then he collected the whole thing after seeing {10-Spades}{7-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}{2-Clubs}{7-Hearts} on board number two.

Hustler Casino Live has given the poker world some unreal hands over the past two years. The one featured in this article, save for the infamous J4 hand, might have been the most epic of them all, or at least in the top five.

top 5 hustler casino live hands of 2022





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Doug Polk’s Feud With Matt Berkey Gets the YouTube Treatment

Curse word speech bubbles


Heads-up drama

What started out as a friendly hustle to get Matt Berkey playing heads-up with Nikhil “Nik Airball” Arcot has spiraled into one of the petty feuds that Doug Polk has turned into an art form.

the show took a turn in the last ten minutes

On Wednesday, Nik appeared on Polk’s podcast to talk about Garrett Adelstein’s fall from grace. The show took a turn in the last ten minutes as Polk took Matt Berkey to task.

Polk appears to have been acting as a middle man for Nik, brokering the terms of a heads-up confrontation between Nik and Berkey. However, feeling that Berkey was being evasive, Polk couldn’t help but refer to “this thing with [Nik] and Berkey” on his podcast, calling it “a bitch move” on Berkey’s part.

Nik went even further, calling Berkey a “scammer” for selling coaching while also turning down his heads-up challenge.

Escalation

Berkey raised Polk’s bet by responding to the podcast with a Twitter post containing screencaps of the negotiations between Polk and himself. The messages appear to show fairly typical scheduling negotiations, undermining Polk’s point.

This didn’t phase Polk, who re-raised by doubling down on Berkey for “backing out” and then calling him a “nitwit.”

Berkey four-bet by calling Polk a “c*nt” and a “washed up geezer” before challenging Polk to join him in a full-ring game at the Bellagio.

[NB: Interested readers and Berkey may wish to look up the derivation from rhyming slang of the British insult “berk.”]

Polk then shoved with two tweets (which could be read to imply Polk thinks Berkey is a fraud) and a YouTube video.

Polk’s video breaks down a poorly played hand of Berkey’s during a game of jack-four on the Live at the Bike stream.

Polk intercuts his mock-analysis of the hand with a takedown of Berkey’s career. He dismantles Solve For Why – Berkey’s coaching business – calls Berkey out for errors in his podcast, and then tries to poach Landon Tice from Berkey’s stable.

Berkey has yet to respond to the video. When he does, he would do well to bear in mind the old saying about wrestling Doug Polk: you both get covered in shit…and Polk enjoys it.

The post Doug Polk’s Feud With Matt Berkey Gets the YouTube Treatment appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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