More action from the Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT) is right around the corner as the tour’s UK Championship Of Amateur Poker (UKCOAP) is set to begin at Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham from tomorrow, with the series culminating on May 21.

The UKCOAP is one of the best events of the APAT season, as it allows amateur players to test their abilities, experience diverse poker variants, and vie for prestigious titles. With varying buy-ins and formats, participants can choose the events that best suit their preferences and challenge themselves in the realm of amateur poker.

Six Championship Events Planned for Nottingham

The UKCOAP offers an exciting lineup of six championship events and the well-attended APAT High Roller. Poker enthusiasts have plenty of opportunities to showcase their skills and compete for prestigious titles.

Kicking off the series is the APAT UK PLO Amateur Poker Championship on May 17. Players can test their Omaha skills in this Pot-Limit Omaha event with a buy-in of £60. With the popularity of PLO on the rise, participants can anticipate intense action and challenging gameplay.

On May 18, two championship events begin. The first is the APAT UK Amateur Poker Championship, which guarantees a substantial £50,000 prize pool. There are several Day 1 flights and you can enter this No-Limit Hold’em tournament for £120. The event promises fierce competition as players compete for their share of the impressive prize pool.

Simultaneously, the APAT UK Triple Stud Amateur Poker Championship commences on the same day. With a buy-in of £60, this tournament offers a unique blend of three poker variants – Stud Hi, Stud Hi-Lo, and Razz. Participants will need a versatile skill set and adaptability to excel in this multi-format event.

On May 19, the APAT UK HORSE Amateur Poker Championship takes center stage. HORSE combines five different poker variants (Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Stud, and Stud Hi-Lo) in rotation. With a buy-in of £120, players will showcase their proficiency in various games and compete for the championship title.

Moreover, the APAT High Roller event, held on May 19, offers a high-stakes competition for those seeking a greater challenge. This prestigious tournament features the largest buy-in of the series, attracting experienced players looking to demonstrate their prowess and compete for significant rewards.

The APAT ROE (NLHE/PLO) Amateur Poker Championship rounds out the series on May 20. This tournament combines two popular poker variants, No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha, in rotation. With a buy-in of £60, players will engage in a strategic battle, utilizing their skills across multiple formats.

Finally, the festival culminates on May 21 with the APAT UK Bounty Hunter Championship. In this thrilling tournament, players pay a buy-in of £120, with £50 of that amount becoming their personal bounty. Knocking out opponents earns players their bounties, adding an extra layer of excitement and rewards to the competition.

Full UKCOAP Schedule

Play APAT Online Events on GGPoker

Did you know that you can play online APAT events on GGPoker? The two brands recently joined forces and will work together to support the growth of amateur poker at a grassroots level. GGPoker’s advanced platform and extensive player base will offer APAT members opportunities to develop their skills, compete in prestigious events, and connect with poker enthusiasts worldwide.

As part of the collaboration, GGPoker will host exclusive online events for APAT members, including Championship tournaments and qualifiers for live events. Additionally, APAT’s World Championship of Amateur Poker (WCOAP) will be played exclusively online at GGPoker. This partnership will allow APAT members and GGPoker players to compete for prestigious National Amateur Championship titles, Medals, and Bracelets, as well as earn a National Amateur Ranking.

2023 Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT) Remaining Live Schedule

The Nottingham event marks the midway point of Season 16’s calendar, with future stops taking place at Edinburgh, Cardiff and Czechia. There are also another two series to take place in Nottingham in August and November 2023.

They often say that some poker players have all the luck, and you could make a case for British grinder “d5t6y7” in that statement. Less than a month ago, d5t6y7 finished tenth in the 888poker $100,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event but not before they pulled out the $10,000 top mystery bounty prize.

Fastforward to May 15, and d5t6y7 did it again. Not only that, but they took down the tournament too!

This week’s $100,000 Mystery Bounty main Event saw the 965-strong field reduced to a final table of nine on Day 1. Usually, the biggest mystery bounty prizes have been won by this stage, but not this time around because there was a $3,000 and a $10,000 bounty still waiting to be won.

$100,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event Final Table Results

“DiouL2” of Brazil busted in ninth for a $981 score, and another Brazilian in “SeiryokuZen” joined them on the rail with $2,393 in tow.

Then came the exit of “juncanaru98” in seventh. They open-shoved for 9.2 big blinds with ace-deuce of spades from under the gun, and the action folded to “KJJJIDIele” in the cutoff. KJJJIDIele held an overwhelming chip lead and was using their massive stack with deadly aggression. They continued that aggression by moving all-in with ace-ten of clubs, resulting in the other active players folding, including d5t6y7 who mucked ace-jack. d5t6y7 would have won the pot because the board ran five-queen-jack-ace-four. KJJJIDIele saw a golden envelope open in front of them, an envelope containing $3,000!

Ukraine’s “Freedan” saw their tournament end in sixth place for $2,224, “Adhmor8” fell in fifth for $3,039, and “p1uzera” bowed out in fourth for $3,199. None of those eliminated players’ envelopes contained the $10,000 mystery bounty payment!

Neither did the envelope on the head of third-place finisher “Iadutska” who collected $4,558, meaning the heads-up duo were not only fighting for the first place and the not-so-small matter of more than $2,100 difference in prize money, but one of them had a $10,000 mystery bounty on their head!

888poker LIVE Barcelona Runs May 10-22; Will There be a Spanish Main Event Champion?

KJJJIDIele started the heads-up battle with a 62.6 big blind to 58 big blind advantage over d5t6y7 but the stacks were reversed on the first hand with KJJJIDIele getting frisky with queen-five of clubs and folding to a four-bet.

The chip lead exchanged hands a few times over the next 15 minutes, but neither player could pull away from the other. That was until d5t6y7 flopped twp pair with nine-deuce and got fully paid off by KJJJIDIele, who couldn’t lay down their pair of aces.

d5t6y7 now held an eight-to-one chip advantage over KJJJIDIele, and the writing was on the wall for the latter. The final hand occurred soon after and saw KJJJIDIele limp with king-eight, and call when d5t6y7 raised to three big blinds. A ten-king-ten flop saw d5t6y7 fire a 1.5 big blind bet, and KJJJIDIele called. An eight on the turn was greeted with a 3.1 big blind bet, a 10.4 big blind shove from KJJJIDIele, and a call from d5t6y7. It was king-eight for KJJJIDIele and king-jack for d5t6y7. A seven on the river busted KJJJIDIele in second place for $10,771, and they handed an envelope containing $10,000 to the tournament’s champion, d5t6y7.

Learn more about the $2M Gtd XL Spring Series

$2 Million Guaranteed XL Spring Series Starts May 21

It is all hands to the pump right now at 888poker with the online poker giant hosting the $2 million guaranteed XL Spring series from May 21, in addition to having its live poker team in Spain for the 888poker LIVE Barcelona festival.

The first of 32 numbered XL Spring series events shuffles up and deals at 6:30 p.m. BST on May 21, while the 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event runs from May 17-22, and you can follow all of the Barcelona Main Event action right here at PokerNews.

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Bulgaria has itself a PartyPoker MILLIONS Online KO champion, and Yulian Bogdanov is the player who brought home the bacon. Bogdanov came out on top in the MILLIONS Online KO 6-Max Championship and turned his $215 investment into a $32,631 haul.

The tournament drew in 1,111 entrants across several starting flights, resulting in a guarantee-busting $222,200 prize pool. Only 165 of those entrants progressed to Day 2, with each locking in a min-cash for their efforts plus any scalps they collected along the way.

Big names littered the Day 2 payout list. Endrit Geci, the 2021 MILLIONS Online Main Event champion cashed in this event. As did such luminaries as Jerry Odeen, Marton Czuczor, Irish legend Andy Black, Niklas Astedt, Ioannis Angelou Konstas, Team PartyPoker’s Patrick Leonard, Kenny Hallaert, Benjamin Chalot, and the United Kingdom’s Tom Hall.

Seven PartyPoker players made up the final table. With bounties included, each was guaranteed a four-figure haul.

Finland’s Elias Suhonen was the first finalist to find themselves with fresh air where their chips once stood. Suhonen saw $2,317 land in his PartyPoker account.

Brazilian Gustavo Cerjeira busted in sixth for $4,289 before Team PartyPoker’s Matt Staples ran out of luck and had to make do with a fifth-place finish worth $6,043.

Fourth place and $7,581 went to Henrique Coutinho, with Eugenio Peralta busting in third for $12,587, which sent the tournament into the heads-up stage.

Bogdanov was only a single elimination away from capturing the title, but the talented Brit John Adderley stood in his way. Both players guaranteed themselves more than $14,000 from the main prize pool, but the final bounty payment was worth more than that, so everything was still to play for.

Unfortunately for Adderley, he fell at the final hurdle and received a $17,848 consolation prize. Meanwhile, Bogdanov reeled in a score worth $32,631, giving him plenty of ammunition for the rest of the MILLIONS Online KO Series, which concludes at the end of May.

MILLIONS Online KO 6-Max Championship Final Table Results

Brazilian One-Two in the Sunday Party

A field of 1,522 players bought into the MILLIONS Online KO edition of the Sunday Party, and created a $152,200 prize pool. There was a notable absentee from the field in Patrick Leonard. Having won back-to-back Sunday Party events, we would have thought Leonard was raring to go in this tournament. Perhaps he took a backseat to allow someone else to win?

The nine-handed final table had five Brazilian players seated around it, and two of those Samba stars navigated their way to the heads-up section of the event.

Guilherme Rimbano found himself in a one-on-one battle with fellow countryman Lazaro Tupy. There was little difference in the main prize pool payouts, with both Brazilians securing more than $8,600 for their efforts. Both players had been active throughout the tournament, and were both guaranteed to add more than $5,000 worth of extras to their hauls.

When the dust settled, it was Rimbano who held all of the chips, and he scooped a total prize worth $17,471, leaving Tupy to collect $13,650.

This weekend’s Sunday Party, at 7:05 p.m. BST on May 21, boasts a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool, making it the biggest Sunday Party since the tournament launched a few weeks ago.

MILLIONS Online KO Sunday Party Final Table Results

Big Names Progress in the Main Event

Two MILLIONS Online KO Main Event flights are in the bag, and those Day 1s have seen 374 players whittled to a more manageable 57. The current top ten has some phenomenal talent in it, and the field is only going to become tougher with each subsequent flight that takes place.

Antonio Ortega of Malta is the early chip leader, having turned his one million starting stack into 23,619,050 chips. Ortega also has $1,750 locked in from bounties already, meaning he is freerolling towards one of the tournament’s bigger prizes.

Also currently in the top ten are Steven Van Zadelhoff (12,561,583), Patrice Brandt (9,999,370), and Jerry Odeen (9,354,655).

Further down the chip counts, you find Jack Sinclair (7,068,279), Tomi Brouk (6,208,257), former MILLIONS Online Main Event winners Jon Van Fleet (5,571,344) and Benjamin Chalot (5,555,137), Team PartyPoker’s Jaime Staples (5,158,107), and Swedish superstar Simon Mattsson (4,593,511).

There are Day 1s at 7:05 p.m. BST on May 21 and May 28, plus additional flights at 4:05 p.m. BST and 6:05 p.m. BST on May 29.

MILLIONS Online KO Main Event Top 10 Chip Counts

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On Sunday night, the poker world lost a legend in Doyle Brunson, who passed away at the age of 89. The loss of the 10-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet winner sent shockwaves through the poker world, with titans such as Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and Jen Harman sharing their sorrow.

Brunson leaves behind an unmatched legacy – which was discussed in a special episode of the PokerNews Podcast here – as well as being the subject of some of the most iconic poker photos ever taken.

“I look through my photo archive and I have something to remember,” the original WSOP photographer Ulvis Alberts shared. We first met in 1977 in Las Vegas, Binion’s Horseshoe Casino. You were charismatic, talented, and invincible – that’s how you will remain in our memories and in the history of poker. RIP.”

“You were charismatic, talented, and invincible – that’s how you will remain in our memories and in the history of poker.”

Eric Harkins, who was once called the “Godfather of Poker Photography,” shared similar sentiments.

“Very sad to hear that our friend the ‘Godfather of Poker’ Doyle Brunson has passed away at age 89. Always a genuine smile; bigger heart; and treated my crew (Image Masters Photography) and myself with the greatest respect during our time with World Series of Poker (WSOP). Our condolences to his family and management team Poker Royalty. The poker world has lost a true legend of the game. Thank you for ALL the memories, Doyle!”

Drew Amato, who has made a name for himself as one of the most respected modern-day poker photographers, summed it up with a simple: “Always loved photographing Doyle. Sad to hear of his passing…. the last of a dying breed. Rest Easy Tex.”

Brunson has had his picture snapped thousands of times throughout the decades by hundreds of photographers. While some images are iconic, such as his winner photos from the 1976 and 1977 WSOP Main Events, PokerNews, unfortunately, does not own the rights to such images.

That said, we have hundreds of photos of “Texas Dolly” in our database, and below we present some of our favorites.

Poker Players From All Eras Pay Tribute After Doyle Brunson’s Passing

PokerNews Shots of Doyle Brunson

Our last photo of Brunson came back at the 2021 WSOP when he participated in Event #79: Poker Hall of Fame Bounty. Brunson, who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame back in 1988, was all smiles during the tournament where he played the role of ambassador chatting with tablemates and taking photos with fans. Here, Brunson is all smiles in a picture taken by Rachel Kay Miller.

While at the 2021 WSOP, Brunson participated in a promotion sit-and-go with some of the biggest names in the game, including 16-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth. Back in 1989, Hellmuth was the new young gun rising through the ranks ushering in a new-school era from the Texas Road Gamblers, like Brunson. However, unlike some of the old times, Brunson stood the test of time and would battle Hellmuth many times in the years to come including in this photo by Hayley Hochstetler.

Brunson’s last WSOP cash came back at the 2018 WSOP when he finished sixth in Event #23: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw. After he busted, Brunson took off his iconic cowboy bat in what would essentially signify his retirement from tournament poker. Antonio Abrego snapped this photo just prior to Brunson taking his leave from the tournament.

In the same tournament, Brunson’s son, fellow Poker Hall of Famer Todd Brunson, finished in 10th place. Before his elimination, the father-son duo got the opportunity to play next to each other, and once again Abrego was there to capture the special moment.

It was rare to get a photo of Brunson when he wasn’t either playing or surrounded by others, but at the 2018 WSOP Jayne Furman snapped this beautiful picture of the legend inside the gamed Amazon Room.

Ten years ago, during the 2013 WSOP, officials commemorated Brunson’s stellar career with a bronzed bust. WSOP officials Jack Effel and Ty Stewart presented Brunson with the bust in a special ceremony, and the old Texan didn’t hesitate to pose with his likeness.

At the 2013 WSOP, Brunson took part in Event #55: $50,000 Poker Players’ Championship, which featured a trophy named after his best friend, David “Chip” Reese. While Brunson never won that tournament, he did cash it twice finishing eighth in 2006 for $274,560 and 16th in 2008 for $124,320. In 2013, Brunson played alongside Phil Ivey giving poker fans a side-by-side shot of the two poker greats in action.

A lot of poker fans have shared experiences of nearly getting run over by Brunson, who was known to drive his scooter up and down the hallways of the 2009. Well, at the 2009 WSOP it became an actual spectacle when Brunson had an officially-sanction scooter race against the late “Amarillo Slim” Preston, his longtime friend and fellow Texas road gambler.

One of PokerNews’ earliest photos of Doyle Brunson is from the 2007 WSOP. At the time, Brunson was in a three-way tie with Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth for most gold bracelets with 10 each. However, Hellmuth went on to break the record by claiming No. 11 in Event #15: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em. During the bracelet ceremony, both Brunson and Chan took time to present the “Poker Brat” with his new hardware.

Executive Editor U.S.

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

An epic battle between two of the Midwest’s greatest poker players took place last night at FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Michigan as Minnesota’s Kou Vang bested Wolverine State native Dash Dudley in the $1,110 buy-in Main Event to win $314,145 and his third MSPT title.

Vang, an MSPT Hall of Famer, earned his biggest career cash with the victory in the Main Event, which drew 2,471 runners including fellow Hall of Famer Josh Reichard (33rd – $8,623) and recent MSPT Missouri State Championship winner Umut Ozturk (29th – $11,019).

Learn More About Poker in Michigan!

MSPT FireKeepers $1,110 Main Event Final Table Results

Battle of the Midwest’s Best

There couldn’t have been a better heads-up duo as the MSPT FireKeepers Main Event came to a close with Vang and Dudley being two of the most accomplished poker players in the region.

Vang entered the tournament with $2.1 million in live tournament earnings and two MSPT titles from victories in the 2011 MSPT Canterbury Park Main Event ($64,645) and the 2022 Running Aces Casino Main Event ($67,621) on his resume.

Reaching the final nine players gave Vang his 13th MSPT Main Event final table appearance, but he faced top-notch competition from Dudley, a three-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner and Michigan poker superstar with $3.1 million in live earnings.

According to MSPT live updates, Vang and Dudley entered heads-up play nearly even in chips before Vang took the lead against the three-time bracelet winner, who was after his first MSPT title.

In the final hand, Dudley was all in and at risk with ace-six and couldn’t hold against the queen-jack of Vang as the Minnesota crusher locked up his third title.

“This is the reason why we play the game is to get life-changing scores like this,” Vang told MSPT after the victory. “I play the game to provide for my family the best I can, and $300,000 should go a long way.”

Next up on the MSPT trail will be a stop in Deadwood, South Dakota that will feature the $1,110 buy-in South Dakota State Poker Championship from May 19-21.

_{Photos courtesy of MSPT}

The Godfather of Poker. The most iconic player in poker’s history. Legend. These are just a few of the words the poker community used to describe Doyle Brunson upon the 89-year-old’s passing this weekend.

From his days as a Texas road gambler in the 1970s to his iconic appearances on televised poker shows like High Stakes Poker and The Big Game and through his recent work as an ambassador for the World Poker Tour, the longevity and timelessness of Brunson’s poker career makes a strong case for him being the most important poker player of all time.

Across a legendary poker career that spanned more than a half-century, Brunson inspired and influenced just about every poker player who ever picked up a deck of cards.

“’Legend’ feels inadequate,” tweeted Phil Galfond, who memorably played with Brunson on The Big Game at the height of the poker boom. “We don’t have a word for what Doyle Brunson is to poker.”

Remembered For His Sense of Humor

Several other players who exchanged chips with Brunson in televised poker games recounted their memories on the felt, including actress and High Stakes Poker regular Jennifer Tilly.

“I had the pleasure of playing with him many times,” wrote Tilly. “He had a wicked sense of humor and always put a smile on my face. Even when he bluffed me out of a hand he did it in such a genial way, I felt like it had somehow been an honor for him to take my chips.”

Lex Veldhuis, meanwhile, recounted a story where he swapped money with Brunson and Phil Ivey while in Europe. When Ivey asked Brunson for $25,000, here was the Poker Godfather’s reply: “I don’t carry spare change on me, stop wasting my damn time.”

Further highlighting Brunson’s sharp sense of humor, Jerod Smith shared a 2018 tweet where Brunson showed off a brand new Cadillac Escalade and thanked “all the players who lost money in Bobby’s Room this summer” for funding the purchase.

Brunson’s appearances in televised cash games influenced countless aspiring grinders who were impressed by seeing the Texas Dolly in action. Daniel Zack noted that he “grew up religiously watching poker” and that Brunson “was a childhood hero who I grew up often pretending to be along with a host of others as I dealt myself 9 face up hands to play against each other in my bedroom.”

Darren Elias shared a similar memory: “Still remember the hype from my first home game every time T2o would get rolled over.”

Scott Seiver recalled one of the first times he played with Brunson and tried to bluff him with his signature ten-deuce.

“I bluffed $40,000 in a hopeless spot because I had T2o and wanted to show him I could beat him with it. As he raked the pot he just looked at me and smiled and said “do you know how many people have given me their $ trying to do that(?)” wrote Seiver.

On the Felt Up to His Final Months

While many of the anecdotes that emerged about Brunson after his death are decades old, some of them are as recent as a few months.

Maria Ho recalled playing with Brunson at the WPT World Championship in Las Vegas in December, noting that he was “sharp as ever and had me in awe of his presence until the end.”

Similarly, WPT ambassador Brad Owen called playing with Brunson at the WPT World Championship “a dream come true for me … after watching him and rooting him on for 20 years,” while fellow ambassador Andrew Neeme said he was “incredibly blessed” for the opportunity to play with Brunson.

Tarun Gulati shared a story from 2021 where he played in Bobby’s Room for the first time and saw Brunson at an adjacent table. “He’s the first one to take his seat at the adjacent table, ready to play whatever big bet game was running on that particular day, wrote Gulati. “I thought to myself: ‘Legend’.”

Making Poker What It Is Today

A universal agreement among those who paid tribute to Brunson was that he played a significant role in growing the game to its current heights.

“I’m forever grateful for Doyle’s contribution to the poker world,” wrote old school pro Josh Arieh. “I definitely wouldn’t be where I’m at today, if not for him growing the game. He will always be one of my idols! Poker world will never be the same!”

“He did a ton to make poker what it is today,” agreed PokerCoaching.com’s Jonathan Little. “He was always a pleasure to play with. He will be missed.”

Many pointed to Brunson’s seminal 1979 Super/System as a landmark work that taught countless players a new way of thinking about the game.

Phil Hellmuth, the only player with more World Series of Poker bracelets than Brunson, credited Brunson with inspiring “3 generations of poker players w his play, his award winning book “Super System,” and his fabulous style and grit,” while Matt Berkey said that the early poker strategy book “was far & away the biggest influence in shaping my game.”

“He inspired me and millions of others,” wrote poker author James McManus, who wrote about Brunson in his classic book Positively Fifth Street. “One of the greatest players ever but without an arrogant cell in his body.”

Daniel Negreanu, one of the first to break the news of Brunson’s death, said that “there will never be another Doyle Brunson,” while former High Stakes Poker host Amanda Negreanu called Brunson her “fave (poker player) of all time.”

“I remember being so giddy and nervous to meet him for the first time in 2006,” said Amanda Negreanu. “We had such a fun and playful banter right away.”

Other Tributes

Here are just some of the other tributes from the poker community that emerged in the hours after news of Brunson’s passing.

In a special episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Jesse Fullen, and Connor Richards gather to talk about the passing of legendary poker player Doyle Brunson. They share their favorite memories of “Texas Dolly,” including personal interactions and behind-the-scenes stories.

They also discuss the impact he’s had on the game of poker throughout his 70-year career, which included his Texas Road Gambler Days, being there for the formation of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), and winning 10 gold bracelets and a World Poker Tour (WPT) title. Additionally, Chad and Jesse relive their 2022 “Texas Road Trip” in which they visited Doyle’s hometown, colleague, and other prominent locales.

“There’s no life like the life I’ve lived. You’re free like a cloud floating up in the sky.” – Doyle Brunson

The “Godfather of Poker,” Doyle Brunson has Passed Away at 89

Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show — tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Chad Holloway, Jesse Fullen, and Connor Richards on Twitter.

Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here!

Check Out Past Episodes of the PN Podcast Here!

Executive Editor U.S.

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

Romanian grinder Narcis “Narcisus90” Nedelcu recently helped himself to the largest online poker tournament score of his career when he took down the Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) edition of the PokerStars Thursday Thrill.

Before taking down this SCOOP event, Nedelcu’s biggest result saw $118,485 land in his PokerStars account. That was his reward for taking down a $1,050 Super Tuesday in March 2015. Nedeclu’s new career-best weighs in at $121,922, including bounties, and takes his lifetime online poker tournament earnings ever close to $4 million.

SCOOP 27-H: $1,050 NLHE PKO Final Table Results

Nedelcu was one of 769 entrants in the $1,050 NLHE PKO SCOOP event at PokerStars late last week. The bumper crowd meant the tournament awarded $769,000, a sum far greater than the advertised $600,000 guarantee.

Elite-level players, including Peter “Belabacsi” Traply, Jans “Graftekkel” Arends, Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden, Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph, and Alex “FutureofMe” Kulev cashed in the event, with Kulev popping the final table bubble when he busted in tenth.

Austria’s “T0X-16” was the only finalist not to walk away with at least five figures for their efforts; ninth place came with $9,058 in total.

Do You Know Which Poker Players Have Won the Most SCOOP Titles?

“Haringbus” ($14,180), “Top Grind” ($13,668), and “Twicyyy” ($17,037) joined T0X-16 on the rail, leaving only five players in the hunt for what was a six-figure top prize.

Those five became four when Pedro “kurtWSOP” Cavalieri ($33,047) fell by the wayside, and then three after “Ebaaa11” crashed out in fourth ($34,589). You may recall it was Ebaaa11 who denied Lex “L. Veldhuis” Veldhuis his first SCOOP title a few days prior to this result.

Heads-up was set when “O Vulgo” bowed out in third ($48,288), and that one-on-one battle saw Nedelcu take on “brunojardas1” for the title and a monster-sized final bounty payment. Nedelcu got the job done, and he collected a prize worth $121,922, resigning the runner-up to a $62,104 consolation prize.

“Faboulus888” Becomes a SCOOP Champion, Veldhuis Comes Close Again

Team PokerStars’ Lex “L. Veldhuis” Veldhuis came close to securing his first SCOOP title again only days after finishing as a runner-up in a high-stakes event. This latest near miss came in the SCOOP edition of the Saturday KO, a $1,050 buy-in affair that drew in 620 entrants, and paid out $620,000.

Veldhuis had to make do with a third-place finish, which was good for $45,822. Veldhuis’ elimination left “Faboulus888” of Austria against Niklas “Lena900” Astedt. Faboulus888 defeated the legendary Swede, and saw $94,454 appear in his PokerStars account, leaving Astedt to bank a $51,758 second-place prize.

Before Veldhuis busted, such luminaries as Renan “Aziz.Macha” Aziz ($18,052), Krasimir “Kraskata85” Yankov ($20,202), and former Team PartyPoker member Renato “renaton” Nomura ($31,640) saw their tournaments end sooner than they would have liked, albeit with a final table appearance to show for their efforts.

SCOOP 33-H: $1,050 NLHE PKO Final Table Results

Other Notable PokerStars SCOOP Results

Brazilian star Bruno “great dant” Volkmann reeled in $108,418 after being the last player standing in a $5,200 No-Limit Hold’em PKO side event. Also joining Volkmann in the winner’s circle was the likes of Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav, and Jerry “perrymejsen” Odeen, the latter being in superb form of late.

Bet365 Casino has a fantastic ongoing promotion called Monday Free Spins Builder which could be the perfect way to get the week off to a flying start. As the name of the promotion suggests, Monday Free Spins Builder gives you the chance to build a stack of up to 100 free spins just for playing eligible slots.

Like most casino promos, the Monday Free Spins Builder starts with you heading to your bet365 casino account and opting into the promotion. Once you have opted in to this promotion once, there is no need to opt-in during future weeks. Currently, the Monday Free Spins Builder is set to run up to an including July 24,

All that is required after that is to stake at least £25 cash on one of the following exciting slots before 11:59 p.m. GMT on Monday night. Manage this simple feat and bet365 rewards you with five free spins. However, they’ll also give you an additional free spin for every £5 wagered after that, up to a maximum of 100 free spins!

Which games are eligible for the Monday Free Spins Builder?

There are five eligible slots that you must play to receive any free spins; these slots are also the games that you can use your Monday Free Spins Builder free spins.

Which game you play is entirely down to your preference. The table below shows the eligible titles listed in order of highest to lowest Return To Player (RTP). RTP shows the theoretical edge that a casino has, so the higher the RTP percentage, the lower the house edge, so bear that in mind.

Bet365 Casino may change the eligible slots at the end of each promotional period. Be sure to check out the promotion’s dedicated page to keep up-to-date with the latest slots.

Win Up To 250 Free Spins With the Bet365 Free Spins Burst Promotion

How do you claim your free spins?

Any free spins earned from the Monday Free Spins Builder are credited to your account within 48 hours of the promotional period ending. You can either claim them by clicking on the pop-up message that will appear on your screen or by heading to the My Offers section.

Once accepted, you have seven days to use your free spins, or they will disappear into the ether. The free spins are valued between £0.10 and £0.20 depending on the game played, so could be worth up to £20 of free play.

Perhaps the best thing about this promotion is the fact there are no wagering requirements attached to any winnings accrued from the free spins; you can transfer or withdraw them at your discretion.

Grab Another 150 Free Spins When Joining Bet365

All new Bet365 Casino customers signing up for a free account via PokerNews‘ links can help themselves to 50 free spins when they stake just £10 on eligible slots. Create your bet365 casino account, make a deposit, and stake at least £10 across Football Ca$h Collect, Joker Rush, Age of the Gods Book of Oracle, Age of the Gods God of Storms, Blue Wizard megaways, Legacy of the Tiger, The Walking Dead, or The Walking Dead 2, and you’ll receive 50 free spins to use on any of those titles.

You can even capture another 100 free spins when joining the Bet365 Games section of the website. Deposit at least £10 and sin the Free Spins reel on five separate days out of the next ten. You’ll win five, ten, or 20 free spins each time, for a maximum of 100 free spins!

The promotion presented on this page was available at the time of writing. With some Casino promotions changing on daily basis, we suggest you to check on the site if it still available. Also, please do not forget to read the terms and conditions in full before you accept a bonus.

Spring is the favorite season for many people thanks to the days growing longer, the sun starting to shine more frequently, and flowers and plants starting their growth spurts. Spring is also when 888poker rolls out all of the stops and brings tons of value to its players via the XL Spring Series.

Running from May 21 through June 6, the 888poker XL Spring Series features 32 numbered events that have combined guaranteed prize pools weighing in at a cool $2 million. Throw into the mix a whole host of action-packed side events with a variety of buy-ins, and you have all of the ingredients for an epic couple of weeks’ tournament action.

888poker XL Spring Schedule

Buy-ins for the 888poker XL Spring Series range from $5.50 to $525, with a wide selection between those extremes. Most events are one-day affairs, although two of the biggest tournaments on the bustling schedule have multiple flights, a Day 2, and a live-streamed final table.

Event #19 is the $160 buy-in $200,000 guaranteed Mystery Bounty 8-Max. There are 21 Day 1s available from May 24-29, with Day 2 shuffling up and dealing at 9:00 p.m. on May 29.

Each of those Day 1s concludes at the end of the 18th level or when only 14% of the field remains. The surviving players progress to Day 2 in the money and with the mystery bounties in play. 888poker promises that the largest of those mystery bounties will tip the scales at a juicy $20,000.

Keeping a Bounty in Play in a Knockout Tournament at 888poker

Play on Day 2 continues until only the final table of eight remains, and those eight finalists take their seats at 7:00 p.m. GMT on May 30 under the watchful eyes of the 888poker Twitch stream.

Of course, the biggest tournament on the 888poker XL Spring Series schedule is the eagerly anticipated Main Event. The Main Event Mystery – Event #32 – costs $250 to enter but has an impressive $500,000 guaranteed prize pool! Again, there are more than a dozen flights running from May 31-June 5, each concluding at the end of the 18th level or when only 14% of the starters remain.

Day 2 starts at 9:00 p.m. on June 5 with everyone in the money places and in with a shot of a top jackpot worth an incredible $50,000! Day 2 continues until only nine players remain, and those finalists return to the fray from 7:00 p.m. on June 6 to play down to a champion with cards-up coverage on the 888poker Twitch channel.

Billy_Slater Secures 888poker $100K Mystery Bounty Title

Last year’s 888poker XL Spring Series Main Event was not a mystery bounty affair but carried the same $250 buy-in and $500,000 guarantee. It drew in 2,173 players, and Andorra’s “Instinctym” took it down for $65,608 after a heads-up deal with Montenegro’s “alanchi,” who won $56,387.

As you would expect, there are dozens of XL Spring Series satellites running around the clock, giving 888poker players the chance to turn mere pennies into a shot at the big time.

In addition, the 888poker Twitch stream team will be giving away tickets during their Magic Monday’s stream, while the online poker site’s social media pages will be brimming with contests awarding XL Spring Series tickets.

Grab Yourself the Best 888poker Welcome Bonus

You can head into the $2 million guaranteed XL Spring Series armed with the best 888poker welcome bonus. Download 888poker via PokerNews, and you’re guaranteed to receive a welcome offer that will blast your bankroll into orbit. Here’s to seeing you at an XL Spring Series final table.