Standing in the way

Wynn Resorts is facing opposition to its plan to build a third hotel tower on the Las Vegas Strip. It owns a vacant lot adjacent to its Wynn Las Vegas casino resort, having bought the 38-acre parcel of land in 2017 for $336m. The company has now submitted a request to Clark County to extend the previously approved development plans for another five years.

the original approval came eight years ago

The Clark County Building Department has recommended a denial of the extension, arguing that the original approval came eight years ago and it hasn’t received any technical studies or building permits for a potential project. Officials have also changed certain construction regulations over the intervening period.

Wynn cited the recent pandemic as a reason for the extension, explaining that the disruption led to delays in various development projects that it wanted to complete before turning its attention to the empty lot. The county’s zoning commission will consider the matter in the coming months.

No immediate plans

A spokesperson for Wynn Resorts previously confirmed that it does not have immediate plans to start the work. However, the project would include a hotel tower with 1,110 rooms that would encompass 3.4 million square feet. A bridge would connect the new tower to the company’s other two Strip properties.

Wynn did commission a building height study from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022 to ensure that it was possible to have a 640-foot tower on the site, completed to ensure “future development rights.”

Development plans for the site originally got approval in 2015 when the Australia-based Crown Resorts was looking to proceed with the $6bn Alon Las Vegas, a project that ultimately was scrapped the following year. Wynn has not outlined any timeline for its plans since it purchased the site in 2017.

A major player

Wynn Resorts is a global company, owning and operating casino properties across the US and in Macau. It is also working on a new resort in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that could open its doors in 2027.

hoping to secure the region’s first-ever casino license

The Wynn Al Marjan Island is hoping to secure the region’s first-ever casino license, with discussions reportedly underway about changing laws in the region. Even with no gambling, Wynn believes that it will prove a “must-see” destination for tourists in the UAE.

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On June 17 2006, Brian Christopher launched his slot-themed YouTube channel, Brian Gambles, and he hit the jackpot. His videos were a hit, showcasing the ups and downs of his slot gameplay in land-based and online casinos.

Then suddenly, his world came crashing down. Citing a breach of the terms and conditions in 2018, YouTube shut down his account and removed his channel from its listings.

The reasoning that YouTube’s parent company gave was that one of his videos violated the site’s terms and conditions relating to… “violent or dangerous acts.” Suddenly, Christopher was left battling to save his channel.

So, what happened to Brian Christopher?

Brian Christopher’s rise to fame

Slot machines had a particular reputation when it came to gambling. While sports betting and table games like poker have always piqued the interest of a younger audience, some saw slot machines as gambling for retirees.

Then online gambling exploded, and the top game producers suddenly created captivating titles that featured great graphics, engaging bonus rounds, and unique features. These titles introduced slot games to a new generation of players.

Brian Christopher launched his career by traveling throughout the US, heading to land-based casinos and playing slot machines. He would chronicle his wins and losses in his typical style, making large bets, living on the edge, and trying to win the jackpot. Views poured in, and a fanbase around Christopher emerged.

Christopher would also answer live questions from fans throughout his videos, which connected his subscribers to him. In this sense, he was ahead of his time.

Now, with the rise of game streaming services like Twitch, a regular back-and-forth between subscribers and content creators is common. Then, he was at the forefront of this movement.

Brian Christopher’s YouTube channel seemed to tap into an audience who wanted to see more of the real ups and downs of gambling. In doing so, he became the poster boy for the new world of slot games.

Brian falls foul of YouTube’s regulations

In 2018, Christopher began to receive warnings from YouTube. Alphabet (YouTube’s parent company) had warned the channel for videos containing “violent and dangerous acts,” even though the most violent Christopher ever got was perhaps clicking on a slot game a bit too vigorously.

Later in the year, in June, the channel was sent another message from YouTube. This message said that it had closed Brian Gambles for repeated or severe violations of YouTube’s community guidelines. For someone who had spent over a decade making videos, this must have felt like his world was crashing down.

Content creation was his full-time job, and he employed two full-time staff. When YouTube deactivated his channel, he looked set to lose hundreds of original videos and the product of nearly 12 years of work. Brian Gambles was also a family affair, and his husband since 2008, Marco, regularly appeared in videos.

Other gambling channels were also affected. The Big Jackpot, which has over 461,000 subscribers and nearly 219 million views, was also suspended as part of a general sweep of gambling creators on the platform.

For Brian Christopher, suspension meant that his ad revenue suddenly stopped, summing $20,000 per month.

But why?!

A sweep that included two of the biggest gambling channels might suggest YouTube was targeting content creators in this field. Despite coming far in the US since the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA, not to mention the popularity of gambling in Europe, US companies were still twitchy when it came to gambling. The irony of the overturning of PASPA coming just one month before Brian Christopher’s channel was suspended won’t be lost on many people.

YouTube’s parent company reasoned that his video “Smokin’ Hot Gems, BIG WIN, Mammoth Power Slot Machine Pokies w Brian Christopher“, violated the site’s terms and conditions relating to… “violent or dangerous acts.”

But the disparity between the accusations against the Brian Gambles channel and the reality was another factor dripping in irony. YouTube’s community guidelines offer explicit definitions of harmful content, and Brian Christopher’s videos came nowhere near them.

So, it seems YouTube’s decision to suspend Brian Gambles may not have been due to its content breaking specified community guidelines, but as part of a more comprehensive policy against gambling channels.

Eventually, they relented

EGT Digital keeps expanding across the European continent. The most recent expansion is on the Italian market, thanks to the deal with Microgame, one of the leading companies in the online gaming industry.

A huge milestone for both companies

EGT Digital is one of the leading providers based in Bulgaria. Its vast portfolio of games is currently available on 35 betting sites on Microgame’s platform. Among the games included in the offering is a popular jackpot Bell Link, as well as its top-performing titles such as Shining Crown Bell Link, Flaming Hot Bell Link, and Burning Hot Bell Link.

Zornitsa Boncheva, Regional Manager at EGT in Italy, commented on the recent expansion: “We are honored to start a partnership with a well-established company as Microgame, as it allows us to present our gaming content to numerous operators. Bell Link is already widely popular in many countries around the world and has demonstrated excellent results so far. That is why I am confident that it will fully satisfy the preferences of local players as well and will quickly rank among their favorites, which will pave the way for our next highly potential gaming proposals.”

The COO of Microgame, Marco Bedendo, is also satisfied with the recently signed deal and has huge expectations of it. He said: “Being the first in Italy to offer EGT Digital’s titles in our portfolio is an expression of our constant strive to always be at the forefront of the market and reflects our constant commitment to providing the Italian operators and players with a wide and continuously updated portfolio of games.”

Industry leaders

Microgame is one of the leading service providers in Italy. The company offers its customers a range of services, including access to advanced gaming platforms, various gaming products that captivate the attention of players, as well as various solutions that help in improving overall players’ experience.

On the other hand, EGT Digital is a Euro Gaming Technology subsidiary and established its position as one of the leading names in the Bulgarian market. It offers various services and modern products, including the X-Nave platform, CRM services, as well as impressive sports and gaming offerings, and many more unique and advanced services.

This newly established partnership sets a huge milestone for both included parties. This partnership follows other significant deals EGT recently made, such as the ones with VBet, Admiralbet, Player.ro, and other big industry names.

Source: Miller, George, “EGT Digital’s gaming content enters the Italian market with Microgame”. European Gaming. January 9, 2024.

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Spinomenal started this year strong!

In this sense, on January 8, it partnered with LVC Diamond Kft to enter the Hungarian regulated market, and on January 10, it expanded its alliance with Optibet to launch its games in Lithuania.

Partnership with LVC Diamond Kft:

With this partnership, the aforementioned provider officially entered the Hungarian regulated market as mentioned above and introduced its latest content to a brand-new audience. The content will be made available to LVC through Finnplay, the platform supplier.

Under the agreement, Spinomenal will offer its extraordinary portfolio of amazing titles such as Wolf Fang, Fairytale Beauties and Book of Rebirth to the said operator. Now, Vegas.hu players are given seamless access to the innovative Spinomenal universe, a fantasy realm where legendary characters come together to experience outstanding adventures.

Commenting on the partnership, Spinomenal CEO Lior Shvartz, commented: ““We are thrilled to partner with Vegas.hu as it would allow us to showcase some of the most popular games to a new exciting audience. We’re very much looking forward to making our debut here in the Hungarian market elevating LVC’s online casino offering with our diverse portfolio of titles.”

Also commenting on the partnership, Deputy Director of Online for Vegas.hu, László Siba, said according to the official press release: “We are delighted to greet Spinomenal among our business partners and looking forward to a long-term cooperation. The introduction of Spinomenal’s collection of games contributes to our aim to provide an ever-expanding selection of titles for our players to choose from when visiting Vegas.hu.”

Expansion of partnership with Optibet:

Regarding this partnership, Spinomenal has officially extended its existing alliance with Optibet to launch the games in the regulated market of Lithuania as mentioned above. In addition, the first alliance took place some time ago, when it debuted its innovative games with Optibet in the regulated market of Latvia and Estonia.

The agreement includes the official integration of Spinomenal’s slot content through the Light & Wonder’s OpenGaming™ platform. Examples of titles that will be hosted on the aforementioned platform include hits like Book of Rampage, Majestic King, Times of Egypt, Poseidon’s Rising and Lucky Jack – Lost Jungle.

Commenting on the alliance, Spinomenal CEO Lior Shvartz, commented: “Optibet is a huge player in the Baltic region where we have already had significant success within the Estonian and Latvian markets. We’re thrilled to go live in Lithuania with such a strong partner.”

Also commenting on the alliance, CPO for Optibet, Davit Khatiashvili, said according to the official press release: “After a very successful launch in Latvia & Estonia, we are pleased to offer Spinomenal games to our Lithuanian customers.”

Baker addresses issue

NCAA President Charlie Baker used his first State of College Sports address to call out national sports betting penalties for student athletes as “too harsh.”

Baker was speaking at a NCAA Conference in Phoenix on Wednesday. The body later shared his acknowledgement of the “large, complicated problems” facing college sports via X:

According to an NCAA press release, Baker is no stranger to solving complex issues over his career in politics, but “fixing — and preserving — college athletics” is perhaps his biggest ever challenge. Central to this challenge is sports betting, which Baker stated is linked to the mental health of student athletes.

derided the educational materials provided by the national office as “outdated” and “ineffective”

Speaking to 2,600 NCAA members, Baker acknowledged that sports betting is everywhere, particularly on campuses. Along with labeling the penalties for student athletes caught betting as overly severe, he also derided the educational materials provided by the national office as “outdated” and “ineffective.”

Strides made

Baker shared advice from his father Charles, 95, that the sports betting problem was “not going to fix itself,” before listing breakthroughs the NCAA had made in that area.

Baker stated the NCAA has “taken strides” to increase access to in-person educational forums and online resources to inform students about the complexities of sports betting. He also listed improved sports betting education and an upcoming NFL partnership as one of the ten significant accomplishments the NCCA has achieved since he took office in March 2023.

The NCAA boss highlighted the need to monitor harassment and online abuse of student athletes.

Baker also noted the “real” harm sports betting can have on college sports stars. “Every conversation about the team, the competition and the health and well-being of their teammates is not just chatter anymore but currency for some and inside information for others,” Baker stated.

He said he’d be reaching out to ex-colleagues from his years as governor to discuss collaborating on state legislation to protect players and the integrity of college sports.

The flip side

In contrast to the challenges facing the NCAA, Baker was all smiles when addressing the major hike in attendance of college games, viewership, and fan engagement.

more than 1 million new followers

He stated the NCAA’s social platforms have more than 1 million new followers, along with 4 billion impressions, and 263 million engagements, double last year’s figures. Baker believes the NCAA fan database can grow to 10 million by next January, with help from its partnership with sports technology firm KAGR.

He said: “With their help, we’re going to build one of the largest college sports fans databases in the country — and possibly the largest women’s sports fan database in the world.”

The post NCAA President Calls Sports Betting Penalties for Student Athletes “Too Harsh” appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

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Before we tell you everything you need to know about the game and how to win it, we want you to read whatever you want first. On the navigation below, you will find some of the topics of this article, but if you are a novice, we suggest you start from scratch.

501 Rules & Points Explained

There are many games of darts, but the most popular ones are 301, 501 and 701. In their essence, they are all the same. Professionally, they are played only by two players at a time, and the winner is the one who reaches zero first.

But if you play as an amateur or on video dart machines, you may encounter options for more players. Such devices are strictly for fun because plastic darts often bounce back, while the machine could be faulty.

Of course, there are some more sophisticated rules regarding professional 501. As standard, each player has three darts per round, and the value of the sectors hit is deducted from 501.

It gets tricky in the final round because you need to exit with a double sector to win the game. This is why you will see that all of the 9 dart finish combinations end with a double sector.

9 Dart Finish – What Does It Means?

For those who wonder what the 9 dart finish is, we will quickly explain. As we told you earlier, there are different ways to reach 0 in a 501 game. The quickest possible strategy includes only nine darts.

Nine is the minimum number of dart arrows with which you can achieve a win. Therefore, it is called “nine-dart-finish”. To earn such a win is tough, and you would need a lot of practice.

It is interesting to know that there are different dart arrows, some are heavier than others, and players can pick whatever they feel most comfortable with. This helps them be more accurate when they play for the 9 dart finish.

Most Common 9 Dart Finish Combinations

If you start practising and are willing to work it out, you must learn to aim and hit the sectors you want. Only then will you be able to go for any of the most common 9 dart finish combinations.

Some might think the highest point deduction comes from the bullseye, but it does not. The highest point on the dartboard is the triple 20 (60). If you are skillful enough to hit it with all three darts, you can score 180 points per round.

Knowing that you probably already guessed that most 9 dart finishes are tied to the matches with the most 180 points. For the last round, there are a few strategies that you can use:

There are the most popular nine dart finishes, but one additional is not that commonly used. If you divide 501 by three, this is 167 points per round.

To achieve that, you can try to score all three rounds (9 arrows) in the following combo: triple 20 (60), triple 19 (57), and bullseye (50), and you will win the game. The bullseye is considered a double centre.

Maybe you don’t know, but the centre of the dartboard has two sectors, the centre is 50 points, and the outer rim is 25 points. This is why the bullseye is considered a double sector.

It is important to let you know that most of the UK’s top-rated darts betting sites offer the option to bet on this type of win. The chances are slim, but the payouts are good.

Later in this article, we will explain more about the nine dart finish odds and how often such wins can be observed. You should first learn the 9 dart finish list of top players.

9 Dart Finish Kings – Players Known for Their Precision

If you watch professional darts tournaments, you may know some of the names below because most are proven and world-known pro players with many trophies.

In the following listing, we will show you their names and the number of 9 dart finishes they have in professional matches. We will review the most successful champions separately shortly after this section.

Of course, players like Dave Chisnall, James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld are also among the best nine-darters, but with fewer wins than the trio above. It is essential to mention that not all these 9 dart finish matches were broadcast on TV.

Let’s overview the professional careers and achievements of the top three 9 dart finish players mentioned above. You can examine their styles and try to practice their strategies to improve yourself.

Michael van Gerwen – The Best Nine-Darter

Michael van Gerwen is a Dutch player who is still in his prime. At the age of only 34 years, he is already one of the best darts players in the world. His nickname is “Mighty Mike” for a reason.

He doesn’t have that many World Championship titles like the following Phil Taylor, but he is the best shooter in the game at the moment. He is considered the best 9 darter, with 24 nine dart finishes.

We believe that when he reaches the age of Phil Taylor, his score will surpass the one of Phil. Besides the three World Championship trophies, Mighty Mike has 44 other professional titles.

He is a three-time winner of the World Matchplay, the UK Open, and the Grand Slam. He has another six wins in the World Grand Prix, seven in the Premier League and the PC Finals.

These are a few of the most significant titles of his career so far. He is the most precise shooter in the sport, therefore, he has many nine dart finish wins.

Let’s say a few words about his background and story. Micheal was born in Boxtel, Netherlands, on the 25th of April, 1989. Currently, he lives in Vlijmen, Netherlands.

He started playing darts at the age of 13. At 14, he reached the finals of the Primus Masters Youth darts tournament, and that was only the beginning for him.

In the following years, he participated in the German Open, Northern Ireland Open, German Gold Cup, Dutch National Youth Championship, Norway Open, and the Swedish Open.

Mike was in the pro leagues even before he was 18. When he was only 25, he was already number one on the chart of the Professional Darts Corporation, and he held that place for eight years in a row.

Nowadays, he is in third place in the chart but is considered one of the best players ever. There isn’t another player in that chart that holds more 9 dart finish games than him.

This is why all of the top-rated sports betting sites in the UK give him the best odds of scoring such quick wins. Consider that if you intend to bet on him any time soon.

Phil Taylor – Owner of 14 World Cups

Phil Douglas Taylor is an English nine-darter who is among the best darts players in the world. He is the person that holds the most World Championship trophies – 14. Also, he is one of the best nine dart finish players.

Apart from the 14 PDC cups, he owns a stunning number of 65 other professional tournament wins: 16 times the World Matchplay, 11 times the World Grand Prix, five times the UK Open, and more.

The nickname of Phil is “The Power,” and it comes from his first PDC win (1995) when he started dominating the darts podium and continued for over two decades. Indeed, he is one of the best darts players of the last 35+ years.

If you wonder how it all started, we will share some more information on his early ages and how he became one of the best nine dart finish players.

Phil was born on the 13th of August 1960 in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. He left his education at 16 and started working in the industrial sector as a metal worker, maker of ceramic items and others.

Even as a kid, he was passionate about football and darts. However, chasing a professional career was never considered an option before 1986 when he was selected to play in the Super League.

His first sponsor was Bristow, the company that helped him travel worldwide and play in competitions like the North American Open and Canadian Open so he could gain more confidence and experience.

His first outstanding performance in the World Championship was in 1990, but it was not good enough to take the first place. That didn’t stop him from trying the following years.

In 1995, he finally won the championship for the first time, but that was not all. He started dominating other contests like the World Matchplay, and that was just the beginning.

From 1995, each year, he acquired at least one grand tournament, which pushed him to the top rankings in the sport. Phil is the player with the most 9 dart finish wins displayed on televised matches.

Over the years, he has had many rivalries for different titles with other great players like Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, John Part, Adrian Lewis, James Wade, and Michael van Gerwen.

Phil is 63 years old but still active and is present in all significant contests worldwide. His achievements place him among the best players of darts of all time. He contributed to the sport more than any other player.

Adrian Lewis – The Unlucky Jackpot

Adrian Lewis is the third person in the top 9 dart finish list chart. He has fewer professional titles than the other two players we already mentioned, but he is still among the best.

The truth is that there are many pro players, but not all are that good to score 9 dart finish wins. Andrian Lewis has 12 such wins, while the other two in this chart have 24 and 22.

Andrian is known for his nickname “The Jackpot” because while visiting Las Vegas at the age of 20, he won a jackpot he could not collect because of the US gambling age restriction.

Lewis was born on the 21st of January 1985 in Stoke-on-Trent, England. At the age of 18, he won the British Teenage Open. The same year, he made his debut on the professional scene by taking part in the Winmau World Masters.

In the following years, he could not win any major competitions. Still, after he became a protégé of fellow citizen Phill Tylor, he started gaining more knowledge and skills.

His first big win came in 2011 when he secured first place in the World Championship. The three successive significant titles were the World Championship 2012, the European Championship 2013, and the UK Open 2014.

We can’t say if it’s skill or luck, but Andrian is missing one or both because, between 2010-2017, he won the contests above but lost the finals of 12 other major tournaments.

Despite all these lost games, he is still among the players with the most nine dart finish wins in the sport, which deserves respect. Many can play the game, but few can aim like him.

9 Dart Finish Odds & Betting

If you wonder what the 9 dart finish odds are, we can tell you that roughly, there is a win with nine darts on every 419 matches. The PDC records indicate that for 25 years, there have been nearly 111,000 matches and 265 recorded nine dart finish games.

Only a few people can hit the 9 dart finish combinations more often, and those are the pro players we have already reviewed. If you watch the sport regularly, it is guaranteed that you will observe such a win sooner or later.

If you are a sports fan, you might compare the nine dart finish with the 147 breaks, but the truth is that all the snooker betting sites give better odds for a 147 break than a nine dart win. It simply happens more often.

FAQ

Read the most frequently asked questions on the 9 dart finish list of pro players and the combinations they use. To examine any subject in detail, use the jump in the answer. Do not hesitate to take advantage of our knowledge.

Women take center stage

For as long as I’ve been playing poker, Galway has hosted the first major live stop every year. First there was the IPC, then the UKIPT (the very first UKIPT was held here), and more recently the IPT, all the brain children of Fintan Gavin. This year was no different, with the first IPT of the year taking place at the Galmont Hotel. The festival featured a wide range of events with aggressive guarantees, all of which were comfortably smashed. The €600 ($657) buy-in main event had a €300k ($329k) guarantee, but 833 entries over six Day 1 flights generated a €433k ($474k) prize pool.

The IPT has fostered a new golden period of grassroots poker in Ireland. Another feature has been the rise of Ladies events, and Galway was no exception. Sia Browne not only took down the Ladies event hosted by IPT Ambassador Tanya Masters, but also won the opening freezeout (defeating Game of Gold star Lukas Robinson heads-up) and was involved in a four-way chop of the Monster event (a chop which also featured legendary Irish lady Wilhelmina “Willow” Connolly).

two of the top six on the overall leaderboard are female

Other women with deep runs included Liz Kelly, fresh off her chop in the Dublin Main Event in November and who was 5th in the Claddagh Cup (just ahead of her partner Derek Baker – more on him later), and Katie Harrington, who won the Opener. At the time of writing, two of the top six on the overall leaderboard are female (Sia and Katie).

The old ones are the best ones

That other great forgotten demographic in poker, the seniors, also had a very good festival. I took down my first live event in ten years: the Paddy Power Twitch 5k freeroll. I tried advancing the argument to anyone that would listen that this was actually the toughest (and therefore most prestigious) event of all, since you had to win a Twitch game on Paddy Power to qualify (so everyone in it was an online crusher) and there was no re-entry, but nobody was buying it. Although I’ve never been one to put much stock in my poker trophies (when visitors to Doke Manor ask about the few dozen trophies in my cabinet, I take great pride in showing them the one I got for winning the Irish 24-hour running championships, the world indoor 6 hour championship, and the New York 60 km, and I also have a lot of pride for my Leinster chess champion trophy, but not quite so much for “this one I got for winning lots of flips, and this one where I hit runner-runner”), it did feel good to take down a live tournament, even if again there was more than a big slice of luck involved.

all my “best hands” but one held up

The final table was a real rollercoaster: I went in 8^th of nine and was shortest for much of it (dropping below two BBs on more than one occasion), but I did manage to get it in ahead every time except the final hand. All my “best hands” but one held up, a disguised form of luck similar to an acca on a bunch of odds-on favorites that all come in, meaning than when I got heads-up with Ger Keenan, I had most of the chips for once. In the final hand, Ger trap-limped Queens on the button super short and when I check-raised all-in on a T-6-2 flop, he found himself up against one of the best possible hands for the Queens, my Q-6, but another 6 on the river sealed the deal for me.

Many seniors had deep runs in most of the events across the festival, but the best was saved until last when Derek Baker came out on top of a very strong Main Event final table that featured four of Ireland’s top pros over the last decade. Those pros included Cathal “Shinerr” Shine (who had a great festival overall, taking down the 1k High Roller and making two other final tables), Marc McDonnell, Tommy “LuckyMo” Geleziunas, and Ivan Tononi. When I dropped down with five left, Derek told me he needed help with just 15 BBs, and that help came as he was on the right side of a couple of big hands against Cathal.

This time last year, Derek and I found ourselves in the last three of the Seniors at this festival with Jay O’Toole. As it dragged on longer than anticipated, Derek quipped that our caregivers were becoming concerned for us. Derek went on to have quite the year on the live felt, making so many final tables on the IPT circuit that he ended up qualifying for the leaderboard playoff at the end of the year.

Derek is a guy who has been a popular figure on the circuit for as long as I’ve been playing, but he really seems to have kicked on since live poker came back after the COVID lockdown. In the two years since, he has amassed almost five times as much money in live cashes as he did in the ten years before the pandemic.

Fun times at the tables

Many of my foreign friends were visiting Galway for the first time, and all remarked on the remarkable craic and good spirits at the table. I saw several examples of the sharp Irish wit over the festival. At one point in the Main Event, I was seated beside the inimitable Dermot Allen. When Andy Black wandered over to talk to him, Dermot opened with: “I’d love to tell you you’re looking well Andy, but you’re not. You look shite. Get yourself together, man.”

Later, last year’s leaderboard winner Paul Carr wandered over for a chat with Dermot.

I looked for Dara’s shirt and saw you immediately”

“I was looking for you, but couldn’t see you. Then your daughter said, ‘he’s sitting beside Dara,’ so I looked for Dara’s shirt and saw you immediately.”

Less lucky was a student of mine, who told Ciaran Cooney that he’d never met me in person. Scanning the room for the loudest shirt in the place, Ciaran quickly spotted it and pointed him in the right direction, and off he went. Only problem was that it wasn’t me in one of my shirts on this occasion, it was Colette “Smurph” Murphy in one of her blouses!

Let’s talk about Smidge

The festival also featured the first outing of EPT Prague champion Padraig “Smidge” O’Neill since his win there. Fintan and the IPT crew marked the occasion with a special presentation to Ireland’s first real EPT champion (as I pointed out in my speech, Fintan, while getting the lion’s share of a chop at EPT Barcelona, didn’t get the trophy, and as much as we all love Steve O’Dwyer, he himself would admit he’s about as Irish as Lucky Charms).

someone I’ve always admired as a player, but most importantly as a person

Most of my speech lamented the fact that I wasn’t in Prague, as had I been, I would surely have had a share in the million he won in the form of a swap. Genuinely though, I found myself tearing up as I spoke about someone I’ve known since the start of both of our careers, and someone I’ve always admired as a player, but most importantly as a person. I’ll have a full interview with Smidge here soon.

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In the world of high-stakes poker, the sums of money being won and lost every day are huge.

The top players think nothing of dropping tens of thousands, or even more, in a playing session, knowing that they could easily win it back when they next sit down at the poker table.

But which professional poker players have the largest bank balances, taking into account winnings, endorsements, movie appearances, plus other income streams?

Take
a look below to find out…

10.
Antonio Esfandiari – $27 Million

At number 10 on this list of
the richest poker players is Antonio Esfandiari, one of the best-known players
on the poker circuit.

The former magician managed to win three World Series of Poker bracelets throughout his career, plus he’s won three WPT titles, with the first coming in 2004 at the L.A. Poker Classic.

Esfandiari’s biggest ever win
came in 2012, when he won the “Big One for One Drop” tournament at the WSOP.
This saw him win a massive $18,346,673 – at the time, the largest ever live
poker prize.

At one point, he had earned more via tournament winnings than anyone else, until his title was taken by Daniel Negreanu.

Antonio Esfandiari net worth: $27 Million

9. Tony G – $36 Million

Tony G – real name Antanas Guoga – is one of the loudest, most outspoken poker players around.

He’s also a politician in the European Parliament, as well as a successful businessman. He’s never won a WSOP bracelet, however he has finished in the money 15 times.

During his poker career, Tony
G has won several six-figure prizes. Most of his wealth comes from his business
activities though.

He is the chief executive officer of Cypherpunk Holdings, an investment company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange.

Tony G net worth: $36 Million

8. Justin Bonomo – $57 Million

Next up, we come to Justin
Bonomo, who has found huge success in both live and online tournaments.

He’s a three-time WSOP
bracelet winner and has cashed 55 times at the event. He has also won many
large online events, including the Super High Roller Bowl Online in 2020.

Bonomo’s biggest ever win came when he won the “Big One for One Drop” tournament in 2018, which added $10 million to his bank account and made him the number one all-time live tournament money winner at the time.

Justin Bonomo net worth: $57 Million

7. Bryn Kenney – $57 Million

Bryn Kenney is an American
player and perhaps one of the lesser known names on this list.

He has only won one WSOP
bracelet, however he has finished in the money 32 times. He is number one on
the list of the players with the highest tournament earnings ever, with
winnings of over $55 million.

Kenney is perhaps best-known
for winning the highest prize ever awarded at a poker tournament. He won over
$20.5 million at the 2019 Triton Million charity event in London.

He actually came second, however he made a deal with eventual winner Aaron Zang when he was the chip leader, allowing him to win the larger prize.

Bryn Kenney net worth: $57 Million

6. Daniel Negreanu – $70 Million

Daniel Negreanu is the most
famous poker player of all time. His personality has made him a huge hit with
fans, and his skill has ensured he’s one of the richest poker players around.

“Kid Poker” has six WSOP
bracelets and is the only player to be named WSOP Player of the Year twice.
He’s also a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.

Overall, Negreanu has won nearly
$42 million in tournament prize money and has earned a considerable sum from
sponsorship deals, with the biggest seeing him become the face of PokerStars.

Negreanu and PokerStars parted ways in 2019 though and he’s now an ambassador for GGPoker, which leaves many wondering which is the best poker room of the two. Check out our PS v GGPoker review to find out!

Daniel Negreanu net worth: $70 Million

5. Doyle Brunson – $75 Million

Doyle Brunson is known as one of the greatest names in poker history.

Throughout his career, he won 10 WSOP bracelets and won the Main Event twice, in 1976 and 1977.

The retiree also regularly played cash games at Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio, including a limit mixed poker game with $4,000/$8,000 blinds.

Overall, Brunson has earned over $6.1 million from live tournament winnings. How much he earned while playing high stakes cash games is unknown.

He’s also earned money from various other sources, including his book Super System, which is regarded as one of the best poker strategy books ever written.

Doyle Brunson net worth: $75 Million

4. Chris Ferguson – $80
Million

It would be fair to say that Chris Ferguson is not the most popular man in poker.

He was accused of being one of the people behind a massive Ponzi scheme at Full Tilt Poker, which stole around $444 million from players.

Even though he later came out with an apology, it was considered too little, too late by many.

Despite his shady behavior he is still a great player, having won the WSOP Main Event in 2000 in which he scooped a $1.5 million prize.

Overall, he has earned nearly $7 million throughout his career in live tournament winnings, with a large percentage of this figure coming from his 168 money finishes at the WSOP.   

Chris Ferguson net worth: $80 Million

3. Sam Farha – $100 Million

Most players will recognize Sam Farha as the man who lost to Chris Moneymaker in the 2003 Main Event. 

The Lebanese poker player has bagged three WSOP bracelets over the years and although he does play tournaments, he’s better known as a high-stakes Omaha cash game player.

Farha’s biggest tournament
win, aside from his prize for finishing second at the WSOP Main Event, is
$488,241, which he won when finishing first at the 2010 WSOP $10,000 Omaha
Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship.

His wealth also comes from several business interests, TV and movie appearances, and writing books.

Sam Farha net worth: $100 Million

2. Phil Ivey – $125 Million

Many consider Phil Ivey to be one of the greatest poker players of all time. The American has managed to win 10 WSOP bracelets – only Phil Hellmuth has more.

He has also appeared at the
final table of the Main Event, finishing 7^th in 2009. He has won one
WPT title, plus has reached nine final tables.

Ivey has won numerous large
prizes at tournaments, including AU$4 million for coming first at the 2014
Aussie Millions LK Boutique AU$250,000 Challenge.

Ivey is also a successful online player, plus he’s a superb high-stakes cash game player, once winning $16 million in three days playing against Texan billionaire Andy Beal.

Phil Ivey net worth: $125 Million

1. Dan Bilzerian – $200
Million

Bilzerian is a huge Instagram
star and claims that most of his fortune has come from poker winnings, won
playing ultra-high-stakes poker games.

Many are dubious of this claim
though, as he received an unknown sum of money from a trust fund, plus has many
business ventures, as well as a highly lucrative social media presence.

Bilzerian has made some big
claims about his poker playing abilities, including that he made $50 million
from poker in 2014 alone.

He has never won a major tournament, instead claiming that his money comes from cash games only. The social media sensation has also been arrested on various occasions.

Regardless of how he got his money though, he’s still the richest poker player in the world by far.

Dan Bilzerian net worth: $200 Million

If you are interested in playing poker, check out our online poker guide, or our top poker freerolls.