No guest this week as we answer questions from our mail bag.
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The 2023 PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) attracted 1,014 players, a mix of poker pros and amateurs, many of who got in after winning a Platinum Pass. Also sprinkled throughout the field were a number of celebrities including UFC announcer Bruce Buffer, Survivor all-star “Boston” Rob Mariano, and David Costabile, who currently plays Mike “Wags” Wagner on Showtime’s hit show Billions and also portrayed Gale Boetticher on Breaking Bad.
So how did one of the busiest actors in Hollywood find his way to the PSPC?
“Let me tell you a story – early, early days. In the pandemic, you remember that? We were all inside and there was a celebrity charity tournament that was set up through PokerStars,” he told PokerNews. “And I got invited to that and through Brian Koppelman, who was my boss at Billions, and Hank Azaria was running it I won the tournament.”
The tournament he was referring to was the Stars CALL for Action powered by PokerStars Charity Tournament in May 2020. Costabile defeated a field filled with A-list celebrities – including Breaking Bad co-stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul – to win $100,000 to donate to World Central Kitchen, a charity that supplies food to those who most need it.
“They’re working really hard in Ukraine to give people food and it’s an amazing organization,” Costabile explained. “I was so happy to be able to give them $100,000, I mean, that was awesome. Also, at that particular time, there was so much need going around. I really believe strongly in their cause.”
Other celebs to participate were Amy Schumer, Michael Cera, Jon Hamm, Neymar Jr., Don Cheadle, Jeff Garlin, David Schwimmer, Edward Norton, Macaulay Culkin, Lisa Kudrow, Teri Hatcher, Kevin Pollak, David Arquette, Liam Payne, Ricky Williams, Jack Black, and Jason Alexander, among many more.
David Costabile Wins Stars CALL For Action powered by PokerStars – Charity Tournament
PokerStars Comes Calling
More than two years after his online win, Costabile was approached by PokerStars about the idea of coming down to the Bahamas and participating in the PSPC via a Platinum Pass.
“They called and said, ‘You can win poker events, why can’t you come and win this poker tournament?’ And then I said, ‘Yeah, can I come and win this poker tournament?’ Then interestingly enough, that didn’t happen this time. But I’m one for two. right? So, that’s Hall of Fame. What’s the best batting average in the Hall of Fame? I might just call it a day. I mean, that might be my last tournament. You know, I won the first one, lost the second.”
He continued: I’ve played in smaller tournaments. I’ve certainly played in online tournaments before back in the Middle Ages. It was not on this particular scale and not so heavy with the professional poker players, the people who can spend their whole time playing poker. That’s where it gets trickier for someone who just admires poker. I like to watch poker, I play poker, but I am not a professional. I’m a professional actor. You just got to know where you fit, how your puzzle piece fits, and then apply it.”
As for the PSPC, Costabile was in the thick of things for most of Day 1. When asked if there were any big hands or spots, he didn’t hesitate.
“Here’s some advice for you as a poker player that I learned – when you’re short stacked with about 20 big blinds and you’re under the gun and you’re playing with people who are leagues ahead of you and you get queens, instead of trusting your instinct that says to you, ‘I should probably go all in at this point,’ you think to yourself, ‘Maybe I’ll get tricky.’ That feeling of I should get tricky. That’s not a good feeling. That’s not the voice to listen to.”
Costabile, who lost that hand with pocket queens, wound up falling towards the end of Day 1 in Level 8 (600/1,200/1,200) while playing at the feature table. He got his last 8,200 in holding in the small blind and was up against Antoine Saout‘s in early position and Daniel Neilson holding in the hijack.
The two active players checked down the board of and Saout made a club flush to scoop. Costabile said farewell to his table mates before exiting the stage.
“There’s nothing like being on television and having to play poker with people who are incredibly accomplished, who then recognize that you are the mark at the table and really, really want to get you,” Costabile said. “It was fun. When they weren’t trying to attack me, they were all very kind.”
David Costabile in PSPC action.
What Character Would Make the Best Poker Player?
Costabile has played some classic characters over the years – including Daniel Hardman in Suits and managing Editor Thomas Klebanow on The Wire – so which one does he would make the best poker player in real life?
“I think Wags would probably be a great high-stakes cash player.”
“Well, I do think Gale would probably, he was a great mathematician, so he would probably be a great tournament player,” said Costabile. “I think Wags would probably be a great high-stakes cash player.”
As for Costabile himself, he seems to be a little more like Wags than Gale, meaning he’s far from quiet and reserved, rather a bit more boisterous and engaging.
“I’ve got to go back to New York and shoot a scene on Friday and so maybe I was a little more like Wags in that tournament,” he admitted. “We’re in the middle of shooting our seventh season of Billions and we’ll be finished around the end of May, and then I don’t know, I’ve got other things that I’ve just shot last year.”
Cameo in NBC’s The Office
David Costabile at the PSPC feature table.
Another role that Costabile played was as “The Banker” in an episode of The Office, largely regarded as one of the best comedies of all time. PokerNews couldn’t resist asking the story behind his appearance on the legendary mockumentary sitcom.
“Rainn [Wilson] and I are very good friends and we had been friends since college. We all had auditioned for The Office when it first came out and Rainn got it. It was awesome for him,” Costabile explained. “I did not audition for Dwight, I auditioned for Jim. Not going to get that.”
“There’ll be more poker. I’m wounded but I’m not out.”
He continued: “There was a group of us that were out working in Los Angeles at the time and we all auditioned … In the beginning, it was a really slow grind and NBC really kept it surviving and then it grew into something huge, which was awesome for them. I really had Rainn lobbying for me to be on the show. I really wanted to be on the show before it ended, so I got in, which was good.”
Costabile’s PSPC experience may not have ended in quite the same fashion as his charity tournament experience nearly three years earlier, and while he joked that walking away at this point would leave him with a good record, there’s a solid chance the poker world will see more of him.
“Oh, yeah, there’s gonna be poker for sure,” he said with a smile. “I’ll do some more studying. I’ll really reconsider queens again, but there’ll be more poker. I’m wounded but I’m not out.”
The World Series of Poker has released the full schedule for the 2023 iteration of the calendar’s most prestigious poker festival. Running May 30-July 18, the 2023 WSOP will be comprised of 95 events, the most ever, plus 20 online events for the New Jersey/Nevada network and seven each for the ring-fenced Michigan and Pennsylvania markets.
the largest capacity in the Series’ 52-year history
For the second straight year – and likely far into the future – the WSOP will be jointly hosted by Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas (formerly Bally’s) on the Strip. The WSOP boasts that this year’s version will have the largest capacity in the Series’ 52-year history, with 608 tables and 200,000 square feet of convention space.
The 2022 World Series of Poker attracted just shy of 200,000 entrants (197,626) and set a record with $347.9 million in total prize pools across 89 events. With six more tournaments in the live portion of the WSOP, expect records to fall.
Gunning for the Main Event record
One record that was not toppled last year was that of the Main Event field. With 8,663 entries, the $10,000 Main Event fell just short of the 2006 mark of 8,773. The WSOP is determined to shatter that target in 2023 with a string of promotions dubbed “Main Event Mania.”
Main Event Mania will be celebrated at casinos around the world, as the WSOP will host a Global Qualification Weekend May 20-21. Over a dozen casinos are already on board on four different continents, each of which will run live satellites for the Main Event during the two days.
Both US and “international” players will also have loads of chances to qualify online. For those in the States, WSOP.com will run the “112 Seat Sprint” June 25-July 8, guaranteeing at least 112 seats into the Main Event through a variety satellite tournaments. On GGPoker, players in the rest of the world can compete for one of 500 guaranteed Main Event seats (plus another 100 on ClubGG.net). The total is more that twice the number of Main Event seats GGPoker awarded last year.
win a Main Event seat every year for the next 30 years
As an added incentive, the World Series of Poker is offering an insane prize: a seat in the Main Event “for life.” If the Main Event field breaks the 2006 record, all players in the tournament will be entered into a drawing on July 8 to win a Main Event seat every year for the next 30 years.
New events and schedule highlights
There are nine new events on the 2023 WSOP schedule, including $1,500 Badugi and $1,500 Big O, which is five-card Pot-Limit Omaha hi-lo split (say that five times fast). The most interesting new tournament, though, is the $300 buy-in Gladiators of Poker, the cheapest event in the history of the WSOP. And to make it even better, it comes with a $3 million guaranteed prize pool.
The second day is when things start getting wild.
The WSOP will really hit the ground running, stacking the front of the schedule with some highlight events. As always, the very first tournament is the $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em event, followed by the $25,000 High Roller Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em event a few hours later. The second day is when things start getting wild. On May 31, both the $1,000 Mystery Millions – in which one player will win a $1 million bounty – and the Tournament of Champions begin. The Mystery Millions has four starting flights, one each day from May 31-June 3, and bounties begin on Day 2.
The Tournament of Champions, which returned last year after a decade hiatus, has moved from the end of the World Series to the beginning. The $1 million freeroll is open to players who won a WSOP Circuit ring in a live event or an online circuit event from July 20, 2022 to May 22, 2023, WSOP Online 2022 winners, and 2022 WSOP Europe bracelet winners.
The post Complete 2023 World Series of Poker Schedule Released, Begins May 30 appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
Gaming content and technology provider Bragg Gaming announced a new content rollout with the largest casino operator in Belgium, Napoleon Sports and Casino.
Content Rollout with the Market Leader
As a result of the partnership with Napoleon Sports and Casino and obtaining its license last year, players in the Benelux country can now enjoy Bragg’s portfolio of games while the Canadian-based gaming supplier continues to expand its presence in Europe.
Commenting on the new business development, Lara Falzon, president and chief operating officer of the Nasdaq- and TSX-listed gaming technology and content company, outlined the excitement of going live in a new jurisdiction, especially when launching “with a market leader like Napoleon Sports and Casino.”
“We’re proud to continue to deliver on our new market expansion strategy, and it is a testament to the hard work of our teams and the quality of our product offering that we can align with so many at the forefront of the industry,” Falzon said, looking forward to enjoying “a fruitful relationship” with its Belgian partner while rolling out Bragg’s “exclusive content” in the country.
The rollout of content with Napoleon aligned with Bragg Gaming’s established approach of entering new regulated gaming jurisdiction in partnerships with market leaders. Napoleon Sports and Casino was acquired by Superbet Group in 2021 and is currently the largest casino operator in Belgium.
“Bragg’s reputation in iGaming is renowned and its provision goes from strength to strength, so this partnership is a natural fit for an innovative and forward-looking operator like Napoleon Sports and Casino,” commented Philippe Joos, chief product officer at Napoleon Sports and Casino.
‘Titles That Speak for Themselves’
Joos also highlighted Napoleon’s ambition to provide its players with “the most thrilling and responsible entertainment in a safe and protected environment,” and that the collaboration with Bragg Gaming “fits perfectly with that goal” by introducing to the market quality “titles that speak for themselves.”
Entering Belgium with Napoleon Sports and Casino opens up new opportunities for Bragg Gaming in an online casino market with an estimated worth of $395 million in 2022 and is expected to diversify the company’s paths to growth while expanding its footprint in a number of key regions.
At the end of last month, Bragg Gaming entered into two key partnerships. The firm initially partnered with First Look Games to ensure access for its in-house studios such as Indigo Magic, Atomic Slot Lab, as well as partners, to more than 800 approved publishers and affiliates, and later on, signed a content deal with DraftKings in New Jersey.
Endorphina, a rising developer of online slot games, has announced its foray into the Dutch market. This entry is made possible by Endorphina’s agreement with Casino777.nl, a local iGaming operator.
Endorphina to Power Casino777.nl with Games
As announced by the developer, its products will now be available in the Netherlands through Casino777.nl’s online platform. The agreement, Endorphina said, marks a strong beginning of 2023 for the company as it allows it to enter one of Europe’s most active wagering markets.
Thanks to the deal with Casino777, Endorphina’s iconic content will be rolled out in the country, allowing local customers to try out some of the developer’s hits. These will include engaging titles such as Cyber Wolf, Joker Stories and 2022 Hit Slot, among others.
An increasing number of games will be implemented into Casino777’s platform as the partnership between the two companies progresses, the announcement said. Some of the fan-favorite games that Dutch customers can expect to be added at a later date include the beloved Chance Series and the atmospheric Book of Santa.
Casino777 is the Dutch iGaming brand of the Belgian land-based gambling company Casino de Spa. The latter is behind one of the first casinos in the world and is a company with a significant footprint in Europe. Its Netherlands-oriented brand reflects its industry-leading mentality and is a major local brand that offers games from some of the best studios in the world.
Casino777 is known for its adaptability, which has helped it remain a top brand in the Netherlands. The agreement with the operator attests to the quality of Endorphina’s titles and will help the developer expand its presence in Europe.
A month and a half ago, the developer also launched its games with Staryes in Italy.
A Great Opportunity for Endorphina
Endorphina’s senior partnership manager, Zdenek Llosa, commented on the new deal. He noted that entering a new market is always an occasion to be celebrated at Endorphina. Llosa added that his team is happy to announce the agreement with the Dutch brand.
Entering a new market is a special moment within our company and we are delighted to announce our entry to the Netherlands with the help of this well-known operator – Casino777.
Llosa concluded by telling aficionados that a selection of Endorphina games is already available on Casino777.nl for them to play.
Casino777’s head of gaming, Jean-Christophe Choffray, also commented on the deal. He welcomed Endorphina to the Casino777 family and said that his team is delighted to offer its games to its players.
As Casino777.nl continues to evolve, we look forward to working with Endorphina on all its future releases and development to bring our players the best gaming experience possible.
Jean-Christophe Choffray, head of gaming, Casino777
In November 2022, Casino777 also adopted Greentube’s portfolio, further expanding its offering.
Sports media holding company Major League Wrestling (MLW) announced it has entered in partnership with online gaming operator BetOnline.AG and designated the gambling firm as its Official Sportsbook Partner.
Sports Betting Goes Hand-in-Hand with Sports
The agreement with MLW also made BetOnline the title sponsor of the organization that operates across television content, live events and ancillary entertainment in major markets in North America such as the US and Mexico.
Court Bauer, chief executive officer of MLW, noted that wagering on sports is very much “embedded in all forms of sports” and the partnership with BetOnline is natural as both partners share similar values and their products are aligned.
“Just as they are a leader in the rapidly growing sports gaming space, MLW aims to lead in a time when pro wrestling has never been hotter, and we’re looking forward to all the ways this partnership will grow,” Bauer added.
The agreement with BetOnline was announced less than a fortnight after MLW had signed its landmark distribution deal with cable network REELZ and days before its new weekly prime time series, MLW Underground Wrestling, is set to debut on February 7, featuring Alex Hammerstone, Killer Kross, Jacob Fatu, and Mads Kruger, the first-ever MLW action figures produced by BossFightShop.
‘Rabid Fanbase’ and ‘Growing Audience’
Dave Mason, brand manager at BetOnline, was thrilled to see the gambling brand partner with MLW. He emphasized the company’s will to provide support for initiatives that are in alignment with its product and hailed MLW as “a burgeoning behemoth in the pro wrestling space.”
“BetOnline’s sponsorship allows us to heavily engage with MLW’s rabid fanbase, bringing new and exciting entertainment and gambling products to its growing audience,” Mason added, pointing to BetOnline’s history of offering odds for wrestling events of over 15 years and thrilled “to be part of MLW’s trailblazing entry into the industry.”
As one of the fastest growing wrestling leagues nowadays, MLW operates live events in New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Tijuana, while its TV programming features across more than 60 countries worldwide.
As an online gambling operator present across multiple verticals, including sportsbook, casino, poker and racing, BetOnline is striving to achieve long-lasting relationships with its customers and the entire gaming community.
In November, BetOnline announced a sponsorship deal with the organizer of the famous nine-ball pool tournament, Mosconi Cup, to become an official partner of the 2022 edition of the tournament which was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas at the end of the month.
Supplier of casino content and technology Aruze Gaming announced it has filed for bankruptcy in Nevada court as part of a company-wide restructuring plan.
Financial Restructuring Ahead
Aruze Gaming informed investors in a press release that it has filed in the US Bankruptcy Court for the State of Nevada a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, seeking protection to financially restructure the company.
Yugo Kinoshita, global chief executive officer of Aruze Gaming, highlighted the importance of the filing as part of “a critical business strategy” the company was forced to adopt “due to external factors” influencing the situation.
“We fully understand the implications associated with this action, but we believe this is the best way for Aruze to maintain the overall health of our business,” Kinoshita said, adamant that the restructuring “has no reflection on the health of Aruze.”
The casino software and content developer outlined that the filing for protection was the company’s response in the wake of a recent garnishment judgment against it which resulted from a separate judgment against its shareholder.
“We’re proud of the advances we have made to establish Aruze as a casino mainstay,” Kinoshita continued in his comments, confident that the company’s actions will help it protect its brand, legacy and portfolio of games, and eventually emerge as an even stronger business.
Aruze Gaming expressed its intention to continue operating as usual while utilizing the protections granted to any business entity under Chapter 11 to address the relative rights of its creditors, customers and employees in an orderly fashion.
Out of Blue Sky
There was no sign of bankruptcy last month when Aruze Gaming added another high-profile client to its roster of B2B customers in the US as BetMGM chose to enrich its iGaming offering in New Jersey with a selection of Aruze titles, including Ultra Stack Lion, 8 Wealthy Lions and Wolf 500g.
The partnership with BetMGM provided for more Aruze games to be added to the operator’s iGaming platform in the future, with one title, Rock Paper Scissors Instant Win, expected to go live within the coming weeks.
The latest development in the US is in stark contrast to recent events in Europe, where Aruze Gaming opened its first office in mid-January. Located in the Netherlands, the office will become the company’s European headquarters and will serve the growing number of its clients in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to assist the business in expanding its footprint.
Boasting substantial management experience and industry insight, Westbury should be the perfect candidate for the position. His new responsibilities will focus on fostering growth and bolstering Sport Generate’s worldwide brand recognition. The appointment is part of Digitain’s ongoing expansion plans as it strives to provide the best possible service to its growing client base.
Westbury Is a Skilled and Industry-Savvy Professional
The new Sport Generate CEO boasts nearly twenty years of management experience, primarily in the iGaming world. Westbury’s work for Digitain spans almost four years and has seen him rise to become the developer’s chief business officer. Digitain and Sport Generate founder Vardges Vardanyan recognized Westbury’s vast skills and industry insight as the leading factors for his promotion to CEO.
We are thrilled to have Simon Westbury on his new position, and we know that he will bring Sport Generate to new heights with his leadership and expertise.
Vardges Vardanyan, Founder of Digitain and Sport Generate
The new position marks a new high of Westbury’s career, capping years of hard work and perseverance. After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Politics from the University of Exeter, he tried his hand at management positions across various industries like energy and media before ultimately finding his home in the iGaming space.
His four-year tenure at virtual sports betting product developer VSoftCo provided him with significant industry insights, bolstering his successful track record in business strategy, executing sales, account management, and marketing. His work on delivering B2B and B2C solutions impressed Digitain, which onboarded him as head of their international development department, eventually propelling him to his current position.
The New Position Comes with Significant Responsibilities
Simon Westbury’s vast experience and familiarity with Digitain’s inner workings make him the perfect candidate to take over as CEO of Sport Generate. The company primarily focuses on popularizing and developing professional sports as a tournament organizer. Sport Generate currently engages with 100 professional athletes, referees, and coaches across sports like table football, e-football, and e-basketball.
As CEO, Westbury will be in charge of Sport Generate’s direction, guiding the company’s strategic growth and helping the management team implement innovative and engaging products to complement Digitain’s overall goals. The new CEO expressed gratitude for the opportunity, pledging to fully utilize his skills and help Sport Generate make an impact in the market.
I am honored to be given the opportunity to lead Sport Generate at such an exciting time in the industry.
Simon Westbury, CEO of Sport Generate
If Westbury succeeds in his mission to propel Sport Generate to new heights, Digitain should also reap significant benefits. The developer primarily focuses on Europe but maintains substantial worldwide expansion ambitions. International Sport Generate success could provide the perfect opportunity to propel Digitain forward and bolster its market reach.
Julian Track, who won the 2013 European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague for €725,700, unexpectedly passed away after a traffic accident on January 17 at the age of 39 according to Poker Firma.
Born November 11, 1983, Track was a prolific online player under the moniker “jutrack” where he had sustained success over the past decade playing primarily pot-limit Omaha (PLO).
In September 2013, Track started to play online satellites for live events and won a package to the EPT Prague.
Track amassed $1,038,891 in tournament earnings in the live realm according to the Hendon Mob. Almost all of that — $994,463 to be exact – came when he topped a 1,007-entry field to win the aforementioned EPT Prague in 2013. It was there he defeated a stacked final table that included Georgios Sotiropoulos (2nd – $959,245), Stephen Chidwick (3rd – $517,992), Ole Schemion (5th – $299,147), Max Silver (6th – $219,530), and Jorma Nuutinen (8th – $115,931).
Julian Track after winning the 2013 EPT Prague Main Event.
Despite his success in Prague, Track couldn’t imagine switching to live poker saying at the time: “There are too many really good players at the tables, and the other thing is that I don’t like when players think about a decision for five or six minutes.”
That year Track also won his way to the Aussie Millions in February 2013 where he wound up cashing in two tournaments.
“Maybe the Aussie Millions will be my last live event”, he said at the time. In fact, Track would cash just two more live tournaments – fourth in the 2014 EPT Barcelona €1,100 NL Omaha Hi/Lo Championship for $8,282 and eighth in the 2015 EPT Malta €1,100 IPT Main Event for $22,233.
Julian Track’s Live Poker Cashes
Date
Tournament
Place
Cash
March 2015
EPT Malta €1,100 IPT Main Event
8th
$22,233
August 2014
EPT Barcelona €1,100 NL Omaha Hi/Lo Championship
4th
$8,282
February 2014
Aussie Millions A$80 NLH Thursday Thriller
7th
$791
February 2014
Aussie Millions A$10,600 Main Event
72nd
$13,122
December 2013
EPT Prague €5,300 Main Event
1st
$994,463
According to his obituary, Track is survived by his Mum and dad, Alexander, Laura Schwedes, best friends Henri and Luki, and other family and friends.
PokerNews offers its condolences to Track’s family and will always remember the EPT Prague champ.
Julian Track Wins PokerStars.com EPT Prague Main Event for €725,700
Residents in a Birmingham suburb are fighting to stop an eighth betting shop opening on their high street, saying the shops are “changing the fabric of the local area”.
There are already seven betting shops in Erdington, which is among the 10% of the most deprived areas in the country, and a consultation over the opening of an eighth ends on Thursday.
The application was initially blocked by Birmingham city council, but the government Planning Inspectorate is now considering an appeal by the betting firm BoyleSports.
Paulette Hamilton, the Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington, said the bookies were gradually turning the street “from a shopping centre into a betting centre”.
She said: “The heart and soul has been taken out of our community with all these betting shops, and it is the biggest complaint I hear about on the doorstep.
“We are changing the fabric of a local area from a place where families and different communities were able to mix together, to a place where you’re just getting a certain type of person coming to gamble.”
She said she was particularly angry about the issue as last month the government rejected a £10m levelling-up bid to transform Erdington high street with “business incubation space, housing, cultural, leisure and social activities”.
“Our high streets are dying. And it feels like the government just don’t care about areas like Erdington,” she said.
Basharat Dad, an Erdington resident and community campaigner, said many residents and local businesses had reached a point where “enough is enough”.
Paulette Hamilton MP, right, said the proliferation of betting shops was ‘not helping people’s mental and physical health’. Photograph: Andrew Fox/The Guardian
“Some do like a bet, but we don’t need eight shops within one stretch of the high street,” he said. “Unfortunately, a lot of crime and antisocial behaviour is associated with the betting shops, and we’re getting to the stage where women and children are finding it difficult to go on to the high street because they don’t feel safe.”
He also said many residents were concerned that betting companies were targeting poorer areas where people are more likely to turn to gambling as a means of making money.
“It can be a vicious cycle, which has an impact on mental health, on domestic violence within the household, on people’s income. All these things add up, and it can ruin whole families and whole communities,” he said.
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“How do we get out of this mess? It needs residents to take action.”
He went door to door in the area with a petition gathering support to object to the application, and has been directing people to help them voice their concerns to the Planning Inspectorate.
“Even a small win like blocking another betting shop I think would give the community more confidence and self-belief to think: what else we can achieve collectively to improve the high street?”
Hamilton said she was concerned that the shops were becoming a magnet for vulnerable people living in nearby houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), which are accumulating in the area.
“I do have a lot of concerns because it’s not helping people’s mental and physical health,” she said. “The high street is just descending into something only certain groups of people would go to.”
in the small blind and was up against 
in early position and 
in the hijack.
and Saout made a club flush to scoop. Costabile said farewell to his table mates before exiting the stage.
