I'm back home in Belgium where after having done some traveling I WILL BE staying put until the Belgian Poker Challenge comes around on the end of November.
Not way back I had the risk to travel to Poland for 6 days. That's where my girlfriend is from, and we had a very fun time. I took a laptop at the trip, even though it was a purposefully nonfunctional laptop -- that may be to say, not one I'LL play on or do much else -- which let me benefit from the trip and never be distracted.
Now I'm home again and focusing all over again on living a healthy lifestyle. Over the summer my brother and that i were discussing a potential prop bet that will involve my stopping smoking, drinking, and losing a specific amount of weight by the top of the year. We ended up not making the bet, but I still stopped smoking (mostly) and started concentrating more on figuring out and improving my fitness.
Matthias de MeulderNow I've decided also to not drink either, for a while, as a part of that very same idea of improving my health and overall quality of life. I DO KNOW that after I AM GOING out so much and maybe party a bit an excessive amount of it doesn't have a favorable effect on my decision-making, my productivity, or my life generally. And already I'm beginning to experience some good effects of this decision.
One side effect of living a more fit lifestyle I've noticed is that it's given me more time and effort to concentrate on and pursue various interests, including learning about new things.
When you're younger and in school, you're roughly forced to check various subjects and your mind is continually under siege (to be able to speak) by new knowledge and ideas to stimulate your thinking. But if you get out of college and get slightly older, it's a must to hunt down that sort of education to your own, and i am realizing I HAVE so much that i am involved in and much more energy to explore those things, too.
I've been thinking increasingly about starting a brand new venture -- perhaps some roughly business or a cafe or even even something to do with going back to college -- although I AM NOT quite sure what as yet. It will also have something to do with poker, I DO NOT know. But I definitely am thinking about doing something new that may be worthwhile and fun and life-improving.
A couple of weeks back I DISCOVERED myself roughly full of all these thoughts and that i hopped on Twitter for a short time to share what I USED TO BE thinking.
"Got a goal," I STARTED. "Gonna return to using a pc solely for work, a phone to hook up with friends/family and my free time to live! Need to become more aware again of everything surrounding me. Be good to people.... Too many of us smartphoning their life away, that specialize in money and success, making a universe by which only they matter."
I was on a bit of of a roll, I'll admit. I continued...
"This becomes so consuming it is easy to forget who you might be and what you stand for. The variability of items that used to inspire you, gone. So I challenge you all to get available in the market with me, live life self-aware and take a look at to reassess what you actually need from life and opt for it!"
I had just a little more to say.
"When I GLANCE around I see too many of us unhappy with their lives, who don't pursue their true goals in fear of failure or of losing grip. So... find your true passion, set goals and pursue them. Don't let anyone let you know it's impossible."
Afterwards I USED TO BE a bit of self-conscious about tweeting all of these thoughts out like that. I DID NOT need to be preachy, but I ASSUMED it wouldn't hurt to share a few of these ideas I'd been having.
I think it may possibly never be a nasty thing to take a look at not only to enhance your individual life, but to do what you'll be able to to be a good influence on others besides. It is so easy to get ground down by a life stuffed with repetition and never exploring the chance that things will also be different -- and higher! The full-time poker player -- especially the web player -- knows rather well how routinized (or even lonely) a life can become, and the way hard it may be to damage out of that routine.
I understand how it's sometimes hearing another person go on about improving your life and offering all of those "inspirational" thoughts. Some respond well to that sort of recommendation or input, but individuals who aren't focused on such things might just hear them and think "I AM NOT serious about all that shizzle!"
So don't take this as preaching, but just me reflecting on a few of what I HAVE BEEN occupied with lately relating to improving my very own quality of life. And if any of those thoughts are useful to you as you consider where you might be currently and where you would like to go, I WILL BE glad.
Matthias de Meulder is a member of Team PokerStars Pro.
iGaming Business – Online gaming operator 32Red has completed the re-launch of its sports betting platform 32Red Sport in time for this summer’s Fifa World Cup national team football tournament.
The sports betting platform could be fully managed by Kambi Group after 32Red struck a care for the sports betting services business-to-business supplier earlier this year.
According to the SBCNews.com website, the re-launched service will target new and existing sports betting customers with quite a number special World Cup promotions.
The new product can be promoted through 32Red’s sponsorship of Scottish Championship second-tier football club Rangers.
Ed Ware, chief executive officer of 32Red, said: “We have numerous new product ideas within the pipeline that we're very fascinated with and we're working with Kambi to assist innovate within the sports betting world.
“It is very important that we bring something new and relevant to sports betting that may be true to 32Red’s brand proposition and that’s what we intend to do.”
SOURCE
When the "Sunday Storm" debuted on PokerStars earlier this year, the $11 buy-in tournament swiftly became probably the most more popular tourneys at the weekly calendar. Typically the Storm has little trouble smashing its usual $200K guarantee -- for example, last week 39,815 came out, making a prize pool of $398,150.
But with PokerStars celebrating its 10th anniversary, this week's Storm needed some extra thunder.
So the guarantee was upped to $1 million. Boom!
And first prize was absolute to be a minimum of $150,000. Crack!
And to make things much more fun, $100 bounties for anyone knocking out a PokerStars pro along the best way. That's numerous more cash raining down!
The Gathering Storm: 116,400 Entrants
When the primary hands were dealt the full choice of entrants had already climbed past 85,000 and would continue to rise inside the two hours of late registration. A half-hour later the sector had pushed past the 100,000-player mark, thus ensuring the guarantee can be met.
As the entire field grew, players started to fall, among them Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree. Right down to 1,527 chips firstly of the second one hour, Boeree shoved over a GUST1931956 limp, then saw Martonio reraise all in from one seat over. It folded back to GUST1931956 who thought just a little -- he had Boeree covered, but not Martonio -- and eventually he called.
Boeree had 4♣4♦, but either one of her opponents had drawn pocket fives, as GUST1931956 held 5♠5♣ and Martonio 5♦5♥. The board then came 8♦9♦7♦A♦A♣, giving Martonio the flush and two knockouts, plus $100 for having ousted Boeree.
Among other bounties collected throughout the early afternoon, Gabden77 knocked out Humberto Brenes, 5AULIU5 knocked out 2011 WSOP Main Event runner-up Martin Staszko, ProffiKid eliminated Eugene Katchalov, and cc128 sent Jan Heitmann railward.
When registration finally closed, 116,400 players altogether had jumped into the Storm, making a $1,164,000 prize pool. The highest 15,166 finishers would make the money, with a minimum-cash equaling $23.28. All of these making the overall table would earn no less than five-figure paydays, with first prize an enormous $157,140! (Barring any final table deals, that is.)
Storming Through: From 100,000 to 10,000
A few more bounties were collected because the field shrunk below 40,000. A short-stacked Sebastian Ruthenberg shoved with 8♦8♠ and was called by R£Ch HaRd waiting within the big blind with A♦A♠. That was bad for the Team PokerStars Pro, however the A♣A♥6♣ flop made it even worse, and shortly R£Ch HaRd had all of Ruthenberg's chips and a $100 bounty.
Shortly after that, the blinds were 400/800 when Juan Manuel Pastor shoved his last 5,800 from UTG with 5♥5♦ and TIME250 decided to take a shot on the bounty by calling from the button with 9♦2♥. The board came A♠T♦J♦6♠... 9♥, that river rewarding TIME250 with the pot and an additional hundy.
And clucker28 collected Angel Guillen's bounty when he spiked a river queen with A♦Q♠ against Guillen's A♥K♥ and SVGoogle's pocket eights.
By the three-hour mark the sector have been trimmed under 20,000 players. At that time k33nz0 and mextrex were setting the pace with greater than 200,000, with MD IACONI, ligra80, Yvon-King not far behind.
The cash bubble was still nearly 5,000 eliminations away, nevertheless it wouldn't take long to get there -- just 20 minutes, in reality. Along the way, more bounties were collected by skaza777 (Martin "AABenjaminAA" Hruby), KOSEC510 (Marcel Luske), and AKSU-47 (Richard "Tzen1" Veenman).
A half-hour later 10,000 players were left, with forAwhiteguy setting the pace, nearing the 500,000-chip mark. sergey963 was his nearest challenger with about 379,000, with maro61058 in third with just over 337,000.
More PokerStars Pros Caught within the Storm: From 10,000 to 1,000
With the eliminations of Dale "DaleRoxxu" Philip of Team Online (12,105th, $23.28), and Ana Marquez of Team PokerStars Spain (11,444th, $23.28), that left just five more representatives of Team PokerStars a number of the survivors, and thus five more potential bounties to be claimed: Nacho Barbero, Ivan Demidov, Jonathan Duhamel, Alex Kravchenko, and Pierre "Zoutechamp" Neuville.
Barbero was the primary of the five to fall when his Q♦J♠ failed him against Kaketka550's K♠T♣, knocking out the Argentinian in 8,576th ($23.28). Duhamel followed him soon thereafter in a three-way hand by which $wish$lots$ successfully ousted the 2010 WSOP Main Event champ in 7,049th ($34.92).
A little later the blinds were 3,000/6,000 when gabtom13 limped in from late position, then Kravchenko shoved all in for 78,171 from the small blind. gabtom13 thought for several seconds, then called with 5♠5♣. It was an excellent call, as his Russian foe had but 2♠2♣, and five cards later Kravchenko was out in 5,023rd ($34.92)
With 5,000 players left, Remmi was in first position with greater than 683,000 while bemessinger and bunicul177 were the one other players with greater than 600,000.
Another 999 players ran out of chips, then Ivan Demidov reraised all in for 114,192 (about 16 big blinds) and Pestilential called. Demidov had K♠J♦ and Pestilential A♠J♣, and after the board came ten-high Demidov was gone in 4,001st, giving him $34.92 and $100 for Pestilential.
"I think you were given the last bounty pro here gl," typed Pierre "Zoutechamp" Neuville at his table some time later.
Some time after that Neuville became short-stacked, then folded down until he had but 664 chips remaining at which point he pushed his last chips within the middle.
Five opponents limped along for 20,000 each to look in the event that they could earn the general bounty, and finally it was Luk1985 whose K♠5♣ gave him a couple of fives, adequate to win the pot and $100 as Neuville hit the rail in 1,562nd ($58.20).
Lightning Strikes: From 1,000 to 100
The tourney was somewhat over five-and-a-half hours old when 1,000 players remained. They'd outlasted over 115,000 opponents, however the forecast was for the Storm to last rather a lot longer.
By then Efimike had pushed in front with just over 3.23 million, with cover point next with about 3.12 million and lennie-g22 hovering at 2.7 million.
Over the following hour the sphere shrunk to not up to 300 players, in which period tiriesto steadily rose to the highest of the leaderboard and shut to the ten million-chip mark. Then came an enormous three way-all in between tiriesto with A♦Q♠, KRANTY with T♣T♠, and kid world with Q♦9♦.
After the 2♣5♥8♥ flop and 9♠ turn it looked as if KRANTY could be claiming the 6 million-plus chip pot. However the A♥ struck at the river like a bolt of lightning, sending out both kid world (242nd, $116.40) and KRANTY (241st, $116.40) and pushing tiriesto up with reference to 13.3 million chips -- on the time about five million greater than second-place collins82.
tiriesto kept adding to his leading stack, and a half-hour later will be the first to cross 20 million. Then lightning would strike for tiriesto again in another big three-way all-in wherein he held ace-queen.
In this one, the blinds were as much as 120,000/240,000 when Vlad Russia raised to 1,571,618, leaving himself only a single chip behind. tiriesto reraised to 2,903,236 from the button, then Felsss shoved all in for 5,159,748 from the small blind. Vlad Russia tossed in his last chip and tiriesto called as well.
As mentioned, tiriesto had A♣Q♦, better than Vlad Russia's A♠9♦ but way behind Felsss' A♦A♥. However the flop came Q♥2♠Q♠, giving tiriesto trips, and two cards later his hand had held. Vlad Russia was out in 105th ($430.68) and Felsss out in 104th (also $430.68).
Meanwhile, as three more fell and the sphere shrunk to 100 players, tiriesto was up over 29.5 million, an entire 10 million prior to second-place Puigmal.
In the attention of the Storm: From 100 to 9
As they crossed the eight-hour mark, tiriesto continued to take care of the lead, moving out further past 35 million. Eliminations were now leading to $500-plus paydays for players, a pleasing return on an $11 investment. But all continued to eye those $10K-plus prizes on the final table, including the $157,140 awaiting the winner.
By the time 50 were left, tiriesto was holding steady at 35.3 million, with Eldasensei next with 28.4 million and sebstop, dim1388, and Orekhov59 everywhere in the 25 million-chip mark.
Puigmal would rush past them all, however, to be the primary to 40 million, then 45 million. As tiriesto's run good finally bogged down to knock him back a couple of spots, Eldasensei would likewise move over 40 million, then past the 50 million-mark with just 30 players left. Then Eldasensei took a bite from tiriesto's stack to head over 60 million in a hand during which he rivered a spade flush and got paid.
After nine hours and 40 minutes of play there have been 20 left, wherein point the common stack was a whopping 29.1 million. Eldasensei was still in front with greater than 62 million, Kutscher83 in second with about 56.6 million, and Kuzjayo in third with rather less than 47.4 million.
Soon after tiriesto's run came to an end, knocked by Kuzjayo in 20th ($2,106.84). He was followed to the rail by zbaur (19th, $2,106.84), avasimp (18th, $3,154.44), siinovedad (17th, $3,154.44), dandanaini (16th, $3,154.44), BartezJB (15th, $4,737.48), and stefanoy (14th, $4,737.48), wherein stretch Eldasensei became the primary to 100 million.
Next out was tianmojing85 (13th, $4,737.48), followed by isexshop.us (12th, $6,855.96) and lennie-g22 (11th, $6,855.96), the latter by the hands of sebstop. That hand catapulted sebstop up over 125 million and into the chip lead, followed by Eldasensei who'd slipped back around 75 million, and Kutscher83 with about 72 million.
The final ten played hand-for-hand throughout the 10-and-a-half-hour break. sebstop would really build his stack up over 150 million at one point before falling back, then losing an enormous one to Eldasensei through which the pair got the entire latter's chips within the middle on a 5♥T♠5♣ flop with sebstop holding Q♣T♥ and Eldasensei K♥T♣. Eldasensei's hand held, shooting him back to the highest of the counts and sending sebstop down near the bottom.
Finally Orekhov59 was eliminated in 10th ($6,855.96) when his A♦A♠ got cracked by chrjs2k's T♣9♣. All in for 10.7 million before the flop, Orekhov59 saw three clubs fall very quickly to strike him down one spot shy of the general table.
Just nine remained.
Seat 1: Speedyy1986 -- 32,375,057Seat 2: Kuzjayo -- 89,951,381Seat 3: Puigmal -- 63,489,246Seat 4: Eldasensei -- 121,958,132Seat 5: chrjs2k -- 90,916,497Seat 6: Kutscher83 -- 20,904,505Seat 7: sebstop -- 30,623,896Seat 8: Timjonsen -- 20,894,258Seat 9: emaestrodobi -- 110,887,028
Some deep stacks with nine left, although the blinds had reached 900k/1.8m, meaning Kutscher83 and Timjonsen were sitting on with regards to 11 big blinds each to begin the general table.
Storming Out of the Gate: From 9 to 6
Timjonsen would waste little time getting his stack within the middle, open-shoving from late position for 19,274,258 and getting a caller in emaestrodobi from a seat over. Speedyy1986 then reraised all in for just about 29 million from the blinds, and emaestrodobi called that as well.
Speedyy1986: K♣K♠Timjonsen: K♦J♥emaaestrodobi: 9♥9♣
The board rolled out T♣A♦7♥A♣5♥, giving Speedyy1986 both the principle and side pots and sending Timjonsen out in ninth.
The other short stack Kutscher83 could be all in shortly thereafter, open-shoving from the small blind for 13,524,505 with A♣3♦ and getting called quickly by sebstop within the BB with A♣J♣. The flop paired Kutscher83, coming 3♣2♦Q♣, however the J♦ fell at the turn to offer sebstop the easier pair. The river was the 7♦ they usually were right down to seven.
The remaining players then started to discuss possibly creating a deal, but sebstop said he wasn't interested and play continued. And as often seems to happen in these spots, it was the only averse to the deal-making who'd be the following to go.
The blinds had reached 1m/2m by the point sebstop's end arrived. Speedyy1986 opened with a raise to 4.38 million from UTG and it folded around to sebstop who made it 9.3 million from the small blind. The BB folded and Speedyy1986 called.
The flop came 7♠T♥Q♣. sebstop checked, Speedyy1986 bet 7,825,899, then sebstop check-raised to twenty million even. Speedyy1986 made it 32,174,101, sebstop reraised again all in for 67,784,255 total, and Speedyy1986 speedily called.
sebstop had but 3♥3♠ while Speedyy1986 had a collection with T♠T♣. The 9♦ at the turn sealed it, and sebstop was out in seventh.
Thunderous Applause for the Six Who Made a Deal
The remaining six players then agreed to speak chop, and after some time the tourney was paused. At that time Speeddy1986 had the lead with about 157 million, Eldasensei was next with just over 108 million, Kuzjayo was third with almost 95.5 million, chrjs2k was fourth with almost 91 million, Puigmal was fifth with about 67.5 million, and emaestrodobi last with about 62.5 million.
"Chip chop" numbers were provided -- leaving $20,000 for which to play -- and all agreed except the short-stack emaestrodobi who wanted no less than $55,000 as opposed to the $51,127.83 being proposed for him. But that presented an issue for Puigmal who was sooner than emaestrodobi within the counts but was only as a result of receive $53,113.39.
The others agreed to offer emaestrodobi more and let Puigmal keep what was because of him via the "chip chop," and while it took some encouraging Puigmal finally agreed. (See payouts below.) Then came somewhat jubilation.
Puigmal: It is a BIG BIG RESULLT!!!!Puigmal: FOR ALLPuigmal: CONGRATSchrjs2k: yesSpeeddy1986: it's for allchrjs2k: AmenPuigmal: ang now play for 20,000!!!!!
And so -- after congratulating one another slightly more -- they did.
Riders at the Storm: From 6 to 2
They'd been back at it a brief while, and the blinds had crept to 1.25m/2.5m when Kuzjayo opened for 7.5 million from the button, then Eldasensei reraised to 17.5 million from the massive blind. Kuzjayo called the reraise, and both saw the flop come 2♠9♦5♠. Eldasensei led for 32.5 million, Kuzjayo raised all in for 78,131,381, and Eldasensei called with the 37,272,932 he had left.
Eldasensei showed Q♥Q♦ for queens while Kuzjayo had A♣9♥ for nines. The turn was the T♠ and Eldasensei was still ahead, however the river brought the A♣, giving Kuzjayo a second pair and sending Eldasensei out in sixth.
About QUARTER-HOUR later, leader Speedyy1986 would lose an enormous preflop all-in versus Kuzjayo wherein the latter caught an ace with A♣K♠ to outdraw Speedyy1986's 6♣6♠. That 215 million-plus pot sent Kuzjayo into the chip lead with five left and momentarily made Speedyy1986 the quick stack.
Then came an enormous three-way all in pitting Kuzjayo's Q♦Q♠ against emaestrodobi's J♥J♠ and Puigmal's 7♦7♠. The flop paired no one, however the turn and river both brought sevens to offer Puigmal quads and send emaestrodobi out in fifth. Take a look:
Five hands later the blinds were 2m/4m when Speedyy1986 open-pushed for 57,608,138 from the button with Q♠J♥ and got one caller in Kuzjayo within the small blind with A♠8♠. The community cards came 7♠T♠6♥9♦4♦, giving Kuzjayo a straight. Speedyy1986 was out in fourth, although was assured the largest payday of the tourney way to the sooner deal.
The blinds moved to 2.5m/5m, and Kuzjayo opened for 10 million from the small blind. Puigmal pushed all in from the massive blind for 68,611,031, and Kuzjayo called. Puigmal had A♣2♥ but needed help versus Kuzjayo's A♠T♥. The board came A♥J♥3♥K♣4♠, and Puigmal's run led to third place.
Weathering the Storm: Heads-Up
Kuzjayo began heads-up play with the chip advantage, his massive stack of 354,714,782 prior to chrjs2k's 227,285,218.
On the 11th hand of heads-up, chrjs2k scored a large double-up when his A♦K♣ managed to outrace Kuzjayo's 2♣2♠, hitting a king at the flop. Then five hands later -- with reference to 12-and-a-half-hours after the tourney began -- the general hand took place.
With the blinds still 2.5m/5m, chrjs2k raised to fifteen million from the button, Kuzjayo shoved for 128,429,564, and chrjs2k called. This time chrjs2k had the black deuces and hoped 2♠2♣ would figure out better for him than it had for Kuzjayo who here held A♦6♣.
The flop was superb for chrjs2k, coming K♦2♦3♠ to present him a collection. The turn was the K♣, improving him to an entire house and making the river 8♣ regardless of. chrjs2k had won!
Congratulations to chrjs2k for besting a field of 116,400 to win the 10th Anniversary Sunday Storm! And in addition congrats to Speedyy1986 who netted the most important payday way to the six-way chop. Some nice returns on those $11 buy-ins!
10th Anniversary Sunday Storm results for 12/11/11 (*reflects six-way deal):1st: chrjs2k ($81,604.01)*2nd: Kuzjayo ($63,462.39)*3rd: Puigmal ($53,113.39)*4th: Speedyy1986 ($87.437.94)*5th: emaestrodobi ($55,127.83)*6th: Eldasensei ($68,458.64)*7th: sebstop ($20,952)8th: Kutscher83 ($15,783.84)9th: Timjonsen ($10,557.48)
Published on May 19, 2014 by Bob Hartman
Everyday consumers, once again, might not be hurt or helped by a law being implemented by a rustic meant so as to add further rules and regulations to the mostly confusing online gambling and sports betting industry.
The new law this time is from the united kingdom and is supposed to force gaming operators in any jurisdiction wherein they're already licensed (outside of the UK), to procure a license from the united kingdom enabling them to provide betting options to UK gamblers.
The new law, that's more likely to be finalized by July 1st, and with a purpose to likely go fully into effect by September 1st, will cost operators upwards of $25,000 the primary year and upwards of $200,000 yearly in the event that they meet certain dollar minimums. However, the more disputed aspect of the law would be the 15% tax on UK bettors revenue.
"The high cost of those requirements will likely create another scenario so they can help unregulated, unlicensed operators gain a better foothold at the industry," said CGW analyst, Ryan Murphy.
The regulations which can be being cheered within the new law are those that force the newly licensed offshore operators to detect and report scrupulous behavior to offer protection to against money laundering, and to assist sports leagues detect cheating scandals. Also, one of the crucial money will visit further research gambling problems and help folks that need support.
There may be the chance that legal action can be taken by prominent operators outside of the united kingdom. In line with legal experts from Outl-Law.com, such actions taken by those players could ultimately serve to severely delay the implementation of the law, keeping the established order for some time longer.
By making licensing so difficult and creating such a lot of costly hurdles for legitimate operators outside of the UK, those operators may decide to simply not get licensed and refuse bets to players from the united kingdom. This will likely open the door to black market operators who may be very happy to take bets from any player on the earth without following licensing and regulation procedures.
"In a market that may be operating so optimally already, it's difficult to appreciate the aim of this new UK law," Murphy told us. "THIS MIGHT create another wild-west situation with a view to only serve to harm the shopper once again."
