Hustler Casino Live has announced the lineup for “The Million Dollar Game,” and given that the minimum buy-in will be $1m with blinds of $500/$1,000 and a $1,000 big blind ante, the community response has been underwhelming.
Inaccurately taglined as the “biggest game in poker history,” the show is getting some pushback for the shortage of big names at the table.
The HCL announcement lists twelve names for the game, which is scheduled from May 27 to May 29.
Of the twelve poker players on the list, only Ethan “Rampage” Yau is a professional. The rest of the players are businessmen. And only a few of the names – Eric Persson, Rob Yong, and more recently Nik Airball – have much currency with the wider poker community.
“Lamest lineup ever,” said one commenter.
“So just another normal Friday lineup,” wrote another.
There is still plenty of time
HCL may have been counting on the high-stakes to be enough of a lure. However, with the game still six weeks away and with three days of streaming to fill, this list doesn’t read like hype – it reads like chum. By putting out a list of eleven whales, the HCL producers will have more or less their pick when it comes to big-name poker players.
This greatly improves their odds of negotiating a seat for exactly the kind of player that the commenters are complaining is missing.
Finding the right mix of players is a balancing act.
The Garrett Adelstein controversy has given us a good look at how complex the politicking behind stream lineups can be. Finding the right mix of players is a balancing act. Sharks bring in the audience and whales bring in the sharks. But too many sharks scare off the whales and the ecosystem collapses.
All that is before you add in the endless petty squabbles and personal beefs. They make for great drama if they happen on air, but they can also completely derail a lineup if players won’t sit down together and hash it out on screen.
The Hustler Casino Live team still has plenty of time to find its balance and create a great show. Here’s hoping they pull it off.
The post Hustler Casino Live’s “The Million Dollar Game” Criticized for Lackluster Lineup appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) is about to make its way down to sunny South Florida for an event no tournament player will want to miss.
Starting April 13 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, a 61-event series running through May 2 kicks off, and there are tournaments on the schedule for just about any type of poker player.
Every WPT event will bring out a large field and a massive prize pool. But the upcoming stop figures to be one for the record books, and below you can find out why.
Check out the WPT Hub on PokerNews here!
Seminole Hard Rock the Place to Be for Tournament Poker
Florida has become an even bigger tournament hotspot than it already was since COVID. Many events have cracked 1,000 and sometimes even 2,000 players, creating massive prize pools that pay out life-changing money.
The biggest event on the juicy schedule, at least in terms of prestige, is the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship, and this $3 million guaranteed tournament will bring out a nice mix of pros, WPT regulars, and recreational players. On May 2, they’ll play down to the final table of six. At that time, play will be paused for a few weeks and then resume May 25 in Las Vegas at Luxor’s HyperX Esports Arena.
Last year in this very same event, Mark Davis became a millionaire when he outlasted 2,010 entrants for his first World Poker Tour title. While that might seem like an unusually large field for a $3,500 buy-in event, it really isn’t these days in Florida, especially when the WPT is attached to the event.
Great Bang for the Buck
There’s so much value not only in the Championship event, but also across the entire series of 61 tournaments. It all starts with the $400 Deepstack No-Limit Hold’em on April 13, which promises at least $500,000 in the pot. There are six Day 1 starting flights — two per day — and players can enter as many sessions as they’d like.
Want an even cheaper buy-in with a six-figure prize pool? Starting April 17, again with six opening flights, Seminole will spread a $200 buy-in hold’em tournament with a minimum $150,000 pot.
For those interested in playing bigger, there are multiple high rollers on the schedule beginning with a $10,000 Deepstack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) April 25. On the following day, there will be a $50,000 Super High Roller (Single Re-Entry), followed by the $25,500 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha (Re-Entry) on April 27.
There’s a little something for everyone in this series. That includes games for the NLH fanatics, non-NLH players, low-stakes pros and recreational players, mid-stakes players, and the high rollers.
Full WPT Seminole Hard Rock Series Schedule
Event #/(Day)
Date
Time
Buy-In
Tournament
1A
13-Apr
10AM
$400
Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) – $500,000 GTD
1B
13-Apr
6PM
$400
1C
14-Apr
10AM
$400
1D
14-Apr
6PM
$400
1E
15-Apr
10AM
$400
1F
15-Apr
6PM
$400
1(2)
16-Apr
1PM
—
Event #1 Day 2
1(3)
17-Apr
1PM
—
Event #1 Day 3
2
13-Apr
11AM
$600
Deep Stack Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
3
13-Apr
2PM
$600
Deep Stack Big O (Re-Entry)
4
14-Apr
11AM
$600
Omaha Hi Low 8 Or Better (Re-Entry)
5
14-Apr
2PM
$300
Quad Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
6
15-Apr
11AM
$1,100
Deep Stack 5 Card PLO (Re-Entry)
7
16-Apr
12PM
$400
Deep Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) – $50,000 GTD
8
16-Apr
4PM
$1,100
Deep Stack Eight Handed NLH (Re-Entry) – $100,000 GTD
8(2)
17-Apr
2PM
—
Event #8 Day 2
9A
16-Apr
5PM
$400
Deep Stack Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry) – $100,000 GTD
9B
17-Apr
12PM
$400
9C
17-Apr
5PM
$400
9(2)
18-Apr
1PM
—
Event #9 Day 2
10
16-Apr
6PM
$200
Quad Stack Double Green Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
11
16-Apr
8PM
$400
Deep Stack Turbo NLH (Re-Entry)
12A
17-Apr
11AM
$200
Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) – $150,000 GTD
12B
17-Apr
3PM
$200
12C
17-Apr
7PM
$200
12D
18-Apr
11AM
$200
12E
18-Apr
3PM
$200
12F
18-Apr
7PM
$200
12(2)
19-Apr
2PM
—
Event #12 Day 2
13
17-Apr
11AM
$400
H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
14
18-Apr
11AM
$400
Deep Stack Mixed Pot Limit Omaha (PLO,PLO8,BIGO) (Re-Entry)
15
18-Apr
12PM
$600
Deep Stack Six-Max NLH (Re-Entry) – $50,000 GTD
16
19-Apr
10AM
$400
Deep Stack Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
17
19-Apr
12PM
$400
Triple Stud (Re-Entry)
18
19-Apr
2PM
$600
Deep Stack Eight-Handed NLH (Re-Entry)
19
19-Apr
4PM
$1,100
Deep Stack Six-Max PLO Hi Low 8 Or Better (Re-Entry)
19(2)
20-Apr
1PM
—
Event #19 Day 2
20
19-Apr
6PM
$300
Quad Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
21A
20-Apr
10AM
$600
Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) – $1,000,000 GTD
Deep Stack Seniors 50+ Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
30
24-Apr
12PM
$600
Deep Stack Double Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
31
24-Apr
12PM
$1,100
8 Game Mix (HORSE-NLH-PLO-Limit 2-7 Triple Draw) (Re-Entry)
31(2)
25-Apr
12PM
—
Event #31 Day 2
32
24-Apr
4PM
$600
Deep Stack Six-Max PLO (Re-Entry)
33
24-Apr
5PM
$200
Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
34
24-Apr
8PM
$400
Deep Stack Turbo NLH (Re-Entry)
35
25-Apr
11AM
$600
Deep Stack Six-Max NLH (Re-Entry) – $50,000 GTD
36
25-Apr
12PM
$1,100
Omaha Hi Low 8 Or Better (Re-Entry)
36(2)
26-Apr
12PM
—
Event #36 Day 2
37
25-Apr
1PM
$10,000
Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
37(2)
26-Apr
1PM
—
Event #37 Day 2
38
25-Apr
5PM
$400
Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
39
25-Apr
8PM
$1,100
Deep Stack Turbo NLH (Re-Entry)
40
26-Apr
11AM
$1,100
Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry) – $100,000 GTD
40(2)
27-Apr
12PM
—
Event #40 Day 2
41
26-Apr
12PM
$1,100
H.O.R.S.E. (Re-Entry)
41(2)
27-Apr
12PM
—
Event #41 Day 2
42
26-Apr
1PM
$50,000
Super High-Roller No Limit Hold’em (Single Re-Entry)
42(2)
27-Apr
12PM
—
Event #42 Day 2
43
26-Apr
6PM
$200
Quad Stack Double Green Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
44
27-Apr
11AM
$2,200
Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry) – $200,000 GTD
44(2)
28-Apr
12PM
—
Event #44 Day 2
45
27-Apr
1PM
$25,500
High-Roller Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
45(2)
28-Apr
1PM
—
Event #45 Day 2
46
27-Apr
7PM
$300
Larry Frank Memorial Charity Event Benefiting The Make-A-Wish Foundation
47A
28-Apr
11AM
$3,500
WPT Showdown Championship (Re-Entry) – $3,000,000 GTD – Day 1A
47B
29-Apr
11AM
$3,500
Day 1B
47(2)
30-Apr
12PM
—
Day 2
47(3)
1-May
12PM
—
Day 3
47(4)
2-May
12PM
—
Day 4
48
29-Apr
4PM
$250
Deep Stack Ladies NLH (Re-Entry) – $10,000 GTD
49
29-Apr
9PM
$600
Deep Stack Turbo NLH (Re-Entry)
50
30-Apr
12PM
$400
Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry) – $50,000 GTD
51
30-Apr
1PM
$10,000
Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) – $1,000,000 GTD
51(2)
1-May
12PM
—
Event #51 Day 2
52
30-Apr
4PM
$1,100
Deep Stack Mixed Pot Limit Omaha (PLO,PLO8,BIGO) (Re-Entry)
52(2)
1-May
2PM
—
Event #52 Day 2
53
30-Apr
9PM
$1,100
Deep Stack Turbo NLH (Re-Entry)
54
1-May
12PM
$600
Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry) – $50,000 GTD
55
1-May
2PM
$25,500
High-Roller No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) – $1,000,000 GTD
55(2)
2-May
1PM
—
Event #55 Day 2
56
1-May
6PM
$200
Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
57
1-May
8PM
$1,100
Deep Stack Turbo Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
58
2-May
11AM
$400
Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
59
2-May
11AM
$600
Deep Stack 5 Card PLO (Re-Entry)
60
2-May
12PM
$5,000
Deep Stack Eight Handed NLH (Re-Entry) – $250,000 GTD
61
2-May
5PM
$300
Quad Stack Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)
Play Cards with Poker’s Top Vloggers
Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme, both WPT ambassadors, will bring their popular Meet-Up Game (MUG) to the Seminole Hard Rock on April 19.
On that day, fans can compete against the talented vloggers in a friendly $2/$5 cash game. For those who have never attended a MUG, Owen and Neeme often rotate tables during the session to ensure nearly everyone gets an opportunity to play with them. The games are more relaxed and fun than a typical cash games. Drinks will be consumed, memories will be made, cards will be dealt, and fun times will be had.
You Can’t Beat South Florida Beaches
No disrespect to Hilton Head Island, Southern California, and many other places in the country that have gorgeous beaches. But you simply can’t top the white sand South Florida beaches, from all the way down in Key West up to Miami (shoutout to South Beach!), Fort Lauderdale, and up the coast to nearby Hollywood.
What better way to celebrate a big win or blow off some steam after a bad beat than relaxing on the beach? You’ll have a number of options not far away from Seminole Hard Rock when competing in the 2023 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown.
With the successful PokerStars US 2023 Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) having wrapped up earlier this month in Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Jersey, there have still been plenty of big-guaranteed events taking place on PokerStars PA, including several Sunday specials and Thursday Thrill tournament offerings.
Here’s a look at some of the latest big winners on PokerStars PA, including $250 Sunday High Roller – NLHE [6-Max], $17.5K GTD champion “Jesushadgr8abs” and $100 Thursday Thrill – NLHE [Progressive KO], $17.5K GTD winner Casey “superdonkeydave” Hatmaker.
Find out who topped the PA SCOOP leaderboards!
Sun Run Continues for “Jesushadgr8abs”
“Jesushadgr8abs” has been dominating on PokerStars PA as of late and their latest victory came after topping 88 entrants in the $250 buy-in high roller and securing a heads-up deal with “6maxinurmom”, who took home the same amount. Others at the High Roller final table included “fan_buzgon” (3rd – $2,2693.73), “c_glock_1” (4th – $1,991.13) and “brent1760” (5th – $1,471.79).
Earlier this month, “Jesushadgr8abs” finished seventh on the PA SCOOP – Medium Leaderboard with 185 points to earn a cash prize of $100, while also finishing runner-up on the PA SCOOP – Low Leaderboard with 360 points for a $300 bonus.
Other winners on PokerStars PA this past Sunday included “saboniiplz!”, who took down $100 Sunday Marathon, $10K GTD for $2,062.84, and “RealizeRealLies”, who realized their equity to win $100 Sunday Special NLH, $45K GTD for $8,910.83.
$250 Sunday High Roller – $250 NLHE [6-Max] Final Table Results
RANK
PLAYER
PRIZE (IN USD)
1
“Jesushadgr8abs”
$4,287.24
2
“6maxinurmom”
$4,287.24
3
“fan_buzgon”
$2,693.73
4
“c_glock_1”
$1,991.13
5
“brent1760”
$1,471.79
6
“MatthewMara”
$1,087.91
Hatmaker Defeats “Tmbrkln” for Thursday Thrill Title
Another notable winner on PokerStars PA this week was Casey “superdonkeydave” Hatmaker, who got through a field of 233 players to take home the bulk of the $17,500 guaranteed prize pool.
Hatmaker is no stranger to victories on PokerStars PA. In fact, he has three PokerStars Championship of Online Poker (COOP) titles to his name and now has a Thursday Thrill victory to go with it after defeating heads-up opponent “Tmbrkln”, who also took home $3,937.73 after bounties were calculated.
Others who ran deep in the Thursday Thrill event include “usmc2doc13” (3rd – $1,531.92), Dean “BDGEJLM” Morrow (7th – $633.80) and “Mike_Larkin” (9th – $482.38).
Hatmaker wasn’t the only Thursday Thrill winner as “blankface777” took down $250 Thursday Thrill, High Roller Edition, [Progressive KO, 8-Max], $20K GTD for $5,975.47 and “jf78279” won $30 Mini Thursday Thrill – NLHE [Progressive KO], $8K GTD for $1,445.74.