Largest Casino Collectibles Show Returning to Las Vegas This Summer

Largest Casino Collectibles Show Returning to Las Vegas This Summer



Those in Las Vegas this summer may be able to get their hands on a piece of gaming history as the 30th annual Casino Chip and Collectibles Show makes its way into South Point Hotel and Casino from June 15-17.

Taking place alongside events like the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the Golden Nugget’s Grand Poker Series, the world’s largest casino chip and collectibles show will feature museum-like exhibits of casino memorabilia like dice, slot cards, matchbooks and playing cards.

Read about the 28th Annual Casino Collectibles Show!

The 30th annual Casino Chip and Collectibles Show will feature over 50 dealers of casino memorabilia from around the world, giving attendees a chance to watch as precious casino collectibles are traded and evaluated.

The show is open to the public all three days and costs $10 for admission on Thursday, June 15 and $5 for admission on Friday, June 16, while admission will be free on Saturday, June 17. Admission is free for anyone under the age of 18 accompanied by an adult.

The show will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 15 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on June 16 and June 17. The show will be located in Exhibit Hall C at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Casino Chip and Collectibles Show
Casino Chip and Collectibles Show

The Casino Chip and Collectibles Show is operated by the Casino Collectibles Association, a nonprofit devoted to growing the hobby of collecting casino and gambling memorabilia.

Usually taking place alongside the WSOP and other summer events, the Casino Chip and Collectibles Show is a beloved event for poker fans and has attracted plenty of big names in the past.

In 2021, Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson and Women in Poker Hall of Famer Jan Fisher both made appearances at the Casino Chip and Collectibles Show and signed autographs for fans.

For more information about the upcoming Casino Collectibles Association Show, visit ccgtcc.com.

Check out this PokerNews review of the South Point Poker Room!

CCA 30th Annual Convention
CCA 30th Annual Convention

Photos courtesy of the Casino Collectibles Association





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GTO Versus White Magic: A Clash of Poker Philosophies

Glowing white card floating between two hands


Heavyweights debate

On the most recent episode of The Chip Race, I acted as an intermediary of sorts as my VegasSlotsOnline News colleague and co-host Dara O’Kearney engaged in a vigorous but good-natured debate with Ireland’s winningest poker player Andy Black. The segment was billed as Game Theory Optimal (GTO) versus White Magic. 

different philosophies, different routes into poker, and different coaching starting points 

This particular debate had been teased for quite some time, with the Irish Poker Tour expressing interest in having the two legends duke it out in a live setting. That may yet happen – in which case I hope our segment has whet the appetite for further discussion – but even if it doesn’t, I think the piece stands alone as an interesting clash of different philosophies, different routes into poker, and different coaching starting points. 

For the purposes of the debate, O’Kearney and Black were pitted as dueling representatives of the two opposing concepts, O’Kearney argued for GTO principles. His best-selling book GTO Poker Simplified espouses the virtues of unexploitable lines via balanced ranges. Black certainly recognizes the importance of having strong fundamentals, but he is also a believer in “white magic,” that somewhat ethereal Hellmuthian term which prioritizes the specific hand that you are playing and draws upon hand and people reading abilities to diverge successfully from game theory.

What is GTO? 

Game theory is the branch of mathematics concerned with the analysis of strategies for dealing with competitive situations where the outcome of a participant’s choice of action depends critically on the actions of other participants. Essentially, the objective of game theory is to figure out an optimal strategy. In other words, no matter what your opponents do, they cannot beat you long term. At best, they can break even by also playing optimally. This optimal strategy solution is known as “Nash equilibrium.” 

In No-Limit Hold’em, game theory optimal in its purest sense is not yet known and likely never will be owing to the game’s complexity but, using solver software, we can create useful toy games which have GTO solutions. The hand ranges and a limited number of options for actions on each street are input and then the solver iterates on strategies for each player until a balance point is found. 

good players will begin to recognize patterns and infer heuristics

The point is that armed with these solutions, good players will begin to recognize patterns and infer heuristics which will then massively benefit them in similar future situations. That is not to say that they will stick rigidly to those strategies. Of course, there will be times when they may choose to diverge but even then, it will be a divergence from this sound baseline strategy. 

What is white magic?

On a 2021 episode of No Gamble, No Future, Hellmuth was asked about white magic, a term he invented, and he told the story about a non-standard fold he made when his opponent shoved into him blind versus blind for 15 big blinds. According to “The Poker Brat,” the player was giving off strength tells and for him, “reading trumps everything,” so he laid down Ace-Ten. 

Another time, when he was asked about white magic, he was a little more cryptic, saying: “you don’t understand my mysterious and unseen powers.” Well, trying to decode the sorcery at play, author Zach Elwood wrote an excellent article entitled: “What Is Phil Hellmuth’s White Magic? Can We Define It?” In one section, the renowned poker tells expert focuses on the 16-time world champion’s ability to adapt to how people react to his belligerent behavior at the table: 

“Hellmuth often offends people. He often gets on their nerves. And so he generates many opportunities to get… reads.”

Elwood then gives an example of how a hand might play out between Hellmuth and a player who he has annoyed: 

Hellmuth knows his opponent is unlikely to act that way if he were bluffing

“Hellmuth and his opponent get in a hand and they get to the river. Hellmuth’s opponent goes all-in. Hellmuth insults him and his opponent fires back with a quick insult, very loose. Or, more subtly, maybe he stays quiet and only a brief flash of irritaton crosses his face. For either of these reactions, Hellmuth knows his opponent is unlikely to act that way if he were bluffing. Hellmuth folds.”

Elwood then offers a counter-example:

“Later on, the two get into another hand and his opponent makes a significant river bet. Hellmuth whines and berates his opponent, but his opponent is stoic and neutral, and doesn’t give anything way. Hellmuth is much more likely to call here.”

Less GTO is better?

The debate between O’Kearney and Black kicked off with me harkening back to Black’s first visit to The Chip Race when he said how when you are in a hand, being up against Kings feels different to being up against Aces, that they have their unique signature or energy into which an attuned player can tap. Feeling that difference and responding to it correctly seemed to quite nicely incapsulate the idea of white magic, but Black immediately reframed the conversation.

Black was keen to address what he believes is a preponderance of GTO material in the poker coaching realm. He contended that its domination of the space is at the expense of a more individually tailored humanistic approach to the game. He also suggested that roughly half of all poker players and the majority of recreational players would benefit more from a coaching methodology that looked to exploit their strengths in other facets of their life, honing in on the traits that have cross-over application. 

the way for some of them to get better is to be a bit more thorough”

“There are a whole bevvy-load of recreationals who are the heart blood of the game and I think that the way for some of them to get better is to be a bit more thorough, looking at stuff like focus and awareness, looking at the game in slightly more broad strokes… through that, you manage to find a composure.”

More GTO is better? 

By contrast, O’Kearney argued that by incorporating GTO principles you can improve and move up the stakes faster because you have a game that can win at all levels. In other words, your core game is scalable and not reliant on working out the specific exploits that work versus the different population tendencies at different stakes. 

In his book GTO Poker Simplified, O’Kearney says that playing GTO “means not having a leak in your game like bluffing too much or too little or calling too much or too little that can be exploited by another player.” He believes that shoring up these technical leaks and developing a play style that is more fundamentally sound is actually the best first step for recreational players.

O’Kearney also believes that it is often through GTO work and solver learning that players achieve the poise and composure that Black values so highly:

a systematic studious approach, not based on what happens, but based on learning a strategy”

“It comes from the way that they have gotten good technically at the game. They apply that to other areas as well… [poker] gave them an approach, a systematic studious approach, not based on what happens, but based on learning a strategy, which they are then able to apply, not just to other areas of poker but other areas of their life.”

Two different approaches

As the moderator of the debate, I was keen not to polarize either participant. To do so would have been disingenuous. It’s not like O’Kearney has never made a read on a player who was giving off tells and did the opposite of what a solver would have done. Similarly, it’s not like Black is out there just winging it without some baseline fundamentals. 

the crux of their difference is in the order and priority of things

I was also happy to embrace the redefining of white magic and the focus on the recreational player’s way into the game because I think it ultimately leads to more common ground. It struck me that both O’Kearney and Black want to coach players to be as good as they can be, but the crux of their difference is in the order and priority of things. 

O’Kearney gives players knowledge and teaches the ability to self-teach, believing that good execution relies on first having a solid base of understanding. Black works on a player’s execution first, believing that the ability to absorb information and build a knowledge base relies on first learning how to be receptive and aware. 

White magic is black magic? 

Ultimately, players seeking out coaching need to decide which methodology would work best for them. I can certainly see how Black’s approach could be valuable to a player who is struggling with a lack of composure and perhaps also a feeling that there is an overwhelming amount of material to consume in order to get proficient in the game. 

I do, however, lean more towards the O’Kearney modus operandi, as I think of GTO both a baseline and as a defensive posture against elite opponents. As such, it is the rock upon which I can build my game and that, in turn, gives me confidence. From there, confidence breeds composure and with composure comes (I hope) sharp execution. 

Black said: “Even if you cannot see something, it doesn’t mean it is not there”. That may be true, but I personally prefer to put my faith in things I can see, and solver output provides that. I am reminded by a famous line from The Sea, The Sea by the great novelist and philosopher Iris Murdock:

“White magic is black magic. A less than perfect meddling in the spiritual world can breed monsters for other people, and demons used for good can hang around and make mischief afterwards.”

The post GTO Versus White Magic: A Clash of Poker Philosophies appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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Trainwreck Reveals Kick Mobile App to Launch March 26

Trainwreck


The moment many online casino streamers have been waiting for is nearly here. The Kick mobile streaming app is finally launching this weekend. Kick advocate Trainwreck took to Twitter on Friday to reveal the Stake-backed platform’s mobile app will launch on Sunday:

The Texan gambling streamer, real name Tyler Niknam, has been a leading figure in drumming up attention for Kick. Last month, Trainwreck publicized a March 3 rollout of the mobile app which ultimately didn’t come to fruition as the app wasn’t yet up to scratch.

music to the ears of fellow streamers Roshstein and ClassyBeef

Trainwreck’s “100%” declaration that the Kick mobile app will go live Sunday will no doubt be music to the ears of fellow streamers Roshstein and ClassyBeef. All three content creators were part of the mass migration from Twitch to Kick last year after the former banned unregulated casino content from its site.

Trainwreck’s followers are upbeat about the launch, with many believing the mobile app is going to boost Kick’s expansion. Twitter user Nessie said it would be “easier viewing from phone,” while SnackGOAT deemed it the “best thing I’ve heard all day.“

The post Trainwreck Reveals Kick Mobile App to Launch March 26 appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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Patients given aripiprazole ‘should be told of gambling addiction risks’ | Drugs


Patients who are prescribed a common antipsychotic used to treat depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis and schizophrenia need to be told there is a risk they could develop a gambling addiction, an expert has warned.

The National Problem Gambling Clinic has observed growing numbers of patients who have developed a gambling addiction after starting to take aripiprazole. Some patients have lost huge sums of money as a result and seen their relationships fall apart.

Prof Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a leading psychiatrist who runs the clinic, said more awareness needed to be raised, as patients were not being warned by many GPs prescribing the drug, and mental health teams were failing to monitor whether people were developing addictions.

“This is not just any side-effect – it can come with a risk of losing your own home. What we constantly see is that not enough people know about this. I gave a recent lecture to all the psychiatrists in my trust and a very large proportion had never heard about it,” she said. “We constantly hear about mental health teams not being aware. More needs to be done to prevent people from being put on aripirazole without being warned and monitored.”

The National Problem Gambling Clinic’s audit of its patients for 2022 found that nearly 9% were taking the drug, or 30 out of 359. Bowden-Jones said they typically were not aware of the connection between aripiprazole and problem gambling.

GPs receive alerts of side-effects when they prescribe drugs, but although pathological gambling is listed as a side-effect by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, it is not flagged. Mental health teams in psychiatric units often help monitor patients taking the drug, but are not specifically looking out for warning signs of problem gambling.

There is government guidance for GPs to inform patients of the link between Parkinson’s medication and gambling addiction and to monitor it.

Doctors should should be mindful that stigma and shame often prevents people reporting symptoms of gambling harm, and look out for whether aripiprazole results in other compulsive behaviours, for example excessive drinking, drug-taking, sex or shopping, added Bowden-Jones.

Lee Jordan developed a gambling addiction after taking aripiprazole in 2021 to ease psychosis symptoms, including hearing voices, which developed during a highly stressful period of work. While he had gambled small amounts of money for fun in the past, his casual habit quickly started to take over his life.

“I was spending a huge amount of money because it was a release. But the devastating effects were humungous – I nearly lost my relationship, I lost family, friends, it just destroyed my life really,” he said, adding that he had lost £10,000 to gambling companies and been unable to recoup the money.

Jordan came off aripiprazole in 2022 and within weeks, he felt empowered to stop gambling. “When I came off the medication it was a struggle for a little bit, because it was ingrained in my brain those endorphins for the wins. There were cravings afterwards, and I was able to install Gamban [gambling blocking software] on devices, but I needed a bit of willpower – you’ve got to want to give up. With the added pressure of aripirazole gone, it was easy for me to accomplish that goal.”

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Jordan is now on antidepressants, but will begin a new course of antipsychotics soon, as he still hears voices intermittently, although he will not take aripiprazole again. “It’s a catch-22 – do you want to take it because you want to stop hearing voices, or do you want to keep damaging and ruining your life, and become homeless?”

Paul Kanolik, a lawyer at Ellis Jones specialising in gambling cases, said it was “quite staggering” how many people with psychiatric illnesses he was seeing ending up with thousands of pounds of gambling debt. While he has won some cases, he said current legislation was a “grey area”, which needed to be overhauled to better protect vulnerable people, especially given the accessibility of online gambling.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said pathological gambling and other impulse control disorders were “a well-recognised side-effect of aripiprazole”, which are listed as side-effects in the patient information leaflet. The MHRA recommends that patients and doctors always discuss the benefits and risks of any medication.



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Yggdrasil and ReelPlay Release Big Bucks Buffalo Giga Blox

Yggdrasil and ReelPlay Release Big Bucks Buffalo Giga Blox


The two partners have already teamed up for a number of titles, such as the recent B2B release Festival 10K Ways launched in January. Yggdrasil and ReelPlay have now developed the Wild West-inspired hit, offering players the win potential of a total of 8,737x the player’s bet. Such a potential is facilitated by Yggdrasil’s landmark Giga Blox Mechanics (GEM), as well as the generous Bonus Respins feature, Mega Coin Symbol, and more.

Powerful Mechanics Guarantees Landing:

Big Bucks Buffalo GigaBlox™ uses the GigaBlox mechanics to ensure that at least one symbol sized between 2×2 and 4×4 will land on the reels. This feature is guaranteed for each spin, with Wilds and scatters spread across the reels at the same time. If six or more coin scatter symbols are displayed on the reels, Bonus Respins activate to award three additional spins. In the Bonus Respins round, each coin is set in the multiplier range from 1x to 1000x the base bet.

Mega Coin Takes the Game Off:

But if at least 2 x 2 coins land on reels during the re-triggered bonus round, their combination will form a Mega Coin feature, which will multiply the multiplier values of all mutually combined symbols two times. Mega Coin feature offers the highest win potential and the Buy Bonus capacity can be optionally used to get straight into the Mega Coin action.

Quality Assurance:

As usual, Yggdrasil’s innovative GATI technology powers the slot. The provider uses the proven solution across a range of B2B and software and game development deals to ensure pre-set, standardized development tools for its partners. The consistency of development results in reproducible cutting-edge content ready for distribution. The level of quality assurance of Yggdrasil’s products makes the provider’s partners keep coming back for more.

Commenting on the new title release, Stuart McCarthy, Head of Product & Programs at Yggdrasil, said: “ReelPlay has established themselves as one of our most successful YG Masters partners over the last few years. We could not be more excited to release another top-tier slot with a proven theme and our much-loved GigaBlox GEM offering the potential for huge wins.”

David Johnson, CEO at ReelPlay, said: “Big Bucks Buffalo GigaBlox launches with all the familiar ReelPlay strengths evident; we’re thrilled to see our latest exciting YG Masters game go live and are confident that the release will prove appealing for players and operators alike.”





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PokerStars Guarantees Exceed $1.8M For First Ever Ontario SCOOP

PokerStars Guarantees Exceed $1.8M For First Ever Ontario SCOOP



Ontarian poker players can kick off their Spring in style on PokerStars.ca as the Ontario Spring Championship Of Online Poker (ONSCOOP) started on Saturday.

Since PokerStars.ca—the Ontario-only arm of the PokerStars brand—only launched in June of last year, this will be the first ONSCOOP ever. As a result, PokerStars has the chance to put the best foot of their most popular poker festivals forward into the province.

To help with that, the ONSCOOP sticks to familiar patterns. The festival more or less mirrors the much larger international SCOOP events (and the U.S. state-specific SCOOP events) in laying on large guarantees, a three-tiered price structure, and a ton of promotional events.

Download the PokerStars Ontario client in time for ONSCOOP

What to expect from PokerStars ONSCOOP

  • Starting March 25 and running until April 11
  • CA$1.8 million in guarantees
  • A CA$300 Main Event with CA$150,000 guaranteed
  • 43 events (each with three tiers, small-, medium-, and high-stakes)
  • CA$100,000 in leaderboard prizes
  • Satellite and freeroll promotions

The major events at PokerStars ONSCOOP

Each of the 43 tournaments comes in a small-, medium, and high-stakes edition. In total that makes for 129 events across the two-and-a-half weeks of play. These events will come with buy-ins starting as small as CA$5 and running all the way up to CA$2,000.

PokerStars will put up CA$1.8 million in guarantees across the 129 events which run from March 25 to April 11.

There will be twelve “Championship Events” (each with three tiers). This includes the Main Championship Event which will cost $300 with a CA$150k guarantee. There will also be a CA$30 Mini Main (CA$30k GTD) and a $1,000 High-Roller Main (CA$70k GTD).

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

The other championship events will be spread across a range of games. These include the usual NLH tournament variants like 6-max, bounty, and turbo event. However, there is also a good spread for anyone suffering from hold’em fatigue. There will be PLO, O8, 5-card draw, and mixed game variants among others.

There will also be all the side events you’d expect. PokerStars is using the ONSCOOP festival as a recruitment drive. So new players are offered the usual range of bonuses, but old hands can still take advantage of promotional added-value and freeroll satellites into ONSCOOP events.

For anyone who lacks the patience to play a full satellite, the PokerStars.ca SpinNGo tab now also includes $3 events with $300 ONSCOOP tickets as the top possible prize.

For players who put in the volume, there is also CA$100,000 in leaderboard prizes to compete for. CA$40,000 will go to the top scorers in the Low-Stakes, Medium-Stakes, High-Roller, and Overall categories.

Whatever type of poker you play—if you’re in Ontario for the next few weeks—ONSCOOP has you covered.





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