Bounty Out on Thwarting Ali Imsirovic’s Alleged Poker Cheating Ring

Bounty Out on Thwarting Ali Imsirovic's Alleged Poker Cheating Ring



Following continued allegations that Ali Imsirovic is running an online poker cheating ring, Americas Cardroom CEO Phil Nagy is offering a $100,000 bounty for proof.

Last year, Imsirovic was accused by many of his peers, most notably Alex Foxen and Chance Kornuth, of using illegal real-time assistance (RTA) tools online and colluding during live events. Jake Schindler, another top high roller, was also alleged to have been involved.

Both players were subsequently suspended indefinitely from all PokerGO events, although they did compete in the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Schindler even won a bracelet to the dismay of many within the poker community. He predictably declined a post-game interview and didn’t have much of a cheering section at Bally’s.

Jake Schindler Wins First WSOP Bracelet

Poker Pro Still Up to His Dirty Ways?

If the rumors are accurate, Imsirovic hasn’t changed his ways despite the heavy criticism against his character the past year. Matt Berkey wrote on Twitter that he knows poker players who have knowledge of Imsirovic’s supposed cheating stable.

Barry Carter shared a screenshot from the accused poker cheater’s Instagram story that read: “Been coaching a few guys, and really enjoy taking guys to the next level. I would like to add 1-2 guys I can work with.” Imsirovic’s Instagram bio tagline promotes his poker coaching services.

Phil Galfond then responded with “Hopefully, someone will infiltrate & expose his current cheating methods (and not turn evil.” That led Nagy to step up to the plate and offer up a reward for proof of the alleged cheating.

Nagy, the CEO of the Winning Poker Network, said that he will pay anyone $100,000 to prove the allegations are true. Imsirovic has never admitted to cheating, nor has he denied any of the allegations. The same is true for Schindler.

Imsirovic won the 2021 GPI Player of the Year award after winning 14 high roller events that year. He hasn’t been spotted in live poker tournaments since the 2022 WSOP. Schindler and Imsirovic have a combined $54 million in live tournament cashes, according to Hendon Mob. But it is now being alleged that they’ve moved on to playing online exclusively, and apparently doing so in a dishonest manner.

Phil Nagy
Phil Nagy

As is almost always the case when it comes to cheating allegations within the high roller community, accusations are made but few, if any, are willing to come forward with definitive proof and hard evidence against the accused cheaters.

Justin Bonomo, who has faced Imsirovic on the felt countless times, gave Nagy props for offering the reward. He encouraged his peers to “take the 100k and start a clean life” and wrote that he knows “there are people in Ali’s stable reading this.”





Source link

Andras Nemeth Part of a Four-Way Chip in the PokerStars SCOOP

Andras Nemeth Part of a Four-Way Chip in the PokerStars SCOOP



It is not uncommon for PokerStars Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) events to end in a deal. After all, the prize money involved, and therefore the pay jumps, in some of the high-stakes tournaments are massive. However, four-way deals are a little out of the ordinary, and one such deal happened this week in a $1,050 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Max tournament.

SCOOP 41-H: $1,050 NLHE 6-Max saw 603 PokerStars players create a $603,000 prize pool, which smashed the $450,000 guarantee out of the water. The top 77 finishers saw a return on their investment.

Argentinian superstar Damian “pampa27” Salas was the unfortunate soul that finished in 78th place, thus popping the money bubble.

There were dozens of stellar names listed in the official payouts. They included Matas “bebaimis777” Cimbolas, Martin “M.nosbocaJ” Jacobson, Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser, Niklas “Lena900” Astedt, Team PokerStars’ Ramon “RamonColillas” Collilas, and ninth-place finisher Nick “Bot35” Marchington.

Each of the seven players that navigated their way to the final table locked in at least $15,755 for their efforts.

“Warrior25409” of the Czech Republic was the first casualty of the final table, with Croatia’s Vlada “Vlada2108” Stojanovic joining the list of busted players soon after. Stojanovic banked $20,076 for his efforts.

Austria’s “Gogac sniper” fell in fifth for $28,004, which prompted the remaining four players to pause the tournament clock and discuss a deal. As per PokerStars’ rules for the tournament, any deal required at least $4,500 left aside for the eventual champion.

The discussions bore fruit, and meant that instead of $39,063 being the least anyone could take home, nobody would reel in less than $64,181.

Rui Ferreira
Rui Ferreira

The deal benefited Rui “RuiNF” Ferreira the most because he crashed out in fourth yet still walked away with $72,115, which ended up being more than the winner! Ferreira would later make amends for not winning this event by triumphing in a $530 NLHE Deep Stacks tournament for $42,841.

“000000000136” saw their tournament end in third place ($67,467), before Andras “probirs” Nemeth defeated “Piranha_n1” heads-up to capture the title and $71,814; the runner-up helped themselves to $64,181.

SCOOP 41-H: $1,050 NLHE 6-Max Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize
1 Andras “probirs” Nemeth Hungary $71,814*
2 Piranha_n1 Brazil $64,181*
3 000000000136 Brazil $67,467*
4 Rui “RuiNF” Ferreira Brazil $72,115*
5 Gogac sniper Austria $28,004
6 Vlada “Vlada2108” Stojanovic Croatia $20,076
7 Warrior25409 Czech Republic $15,755

*reflects a four-way deal

Espen Jorstad Gears Up for WSOP Main Title Defence with Huge SCOOP Victory

Leo Alcabtara Takes Down Super Tuesday For Almost $100K

2023 PokerStars SCOOP

The latest SCOOP edition of the Super Tuesday did not end in a deal, but it would not have been surprising had it done so. A field of 566 created a $566,000 prize pool, with just shy of $100,000 for the champion.

All but one of the nine finalists saw their $1,050 investment swell to five figures or more. Brazil’s Rodrigo “seijistar” Sirichuk was the player to miss out, although he did collect $9,643 for his efforts.

“A.Wesker999” of Latvia fell in eighth for $12,315 before Polish player “filusPL” and Swedish online tournament legend Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson saw their tournaments end abruptly. That duo scooped, pardon the pun, $16,609 and $22,398, respectively.

Then came the untimely demise of Roman “RomeOpro” Romanovsky in fifth, a finish good for $30,206. Fourth-place and $40,736 went to Gabriel “gabsdrogba” Schroeder, with “blodders03” banking an impressive $54,936 for their third-place exit.

Heads-up pitted Leo “LeoAlcantara” Alcantara against Ukrainian “luckyfluke.” No deal was discussed despite a $25,000 payout difference. The lack of negotiations meant luckyfluke had to make do with a $74,087 consolation prize, leaving Alcantara to pad his PokerStars bankroll with $99,913.

Veldhuis Denied Maiden SCOOP Title; Dzivielevski Takes Down Super Tuesday

SCOOP 51-H: $1,050 NLHE Super Tuesday Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize
1 Leo “LeoAlcantara” Alcantara Brazil $99,913
2 luckyfluke Ukraine $74,087
3 blodders03 United Kingdom $54,936
4 Gabriel “gabsdrogba” Schroeder Brazil $40,736
5 Roman “RomeOpro” Romanovsky Ukraine $30,206
6 Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson Sweden $22,398
7 filusPL Poland $16,609
8 A.Wesker999 Latvia $12,315
9 Rodrigo “seijistar” Sirichuk Brazil $9,643

Other Highlights From Recent SCOOP Events

Blaz Zerjav
Blaz Zerjav

Outside the two events detailed above, Blaz “scarmak3r” Zerjav took home the largest score, namely $66,341. This was Zerjav’s reward for taking down the $1,050 NLHE 6-Max PKO tournament.

There were also victories for the likes of Andrey “Anjeyyy” Novak, Oliver “sk2ll_m0dR” Weis, and Ole Schemion.

Event Entrants Prize Pool Champion Prize
#43-H: $1,050 NLHE 6-Max PKO 471 $471,000 Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav $66,341*
#45-H: $1,050 NLHE Single Re-Entry 330 $330,000 Andrey “Anjeyyy” Novak $61,328
#50-H: $2,100 PLO 6-Max PKO 108 $216,000 Oliver “sk2ll_m0dR” Weis $59,575*
#41-M: $109 NLHE 6-Max 4,158 $415,800 scarpezi $59,375
#58-H: $1,050 NLHE 6-Max PKO 300 $300,000 WhatifGod $54,335*
#56-H: $3,150 NLHE High Roller 113 $339,000 ContraSpemSper0 $52,691
#42-H: $530 NLHE Turbo PKO 659 $329,500 Yurec1707 $52,301*
#43-M: $215 NLHE 6-Max PKO 2,803 $560,600 markan991 $51,876*
#49-H: $530 NLHE Deep Stack 482 $241,000 Rui “RuiNF” Ferreira $42,841
#44-H: $1,050 5-Card PLO 6-Max 161 $161,000 Ole “wizowizo” Schemion $32,631

*includes bounty payments





Source link

WATCH: Doyle Brunson’s Best Televised High Stakes Poker Hands

WATCH: Doyle Brunson's Best Televised High Stakes Poker Hands



In the dimly lit world of high-stakes poker, where legends are born and fortunes are made or shattered, a towering figure transcended the game itself. Doyle Brunson, the man whose name became synonymous with poker greatness, passed away late on Sunday, May 14.

As the news of his passing reverberates through the poker community, we find solace in revisiting the moments that helped define his extraordinary career.

Amidst the smoke-filled rooms and the clinking of chips, Brunson held the power to shape destinies and etched his name into the annals of poker history on more than a few occasions. So, as we mourn the loss of a true icon and reflect upon his brilliance, take some time to look through some of Texas Dolly’s most memorable televised hands.

High Stakes Poker

For many poker fans, Brunson’s appearances on High Stakes Poker was their first introduction to the man.

Across the original airing of High Stakes Poker, seasons 1-7, Brunson was one of the biggest winners. His record across the show saw him up $538,150, which was bested by only Tom Dwan, Johnny Chan and David Benyamine.

The biggest pot Brunson played on High Stakes Poker was against Guy Laliberte, the founder of the charitable organization One Drop Foundation and co-founder of the universally loved Cirque du Soleil.

Despite his business background, Laliberte was no stranger to high stakes and was more than happy to put the professionals to the test. With $57,100 already in the middle on the AJ4 flop, Brunson bet $40,000 with his A10, which folded out three opponents before Laliberte called with his A5.

On the 2 turn, Laliberte check-raised to $310,000 after Brunson fired a second barrel of $110,000. Undeterred, Brunson jammed for $30,500 more and was called for the pot to grow to $818,100.

It was agreed that two river cards would be dealt. The Q came first, followed by 10. Laliberte failed to improve, which sealed Brunson’s largest-ever High Stakes Poker hand.

For more High Stakes Poker footage, check out the PokerGO YouTube channel.

The Big Game

As we continue the trip down memory lane, it would be impossible not to stop by and revisit some of Brunson’s best moments from the PokerStars high-stake show, The Big Game.

While it’s always fun to see Brunson play his famed ten-deuce, it’s equally as enjoyable to see him go on a heater with premium hands, as seen above. Surprisingly, Brunson finished in the red across his showings on The Big Game and was in the hole for $153,700.

PokerStars ambassador and Twitch superstar Lex Veldhuis was one player to share the stage with Brunson on The Big Game and shared one of his favorite ‘Doyle’ anecdotes from the show as poker players from all over paid their respects.

Coincidentally, Veldhuis played the biggest pot of his career against Brunson on The Big Game, which saw $294,600 head over to the Dutchman.

One Final Bluff Against Hellmuth

Doyle’s last televised poker appearance came at the WPT World Championships last December, where he was a part of one of the Celebrity Cash Game lineups.

Brunson was hugely successful on the World Poker Tour felt, winning $2,096,034 under the WPT umbrella. And he proved that he hadn’t lost a step after his latest display against the likes of Phil Ivey, Brad Owen and Phil Hellmuth.

Against the latter, Brunson pulled off an impressive king-high bluff on ‘The Poker Brat’ in a nearly $50,000 pot, which is timestamped above.

Hellmuth held AQ on the A81025 board, while Brunson had the KJ. Brunson jammed $25,600 into a pot of $20,600. This sent Hellmuth into the blender, who agonized over his decision for several minutes.

In the end, “There’s nothing wrong with getting bluffed by Doyle,” chimed Hellmuth, who sent his winning hand into the muck.

Name Surname
Calum Grant

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.





Source link

WSOP Main Event Champions 2015-17: McKeehen, Nguyen, Blumstein

WSOP Main Event Champions 2015-17: McKeehen, Nguyen, Blumstein



With the 2023 World Series of Poker just around the corner, PokerNews is continuing to look at past WSOP Main Event champions and what they’ve been up to since winning poker’s big one.

Our last instalment of the series looked at the winners from 2012-2014, with this edition focusing on Joe McKeehen, Qui Nguyen and Scott Blumstein, who all triumphed in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively.

2023 World Series of Poker Hub

Bookmark this page! All you need to know about the 2023 WSOP is here.

Joe McKeehen: 2015 Main Event Champion ($7,683,346)

Joe McKeehen
Joe McKeehen

Entries Prize Pool Places Paid Min-Cash
6,420 $60,348,000 1,000 $15,000

It took just 184 hands for the 2015 WSOP Main Event final table to conclude, with McKeehen dominating, knocking out five players. He also famously despatched Daniel Negreanu in 11th place after rivering broadway against KidPoker’s flopped pair of aces.

He entered the final table with over double the chips of his next closest competitor, advanced to six-handed play with 2.81 times second place, and then entered the three-handed finale with 3.21 times more than second place in his arsenal. Not only that but when anyone tried to play back at McKeehen, he either had the goods or made solid decisions that allowed him to keep up his dominance.

On the first day of the final table, McKeehen knocked out the first three players. That helped propel him from his starting stack of 63.1 million to 91.35 million, and it was much more of the same on the second day, just sans the three eliminations. On the Monday session, McKeehen only took out one player, and that was Max Steinberg in fourth place to end the day. After starting with 91.35 million, McKeehen increased to 128.825 million.

Heading into the final day, it certainly looked as though McKeehen would win, and both Josh Beckley and Neil Blumenfield were playing for second. After starting the day second in chips, Blumenfield ran a bluff against McKeehen, putting the chip leader in a tough spot on the river. McKeehen made the call with top pair and knocked Blumenfield to the bottom of the trio. Not long after, McKeehen made it to heads-up after finishing off Blumenfeld.

The battle between McKeehen and Beckly would last 13 hands as McKeehen’s ace-ten paired up to move ahead of his opponent’s pocket fours to seal out the victory and one of the most one-sided WSOP final tables ever.

2015 Main Event Final Table Results

PLACE PLAYER COUNTRY PRIZE
1 Joe McKeehen United States $7,683,346
2 Josh Beckley United States $4,470,896
3 Neil Blumenfield United States $3,398,298
4 Max Steinberg United States $2,615,361
5 Ofer Zvi Stern Israel $1,911,423
6 Thomas Cannuli United States $1,426,283
7 Pierre Neuville Belgium $1,203,293
8 Federico Butteroni Italy $1,097,056
9 Patrick Chan United States $1,001,020

McKeehen Continues to Crush

McKeehen was just 24 years old when he won the Main Event and has since put together a poker career envied by many. His Main Event triumph marked his maiden bracelet victory, but he soon became a three-time bracelet winner after being the last player standing in the $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship and WSOP Online $3,200 High Roller in 2017 and 2020 respectively.

Strangely, those two bracelet wins fail to make it into McKeehen’s top five cashes since winning the Main Event. Just a few months after becoming the World Champion, he notched a second place in the 2016 PCA $100,000 Super High Roller for another seven-figure score and has continued to produce impressive results.

The Pennsylvania native has $19.5 million in live tournament wins from his first recorded cash in 2010 and is a shoo-in for the Poker Hall of Fame when he becomes of age.

Joe McKeehen’s Top 5 Cashes Since WSOP Main Event Win

DATE BUY-IN EVENT PLACE PRIZE
January 2016 $100,000 PCA $100,000 Super High Roller 2nd $1,220,840
July 2016 $111,111 WSOP High Roller for One Drop 6th $829,792
August 2021 $25,500 SHRPO The Big 4 High Roller 2nd $550,990
June 2018 $1,500 WSOP Millionaire Maker 3rd $538,276
March 2021 $5,000 WPT Venetian Main Event 2nd $491,960

Qui Nguyen: 2016 Main Event Champion ($8,005,310)

Qui Nguyen
Qui Nguyen

Entries Prize Pool Places Paid Min-Cash
6,737 $63,327,800 1,011 $15,000

Qui Nguyen won the 2016 WSOP Main Event by outlasting a field of 6,737 players and defeating Gordon Vayo in a heads-up battle that lasted for several hours.

Throughout the tournament, Nguyen displayed an aggressive style of play, often making big bets and raises to put his opponents under pressure. He also showed an ability to read his opponents’ hands and make difficult calls when necessary.

In the tournament’s final hand, Vayo pushed with jack-ten suited over a raise by Nguyen, only to get called by his dominating king-ten. Vayo flopped a double gutshot, but his draw would fail to complete. After blanks on the turn and river, Vayo exited in second place for $4,661,228.

Overall, Nguyen’s aggressive and fearless play style and ability to read his opponents were key to his victory in the 2016 WSOP Main Event.

It’s also noteworthy that Nguyen satellited his way into the Main Event, akin to 2003 champ Chris Moneymaker. Nguyen entered a $565 satellite tournament and then a $1,100 one, failing to win a Main Event seat in either. It wasn’t until his third try, another $1,100 satellite, that he prevailed.

The 2016 Main Event was a grand spectacle for viewers as several hands still spoken about today took place in the tournament.

The Main Event saw the introduction of William Kassouf to the masses, with his “nine-high like a boss,” hand and fiery confrontation with Griffin Benger, which led to the latter telling Kassouf to “check your privilege.”

There was also the insane cooler for third-place finisher Cliff Josephy, who was on the wrong side of a set-over-set situation when play was three-handed. Be sure to look back at the top five hands from the 2016 Main Event for a wave of nostalgia.

2016 Main Event Final Table Results

POSITION PLAYER COUNTRY PRIZE
1 Qui Nguyen Vietnam $8,005,310
2 Gordon Vayo United States $4,661,228
3 Cliff Josephy United States $3,453,035
4 Michael Ruane United States $2,576,003
5 Vojtěch Růžička Czech Republic $1,935,288
6 Kenny Hallaert Belgium $1,464,258
7 Griffin Benger Canada $1,250,190
8 Jerry Wong United States $1,100,076
9 Fernando Pons Spain $1,000,000

Nguyen Goes Deep Two More Times

Before his Main Event win, Nguyen had only a handful of four-figure cashes and has only ten more HendonMob recorded results since his victory. Two occurred in the WSOP Main Event again, where he finished 455th (2019) and 241st (2021) for further scores of $30,780 and $38,600.

However, those are the only notable scores since 2016. Nguyen still plays the Main Event and was cruelly ousted on Day 2 of the 2022 WSOP Main Event after running kings into aces.

Qui Nguyen’s Top 5 Cashes Since WSOP Main Event Win

DATE BUY-IN EVENT PLACE PRIZE
November 2021 $10,000 WSOP Main Event 241st $38,600
July 2019 $10,000 WSOP Main Event 455th $30,780
June 2021 $1,600 Wynn Summer Classic 46th $7,871
June 2022 $1,500 WSOP Millionaire Maker 247th $6,600
June 2022 $1,500 WSOP Shootout 86th $5,835

Scott Blumstein: 2017 Main Event Champion ($8,150,000)

Scott Blumstein
Scott Blumstein

Entries Prize Pool Places Paid Min-Cash
7,221 $67,877,400 1,084 $15,000

Despite playing poker for a living, Scott Blumstein skipped the first 72 events at the 2017 WSOP. The reasoning: to improve his game and health leading up to the one tournament he did have circled on his calendar — the 2017 WSOP Main Event. Blumstein cut his teeth in online poker tournaments in his home of New Jersey the whole summer before making the trip to Vegas.

At 25 years old, Blumstein defeated fellow young gun Dan Ott heads-up for the coveted gold and diamond bracelet along with the $8,150,000 prize. Norman Chad once said that a deuce on the river never changes anything, but that all changed on the tournament’s final hand. Blumstein’s ace-deuce was behind Ott’s ace-eight, but the former rivered a pair of deuces to capture the title.

Blumstein entered the final table as the chip leader and maintained his lead throughout. He played a patient and strategic game, carefully choosing his spots and taking advantage of opportunities to accumulate chips.

One such instance was when he doubled through John Hesp, one of the summer’s success stories, in a 156 million-chip pot to take a commanding lead that he would never relinquish.

2017 Main Event Final Table Results

PLACE PLAYER COUNTRY PRIZE
1 Scott Blumstein United States $8,150,000
2 Dan Ott United States $4,700,000
3 Benjamin Pollak France $3,500,000
4 John Hesp United Kingdom $2,600,000
5 Antoine Saout France $2,000,000
6 Bryan Piccioli United States $1,675,000
7 Damian Salas Argentina $1,425,000
8 Jack Sinclair United Kingdom $1,200,000
9 Ben Lamb United States $1,000,000

Poker on the Back Burner for Blumstein

Speaking to PokerGO in 2020, “Poker is on the back burner for me. I mean, I definitely enjoy playing tournaments here and there. I haven’t really had a successful run since then, and I obviously wish I could,” said Blumstein.

“I enjoy the game, and it’ll always be a part of my life…I’m still trying to figure out what I really want to do with my life, which again is a great problem to have,” he added.

Scott Blumstein’s Top 5 Cashes Since WSOP Main Event Win

DATE BUY-IN EVENT PLACE PRIZE
November 2019 $10,000 Poker Masters $10K NLHE 6th $58,200
September 2017 $3,500 WPT Borgata Main Event 52nd $10,508
March 2018 $1,600 Parx Casino Big Stax 9th $10,012
June 2018 $3,500 MSPT Big Blind Ante Event 71st $9,119
March 2019 $3,500 WPT Venetian Main Event 77th $6,370
Name Surname
Calum Grant

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.





Source link

Here’s Why Bet365 is the Place For Tennis Accumulator Betting

Here's Why Bet365 is the Place For Tennis Accumulator Betting



Do you love watching tennis? Are the such a big tennis fan or expert that you like putting your money where your mouth is and try to back a winner whenever a major match takes place? Then you need to head to Bet365 because it is here where you can receive a boost of up to 70% on your tennis accumulator bets.

Tennis matches take place all year round, giving you ample opportunities to get involved in Bet365’s Tennis Accumulator Bonus promotion, which can see you walk away with up to 70% more winnings.

The promotion is frightfully simple. Place a pre-match accumulator bet of two or more tennis selections on either the To Win Match, First Set Winner, or Set Betting markets for single or doubles matches at any of the tournaments listed below, and you’ll receive a bonus of between 5-70% of your winnings depending on the number of selections.

Tennis Accumulator Bonus Payouts

Bet Type Bonus Bet Type Bonus
Doubles 5% Trebles 10%
4-folds 15% 5-folds 20%
6-folds 25% 7-folds 30%
8-folds 35% 9-folds 40%
10-folds 45% 11-folds 50%
12-folds 55% 13-folds 60%
14-folds and upwards 70%    

Eligible Tennis Tournaments

You can receive a bonus of up to 70% on your winnings by betting on singles and doubles matches at the following tennis tournaments:

  • Any Grand Slam
  • ATP
  • WTA
  • Challenger Tour
  • Davis Cup
  • Billie Jean King Cup

As you can see, the eligible tennis tournaments essentially cover the entire tennis season!

Love Soccer? You’ll Love These Bet365 Offers

A Few Key Terms and Conditions

The Tennis Accumulator Bonus promotion is available to new and eligible customers. You can discover if you are eligible by heading to the Offer section on mobile or the Promotions section on a desktop device.

Any bonus winnings are paid as cash into your withdrawable balance, although there is a limit of £100,000 or equivalent currency . The bonus does not apply to bets that are fully cashed out, nor does it apply with wagers placed with Bet Credits or combination bets that already come with bonuses, such as Lucky 15s, Lucky 31s, etc.

Start Your Bet365 Career With £30 in Free Bets

New Bet365 customers can enjoy up to £30 of free bets (or equivalent currency) when they make their first deposit at the site. Your first deposit of between £5 and £10 is multiplied by three in the form of Bet Credits. You can find all the free bets bonus terms and conditions on the Bet365 website.





Source link

WPT Global Spring Festival May 21-June 4 Has Something for Everyone

WPT Global Spring Festival May 21-June 4 Has Something for Everyone



The WPT Global Spring Festival online poker series has a little something for everyone with buy-ins ranging from just $1.10 all the way up to $2,500.

Online poker players will have an opportunity to compete for a World Poker Tour Prime Online championship. WPT Global is a leading internet poker platform with real money games, including some of the most exciting online poker tournaments around.

WPT Global Series Details

From May 21 to June 4, the series begins at 8 a.m. ET with 10 events starting with a $110 buy-in Lucky Kick Off PKO, which has a $25,000 guaranteed prize pool. There’s a second $25,000 guarantee later in the day at 1 p.m. ($220 buy-in no-limit hold’em). But the biggest event of the first day will be the $110 Spring Sunday Slam 1 PKO ($60,000 guarantee) at 4:15 p.m.

On May 24, the WPT500, a $530 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament, kicks off. That’s one of the biggest events of the series with the prize pool promised to hit or exceed $100,000. There will be nine Day 1 starting flights and players can re-enter into each one if they were unsuccessful in bagging a stack the previous flights.

On May 29 at 5 p.m., the featured tournament of the exciting series — the WPT Prime Online Championship — will begin. This NLH event has a $1,060 buy-in point and $200,000 guaranteed. Players can register for any of the 13 Day 1 opening sessions and leading up to Day 2, which takes place June 4, the final day of the series. The winner of this event, on top of the cash, will receive a free entry into the 2023 WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in December.

Don’t Miss the Incredible Value in WPT Global’s New Sunday Majors

The largest buy-in event of the series — $2,500 Hi-Roller 6-Max — starts May 31 and has a $125,000 guaranteed minimum prize pool. But this series isn’t all about the high roller tournaments. As mentioned, there’s something for everyone, even the micro-stakes players. For example, on the opening day at 5 p.m., there’s a $3.30 buy-in NLH turbo event that has a $5,000 guarantee.

This series will give the micro and low-stakes players an opportunity to score a bankroll-building payday for just a small fee. In just one event, you could conceivably win more than would be possible across dozens of cash game sessions at the same buy-in levels. And for the mid and high-stakes players, the series presents some opportunity to pick up a huge score.

“When WPT Global launched, we knew it would become the best place for players to participate in WPT events online,” said WPT exec Adam Pliska. “The WPT Global Spring Festival gives players around the world the opportunity to win a WPT500 and WPT Prime title without having to leave their home.”

For the full WPT Global Spring Festival, please click here.





Source link

The Muck: Does Players Selling Action Impact a Poker Game?

The Muck: Does Players Selling Action Impact a Poker Game?



Doug Polk admitted on social media that he’s considering selling some of his action in the upcoming $1 million buy-in games on Hustler Casino Live. That sparked some debate as some claimed that selling pieces impacts the way a backed player plays, while others argued that poker players should only play a certain game if they can afford the entire buy-in.

Eric Persson, who will also be in those historic cash games at Hustler Casino in Los Angeles from May 26-30 gave his thoughts on Polk’s decision to possibly sell action. His response is the basis behind our newest edition of The Muck.

Confusing Staking with Selling Action

Rob Yong, also scheduled to play in the $1 million games, agreed with Persson that “being staked impacts the game.” But Polk jumped in to clarify the difference between being staked and selling action.

Being staked, as Polk explained, means that a player either has no or little skin in the game, whereas a player selling action will typically still have plenty of skin in the game. It’s common in tournament poker for players, even the top pros in the world, to sell pieces, and it’s also common for players to find a staking arrangement with a backer.

Yong and Persson, however, argued that the semantics don’t matter. In Persson’s mind, he believes that his large bankroll is “the great equalizer” against, by his own admission, a more skilled player like Polk. The Maverick Casinos owner thinks he’ll have more of an edge if a pro like Polk is playing under more pressure, which could happen if he were in for the full $1 million buy-in on his own dime.

Persson has become a regular in the highest stakes live-streamed shows such as Hustler Casino Live and High Stakes Poker. He’s always one of the wealthiest players in the game, and that likely gives him an edge as he can fire away large bluffs without fear of being stacked.

Polk Defends Selling Poker Action

Doug Polk poker
Doug Polk

Polk took offense to the notion that selling action impacts the game. He defended his decision to contemplate selling pieces of his buy-in by writing, “You have a set bankroll. Sometimes games are bigger than your bankroll. To offset this, most of the best players in the world will sell pieces to make the game appropriately sized.”

The upcoming Hustler Casino Live game will be the biggest live-stream poker cash game in history. With rebuys and add-ons in the mix, it’s conceivable there will be $15 million on the table at some point during the five sessions. Even though Polk is likely the most skilled player in those games, variance will play a role in determining the outcome of one or a few sessions. One bad cooler or misstep and it could cost any of those players $1 million or more.

For Persson, and some others at the table, that might not be a huge deal even if they have 100% skin in the game. But some of the players will feel it more if they get stacked.

Still, there are no rules against being backed or selling action on Hustler Casino Live or most other games. Polk is doing something that is common practice at all levels of poker, even in low-stakes games. He used a historic example to defend his decision.

“The Corporation” was a group of top pros such as Todd Brunson, Jennifer Harman, and Phil Ivey who put their money together to battle billionaire amateur poker player Andy Beal heads-up in some seven-figure matches in Las Vegas during the 2000s.

Beal was at a significant disadvantage in terms of skill against every member of The Corporation. But he had the bankroll advantage, which is why none of the players were willing to play him on their own. Instead, they pooled their money together and took turns battling the banker. In the end, The Corporation won millions of dollars including one session in which Brunson reportedly won $5 million.

“This is an example of one of those players who sold pieces,” Polk wrote above a picture of Ivey, considered by many to be the best poker player of all-time.

Doug Polk, Charlie Carrel Saga Just Took an Unexpected Turn for the Better

What the Poker Community has to Say

Many poker players and fans chimed in to give their two cents on the staking/backing issue. Is it bad for the game? Does it impact the game as much as Persson and Yong claim? Or is Polk right in that it’s an acceptable practice? Let’s see what the poker community had to say.

“My prob with action selling/buying. Not enough transparency for how much or who has action and trust is a huge issue. Can lead to overselling where desperate humans with bills to pay/debts make bad decisions/run ponzis. Need someone to design a public site for % verifications,” Matt Salsberg wrote.

“Selling pieces to players not in the game should be fine. But selling pieces of yourself to other players in the game is a problem. It’s even worse if you trade pieces with another player in the game. That’s because it can affect the probability distributions of the hands in play,” according to Mason Malmuth.

“The main issue is disclosure. There are many ways that external financial arrangements have the potential to distort play in a way that disadvantages unaware players. Ethical players should err on the side of disclosing if there is even the slightest chance it is material,” @tonycoxphoto argued, similar to that of Malmuth’s take.

“The biggest issue with this debate is it’s being driven by people who are heavily involved in various businesses. Why is getting investment to risk capital in a poker game different from selling pieces in a business?” a valid point made by @gustheoryoptiml.

Ethan “Rampage” Yau, another play who will be competing in the $1 million game, had Polk’s back. The popular poker vlogger responded: “You’re stronger willed than I trying to explain to the masses why selling isn’t a bad thing.”

Rampage has often sold pieces of his action to his fans for the high-stakes games he plays, including the big game coming up later this month. Some poker pros such as Rampage, those who have large followings, often sell pieces so their followers can have a little sweat. Daniel Negreanu, for example, sells action to his fans for his World Series of Poker (WSOP) package.

There isn’t much of an uproar when Negreanu sells WSOP action, or when Rampage sells pieces for various tournaments and cash games. But Persson wants his opponents to be fully invested in the game so he’ll have an edge even against more skilled players.





Source link

A Look at the All-Time Money Lists from MD, NJ & PA; Ivey on Top in the Garden State

A Look at the All-Time Money Lists from MD, NJ & PA; Ivey on Top in the Garden State



Our very own Jesse Fullen and Matt Hansen are currently embarking on an East Coast Road Trip, visiting local card rooms and checking out the poker scene. There are three main states they’ll stop through this coming week — Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Thanks to the Hendon Mob database, we’ve compiled an all-time live poker tournament top 10 list for each of those states. In each of the states, there’s a mix of World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champs, high roller crushers, players we haven’t seen much of lately, and some names you may have forgotten. Let’s take a look at the current top 10 all-time in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Former World Champ Merson Near the Top in Maryland

Greg Merson poker maryland
Greg Merson

In 2012, Greg Merson had a memorable run to the WSOP Main Event title for $8.5 million. Months prior, he began his journey to sobriety. Those who followed the WSOP that year recall Merson wearing his Baltimore Orioles jersey at the final table.

He’s a proud native of Maryland and has had more success in tournament poker than just that one tournament. The former world champion has over $11.4 million in cashes, which is quite impressive, but not as impressive as Anthony Gregg, who leads the state with $12,016,191.

Gregg’s a bracelet winner himself and took down the $111,111 buy-in One Drop High Roller in 2013 for $4,830,619, a career-best score. There are some other familiar names on the Maryland Top 10 list, including 2005 WSOP Main Event runner-up Steve Dannenmann (fifth place) and Phil Galfond (ninth place), who has always been more of a cash game specialist.

Maryland All-Time Money List Top 10

  PLACE PLAYER EARNINGS
  1 Anthony Gregg $12,016,191
  2 Greg Merson $11,467,530
  3 Christian Harder $4,947,484
  4 Justin Liberto $4,922,527
  5 Steve Dannenmann $ 4,827,428
  6 John Brock Parker $ 3,918,647
  7 Daniel Kelly $ 3,639,253
  8 Rhett Butler $ 3,367,469
  9 Phil Galfond $ 2,976,763
  10 Jesse Yaginuma $ 2,267,433
       

Phil Ivey is the GOAT in New Jersey, and Everywhere

Phil Ivey poker
Phil Ivey

In New Jersey, it’s Phil Ivey and everyone else, but there are many other great players from the Garden State, including once again, the second place player being Tom Marchese.

Ivey has compiled over $38 million in live tournament scores, which is even more impressive when you consider he’s been an online and live cash game crusher for years, and he’s scaled back the tournament play since 2014. The 10-time bracelet winner has double the cashes of second place Marchese ($19.1 million), and more than triple third place, Darren Elias, who is the GOAT of the World Poker Tour (WPT).

In fifth place is another past world champion, Scott Blumstein, whose $8.1 million won in the 2015 WSOP Main Event represents about 95% of his overall cashes. Tom “durrrr” Dwan also made the list — sixth place with $6.3 million in cashes — despite having always been more of a cash game and online poker specialist.

New Jersey All-Time Money List Top 10

  PLACE PLAYER EARNINGS
  1 Phil Ivey $ 38,281,866
  2 Tom Marchese $ 19,106,531
  3 Darren Elias $ 11,211,861
  4 Chris Klodnicki $ 10,119,700
  5 Scott Blumstein $ 8,597,241
  6 Tom Dwan $ 6,302,105
  7 Josh Beckley $ 5,390,204
  8 Michael Wang $ 5,242,826
  9 Matt Stout $ 4,334,515
  10 Michael Ruane $ 3,571,650

Accused Cheater Leads the Way in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s Top 10 list isn’t competitive, although some might argue the leader should have an asterisk by his name. Jake Schindler, who was accused last year of cheating during live events and colluding and using RTA’s online, tops the charts by a wide margin with $35.4 million in career cashes. For years, he’s been one of the top high rollers in the game, although it will likely be quite some time before we see him again in action, if we ever do again.

Right behind him is, you guessed it, a former WSOP Main Event winner — Joe McKeehen who has just under $19.6 million in cashes. McKeehen became world champion in 2015 and has been a tough competitor on the tournament circuit ever since.

Joe McKeehen
Joe McKeehen

The New Jersey list also includes Poker Hall of Famer and legend of the game, John Hennigan (fourth), Matt Glantz, and Matt Berkey. At the bottom of the list is Bin Weng, who has been on the heater of a lifetime the past few months.

Although Weng currently has $3,526,746 in cashes, he’ll almost certainly be adding a ton more to that total as later this month he will be at the final table of two WPT events, and he has the chip lead in both. There’s a solid chance he could jump all the way up to sixth place in New Jersey in a couple weeks.

Pennsylvania All-Time Money List Top 10

  PLACE PLAYER EARNINGS
  1 Jake Schindler $ 35,449,524
  2 Joe McKeehen $ 19,593,966
  3 Paul Volpe $ 9,020,503
  4 John Hennigan $ 8,558,521
  5 Matt Glantz $ 7,513,041
  6 Daniel Ott $ 4,735,639
  7 Matt Berkey $ 4,599,738
  8 Aaron Mermelstein $ 3,955,064
  9 Russell Thomas $ 3,920,259
  10 Bin Weng $ 3,526,746





Source link

WPT Voyage Sets Sail March 2024 w/ $1.5 Million GTDs; Watch Doyle Brunson WPT Highlights Now


WPT at Sea

In the spring of 2024, the World Poker Tour (WPT) will take over one of Virgin Voyages’ award-winning ships for a WPT event on the high seas. WPT Voyage features six days of action and $1.5 million in guarantees, including both a WPT Main Tour and WPT Prime events.

“Virgin Voyages has totally re-imagined the cruising experience, and their ideals perfectly align with the evolution of WPT in our commitment to build unique memories for poker players across the globe,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “The WPT Voyage will elevate an already amazing onboard experience with world-class poker and entertainment, creating one of the most fun and sought-after events on the calendar.”

The WPT “stop” will take place on the 1,400-cabin Valiant Lady – which requires guests to be 18+ — and will set sail from Miami on March 31, 2024 with stops in Grand Cayman and Bimini, Bahamas before returning to port in Miami on April 6, 2024.

Check out the WPT Hub on PokerNews here!

“Hosting the World Poker Tour at Sea is an industry first and bringing the Main Tour experience to Valiant Lady is very exciting,” said Tom McAplin, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “This partnership fits nicely into our adult-only experience, and we’re honored to have one of our ships as the main stage for this exciting tournament.”

While poker cruises aren’t anything new, this one is a bit different as few are as large as the WPT Voyage is slated to be with more than 80 poker tables on board. Not only will there be a $5,000 buy-in, $1,000,000 GTD Main Event, and a $1,100 buy-in, $500K GTD WPT Prime Event, but there will also be a variety of side events including a $25,000 High Roller event, Ladies event, and a Mystery Bounty event. On top of it all, there will be cash games of all stakes and variants being spread.

WPT at Sea

This is all on top of traditional offerings available on a cruise including food and drink, entertainment, and much more. The Valiant Lady alone is equipped with more than 20 boutique restaurants with delicious, made-to-order meals.

While docked in the Caribbean, numerous land and sea-based excursions will be available to experience, such as kayaking, snorkeling, cultural tours, and even a golf tournament in Grand Cayman hosted by WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage. A massive pool party at Bimini Beach Club, featuring an elevated performance, will serve as an epic culmination of the six-day WPT Voyage.

Players interested in attending the WPT Voyage events must book through WPTVoyage.com. Another way to lock in your spot on the WPT Voyage is through satellite tournaments occurring at the WPT at Sea Poker Room on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady.

Click here for more on the WPT at Sea!

WPT Episodes – Doyle Brunson

Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson at a 2005 WPT stop. (Image: WPT)

In honor of the legendary Doyle Brunson, who passed away this past Sunday at the age of 89, the WPT has announced that they are airing five exclusive episodes featuring “Texas Dolly” for free on their YouTube channel and via worldpokertour247 Twitch channel through this coming Sunday.

With over $2 million in WPT career earnings, Brunson has had his fair share of WPT highlights, which included a victory in the 2005 Legends of Poker. That is one of the episodes available to watch for free alongside the 2003 WPT Championship, 2005 WPT Poker by the Book, 2006 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, and 2022 WPT Cash Game.

Here’s a description of each episode:

WPT Voyage Sets Sail March 2024 w/ .5 Million GTDs; Watch Doyle Brunson WPT Highlights Now 101

Did You Know the World Poker Tour is Online?

WPT Global

The launch of WPT Global means that poker players around the world now have the chance to win their way to WPT events, win prizes and enjoy exciting games such as Poker Flips. As one of the world’s largest cash game poker networks, WPT Global is available in over 50 countries and territories around the world.

WPT Global offers a large deposit match bonus: 100% on deposits up to $1,200 (using any payment method). New players depositing a minimum of $20 automatically receive this match bonus which is unlocked in $5 increments (credited straight to the cashier) for every $20 of rake contribution.

Both tournaments and cash games count towards bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of first deposit to unlock and claim their full bonus amount.

Name Surname
Chad Holloway

Executive Editor U.S.

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





Source link

Espen Jorstad Gears Up for WSOP Main Title Defence with Huge SCOOP Victory

Espen Jorstad Gears Up for WSOP Main Title Defence with Huge SCOOP Victory



Only four players in history have managed to win back-to-back World Series of Poker Main Events, and it is a feat that has not been managed since 1988. Espen Jorstad is hoping to become the fifth person to win consecutive WSOP Main Events, joining Johnny Moss, the late Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, and Johnny Chan.

Players want to head into the WSOP in good form, and that is certainly the case of Jorstad, who this week triumphed in the PokerStars Spring Championship Of Online Poker edition of the $5,200 Titans Event. Jorstad’s reward? A cool $165,317 plus a significant confidence boost. The victory was Jorstad’s second of the series, with the UK-based Norwegian winning the $215 NLHE 7-Max Turbo PKO for $35,543 at the start of the 2023 SCOOP.

SCOOP 39-H: $5,200 NHE Titans Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize
1 Espen “Hymn2Ninkasi” Jorstad United Kingdom $165,317
2 Rui “RuiNF” Ferreira Brazil $128,703
3 Sam “SamSquid” Grafton United Kingdom $100,199
4 Pavel “silentm0de” Plesuv Andorra $78,007
5 DNegs98 United Kingdom $60,731
6 Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi Brazil $47,280
7 Daniil “NVoskob1986” Kiselev Latvia $36,809
8 Ilya “Leqenden” Anatsky Belarus $28,657
9 Daniel “SmilleThHero” Smiljkovic Austria $22,629

The $5,200 Titans saw 164 players create an $820,000 prize pool that the top 20 finishers shared. Day 1 concluded with only nine players in the hunt for the title and the six-figure top prize, with Day 2 commencing under the watchful eyes of the PokerStars Twitch stream on May 15.

Daniel “SmilleThHero” Smiljkovic sat down with less than three big blinds, and was eliminated on the first hand.

Ilya “Leqenden” Anatsky busted soon after Smiljkovic when he committed his last 6.5 big blinds with ace-six of diamonds, and lost to the dominating ace-ten of Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi.

The final seven became six when Latvia’s Daniil “NVoskob1986” Kiselev crashed out. Espen “Hym2Ninkasi” Jorstad made it 154,000 to go from the button with pocket tens, and called when Kiselev three-bet all-in for ten big blinds from the small blind with king-queen. The tens held on an ace-high board, and Kiselev was gone.

Sam Grafton
Sam Grafton

Team PokerStars’ Sam “SamSquid” Grafton sent bruschi to the rail in sixth place half an hour after Kiselev crashed out. Bruschi min-raised to 140,000 in the cutoff with ace-seven of hearts, Grafton three-bet to 420,000 in the big blind with pocket tens before calling the 1,237,292 jam from Bruschi. Grafton’s hand remained true, and Bruschi bowed out.

Grafton then sent “DNegs98” to the rail in fifth, a finish good for more than $60,000. Grafton opened with pocket queens, DNegs98 shoved 11 big blinds with pocket deuces, and Grafton called. The five community cards provided no drama, and the Titans Event was left with only four players.

Pavel “silentm0de” Plesuv was the chip leader going into four-handed play, but he was the next player heading to the showers. Plesuv lost a chunk of his stack with pocket eights against Rui “RuiNF” Ferreira’s ace-ten — Ferreira turned a boat – and nothing much went right for the Plesuv from that point on.

Plesuv’s final participation in the PokerStars SCOOP Titans Event saw him all-in for 12 big blinds with pocket nines, which lost to the ace-eight of diamonds in the hand of Jorstad.

The tournament progressed to the heads-up stage when Grafton ran out of steam. Grafton was short-stacked at the start of three-handed play, and he made a move with pocket queen for his 6.5 big blinds, and lost to the hot-running Jorstad’s ace-nine.

Jorstad held a substantial two-to-one chip lead over Ferreira at the start of the one-on-one battle and it took less than 20 minutes for Jorstad to get the job done.

The final hand saw Jorstad rip it in with king-jack, and Ferreira call off his short stack with jack-six of diamonds. King-high was good enough to bust Ferreira and crown Jorstad the SCOOP Titans champion.

Daniel Aziz Crowned SCOOP Sunday Million Champion

Daniel Marques Aziz
Daniel Aziz

A $530 buy-in SCOOP edition of the ever-popular PokerStars Sunday Million saw Brazil’s Daniel “dani aziz” Aziz come out on top of a 2,580-strong field to bank $166,765 after a heads-up deal with Bulgaria’s “vladulaNko.”

Navigating your way through such a massive field is no mean feat in its own right, but more impressive when you consider Aziz contended with the likes of Patrice “pAtcAsh83” Brandt, Donald “donald0404” Duarte, and Domenico “ziototo94” Gala at the star-studded final table.

The Sunday Million ended in a heads-up chip between Aziz and vladulaNko. Both players locked in $156,765 – despite Aziz holding a two-to-one lead — and played on for $10,000 and the title. The final hand saw Aziz shove with ace-five, and vladulaNko call off their 13 big blinds with king-eight. Aziz’s hand held, and he scooped the Sunday Million title.

SCOOP 39-M: $530 NLHE Sunday Million Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize
1 Daniel “dani aziz” Aziz Brazil $166,765*
2 vladulaNko Bulgaria $156,765*
3 Domenico “ziototo94” Gala Malta $95,978
4 bartek901 United Kingdom $68,417
5 Donald “donald0404” Duarte Nicaragua $48,769
6 xMFPx United Kingdom $34,764
7 matheusttcm Brazil $24,781
8 Patrice “pAtcAsh83” Brandt United Kingdom $17,665
9 trzcinsky Poland $12,592

*reflects a heads-up deal





Source link

Tag

Random Posts