Hands of the Week: Quad Nines, Bad Beats & Coolers at WPT Seminole Poker Showdown

Hands of the Week: Quad Nines, Bad Beats & Coolers at WPT Seminole Poker Showdown



Over the weekend, the World Poker Tour (WPT) $3,500 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown attracted 2,290 entrants. The $3 million guarantee was obliterated as a $7,328,000 prize pool was created. That will be distributed to the top 287 finishers with the eventual winner taking home a $1,128,250 top prize.

That tournament is still chugging along and is slated to play down to the final table on Tuesday. At that point, the final six players will go on an approximately three-week hiatus before playing out at the Hyper X ESports Arena at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25th.

Live reporters from both the WPT and Seminole Hard Rock have been capturing the action throughout, and we thought we’d share some of the biggest hands from the early stages of the tournament.

Check out live updates from Seminole Hard Rock here!

Quad Nines Propel Debbie Lee to a Triple

Debbie Lee
Debbie Lee

On Day 1a in Level 5 (300/600/600), a player opened for 2,000 under the gun and Hitesh Patel called next to act. Action folded to Debbie Lee in the big blind and she called to see a flop of K96.

Lee checked and the original raiser continued for 5,000. Patel popped it to 20,000 and Lee wasted little time in calling off her stack of 15,7000. The under-the-gun player called as well to create a main pot of 54,000 and 8,600 on the side.

The two active players checked the 9 turn and the 2 completed the board on the river. The under-the-gun player bet 40,000 and then folded when Patel moved all in for 55,200 total. Patel tabled the K6 for two pair but it was no good as Lee rolled over the 99 for quads!

Andrews Looks to Fade Two Big Slicks

Jason Andrews
Jason Andrews

Also on Day 1a, it was Level 8 (600/1,200/1,200) when Jason Andrews raised to 2,500 and Mark Seif responded with a three-bet to 12,500. Jason Wandling then jammed the button for 53,600 and both Andrews and Seif proceeded to get it in for approximately 175,000 apiece.

Jason Andrews: 88
Mark Seif: AK
Jason Wandling: AK

Andrews was ahead with his pocket pair while his opponents shared the same hand, although Wandling was suited. Fortunately for Andrews, the board ran out a clean 962JQ and his snowmen held to send both Seif and Wandling to the rail.

Check out WPT Live Updates here!

Hareuther Trips Up a Poker Legend

Ryan Hareuther
Ryan Hareuther

On Day 1b of the tournament it was Level 3 (200/400/400) when Ryan Hareuther raised to 1,000 under the gun and Kathy Liebert three-bet to 4,000 from the hijack.

Action folded back to Hareuther and he called to see a flop of JJ10. Hareuther checked, Liebert bet, and woke up with a check-raise, which Liebert called.

On the 2 turn, Hareuther moved all in for 27,000 and Liebert called off for 24,000 with her AA. Unfortunately for the poker legend, Hareuther had flopped trips with the QJ. The 8 river Liebert needed and she was eliminated.

Antimony Cracks the Kings of Singh

Anna Antimony
Anna Antimony

In Level 12 (1,500/3,000/3,000) on Day 1b, 11-time SHRP trophy champ Raminder Singh raised under the gun only to bet met by an all-in three-bet to 47,500 from Anna Antimony in the small blind.

Singh quickly called with his KK and was ahead of Antimony’s AJ. Antimony was looking for some luck and she got it when the A82 flop paired her ace. Neither the Q turn nor 9 river changed a thing and Antimony scored the double.

Scott Bohlman on Bad End of a Cooler… at Least for a Bit!

Scott Bohlman
Scott Bohlman

On Day 2 in Level 20 (10,000/20,000/20,000), just 115 players remained when Scott Bohlman was all in from the cutoff for 990,000 and at risk against David Coleman, who was in the big blind.

Scott Bohlman: KK
David Coleman: AA

It was a cooler situation for Bohlman and he received no help on the 842 flop. The 5 turn changed nothing, and Bohlman needed to spike one of the two remaining kings on the river to stay alive. That’s just what he did too when the K appeared to give him new life. In fact, he doubled to over two million, which was a 101-big-blind stack, while Coleman was left with 625,000.

Check out the WPT Hub on PokerNews here!

*Images courtesy of WPT and Seminole Hard Rock.

Name Surname
Chad Holloway

Executive Editor U.S.

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





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Bill Perkins Pulls Off Huge Bluff Without Being at the Poker Table!

Bill Perkins Pulls Off Huge Bluff Without Being at the Poker Table!



Bill Perkins pulled off one of the wildest live-streamed bluffs ever at The Lodge Card Club in Texas on Sunday night, but he didn’t even know he won the six-figure pot until an hour later.

The hedge fund manager had a plane to catch to Phoenix and couldn’t stick around for the completion of the game. As he explained on Twitter, his friend was opening for comedian Tiffany Haddish and it’s important for him to show up to support his friend. But he left the game in quite a memorable fashion a couple of hours early.

Getting a Live Read on an Empty Seat

handz bill perkins poker

The Lodge, a card room co-owned by Doug Polk, had a few big name players in the game Sunday playing a $100/$200/$400 no-limit hold’em. Polk, Dan Smith, Xuan Liu, and Perkins were all battling for some six-figure pots.

About three hours into the game, Perkins realized it was getting late and announced, “this is my last hand, boys and girls.” He then looked down at KJ in the cutoff and raised it to $3,000.

“He was going to raise it no matter what,” another player said.

Alex made the call in the big blind with A5 before Handz, a Hustler Casino Live regular, made it $17,000 with 1010 from the straddle. Perkins called, while Alex moved out of the way.

The flop came out 632, a complete whiff for Perkins. Handz, loving the three undercards on the board, bet $20,000. Despite missing the flop, Perkins went for a min-raise to $40,000 and received a call. When the 9 appeared on the turn, both players decided to check. But the 6 on the river brought about some crazy action.

Handz went for value with his overpair and bet out $40,000, leaving $134,000 behind. Perkins, who had him easily covered, moved all in before standing up from his chair to head for the door.

“I have a plane to catch and that’s more important because my wife will be f*****g pissed, so whatever happens, happens,” Perkins said as he left the game in the middle of the hand.

Perkins’ cards remained in front of his stack, face-down while Handz had a tough decision to make. He was facing an all-in wager against a now invisible opponent for what had become a $331,600 pot.

Getting a read on an empty seat is pretty much impossible, but Handz tanked for a few minutes to think back on how the hand had played out. He would eventually decide on a fold, concerned his opponent hit trips on the river, meaning he likely became the first poker player ever to get bluffed by a non-existent player on a live stream.

Perkins had no idea if he’d won the hand until it aired on the stream an hour later. He appeared in the chat on the Lodge’s YouTube channel to find out the outcome along with all the viewers.

Although he pulled off one of the goofiest bluffs ever, Perkins still lost almost $200,000 for the session. Handz dropped $115,000 and had a rough weekend of poker. On Friday’s Hustler Casino Live show, he had aces-up twice against superior hands but was able to find a fold on the river both times to avoid an even more disastrous outcome.





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Joshua Kopp Wins The RunGood Poker Series Council Bluffs Main Event ($68,799)

Joshua Kopp Wins The RunGood Poker Series Council Bluffs Main Event ($68,799)



A total of 605 players tried their luck in the $700 RunGood Poker Series Checkpoint Main Event at The Horseshoe Casino In Council Bluffs Iowa. That tally created a prize pool worth $363,000 that only 74 players were lucky enough to see any piece of.

After the dust cleared it was local player Joshua Kopp who stood with the ring wrapped around his finger, and a sum of $68,799 for a prize. “I feel pretty good,” the newly crowned champion said after winning his ring “It’s still pretty surreal.”

Kopp is a local player who’s only prior Hendon Mob cash was his 29th place finish in the last iteration of The RGPS Main Event in Council Bluffs last October.

“I play a lot of home games, and a couple Saturdays a month I play the fat stack tournament,” he said when discussing his experience playing. “The main thing I tried was just to be calm and not do anything stupid, eliminate as many mistakes as I could.”

Kopp also becomes the latest winner of the free roll to the dream seat tournament at the end of the year, of which he says “I will be making whatever arrangements I need to for that tournament.”

RGPS Council Bluffs Checkpoint Main Event Final Table Results

Rank Player Prize
1 Joshua Kopp $68,799
2 David Caron $48,232
3 Renato Spahiu $31,015
4 Matt Morfitt $22,147
5 Terry Williams $16,999
6 Nick Stille $13,957
7 Matt Donaldson $11,503
8 Angela Jordison $9,173
9 Jared Langbehn $6,882

Final Day Action

It did not take long for the players to start dropping. Many accomplished players saw their days end earlier than their hopes as players like Caitlin Comeskey (74th-$917), two time RGPS champion Dakotah O’Dell (64th-$1,074), Jared Ward (54th-$1,441), Kevin Berthelsen (44th-$1,641), and last year’s runner up Mark Homan (13th-$4,577) all fell on the outside of the final table. The last player to fall before the final table was Michael Brewer, who had flopped top pair top kicker on an ace-high board, only to be drawing nearly dead against Renato Spahiu’s flopped wheel. Brewer collected $5,725 for his efforts and the final nine players took their seats.

Final Table Action

The first casualty of the final table came quickly. Jared Langbehn spent most of his time at the final two tables as the shortest stack, but managed to navigate up several pay ladders. The bell tolled for him when he moved in his final four big blinds over a raise from Nick Stille, only for Renato Spahiu to isolate in the big blind. Langbehn’s jack-ten could not improve against Spahiu’s queen jack and collected $6,882 for his ninth place finish.

Angela Jordison was the next one out the door after a few hands had already passed. She defended her big blind against an open from Joshua Kopp from under the gun. She check-jammed her king-jack on a turn that gave her a pair of jacks, only to run into Kopp’s pocket kings. She was unable to improve and Jordison added a RGPS final table to her already illustrious resume. She collected $9,173 for her eighth place finish.

Renato Spahiu
Renato Spahiu

A few hands of jockeying over the lead occurred over the next level. At the end of it, it was one of the chip leaders at the start of the final table Matt Donaldson who ended his run in seventh place. He lost a big pot to Matt Morfitt at an earlier point in the final table which had sent him down the chip counts, but at the end of it he got in his pocket nines against Spahiu’s ace-queen, only for an ace-high board to dash his hopes and send him to the payout cage to collect $11,503.

Though he dropped out of the lead for a bit, Spahiu would regain the lead when Stille four-bet shoved in a multiway pot on a nine-high two clubs board with king-queen of clubs, only for Spahiu to call with a nine-eight for top pair. The turn queen of diamonds put Stille squarely in the lead with top pair, but the river eight gave Spahiu the lead with two pair and he once more took the lead while Stille exited the tournament in sixth place for $13,957.

In fifth place it was Terry Williams who was eliminated. He was left with under ten big blinds and moved in his final chips on the button with king-queen of clubs only for Kopp to call with pocket sixes and flop a set. Though a flush draw appeared on the turn, Williams could not find the river club to scoop and he collected $16,999 for his efforts.

Start of day chip leader Matt Morfitt was the victim of many beats throughout the day. He had actually nearly knocked out David Caron when he got in his aces in against Caron’s queens. A river queen kept Caron alive and left Morfitt with the shortest stack in the tournament. He survived even left short and a few timely double ups saw him get to four-handed play. He got in his final chips against Caron when he moved all in with ace-three, but could not improve against Caron’s pocket fours. The 2017 RGPS Council Bluffs third place finisher exited the tournament in fourth place for $22,147.

Matt Morfitt
Matt Morfitt

What followed was three handed battle where both Spahiu and Kopp took their shot at the chip lead. Caron eventually doubled through both of them and it was Spahiu who could not hold up against Kopp when he got in his final chips with ace-ten against Kopp’s king-four. A four on the flop sent out the decorated grinder out in third place for $31,015 and the heads up battle commenced.

Caron held the chip lead for the beginning portions of heads up, but a costly pot where Kopp held pocket queens marked the end of his lead. At the end of it all, Caron got in his final chips with pocket sixes against Kopp’s nine ten suited, but an all diamond flop gave Kopp the flush and left Caron drawing dead on the turn. Caron shook hands with Kopp and the RGPS regular finished his deep run in second place for $48,232.

RGPS Council Bluffs Series Event Winners

Event Number Name Entrants Prizepool Winner Prize
1 $250 Warm Up 115 $23,000 Duster Ellis $4,497
2 $250 Series Kick Off 802 $160,400 Taylor Howard $28,758
3 $300 Black Chip Bounty 177 $26,550+$17,700 Tony Poma $3,967
4 $300 Omaha Eight Or Better 97 $24,250 Henry Johnson $7,389
5 $250 Single Day NLH 89 $17,800 Stefan Kegley $5,646
6 $200 Seniors 178 $28,480 Philip Arbie $7,379
7 $200 Fat Stack 158 $25,280 Jacob Widman $6,794
8 $300 HORSE Event 47 $11,750 Matthew Harder $4,582
9 $200 Tag Team EVent 98 $15,680 Hanna Roppe-Guerdut $4,784
10 $300 Fatter Stack 166 $39,840 William Wagoner $10,591
11 $200 Ambassador Bounty 126 $20,160 Daryl Oppelt $4,735
12 $400 Deepstack 289 $93,925 Trevor Henery $12,799
13 $300 Six-Max NLH 140 $35,000 Ashley Frank $9,779
14 $250 Double Green Chip Bounty 138 $20,700 Krysta Groves $5,789
15 $700 Main Event 605 $363,000 Joshua Kopp $68,799

Be sure to check out next week’s updates when The RunGood Poker Series Checkpoint heads to Reno, Nevada for the $600 Main Event at Atlantis Casino. Be sure to check out all of the updates, only here on PokerNews.





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Yiannis Liperis Blows Away Final Table To Win €406,670 In The FPS High Roller

Yiannis Liperis Blows Away Final Table To Win €406,670 In The FPS High Roller



Yiannis Liperis showed everyone what he is worth as he crushed the final table of the €2,200 FPS High Roller here at the 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour presented by Monte-Carlo Casino®. With seven players returning to the felt on the unanticipated third day of the event, he took care of all of them as he eliminated them one by one in a calm demeanor.

He defeated Sim Kok Wai heads-up, who started the day with a slight chip lead over Liperis, pipping him with two big blinds when they bagged last night on Day 2. Liperis retains the top spot in the Cyprus all-time money list on The Hendon Mob by increasing the gap between him and Peter Costa to almost a million dollars.

His previous biggest cash came when he finished in 13th place in the inaugural PokerStars Players Championship back in 2019 for $261,750 and finished in fourth place in this exact tournament in 2022 for €99,190.

With two starting flights taking place, the tournament attracted 1,234 entries to create a total prize pool of €2,369,280, with 182 players cashing on Day 2 for at least €3,340. This meant another record-breaking event for PokerStars, as it stood at 918 previously.

€2,200 FPS High Roller Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize (EUR) Prize (USD)
1 Yiannis Liperis Cyprus €406,670 $447,459
2 Sim Kok Wai Malaysia €254,350 $279,861
3 Candido Cappiello Italy €181,680 $199,903
4 Weiran Pu China €139,750 $153,767
5 Marco Regonaschi Italy €107,500 $118,282
6 Walter Ripper Brazil €82,690 $90,984
7 Paolo Boi Italy €63,610 $69,990
8 Enrico Camosci Italy €48,920 $53,827
9 Tom Orpaz Israel €37,630 $41,404

A Liperis Masterclass

Liperis was the most experienced player at the final table, and he proved his skills as he took out every player who turned up today to play the tournament down to a winner. In the first hand of the day, he shoved from the cutoff to put pressure on the rest, and Paolo Boi took the bait by making the call with his pocket fours. Liperis held the ace-eight, flopped a higher pair, turned two pair, and improved to an even higher two pair on the river to signal the start of his run.

Thirty minutes later, he called the shove of Walter Ripper with ace-nine and turned the pair of nines even though he was ahead anyways against Ripper’s ace-four. On the next hand, his king-four bested the pocket sevens of Marco Regonaschi when he flopped two pair.

Weiran Pu
Weiran Pu finished in fourth place for €139,750

But it didn’t all go his way as Weiran Pu managed to double up once through Liperis with pocket kings before giving some of his chips away to Candido Cappiello. He then lost another chunk to Liperis when he called on a very draw-heavy board and mucked when he saw Liperis had turned a straight. He lost his final ten big blinds to the Cypriot when his king-six couldn’t beat the pocket treys of Liperis.

With three players left, the level duration was reduced to 20 minutes each. Wai had been pretty quiet up till then, slowly blinding down but doubled up through Liperis once and then through Cappiello to leave the latter short. Cappiello managed to double up through Liperis too but eventually lost it all to him anyways when his king-deuce failed to beat the ace-six of Liperis.

Yiannis Liperis and Sim Kok Wai
Yiannis Liperis and Sim Kok Wai

Liperis went into the heads-up match with a 4:1 chip lead and never really looked back. Wai doubled up for his last nine big blinds with the higher kicker but then lost a big part of his stack when he made the wrong call as Liperis showed a turned pair of nines.

He doubled one more with his last five big blinds with a flopped pair of fives. But unfortunately for him, in the final hand of the day, his shove with queen-deuce couldn’t beat the suited ten-nine of Liperis, who flopped a pair of tens to the delight of his rail.

Yiannis Liperis
Liperis and Co.

Several group pictures were taken with the gang before they all joined him for a small celebration and debrief before continuing their grinds in the other tournaments.

This concludes the PokerNews coverage of this event but stick around to read all the exciting updates from the Main Event and Super High Roller.





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Everygame Poker Runs Free Spins from May 1 to May 8

Everygame Poker Runs Free Spins from May 1 to May 8


Everygame Poker, the leading poker operator on the Horizon Poker Network, will run the free spins rounds from May 1 to May 8 and award players free spins on four exciting games provided by Betsoft. All depositing players will have a chance to be awarded free spins on Betsoft’s titles Back to Venus, Thai Blossoms, Fruit Zen, and Chilli Pop. Also, the operator will reward players depositing cryptocurrency (LiteCoin or Bitcoin Cash) with 20 additional free spins. All depositing players may gamble through free spins rounds to win up to $250.

Titles Available:

Back to Venus is a space-themed game that features some powerful alien wild plants that may yield fruitful opportunities for players to win some extraterrestrial payouts. The Rocket symbols are also there to activate 10 free spins and induct sticky Asteroid Wilds. When four Rocket symbols are landed, free spins will be triggered to include Multiplier Wilds and increase the winning potential of the game.

Thai Blossoms is an exotic fantasy featuring a Sticky Wild Lotus Blossom taking players for a jungle adventure to be rewarded each time a Grand Elephant symbol trumpets to announce up to a $100 instant Scatter award and the rendition of up to 20 free spins.

Fruit Zen is set in the cherry orchard environment to reflect peace and serenity and invite players for a different gameplay feel, but the Wild expanding across the reels will boost the excitement of the calmest players as some terrific winning opportunities emerge through the branches of the cherry trees.

Chillipop is a slot game inspired by Mexican traditions and celebrations. Therefore, the tomato, onion, garlic, and pepper symbols heat up the furious fiesta in a constant tumble of cascading symbols replacing each other to increase the chances to form winning combinations.

These player-favorite titles provided through the B2B partnership between Everygame Poker and Betsoft may be particularly lucrative for Bitcoin Cash and LiteCoin depositing players as these will get 20 additional free spins and quick and convenient withdrawal and transaction options.

Free Spins Rounds:

Free Spins Rounds are available from May 1 to May 8, 2023, and their details are as follows:

30 Free Spins on Back to Venus (50 with LiteCoin deposit), Min. deposit of $25, Coupon code: UFOLITE.

60 Free Spins on Thai Blossoms (80 with LiteCoin deposit), Min. deposit of $50, Coupon code: PETALLITE.

30 Free Spins on Fruit Zen (50 with Bitcoin Cash deposit), Min. deposit of $25, Coupon code: ZENCASH

60 Free Spins on Chilli Pop (80 with LiteCoin deposit), Min. deposit of $50, Coupon code: POPCASH

The rollout requirement for each game is 30X.

New Releases:

Everygame Poker will release the Supreme 777 Jackpots game on May 18, 2023, and the Hot Lucky 7s slot on Mat 25, 2023. Both titles will be provided by Betsoft through the proven supply scheme and available for players on Horizon Poker Network.





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Alex Kulev Captures EPT Monte Carlo €100,000 Super High Roller Title (€1,036,287)

Alex Kulev Captures EPT Monte Carlo €100,000 Super High Roller Title (€1,036,287)



The €100,000 EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller from the 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour presented by Monte-Carlo Casino®️ has wrapped up on its third day of play with Alex Kulev, taking home the trophy, title and first-place spoils.

The seven players who returned to the felt today battled it out for the lion’s share of the €3,589,740 prize pool. Kulev received €1,036,287 for the win after defeating Mikita Badziakouski in heads-up play. The final two agreed on a heads-up ICM deal, with Badziakouski also getting an extra €3,500. The duo would then compete for the remaining €43,074 as well as the bragging rights.

The win marked Kulev capturing his first major title, and his exploits on the felt secured the biggest score of his career. It also pushed him over the $2.5 million mark in live tournament earnings.

Final Table Payouts

Place Player Country Prize (EUR) Entries
1 Alex Kulev Bulgaria €1,036,287* 1
2 Mikita Badziakouski Belarus €1,009,853* 1
3 Ben Heath United Kindom €556,400 1
4 Artur Martirosian Russia €412,800 1
5 Adrian Mateos Spain €323,100 1
6 Orpen Kisacikoglu Turkey €251,300 1

*Denotes heads-up deal

Winner’s Interview

Alex Kulev

“I was really fortunate throughout the whole event. This whole occasion is so very special to me. It’s my first big live event, and I love the city, I love PokerStars, and I really appreciate the chance that I get to perform on the stage.” a delighted Kulev told PokerNews

Kulev came into the final day as the chip leader, but that doesn’t always mean going the distance. There have been many instances of the big stack falling short of the final hurdle, but it wasn’t a concern for the champion.

“I did have the confidence [to win]. But in our game, when especially with this calibre of players that were at this final table, luck plays a major factor. So I just got very lucky in all the right moments”

And as always, the Super High Rollers bring out poker’s elite players, and Kulev pointed to that challenge as why he loves playing in these fields.

“That’s one of the main reasons why I played this game. To play against opponents who, you know, are extremely good, and they give me a chance to improve by observing them. The whole challenge is what captivates me and excites me to play,” added Kulev.

Action from Day 3

SHR Final Table

When the finalists began to play, they were on the money bubble, with the top finishers walking away with a return on their €100,000 investment.

It was a cagey affair to start off with as players were folding premium hands preflop to avoid leaving empty-handed. However, the bubble finally burst in the second level of the day after Santhosh Suvarna’s pocket nines were bested by the ace-jack held by Adrian Mateos in an all-in preflop encounter. Suvarna’s bust out also meant that every player who cashed did so off one buy-in.

The players then went on a break after completing that level, and when they came back, it didn’t take long for the next elimination. Orpen Kisacikoglu bowed out in sixth place after he ran his ace-queen into Badziakouski’s ace-king suited. The latter would go on to river a flush to send Kisacikoglu to the wrong side of the rail. Kisacikoglu collected the €251,300 min-cash, which is a nice addition to the €497,090 he picked up for winning a €25,000 NLH event at EPT Monte Carlo just a few days ago.

Adrian Mateos
Defending Champion Adrian Mateos

It was then confirmed that there would be a new player EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller Champion, as Mateos’ title defence fizzled out following a blind versus blind confrontation with Ben Heath, who had just pulled off back-to-back double-ups. Heath moved in with ace-nine, and Mateos tank-called for his tournament life with king-three. Neither player connected on the runout, and the tournament was brought to four-handed play.

After hitting the river to survive twice already, Artur Martirosian was once again all in and at risk of elimination. Heath jammed as the bigger stack from the small blind with king-three, and Martirosian called with ace-eight. Heath turned trip kings to leave his opponent drawing dead and brought the tournament to the final three.

But that’s where Heath’s good fortune would end, as he was the next final table casualty as Kulev’s king-five stayed ahead of the former’s queen-nine.

A heads-up ICM deal was then agreed upon, and it was determined that Badziakouski would lock up €993,213 while Kulev would get at least €1,009,853. They then duked out for the remaining €43,074.

Alex Kulev - Mikita Badziakouski
Heads-Up

Heads-up play then began with Badziakouski having the chip lead by just two big blinds. And his experience began to show in the early goings, with momentum on his side. However, a defiant Kulev battled back and swung the chip lead in his favour after he rivered an ace against Badziakouski’s flopped top pair.

The players were then sent on their final break, and when play resumed, the start-of-day chip leader produced the finishing blow after hitting a three-outer when all the chips went into the middle preflop.

Name Surname
Calum Grant

Editor & Live Reporter

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.





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Crazy Betting Odds Highlight the First MLB Games Played in Mexico City

Baseball on home plate


How many runs?

Major League Baseball’s first-ever foray into Mexico City was a shake-up for betting odds as sportsbooks posted abnormally high run totals.

the line jumped even higher to 19.5

The total for Saturday’s game between the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres was set at 15.5, but even that didn’t come close to the 27 total runs that were scored in the Padres’ 16-11 victory. The line jumped even higher to 19.5 for the Sunday matinee, but that one finished at a much lower 6-4. 

With MLB looking at additional games and possible expansion there, two games of evidence show that sportsbooks are going to have a steep learning curve in Mexico City.

Why is baseball in Mexico City different?

There was an average of 8.6 runs scored per game in MLB in 2022. Sportsbooks’ odds usually reflect that with a majority of run totals falling between seven and ten. Matchups between hot hitting teams can push the line to 11 or 12, and battles between elite starting pitchers usually drop the line to 6.5 or even six.

So why were there so many runs scored in Mexico City and why were the lines so high?

7,350 feet above sea level

The games south of the border were played in Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú in the heart of Mexico City and a cool 7,350 feet above sea level. For comparison, Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, is situated 5,200 feet above sea level and over 4,000 feet above the next-highest MLB park.

The higher the altitude, the lower the air density and the drag effects on a baseball. That allows the ball to fly higher and further than it normally would in a stadium closer to sea level.

Proof of that can be found in the Rockies’ scoring record. In 2022 home games, players crossed the plate 456 times for an organization that finished the year 68-94 and last in the National League West.

For comparison, the team with the best record and the most runs scored in the MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, scored 422 runs in their home park which is 522 feet above sea level.

Thoughts and remarks

The enormous runs total led to sportsbooks taking a win in the points total market Saturday, but caused an even greater loss Sunday. It is a rare situation in which sportsbooks reacted with volatility and a lack of assuredness. 

Giants players, despite going 0-2 in the mini-series, spoke glowingly of the atmosphere inside the Mexican ballpark. 

“I think it’s electric,” said infielder J.D. Davis. “It’s just a great place to play. I have nothing bad [to say] about it.”

“I would say [the energy in Mexico City is] a little better than sometimes in the States,” said outfielder Mitch Haniger. “It’s definitely fun to play down here.”

expansion to places such as Montreal, Canada and Mexico City

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has flirted with the idea of expansion to places such as Montreal, Canada and Mexico City for close to a decade. Front Office Sports also recently reported that the league is looking at two expansion spots once the Tampa Bay Rays’ and Oakland Athletics’ stadium situations are settled.

Since that report came out, the Athletics have settled on a move to Las Vegas before the 2027 season.

Sportsbooks will certainly get a tighter grasp on setting betting lines once more games are played in Mexico City. But one group that figures to struggle is pitchers, who are inevitably going to give up more runs because of the conditions. That could lead to lower pay and less desirability.

“God forbid someone is going through arbitration or going to become a free agent and they have to pitch here,” said relief pitcher John Brebbia. “Arbitration doesn’t give a (expletive) where you play, so there’s not a lot of equity if you happen to be stuck [in Mexico City].”

The post Crazy Betting Odds Highlight the First MLB Games Played in Mexico City appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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Alex Nguyen Leads After Day 2 of WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown; 107 Players Remain

Alex Nguyen Leads After Day 2 of WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown; 107 Players Remain



Day 2 of the World Poker Tour (WPT) $3,500 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown saw 378 players from a 2,290-entry field return to action, but by the end of the night only 107 remained. Leading the pack is Alex Nguyen with 2,570,000 while not far behind are Nick Palma (2,295,0000), Ethan “Rampage” Yau (2,135,000), and Natasha Mercier (1,835,000).

Others still in contention for the $1,128,250 top prize include Day 1b chip leader Akash Seth (1,715,000), Kristen Foxen (1,580,000), Steve “Cuz” Buckner (1,285,000), Andrew Moreno (765,000), 2013 WSOP champ Ryan Riess (605,000), AJ Kelsall (380,000), Raminder Singh (350,000), and Chance Kornuth (330,000).

Top 10 Chip Counts at End of Day 2

Place Player Count
1 Alex Nguyen 2,570,000
2 David Lakein 2,400,000
3 Raffaelle Sorrentino 2,380,000
4 Nick Palma 2,295,000
5 Zachary Eichenbaum 2,230,000
6 Champie Douglas 2,160,000
7 Ethan Yau 2,135,000
8 Leo Taffe 2,085,000
9 Thomas Carroll 2,035,000
10 Scott Bohlman 2,010,000

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The top 287 finishers made the money and some to head to the payout desk on Sunday were Alexander Yen (108th – $9,050), Athanasios Polychronopoulos (118th – $9,050), Phil Hui (139th – $7,550), David “ODB” Baker (147th – $7,550), Alex Foxen (154th – $7,050), Shannon Shorr (163rd – $7,050), Jeremy Ausmus (191st – $6,300), and 2022 WPT World Champion Eliot Hudon (202nd – $6,300).

James Calderaro
James Calderaro

Likewise, WPT Champions Club member James Calderaro wound up exiting on Day 2. According to WPT updates, it happened in Level 20 (10,000/20,000/20,000) when Calderaro jammed for 380,000 under the gun. Mercier didn’t see his shove and put out 45,000 thinking she was raising. Upon discovering the error, she used a time extension before calling the jam. Marc Spungin then moved all in over the top for 500,000 from the big blind, which Mercier also called.

James Calderaro: 99
Marc Spungin: 1010
Natasha Mercier: KQ

Mercier went from worst to first when the flop fell K73 to pair her king. Neither the 7 turn nor 6 river changed a thing and Mercier scored the double knockout. Calderaro wound up taking 122nd place while Spungin finished in 121st, both for $8,250.

The remaining 107 players are guaranteed $9,050 in prize money, though all are hoping to make their way to the final table where at least six-figure paydays await. Here’s a look at the payouts for the final nine:

Place Prize POY Points
1 $1,128,250 1,400
2 $745,000 1,150
3 $550,000 900
4 $413,000 700
5 $312,000 550
6 $238,000 450
7 $183,000 375
8 $142,000 300
9 $111,500 250

Day 3 will take place on Monday, May 1st at 12 p.m. EST with a plan to play down to 16 players. Day 4 is scheduled for Tuesday, May 2nd at 12 p.m. EST and will reach the final table, which will then be played at the Hyper X ESports Arena at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25th.

*Images courtesy of WPT and Seminole Hard Rock.

Name Surname
Chad Holloway

Executive Editor U.S.

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





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Jeff “TheSwagWagoon” Stellwagon Takes Down Three Friday Events on PokerStars PA

Jeff "TheSwagWagoon" Stellwagon Takes Down Three Friday Events on PokerStars PA



Several poker tournaments took place on Friday, April 28 on PokerStars Pennsylvania, including the $12,500 guaranteed Friday Night Fight, PKO Edition, 7-Max and the Nightly Stars Knockout – $50 NLHE, Progressive KO and Nightly Stars – $50 NLHE, both of which had $8,000 prize pools up for grabs.

There were no bigger winners during the Friday night action than Jeff “TheSwagWagoon” Stellwagon, who took down not one, not two, but three major Friday tournaments on PokerStars PA. The three scores brought the 25-year-old grinder a total of $6,866.31, not a bad payday for a day’s work.

Backing Up the Stellwagon

Stellwagon’s first victory of the night came in the aforementioned Nightly Stars Knockout – $50 NLHE, Progressive KO, which drew a total of 213 runners for a prize pool of $9,691.50 as Stellwagon took home the top prize of $2,306.09 when factoring in bounties.

After that, “TheSwagWagoon” won the first-place prize of $1,026.57 in Friday Night Fight, PKO Edition, 7-Max, the biggest guarantee of the night that drew 207 entrants for a prize pool of $19,002.60 that smashed the $12,500 guarantee.

Finally, the young poker pro took down the $2,200 guaranteed The Hot $50 [Turbo] for $1,026.57 after getting through the field of 95 runners in an event that created a prize pool of $4,322.50.

Earlier in the week, Stellwagon got through a field of 635 players in the $50,000 guaranteed Sunday Special – $100 NLHE to win $10,054.12, a victory he posted about on social media.

For more on Stellwagon, check him out on Twitter at @ARJeff.

Other Winners

Stellwagon wasn’t the only winner on PokerStars PA on Friday as several players earned decent paydays.

In Nightly Stars – $50 NLHE, “Z4Mayor” got through a field of 220 runners to take home $1,952.24, the top prize of the $10,010 prize pool.

Meanwhile, “BaumsDraw” navigated the field of 342 players in the $4,500 guaranteed Mini Friday Night Fight – $30 NLHE [Progressive KO, 7-Max] to earn $1,596.95, the biggest portion of the prize pool of $9,336.60.

Another big winner was “salamifig”, who managed to nab $937.83 in the $3,000 guaranteed Mini Nightly Stars – $20 NLHE, which drew 270 runners for a prize pool of $4,914.

An assorted list of Friday’s winners on PokerStars PA is available in the table below.

Assorted PokerStars PA Winners April 28, 2023

  DATE EVENT ENTRANTS PRIZE POOL WINNER PRIZE (IN USD)
  April 28 Nightly Stars Knockout – $50 NLHE, Progressive KO $8K Gtd 213 $9,691.50 Jeff “TheSwagWagoon” Stellwagon $2,306.09
  April 28 Nightly Stars – $50 NLHE, $8K Gtd 220 $10,010 “Z4Mayor” $1,952.24
  April 28 Friday Night Fight, PKO Edition, 7-Max, $12.5K Gtd 207 $19,002.60 Jeff “TheSwagWagoon” Stellwagon $3,533.65
  April 28 Mini Friday Night Fight – $30 NLHE [Progressive KO, 7-Max], $4.5K Gtd 342 $9,336.60 “BaumsDraw” $1,596.95
  April 28 Mini Nightly Stars – $20 NLHE, $3K Gtd 270 $4,914 “salamifig” $937.83
  April 28 The Hot $50 [Turbo], $2.2K Gtd 95 $4,322.50 Jeff “TheSwagWagoon” Stellwagon $1,026.57





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SerVlaMin Triumphs in PokerStars Titans Event for the Second Time ($101,216)

SerVlaMin Triumphs in PokerStars Titans Event for the Second Time ($101,216)



The $5,200 Titans Event at PokerStars is one of the toughest online poker tournaments in the industry, but it appears that the United Kingdom’s “SerVlaMin” did not get that particular memo. On April 30, SerVlaMin became a two-time Titans Event champion, adding $101,216 to their bankroll six months after taking down the same event for $105,462.

SerVlaMin has almost $2.5 million in PokerStars winnings and a significant chunk of that impressive total stems from the Titans event. In addition to their brace of outright victories, SerVlaMin has a second-place finish and a pair of thirds on their resume. The $101,216 SerVlaMin collected this weekend is their third-largest PokerStars score. Only their previous Titans win and a ninth-place finish in the $10,300 World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event in 2022 ($122,218) surpassing it.

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$5,200 Titans Event Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize
1 SerVlaMin United Kingdom $101,216
2 Ian “Drakeylfc” Drake Isle of Man $75,810
3 Manuel “Phemo” Bueno Austria $56,782
4 Pablo Brito “pabritz” Silva Brazil $42,529
5 Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph Austria $31,854
6 tschibo187 Germany $23,859
7 Niklas “Lena900” Astedt Sweden $17,870
8 neeno1990 Austria $13,385
9 Thomas “WushuTM” Meuhloecker Austria $11,691

Seventy-five entries resulted in a $375,000 prize pool, a hefty sum that the nine finalists shared. Talal “raidalot Shakerchi was the unfortunate soul who popped the money bubble when he fell in tenth place. Shakerchi is a former Titans Event champion, but his wait for another victory must continue for at least another seven days.

Thomas “WushTM” Muehloecker crashed out of the tournament in ninth, a finish good for $11,691. Muehlocker gained some company on the rail when “neeno1990” and Niklas “Lena900” Astedt busted; they padded their bankrolls with $13,385 and $17,870, respectively.

Christian Rudolph
Christian \”WATnlos\” Rudolph

Sixth place and $23,859 went to German grinder “tschibo187” before Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph ran out of steam in fifth, and had to make do with a $31,854 payday, still a healthy return for a few hours’ worth of grinding online.

The pay jumps continued expanding at an alarming rate, with fourth place paying $42,529. Brazilian sensation Pablo Brito “pabritz” Silva receiving that sum. Pokercode coach Manuel “Phemo” Bueno bowed out in third, and saw $56,782 land in his PokerStars account.

Heads-up pitted SerVlaMin against Ian “Drakeylfc” Drake of the Isle of Man. Drake was already guaranteed his largest-ever PokerStars score regardless of whether or not he won the event or finished second. The latter occurred when SerVlaMin defeated Drake heads-up, resigning Drake to a $75,810 score, and capturing the $101,216 top prize for themselves.

Keep an eye out for SerVlaMin in the upcoming Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) festival. They already have a brace of WCOOP titles to their name, but, so far, a SCOOP title remains elusive.

Other PokerStars Results From April 30

Patrice Brandt
Patrice \”pAtcAsh83\” Brandt

It was not only SerVla min and the other Titans Event finalists that came away with five-figure prizes because British player “foxjoke” netted $40,502, including bounties when they triumphed in the $530 Bounty Builder High Roller event.

Also, Patrice “pAtcAsh83” Brandt took down the $109 Sunday Cooldown for $15,450, while “whereisdonny” won the $1,050 Sunday Supersonic for $19,410.

Event Entrants Prize Pool Champion Prize
$530 Bounty Builder High Roller 484 $250,000 foxjoke $40,502*
$1,050 Sunday High Roller 123 $123,000 HansDenSvans $29,167*
$1,050 Sunday Supersonic 50 $50,793 whereisdonny $19,410
$109 Sunday Warm-Up 1,087 $108,700 billionaire $17,737
$109 Sunday Cooldown 1,237 $123,700 Patrice “pAtcAsh83” Brandt $15,450*
$109 Sunday Fenomeno 1,169 $116,900 drinho2pac $15,085
$1,050 Sunday Warm-Up High Roller 42 $42,000 Andy “BowieEffect” Wilson $14,764
$215 Sunday Supersonic 368 $75,351 yAAwn $13,731
$1,050 Sunday Cooldown 35 $35,000 WhatIfGod $12,800*
$109 Bounty Builder 815 $81,500 99dm84 $11,485*

*includes bounty payments

Don’t Miss a PokerStars Tournament Again

The PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar is a free-to-use tool that allows you to find the perfect poker tournament for you within seconds. You can fully customize the filters, or check out the interactive table below to see all the upcoming tournaments at PokerStars.





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