Back on July 5, noted entrepreneur and philanthropist Lance T. Funston passed away at the age of 80.

From Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, as well as Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, Funston passed peacefully surrounded by his family, including his wife, Christina, and his six children.

Funston, who graduated from the University of Houston in 1967 and later attended Harvard business school, served as CEO for both Core Care America (CCA) and Ultimark Products (he founded the latter in 2000). In 1993, he founded TelAmerica Media, and before that he founded a merchant banking firm that acquired over $500 million in corporate properties in the 1980’s.

His obituary further elaborated: “Lance was a true renaissance man–his plethora of diverse interests, achievements and zest for life often granting him the title, “The Most Interesting Man in the World.” Lance was born in 1942 in Kansas City, Missouri. He was raised by his devoted parents Ida Paschall Hill and Harold Mitchell Funston. Lance graduated in 1961 from Milby High School in Houston, Texas. Lance received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Houston in 1967, where he would later sit on the Board of Visitors. In 2009, Lance made a gift to his alma mater that allowed for the construction of the Lance T. Funston Communication Center, a state-of-the-art production studio within the Valenti School of Communication. In 1967, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson appointed Lance assistant to the director of the FDIC and subsequently as special assistant to a governor of the Federal Reserve Board. In 1968, Lance moved to Boston to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School which he received in 1970. It soon became clear that Lance possessed an untamable entrepreneurial spirit.”

Additionally, Funston was known as the marketing genius behind the wildly popular Super Soaker, was a member of the American Samoan Bobsled team, and was both an avid golfer and abstract painter. He also established Poker Players with a Heart, a foundation that organized charity poker events.

How a Businessman Found Poker

“I think ESPN told the story best,” Funston told PokerNews back in 2019 when asked how he learned poker, which he came to later in life. “A friend of mine, Brian Haverson, who was at the time playing a lot, was a guy I identified as someone I wanted to run one of my companies. I said, ‘Brian, you don’t have a real job, come run one of my companies.’ He responded: ‘You don’t think poker is a real job? Come with me to the World Series.’”

Funston took him up on it and in 2005 went to the WSOP for the first time. He observed Haverson for a bit, and then without having ever played the game before, he plunked down $10,000 to fire the WSOP Main Event.

“I called him up and he said just play aces, ace-king, or a pair bigger than jacks, that’s it,” said Funston. “Needless to say, I didn’t even last the first day.”

Even so, the hook was set and he continued to play poker while taking lessons from Haverson.

“I go to his house the night before a big tournament just to make sure I get a 30-minute lesson,” Funston said of another tournament. “I did pretty well. At the end of the first day we’re riding back to his house and he’s looking on PokerNews. He told me, ‘You have the chip lead.’ Everyone was curious how someone who didn’t know poker could get the chip lead. It was nothing more or less than using the investment practices I use in my business. What do I have to invest, what’s my expected return based on the probability I’ll get the cards I need.”

He added: “I did learn the hard way not to go in with one of those hands based on an investment basis with multiple people in the hand. So, I try not to enter a hand unless I’m going to raise. There was a Harvard Review article that said, ‘I put the fun in Funston.’”

Love for Charity Events

Like many businessmen, Funston didn’t get to play as often as he liked, though he always made time for charity poker events.

“They’re principally different than standard poker,” he previously said of charity tournaments. “I keep asking the pros, I have a lot of good friends who are professionals, what I should do. They say don’t show your cards, only play premium hands, keep a legitimate range based upon position and chip stacks. Well screw that, I’m sorry, that’s no fun. I guess I’m blessed with the financial resources that permit me in cash games to buy more chips or in charity events to rebuy.”

Indeed, charity events allowed Funston to play his preferred style, which is pretty much any two cards.

“In charity tournaments I know it’s going for a good cause, I’m happy to put the money in. Cash games are similar except if I sense the player is going to be hurt by my play, I never really shove a hand when I think I have the nuts. If a player looks to me like he’s concerned about how much money he has on the table, I usually won’t try to bust him.”

Funston had his fair share of success in charity events having won the Save the Mind Foundation event nine out of 10 years, even beating Men “The Master” Nguyen heads-up once. That resulted in a friendship that saw Funston partner with Nguyen for charity expeditions in Vietnam.

Playing with the Pros

Given his love of the game and deep pockets, it’s no surprise Funston rubbed elbows with some of poker’s biggest names. In fact, many of them have traveled to his home in the south of France to play in his home game.

“Gus Hansen was at my house and gave me a little tutorial on suited connectors,” Funston had said. “We ran several hands and he proved to me you’re not getting a flush nor straight 60% of the time. I only win two hands out of ten.”

He’s also squared off against Phil Hellmuth in a tournament before and acquired the wrath of the “Poker Brat.”

“It’s a great game and I hope that people remember it’s a game at some point.”

“Hellmuth and I were in a battle at a tournament and I sensed that he was overvaluing his hand, so I called,” Funston recalled. “He three times the bet and I call. He six x’s on the turn and I call. There’s junk on the table, no straights and no flushes, nothing for me. I have a king high. I kept going at him. He was firing like he had pocket aces, but he didn’t have shit. When I called the final bet, he showed his hand in disgust and my king high won. The table went crazy.”

When it comes to poker, Funston summed up his philosophy when he said: “It’s a great game and I hope that people remember it’s a game at some point.”

Lance is survived by his wife, Christina and their daughters Zale and Quinn, his children, Lance “Will” (Kitty), Heather, Brent (Melissa), Blake (Rufus), five grandchildren, two brothers, nieces and nephews. Lance is preceded in death by his parents Ida and Harold, brother Christopher, aunt and uncle Evelyn and Jerry Jackson, and granddaughter, Luciana. A Memorial Service will take place in Narberth, PA in the Fall of 2023.

For more on Funston, check out this highlight video of some of his biggest TV poker hands:

Executive Editor U.S.

Executive Editor US, PokerNews Podcast co-host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

Shaun Deeb continued his winning ways at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open by taking down the $25,500 buy-in High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha tournament for $239,100. In the same South Florida poker series, Sam Sternfield captured multiple victories in non-hold’em events.

The series began July 26 and with a bang as 6,253 entrants competed in the $400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em tournament, creating a prize pool of $2,063,490. Johnny Bromberg was the last player standing and received a trophy and $219,090, quite the return on investment.

Thus far, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida has seen a number of big name pros, not just Deeb, secure wins. That includes Anthony Zinno and Justin Liberto.

Deeb Gets it Done

It might have seemed like a glorified sit n’ go with only 22 players registered, but Deeb got the job done against some of the best players in the world, including Alex Foxen who finished in third place ($97,800).

The trimmed-down Deeb defeated Roger Teska heads-up to win the tournament for $219,090, while the runner-up took home $141,300. Ren Lin was the only other player to cash, and he earned $65,200 for fourth place.

Deeb now has over $12.3 million in live tournament cashes, according to Hendon Mob. He’s coming off another strong World Series of Poker (WSOP) performance. Although he didn’t win Player of the Year — Ian Matakis did — he finished in second place and won his sixth bracelet, putting him in great position to reach the Poker Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible at age 40 in 2026.

Twice the Fun for Sternfield

Sternfield might not have the name recognition of Deeb, but he deserves press for crushing it at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open. The Florida native did some damage in his home state, winning multiple events within a matter of days.

The first tournament he took down started on July 27 and it was the $600 Deep Stack Six-Max Pot-Limit Omaha. There were 173 players registered, generating a prize pool of $90,825. When all was said and done, the champion received $23,260, his second largest payday ever.

On August 4, he won again in the same series, this time the $2,700 Eight-Game Mix, a 65-entrant field, for $55,745, a career best score. He now has $340,000 in lifetime cashes, and most of the damage has been done in the state in which he resides.

2023 SHRPO Winners Thus Far

September will see a return to Malta for PartyPoker‘s flagship series, the LIVE MILLIONS for twelve days of poker fun in the sun at Portomaso Casino right on the Maltese coast.

The LIVE MILLIONS Malta schedule has been finalized, with 33 numbered events running from Friday, September 22 to Tuesday, October 3, 2023. PartyPoker has made an effort to accommodate everyone with a ton of great events.

The series sports a ladies’ event, buy-ins ranging from €60 ($66) to €5,300 ($5,830), and a range of poker varieties including PLO, HORSE, and 8-game mix events.

Highlight For The Series

Some of the highlights of the series will include:

• the €400 ($440) buy-in Malta Grand Prix “Early Bird” special-price days held on September 23 and 24;
• the €550 ($605) buy-in Malta Grand Prix regular-price days held September 28 to October 3;
• the €5,300 ($5,830) buy-in Hydra Entertainment High Roller running from September 27 to 28; and
• the €3,000 ($3,300) buy-in MILLIONS Main Event running from September 28 to October 1.

The Malta Grand Prix comes with a €1 million prize pool guarantee and a pair of “special price days, when players can get a seat for €150 off the regular buy-in of €550.

There are also plenty of satellites for the €550 ($605) Grand Prix and €5,300 High Roller mixed into the schedule, allowing everyone to take a shot at the big leagues without upsetting their banker.

Plus, most events have an afternoon start, allowing players to enjoy the beaches and cultural sites that Malta has to offer during the mornings.

https://twitter.com/partypoker/status/1665740049298644997

PartyPoker LIVE MILLIONS Malta Full Schedule

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Keep Track of LIVE MILLIONS Malta Online Satellites With The PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar

If you want to keep track need some help keeping track of the online satellites and package events for LIVE MILLIONS Malta, then you should check out the newly launched PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar.

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The minimum deposit is $10 deposit and comes with $10 in tournament tickets released over the course of a week:

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Following three days of play, the Triton Poker NLH $250K Luxon Invitational has reached its conclusion with Bryn Kenney walking away with the trophy, title and $6,860,000 first-place prize as he re-took the lead on poker’s all-time money list.

Kenney defeated Talal Shakerchi in heads-up play after a surprisingly short day at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House as the runner-up earned $4,650,000.

The tournament, which pits some of the world’s most successful businessmen and poker pros against each other, saw 118 entries and generated an astronomical $29,500,000 prize pool.

The bubble burst on Day 2, which saw the likes of Phil Ivey and Espen Jorstad leaving empty-handed. Jason Koon (23rd – $342,000) managed to squeak into the money with just one and a half big blinds. Other notable names to see a return on their investment included Patrik Antonius (15th – $455,000), Stephen Chidwick (13th – $501,000) and Christoph Vogelsang (10th – $575,000).

$250K Luxon Invitational Final Table Results

Kenney Overtakes Bonomo on All-Time Money List

Kenney had $57,969,392 in Hendon Mob earnings heading into the Triton event, trailing only Justin Bonomo with $61,956,381. With the victory, Kenney now sits at the top of the all-time money list with $64,829,392 in earnings.

“It’s so surreal, it’s crazy,” Kenney said in a winner’s interview. “Still, I don’t know where I am really. But I’m at a good place, at the end of the tournament, standing here. And still standing, fortunately, after using a whole lot of energy to focus and try to be as much in the moment as possible in the tournament.”

It was a fitting finish as Kenney’s largest score came in 2019 from a runner-up finish in the £1,050,000 Triton Million for Charity event in London after striking a heads-up deal with Aaron Zang. “That was the biggest tournament that Triton ran of all time, the one in London four years ago that I got second place in, didn’t get to hold up the trophy but got the most money. This one, I’m pretty sure the second biggest tournament that Triton’s ever held and holding up the trophy, I’ve got say, it’s pretty unreal.”

Kenney is a controversial player who last year was accused of running an online poker cheating stable. He hasn’t let the controversy keep him off the felt and has been active at most live poker stops. Earlier this summer, Kenney finished second in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship for $213,027 to be denied a second bracelet.

Take A Look At The Poker All-Time Money List!

All-Time Money List Top Ten

Final Day Action

Nine players returned to the Triton Poker Felt for Day 3, with Shakerch as the chip leader while Kayhan Mokri propped up the rest of the pack.

Despite being the clear short stack, Mokri was able to avoid being the first final table casualty. That unfortunate accolade went to James Chen after he four-bet jammed his ace-queen into Kenney’s ace-king on the second hand of the day. Both players made aces up, but Kenney’s king played to secure the bust out.

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With huge pay jumps on the line, there was the expectation that the players were in for the long haul. However, just a few hands later, Mokri was all in and at risk preflop to Aleksejs Ponakovs. The Norwegian had pocket eights and flopped a set while Ponakovs’ king-jack had a gutshot to Broadway which came in on the turn. Mokri could not improve on the river and took home $860,000, his largest live score to date.

Three players from the United States had managed to navigate their way to the final table, but there were soon just two as Nick Petrangelo was the next player to lose a coinflip for their tournament life. His ace-queen fell to Kenney’s pocket nines, which flopped a set and avoided any drama on the turn and river.

The remaining six players had all locked $1,582,000 at this stage, with the next pay jump hiking up to $2,030,000. So it was a huge surprise that Robert Flink found himself on the wrong side of the rail just minutes after Petrangelo’s departure.

With the blinds at 50,000/125,000/125,000, Shakerchi raised from the button with queen-jack, and Blink defended his big blind with the dominated queen-ten. Blink check-jammed for 1,425,000 on the K-J-7 flop and was at risk after the British businessman called. The runout provided bricks for Blink to bring the tournament into five-handed play.

2003 WSOP Main Event winner Chris Moneymaker had largely stayed quiet for most of the day but was on course to beat the payout he had received from winning poker’s World Championship two decades ago. That was until his entire stack was over the betting line with Jacks. The premium pair lost a race to the king-queen held by Punnat Punsri.

https://twitter.com/CMONEYMAKER/status/1687838615424954369

The just north of $2 million that Moneymaker collected was his first seven-figure payout since his Main Event triumph.

Cards had only been in the air for an hour by the time the final four were determined. Just a mere 30 minutes later, there were just three left.

Shakerchi banked his second elimination of the day after Ponakovs moved all in on the river with trip eights after Shakerchi had bet on the final street with his full house. Shakerchi wasted little time in calling to reclaim the chip lead back from Kenney.

Three-handed play saw the action slow down compared to what happened prior until Punsri limp-jammed with ace-queen for around 25 big blinds. Shakerchi, who had raised from the small blind with ace-jack, briefly tanked before he called.

Punsri was the favorite to receive the 13,450,000 pot, but a jack-high flop saw Shakerchi take the lead. There was no help from the rest of the runout, and Punsri’s exit confirmed heads-up play between Shakerchi and Kenney.

With at least $4,650,000 guaranteed for Kenney, this confirmed his return to the No.1 spot on The Hendon Mob All-Time Money List.

After a brief heads-up battle that included big folds from both Kenney and Shakerchi, all of the chips got in the middle with Shakerchi holding ace-king and Kenney holding eight-nine. An eight-high flop gave Kenney a big lead and Shakerchi couldn’t improve as he went out in second place.

2023 Triton Poker London Series Updated Results

_{*Lead image courtesy of Trition}

Editor & Live Reporter

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.

The Sports Gambling Hall of Fame will launch at Circa Resort & Casino in Downtown Las Vegas on August 11 as the capstone event of this year’s Bet Bash.

The induction ceremony will take place within the world’s largest sportsbook at Circa and will honor five living and five in-memoriam bookmakers and bettors who have transformed the sports gambling industry.

Billy Walters, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, and Roxy Roxborough were announced as the first inductees into the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame, voted on by a 16-person advisory board. An additional seven members of the inaugural class were announced later, which includes Poker Hall of Famer Billy Baxter.

Here is the full list of inaugural inductees into the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame:

• Billy Walters – Recognized as the greatest sports bettor of all time and for several philanthropic causes throughout Nevada.
• Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal – Sports gambler and Las Vegas casino executive. Life was portrayed by Robert DeNiro in the movie Casino.
• Roxy Roxborough – Preeminent Odds Maker of the 80s and 90s. Introduced mathematical formulas and computer models to the industry.
• Billy Baxter – Poker Hall of Famer and known as the best all-around gambler. A major force in introducing halftime betting and argued with the United States government to allow citizens the ability to file their taxes as a “Professional Gambler”.
• Jackie Gaughan – Created the first-ever sportsbook inside a casino at the Union Plaza and owned and operated eight Las Vegas casinos.
• Jack Franzi – One of the most influential oddsmakers in Las Vegas history and an expert on obtaining valuable sports betting information. Not only a terrific bookmaker but a great handicapper and bettor as well.
• Bob Martin – Known as the nation’s premiere oddsmaker for decades. Set the bar for the standard of excellence of the Las Vegas line and invented the “half-point line,” eliminating ties with bettors.
• Charles McNeil – A famous sports bettor known for popularizing the point spread and had winning years in 25 out of 27 seasons betting on college football.
• Scotty Schettler – One of the most beloved and respected bookmakers ever. Started the famous Stardust lottery, allowing everyone a fair chance to bet on openers.
• Jimmy Vaccaro – A face of Las Vegas bookmaking and the first bookmaker to introduce halftime and quarter wagering.

Billy Baxter Enters Another Hall of Fame

Among the inaugural inductees is Poker Hall of Famer Billy Baxter. The seven-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner entered poker’s most prestigious group in 2006 and will become a multiple Hall of Famer as he enters the newly created Sports Gambling Hall of Fame.

Not only is Baxter a sports gambling and poker legend, but the 82-year-old still battles it out on the felt and just recently nearly claimed another WSOP bracelet when he finished runner-up in the 2023 $1,000 WSOP Seniors NLH Event out of a field of 8,140 entrants.

Born in Augusta, Georgia, Baxter began his gambling career as a young teenager playing in pool halls and discovered poker at the age of 18. In the mid-seventies, Baxter made his way to Las Vegas and won his first bracelet in the 1975 $1,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw for $35,000.

In addition to his own poker feats, Baxter is also known for staking Stu Ungar into the 1997 WSOP Main Event which Ungar famously won for his third Main Event victory, tying a record that is unlikely to ever be broken.

Baxter is also known for fighting the IRS in the landmark case, Baxter v. United States. Although it’s generally not advisable to enter a legal battle against an entire country, the court ruled in favor of Baxter and set a precedent regarding taxes on gambling winnings, which included an argument that poker was a game of skill.

Many people are saying Baxter is the Cal Hubbard of the gambling world, in a sense. Hubbard is the only person enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Baseball Hall of Fame, while Baxter will become the only person enshrined in the Poker Hall of Fame and the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame.

Poker Hall of Famer Billy Baxter Eyes Up First Bracelet in 21 Years

Bet Bash at Circa

Bet Bash is a sports betting networking conference created by Gadoon “Spanky” Kyrollos. This is the third year of the annual conference, and this year, it will be held August 8 – 11 at Circa Resort & Casino.

“We had a blast at last year’s Bet Bash at Circa, so it was a natural fit to bring the event back here for 2023,” said Kyrollos. “This is a chance for both industry giants and those who are passionate about betting to come together for the ultimate sports betting gathering.”

Bet Bash celebrates all things sports betting, and aside from the launch of the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame at Circa, other highlights will include a scavenger hunt worth $20,000 in prizes and networking opportunities for those looking to connect with and learn from industry legends.

The unveiling of the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame is slated to occur at 5 p.m. on Friday, August 11 at Circa Sportsbook. Those with tickets to Bet Bash can also attend the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Circa’s Galaxy Ballroom at the conclusion of the unveiling.

The United Kingdom is a hotbed for poker action currently, with the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series and World Series of Poker Super Circuit taking place in London.

While the likes of Jason Koon, Fedor Holz and Espen Jorstad have all won high roller titles as of late, PokerStars Team Pro Georgina “GJReggie” James picked up her first piece of WSOP hardware after taking down the £230 buy-in Ladies Event for £3,800.

James topped the 71-entry field after defeating Kirstin Ives at heads-up play to continue her breakout year on the live felt, which has seen her rack up three tournament victories.

The top 11 players made the money, with each taking their respective slice of the £14,200 prize pool. PokerNews’ Ellis de-Vaney was one of the names to make the final table, and picked up her biggest live score of £900 thanks to her sixth-place finish.

WSOP Super Circuit Ladies Event Payouts

James Continues to Impress

James, better known by her online nickname “GJReggie” on PokerStars, is a British poker player, Twitch streamer as well as a Team Pro.

James graduated with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bath but switched to poker full-time after leaving her Business Improvement Manager role behind and taking part in the Run It Up Platinum Pass Challenge.

While mainly found on the virtual felt, James has proven to be a regular on various poker circuits this year, which has seen her cash in five different countries.

From the eight recorded cashes she has notched this year on The Hendon Mob, three of those have seen her be the last player standing.

James kicked off the year with a bang, winning the PCA Women’s Event for $6,539. The next triumph took place at the Poker North Masters & Norwegian Championship back in March for her live-career best score of $33,068. And of course, the third came last night on home soil.

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Among the trio of first-place finishes are also several deep runs where James has made the final table on four more occasions.

Read More: Low-Stakes Mixed Games “Definitely Beatable,” says PokerStars Ambassador GJReggie

Remaining WSOPC Super Circuit London Schedule

Open a Luxon Pay Account in Advance

The JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel is a cashless venue, meaning you cannot buy into any of the WSOP Super Circuit events with cash. Currently, there are four ways to get into the action:

• At the Cash Deck at Dusk Till Dawn, Redfield Way, Nottingham
• Via the E-Wallet payment partner Luxon Pay
• Debit card deposits via Luxon Pay
• Bank wire – please contact [email protected] for more details

It is worthwhile opening a free Luxon Pay account prior to the WSOP Super Circuit London festival.

Check Out PokerStars Tournaments On The PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar

If you need some help keeping track of the tournaments and events on PokerStars, you can use the newly launched PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar. This free-to-use tool shows you what tournaments are available to play and allows you to register for them without leaving the PokerNews website!

Suited connectors can feel like an easy hand to play, but they can get new players in trouble.

Because suited connectors promise you a chance of hitting big hands (or draws to big hands) like straights and flushes, these hands can be a source of big wins. But they can also lead players astray, causing you to chase the wrong end of a draw or to overplay a weak pair.

We want to help you avoid these pitfalls, so the team at WPT Global has put together their top four tips for playing suited connectors. Read on to find out more.

1. Suited Connectors Are Drawing Hands

The strength of suited connectors is in their name. They are suited, giving you a chance to catch a flush, and they are connected, giving you a chance to chase a straight.

As a result, you will often be chasing draws with these hands. That’s not to say you can’t flop decent-made hands like two-pair (or with stronger-suited connectors, top-pair with a good kicker). However, a lot of the time your goal is to hit a good draw on the flop and get paid off when you hit on the turn or river.

This means you need to know the odds for the main draws inside out. Learn these for both the flop and the turn.

Your preflop strategy should also take into account the long odds you’re chasing. So, with these hands, you want to play multiway pots with deep stacks while in position. At tighter tables or tables with shorter effective stacks, suited connectors become much harder to play.

2. Avoid This Basic Error

A common error to fall into with suited connectors is entering a pot while thinking about straights and flushes, then getting caught up in pots with small pairs instead.

For example, if your 9♣10♣ hits a flop like 3♦10♦K♠ don’t let that middle pair lure you in. The hand might have some value against the kind of player who would overplay Ax3x or 10x8x. But against most players, you’ve hit a bluff catcher. That’s it.

Your aim in playing suited connectors was not to hit a weak pair. So, don’t let small connections to the flop persuade you to over-commit.

3. When To Semi-Bluff

You have to bluff sometimes. If you never bluff, players will be able to read your hands far too easily.

Suited connectors will often provide opportunities to weave bluffs into your repertoire while still having some hedging in place, thanks to a strong draw that can allow you to win even if the bluff is called.

This is what is known as a semi-bluff.

For example, the straightforward play with a draw like 4♣5♣ on a board of 3♠6♣A♦ would be to check and call your opponent’s bet if the pot- or implied odds are high enough to do so.

The tricksy play is to semi-bluff, betting out, and that you have a hand like AxXx, 6x6x, or 3x3x.

Maybe you can get pocket pairs, weak aces, and strong sixes to fold. If these hands don’t fold, they are precisely the hands that you will beat should the turn come 2x or 7x, giving you a straight.

This is how the semi-bluff works. Plus, in the process, you’ve disguised your draw by playing it the same way as a pure bluff and AxXx type hands (and by extension, your opponent now has to consider that you might have a draw when really you are pure bluffing or value betting).

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4. Position, Position, Position

We’ve saved the most important tip for last. Because suited connectors can’t rely on their brute value to win hands early on, it is much more important to play such hands with the advantage of position.

If you’re in a late position, then you can see how many players have entered the pot before the flop and how aggressive the action is.

After the flop, late position gives you additional information on who is betting and who is checking, allowing you to pick the right spots to draw to a stronger hand, get away from weaker hands, and semi-bluff.

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Players can also earn tournament tickets with their deposit. The exact reward you earn depends on whether you are a new player and how big your deposit was.

The playthrough requirements for the matched deposit bonus are easy to follow. The bonus is released in $2.50 increments each time the player generates $10 of rake from cash games or tournaments. You have 90 days to clear the bonus starting from the date of your first deposit. After that, the bonus expires.

The inaugural Bratislava Poker Festival was a roaring success, with players of all backgrounds traveling from far and wide to the Card Casino in the Slovakian capital city. Each of the schedule events saw prize pool surpass their guaranteed amount, with more than €1,300,000 won by players across the series.

A cool €102,000 of the total prize money awarded is now in the bank account of Greek grinder Alexandros Dimogiorgis, thanks to him taking down the €550 buy-in Grand Prix Main Event.

The tournament drew in 1,113 entrants, who created a €542,590 prize pool that the top 112 finishers shared.

Grand Prix Bratislava Main Event Final Table Results

*reflects a heads-up deal

The guarantee-busting prize pool meant none of the nine players at the final table walked away with less than €11,700 for their efforts. Germany’s Dennis Magro, the third-place finisher in the 2022 WSOP Europe Mini Main Event, banked that sum when he fell in ninth.

Czech Republic star Jiri Stana claimed the €14,500 eighth-place prize, before Janos Somogyi of Hungary crashed out in seventh for €18,000. That was Somogyi’s first-ever five-figure haul from a live poker tournament.

Sixth place and €22,500 went to Thomas Chrobak of the Czech Republic, his prize beating his previous best result by €2,050.

Romania’s Ciprian Paunescu continued his impressive streak of form by finishing fifth here for €28,750. The Romanian helped himself to €44,775 less than a month before heading to Bratislava when he came third in a €560 EAPT Main Event in Rozvadov.

Canada’s Charles La Boissonniere was eliminated in fourth for €36,000 and was joined at the cashier’s desk by Andras Balogh, a regular in Bratislava and the champion of the 2021 Polish Poker Cup for €47,055.

Heads-up saw Dimogiorgis lock horns with Germany’s Dillan Bruce. The original payouts had a significant jump from second to first place, so the heads-up duo struck a deal that ultimately saw Bruce finish second for €93,000 and Dimogiorgis become the tournament’s champion, and bank €102,000.

Upcoming Events From the Bratislava Poker Festival Organizers

The Bratislava Poker Festival was brought to you by the brains of the Irish Poker Tour and PartyPoker LIVE. Both tours have some exciting events coming your way over the next few months.

The Irish Poker Tour heads to Dublin From August 25-27 for the Lunasa Lunacy Fesival, before setting off to Killarney for the Killarney Poker Festival between September 28 and October 1.

Meanwhile, PartyPoker LIVE is jetting off to sunny Malta for MILLIONS Malta between September 28 and October 1.