Arkansas, one of mobile sports betting’s 2022 debutantes, isn’t wasting any time in giving state bettors plenty of wagering options after the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) approved 17 new sports betting markets.
On Thursday, the ARC added bare knuckle fighting, field hockey, floorball, futsal, lacrosse, NHRA drag racing, volleyball, beach volleyball, water polo, world sailing, snooker, pool, table tennis, bowling, bowl, disc, and cornhole to sports the state’s casinos can now take bets on.
Journalism professor at the University of Central Arkansas Rich Shumate thanked the ARC via Twitter, joking: “if you’re using your phone to place bets on cornhole, it may be the sign of a gambling problem.”
slap fighting was one of the 56 sports under review
According to Arkansas Online, the emerging sport of [face] slap fighting was one of the 56 sports under review by state casino representatives and Jennifer Rushin, Tax Division Manager for the casino gaming section at the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. It did not to make the 17.
Rushin said casino representatives of Saracen Casino Resort, Southland Casino Racing, and Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort would, however, “continue to look at the book to see what else they would add.”
The casino trio will need Rushin’s nod before adding any leagues within the new markets to their wager menu.
The post Arkansas Approves 17 New Betting Markets From Cornhole to Bare Knuckle Fighting appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
A man who is accused of brutally attacking his wife apparently won a World Series of Poker (WSOP) online bracelet on WSOP.com in Michigan last week.
Rudy Gavaldon, a 36-year-old from Traverse City, is currently awaiting trial in Grand Traverse County, Michigan from an alleged violent incident that took place on July 29, 2022. He faces felony charges of intent to commit murder and for being a habitual offender. In 2011, he pled guilty to larceny in a building and third-degree home invasion. He was sentenced to 11 months in jail and 36 months of probation.
PokerNews contacted the Grand Traverse Correctional facility to verify Gavaldon wasn’t in custody during the online bracelet event won June 18 under an account connected to his name and were told he hasn’t been in custody since August 2022 and is out while awaiting trial.
Rudy Gavaldon Among Michigan Online Bracelet Winners
The online poker account under the same name won WSOP.com Michigan online bracelet Event #3: $500 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo 6-Max for $20,193 using screen name “Flyheim86” (Galvadon was born in 1986). The tournament victory came 11 months after he was arrested and charged with allegedly brutally assaulting his wife, Lara Gavaldon.
For security reasons, WSOP.com does not release personal information about winners in the online bracelet events beyond name and place of residence. The only information available was that the winner’s name is Rudy Gavaldon and the city of residence is Traverse City, Michigan. From a public records search, there’s no one else with the same name in that town.
The win happened just six days after Gavaldon nearly claimed a WSOP Circuit ring. He finished third for $2,858 in the WSOP Online Circuit Series Event #12: $20,000 NLH PKO 6-Max.
Poker Player Facing Serious Charges
According to a police report, Gavaldon told officers upon their arrival at the crime scene at 12:05 a.m. on July 30, 2022, that his wife was dying and needed medical attention. Upon arrival, authorities discovered Galvadon walking in the roadway while carrying his child. His 28-year-old wife was discovered in their home and transported to a nearby hospital, and eventually med flighted downstate to Grand Rapids Hospital, with life-threatening injuries while he was taken into custody.
Galvadon “was lodged at the Grand Traverse County Jail for Assault with intent to commit murder,” the sheriff’s office stated. “Detectives have collected evidence and are continuing to investigate.”
A friend of the victim set up a GoFundMe to help the domestic violence victim cover medical bills and lost wages due to the assault. At present, she has received over $28,000 in donations with a goal of reaching $50,000.
The case against the accused domestic abuser was scheduled for a pre-trial hearing in the 13th District Court in Grand Traverse County on June 23. He was arraigned on June 9 and pled not guilty three days later.
Gavaldon’s online poker account also cashed in a $500 no-limit hold’em Michigan online bracelet event on June 4, a $1,242 score for 10th place. He doesn’t have any live tournament results, per Hendon Mob.
According to a post from Lara Gavaldon on her Instagram, her now ex-husband was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the assault. Photos show severe lacerations, bruises, and swelling of the right eye. She is currently in the process of getting fitted for a prosthetic eye.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time poker and the state of Michigan have made headlines in regard to a heinous crime. In 2020, Susie “Susie Q” Zhao, a Los Angeles-based pro who made several deep runs in the WSOP Main Event, was viciously murdered with the culprit ultimately being sentenced in 2022 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
PokerNews was unable to reach Gavaldon for comment.
*Featured image courtesy Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Department.
The Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) has approved a $2,000 fine for Jim Kelley’s Tahoe Nugget in Crystal Bay, essentially for operating its human resources department in a Wild West-style manner.
hiring and firing employees without notifying the NGC
Top of the two-count complaint involving staff compliance issues was the Tahoe Nugget Inc.-owned casino’s hiring and firing of employees without notifying the regulator, as required by 2022 and 2023 gaming regulations.
Tahoe Nugget’s President James Kelley and Vice President and General Manager Jeffrey Kelley signed the Thursday settlement, but not before the NGC took the firm to task for the complaint’s second count, failing to provide telephone or email contact information for its management board.
Presenting this complaint Deputy Attorney General John Michela said, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal, that the lack of contact information was an issue because “the public would be unable to air operational concerns with casino management.”
Tahoe’s Nugget’s GM assured the NGC his firm had already hired a Compliance Officer, as ordered by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, and that the family-owned casino near Lake Tahoe has since supplied all contact information to the Board.
The post Nevada Regulator Approves Fine for Jim Kelley’s Tahoe Nugget’s “Wild-West”-Style Operations appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
The 2023 Wynn Summer Classic began on May 25 and is scheduled to run through July 19. The series features 48 events offering a total of $28 million in guaranteed prize pools at Wynn Las Vegas.
The six-week festival will culminate with events such as the $10,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Everyone for One Drop featuring a $10 million guarantee and the $111,000 buy-in WPT Alpha 8 for One Drop.
Among those to claim titles recently were Uri Kadosh ($1,100 PLO $200K GTD for $59,585), Anthony Hall ($1,600 NLH $2M GTD for $300,000), and Ravee Sundara ($1,100 5 Card PLO $100K GTD for $68,009).
Here’s a look at some other notable recent winners of the Wynn Summer Classic.
Check out the Wynn Poker Room review here on PokerNews!
Brandon Mitchell Last Player Standing in 3,737-Entrant Field
Brandon Mitchell
The $1,100 NLH $1.5M GTD event attracted a massive field of 3,737 entrants over four starting flights to generate a prize pool of $3,624,890 paid to the top 408 finishers.
At the end of the three-day event, Brandon Mitchell was the only player remaining and won the trophy and $327,817. Mitchell multiplied his total live tournament earnings by a factor of more than ten according to the Hendon Mob.
Mitchell navigated a final table that included Richard Kirsch (2nd – $232,558), Yanki Koppel (3rd – $188,436), and Chad Lipton (7th – 55,237), who would claim a Wynn trophy just a week later when he won the $1,100 NLH $200K GTD for $86,319 on June 16. Popular vlogger Ethan “Rampage” Yau just missed out on the final table as he fell in 10th place.
$1,100 NLH $1.5M GTD Final Table Results
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Brandon Mitchell
Casa Grande, AZ
$327,817
2
Richard Kiesch
Pompano Beach, FL
$232,558
3
Yanki Koppel
Santa Clara, CA
$188,436
4
Javier Figueroa
Geneva, IL
$158,665
5
Allan Secord
Duluth, MN
$129,837
6
Brad Horwitz
Sammamish, WA
$65,446
7
Chad Lipton
Miami, FL
$55,237
8
Bob Shao
Missouri City, TX
$49,117
9
Nathanael Kogel
Pflugerville, TX
$44,015
Sonny Franco Takes Down $1,100 NLH Turbo $100K GTD
Sonny Franco
On June 16, $1,100 NLH Turbo $100K GTD saw 180 entrants battle it out on the felt for a piece of the $176,400 prize pool paid out to the top 20 finishers.
In the end, France’s Sonny Franco took home the trophy and $48,794 when he defeated Pierce McKellar in heads-up play. Franco returned the following day and attempted to repeat the feat in a tournament of the same format, but he ultimately fell in 15th for $3,182 in that event.
$1,100 NLH Turbo $100K GTD Final Table Results
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Sonny Franco
France
$48,794
2
Pierce McKellar
Flagstaff, AZ
$29,300
3
Wing Liu
United Kingdom
$18,892
4
Ozgur Arda
Turkey
$12,948
5
Xingbiao Zhu
China
$9,534
6
Kubanychbek Abakirov
Kyrgyz Republic
$7,541
7
Vladas Tamasauseas
Lithuania
$6,178
8
Arie Kliper
Israel
$5,239
9
Zhen Cai
Lake Worth, FL
$4,498
Get to Know Jeremy Becker, the Man Who Has Won Eight Wynn Tournaments in a Month
Ryan Awwad Victorious in $550 NLH $100K GTD
Ryan Awwad
The $550 NLH $100K GTD event on June 15 attracted 661 entrants and created a prize pool of $317,280 shared between the top 71 places.
Among those who cashed in the tournament but fell short of the final table include Jeff “Boski” Sluzinski (21st – $2,542), Jack McClelland (58th – $1,312), and Hayley Hanna (64th – $1,193).
The lion’s share of the prize pool went to Ryan Awwad, who won $60,124 for his victory after he defeated Eden Anzio in heads-up play.
On June 22, AvatarUX, an online slots developer based in Malta, released PixiePop™, a pixie-themed slot featuring an enchanting forest full of pixies whose main task is to guide players as they travel through magical lands. However, the game is currently available for its direct integration partners and will be released globally at a later date.
In addition, the game is enhanced with the popular PopWins™ game mechanic. But that’s not all, as the new Pay Anywhere Symbol is introduced for the first time, along with the recently introduced XPRESS option available in some jurisdictions.
Enchanting visual:
True to its title, the main theme of the slot is the aforementioned magical pixies. The game takes place in a forest on the coast on a clear starry night. The soundtrack complements the atmosphere of the game, and the game can be played on any device.
To win, players must form a combination of 5 matching symbols in any row, as long as the matching symbols land on at least 3 adjacent reels, beginning on either side of a dynamic 5×3 grid that is equipped with 243 winning ways. However, the default grid size during the base game is 5×3, but players may double the number of winning ways and thus the grid due to the PopWins™ game mechanic, as the game pays on both sides during the base game and Free Spins.
The basic low-value symbols are the shiny 10-A card ranks, while the high-value bonus symbols are the 6 pixies. A combination of five low-value bonus symbols is worth 1x to 1,5x, increasing to 2x to 6x a player’s bet for a combination of five high-value bonus symbols.
The game has high volatility, a theoretical RTP of 96% and a maximum win of 20,000x a player’s bet.
Slot features:
PopWins – after winnings are assessed, each winning symbol “pops” out of the grid and is replaced by 2 new symbols, increasing the height of the reels. This continues till no more wins are created. During the base game, the reels may extend up to 6 positions in height. However, when the reels come to their full height, the popped symbols are replaced with 1 symbol instead of 2.
Pay Anywhere Symbol – shortly before the bonus game begins, one high-paying symbol is rewarded as a “pay anywhere” symbol, which will pay out if 5 or more of them appear on different reels. However, they will provide payment even if they aren’t connected.
Wild Symbol – this one may appear on any reel and replaces any regular paying symbol to trigger wins.
Nudge – this feature randomly appears on the reels, resulting in an enhanced win. In addition, it can nudge a bonus symbol to activate Free Spins in the base game or additional free spins in the bonus game, a symbol to activate a higher reel height, a Pay Anywhere Symbol or a Wild Symbol.
Free Spins – this feature is activated when 3 or more Scatters land on the reels, further leading to:
3 Scatters reward 5 to 7 free spins on a 4-row grid;
4 Scatters reward 7 to 9 free spins on a 5-row grid;
5 Scatters reward 9-11 free spins on a 6-row grid.
Additionally, if the reel reaches a height of 8 rows, an additional 2 free spins are rewarded. This bonus game also includes a win multiplier that grows after every pop and can also be increased if players get a multiplicative multiplier symbol, which multiplies it by x2 or x11, or an additive multiplier, which adds +5 to +50 when a win occurs. Potential multiplier values vary between natural activators or purchased rounds. The win multiplier lasts until the feature ends and adding a Scatter rewards 1, 2, or 3 additional free spins.
A short time before the feature begins, one of the high-value bonus symbols is randomly selected to be the Pay Anywhere Symbol. If 5 of them land, they activate a payout that is increased by the win multiplier. Therefore, landing 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30 and 31-35 Pay Anywhere Symbols rewards 12.5x, 25x, 50x, 100x, 125x, 200x, 400x or 500x the bet, individually.
Bonus Buy – during this feature, players can purchase these bonus rounds:
Buy Bonus – 5-7 free spins with 1,024 winning ways for 125x the bet;
Buy Bonus Plus – 7-9 free spins with 3,125 winning ways for 250x the bet;
Buy Bonus Premium – 9-11 free spins with 7,776 winning ways for 500x the bet;
Buy Bonus Max – 9-11 free spins with 7,776 winning ways in addition to higher multiplicative and additive multipliers for 1,000x the bet.
Commenting on the launch, Nicola Longmuir, CEO of AvatarUX, said: “PixiePop™ offers a magical journey through an enchanted wilderness as players search for huge wins, while enjoying the latest iteration of the PopWins™ mechanic. We strive to create engaging, immersive titles that build off familiar mechanics while adding new twists, and this is another great example.”
PokerStars is not a company that rests on its laurels; it is often at the forefront of innovation. Power Path is a new four-step tournament path structure designed to give PokerStars players, that’s you, the best possible online and live poker experiences, opening doors you never thought would be open to you.
The mechanics of the PokerStars Power Path are simple. There are four steps that ultimately reward a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Pass. Players can buy into Step 1-3, but Step 4, where the Silver and Gold passes lay in wait, can only be bought into with tickets won in Step 3.
Power Path Step 1
Step 1 is a $0.50 buy-in Spin & Go Power Path edition. These fast-paced three-handed hyper-turbo jackpot sit-and-go tournaments mostly pay tickets to Power Path Step 2, but there will be some lucky PokerNews readers that capture $109 Bronze, $2,500 Silver, and $10,300 Gold passes.
Multipler
1st Place Prize
Probability in 1M Games
2
$1.00 Power Path Step 2
636,567
3
$1.50 Power Path Step 2
351,422
22
$11 Power Path Step 3
11,500
218
$109 Power Path Bronze Pass
500
5,000
$2,500 Power Path Silver Pass
10
20,600
$10,300 Power Path Gold Pass
1
Although you buy into as many Power Path Step 1 Spin & Go as you wish, PokerStars is gifting every one of its customers with a free $0.50 ticket every day. Log into your PokerStars account, play some real money cash games or tournaments, and generate at least $0.01 of rake, and a $0.50 Power Path Spin & Go ticket will find its way into your account.
Power Path Step 2
You have two choices of what to play for your Power Path Step 2. There are $1 buy-in Power Path Sit & Go games, which run on demand, or $1.50 buy-in Power Path Step 2 tournaments.
The Sit & Go games start when 16 players are registered, and play takes place on four-handed hyper-turbo shootout tables. Win your table and you’re guaranteed a prize because the top four finishers see a return on their $1 investment.
Place
Prize
1
Power Path – $11 Step 3 ticket
2-3
Power Path – $1.50 Step 2 ticket
4
$1.36
The $1.50 Power Path Step 2 tournaments play much like a satellite, with a set number of Step 3 prizes making up the prize pool. At least nine Step 2 tournaments take place daily, so you have plenty of chances to get involved.
Expect these Step 2 tournaments to be of incredible value in the early stage because PokerStars is adding hundreds of Step 3 tickets to the prize pool. You know what they say about the early bird catching the worm, don’t you?
Power Path Step 3
Get hold of a Power Path Step 3 ticket, or buy into one of the three daily Step 3 tournaments for $11, and you are one game away from securing one of the Power Path passes.
Step 3’s top prizes are $109 Power Path tickets. These tickets can either be used to enter the exciting $109 Sunday Million, or to enter the Power Path Step 4 tournaments, where is it possible to win Silver and Gold passes.
Power Path Step 4
Step 4 is where things get super exciting because some of the prizes offered are nothing short of incredible. Power Path Step 4 tournaments run once per day and guarantee between five and ten $2,500 Silver passes. Once per week, there is a Step 4 that guarantees Gold passes, too!
The $2,500 Power Path Silver Pass opens the door to some of PokerStars’ superb local and regional live events. Currently, you can exchange a Silver Pass for one of the following prizes:
UKIPT Blackpool Package
£1,100 UKIPT Blackpool Main Event entry
£330 UKIPT Blackpool Cup entry
£580 expenses, plus limited edition merchandise, live event liaison support, and exclusive UKIPT Blackpool activities
Eureka Poker Tour Hamburg Package
€1,100 Eureka Hamburg Main Event entry
€330 Eureka Hamburg Cup entry
€880 expenses, plus limited edition merchandise, live event liaison support, and exclusive Eureka Hamburg activities
FPS Paris Package
€1,100 FPS Paris Main Event entry
€330 FPS Paris Cup entry
€880 expenses, plus limited edition merchandise, live event liaison support, and exclusive Eureka Hamburg activities
Sunday Million Tickets Bundle
20x $109 Sunday Million entries
25x $11 Sunday Million satellite tickets
$45 T-Money
Online Bundle
4x $215 tournament tickets
6x $109 tournament tickets
8x $55 tournament tickets
15x $22 tournament tickets
18x $11 tournament tickets
$18 in T-money
Redeem Your Power Path Gold Pass For a Life-Changing Prize
The current Power Path Gold Prizes are out of this world, as they grant their winner a shot at the big time.
UKIPT 2023 Passport
£1,100 UKIPT Blackpool Main Event entry
£1,100 UKIPT Brighton Main Event entry
£1,100 UKIPT London Main Event entry
£1,100 UKIPT Edinburgh Main Event entry
£1,100 UKIPT Nottingham Main Event entry
£2,800 expenses plus limited edition merchandise, live event liaison support, and exclusive UKIPT activities
European 2023 Passport
€1,100 ESPT Barcelona Main Event entry
€550 ESPT Barcelona Cup entry
€1,100 Eureka Hamburg Main Event entry
€330 Eureka Hamburg Cup entry
$1,100 Eureka Cypris Main Event entry
$550 Eureka Cyprus Cup entry
£1,100 UKIPT Nottingham Main Event entry
£220 UKIPT Nottingham Cup entry
€3,270 expenses plus limited edition merchandise, live event liaison support, and exclusive activities
EPT Barcelona Package
€5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event entry
€1,100 EPT Barcelona Event #47 – NLHE Freezeout entry
8 nights’ accommodation at the SB Icaria Hotel (Aug 27-Sept 4) worth €2,440
€69 in expenses plus limited edition merchandise, live event liaison support, and exclusive activities, including players party and a catamaran boat trip
The Silver and Gold Pass prizes change from month to month depending on which major live and online events are upcoming or running.
Power Path tournaments are up and running in the PokerStars lobby right now, so don’t waste any more time; head to PokerStars and see if you can play your way to a Power Path pass.
Don’t have a PokerStars account? You can download PokerStars via PokerNews and grab a 100% up to $400 first deposit bonus when you use the PokerStars bonus code “STARS400.” Good luck!
Summertime is here and Casino.com is bringing a new load of bright, sunny, and exciting games to our gaming portfolio.
Explore the upcoming slot additions, as we take a closer look at a few of them in more detail. All upcoming games have wide bet ranges, a different number of reels, exciting bonuses and different themes and display layouts. Whether you are interested in sequels, tropical themes, or even fantastical characters, there is a game for you to try!
Get your sunglasses on and take a glare at the new games that are being released in July 2023.
Sweet Alchemy 100
First up is the bright, and airy fairytale style slot game, Sweet Alchemy 100 by game provider Play’n GO. But don’t be fooled by the candy and pastels motif, this is a juggernaut of a slot with a giant 5-reel, 5-row game grid. It has an RTP of 96.20%, high volatility, and a massive maximum win of 15,000x your stake.
The beautiful backdrop is sky clouds and plush landscape that will change colour depending on the on-screen character at the time of your spin. This game is not as anime inspired as slot favourite Moon Princess 100, however this is a cackling version of it! It features witches, potions, and pastel shapes.
Look out for these icons for a big win potential:
Witch Power – Cherry, Berry, and Apple Witch symbols can modify triggers randomly and both add Wilds and convert symbols into higher paying ones.
Trinity – All 3 witch symbols can fill the screen, leading to free spins and multipliers.
Free Spins – These can be activated by players’ preferred Witch Power- the maximum number of free spins is 100!
This game also incorporates the cluster pays paylines mechanism, which includes even the lower paying candy symbols such as the circular sweet, the crescent moon, the diamond, and the heart.
Explore the high-quality graphics and take trip to the skies with these alluring alchemists.
Diamond Mine 2 Megaways
Next up on our list is the ever-popular Diamond Mine Megaways, which Blueprint Gaming has updated for a second instalment! This slot game will transport you to the American West to dig and unearth gems from the 117, 649 paylines amidst the mining quarry.
This game has 6 reels, and multiple shiny bonuses. There are in-game additions to play for, such as free spins and the gamble wheel, which are played on grey stone slabs set at the entrance of a mining cave.
Grab your pickaxe and watch out for the cacti as you blast your way through diamonds, golden nuggets, lanterns, and TNT!
Alohawaii Cash Collect
Aloha! Game Provider Playtech has produced a Hawaiian themed slot game that has beautiful design elements such as palm trees, coconuts, and seashells that are sat on a picturesque game board. The gamegrid is a 5-reel, 3-row paradise with enchanting extras!
You can find the cash collect mechanic, expanding symbols, and free spins, as well as Scatter and Wild icons among the high value Drum, Mask and Totem icons. Grab your lei and start spinning!
Play for Real Money
To start playing Real Money bets, just simply sign in and place your bets. Whether you are keen to explore the new characters, the Megaways mechanic, or if you just want to play an exciting slot game, our gaming portfolio has something for everyone.
And if you are registering for the first time and making your first deposit, you can claim your Welcome Bonus before playing on all of our new games.
The post July 2023 New Games Release appeared first on Casino.com Blog.
Only one bracelet was awarded on Day 27 of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP), but there was plenty going on at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, all under the watchful eyes of the PokerNews Live Reporting team.
Seven live events plus an online tournament made for an action-packed day at the tables. Here are the highlights and chip leaders from all the day’s goings-on. You will notice that most events have seasoned pros as their chip leaders or in the top ten chip counts. When elite-level grinders join events en mass the cream tends to rise to the top.
Ryan Eriquezzo triumphed in Online Event #10: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Ultra Deepstack. Some 1,810 players bought in and created a $1,044,360 prize pool, of which $145,374 is now tucked away in the account of Eriquezzo. The victory also came with the third bracelet of his career.
Heimiller Hunting for Second Senior’s Title
Dan Heimiller
Only seven players from a starting field of 8,180 remain in contention for the Event #39: $1,000 Seniors Championship title, its $765,731, and the coveted gold bracelet.
Dan Heimiller (59,100,000) is the chip leader going into the fifth and final day. Heimiller took down this tournament in 2014, which earned him $627,462 and the second bracelet of his career. He now has a chance to add to his collection of poker gold.
Lonnie Hallett (55,300,000) is hot on Heimiller’s heels. Between Heimiller and Hallett, they have more than 100 million of the 163,600,000 chips in play.
Those two players may be the runaway leaders at the restart, but all eyes will be on a certain Billy Baxter (15,500,000) when play resumes. The 82-year-old seven-time bracelet-winning legend is turning back the clock, and showing why he is so revered in the poker world.
Shannon Fahey (12,500,000), Gordon Eng (9,200,000), and Loren CloninLoren Cloningerger (8,400,000) make up the rest of the final table.
Play resumes at noon on June 26, with PokerGO streaming the grand finale. Of course, PokerNews is the place for all of the live updates from the Seniors Championship.
Day 2 of Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker saw the 2,322 returning players whittled to a much more manageable 327 over the course of ten levels. Joey Weissman (3,700,000) emerged with the chip lead after the dust had settled.
Weissman has eight cashes at this year’s series (including online events), including a sixth-place finish in the $25,000 High Roller. Should Weissman continue his upwards trajectory and eventually finish in the top two spots, he will claim his first seven-figure score. Winning will net Weissman a second bracelet, adding to the one he won in 2012.
Also through to Day 3 are such luminaries as Thomas Cazayous (2,405,000), Roman Hrabec (1,870,000), Tony Gregg (1,650,000), Paul Tedeschi (1,500,000), Leo Margets (1,440,000), David “ODB” Baker (1,410,000), and French star Arnaud Mattern (680,000).
The 327 surviving players return to their seats from 10:00 a.m. local time on June 26, with another ten 60-minute levels scheduled. Join PokerNews then as the Millionaire Maker edges every closer to making two instant millionaires.
*Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker Top 10 Chip Counts
Place
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Joey Weissman
United States
3,770,000
151
2
Safwane Bahri
France
2,880,000
115
3
Thomas Cazayous
France
2,405,000
96
4
Brandon Schwartz
United States
2,260,000
90
5
Joshua Boulton
United Kingdom
2,200,000
88
6
Mayank Madan
United States
2,100,000
84
7
In Sun Geoum
United States
2,090,000
84
8
Steve Kujubu
United States
2,080,000
83
9
Daniel Blum
United States
2,070,000
83
10
Matthew Davis
United States
2,050,000
82
Gorodinsky Holds a Commanding Lead in the $10K H.O.R.S.E
Mike Gorodinsky
Only seven players remain in contention for the title of Event #54: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship champion, and it is Mike Gorodinsky (3,695,000) who is the player leading them back into battle in this prestigious tournament.
Gorodinsky, a two-time bracelet winner, has over 1.5 million chips more than anyone in the chasing pack, and what a chasing pack it is.
Alex Livingston (2,160,000), four-time WSOP bracelet winner Brad Ruben (1,930,000), and five-time WSOP champ Brian Yoon (1,445,000) are hunting more poker gold. As are Scott Seiver (990,000) and Carol Fuchs (515,000). Christopher Claassen (265,000) is the only finalist without a bracelet to their name.
Play resumes at 4:00 p.m. local time on June 26, with PokerNews providing updates alongside the PokerGO stream. The first round of the table will be without Seiver, as the tournament director issued Seiver a one-round penalty after he crumpled up one of his cards after losing a late pot to Fuchs.
Only 17 players stand between Mike Matusow (890,000) and “The Mouth” claiming his first gold bracelet in a decade. Matusow is seventh in chips with 18 remaining in Event #55: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better.
Qibang Cheung is leading from the front courtesy of their 1,805,000 stack, with Kao Saechao (1,250,000) and Patricia Yannuzzi (1,240,000) making up the overnight top three.
Lurking in the background is Poker Hall of Fame contender Brian Rast (870,000), and seasoned Polish grinder Marcin Horecki (445,000).
Matusow et all return to the fray from 1:00 p.m. local time on June 26 to conclude the latest stud event. As always, PokerNews is your destination for all of the updates from this tournament.
Event #55: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Top 10 Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
1
Qibang Cheung
United Kingdom
1,805,000
2
Kao Saechao
United States
1,250,000
3
Patricia Yannuzzi
United States
1,240,000
4
James Juvancic
United States
1,185,000
5
Kyle Hinnerichs
United States
1,175,000
6
Michael Estes
United States
1,120,000
7
Mike Matusow
United States
890,000
8
Brian Rast
United States
870,000
9
Jose Paz-Gutierrez
Bolivia
815,000
10
Denny Axel
United States
755,000
Charlemagne on Course for all the Benjamins in the Salute to Warriors
Charlemagne Benjamin
Charlemagne Benjamin bagged and tagged 1,300,000 chips at the end of Day 1 of Event #56: $500 Salute to Warriors, as the 4,303 entrants were reduced to only 654 over the course of 17 blistering levels.
Ryan Eriquezzo (1,216,000) has done his chances of capturing another bracelet no harm at all by finishing Day 1 second in chips. Eriquezzo had a late night because he was also playing in the online event, which he took down for his third bracelet!
Others to look out for on Day 2 include Kyle Miholich (1,121,000), Ari Engel (726,000), Shane Schleger (664,000), Katie Kopp (502,000), Ismael Bojang (479,000), and Stefan Jedlicka (350,000).
Day 2 commences at 10:00 a.m. local time on June 26, with another 17 levels possible. Keep your browser locked to PokerNews as not to miss any of the action from the Salute to Warriors event.
Event #56: $500 Salute to Warriors Top 10 Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Charlemagne Benjamin
United States
1,300,000
108
2
Ryan Eriquezzo
United States
1,216,000
101
3
Kyle Miholich
United States
1,121,000
93
4
Dylan Lemery
United States
1,062,000
89
5
Antonio Ruelas
United States
1,053,000
88
6
Ting-Yi Tsai
Taiwan
1,004,000
84
7
Nicola Tassone
Canada
1,002,000
84
8
Jason Pedigo
United States
942,000
79
9
Prashray Rai
United States
850,000
71
10
Viakret Ete Puiel
Argentina
846,000
71
Kornuth Among the Leaders in the $25K PLO High Roller
Chance Kornuth
Day 1 of Event #57: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller saw 357 high-stakes gurus turn out but only 149 of them bag and tag come the end of ten levels of play.
Chance Kornuth (762,000), fresh from winning $537,000 on his birthday on June 24, finds himself in the top 10 of the overnight chip counts.
Firas Kashat (1,203,000) is the current chip leader, with the likes of Yang Wang (1,120,000), and Norbert Szecsi (1,071,000) having more than one million chips each.
As you would expect from such a high buy-in event, the field is littered with stellar players and household names. Brandon Adams (972,000), Anton Morgenstern (950,000), and John Hennigan (818,000) return with top 10 stacks, while Sam Soverel (692,000), Anson Tsang (650,000), Isaac Haxton (618,000), and Jeremy Ausmus (568,000) have ample amounts of chips.
Return to PokerNews from 12:00 p.m. local time on June 26 if you want to follow all of the action, as it happens, from the $25K PLO event.
Event #57: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller Top 10 Chips
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Firas Kashat
United States
1,203,000
241
2
Yang Wang
China
1,120,000
224
3
Norbert Szecsi
Hungary
1,071,000
214
4
Brandon Adams
United States
972,000
194
5
Anton Morgenstern
Germany
950,000
190
6
Michael Duek
United States
942,000
188
7
Johann Ibanez
Colombia
912,000
182
8
Bradley Anderson
United States
820,000
164
9
John Hennigan
United States
818,000
164
10
Chance Kornuth
United States
762,000
152
Mizrachi in in the Top 10 of the $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Max
Event #58: $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Handed drew in 263 entrants on Day 1, but only 115 of them had chips in front of them after the conclusion of the tenth level.
Gregory Josephson (241,000) and Daniel Maczuga (217,500) were the only surviving players to cram more than 200,000 chips into their overnight chip bag, although a bunch of household names also progressed to Day 2 at the first time of asking.
Justin Lapka (176,500), Dan Shak (175,000), JJ Liu (165,000), and Michael Mizrachi (163,000) all finished Day 1 with a top 10 stack.
Further down the counts are the likes of Maria Ho (126,000), David Bach (101,000), Daniel Idema (100,000), Benny Glaser (83,000), Patrick Leonard (76,000), Adam Friedman (67,000), Eli Elezra (52,500), and 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen (34,500).
The Day 2 action commences at 1:00 p.m. local time on June 26, so return to PokerNews then to follow the rest of the action from this event.
Event #58: $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Handed Top 10 Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
Big Bets
1
Gregory Josephson
United States
241,000
96
48
2
Daniel Maczuga
United States
217,500
87
44
3
Kyle Dilschneider
United States
194,500
78
39
4
Andrew Barfield
United States
184,000
74
37
5
Matthew Mortensen
United States
177,000
71
35
6
Justin Lapka
United States
176,500
71
35
7
Dan Shak
United States
175,000
70
35
8
Yingui Li
China
168,000
67
34
9
JJ Liu
United States
165,000
66
33
10
Michael Mizrachi
United States
163,000
65
33
What to Expect on Day 28 of the 2023 WSOP
June 26, the 28th day of the 2023 WSOP, should be epic. We will have a much better idea of who will win Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker, and we will discover the champions of Event #48: $1,000 Seniors Championship, Event #54: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship, and Event #55: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better.
Event #56: $500 Salute to Warriors marches towards Day 3, while Event #57: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller and Event #58: $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Handed will continue whittling down their fields.
Two fresh tournaments enter the mix on Day 28. Event #59: $3,000 No Limit Hold’em Freezeout and Event #60: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw should both prove popular with players and PokerNews readers worldwide.
After just over 13 hours on the virtual felt in Online Event #10: $400 NL Hold’em Ultra Deepstack on WSOP.com, it was Ryan “GoFeltaFish2” Eriquezzo who emerged victorious after defeating Richard “labelfree” West in heads-up play to take down the $145,374 first-place prize and coveted gold bracelet.
Eriquezzo navigated a field of 1,810 players who rebought 1,091 times to create a prize pool of $1,044,360, and after the dust settled, scored his third career WSOP gold bracelet.
Eriquezzo, who is no stranger to these fields with over $2.4 million in tournament earnings, added to his already impressive poker resume with a victory here. Most recently, Eriquezzo came off a third-place finish in a $1,700 WSOP circuit event in Pompano Beach Florida for $121,111 earlier this year. Eriquezzo also bagged a second-place stack for Day 2 of Event #56: $500 Salute to Warriors here at the WSOP while competing in this online event.
Many big names jumped in the online action today and some who were fortunate enough to find a cash included Michael “BrockLesnar” Holtz (146th – $1,253), Pete “PeteChen” Chen (105th – $1,357), Krista “Pollux” Gifford (95th – $1,462), and Andrew “GudLife” Moreno (32nd – $3,864), who ran his nines into queens to double up Dan “Albacazapada” Stavila and eventually bust a few hands later.
Final Table Action
The eight-handed official final table got off to a hot start with many all-ins early on. Gennaro “L4Vid4EsUn4” Proscia was the first causality when they got their pocket sixes in against the tens for David “Stoic1234” Uvaydov and couldn’t find improvement, sending them out in eighth place.
Seven-handed play went on for quite a while before Stavila got his remaining stack in with ace-six, but was up against the ace-queen for “bustokid”. The board didn’t help Stavila and he was sent to the exit in seventh place.
Soon after, Steve “Sean26Taylor” Karp picked up ace-ten suited and moved in, but again “bustokid” woke up with ace-queen to send Karp out in sixth place.
After some unfortunate hands, “bustokid” was on a short stack and moved all in with king-jack. Uvaydov called with ace-three and when the board ran out with an ace, it was the end of the road for “bustokid” who finished in fifth place.
Kevin “SpecialK333” Calenzo had a great run and was atop the leaderboard for much of the day until he picked up ace-three and moved all in on the button only to be called by West with pocket jacks. The board didn’t improve for Calenzo and he was forced to settle with a fourth-place finish.
Shortly after, Uvaydov exited in third place when his ace-queen suited couldn’t connect against the pocket nines for Eriquezzo.
Heads-up play started with West having a slight lead, but after much back-and-forth battle, it was Eriquezzo that took the lead after showing a massive bluff with seven-high. Soon later, Eriquezzo would open on the button with sixes and West moved in with king-nine. Eriquezzo called to put West at risk, and when the board ran out clean for the sixes, it was Eriquezzo that emerged victorious.
That wraps up the coverage of Online Event #10: $400 NL Hold’em Ultra Deepstack. Be sure to keep it with PokerNews for all your up-to-date coverage of the rest of the WSOP online and at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
1Peter Thai Wins First Bracelet of the 2023 WSOP: Event #1: $500 Casino Employees ($75,535)
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In a 28-minute YouTube video released on Sunday, accused poker cheater Ali Imsirovic wanted to “set the record straight,” and in doing so he admitted to some of the allegations against him, but also denied others.
Within 15 seconds after the video began, the 2021 GPI Player of the Year admitted that starting in 2020, he ended up “making a really bad mistake and began multi-accounting MTT’s at that time.”
Imsirovic, along with Jake Schindler, was accused in 2022 by many of his high-stakes peers of multi-accounting online and colluding during live events. Months later, they were barred from PokerGO Tour events.
The now admitted poker cheater did, however, deny one claim made by Alex Foxen on Twitter last year. Foxen had hinted at some shady behavior taking place between Imsirovic and Paul Phua during a Triton Poker event.
Imsirovic claimed in the video that he multi-accounted for a period of just “four to five months.” The poker pro with over $18.6 million in live tournament results, according to Hendon Mob, hasn’t been spotted in the high roller scene since the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Schindler, however, has appeared in multiple events this summer.
Both Schindler and Imsirovic had previously refrained from making public comments related to the cheating allegations. Neither had denied any of the accusations against them, and Schindler still hasn’t.
Poker Pro Denies Some Claims
Ali Imsirovic
Imsirovic denied many of the allegations against him, including the claim that he’s been recently running an online poker cheating scheme. He referred to that accusation as “completely f*****g ridiculous.”
The high-stakes player also said he no longer has any online poker horses and that the multi-accounting and ghosting only took place over a short period of time during COVID.
Imsirovic would wrap the video by explaining that the cheating allegations have been “hard on my family.”
“I feel like I’ve paid all of my dues and want to move past this,” Imsirovic said.
PokerNews will continue to monitor this breaking story. You can watch the full video below:
