Shaun Deeb has some legit competition for 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year, and it isn’t Daniel Negreanu or Phil Ivey. The name you need to learn, if you haven’t become familiar with him already, is Ian Matakis, who is about to take over the lead, and it appears he’s going to be in the POY race until the end.

PokerNews caught up with the Minnesota native on break of Event #65: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em (6-Handed), where he’s still in it on Day 3.

Matakis, who won an online bracelet earlier this summer, said he’s “more of an online” poker player, but “I’m transitioning more to live.” The Midwest poker pro with just over $1 million in Hendon Mob results has 15 bracelet event cashes this summer, six of which have taken place on WSOP.com.

He will add a 16th cash when the $5k at Horseshoe Las Vegas wraps. At the time of publishing, he had over 2.3 million in chips, putting him in the top 10 out of 31 remaining players. The final table is set for Saturday, and the winner in the 1,199-player event will receive $938,244.

Can Up-and-Coming Poker Pro Beat Shaun Deeb?

As of now, Deeb leads the Player of the Year race with 3,358 points, while Matakis is at 3,338 points. Chad Eveslage, the only multiple bracelet winner this summer, is in third place with 2,745 points. Chance Kornuth is also in contention as he sits on 2,648 points.

At the conclusion of the $5k, Matakis will regain the lead, and could earn as many as 1,237 points, which would put him well ahead of Deeb. He’s guaranteed to rack up at least 247 points, also easily enough to move into first place. Of course, this all depends on Deeb’s performance over the weekend. He’s always a threat to run deep in any event.

One advantage Deeb has over Matakis is that he plays just about any game. Matakis, on the other hand, has stuck with no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha tournaments, the games he specializes in. But now that he’s a serious Player of the Year contender, he just might expand his horizons.

“I might play a couple extra ones that I wasn’t going to play for the Player of the Year points, but other than that I’m playing a pretty normal schedule,” Matakis, pronounced (muh-take-iss), said.

“Yeah, that’s definitely an advantage, but I have learned some mixed games, so he should watch out,” Matakis continued when asked if Deeb had an edge over him in the Player of the Year race given that he plays the mixed games.

Matakis expressed confidence in beating Deeb, who won the award in 2018. But Deeb, who also won a bracelet this summer, doesn’t seem to agree.

https://twitter.com/shaundeeb/status/1673890966493876224

Every year, there’s one or two players nobody projected would compete for WSOP Player of the Year who contend deep into the series. This summer, it’s Matakis, and it seems as if the Minnesota poker pro will be the race for the long-haul.

“It was never anything I was chasing,” Matakis said of his pre-WSOP Player of the Year contention. “Of course, now I’m working towards it.”

Matakis says that his red hot summer has been due to a combination of factors — running hot and the “preparation I’ve put in.” The question now is can anyone cool him off? Deeb better hope so or he’ll have quite a tough battle the last few weeks of the summer.

Follow Our Day 3 $5k 6-Max Live Reporting

The eventual winner of the currently underway Event #67: $1,000 Ladies Event Championship at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) will not only take home a bracelet and $192,167 but will also earn a special place in poker history. That’s because with its 1,295 entries on Day 1, the event is the largest Ladies Event to ever take place in poker.

The previous biggest WSOP Ladies Event took place in 2007 with 1,286 entries and saw Sally Boyer defeating Anne Heft to win $262,077. Last year’s WSOP Ladies Championship drew 1,074, making for a 20% increase this time around.

https://twitter.com/WriterJen/status/1674806125332664321

Brill, Jett & Teusl All In Contention

The 331 players who returned for Day 2 today look to join the list of Ladies Event Champions that includes last year’s champion Jessica Teusl, who herself made Day 2 as she chases back-to-back titles. The Austrian, who also finished eighth in the 2022 $1,500 Monster Stack for $120,455, offered a sweat for those on social media following her in the event.

https://twitter.com/JessicaTeusl/status/1674215622312378368

There were plenty of other familiar faces entering the Day 2 field, including 2021 GPI Charitable Initiative Award winner Veronica Brill, who was all smiles on Day 1 as she played with the assistance of a plush kangaroo wearing boxing gloves, as well as longtime Vegas poker player and real estate agent Karina Jett and 2013 Ladies Event champion and three-time GPI Female Player of the Year Kristen Foxen.

Defending Female POY Cherish Andrews was unable to find a bag on Day 1 but did organize a last-longer bet with 32 players to leave $16,000 up top for the last woman standing.

Day 1 chip leader Bernice McLennan, meanwhile, looked to continue growing her stack of over 100 big blinds on the Canadian’s quest for her first major poker score.

Money Bubble Bursts

Everyone still in the Ladies Event Championship will be guaranteed at least $1,601 as the money bubble burst during Level 14 on Friday afternoon.

The bubble hand was caught by PokerNews’ own Gaelle Jaudon, who documented the bustout in the event’s live updates.

Aroha Ngata started the action with a raise to 7,000 and Lu Huang three-bet to 18,000 in the cutoff. Samantha Gonzalez looked at her cards on the button and after a minute, she shoved for 96,000. Ngata counted her stack and made the call, while Huang quickly folded:

Samantha Gonzalez: A♥K♣
Aroha Ngata: A♦A♣

Gonzalez was in desperate shape for a double up, and the board didn’t help her with 5♠A♠6♥2♣5♣, improving Ngata’s hand into a full house to bust Gonzalez in the unfortunate position of the bubble girl of the tournament.

Be sure to follow along the Ladies Event Championship action with PokerNews’ live updates ahead of a champion being crowned in the biggest Ladies Event in poker history.

And don’t forget to read about other 2023 WSOP Featured Females, including the ladies who were out in full force during last week’s Tag Team event.

Largest WSOP Ladies Events In Poker History

The launch of Bally’s Big Bet Poker LIVE, a live-streamed show at Tropicana in Las Vegas, has already produced some loose action, big names, and is providing poker fans with another entertainment option.

During Thursday’s six-hour session, the pros had a rough go of it, while one player — Santhosh Suvarna — whom most in the mainstream poker community likely hadn’t before seen, was smacked in the face with the deck repeatedly.

Patrik Antonius and Nikhil “Nik Airball” Arcot, on the other hand, well, let’s just say it was a night to forget. The game was $100/$200 no-limit hold’em with a $200 big blind ante, along with frequent straddles. But there were some additional rules incorporated that spiced things up a bit.

Dubbed “Nut Up or Pay Up,” the game, more or less, forced players to either play somewhat loose or to pay for it. At the end of every dealer change, those who were VPIP’ing below 35%, meaning they weren’t playing many hands, would be required to put $200 into the pot prior to every hand for a full round. Shaming of the “nits” was also highly encouraged.

“I think I stay above 35-percent almost always already, especially a game like this where everybody’s having fun,” Ben Lamb, who competed in the game, told PokerNews prior to sitting down at the table when asked if the gimmicky game would force him to change up his strategy. “I don’t personally feel like I have to find more hands. Maybe I will, as obviously there is some variance.”

Brutal Session for the Poker Pros

Lamb, who VPIP’d at 37% for the night, would have a rough go of it and finished with a $242,000 loss. If there’s any consolation for the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner and high-stakes legend, he wasn’t the biggest loser in the game. That title goes to fellow pro Antonius, who lost $300,000 and then called it a night about 30 minutes before the stream concluded shortly after losing a $400,000 pot to Santhosh when ace-queen couldn’t crack pocket queens.

Airball, who showed up dressed in a Hustler Casino Live hoodie, also had a brutal session. Moments after the monster pot Antonius lost, Santhosh was all-in preflop with pocket kings against Airball’s ace-king for a $202,000 pot. They agreed to run it twice, and both times the kings held up. It was that kind of day for Santhosh, and also for Airball, but on a different end of the spectrum.

At the end of the stream, Santhosh was far and away the biggest winner at a $361,000 profit. Other big winners included Keir Sullivan ($148,000), Brian Green ($138,000), and Eric Persson ($136,000), who is part of the Big Bet Poker show creation. Nik Airball finished down $260,000 in what was a frustrating session for the young high-stakes grinder.

What is Big Bet Poker?

The 3,000-plus concurrent viewers who watched the Big Bet Poker stream throughout the six-hour session may have noticed some similarities to Live at the Bike, the O.G. of poker live-streams. That’s because ownership and much of the production team and staff from LATB are now running the new show, which launched for the first time at Tropicana on Wednesday.

Houston Curtis and Rick Mahr produce Big Bet Poker, which will be edited for cable television on Bally Sports regional networks. They shared with PokerNews their vision for the show going forward.

“We see Big Bet Poker as not just another stream, but as a brand that is going to expand into multiple cities, multiple casinos,” Curtis explained. “As Rick said, this is just the beginning. There’s a lot to come with both television, different formats, not just live-streaming, but new TV formats and the expansion of Big Bet Baccarat, Big Bet Blackjack, Big Bet Craps.”

Curtis said that poker isn’t going to be the only form of gambling he’ll be covering. As he mentioned, inside the studio at Tropicana, there are multiple table games set up, “and they’re there for a reason.”

As for Live at the Bike, which first launched in 2004 at the now Parkwest Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, is no more. Curtis, who took over the LATB stream a couple years ago, gave some details about what happened with the iconic poker brand.

“We did run a Live at the Bike is History month, where we paid homage to Live at the Bike,” Curtis said. “So, Live at the Bike, the contract was up. They had new ownership, and they had great guys, but they came from more of a table gaming background and it just made sense to segue out.”

The transition, at this point, seems to be going smoothly. Viewership through the first two streams have been strong, especially considering the show is in its infancy at Tropicana.

Mahr, who grew up with Curtis in the wee-bitty town of Centralia, Illinois, is passionate about the product they’re putting out.

“We’re all about delivering content that is friendliest to our customer,” Mahr said. “Our audience has their preferred platforms that they watch poker on. Some are television, some are OTT, and probably no surprise, our audience probably skews a bit older on television. But we’re all about serving up this content in whatever format fits our audience the best.”

Curtis and Mahr anticipate the live-stream will attract viewers to the cable television show and vice versa. It’s early in the game, but if the start is any indication, this is the beginning of what might become the next big thing in poker streaming and television. Big Bet Poker will again air on Friday at 5 p.m. ET with an even bigger game that is headlined by Doug Polk.

The team at PokerStars Casino New Jersey has announced an overhaul of its online casino bonuses. In the process, they may well have boosted the platform to be the best casino New Jersey has to offer.

Certainly, the bonus is one of the best value casino bonuses in New Jersey.

The highlight of PokerStars’ overhaul is a new $100 dollar bonus that can be earned by simply wagering $1 on any of its casino games. Appropriately, this is called the $1 to $100 bonus.

However, if you’re feeling flush and looking for a bigger bonus, then PokerStars Casino NJ has an offer for you too — a new matched deposit bonus of 100% up to a maximum of $1,500.

What is the New PokerStars Casino New Jersey Welcome Bonus?

If you’re located in New Jersey, this PokerStars Casino NJ bonus is now among the best casino bonuses available to players in your state.

Plus, as the bonus is issued in a mix of casino instant bonuses and tournament tickets, the playthrough requirements are minimal.

With a qualifying bet of $1 and a minimum deposit of $10, you don’t need much of a bankroll to get on board with this$1 To $100 Bonus. This is therefore an excellent option for players whose gambling kitty is more kitten than fatcat.

Find out more about PokerStars Casino New Jersey with our full review

How to Claim the New PokerStars Casino New Jersey Welcome Bonus

Once you’ve set up a PokerStars Casino NJ account, just opt into the $1 to $100 bonus via the “Challenges” window.

After that, make your first deposit and place a $1 bet on any casino game. You will be immediately awarded two $5 SAG tickets. The remaining $90 worth of rewards will be doled out over the following five days as follows:

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What are the Wagering Requirements for PokerStars Casino New Jersey Welcome Bonus

The casino instant bonus dollars can be used to place bets on any eligible casino games. The tourney tickets can be used to play poker tournaments.

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Are There Any Other PokerStars Casino New Jersey Bonuses?
Overview

The $1 to $100 bonus won’t appeal to everyone. So PokerStars Casino NJ also offers a 100% matched deposit bonus. You will have to choose between the two bonuses as they are mutually exclusive.

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Is PokerStars Casino the Best Online Casino in New Jersey?

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June 30, 2023

TigerGaming is seriously increasing the value it offers to its players with the creation of the $100,000 Play & Win Leaderboards. Recently, TigerGaming reduced the maximum rake taken at its cash game tables, it added a special Bad Beat Jackpot, and all-in cashout option. Now it is giving away $100,000 each month in these leaderboards.

$100,000 must be won each month across six daily leaderboards. There are three No-Limit Hold’em leaderboards, and three for Pot-Limit Omaha grinders. The leaderboards are split into Low, Medium, and High, and see you earn points by playing in TigerGaming’s vibrant, busy, and soft cash games.

Each day, the top 100 points earners (top 50 in the high stakes category) gain entry to the Instant All-In Nightly Shootouts where everyone is set all-in from the first hand until a champion is crowned. Cross your fingers for luck, and hope you finish in the money places because you will receive a share of the following prize pools:

You may also want to check out the TigerGaming Boost tables, the site’s take on fast-fold poker. Hitting the $0.10/$0.25 tables will see you be in with a chance of capturing a random windfall, made up of tournament money that you can use to play in any real money multi-table tournament.

TigerGaming’s Sit & Go players also have a daily leaderboard to fight over. Play in any sit & Go and you’ll earn points based on your buy-in and finishing position. Finish in the top 50 of the daily leaderboard, and you’ll be entered into a Nightly All-In Shootout where $300 worth of tournament dollars are up for grabs.

Pad Your Bankroll With $1,000 in Bonus Money

TigerGaming is waiting for you with open arms and is offering all PokerNews readers the chance to bag themselves a 100% up to $1,000 welcome bonus to kickstart their careers at this long-running online poker site. Download TigerGaming via PokerNews, create your free account, and make a deposit of at least $50, and TigerGaming will match your initial deposit 100% up to a maximum of $1,000.

You need to email TigerGaming’s excellent support team, who will activate your welcome bonus. Send an email to [email protected], stating your account number, deposit amount, plus the date and time of your deposit, along with a mention of the bonus code “NEWTG” within 24 hours of depositing, and your bonus will be activated within 24 hours.

Once activated, you have 30 days to release as much of the bonus into your playable balance as possible. The bonus releases in $5 increments each time you contribute $50 to the cash game rake or pay in tournament fees.

Soccer fans do not have long to wait before the top-flight competitions around Europe spring back into life, and the teams competing in them vie for their respective titles. The start of a new soccer season often marks when sports bettors dust off their online betting accounts, hoping to make some money and add a layer of excitement to the fixtures.

Bet365 is your place for soccer betting this season thanks, partly, because of the superb Soccer Accumulator Bonus it offers. Bet365 awards you up to 70% more on your winnings when you place a winning accumulators on soccer matches from Europe’s most-watched leagues and tournaments.

Indeed, there are 80 eligible competitions, which you can find on the bet365 website, but the table below shows a handful of the more popular eligible markets,

The Soccer Accumulator Bonus’ mechanics are simple. Place a pre-match accumulator of two or more selections on either the standard Full Time Result, Both Teams to Score, or Result/Both Teams to Score markets for eligible leagues and competition, and bet365 grants you a bonus on top of your winnings if your accumulator comes good.

The smallest bonus adds 2.5% to your winnings, with the largest boosting your winnings by 70%!

There is a limit on the size of the bonus awarded, and that is £100,000. If you win a £100,000 bonus you will be on cloud nine anyway!

You also need to be aware that any bets made with Bet Credits, Double Chance bets, or combinations bets that already come with bonuses (Lucky 15s, Lucky 31s, etc.) are not eligible for the Soccer Accumulator Bonus.

Start Your Bet365 Career With £30 in Free Bets

New Bet365 customers can enjoy up to £30 of free bets (or equivalent currency) when they make their first deposit at the site. Your first deposit of between £5 and £10 is multiplied by three in the form of Bet Credits. You can find all the free bets bonus terms and conditions on the Bet365 website.

Do you remember when WPT Global launched a trio of Sunday Majors and offered a $100,000 bonus to anyone that managed to win them in the space of a month? Everyone knew that someone would hit the jackpot eventually, but nobody believed a WPT Global player would clinch this triple crown only two months after the promotion launched.

“Bebeto42,” who we assume is a fan of the former Brazilian soccer star of the same name, is now $100,000 richer thanks to becoming the champion of the three WPT Global Sunday Majors within a month.

The now cash-rich grinder triumphed in the $11 Mini Slam for $2,309, walked away with the $6,795 top prize of the $330 Super Slam, and completed a stunning hattrick by coming out on top in the $110 Sunday Slam for $9,700. Not only did “Bebeto42” rake in $18,804 for their $441 investment, but WPT Global dished out an additional $100,000 to mark his incredible run.

Become WPT Global’s Next Triple Crown Winner

WPT Global continues to run this fantastic promotion despite “Bebeto42” claiming the $100,000 jackpot. However, the terms have been altered slightly in that you now have 22 days to win all three events instead of 30 when “Bebeto42” was victorious.

You will need to triumph in the following three WPT Global Sunday tournaments in a 22-day window if you want to become a Triple Crown champion and receive a $100,000 bonus payment.

• The $110 buy-in $50,000 guaranteed Sunday Slam, which starts at 1:00 p.m. CET
• The $330 buy-in $20,000 guaranteed Super Slam, which starts at 1:10 p.m. CET
• The $11 buy-in $8,888 guaranteed Mini Slam, which starts at 1:20 p.m. CET

Satellites for all three majors run throughout the week, and you can even pick up some free tickets via WPT Global’s generous welcome bonus. Keep reading to find out more about that.

PokerNews Freerolls Every Weekend on WPT Global Freerolls

Start Your Quest for Glory With a Generous Welcome Bonus

WPT Global offers a large deposit match bonus: 100% on deposits up to $1,200 (using any payment method). New players depositing a minimum of $20 automatically receive this match bonus which is unlocked in $2.50 increments (credited straight to the cashier) for every $10 of rake contribution.

Both tournaments and cash games count towards bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of first deposit to unlock and claim their full bonus amount.

In addition to the bonus, you also receive some free tournament tickets depending on the size of your deposit. Check out the table below for more details: