Following years of litigation, a U.S. judge on Thursday approved a $415 million class-action settlement against DoubleDown Interactive LLC and International Game Technology PLC (IGT.N). The settlement resolves claims that the “social casino” and the online gaming company violated consumer protection provisions and Washington state gambling law where personal gambling online is a felony.
U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle federal court called the resolution “fair, reasonable, and adequate,” in his ruling that was the final approval order and ended almost half a decade of litigant action.
Conclusion of Nearly Half a Decade of Litigation
The case arose in 2018 about one year after Aristocrat Liesure’s Big Fish Games another social gaming site with chip purchases but also a black market trading space for the “chips of no value” was found to be offering illegal casino games in the state of Washington by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Kater V. Churchill Downs – the panel was assembled to hear an appeal related to the Seattle courts’ finding that the games were not illegal under state.
In the most recent case, online consumers alleged the “social casino” games developed by the defendants “constitute unlawful gambling under Washington’s gambling laws.” The settlement was the latest in a series of related cases.
The specific arm of world gambling behemoth IGT, International Game Technology PLC, is based in the U.K., and DoubleDown have denied any liability. They argued that the plaintiffs’ claims “rest on novel and untested interpretations of Washington’s gambling laws.”
The games start out free to play with a certain number of free chips granted, but players must purchase additional chips or wait a period of time for additional chips to be awarded.
The suit was brought on behalf of tens of thousands of class members who “purchased and lost chips” by wagering at DoubleDown Casino, the plaintiffs’ lawyers alleged. Attorneys argued users were entitled to recover their losses under a Washington state law.
About half a dozen class members opted out of the settlement, but there were no formal objections to the deal and there was no clear indication that those former class members intended to pursue individual cases against the firms.
Lawyers have recovered over $600m for Plaintiffs
Edelson counsel, Todd Logan, speaking on behalf of the plaintiffs said on Friday that the firm’s social-casino litigation has produced or recovered over $650 million for clients and class members to date.
“Many class members stand to receive, individually, hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Logan
Chicago-based Edelson was awarded over $120 million in the case.
Judge Lasnik’s fee award amounted to nearly 30% of the total award, outstripping the state’s and 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal’s benchmark 25% top fee award for such cases.
Lasnik said the litigation was “risky, novel, and hard-fought,” in his award order, and so he approved a request for fees that went beyond a 25% benchmark.
The case is Benson et al v. DoubleDown Interactive LLC et al, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, No. 2:18-cv-00525-RSL.
Source: US court approves ‘social casino’ $415 million class settlement, Reuters, June 2, 2023
The post US Court Okays $415 million class settlement against “free-to-play” Casino appeared first on Casino News Daily.
After several months of discussions, on June 7, the Seneca Nation of Indians revealed that it had struck an agreement in principle with New York State on the newest 20-year casino gaming compact to continue managing casinos for the next 20 years. In addition, the tribe’s current compact, which has been in effect since 2002, is scheduled to expire on December 9 of this year.
Contentious negotiations:
For the Seneca Nation, this new compact is a huge step, especially after acknowledging that “these negotiations have been contentious at times.” It also added: “We reached a framework deal early Wednesday afternoon, although they have not released any major details yet.”
Furthermore, during a brief press conference, President Rickey Armstrong, Jr. said: “The specific terms will be finalized in the next few days. The negotiating parties hope to move as quickly as possible.”
The biggest profit generator for the tribe:
The three casinos managed by the Seneca Nation in New York bring in the most profits for the tribe. The state and the cities where the casinos are located have got approximately $2 billion as part of the profit-sharing agreement. However, those payments were a major point of contention and litigation during the final third of the compact.
Furthermore, until today it seemed uncertain that an agreement would be reached before the end of the state legislative session. In this regard, Armstrong said: “Negotiating a fair compact was critical to the future of the Seneca Nation and the future of Western New York. Throughout the negotiations, our focus remained on arriving at a fair equitable deal that secured the future of our gaming operations, the final funding for our operations that provide critical services for our people and a significant jobs and economic benefits it generates in Western New York.”
The governor must approve the compact:
The Legislature must give the governor’s office permission to sign off on the compact before they leave this week or they will have to come back. Additionally, Gov. Kathy Hochul pulled out of the talks because her husband works for Seneca’s gaming competitor Delaware North, but in the end, she will have to approve it. In this regard, in a brief statement, the spokesperson of her office said: “We are pleased they have reached an agreement in principle that serves the interest of both parties and benefits Western New York communities.”
After that, citizens of the Seneca Nation must validate the compact in a referendum, and Armstrong says “the next several weeks will be used to educate them about the specifics.” And the last thing is review and validation by the federal department of the interior.
It was an all-out battle tonight at the final table of Event #17: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better at the 2023 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. On a final table that took close to nine hours to play out, half of those nine hours were a marathon back and forth heads up match between Nick Kost and eventual winner Jim Collopy.
Neither player was ever willing to give an inch, but after the dust settled, Collopy stood up from his seat with renewed energy at the realization that he had just taken down his third career WSOP bracelet and the first-place prize of $262,542 and with Limit Omaha 8 or Better being one of his favorite games, this win was special.
Event #17: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low 8 or Better Final Table Results
Rank
Player
Country
Prize
1
Jim Collopy
United States
$262,542
2
Nik Kost
United States
$162,266
3
Kyle Burnside
United States
$117,404
4
Qinghai Pan
United States
$85,977
5
James Obst
Australia
$63,737
6
Aubrey Gilbert
United States
$47,838
7
Kyle Cartwright
United States
$36,358
8
Igor Zektser
United States
$27,986
9
Brian Kelley
United States
$21,821
Winner’s Reaction
Collopy is no stranger to the winner’s circle. He told PokerNews that he likes to play hi-lo split games in general and has been working on these types of games a lot, so winning a bracelet in one of his favorite variants was not only a lot of fun, but also really rewarding.
When asked how it felt to get his third bracelet in a split event, he said, “It was terrific that over 1,000 people were here to play this event, so it’s just really special to close out the bracelet in a tournament like this.”
He’s also no stranger to marathon heads-up matches as he was one-half of one of the longest heads-up battles in WSOP history a number of years ago, so when it came to his ability to wait out his opponent and maneuver his spots, he came well-equipped.
Final Day Recap
When the final table began, Kost held the chip lead and did so for most of the final table, but as heads-up play approached, Collopy made himself more and more of a force at the table.
Brian Kelley was the first finalist to fall, and only a few hands later, Igor Zektser bowed out in eighth.
Then came the untimely demise of Kyle Cartwright, who seemed to have too many outs against James Obst‘s two pair.
James Obst
Aubrey Gilbert crashed out in sixth before Australia’s Obst fell at the hands of Collopy in a massive pot.
Four-handed play ended when Kost eliminated Qinghai Pan, and heads-up was reached when start of Day 2 chip leader Kyle Burnside bowed out, with Collopy again doing the damage.
By the time heads-up play began, Collopy held a slight lead and would go on to trade blows for over four hours before the final hand came down
Collopy pulled away from Kost over and over again, and even though it was a back-and-forth battle, Collopy never let his opponent get him worse than even in chips. Kost would even go on to mention how strong of an opponent Collopy is, saying that he’s incredibly tough to play against.
Nick Kost
Collopy made the final push toward the bracelet over the course of the last dozen or so hands that would see him take Kost from close to even in chips to out of the tournament. By finding spots to draw extra bets out of his opponent that many others may not have found, he was able to close out a very special win and add to his legacy.
With how well Collopy is playing right now, we could very well see him making other deep runs this summer, and after the performance he put on at this final table, it would come as no surprise if he found himself with a shot at a fourth bracelet sooner rather than later.
As always, stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage of the 2023 World Series of Poker from Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas!
1Peter Thai Wins First Bracelet of the 2023 WSOP: Event #1: $500 Casino Employees ($75,535)
2Alexandre Vuilleumier Captures 2023 WSOP Event #2: $25K High Roller Title
3Cody “1eggadaymike” Bell Wins WSOP Bracelet and $87,665 in the Triple Treys Summer Tip Off
In 2014, the acclaimed American poet and translator Brooks Haxton penned a beautifully poetic memoir entitled Fading Hearts on the River: A Life in High-Stakes Poker or How My Son Cheats Death, Wins Millions, & Marries His College Sweetheart. In it, he conjures the familiar image of a parent living vicariously through his son’s exciting life. He also captures a more specific, uncommon image: watching his boy play for more money in one hand of poker than he has earned for all his prose and poetry books combined.
that relationship between people and games, how we are drawn to them like transitional objects
Risk looms in the book like a portentous shadow, both the uncontrollable kind that comes from the outside and the kind that we welcome into our lives. When an early health scare is juxtaposed next to a life of gambling, the stakes are clear, but so, too, is that relationship between people and games, how we are drawn to them like transitional objects, comfort blankets that provide the illusion of control in a world which is chaotic.
Flitting between different times in his son’s life and spinning out language that is both sumptuous and evocative, Haxton’s book is a poignant rumination on the nature of chance. It is also a biography of a life unfinished, the adventures of a man whose journey in the weird world of professional poker are far from over.
The new school had arrived
The 2007 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure was Isaac Haxton’s first major live tournament and he went deep. He was already a significant winner online, but this was a much bigger stage. With his long hair blowing in the wind at the outdoor final table, he looked like a young rockstar, just a touch of swagger. When he eventually got heads-up against Ryan Daut, another young gun and product of the online poker revolution, it was a pronouncement of sorts. The new school had arrived.
Haxton finished second for $862,000, a position he would find himself in many more times over his poker career. In 2009, he finished runner-up to Vitaly Lunkin in the World Series of Poker 40th anniversary $40,000 event. In 2014, he was bridesmaid once again in the Aussie Millions AUD$250,000. Later that same year, he was second in the Aria $100K Super High Roller. Poker can be funny that way. By the end of 2017, Haxton had accumulated over $15m in live winnings, but if you asked any of the elite players who among them had run the worst, they would have all said it was him.
Live and online, cash games and tournaments, Haxton dominated and in 2018, he got that marquee victory and a deserved feather in his cap when he won the $300K Aria Super High Roller for $3.7m. He has since added a further $19m in live tournament winnings to his tally, putting himself 13th on poker’s all-time live money list.
Passionate defender of poker players’ rights
While establishing himself as one the greatest poker players of the modern era, Haxton has always been an outspoken voice in the poker community. In 2016, he quit PokerStars in the midst of the Supernova Elite scandal, quite rightly citing unethical behavior by the online site.
It was a very principled position during a troubling time for poker and Haxton never let up. In 2018, Alex Dreyfus tweeted about all the good PokerStars was doing for the community to which Haxton replied:
“Nah, good for the industry would be for them to die like other brands that lost track of the line between their customers money and theirs.”
Haxton has always shown a willingness to always use his platform to speak truth to power
On a whole host of issues down the years, Haxton has always shown a willingness to always use his platform to speak truth to power. When he signed as a partypoker ambassador in 2018, poker author Paul Seaton echoed that sentiment, saying: “For a long time, Haxton has been known to be a righteous and passionate defender of poker player’s rights.”
The best without a bracelet no more
Despite all his success, one thing has been missing from Haxton’s illustrious resumé. One of the poker media’s favorite perennial activities is to make a list of “the best without a bracelet.” It’s all a bit silly in a game with so much variance, but there was much ado when Jason Koon got that particular monkey off his back last year. Given his status in poker, one couldn’t help but put Haxton at the top of that list. That is, until yesterday.
A mind-blowing 301 entries made their way into the prizepool of Event #16: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em, a record for a buy-in that large at the WSOP. Fittingly, the tournament ultimately boiled down to Haxton and another Ryan – Ryan O’Donnell – to battle it out for the $1,698,215 first prize. When the dust settled, Haxton was victorious, his third win in the last nine weeks and 6th this year.
“One of my biggest accomplishments”
In his post-tournament interview, a grateful Haxton spoke about the satisfaction of posting a win in a bigger tournament:
“I’ve finished second and third many times for my biggest cashes, so it’s nice to finally win. A three hundred-player field for a $25k, yeah I guess it’s gotta be up there with one of my biggest accomplishments.”
This one is a cherry on the top of an incredible career.”
Haxton’s close friend and fellow poker pro Steve O’Dwyer could not have been more thrilled.
“I stayed up until 9am Dublin time to watch the Day 2 coverage live yesterday and until 7am this morning to watch him win,” O’Dwyer said on Friday. “It was great to see and had me reminiscing on how long our group of friends have been doing this and how far we’ve all come. I was on the rail for Ike’s first ever WSOP final table in a $1k NLHE rebuy in 2007 and his 2nd place finish in the first ever WSOP high roller event, the $40k NLHE anniversary event in 2009. Despite being thought of as one of, if not the very best player in the world, he’s run fairly bad in the late stages of live tournaments throughout his career so it’s been awesome to see him put together this amazing string of victories in the first half of this year. This one is a cherry on the top of an incredible career.”
A moving target, the story of Brooks Haxton’s son is still not finished, but this momentous occasion is certainly worthy of its own chapter.
The post Isaac Haxton’s First WSOP Bracelet in a Life of High Stakes Poker appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
The partnership between PokerStars and Oracle Red Bull Racing has once again come up with the goods, with one lucky PokerStars customer and their companion jetting off to the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix for only $0.01!
The latest Red Spade Pass tournament takes place at 3:00 p.m. BST on June 18. It is an all-in shootout costing a mere $0.01 to enter, yet its first-place prize is something quite epic. Whoever comes out on top of the “Red Bull Racing All-in Shootout – win your Red Spade Pass for Las Vegas” receives a once-in-a-lifetime viewing experience at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 15-17.
The winner, hopefully, you and a companion, will fly to Las Vegas complete with hotel accommodation and transfers after investing only $0.01. Here’s what you can win:
VIP viewing experience at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 15-17
Return economy flights from any UK airport to Las Vegas
Up to five nights’ accommodation in a four-star hotel in central Las Vegas
Two-way transfers between Las Vegas airport and the hotel
Transfers between the hotel and viewing experience each day of the event
Special, exclusive activities hosted by PokerStars and/or Oracle Red Bull Racing
The amazing prize aside, the best thing about this Red Spade Pass tournament is you do not need to play poker for hours, battling against your fellow Formula 1-loving opponents. Why? Because the tournament is a heads-up all-in shootout where everyone is set all-in before the start of each hand, leaving Lady Luck to do the rest. Buy in for $0.01 then keep your fingers crossed that you are the last player standing and, therefore, the winner of the amazing Las Vegas Grand Prix package.
Please check the PokerStars website for full terms and conditions
About the Las Vegas Grand Prix
The Las Vegas Grand Prix runs for the first time from November 15-18, making it the third Grand Prix in the United States to take place during the 2023 season after Miami and the United States Grand Prix.
Formula 1’s biggest stars will hurtle around the 6.120km (3.803 miles) track at breakneck speed, completing 50 laps on the newly built street circuit, which passes through the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.
Here’s hoping that you and a companion are there in the flesh to enjoy and experience the first-ever running of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Use the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar To Find PokerStars MTTs
PokerStars has thousands of multi-table tournaments each week, so it is easy to miss out on an event that’s perfect for you. This is where the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar comes into its own.
Our tech team created the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar with several filters that make it quick and easy to display upcoming and tournaments in late registration that match your requirements. Check it out today, and find the perfect PokerStars tournament for you.
Use the PokerStars Welcome Bonus to Start Your Las Vegas Grand Prix Journey
New depositing PokerStars customers can claim a welcome bonus worth up to $400. Download PokerStars via PokerNews, create your free account and decide how much you want to deposit. Your deposit is matched 100% up to $400 as a bonus. In fact, your first three deposits in the first 60 days after making your first deposit are matched up to a combined total of $400. Make sure you enter the bonus code “STARS400”.
The bonus releases into your playable balance in $10 increments each time you generate 180 redemption points, which in turn are earned at a rate of five per $1 contributed to the cash game rake or spent on tournament fees (6.5 points per £1, 5.5 points per €1, and four points per CAD$).
Poker players are often described as going into battle with one another or fighting it out for massive prizes, but until July 31, bet365 is combining the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) with poker in the Fight Predictor promotion.
Fight Predictor sees you put your UFC knowledge to the test with a €1,000 purse waiting for the most accurate forecaster. You’ll earn leaderboard points for making predictions on upcoming UFC bouts, with additional points awarded if those predictions run true. €1,000 cash is all yours if you finish at the top of the Fight Predictor leaderboard at the end of each qualification period.
How Does Fight Predictor Work?
There are four elements to the bet365 Fight Predictor, but they are so simple that even a punch-drunk brawler could complete them with ease.
Opt in during each qualifying period via the Missions section of your bet365 poker account.
Make your predictions about the outcome of UFC fights and complete your mission.
Earn one point for each prediction logged, and three points for each correct prediction.
Watch as €1,000 cash lands in your bet365 poker account if you top the weekly leaderboard.
The qualification period runs from 12:00 a.m. GMT on Tuesday until 11:59 p.m. GMT on Monday. You must also complete your mission after making your predictions to lock them in. Details of those missions are clearly stated in the Fight Predictor mission.
The person who earns the most Fight Predictor points during each qualification period wins €1,000 cash. In the event of a tie, bet365 poker shares the €1,000 cash among everyone that has the same number of points.
Start Your Bet365 Career With a €365 Welcome Bonus
You need a Bet365 Poker account to get involved in the Fight Predictor promotion. Those with an account can fire up the Bet365 Poker software, opt-in, and start meeting the entry requirements. Anyone reading this without an account can download Bet365 Poker via PokerNews and become eligible for a sizable welcome package.
Regardless of your initial deposit size, new Bet365 Poker customers receive a €365 redeemable bonus that releases into your account as you play real money cash games and tournaments. You receive 10 Status Points for every €1 or £1 you contribute to the cash game rake or pay in tournament fees.
The first two €2.50 bonus payments will be released into your playable balance once you earn 25 and 50 Status Points, respectively. The following 24 increments land in your account each time you earn 100 Status Points, with the remaining instalments redeeming after every 250 Status Points earned.
In addition to the €365 bonus, you also reel in a €1 Twister ticket, a free spin on the Welcome Prize Wheel, and some special welcome missions where you earn one-off prizes
Players now have another place to share hands, talk strategy, contact 888poker‘s customer service, and check out 888poker specific news.
As well as personal responses from a dedicated customer service team, /888pokerofficial has a pinned FAQ and regular updates on software changes and maintenance times. There is also a specific flare for suggestion posts, allowing you to suggest improvements to the software.
Reddit is well-suited to this sort of interaction. Recent and useful posts quickly rise to the top of the subreddit’s feed thanks to Reddit’s upvote-fuelled algorithm. The subreddit is also a great place to keep track of new promotions and the occasional corporate meme.
Other Ways To Follow 888poker
Reddit isn’t the only place to keep tabs of 888poker. The company also runs a Discord server for anyone who plays cards on its poker client.
The 888poker Discord grants you direct access to the 888poker sponsored pros as well as members of the 888poker StreamTeam. The Discord is particularly useful if you want to keep track of when the streamers are performing on Twitch and when new 888poker Youtube videos drop.
If Discord, Twitch and Reddit aren’t to your taste, 888poker is also Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Each of these sites is monitored by members of the 888poker team directly.
Click For More About The 888poker Discord Server
Find The Action With The PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar
If you want to keep track of the upcoming tournament action on 888poker, check out the PokerNewsOnline Tournament Calendar.
The Online Tournament Calendar is our free-to-use tool that keeps you up to date on every tournament run by PartyPoker, 888poker, and PokerStars.
If you don’t already have an 888poker account, remember to download 888poker via PokerNews and create your free account.
You can use our PokerNews bonus codes to get $65 (about £50) worth of tournament tickets when you make your first deposit of more than £10 using the bonus code “GET50”. The tickets will be received as follows:
First day after deposit: 15 tickets of $1 each
Each day from the second to the sixth day after deposit: 10 tickets of $1 each
The GET50 bonus code is only valid for residents of the United Kingdom
Alternatively, you can opt for a 100% matched deposit bonus. This has a maximum value of $1,000. However, unlike the tournament tickets, you will have to meet playthrough requirements before you can access the bonus funds. Check out the terms and conditions for full details of how to clear the bonus.
You can also click the button below to see our review of 888poker and find out more details about 888poker‘s bonus offers and how to download the 888poker software.
If you couldn’t make it south of the border for the 2023 World Series of Poker, then PartyPoker Ontario has you covered. From June 11 to June 26, PartyPoker Ontario is running the inaugural Ontario Micro Series.
The Ontario Micro Series caters to the low- to medium-stakes player who might not have the time or bankroll to fly to Vegas. The schedule is made up of online poker tournaments with buy-ins starting out as low as $0.11* and going up to $265.
There will be 88 events, most of which will be split out into three buy-in levels—Low, Mid, and High. There will also be a small selection of tournaments that will have a “Super High” buy-in level.
All told, the combined guarantees across this series will be $200,000.
*All $ amounts in this article are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified.
Highlights of the Schedule
With 88 events to choose from, there’s something for just about everyone in the Ontario Micro Series schedule. However, players will be most excited about a few major events.
The whole series begins with the PKOpener. A progressive knockout event that starts at 17:05 ET on June 11. Players can choose from three buy-in levels—a $0.55 with a $50 guarantee, $11 with a $1,500 guarantee), and $55 (with a $5,000 guarantee)—or you could play all three.
Later the same day, you can play the $10,000 GTD $109 High Roller 7-Max, and towards the end of June 26, there is a $12,500 GTD $265 Super High Roller 7-Max PKO which will nicely round off the series.
In addition to all the scheduled tournaments, there are also satellites running for most of the larger events. These start out from as little as $0.01, allowing even the most micro-stakes player to take a shot at the big-ish leagues. However, the most important tourneys which no one will want to miss are the two Main Event tournaments.
Download PartyPoker Ontario And Sign Up For the Ontario Micro Series Right Away
The Ontario Micro Series Main Event(s)
The Ontario Micro Series has two Main Events—the Micro Series #87-L: $5.50 Main Event and $55 Micro Series #87-H: $55 Main Event.
The Micro Series #87-L is guaranteed a $3,000 prize pool, the $55 Micro Series #87-H is guaranteed a $25,000 prize pool, and you personally are all but guaranteed a good time.
Both Main Events will be multi-flight tourneys with Day 1 action available twice daily at 18:05 ET and 20:30 ET from June 11 to June 25. The flights will all combine together for Day 2 on June 26, when they will play down to a winner.
There are also plenty of satellites for the Main Events including a series of twelve $11 tournaments with a one-seat guarantee.
Eligible iGames conducted and managed by iGO are only available to those physically present in the Province of Ontario. PartyPoker Ontario operates pursuant to an agreement with iGaming Ontario.
For more information, visit the Ontario Players Homepage
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Stick with PokerNews for Ontario news, views, gossip, and all the info on upcoming tournament series and poker festivals that are coming your way.
Day 10 of the 2023 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas saw no fewer than three shiny gold WSOP bracelets awarded, and another handful of events finish with the much sought after piece of poker jewelry in reach of the surviving players.
Rafael Reis got the job done in Event #15: $1,500 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em after defeating Daniel Barriocanal heads-up. Reis captured his first bracelet in front of a raucous Brazilian rail. The victory came with $465,501 in prize money, too.
Isaac Haxton removed his name from “the best players without a bracelet” list by triumphing in Event #16: $25,000 High Roller (8-Handed). Haxton added another $1,698,215 to his life poker tournament earnings tally. Runner-up Ryan O’Donnell walked away with $1,049,577 reasons to be happy with his performance.
The third bracelet of the day went to Jim Collopy, who took down Event #17: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, a fine result that saw Collopy rake in a $262,542 score and his third bracelet. The heads-up battle with Nick Kost was a gruelling affair spanning more than 3.5 hours!
Gladiators of Poker Field Continues Growing; Another 4,571 Players Enter
Justin Arnwine
Another 4,571 players piled into Event #18: $300 Gladiators of Poker, taking the total attendance to more than 8,500 with two flights remaining. After 22 levels of high-octane poker action, only 151 players bagged up chips.
Justin Arnwine shone the brightest on Day 1b, finishing the night with an impressive 3,080,000 chips. Matthew Krieger (2,760,000) and Bernard Muhire (2,485,000) round off the podium, while talented Dutchman Mateusz Moolhuizen (2,070,000) found himself in the top ten chip counts.
Day 1c shuffles up and deals a 10:00 a.m. on June 9 and should be the busiest flight yet; it would not be surprising to see more than 6,000 fresh faces. Of course, the PokerNews live reporting team will be on the ground throughout Day 1c proceedings and will be with you every step of the way until a champion is crowned.
Event #18: $300 Gladiators of Poker Day 1b Top 1 Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Justin Arnwine
United States
3,080,000
62
2
Matthew Krieger
United States
2,760,000
55
3
Bernard Muhire
United States
2,485,000
50
4
Handrianto Minderman
United States
2,265,000
45
5
Dylon Chafin
United States
2,245,000
45
6
David Dunlap
United States
2,230,000
45
7
Lee Johnson
United States
2,145,000
43
8
Mateusz Moolhuizen
Netherlands
2,070,000
41
9
Weston Pring
Canada
2,060,000
41
10
Henry Theiling
United States
2,030,000
41
Qiang Xu Has the Advantage Going Into Day 3 of the $2,500 NLHE Freezeout
Qiang Xu
China’s Qiang Xu is on course to reel in the $435,924 top prize in Event #19: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout, where only 11 players remain.
Xu has locked in his second live WSOP cash, and his second of the 2023 series. Xu cashed in the $1,000 Mystery Millions event a week or so ago, and now looks set for a first WSOP final table spot.
Standing between Xu and the coveted gold bracelet are some stellar names. Frenchman Alexandre Reard (4,800,000) returns second in chips, with Argentinian grinder Andres Korn (4,760,000) occupying third place at the restart.
Triple Crown winner Niall Farrell (1,700,000) also punched his Day 3 ticket, although he sits back down with the second-shortest stack, one that is the equivalent of 17 big blinds.
Each of the returning players is guaranteed at least $26,926 for their efforts, with a final table appearance boosting that prize to $34,210. Any player finishing in the top five banks a six-figure score, with the champion reeling in $435,924 and the all-important WSOP bracelet.
Play resumes at 12:00 p.m. on June 9, and continues until one man has all of the chip in play in front of them.
Day 2 of the Badugi Ends With 13 Players; Popovych Has the Lead
Serhii Popovych
Day 2 of Event #20: $1,500 Badugi saw the 183 returning players cut down to only 13, and what a final 13 they are. Serhii Popovych (1,885,000) holds a chip advantage going into the final day, but the chasing pack will make it as difficult as possible for him.
Three bracelet winners are among the Day 3 contingent. Two-time champion David “ODB” Baker (1,400,000) is the best placed of that trio; he returns in second place. Danny Tang (1,180,000) has a top five stack, while Owais Ahmed (620,000) has the third shortest stack.
Throw into the mix the likes of Jack O’Neill (1,200,000), Jon “Pearl Jammer” Turner (1,100,000), Matt Vengrin (830,000), and Terrence Chan (655,000), and you have all the ingredients for a thrilling final day.
Join PokerNews from 1:00 p.m. on June 9 and we wrap up the exciting Badugi event here in Las Vegas.
Event #20: $1,500 Badugi Top 10 Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Serhii Popovych
United States
1,885,000
63
2
David “ODB” Baker
United States
1,400,000
47
3
Lee Horton
United Kingdom
1,220,000
41
4
Jack O’Neill
United Kingdom
1,200,000
40
5
Danny Tang
Hong Kong
1,180,000
39
6
Jon Turner
United States
1,100,000
37
7
Yingui Li
China
860,000
29
8
Michael Rodrigues
Portugal
860,000
29
9
Matt Vengrin
United States
830,000
28
10
Terrence Chan
Canada
655,000
22
11
Owais Ahmed
United States
620,000
21
12
John Bergendahl
United States
605,000
20
13
Matthew Leverty
United States
495,000
17
Suk Bang Clinches the Chip Lead on Day 1 of the $1,000 PLO
Suk Bang
Some 2,017 players entered Event #21: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha but only 117 of them navigated their way through 17 levels, and bagged up stacks for Day 2.
Suk Bang (1,465,000) built a tournament-leading stack, one that is 45 big blinds larger than that in possession of Israel’s Ido Aboudi (1,020,000).
Bracelet winners Amnon Filippi (735,000) and Mike Gorodinsky (734,000) finished Day 1 in the top ten, while Lawrence Brandt (538,000), Max Pescatori (508,000), David Williams (428,000), Daniel Negreanu (289,000), and Josh Arieh (210,000) will grace Day 2 with their presence.
The Day 2 action starts at 12:00 p.m. sharp on June 9, with the hopes of reducing the field to the final five players. As always, PokerNews will be on the tournament floor reporting live from the event.
Event #21: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Top 10 Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Suk Bang
United States
1,465,000
147
2
Ido Aboudi
Israel
1,020,000
102
3
Jorge Hou
Panama
913,000
91
4
Mike Dentale
United States
760,000
76
5
Nicolas Gola
United States
740,000
74
6
Amnon Filippi
United States
735,000
74
7
Mike Gorodinsky
United States
734,000
73
8
Eric Fields
United States
730,000
73
9
Thomas Taylor
Canada
725,000
73
10
Matthew Hamilton
United States
635,000
64
Nozomu Shimizu Leads After Day 1 of the Limit Hold’em Championship
Nozomu Shimizu
Japanese star Nozomu Shimizu is the player to catch going into Day 2 of Event #21: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship, where 46 of the 104 starters progressed. The number of entrants is set to increase thanks to late registration remaining open until the start of Day 2.
Shimizu is in hot form having finished third in Event #12: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em a few days ago. He now has a realistic chance of a similar finish in this $10,000 buy-in tournament after cramming 334,000 chips into his overnight bag.
Kevin Song (322,000) almost finished on top of the pile but has to settle for second place on the leaderboard right now. Other luminaries such as 2021 WSOP Main Event champion Koray Aldemir (266,000), Cary Katz (251,000), Nate Silver (199,000), 2015 WSOP Main Event champ Joe McKeehen (194,000), and popular pro Ronnie Bardah (188,000) bagged up top ten stacks.
Day 2 commences at 1:00 p.m. on June 9, with the plan to complete seven 90-minute levels. Return to PokerNews then if limit hold’em is what floats your boat.
Event #22: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship Top 10 Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Nozomu Shimizu
Japan
334,000
86
2
Kevin Song
United States
322,000
81
3
Koray Aldemir
Germany
266,000
67
4
Cary Katz
United States
251,000
63
5
Brian Lieberman
United States
238,000
60
6
John Elliott
United States
238,000
60
7
Carlo Van Ravenswoud
Netherlands
220,000
55
8
Nate Silver
United States
199,000
50
9
Joe McKeehen
United States
194,000
49
10
Ronnie Bardah
United States
188,000
47
What to Expect on Day 11 of the 2023 WSOP
June 9 is the tenth day of the 2023 WSOP, and there are no signs of the series slowing down, which is great news f you’re a fan of our updates!
Dat 1c of Event #18: $300 Gladiators of Poker kicks off Day 10, with Event #19: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em, Event #20: $1,500 Badugi, Event #21: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha, and Event #22: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship either playing down to a winner or getting somewhere close.
Two new events enter the mix on June 9. Event #23: $50,000 High Roller (8-Handed) is the one that should garner the most attention from the poker community, but Event #24: $1,500 Razz is also a popular event.
A woman hit the nuts at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) on Thursday, and it wasn’t just when Sarah Herzali hit a straight flush in Day 3 of Event #15: $1,500 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em. Later in the day, a woman on the rail of the same tournament delivered a blow to a man that was dubbed the “first ever bag-punch at the WSOP.”
2023 World Series of Poker Hub
Bookmark this page! All you need to know about the 2023 WSOP is here.
The incident in question was captured by the PokerGO live stream and evoked a hilarious response from the PokerGO commentators.
“Was that a shot to the … did you catch that in the background?!” Brent Hanks reacted. “This guy’s going down. Oh god, she just hit him right in the goods!”
“Oh, that’s dirty!” David Tuchman added.
Go ahead and take a look at the video, which Hanks shared on Twitter.
First ever bag-punch at the WSOP.
— 🦬 Hanks (@BuffaloHanks)
As the unfortunate male was recovering from the hit, Isaac Haxton was scrubbing his name from the “Best Without a Bracelet” list as he took down Event #16: $25,000 High Roller (8-Handed) for $1,698,215, while Brazil’s Rafael Reis ended up winning the $1,500 6-Handed event for $465,501.
In this Series
1Here’s the Full Schedule for 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP); Win Main Event for Life!
2Reigning Main Event Champion Espen Jorstad Eyes “Crazy Summer”; Plans to Play Full 2023 WSOP Schedule
36 Las Vegas Facts That Sound False But Are Actually True!
4How to Decide Which WSOP Tournament(s) to Play
5Registration for 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is Now Open
6How to Stay Healthy in Las Vegas During the WSOP
7WSOP Main Event Champions 2015-17: McKeehen, Nguyen, Blumstein
8PokerGO’s 2023 WSOP Live-stream Schedule Covers Biggest Events and More
92023 Main Event Maynia Could Be Your Best Chance of Playing at the WSOP
10A Look at the 2023 WSOP Online Bracelet Schedule – How to Deposit
11Five Reasons Winning Poker Players Lose Money at the WSOP
12Five Questions to Ask Yourself at Your First WSOP
13Interview: Vice President Jack Effel Looks Ahead to 2023 WSOP
14World Series of Poker Addresses Solver Concerns, Clarifies RTA Policy
15Negreanu, Deeb Again Highest Valued WSOP $25K Fantasy Draft Picks
16PokerNews Staff 2023 WSOP Predictions – Will Ivey Play? Hellmuth vs. Negreanu?
17Let the Games Begin: 2023 World Series of Poker Officially Underway
18WNBA Champion Kelsey Plum Kicks Off WSOP Mystery Millions
195 Poker Tax Facts to Remember Heading into the 2023 WSOP
20Introducing The Chad & Jesse Poker Show; Two Episodes a Week During 2023 WSOP
21PokerNews Podcast: Catching Up w/ WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart
22Negreanu or Hellmuth — Who Will Have the Best 2023 WSOP?
23Some of the Best Poker Players Who Haven’t Won a WSOP Bracelet
24Quads, Runner-Runner & Other Crazy Hands From the WSOP $25,000 High Roller
252023 WSOP Featured Females: Maria Konnikova & Kristen Foxen Making Runs
26Phil Ivey, Doug Polk in Action at Epic WSOP $25k Heads-Up Tournament
27Five Tournaments Fans Don’t Want to Miss at the 2023 World Series of Poker
28Five Reasons Winning Poker Players Lose Money at the WSOP
29We Asked ChatGPT to Predict the WSOP $25K Heads Up Championship
30Doug Polk Headlines the Final Four in WSOP $25K Heads Up Championship
31Two $1,000,000 Prizes Pulled in WSOP Mystery Millions
32Five Questions to Ask Yourself at Your First WSOP
33Andrews Suffers Brutal Beat on $5K Freezeout Bubble; Hellmuth Deep in $600 Deepstack
34The Two Failed Bluffs in One Week that Cost Doug Polk $700k
352023 Poker Hall of Fame Nominations Open; Rast, Scheinberg, Savage Frontrunners?
36Badugi Primer – Get Ready for A Brand New WSOP Tournament
372023 Poker Hall of Fame Nominations Open; Rast, Scheinberg, Savage Frontrunners?
38Estes Nabs Second WSOP MI Online Bracelet; Kershaw Victorious in First PA Event
39Steve “Cuz” Buckner & Lon McEachern Recent Guests on The Chad & Jesse Poker Show
40Is Today the Day Isaac Haxton Finally Wins His First WSOP Bracelet?
41Woman Literally Hits “The Nuts” at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP)
