On the latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Connor Richards come to you from the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas and the European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague respectively.
They also offer highlights from the EPT Prague, recap Blake Bohn‘s win for his record-tying fourth MSPT title, Isai Sheinberg and Vince Van Patten receiving WPT honors, and other big stories from the WPT World Championship, including who is still in.
Finally, hear interviews from the WPT World Championship w/ Brad Owen, Lynn Gilmartin, and GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Neidgrano (AKA Daniel Negreanu).
Don’t forget to call the PokerNews Bad Beat Hotline at (+1 702-625-0166) to share your bad beats, which may be featured on a future episode of the show.
Listen to those stories and more in the latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast!
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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.
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While all eyes are currently on the $10,400 World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, it’s important to remember that it is just one tournament in a long festival that runs December 1-20.
During that time there are more than $22 million in guaranteed prize pools being offered across 23 events. Among those to win side event titles were Ethan “Rampage” Yau ($25K High Roller for $894,240), Calen “Big Wheel” McNeil ($600 Limit Omaha 8/B for $21,305), Sergio Grosso ($1,100 Seniors NLH for $130,806), Lawrence Berg ($600 PLO Turbo for $46,307), and Christopher Puetz ($1,600 NLH Bounty Turbo for $79,576).
Here are some other big winners from the series thus far.
Check out the WPT Hub on PokerNews here!
Allen Kessler Wins Limit Omaha 8B Championship
Allen Kessler
From December 13-14, the $1,100 Limit Omaha 8B Championship took place. With 228 entrants, the $100K guarantee was more than doubled as a $221,160 prize pool was on offer to the top 23 finishers.
Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Esther Taylor (10th – $4,578), Nathan Gamble (11th – $4,578), Calen McNeil (16th – $3,178), Ari Engel (18th – $2,864), and Barry Shulman (22nd – $2,596).
Much to the surprise of poker fans worldwide, Allen Kessler, who has finished runner-up in four WSOP gold bracelet events, closed it out by besting Clyde Gaskins in heads-up play. The victory was good for $52,104 and a bit of redemption for the “Chainsaw” as he claimed a desired trophy.
In 2009 I think it was, I won the $1k Omaha 8 event @WynnPoker .
— Allen Kessler (@AllenKessler)
It’s been a bit of a heater for the “Chainsaw” as back in October, Kessler topped a monster field of 41 runners to win the 2022 Orleans Fall Poker Open $400 Eight-Game Mix for $3,210. Prior to his recent victories, Kessler hadn’t had a tournament victory since 2015 according to the Hendon Mob.
$1,100 Limit Omaha 8B Final Table Results
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Allen Kessler
Las Vegas, NV
$52,104
2
Clyde Gaskins
N/A
$42,500
3
Seth Anirudh
Las Vegas, NV
$23,377
4
Steven Weiler
Tarzana, CA
$16,167
5
Patrick Murphy
Nashville, TN
$11,898
6
Frankie O’Dell
Las Vegas, NV
$9,191
7
Kenneth Donoghue
New Hampshire
$7,409
8
Kham Xaythavone
West Valley, UT
$6,192
9
Ly Le
Las Vegas, NV
$5,286
Massive Opening Event Ends in Heads-Up Deal
Sean Banahan
The series actually kicked off with a $600 buy-in, $500K GTD No-Limit Hold’em event from December 1-4. That tournament attracted a massive 2,999 runners and more than tripled the guarantee by generating a $1,559,480 prize pool.
Among those to make deep runs were Eric Baldwin (14th – $13,800), Elvis Toomas (24th – $8,455), Thomas Middleton (34th – $7,430), Jose Barbero (43rd – $6,575), Dan Shak (52nd – $5,860), Mitchell Halverson (63rd – $4,743), and Ryan Riess (69th – $4,743).
The tournament ended in a heads-up deal between Jesse Lonis, one of the hottest players in tournament poker, and Idaho’s Sean Banahan. As part of the deal, Lonis finished in second place for $122,184 while Banahan was deemed champion for $136,220 and the tophy.
$600 NLH Opening Event Final Table Results
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Sean Banahan
Twin Falls, ID
$136,220*
2
Jesse Lonis
Litke Falls, NY
$122,184*
3
Richard Alati
Phoenix, AZ
$84,433
4
David Chavez
Carson, CA
$82,900
5
La Sengphet
Plano, TX
$61,222
6
Jatinder Singh
Lowell, MA
$30,307
7
Lunique Petiote
Woodbine, GA
$25,915
8
David Yokoyama
Wailuku, HI
$22,852
9
Thomas Zanot
Phoenix, AZ
$20,227
*Denotes heads-up deal.
Esther Taylor Bests Benny Glaser to Win 8-Game Mix
Esther Taylor
Back on December 8, the $3,000 8-Game Mix $200K GTD attracted 131 entries, which created a $360,250 prize pool. That was paid out to the top 15 players, and among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Leonard August (10th – $8,538), Toby Lewis (11th – $8,538), Eita Sakai (12th – $7,475), Ken Aldridge (13th – $7,475), Nick Milgrom (14th – $6,621), and AJ Kelsall (15th – $6,621).
The final table was filled with recognizable and accomplished poker players, but after Brian Hastings bowed out in third place for $41,069, the title came down to Esther Taylor and Benny Glaser.
Taylor wound up closing it out for a smooth $100,000, while Glaser took $73,496 for his runner-up finish. Glaser would go on to make a deep run in the WPT World Championship and actually began Day 4 as the chip leader.
$3,000 8-Game Mix Final Table Results
Place
Player
Hometown
Prize
1
Esther Taylor
Pennsylvania
$100,000
2
Benny Glaser
United Kingdom
$73,496
3
Brian Hastings
St. Johns, FL
$41,069
4
Ryan Leng
Las Vegas, NV
$28,100
5
Jon Turner
Las Vegas, NV
$20,714
6
Aaron Kupa
Florida
$16,572
7
Ryan Hughes
Arizona
$13,690
8
Yuval Bronshtein
Flordia
$11,492
9
David Litt
California
$9,849
Ethan “Rampage” Yau Fades the Jinx and Wins WPT $25K High Roller
The 2022 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague Main Event is down to its final four players with Jordan Saccucci leading the way. The remaining players will return on Sunday to compete for the title and the first-place prize money of €1,054,500.
Unfortunately for PokerStars Ambassador Parker Talbot he won’t be joining them, having fallen in fifth place for €278,450, bringing the curtain down on the penultimate day’s play.
That figure is a new career-best for the Canadian, surpassing the €179,360 he earned for a sixth-place finish in the same event four years ago, but it’s a case of so near, yet so far for Talbot who could have joined an exclusive club of PokerStars Ambassadors to have won EPT titles — only six players have ever achieved the feat!
Victoria Coren Mitchell – EPT Sanremo 2014
Arguably one of the most famous EPT victories of all, Victoria Coren Mitchell’s San Remo triumph was not only Coren Mitchell’s second EPT title — the first person to achieve the feat — but it’s also the most recent occurrence of a PokerStars Ambassador winning an EPT Main Event.
“Poker’s Not Just About the Winning”: Two-Time EPT Champion Victoria Coren Mitchell
Coren Mitchell departed PokerStars in 2014 but still makes appearances on the European Poker Tour, playing in the return of EPT London and even commenting on the Hustler Casino Live controversy earlier this year.
Mickey Petersen – EPT Copenhagen 2012
A Danish victory for a Danish player as Mickey Petersen won EPT Copenhagen over a decade ago to take home €338,133.
He defeated 299 players after a six-hour heads-up match against veteran Belgian player Pierre Neuville — who was also a PokerStars Team Pro at the time.
Who Else Has “Done The Double” on the PokerStars European Poker Tour?
Pieter de Korver – EPT Monte Carlo 2009
€2.3 million. The biggest EPT Main Event first prize — surpassed only by the $3 million payout Poorya Nazari won at the 2009 PCA.
And who won that seven-figure sum — Pieter de Korver. Unsurprisingly his victory in the 2009 EPT Grand Final is the largest cash of his career, and he still sits fourth on the Dutch all-time money list behind Teun Mulder, Marcel Luske and Jorryt van Hoof.
Sandra Naujoks – EPT German Open 2009
A female champion on the European Poker Tour is a special feat, with only three women ever having achieved it.
Sandra Naujoks won the EPT German Open in Dortmund back in 2009, becoming the second-ever female to win the title after Coren Mitchell’s victory in September 2006.
And for those of you wondering about Liv Boeree’s 2010 EPT Sanremo victory? It came five months before she joined Team PokerStars Pro.
Sebastian Ruthenberg – EPT Barcelona 2008
Just eight months later, Sebastian Ruthenberg became the second PokerStars Ambassador to win an EPT title at EPT Barcelona in the first event of Season 5.
Ruthenberg had only joined as an Ambassador earlier in the year, and won a WSOP bracelet that summer before heading to the EPT’s traditional summer stop.
He took a 5:1 chip lead into heads-up play against Fintan Gavin and eventually won, walking away with $1,361,000.
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier – PCA 2008
A famous face in the world of poker, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier is one of the biggest names to have won a title on the European Poker Tour, and was the very first to do so as a PokerStars Ambassador. 2008 was the first time the PCA was part of the EPT, and Grospellier won $2,000,000 after defeating a field of 1,136 players.
Grospellier departed PokerStars as an Ambassador in January 2018 after 11-and-a-half years of a “great partnership”.
Note: Our thanks to PokerStars Commentator James Hartigan for his assistance with this article
Will Shillibier
Executive Editor E.U.
Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German, and then studied for a NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism at Sportsbeat in Manchester. He previously worked as a freelance live reporter, and video presenter for the World Poker Tour.
In a recent special edition of the PokerFuse podcast, PokerStars’ Director of Online Poker Experience Chris Straghalis was interviewed about his job at PokerStars, discussing a range of topics from game integrity to the poker product itself.
Over the course of an hour, Straghalis explained all about how PokerStars operates when it comes to matters of Game Integrity, and also what players can expect from future online tournaments.
From poker product management to poker operations, Straghalis was able to peel back the curtain and discuss some of the inner workings of PokerStars itself. Listen to the full episode by clicking here!
Straghalis in action at the poker tables
The Importance of Game Integrity
The hosts of the Pokerfuse Podcast, Michael Gentile and Nick Jones were keen to find out more about how the Game Integrity side of Straghalis’ job functioned.
“When I say, I’m responsible for game integrity, it’s not just the operations side of our game integrity […] but also we have incredible tools on our backend that help us detect these things. We’re always improving them. We’ve made huge improvements and expanded the range of things that we can detect alongside.
“We’re also very motivated to keep our games incredibly safe”
“It is an arms race. You are battling against some very motivated people out there, to try and implement software that can help them make more money, but we’re also very motivated to keep our games incredibly safe. It is more difficult, but we’re up to the challenge, and I’m confident in our abilities to continue to proactively detect these things.”
What Is Real-Time Assistance (RTA)? Is it Legal?
One thing that was brought up in the discussion was Real-Time Assistance and how players may use it to cheat while at the tables.
“Real-Time Assistance (RTA) isn’t necessarily new to [PokerStars],” said Straghalis. “It’s an acronym that’s now become popularized. Basically, we don’t allow anything that helps you make a decision. You’re not allowed to use any software that’s helping you make a decision that’s not wholly your own. You cannot use charts, you cannot use anything that gives you advice, you can’t even use randomized timer software that lets you randomize how you make your betting decisions […] all of those things constitute some level of real-time assistance.
“Even if you’re the one actually under the control, if you’re getting an outside influence in real time, alongside while our client is open, not allowed.”
Solvers are allowed, said Straghalis, but only once your session is complete and, perhaps most-importantly, with the PokerStars client closed. Otherwise it will be detected and further actions may be taken, something Straghalis says PokerStars is “very strong about.”
What is Ghosting? Multi-Accounting? Collusion? Online Poker Cheating Explained
Why Players Love Spin & Gos
One of the more exciting parts of Straghalis’ job was the introduction of new poker products, such as 6+ Hold’em, or innovating on existing elements. One such element was Spin & Gos. These three-handed jackpot Sit & Go tournaments have become a staple of online poker rooms, and Straghalis says that they are a perfect fit for the modern online poker player.
“When you ask players, and we’ve surveyed our players to say, “Why do you like Spin & Go’s? What is their main reason for playing?” You might be surprised that it isn’t the chance of a big jackpot that is the primary reason for people to play them.”
The 2022 Guide to PokerStars Spin and Go Poker
Instead, it’s the pace of play that makes them an attractive proposition, not just the big jackpots that may await them.
“When a beginning poker player plays poker, what’s the biggest mistake they make? They’re impatient. They play too many hands. In the Spin & go, it’s not that incorrect to play too many hands. You want people to be playing more hands. Actually, it’s the correct thing to be doing, to be more aggressive. It’s interesting to me that as people play them, they realize that their preference for them changes from what might have originally drawn them to it.
“I know that I’m only going to play for a short period of time, because remember, time is precious. We know it’s a gift we get when people choose to play with us, but sometimes, we don’t have all the time in the world. It’s also, “I only have to play two players. I only have to beat two people, and I get to always play.””
Being “Adventurous” With Online Tournament Series
Whether it’s SCOOP or WCOOP, PokerStars has a reputation for major online tournament series that are just oozing with prestige. Straghalis says that in the future, PokerStars may look to be less serious.
“SCOOP and WCOOP, those are our serious tournaments. They have amazing structures. I think that’s what you want when you’re at the top of- the crème de la crème. You want the skilled level and the big names to rise to the top because that’s what brings people to poker, that aspiration to be a champion makes a difference and it’s meaningful.
“Whereas our other tournaments, like a MicroMillions or our upcoming series that we haven’t announced the details on, but I’ll give you a little bit of preview that our wintertime series will be a little more fun this year
“What I will tell you is what we are going to be doing a little bit more of with our tournament series is taking some of them and being a little bit more fun with them and doing some more adventurous things.”
Blending Live and Online Tournament Experiences
The recent announcement of the 2023 EPT schedule reinforced the strength of PokerStars’ live product, but Straghalis says that tying this into the online product will help strengthen both at the same time.
“Nothing makes me want to play poker more than watching poker,” he said, referring to the EPT Live stream with commentators James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton. “We just ran what a Mini EPT during EPT London. This was the first time we’ve tried this. Not the same as EPT Online, which we did last year, but actually, running alongside EPT London.
“[It was] a miniature version of the London series time to coincide with our Twitch stream, to allow players to participate while they’re watching and playing a very similar event. With the overall champion getting a package to EPT Prague.”
Join PokerStars for a $600 Welcome Bonus
Those of you who do not already have a PokerStars account can download the excellent software via PokerNews. Make your first deposit safe in the knowledge that PokerStars matches your deposit 100% up to a maximum of $600. In fact, your first three deposits in the first 90 days after creating your account are matched 100% up to a combined maximum of $600.
Will Shillibier
Executive Editor E.U.
Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German, and then studied for a NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism at Sportsbeat in Manchester. He previously worked as a freelance live reporter, and video presenter for the World Poker Tour.
Stakelogic Live continues to build up its arsenal of top-tier live dealer online casino games with a new twist on blackjack betting. The company says that Super Stake Blackjack is its most thrilling game to date.
The new game, available at select casinos, is based on classic American Blackjack rules so any blackjack player can join the game to take advantage of Stakelogic’s innovative Super Stake feature for super-charged wins. The enhancement is seen as golden cards on the backboard with random multipliers applied. The Golden Cards appear before each round.
The base game is infinitely scalable – what that means for players is that you will not be turned away from a table with full seats. Use optimal blackjack strategy to play the game. If you are new to blackjack or don’t have an optimal strategy memorized for classic American blackjack yet, you can find strategy cards on the internet. For those who prefer to know the math behind the math, you can visit Wizard of Odds for a complete dissertation on everything blackjack.
This game is designed to be accessible to all players so the hit or stand decision is taken care of for you automatically. After that, you are free to choose further actions such as Split or Double – that makes it easy for even new players to decide. But here’s where it gets super interesting
Match the Golden Cards
If both of your cards match the Golden Cards you can forget about optimal strategy completely or even the need to make any decision at all to win. We’ll show you later how simply matching a card will create cash.
In order to take advantage of the Super Stake feature behind the Golden Cards you’ll have to add a 50% premium to your bet, on the side, to activate multipliers from 2x to 60x.
When the base game is over and bets are closed the backdrop screen will display six random Golden Cards – each of the cards will have its own multiplier, with x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x8, x10, x12, x15, and x30 as the possibilities.
All it takes to win your hand is to match one or both of your cards to a Golden Card. Your bet will be multiplied by the value shown on both of the cards with the caveat that it cannot exceed 60x (30x + 2x). If none of your cards match the Golden Cards you will still receive the regular blackjack payout.
One of the big reasons live dealer casino play has exploded online in the last few years is that players who prefer more volatility, more frequent and bigger payouts than they can get waiting for a progressive, is that slot players can now juice up their blackjack game with risk and reward decisions by laying a side bet without deviating from the optimal strategy on the basic hand.
Four more Side Bets
Super Stake Blackjack gives you four different side bets in addition to the Super Stake 50% premium bet: Buzz-T, Golden Pairs, Golden 3, and simply “3”.
Buzz-T: This is a grudge bet that pays if the dealer busts.
Golden Pairs: If the first two cards dealt to you are a pair, a payout will ensue.
Golden 3: If you can make a 3-card poker hand from your first three cards, a payout is awarded.
3: The simplest-sounding side bet is not complicated but it is more involved than the other three. If your first two cards and the dealer’s first card (3) create one of five shown combinations, the player will receive a payout.
Head of Live at Stakelogic, Richard Walker commented: “Blackjack is a live casino staple but with Super Stake Blackjack we have taken the player experience to a whole new level. This means that players can enjoy the core blackjack experience while interacting with the dealer and take advantage of amplified big-win potential.
“The addition of not one, not two, but four side bets make this a varied and compelling live blackjack title that will appeal to all player types from seasoned blackjackers to those trying to beat the dealer for the very first time.”
Source: Stakelogic Live to change the game with Super Stake Blackjack, Stake Logic News, December 15, 2022
The post Stakelogic Live Releases Super Stake Blackjack appeared first on Casino News Daily.
France’s Mathieu Di Meglio has won the €3,000 EPT Mystery Bounty at PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague for €243,186 after defeating heads-up opponent Vlada Stojanovic of Croatia after what proved to be a back-and-forth heads-up battle.
Di Meglio is primarily an online player and had $44,046 in Hendon Mob-reported live earnings heading into the event.
After his victory he told PokerNews “I’m very happy. After many years of failing and almost getting there, I’m very satisfied!”
Roxanne Johnson Becomes Latest Female PSPC Platinum Pass Winner at EPT Prague
€3,000 EPT Mystery Bounty Final Table Results
PLACE
PLAYER
COUNTRY
PRIZE (IN EURO)
1
Mathieu Di Meglio
France
€243,186
2
Vlada Stojanovic
Croatia
€151,990
3
Niko Koop
Germany
€108,570
4
Daan Mulders
Netherlands
€83,510
5
Nenad Dukic
Croatia
€64,240
6
Nils Pudel
Austria
€49,420
7
Mats Ullereng
Norway
€38,020
8
Gregoire Auzoux
France
€29,240
9
Iliodoros Kamatakis
Greece
€22,490
The Mystery Bounty event attracted a sizable field of 776 runners for a prize pool of €1,331,616 that didn’t include a bounty prize pool that featured two €100,000 bounties.
Bounty Action
There weren’t many bounty sweats at Friday’s final table as most of the biggest envelopes had already been claimed. On Day 2, Orpen Kisacikoglu and Poland’s Pawel Krol pulled the two €100,000 mystery bounties, while Toni Kaukua was lucky enough to pull a €50,000 envelope.
The Day 3 field of 18 dwindled down quickly as players including Finnish poker legend Juha Helppi (18th – €9,490) and Turkey’s Yigit Aksoy (14th – €12,560) were eliminated.
Sixes would soon after doom France’s Gregoire Auzoux as he four-bet jammed into the queens of the Di Meglio to fall in eighth place. Having started the day as chip leader, Di Meglio ran his stack up from there as other players dropped around him.
Stojanovic eliminated Nils Pudel before sending Nenad Dukic to the rail in fifth place. Koop eliminated Daan Muulders before Dukic eliminated Koop to bring the tournament to heads-up.
The two remaining players exchanged chip leads and played dozens of single-raised and limped pots over two levels. Stojanovic then took a big lead in a flush-over-flush hand before losing it all back to Di Meglio.
As the number of big blinds in play shrunk, Di Meglio remained in control as Stojanovic eventually shoved with queen-five only to run into the pocket kings of Di Meglio. A queen on the flop gave Stojanovic hope, but an inconsequential runout confirmed his runner-up finish and handed the title to the Frenchman.
That wraps up the PokerNews live reporting team’s coverage of the exciting €3,000 EPT Mystery Bounty. Be sure to check of the team’s coverage of other events throughout EPT Prague.
Accumulators, or parlays in the US, are big business for sportsbooks.
Although these are tougher than the average bet to pull off, there have been some occasions when bettors have defied the odds and landed huge prizes with accas.
If you aren’t familiar with ‘accumulators’ or ‘accas’, then this is how they work.
You place a wager that contains several selections in different sporting events. In order for your bet to win and the acca to land, all legs must be winners.
You can get a big profit off small stakes, which is why they appeal to bettors.
Here are 10 of the biggest sports betting accumulator wins ever – and some very happy winners!
10. Won £473,985 – £16 on 29,000/1 Odds
Image: All-Pro Reels/Wikimedia Commons
The NFL’s 2022 Conference Championship Sunday was the highlight of many people’s 2021 sporting calendar with both games going down to the wire.
Picking a winner of the two games was difficult enough, but selecting the correct scores seemed almost impossible.
Incredibly one bettor managed to beat the odds, using $20 (~£16) site credit on FanDuel to place a 29,000/1 bet that came in thanks to two game-winning field goals.
One was kicked by Bengals’ rookie kicker Evan McPherson in overtime and the other by Los Angeles Rams’ Matt Gay towards the end of regulation.
Thanks to these clutch field goals the anonymous bettor walked away half a million dollars richer.
9. Won £573,019 – £32,744 on a 10-Leg Acca
Winning a bet is not a certainty, even if you side with the favorite every time.
However, this bettor was willing to wager a massive $40,000 (£32,744) that the favorites would prove too strong for the underdogs across 10 football matches, eight in college ball and two in the NFL.
The heaviest favorites on the card were the Green Bay Packers (-1100), who took on a struggling franchise, The Jacksonville Jaguars.
Image: Elvis Kennedy/Flickr
Surprisingly, the Jaguars, who would end the season 1-15, were leading the Packers 20-17 in the fourth quarter.
However, a late Packers touchdown would see them steal the win, landing this bettor over $700,000 (£573,019) and forcing William Hill to hand over their second big pay-out in as many weeks.
8. Won £791,000 – £6.55 on a 12-Leg Acca
Betting on matches when the results don’t really matter is a dangerous business.
After all, if the championship has already been decided, how can you be sure that both or either side is going to play to their maximum ability?
One bettor at FanDuel didn’t let these questions affect them, placing a 12-leg acca that predicted the outcome of every match on Sunday of the 2021 Ryder Cup.
America had all but secured the cup in the previous days, only needing 3-1/2 points to clinch the title.
Despite this, the anonymous bettor from Illinois predicted all the correct winners, including an upset secured by rookie Scottie Scheffler over the top ranked golfer in the world.
More impressively the bettor also anticipated the two tied matches, finishing an incredible set of wagers that won them a well-deserved payout.
7. Won £818,135 – £11 on 74087/1 Odds
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is a 160-lap NASCAR race that takes place at Daytona International Speedway every year.
Image: BSquared, TN/Wikimedia Commons
The high octane action, and frequency of crashes, makes predicting the outcome of any NASCAR race very difficult.
But recently one FanDuel Sportsbook bettor managed to correctly predict four top 10 finishers. What makes this even more impressive is that nearly all the bettor’s choices were longshots.
The bet came in thanks to a huge crash that wiped out most of the leading pack with only 23 laps to go. This cleared the way for all the bettor’s choices to squeeze into the top 10.
Three of the drivers even managed a career best finish to boot!
6. Won £822,973 – £19 on a 5-Leg Acca
The Punchestown Festival brings the curtain down on the Irish jumps season, so some of the top racehorses in Ireland are on show.
One fearless punter, who wished to remain anonymous, put accumulators on the Friday of the 2017 meeting, Punchestown Champion Hurdle day.
When Das Mooser (10/1), Woodland Opera (9/2), Definite Ruby (7/1), Bacardys (10/1) and Canardier (33/1) all came in, it led to Coral bookmakers paying out the greatest amount on horse racing in their history.
The five £3 fourfolds and a £4 fivefold acca turned £19 into approximately £867,691.55.
Talk about bookie bashing!
5. Won £930,368 – £41 on a 15-Leg Acca
Most acca bettors tend to place their wagers on one or two sports. This keeps the betting simple and means they can bet on the sports that they understand best.
In one of the most exciting bets we have ever heard of, a BetMGM customer decided to do the exact opposite, throwing caution to the wind and placing a 15-leg accumulator bet on a range of sports that included college football, professional football, basketball, ice hockey and even golf.
The bet wasn’t without some close calls, including the Baltimore Ravens vs Chicago Bears NFL game.
Baltimore only secured victory thanks to a game winning touchdown with less than 30 seconds remaining.
Incredibly, all 15 of the wagers came through, netting the bettor over $1.13 million (£930,000+) in winnings.
4. Won £988,013 – £24,558 on 39/1 Odds
Not all accumulator bets are tiny wagers made on massively long odds.
In fact, some serious gamblers prefer to place huge amounts of money on relatively short odds.
This bet from Marco Piemonte is the perfect example of why.
At the beginning of 2022 he wagered a huge $30,000 (£24,558) on a five-leg parlay (acca) that featured four NFL games and the NCAA National Championship game, where he selected The University of Georgia to beat The University of Alabama.
After all the NFL results fell his way, Piemonte decided not to accept the offer of a $600,000+ (£500,000) cash out, despite The Crimson Tide having beaten the Dawgs in the two teams’ last seven meetings.
Piemonte’s bravery was rewarded when Georgia snapped their losing streak, trouncing Alabama 33-18 and making Piemonte a huge amount of money.
3. Won Over £1 Million – £13 on a 6-Leg Acca
Image: Wikipedia
Golf is known as a tricky sport to bet on because of the huge range of factors that influence play on every hole.
However, that didn’t stop one lucky bettor from selecting the outright winners of four separate golf championships as well as the results of two Euro 2020 soccer matches in a monster six-leg parlay (acca).
The final part of this wager came down to golfer Harris English, who the bettor had to win the Travelers Championship at 35/1 odds.
English made a dramatic 28-foot putt on the final hole to send the championship to a sudden death playoff.
Eight terrifying holes later, English finally secured his victory with a birdie, handing the bettor £1,039,554 in winnings.
2. Won £1 Million – 50p on 2,800,000/1 Odds
Image: Chronicle Live
Another horse racing win on the list of big acca wins is fertilizer salesman Fred Craggs and his incredible eight-leg win from 2008.
The Yorkshireman popped into his local William Hill betting shop in the market town of Thirsk and put on a 50p accumulator.
This bet was struck at monumental odds of 2,800,000/1.
Craggs got the perfect 60th birthday present when all eight of his fancied runners came in, but he didn’t know that the acca had come off until he visited the Bedale branch.
His winnings should have totaled £1.4 million but were capped at £1 million by William Hill.
Craggs decided to keep the massive win quiet for a little while, and even sat through a family meal without saying a word about his new fortune.
👉 How to Bet on a Live Horse Race
1. Won £1,445,671 – £2 on 725,335/1 Odds
Image: Daily Mail
To date, the biggest acca winner recorded in the UK happened through the Tote horse racing pool betting service in March 2011.
Steve Whiteley, a heating engineer from North Tawton in Devon, attended a day at the races at a local track in Exeter for free.
He placed a £2 Jackpot bet containing six selections.
When Semi Colon (2/1), Black Phantom (12/1), Ammunition (16/1), Mr Bennett (16/1), Lundy Sky (5/1) and Lupita (12/1) all won, Whiteley had a windfall of a cool £1,445,671.71.
He really hit the jackpot!
Lucky For Some?
Some people on this list just got totally lucky, while others chose to study the game to give themselves the best chance.
We’ve got a number of betting guides and bookie recommendations for our readers, so be sure to check out our pages on NHL betting, NBA betting and Super Bowl betting before placing your accas – good luck!
Global gaming and betting solutions supplier FSB is changing its focus in 2023 by de-prioritizing operations in the US and concentrating on markets in the UK, Ireland, Europe and Africa, but will continue efforts in Ontario.
Interim CEO to Lead the Way
FSB announced the changes for the upcoming year in an update of the company’s strategy which also includes new leadership – Adam Smith will be appointed to role of Interim Chief Executive Officer after CEO David McDowell stepped down to take a role on the Board.
Smith, who will be responsible for the updated strategy implementation at the London-based gambling tech company, expressed what “a great honor” for him is to lead the company into 2023 as the business is moving into its next chapter.
“The strength of our world-class technology and the talent of our people means there is a huge opportunity ahead for the organization,” Smith said, looking forward to commencing work with “this driven, determined leadership team” that he has no doubt will bring success to the company in its core markets in the near future.
FSB has decided to change its operational focus and de-prioritize markets in North America after a hugely successful year in the UK, Europe and Africa, where the gambling tech supplier has entered into significant partnerships with key operators.
“Our end-of-year strategic review has allowed us to further sharpen our laser focus when it comes to delivering for existing and new partners across our core markets in 2023 and we continue to work closely with our private equity partners Clairvest and share with them a huge sense of positivity for the year ahead,” Smith added.
‘Bedrock’ of Operations
FSB now considers its non-US markets as the “bedrock” of its operations and in 2023 will be focusing on growth acceleration by maximizing revenue with existing customers and exploring new opportunities to expand the reach of its platform and solutions.
“2022 has been a successful year for FSB across our core markets with new partnerships forged and existing customers enjoying strong growth and new market expansion,” said FSB’s chief revenue officer Ian Freeman, feeling privileged to be part of that success.
Hailing the company’s “exceptional operational teams” across these markets, Freeman outlined that FSB’s primary goal is to make sure that its “resources are aligned to support the best market conditions and the revenue opportunities” ahead, and hence, FSB will be de-prioritizing its investment in the cost-prohibitive US market in the short- to medium term.
After an active year in the US, securing license approvals in Nevada and South Dakota, FSB is moving those markets to the back burner. A third North American market where the tech supplier has obtained regulatory approval, Ontario, will maintain the company’s committed focus, with plans for two additional launches underway.
Six Macau casinos will invest $15bn predominantly towards non-gambling activities over the next ten years as part of their new license agreements.
part of the new license agreements the casinos signed last month
The non-gaming expenditure will be more than ten times as high as gaming-related expenses. The rule comes as part of the new license agreements the casinos signed last month with a region regarded as the most lavish gambling destination in the world.
The signing of the agreement ends a period of tension between casinos and interested figures including investors, regulators, and casino owners. The properties will now spend the next decade pursuing outward growth rather than investing purely in gaming offerings.
Signing the agreements
Macau Chief Executive Ho lat Seng, Secretary of Economy and Finance Lionel Leong Leong Vai Tac, and other officials presided over the signing of the agreements. Incumbents Wynn, MGM, Sands China, Galaxy Entertainment, Melco Resorts, and MJM Holdings were all present after successfully fending off a surprise bid from Malaysia-based Genting Group.
Heads of each company sat next to government officials as the deals were signed. Each deal will be enacted on January 1, 2023, paving a clear route into the future.
The focal point of the new agreements involves finding ways to attract more foreign tourists. This is reflective of the wishes of the Chinese government, which feels that the region needs to become more than just a hub for rich travelers who happen to be in the area.
investment towards non-gaming interests is expected to hit $13.57bn
The total investment towards non-gaming interests is expected to hit $13.57bn, compared to just $1.26bn for pure gaming development. The new plan is a clear pivot from the strategy of the past and is being done after the pandemic caused casinos to lose billions of dollars during inoperative periods and the following recovery.
“The development of Macau’s gaming and tourism industry will enter a new stage,” an official announcement from the region stated.
Follow the money
Macau, a southeastern region near the bottom of mainland China, has been a global leader in gambling and other high roller activities for decades. Macau also has gambling in its DNA as the Portuguese who formerly claimed the area legalized and implemented legislation taxing gambling revenues in 1847.
impossible for casinos to survive without any ill effects.
China’s stringent COVID policies, however, have made it impossible for casinos to survive without any ill effects. Travel restrictions, frequent lockdowns, and capacity limitations have all been felt throughout the area as part of a “zero-COVID” policy aimed at completely eradicating the virus from the region to the detriment—and peril—of local businesses.
The Chinese government has also become increasingly interested in snuffing out illegal operations in the area that helped attract different high rollers, further prompting the need for Macau to diversify its income flow. As it stands, over 80% of the region’s cash flow comes from gambling and related activities.
The companies will pool money to invest in areas such as conference hosting and medicine. They will also need to stabilize local employment and will face greater government oversight than they have in the past.
“These projects will bring new players and tourists into the city, who in turn will spend sizable dollars on gambling,” said J.P. Morgan Hong Kong analyst DS Kim.
The post Macau Casinos to Invest $15bn Into Mostly Non-Gambling Areas appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
Provider of gambling software and technology GAN announced today it has signed an exclusive national partnership with WynnBet for the integration of GAN Sports and Super RGS.
Future State Integrations
WynnBet, via WSI US, LLC, the official entity under which the gambling brand operates, conducted an extensive and highly competitive analysis of all available options on the market before choosing to integrate GAN Sports and Super RGS into its online sportsbook.
Thrilled to announce the third partner for GAN Sports, Rob Lekites, vice president of North American Sports at GAN, outlined the partnership as an excellent opportunity for the company to demonstrate its “innovative sports wagering technology with a market-leading, national brand, beginning with the WynnBet Sportsbook at Encore Boston Harbor.”
The B2B technology provider of real-money gambling solutions and WynnBet agreed that the integrations would happen across all future US jurisdictions for the gaming brand, including the upcoming launch of its retail WynnBet Sportsbook at Wynn Resorts’ Encore Boston Harbor in Massachusetts early next year.
“The combination of GAN’s cutting-edge sportsbook technology with WynnBET’s highly experienced and successful leadership team provides tremendous growth opportunities for both of our organizations,” Lekites continued, hailing the announcement as further strengthening the partnership with WynnBet in Michigan and validating GAN’s “capabilities to provide a highly differentiated and flexible sportsbook” solutions.
Super RGS to Deepen Collaboration
GAN’s Super RGS content aggregation delivery system that will be deployed in all future iGaming jurisdictions in which WynnBet becomes operational online is set to deepen the collaboration with the gambling operator, serving as additional support for WynnBet’s operations.
Lekites was also convinced that the exclusive partnership with WynnBet will bolster the company’s position as one of the nation’s top tech suppliers in the iGaming space, boosting the reception of GAN Sports and enticing new partners willing to benefit from the solution.
On behalf of WynnBet, president of Wynn Interactive Ian Williams said that he and the whole team at Wynn Interactive are looking forward to growing the partnership with GAN and offering WynnBet players “an enhanced sports betting experience.”
Earlier in the month, the gambling technology provider announced an expansion of its contract with global hosting supplier Internet Vikings to cover a total of 15 US-regulated gaming jurisdictions and continue building on a partnership that began in April this year.
In November, GAN reported a relatively flat third-quarter revenue and announced a suspension of its full-year revenue guidance due to market uncertainty across markets in Europe and the US.
