Mystery bounty tournaments are fun and popular. The 2023 PokerNews Cup, an $1,100 buy-in event at Golden Nugget in Las Vegas set a tournament record with 2,331 entrants, and completely obliterated the $1 million guaranteed prize pool.
When registration closed on Saturday, the pot had reached $2,261,070, crushing last year’s impressive prize pool of just over $1.2 million. Gary Gelman took down the then-record 1,245-player field in 2022 for $202,725. This year’s champion, to be crowned on Monday, will receive $218,605 along with all the bounties the unknown-at-this-time player collects throughout the tournament.
Mystery Bounty Action is Intense
On top of the traditional prize pool, this year’s PokerNews Cup features a mystery bounty component, which is quickly becoming one of the most popular poker tournament formats. When a player busts starting on Day 2, the player with the winning hand receives an envelope with a mystery bounty amount hidden inside.
In the PokerNews Cup, there are two $100,000 grand prize mystery bounties. Well, there *were* two of them, but now there’s only one as a player already pulled the first one on Sunday. Additionally, one of the two $50,000 bounties have been claimed as of the time of publishing, and one of the two $75,000 bounties remained undiscovered.
Most of the bounties are between $500 and $6,000, but it’s always quite an adrenaline rush opening up an envelope to find out if you’ve just won life-changing money. Of course, even if a player doesn’t pull one of the big bounties, there’s still an opportunity to earn a six-figure payday the old-fashioned way — in the poker tournament.
PokerNews is on-hand at the Golden Nugget live reporting the entire event from start to finish. Additionally, on Day 2, you can catch our live-stream from the Fremont Street casino on our YouTube channel.
The Golden Nugget Grand Poker Series runs May 30 through July 3, featuring 89 events with over $3 million in guaranteed prize money.
The series concludes with the $1,100 PokerNews Cup Mystery Bounty, which has smashed through its $1 million guarantee by more than double, with 2,307 players generating a prize pool of $2,237,790.
The 2023 PokerNews Cup now holds the record for the biggest-ever tournament prize pool in Golden Nugget Las Vegas history, smashing through the previous record of $1,207,650 set during the 2022 PokerNews Cup. PokerNews continues to provide live updates of that record-breaking event from the only poker venue in Downtown Las Vegas until a winner is crowned.
Click here to follow live updates from the 2023 PokerNews Cup!
Here’s a look at some of the recent winners from the Grand Poker Series.
Greg Raymer Wins Grand Poker Series Seniors Championship
Greg Raymer
The $600 NLH Seniors Championship offered a $50K GTD to players 50 years of age and older, and 321 wise folks flocked to the felt to create a prize pool of $163,710 paid out to the top 41 finishers.
At the end of it, 2004 WSOP Main Event champion Greg Raymer claimed the title following a three-way deal which saw him taking home $32,000. “Fossilman” had previously won a $200 tournament at Resort’s World only a few days prior and quickly found himself in the winner’s circle once again.
Raymer chose pocket eights as the hand for his winner photo – the same hand he defeated David Williams with when he won the 2004 WSOP Main Event for $5,000,000.
Others who cashed in the tournament included Zal Irani (2nd – $22,200), Eugene Castro (14th – $2,538), Jon Lactaoen (22nd – $1,416), and Dominique Terzian (30th – $1,040).
Event #77 Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Greg Raymer
$32,000
2
Zal Irani
$22,200
3
Dwayne Vetter
$21,899
4
Dennis McKelvey
$10,166
5
Loren Burbach
$7,842
6
Roy Henry
$6,491
7
David Rawnsley
$5,452
8
James O’Brien
$4,477
9
Bryan Coyne
$3,538
Check out the Golden Nugget Poker Room review here on PokerNews!
England’s David Hudson Victorious in $600 NLH Championship
David Hudson
The $600 NLH Championship featured three starting flights and offered a $500K guarantee. 1,073 total entrants made their way to Golden Nugget to generate a $547,230 prize pool paid to the top 135 places.
England’s David Hudson claimed the top prize of $66,162 for his biggest live cash following a four-way deal with Leo Zamarripa (2nd – $63,645), Jeffrey Wells (3rd – $50,792), and Nuno Cap (4th – $50,208).
Some other players who took a smaller piece of the prize pool were Scotter Clark (8th – $12,449), James Van Alstyne (26th – $2,714), Anna Antimony (33rd – $2,380), and Joshua Suyat (81st – $1,434).
Event #59 Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
David Hudson
$66,162
2
Leo Zamarripa
$63,645
3
Jeffrey Wells
$50,792
4
Nuno Moser Mantero De Orey Cap
$50,208
5
Andrew Campbell
$23,586
6
Joshua Prager
$18,989
7
Israel Pantaleon
$15,695
8
Scotter Clark
$12,449
9
Thu Tran
$9,265
Vince Salvatore Takes Down $400 NLH Seniors
Vince Salvatore
A week before Raymer won the Seniors Championship, a $400 NLH Seniors event ran and saw 509 entrants generate a prize pool of $167,970 paid to the top 64 entrants.
California’s Vince Salvatore claimed the top prize of $18,154 following an apparent nine-way chop with players such as James Kennedy (3rd – $14,286), Scott Davis (5th – $11,483), and Salvador Villaluz (7th – $9,403).
Event #58 Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Vince Salvatore
$18,154
2
Clint Oldridge
$16,359
3
James Kennedy
$14,286
4
Timothy Krisher
$13,339
5
Scott Davis
$11,483
6
Brent Callahan
$10,790
7
Salvador Villaluz
$9,403
8
Philip Bujorian
$7,255
9
Mark Rubin
$7,255
The Golden Nugget
2023 Grand Poker Series Winners Thus Far
Date
Tournament
Entries
Prize Pool
Winner
Prize
30-May
Event #1: $300 Omaha 8/B $10K GTD
96
$23,040
Chad Campbell
$5,020
30-May
Event #2: $150 NLH $10K GTD
136
$14,960
Austin Emerick
$3,458
30-May
Event #3: $200 Big O $5K GTD
75
$11,250
Bryce Fox
$3,300
30-May
Event #4: $130 NLH
29
$2,755
Scott Mahoney
$1,140
31-May
Event #5: $300 H.O.R.S.E $5K GTD
85
$20,400
Jean Marie Blanc
$6,014
31-May
Event #6: $200 Mixed NLH / PLO $5K GTD
32
$5,000
Federico Peralta
$2,006
31-May
Event #7: $200 Omaha 8/B / Stud $5K GTD
79
$11,850
Mark Povich
$3,632
31-May
Event #8: $130 NLH
36
$3,420
Bruno Manoel Fernandes
$924
1-Jun
Event #9: $300 Dealer’s Choice $5K GTD
38
$9,120
James Van Alstyne
$3,422
4-Jun
Event #10: $200 NLH $200K GTD
2,347
$317,325
Jora Beit
$30,938
2-Jun
Event #11: $150 NLH $10K GTD
122
$13,420
Robert Bladon
$2,652
3-Jun
Event #12: $150 NLH $10K GTD
137
$15,070
Nabyl Simmons
$2,814
4-Jun
Event #13: $300 Mixed PLO/8; Omaha 8/B; Big O $20K GTD
The world’s most famous music festival has been and gone for another year. Glastonbury Festival in Somerset closed out on Sunday with Elton John’s last UK performance ever and estimations suggest it was the largest crowd in the Pyramid Stage’s long history.
The rest of the festival proved a huge success too with the Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses also setting the Pyramid Stage alight with headline performances. On the other stages, new stars such as Loyle Carner and Fred Again also proved a firm favorite with sun-drenched festival goers.
Rick Astley teamed up with Blossoms for a surprise set of The Smiths covers
There were surprises galore this year too. A mysterious lineup announcement called The Churnups turned out to be legends of rock Foo Fighters. Meanwhile, Foos frontman Dave Grohl appeared twice more for other bands and Rick Astley teamed up with Blossoms for a surprise set of The Smiths covers.
With this year prompting more excitement and TV viewers than ever before (streamed 50.3 million times across BBC platforms), all attention is now turning towards next year. So, for those interested in grabbing a ticket to the hottest show in town, VegasSlotsOnline News has found out who is likely to headline according to betting odds.
Taylor Swift -138
The favorite to headline next year is probably unsurprising to most.
Pop sensation Taylor Swift is currently on her Eras Tour which is virtually sold out worldwide. She is in the prime of her career and has never played Glastonbury Festival before, making her a perfect candidate for a headline slot in 2024.
Not only that, Swift was supposedly confirmed to play Glastonbury before the festival was postponed due to the pandemic in 2021. It is also rumored that she agreed to play in 2023 but had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts.
Eavis also hinted towards a Swift headline spot
Festival organizer Emily Eavis also hinted towards a Swift headline spot after confirming that the festival did have a female headliner this year but that they had to pull out. She made the comments in response to criticism for the all-male headliner lineup.
Sportsbooks have the Pennsylvanian popstar at odds of -138 to headline in 2024, making her the firm favorite.
Coldplay +150
Second up in the list of potential 2024 headliners are Coldplay at odds of +150.
The UK rock/pop band have played Glastonbury a staggering six times before. In fact, the first stage the band played was New Tent in 1999 (now called Woodsies) when they were just starting out in the industry.
In terms of headline slots, Coldplay is tied for the most appearances at the top. The band have played the Pyramid’s top slot four times before. Their most recent set in 2016 was one for the ages, with their now trademark colored bracelets lighting up Worthy Farm.
Coldplay are currently on their Music of the Spheres Tour, their eighth concert tour in support of their ninth studio album with the same name. It was their first return to live music since the COVID-19 pandemic and could set them up nicely for a Glastonbury showing in 2024.
If the past is anything to be learned from, then Coldplay are certainly a good bet for a Glastonbury headline slot any year.
Dua Lipa +175
Most might consider Albanian/British pop star Dua Lipa an outside shot for a 2024 headline slot, but sportsbooks clearly think she is in which a good chance.
Dua Lipa completed the tour for her Future Nostalgia album in November last year, meaning she is currently either taking some well-earned rest or working on future releases. If the latter, it could be that Glastonbury 2024 could coincide nicely with the release of some new music, making her a good headliner candidate.
she did play the John Peel tent in 2017, drawing one of the biggest crowds
The 27-year-old has never headlined Glastonbury but she did play the John Peel tent in 2017, drawing one of the biggest crowds of the festival when doing so. Since then she has gained a substantial additional following, her last release being the fastest female album to reach 10 billion streams on Spotify.
Many actually predicted the pop star would make an appearance this year as part of Elton John’s set due to their collaboration on Cold Heart. Sadly, she clearly had better things to do, but perhaps she will make up for it in 2024 with a slot of her own.
Foo Fighters +175
Much like Coldplay, if there is anyone who is a good bet to turn up at Glastonbury it’s the Foo Fighters, specifically their frontman Dave Grohl.
Frankly, the man loves Glastonbury
Since the pandemic canceled 2021’s festival, Grohl has now appeared at both editions, playing with Paul McCartney in 2022 and appearing on three separate times this time around (see intro). Frankly, the man loves Glastonbury, and it seems evident that he would jump at the opportunity to headline.
The Foos have already headlined the festival in 2017 and sent the crowd wild with their stereotypically long set of wall-to-wall bangers. This year, they played the Pyramid Stage under the moniker The Churnups in an earlier slot on the Friday, and it was evident from the crowd reaction that they would have been happy if they played all night long.
The Foos have just announced UK tour dates for 2024 around the usual time of Glastonbury meaning they will be in the country. Sportsbooks have given Grohl a +175 of taking the ultimate Pyramid Stage slot.
Oasis +800
What kind of VSO News roundup would it be without an outside shot? And this one is the mother of all longshots.
As most fans of rock music know, Brit Pop legends Oasis broke up in 2009 after a legendary row between frontmen and brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher. The pair had fought for years, and it all proved too much during a festival in Paris resulting in one smashed guitar and a broken band.
their separate musical endeavours have proven very successful
Fans of the rock & roll stars have been desperate for them to reunite for years even though their separate musical endeavors have proven very successful. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds have just completed their new album Council Skies, and Liam Gallagher has just released his new concert film Knebworth 22 after a successful string of solo albums.
Nonetheless, some media reports suggest that the brothers have set their differences aside and may be ready to hit the road again together. According to some very dubious rumors, they are planning a string of headline dates at the Knebworth House estate, where they performed in 1996. If that happens then a Glastonbury headline slot is in the cards, to say the least.
Sportsbooks have them as an outside shot at +800 if you think Wonderwall could be blasting over the Pyramid Stage speakers next year.
The post Glastonbury 2024: Who Are the Favorites to Headline According to Betting Odds? appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
GGPoker has introducing a controversial new “auto fold” feature in its Rush & Cash Hold’em games, allowing players to define a range of hole cards the software will automatically fold for them, based on table position. The poker room first announced the feature on its invite-only Discord channel and officially confirmed it with its update and patch notes post on its customer support subreddit on Friday.
people see this as a partial, built-in RTA
Some players are fine with the feature, looking forward to it speeding up play, and improving the “boring” part of the game, pre-flop folding. But most who have made their feelings known do not like it one bit. With real-time assistance (RTA) programs forbidden and players having been banned for their use, people see this as a partial, built-in RTA and possibly one step toward wider use.
I actually cannot believe what I am reading. Literally letting everyone RTA effectively whilst taking out an entire part of the decision tree
Additionally, as poker pro Mark Rubbathan put it, auto fold removes “an entire part of the decision tree.” He laments that it will keep players from making pre-flop mistakes, but the flip side is that it can also keep players from making good decisions in the right situations.
Other poker players see it as a scheme for GGPoker to make more money. Auto fold will speed up pre-flop action, increasing hands per hour, and, in turn, rake per hour. On top of that, if weaker players can avoid pre-flop mistakes with auto fold, their bankrolls will last longer and thus they can contribute more to rake.
The post GGPoker Introduces Auto Fold Feature, Players Not Happy appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
Event #69: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship Final Three Chip Counts
Event #70: $400 COLOSSUS No-Limit Hold’em
Event #70: $400 COLOSSUS No-Limit Hold’em End of Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
Event #71: $50,000 HIGH ROLLER Pot-Limit Omaha
Event #71: $50,000 HIGH ROLLER Pot-Limit Omaha Complete End of Day 2 Chip Counts
Event #73: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event
Event #73: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event End of Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts
What to Expect on Day 34 of the 2023 WSOP
Day 33 at the 2023 World Series of Poker was a big one. Several events set attendance records for their format, the one-day $10k Super Turbo Bounty event played for a brutally long sixteen hours, and above all, Phil Hellmuth won his seventeenth bracelet.
Two other bracelets were awarded in Event #64: $600 Deepstack Championship No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Results and Event #65: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em.
Event #69: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw Lowball Championship was due to announce a winner. However, time and tide pushed the final three over to Sunday.
The Ladies Championship got down to the final seven players before calling a stop to play, and event Event #71: $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller got down to eleven.
The remaining event on the docket was The Colossus, which completed Day 1b, and will see a combined Day 2 start tomorrow.
Hellmuth Rocks Turbo Event For Seventeenth Bracelet
Phil Hellmuth taking in his 17th WSOP bracelet win.
The big story of the day was Phil Hellmuth‘s seventeenth bracelet win. Hellmuth’s victory came in the early hours of the Vegas morning, after Event #72: $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty ran for around 16 hours.
At the final table, Hellmuth faced off against Phil Ivey. The Phil-on-Phil action ended after Ivey hit the rail in sixth place for $133,461.
Hellmuth eventually beat Justin Zaki heads up to take down the event and the record-extending bracelet.
Event #72: $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty Final Table Results
Place
Player
Country
Payout
1
Phil Hellmuth
United States
$803,818
2
Justin Zaki
United States
$496,801
3
Tom Kunze
Germany
$349,737
4
Kelvin Kerber
Brazil
$249,876
5
Chris Savage
United States
$181,230
6
Phil Ivey
United States
$133,461
7
Brandon Steven
United States
$99,817
8
Marc Foggin
United Kingdom
$75,837
9
Abdella Ali
United States
$58,546
David Guay Wins a WSOP Bracelet For Canada Day
David Guay and his impressive rail.
David Guay celebrated Canada Day from the moderate comfort of a final table seat as he took down Event #64: $600 Deepstack Championship No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Results to win his first WSOP bracelet.
Guay is a Canadian from Montreal, so the timing was perfect.
The event attracted 4,303 entries for a prize pool of $2,194,530. Among the 4,302 who went home without a trophy were Kristen Deardorff (427th-$1,200), Conrad Simpson (398th-$1,200), Martin Zamani (336th-$1,299), Matt Affleck (293rd-$1,418), and Erik Cajelais (19th-$10,249).
Guay won $271,032 for his first-place finish. “I’m definitely going to be more emotional later,” Guay said in his winner’s interview. “I’m going to call my mom soon to let her know.”
Weiran Pu Wins Event #65: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Weiran Pu shows off his bracelet.
Weiran Pu won Event #65: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em, taking down $938,244 for first place.
Higher stakes shorthanded events are famously tough fields, so it’s a prestigious first bracelet for Pu’s shelf.
The list of players who cashed reflects this with big names like Stephen Song, Chris Brewer, James Obst, Phil Ivey, Scott Seiver, David “Bakes” Baker, Ryan Leng, and Ian Matakis scattered throughout the list.
Pu beat Norbert Szecsi heads up, with Szecsi cashing for $407,040.
Shiina Okamoto Leads Final Seven In Ladies Championship
Shiina Okamoto in the Ladies Event.
Shiina Okamoto has a huge chip lead going into an unscheduled Day 4 of Event #67: $10,000/$1,000 LADIES No-Limit Hold’em Championship. Okamoto, with 11,670,000 in chips, is in an excellent position with her second-place competitor Tara Cain trailing behind with 4,750,000.
Cain, in turn, has a significant lead over the rest of the table, whose chip stacks are between 630,000 (Nam Nguyen) and 2,650,000 (Mary Dvorkin).
Among those who fell on Day 3 were Maria Lampropulos (36th- $4,528), Samantha Abernathy (31th- $5,385), Pamela Balzano (25th-$6,492), Aroha Ngata (22nd -$6,692), Felisa Westermann (13th-$9,824), and last year’s champion Jessica Teusl (33th-$5,385).
The final seven competitors in the Ladies Event return to play down to a winner on July 2 at 2 p.m. local time.
Event #67: $1,000 Ladies Championship Final Seven Chip Counts
Day 3 of of the 2023 World Series of Poker came to a close with three players left to return for an unscheduled Day 4.
The day started with 18 players and every change of a speedy conclusion. But the deep structure and an early finish the previous night meant the players were still at it when the floor called a halt to proceedings. The three remaining players are David “ODB” Baker with 4,580,000, Chris Brewer with 2,765,000, and Alex Livingston with 1,900,000.
Among the notables whose tournament journey ended today were Ryutaro Suzuki (15th – $20,000), Jason Mercier (14th – $23,750), Eli Elezra (13th – $23,750), John Monnette (11th – $28,945), and Ryan Riess (8th – $36,181).
Play restarts at 1 p.m. local time on July 2.
Event #69: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship Final Three Chip Counts
Place
Player
Country
Chips
1
David “ODB” Baker
United States
4,580,000
2
Chris Brewer
United States
2,765,000
3
Alex Livingston
Canada
1,900,000
Event #70: $400 COLOSSUS No-Limit Hold’em
The Colossus in the Paris ballroom.
Scott Keaton led the Day 1b field as the day’s action came to a close for Event #70: $400 COLOSSUS No-Limit Hold’em.
Keaton topped out a list of Day 1b survivors that includes Lara Eisenberg (439,000), Irene Carey (330,000), Frederic Robert (191,000), Erik Cajelais (151,000), and PokerNews‘s own Connor Richards (174,000).
The unconfirmed count for both Day 1s is 1,980 players remaining from 15,893 entries. Chengtzu Lai leads the field overall with his 1,456,000 Day 1a stack.
The combined Day 2 field will reconvene at 10 a.m. local time on July 2.
Event #70: $400 COLOSSUS No-Limit Hold’em End of Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Scott Keaton
United States
1,358,000
170
2
Darrick Arreola
United States
1,313,000
164
3
Neng Lee
United States
1,290,000
161
4
William Ackerman
United States
1,200,000
150
5
Mikael Ifergan
France
1,175,000
147
6
Andres Campero
Mexico
1,131,000
141
7
Matteo Ferrara
United States
1,095,000
137
8
Thomas Pomponio
United States
1,031,000
129
9
Gary Ka Yat Yee
Canada
1,002,000
125
10
Robert Veres
United States
1,001,000
125
Event #71: $50,000 HIGH ROLLER Pot-Limit Omaha
Tyler Smith and his stack of chips.
Pot Limit Omaha is an exciting game at the best of times, with big swings and huge pots. So, Event #71: $50,000 HIGH ROLLER Pot-Limit Omaha was one to watch.
Of 200 total entries, only 11 remain after two days of play. Currently Tyler Smith leads the field in the hunt for a bracelet and a fair share of the prize pool of $9,550,000.
Among the remaining names, Isaac Haxton (2,500,000) and Adam Hendrix (3,500,000) stand out. While among the fallen are big names like Scott Seiver, Jeremy Ausmus, Sean Winter, Brian Rast, Josh Arieh, Chance Kornuth, and Shaun Deeb.
Play restarts Sunday, July 2nd, 2023, at 1 p.m. local time and will play down to a winner.
Event #71: $50,000 HIGH ROLLER Pot-Limit Omaha Complete End of Day 2 Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
1
Tyler Smith
United States
14,000,000
2
Jesse Lonis
United States
8,650,000
3
Elias Harala
United States
6,575,000
4
Danny Hannawa
United States
6,125,000
5
Kabeelan Rajamurthy
Penang
Macau
6
James Park
United Kingdom
4,325,000
7
Anthony Marsico
United States
3,525,000
8
Adam Hendrix
United States
3,500,000
9
Jonas Kronwitter
Germany
3,225,000
10
Isaac Haxton
United States
2,500,000
11
Ian Matakis
United States
2,150,000
Event #73: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event
Erick Lindgren in the Mixed Big Bet field.
Although initially scheduled for ten levels, Day 1 of Event #73: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event started late thanks to the enormous popularity of the Colossus. As a result, play went for nine levels at the end of which Erick Lindgren led the field.
377 players entered the event, substantially more than last year’s record-setting 281. Among those players were Craig Chait and Daniel Negreanu who went to the rail early in the day.
Among those who made Day 2 were Dimitrios Michailidis (330,200), Chad Eveslage (301,300), Josh Arieh (168,700), and Jeff Lisandro (143,300).
Play resumes Sunday, July 2nd at 2 p.m.
Event #73: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event End of Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
1
Erick Lindgren
United States
350,000
2
Dimitrios Michailidis
United Kingdom
330,200
3
Julio Belluscio
Argentina
328,800
4
Chad Eveslage
United States
301,300
5
Tony Ren Lin
United States
255,000
6
Richard Bai
United States
218,000
7
Benjamin Miner
United States
213,700
8
Tamon Nakamura
Japan
210,200
9
Maximilian Schindler
United States
203,800
10
Xu Zhu
China
193,000
What to Expect on Day 34 of the 2023 WSOP
June 2 at the WSOP should see two live bracelets awarded, including the Ladies No-Limit Championship and the $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller event.
The Colossus will combine flights into a single Day 2 field and the $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event will head into a normal Day 2.
Several new events will kick off. These events will be Event #74: $1,000 MINI Main Event No-Limit Hold’em and Event #75: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship.
The one-day Online Event #12: $500 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack will also play out on June 2.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but beyond that, it is a way of life in many cultures. And, as Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga found out, a way of death.
his respect and level-headedness
So, how did a player nicknamed “The Gentleman” for his respect and level-headedness on the pitch and “The immortal Number Two” at his club end up as a murder victim after the 1994 World Cup?
This is the story of Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga: the Colombian soccer player who was killed in cold blood by a cartel member for one mistake.
Growing up
Escobar was born on March 13, 1967, in Medellín, now the third-most populated city in Colombia. His father, Darío, was a banker that founded an organization that gave young people the chance to play organized soccer instead of getting sucked into a life of poverty and crime on the streets.
Escobar grew up in a middle-class household and attended school all the way through college, where he played soccer the entire way. After his graduation, he made the switch to full-time professional soccer.
His brother, Santiago, was also a professional player who later went into management.
Escobar enjoyed a successful playing career as a central defender. He made 78 appearances across four years at Atlético Nacional, a professional team based in Medellín, before accepting a move to Young Boys in Switzerland. He would only make eight appearances in Europe, however, and moved back to Atlético less than a year later.
During his last year in his first stint with his local team, Escobar played a crucial part in helping his squad win the 1989 Copa Libertadores, an annual international competition between the best teams in South America. They defeated Paraguayan side Club Olimipia on penalty kicks 2-2 (5-4) in the final to win the first of two Copa Libertadores titles in the club’s history. It also made them the first Colombian team to ever win the competition.
Gaining international recognition
Escobar made his debut for the Colombian national team in 1988 at 21 years old in a 3-0 win against Canada. He also scored the only goal of his career in a 1-1 draw against England in his first appearance in a national-level international competition during the 1988 Rous Cup.
In 1990, Colombia won its World Cup qualifying group with Escobar at the heart of the defense. It then won a play-in match it was forced to participate in because of its low points total and secured a spot in the 1990 World Cup.
At the World Cup, Colombia was thrust into an unfavorable group with eventual champion West Germany, alongside Yugoslavia and the U.A.E. Colombia only finished third in the group with three points (a win was worth two points at the time) with a +1 goal differential, but still qualified for the Round of 16.
Escobar appeared in every match and cemented himself as a reputable starter at just 22 years old.
Colombia’s run through the knockout did not last long, as it was eliminated 2-1 in extra time by Cameroon in the first round. Escobar appeared in every match and cemented himself as a reputable starter at just 22 years old.
The young defender made seven appearances during the Copa América the next year, but was not involved in the 1994 World Cup qualifying squad. Right around that time, he was reportedly offered a contract by Italian giants A.C. Milan, who had won the Supercoppa Italiana three years on the trot and went on to win the 1994 European Super Cup 2-0 over Arsenal.
With a growing international reputation, he was brought back into Colombia’s 1994 World Cup team. Unbeknownst to him, that would be the first step toward his tragic death.
The World Cup incident
The ‘94 World Cup was hosted by the USA who, alongside Romania and Switzerland, were dropped in Group A with Colombia.
The South American representatives lost their opening match 3-1 to Romania and took on the USA four days later. In the 35th minute and with the score knotted at 0-0, Escobar found himself backpedaling in the center of the pitch during a USA attack.
American midfielder John Harkes drilled a low cross about ten yards outside of the penalty box from the middle-left side of the pitch; Escobar stretched out to intercept the pass but inadvertently directed the ball toward the center of his own goal. Goalkeeper Oscar Cordoba had already committed to charging out, thinking that Escobar would not be able to reach the ball, and was unable to stop his momentum and get back in position.
The ball squirted into the back of the net and gave the Stars and Stripes the breakthrough goal. They later scored another in the 52nd minute and won the match 2-1 to put them on four points through two matches (wins were changed to three points by this time).
Colombia won its final match against Switzerland, but finished last in the group and was sent home from the tournament. Escobar had the opportunity to visit family in Las Vegas, Nevada, but opted to return home to Colombia.
Shortly after the World Cup ended, Escobar was quoted in a newspaper as saying “[The World Cup has] been a most amazing and rare experience. We’ll see each other again soon because life does not end here.”
Little did he know that his decision to return home was about to prove him wrong.
A fatal end
Five days after his country was eliminated from the World Cup, Escobar and a few friends decided to go out and enjoy the Medellín nightlife. They began their night at a bar and later visited a liquor store before ending up at El Indio nightclub.
At around 3am and after a night of partying, Escobar found himself in his car in the El Indio parking lot. His friends had already dispersed and he was all alone.
A group of three men suddenly appeared out of the darkness and surrounded Escobar’s car. An argument ensued, and two of the unexpected visitors raised .38 caliber pistols. A few moments later, a helpless Escobar was shot six times.
the killer allegedly shouted “¡Gol!” (“Goal!”) between every shot
Accounts from witnesses show that the killer allegedly shouted “¡Gol!” (“Goal!”) between every shot, referencing the number of times the Colombian announcer shouted “¡Gol!” after Escobar’s gaffe against the USA. The men then piled into a car and drove off, leaving the 27-year-old to bleed out.
Escobar was discovered and rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later. Humberto Castro Muñoz, a bodyguard for a local drug cartel, was arrested the next day and confessed to the murder.
Part of Castro’s nefarious activities saw him work as a driver for Santiago Gallón, the leader of the Gallón gang. Gallón allegedly lost a large sum of money betting on Colombia in the match against the USA, which established a motive for the murder.
More than 120,000 people showed up for Escobar’s funeral in Colombia. In 2002, he was honored with a statue in his hometown of Medellín.
Following the murder of Andrés Escobar
Castro was found guilty of Escobar’s murder in 1995 and was initially sentenced to 43 years in prison, but had his sentence reduced to 26 years in 2001. He was then released from prison in 2005 because of a change to prison work and study rules.
Popular rumors suggest that the Gallón brothers bribed the prosecutors to center their case on Castro, who allegedly was carrying out orders from Santiago Gallón. The prosecutors were ultimately unable to produce credible evidence that tied Gallón to the murder. Pamela Cascardo, Escobar’s fiancée, believes that the allegations of bribery are true because of the relatively brief sentence.
In 2013, Francisco Maturana, a Venezuelan former Atlético Nacional player and manager, said that Escobar’s murder had nothing to do with the 1994 World Cup and was a byproduct of being in a dangerous area late in the night.
Andrés Escobar is widely beloved by Colombian soccer fans. He is remembered for bringing an image of cleanliness and stoicism in a time when the country was marred by crime and poverty.
The post The Story of Andrés Escobar: Soccer Star Murdered by a Drug Cartel Over an Own Goal appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
On June 28, Wizard Games, a subsidiary of NeoGames S.A. based in Gibraltar, has released Unchain The Dragons, a dragon-themed online slot featuring captive dragons, enslaved to guard hidden treasures.
In addition, the provider’s previous similar hits are Dragons of the North Megaways, which incorporates Big Time Gaming‘s (BTG) popular Megaways game engine, and Dragons of the North Deluxe.
Mystical visual:
True to its title, the main theme of the slot is the aforementioned dragons. The game takes place in a distant land filled with volcanic mountains. Also, in the center of the interface, the reels are made of valerian steel. Thriller-like music completes the atmosphere of the game.
To win, players must find a way to free the enslaved dragons in order to gain the greatest wealth. In addition, the game is played on a 5×6 grid that offers 40 paylines and it can be played on any device.
The basic low-value symbols are poker royals such as 9,10, J, Q, K, and A, the medium-value symbols are green and blue dragons, and the high-value bonus symbol is the red dragon. As for the low-value symbols, a combination of 4 or 5 of the 9, 10 and J symbols is worth 0,25x and 1x, while a combination of 3 Q, K and A symbols is worth 0,1x, 0,5x and 2x a player’s bet. Next, the medium-value symbols are worth 0,1x, 0,75x and 4x a player’s bet, while a combination of 2+ high-value bonus symbols is worth 0,05x to 10x a player’s bet.
However, there are also some special symbols like the Golden Dragon Eye Wild which has a similar value to the red dragon symbol and substitutes for any symbol except the Scatter, aka the egg, which activates the Free Spins.
The game has medium volatility, RTP of 88.08%, 94.07% and 96.24% respectively and a maximum win of 1,247x a player’s bet.
Slot features:
Moving Wild – this symbol randomly lands anywhere on the columns. As soon as it lands, it moves up one position per spin until it disappears from the grid completely. However, Moving Wilds are saved per stake, meaning that if players change their stake, it will change their positions. But, if they get back to their previous stake, it will restore the Moving Wilds positions associated with it.
Valahd Feature (Random Wild Drop) – this feature is activated throughout the base game or Free Spins. The dragon can randomly land and drop +1 Wilds anywhere on the grid, meaning players get extra Moving Wilds at random positions.
Dracarys Feature (Expandable Adjacent Positions) – to trigger this one, the red dragon symbol needs to appear on the Shifting Wild and each of the adjacent positions will convert into Wilds.
Free Spins – landing 3 or more Scatters at the same time triggers this feature. As soon as it’s activated, players receive 15 free spins. Furthermore, during this feature, players have more chances to land additional payouts. However, the positions of the Moving Wilds are reset as long as the feature lasts and will be restored after it ends.
The good thing about Free Spins is that players may reset the feature and each time it is activated they receive an additional 15 free spins.
Commenting on the launch, Benedict McDonagh, Managing Director at Wizard Games, said: “Our new release, Unchain the Dragons, follows the acclaimed Dragons of the North with an expansive grid, exciting new features and plenty of potential to take home the treasure. “We’re confident that players will love the fast-paced thrills of the Dracarys and Valahd features, alongside the blazing Free Spins round with more chances to land winning payouts. We can’t wait for people to take a spin!”
This is a developing story and some details may be subject to change.
After sixteen hours of play, in the small hours of the morning, an exhausted but elated Phil Hellmuth posed for his winner’s photograph with his record-extending 17th World Series of Poker Bracelet.
Hellmuth came to the 2023 World Series of Poker with his usual focus and after a frustrating few weeks, his perseverance has borne fruit.
Bracelet 17 came in Event #72: $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em. We will have a full recap of the event shortly. In the meantime, the whole PokerNews team extends our congratulations to Phil on his remarkable achievement.
Weiran Pu has emerged victorious in Event #65: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em, capturing his first bracelet and China’s fifth this year after defeating Hungarian Norbert Szecsi in heads-up play.
There were a total of 1,199 entrants in this event, an increase from last year’s attendance of 920. Those 1,199 entrants created a total prize pool of $5,046,200, which paid out 180 places. The money was reached during Day 2 and a who’s who of big names secured a cash in this event including Stephen Song, Chris Brewer, James Obst, Phil Ivey, Scott Seiver, David “Bakes” Baker, Ryan Leng and Ian Matakis.
When asked how he felt, Pu said that he was still in game mode, and hasn’t come back to the real world just yet.
“I’m so thankful. I didn’t start traveling to play poker until this year. I went to the PCA and other events like EPT’s and the results were not what I expected. This is a big moment. It’s a big surprise because the first half of this year wasn’t so smooth. Right now I’m a social media influencer for poker in China. I’ve made hundreds of vlogs, but this one may be my biggest.”
Pu, who’s been playing poker for 13 years, previously had a top cash of approximately $187,000 in Macau before this event. When asked how this win (worth over five times that amount) compared, he mentioned it was more meaningful due to the high level of competition.
“The win was more meaningful because the players were more competitive. It’s probably the second toughest field I’ve competed in, next to the $25,000 WSOP event I placed 15th in earlier this year.”
2023 World Series of Poker Hub
Bookmark this page! All you need to know about the 2023 WSOP is here.
This is Pu’s first bracelet, but the fifth bracelet won by a Chinese player this year. When asked what it was like having his friends and fellow players to support him on the rail during his final table, he described the group as a close-knit community.
“So this is China’s fifth bracelet of the series. I feel we’re not only a team, but also a family. All the members support each other and cheer for each other. I not only played a final table this series but also cheered for the previous gold bracelet winners.”
When asked what it was like facing Szecsi in heads-up play, Pu mentioned that he was surprised at how quickly the match went but that he still had full respect for his opponent.
“So Norbert is a very strong player, but early on we had a cooler against him. Norbert flopped two pair but I had a pair of kings. I called him on two streets and on the river caught another king and he made a very good fold. But he was behind because of that hand. And the last hand was the same like ace-queen versus ace-king was a cooler, two monster hands going heads up. So I was expecting the heads-up match to be much longer than this but it kind of came to a stop all of a sudden. Still, I was prepared for an extended battle. If the match kept going I would’ve been prepared.”
When asked about his plans for the rest of the series, he said he was planning to play “from start to finish, every texas hold’em event of the series.”
Weiran Pu and His Rail
Final Day Recap
Vitor Dzivielevski was the first to be eliminated from the final table today. Dzivielevski came to the final table short-stacked and ultimately lost a preflop confrontation versus Tyler Cornell when his king-nine could not catch up to Cornell’s ace-queen.
Angelina Rich was next to be sent to the rail. Rich began the day with the second-biggest stack, but lost two big pots against Weiran Pu where both players caught a significant piece of the board. She later doubled up Pedro Garagnani in a preflop, blind versus blind confrontation to be left as the short-stack before running into Garagnani’s pocket kings to lose the rest of her chips.
Angelina Rich
Garagnani himself was next to be sent to the rail. Garagnani was a short-stack throughout most of the day, but did a good job of finding the right spots to accumulate chips and ladder up. His luck ran out when he got the last of his chips in against Weiran Pu who had him dominated with a bigger ace.
Pu began to take a commanding lead during three-handed play, first catching a major bluff from Tyler Cornell before picking up pocket aces to capture the rest of Cornell’s chips.
Heads-up play lasted approximately one hour. Day 4 chip leader Norbert Szecsi put up a valiant effort, but was on the wrong side of the deck after his flopped two pair was counterfeited and he was left short-stacked against Pu. Szecsi would get the last of his chips in against Pu in a major cooler with Szecsi’s ace-queen being dominated by Pu’s ace-king.
This concludes the PokerNews coverage of the event, but there is still plenty of more action to come at the 2023 World Series of Poker at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas so stay tuned for all your live coverage needs.
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
A new champion has been crowned at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. After four days of play, Canada’s David Guay was victorious in Event #64: $600 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack Championship after defeating John Taylor in heads-up play to take down the coveted bracelet and $271,032 first-place prize.
Guay, who had over $1.2 million in live earnings, added to his impressive poker resume with a win and first career WSOP bracelet. After the win, Guay was at a loss for words and looked to be emotional after the victory finally set in.
“I’m definitely going to be more emotional later,” Guay said after being asked how he felt to win the bracelet. “I’m going to call my mom soon to let her know,”
Guay also had one of the loudest final table rails and was thrilled to have the support. “It’s great, I had a lot of friends and family here on the rail and some I only know from way back at Playground Poker in Canada,”
Guay was able to celebrate the win on Canada Day and was on his way out with his large group of friends and family to soak it all in.
2023 WSOP Event #64 Final Table Results
Place
Player
Country
Prize (USD)
1
David Guay
Canada
$271,032
2
John Taylor
United States
$167,483
3
Steven Stolzenfeld
United States
$124,850
4
Jonathan Fhima
France
$93,795
5
Romain Kowalczyk
France
$71,018
6
Gaetan Balleur
France
$54,199
7
David Sebesfi
Australia
$41,694
8
Paul Hindmarch
United Kingdom
$32,332
9
Ahmed Karrim
South-Africa
$25,276
Event Recap
A total of 4,303 entrants joined the action on Day 1 to create a massive $2,194,530 prize pool. Many notable names were in the mix and some who found a cash included Kristen Deardorff (427th – $1,200), Conrad Simpson (398th – $1,200), Martin Zamani (336th – $1,299), Matt Affleck (293rd – $1,418), and bracelet winner Erik Cajelais (19th – $10,249), who fell just short of the final table when he exited in 19th.
On Day 3 it took only five hours of play for the unofficial final table to be set when Christian Dalder got in his king-queen ahead of Steven Stolzenfeld who held queen-ten. The ten hit the turn and Dalder exited in 11th to bring the event down to one table.
Soon after, the bust outs were fast and furious with David Stellmon eliminated in 10th place, Ahmed Karrim out in ninth, Paul Hindmarch in eighth and David Sebesfi exited in seventh.
Gaetan Balleur
The final six players moved to the outer table on the main stage and it didn’t take long for the chips to hit the middle. Gaetan Balleur was the first casualty when he moved in with king-nine but was up against the king-jack for Taylor who held to send Balleur out in sixth place.
Shortly after, Romain Kowalczyk would try to bluff his way out of a big pot with ace-high against Stolzenfeld, but hit the rail in fifth when Stolzenfeld snap-called his shove with the nut-straight.
Jonathan Fhima was at the top of the leaderboard for much of Day 3, but his day would come to an end when he couldn’t win a flip with ace-seven against the pocket sixes for Guay to send him out in fourth place.
The three-handed battle started with the average stack being 73 big blinds, but Stolzenfeld was well in the lead. After many back-and-forth pots, the chips started to move away from Stolzenfeld and the stacks evened out. Guay found a much-needed double when he made the nut-straight on the river and snap-called the shove from Stolzenfeld who had trip queens.
Initially, the plan was to play down to a winner, but after close to four hours of three-handed play, the tournament director announced the remaining three would bag for the night and come back for a Day 4.
Final Day Action
Day 4 started with Taylor in the chip lead, Guay in second and Stolzenfeld in third. The action got off to a hot start with Taylor extending his lead by taking back-to-back pots from Stolzenfeld who became short. A few hands later Guay moved all in on Stolzenfeld who called with queen-four in the big blind for his last 11 big blinds. Guay held jack-ten suited and couldn’t connect to secure the double up for Stolzenfeld to get back into contention.
Unfortunately for Stolzenfeld, his run would come to an end when he called preflop for his tournament life with ace-king against the ten-nine for Guay. The flop fanned out a ten and the rest was no improvement for Stolzenfeld who was sent to the payout desk in third place for a six-figure score.
Steven Stolzenfeld
The final two players took a quick five-minute break to talk to their rails, but Guay started with an over 6-1 chip lead on Taylor. The heads-up match lasted only one hand when Guay moved in his big stack with nine-six and was called by Taylor who held queen-ten for his tournament life.
The flop ran out with a six and when the rest of the board bricked off, Taylor was forced to settle with a runner-up finish. Guay scored the victory and WSOP gold bracelet.
David Guay
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
