Kentucky Judge Hits Amaya with $290 Million Judgment
Breaking reports from Kentucky-based news outlets have revealed that a county-level circuit judge issued a massive $290 million judgment last month against PokerStars and its current parent, Canada-based Amaya Gaming, as part of an ongoing case brought by a private firm representing the state’s interests against PokerStars and other offshore sites who once serviced Kentucky players.
Local news reports confirm that Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate awarded the $290 million judgment against several defendants, including Amaya Group Holdings and a subsidiary connected to Stars or Full Tilt operations on Nov. 20. The state brought its action against the original Full Tilt, PokerStars, and numerous other then-current and former US-facing sites in 2010. The suit itself was a corollary to a separate action filed by Kentucky officials in 2008, that famously attempted but failed to seize 141 online domains associated in varying degrees to online gambling.
Judge Wingate has yet to assess Amaya’s share of the $290 million total judgment, but Kentucky’s legal representatives believe the company should be responsible for at least $250 million of that amount.
The November 20th judgment issued by Wingate comes in the same case that saw a motion to join filed by a third party, the Poker Players Alliance, less than two weeks ago. The PPA’s motion to join has not been definitively acted upon, although a “motion hearing” regarding the PPA’s efforts to join the case was held this afternoon in Lexington. Wingate is the same county-level judge who ruled in favor of Kentucky’s 2008 attempt to seize the 141 domains, in blatant violation of federal law and international trade agreements. Wingate’s attempted rulings in that case were later reversed.
Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier is a PCA legend, winning the Main Event in 2008 and returning one year later to win the High Roller title. In this exclusive interview, the French superstar reveals just what it is about Atlantis that is so special...
When you think of the PCA, the player that immediately comes to mind is Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier. The French poker and gaming superstar has won two outright titles and $2,480,480 in total winnings at the Atlantis Resort - and did it all with the style that has made him one of the most popular players in the world.
ElkY will be back at the PCA in 2016 broadcasting on his hugely successful Twitch channel and, most importantly, going for a third title at the venue which made him famous. Can he do it again? The Frenchman certainly isn't lacking in confidence...
PCA: Can you describe what the PCA is like for players who have never been there before?
ELKY: The PCA is a very unique poker tournament, for many reasons. It's the stop with the most PokerStars qualifiers so you will feel like you know or have played with most of the field already online! It also feels more like a poker summer camp because of the location, and the Atlantis is filled with so many poker players at the same time. The PCA is one of the best places to play poker in the world, and in 2016 it will have the biggest schedule in EPT history too.
PCA: Does the PCA sometimes feel more like a holiday than a serious poker tournament?
ELKY: Yes for sure, especially with the weather in January, and the whole resort concept. All of the EPT stops are in wonderful cities but the players are usually a bit more spread out, whereas at the PCA we are all together most of the time.
PCA: Does that mean that the parties at the PCA are the best too?
ELKY: Yeah, I have fond memories of the PokerStars parties at the PCA, and not just the ones when I won! There is usually a huge farewell party outside which is awesome. I can remember Kelly Rowland performing at one of the parties.
PCA: Two of your biggest live victories have happened at the PCA. Is there something about Atlantis that brings out your best game? Or is it just a coincidence?
ELKY: It's hard to say of course. I think in most cases it's a combination of both, but I definitely feel very confident at Atlantis, even though it might just be the placebo effect. It always feels great returning there.
Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.
PCA: Back in 2008 (when ElkY won the PCA Main Event for $2M) you were mainly known for becoming the first ever Supernova Elite on PokerStars. But was winning a major live tournament one of your key goals? Or were you much more focused on online poker?
ELKY: I was already very focused on live tournaments, as I came so close to a major win one year earlier at EPT Copenhagen when I finished runner-up. Winning a live tourney really became one of my main goals when I got the chance to be a Team PokerStars Pro in 2006. Winning the PCA after that was truly the most magical feeling of them all!
Treasure chest: ElkY scoops the 2008 PCA Main Event
PCA: The Main Event field at the PCA is one of the biggest of the year. What's the key to beating a field of thousands?
ELKY: Being prepared is definitely very important, both mentally and physically. You have to bring your 'A' game, but of course running well is also part of the equation.
PCA: You were known for being hyper-aggressive in 2008. Could you get away with a lot more then than you can today?
ELKY: Yes, definitely. I think it's partly that people knew less of me back then, but when you think back to 2008 the game of poker has changed so much. Overall gameplay and metagame were very, very different. In fact, I reviewed the final table that I won in 2008 just last year and I couldn't believe what we were all doing in some spots!
PCA: Can you give any examples?
ELKY: There were barely any squeeze plays in 2008 so a lot of pots ended up being played multi-way. In one hand David 'The Dragon' Pham opened, and he got two callers. One of those was Kristopher Kuykendall, who just called with A-Q in the big blind. With the table dynamic it's a 100% three-bet nowadays because David Pham opened a lot of hands!
PCA: Does the extra aggression in today's poker make it much tougher to win?
ELKY: I think so, not necessarily because the dynamic and metagame has changed, but because most of the players are much more experienced.
PCA: Would you say the 2008 PCA Main Event win is the highlight of your career so far?
ELKY: It's always difficult to say but the 2008 PCA is what started it all for me, so for sure!
Atlantis, home of the PCA
PCA: After the Main Event win you came back the next year to win the Super High Roller for over $500,000. Was it more prestigious to win the Main Event or to win the High Roller versus a smaller, more skilled field?
ELKY: I think the Main Event was definitely more important because of the sheer size of the field, and how prestigious an EPT Main Event is. Of course, it means a lot to win the High Roller as well!
PCA: Away from the tables, what would you recommend players do while at the PCA?
ELKY: I think my favourite restaurant is Dune at the Ocean Club. As for activities, the water slides are very fun but I think it depends on what you usually like to do. There are so many things to do at the PCA - from swimming in the ocean to walking on the beach or even swimming with dolphins. I love to do that, it's a unique experience.
PokerNews Podcast Episode #348: Holiday Gift Guide Finale, EPT Prague, and WPT Five Diamond
December 17th, 2015
Rich and Donnie close out the top 10 Holiday Gift Guide, review the EPT Prague festival, and take a look at the ongoing WPT Five Diamond World Poker classic festival at Bellagio.
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24Bettle not only provides the best in online casino games and sportsbook markets, but also gives players the chance to choose how they want to play and be rewarded. Players complete achievements and earn valuables in any of four sections: Casual, Hardcore, Allround and Slots. By completing achievements players can increase their level in each section, be rewarded at every step and earn Multipliers to increase the value of those rewards.
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Affiliates’ pre-registration means bonus money from the very beginning:
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Which spot bets are the wiseguys looking to wager this week?
Recommendation: Take Oregon (#278)
Oregon just lost offensive coordinator Scott Frost, who took the Central Florida coaching job. But the transition to new coordinator Matt Lubick should be relatively smooth.
Frost was expected to get a head coaching gig; Lubick was the heir apparent, and he, too, has already attracted attention as a rising young assistant. Some pre-bowl assistant coaching changes are very meaningful, but this isn’t one of those situations.
The Ducks averaged 42 points per game when QB Vernon Adams was healthy; a completely different looking offense than when Adams was hurt and head coach Mike Helfrich was forced to rely on ineffective backup Jeff Lockie. Oregon’s offense came on like a freight train down the stretch, hanging 52, 48, 38 (on Stanford’s elite D), 44 and 61 points in their last five games. And the Ducks senior laden offensive line is poised to blow holes open for their backs against TCU’s injury depleted defensive line.
The bigger question for the Ducks comes on the defensive side of the football. They finished the regular season with the fifth worst scoring defense and total defense among the Power-5 conference teams. They allowed six yards per play against FBS foes, unable to consistently stop the run or the pass. Lowly Oregon State hung 42 on them in their regular season finale.
But Ducks defensive coordinator Don Pellum put together an impressive gameplan against Florida State with a month to prepare for their BCS Bowl last year. This is a game where Oregon should be able to run the football, and Mark Helfrich has gone 25-2 SU as Oregon’s head coach when his team runs for 200 or more yards. Meanwhile, TCU closed out the season with the #80 ranked rushing defense; #66 in yards per carry allowed.
TCU took money off the ‘pick ‘em’ opener after star senior dual threat QB Trevone Boykin returned to practice after missing time with an ankle injury. Boykin was a top Heisman contender for much of the season, finishing the campaign ranked second in the nation with more than 380 yards per game of total offense.
Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson: “He gets a chance to showcase one last game. I always tell them bowl games are résumé games for seniors. It’s a chance for people to watch them against, usually, a good competition player they are going to play against.”
But Boykin isn’t going to have his top weapon available here, with star WR Josh Doctson downgraded to ‘out’. Doctson is absolutely worth something to the pointspread, a playmaker with 14 TD’s and a 17.0 yard per catch average on his 78 receptions this year.
No other receiver on the team caught more than 40 balls or had more than 600 receiving yards on the campaign. In the three games that Doctson couldn’t play at the end of the regular season, an offense that had averaged more than 45 points per game was held to 23, 29 and 21 points ( 21 in regulation, they scored a TD in overtime to beat Baylor).
The late season injuries to Doctson and Boykin doomed TCU’s chances for an undefeated season and a trip to the College Football Playoffs. But those two injuries were just the tip of the iceberg for the Horned Frogs this year. They lost seven starters to season ending injuries and had more than 20 key contributors missed time due to injury.
As a result, despite coach Patterson’s desired reliance on seniors, TCU had to use 30 freshmen on the field this year, second most of any BCS program in the country! Given their defense weakness against the run and the loss of their top passcatcher, there’s only one way I can look here. Take Oregon.
Teddy is scorching hot across sports RIGHT NOW, off to a 71% start in bowl season while hitting 67% in the NFL from Day 1 this year! Don't miss a single winner over New Year's Weekend!
Scientific Games Corporation announced gaming regulators have approved the new TwinStar dual-screen cabinet, a radical first in slot gaming – a stunning, single platform capable of delivering both WMS and Bally games with maximum results. The new cabinet is the first to incorporate the Company’s next-generation ArgOs operating system providing enhanced game characteristics and play features, and will launch with new versions of some of the Company’s most popular game titles, Goldfish Deluxe and Quick Shot Dwanwu.
read more...
The TwinStar cabinet, the ArgOS operating system and these two new game themes are approved in multiple jurisdictions, including California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin and New York. Additional approvals are anticipated in the coming weeks.
Gavin Isaacs, President and CEO, said, “The TwinStar cabinet is a major achievement in our integration strategy, involving the collaboration of our hardware, operating systems, game development, quality assurance and many other support teams around the globe. I am delighted that the initial production of our TwinStar units is sold out for this quarter, with expected shipments to occur in the final weeks of December. With Twinstar and Dualos now approved, we have two innovative dual-screen video cabinets for our customers around the world.”
The TwinStar for-sale cabinet features dual, vivid, 24-inch full HD displays and debuts the ArgOS state-of-the-art operating system that combines the best technology and content from two of the industry’s strongest slot brands—Bally and WMS—giving casino operators the ability to adapt it for their players. Scientific Games' innovators have also developed exclusive new game titles for TwinStar to take advantage of the processing power of this trailblazing platform. Game themes will include player-favorite Bally and WMS brands such as Gold Fish Deluxe, Quick Hit, Quick Shot Dwanwu and Zeus, along with exciting new games Steam Dream and Hot Blooded.
“The approval of this cabinet heralds the next great evolution in casino gaming. No detail has been overlooked in creating this state-of-the-art platform,” Mr. Isaacs added. “TwinStar will give casinos a great deal of flexibility in choosing the very best content from two innovative and proven gaming brands to excite players and optimize the potential of their casino floor.”
Featuring Scientific Games’ new CPU 4X which offers 90 percent better processing power and unlocks a new level of gameplay and mathematical experiences, TwinStar builds on the award-winning iDeckbutton deck by offering a 40-percent larger area for player interaction. TwinStar's 22-inch full HD digital topper is offered in two distinctive styles. Both versions include chrome details, improved sound, and edge lighting, adding beauty and excitement to casino floors.
Isaacs notes that WMS and Bally brand content will preserve many of the features that players love, including Quick Hits symbol-driven multiple progressives and Goldfish’s low volatility-high frequency hits.
We're not even finished with EPT Prague, but if you're ready to start planning for next year, we now have the first look at the EPT Dublin schedule.
It's been eight years since the EPT has been to Dublin. Now, the tour is headed back to the Royal Dublin Society for a 67-event schedule with buy-ins for every bankroll.
If you're looking for the UKIPT, that tour is once again partnering with the EPT for another major festival.
If you find yourself with time between February 9 and 20, we have the full schedule below. You can also visit the EPT Dublin page for full information about the Dublin tour stop.
Enjoy!
TIME
EVENT
BUY IN
STARTING STACK
LEVEL TIME
REG CLOSE
February 09 (Tuesday)
18:00
1
NL - Super Satellite to UKIPT Main Event
€200 + €20
7,000
20 Minutes
Level 4
20:00
2
NL - Single Rebuy - Super Satellite to UKIPT Main Event (Starting Stack or Less to Make the Rebuy)
€150 + €20
4,000/4,000
20 Minutes
Level 4
February 10 - Wednesday
10:00
3
UKIPT Main Event - Day 1A
€1,000 + €100
25,000
45 Minutes
Level 6
12:00
4
NL - Holdem
€300 + €30
15,000
30 Minutes
Level 4
12:30
5
NL - Holdem
€5,000 + €300
20,000
30 Minutes
Level 4
14:00
6
H-O-R-S-E - 8 Handed
€500 + €50
20,000
30 Minutes
Level 4
16:00
7
NL - Super Satellite to UKIPT Main Event
€200 + €20
7,000
20 Minutes
Level 4
19:00
8
NL - Dublin Poker Cup - Flight 1A (One Entry Per Flight)
€300 + €30
15,000
20 Minutes
Level 4
21:00
9
NL - Turbo
€1,000 + €100
15,000
15 Minutes
Level 4
21:30
10
NL - Super Satellite to UKIPT Main Event
€200 + €20
7,000
20 Minutes
Level 4
23:00
11
NL - Hyperturbo
€500 + €50
10,000
10 Minutes
Level 4
February 11 (Thursday)
10:00
3
UKIPT Main Event - Day 1B
€1,000 + €100
25,000
45 Minutes
Level 6
19:00
12
NL - Single Rebuy - Super Satellite to €25K High Roller - Event # 16 (Starting Stack or Less to Make the Rebuy)
€3,000 + €200
8,000/8,000
30 Minutes
Level 4
19:00
8
NL - Dublin Poker Cup - Flight 1B (One Entry Per Flight)
€300 + €30
15,000
20 Minutes
Level 4
21:30
13
NL - UKIPT Main Event Turbo Edition- 25K Stack and 15 Min Levels
€200 + €20
25,000
15 Minutes
Level 6
February 12 (Friday)
11:00
14
NL - Super Satellite to UKIPT High Roller - Event # 23
€300 + €30
8,000
20 Minutes
Level 4
12:00
3
UKIPT Main Event - Day 2
CLOSED
CLOSED
60 Minutes
CLOSED
12:00
15
NL - Turbo
€500 + €50
15,000
15 Minutes
Level 4
12:30
16
NL - High Roller - Single Re-Entry - 8 Handed - Day 1
€25,000 + €750
250,000
60 Minutes
12:15 on Day 2
14:00
17
PL - Omaha - Turbo
€200 + €20
15,000
15 Minutes
Level 4
17:00
18
NL - Flipout - 36 Player Cap - Double Elimination
€100 + €10
FLIPOUT
10 Minutes
No Late Reg
17:45
19
NL - Flipout - 36 Player Cap - Double Elimination
€100 + €10
FLIPOUT
10 Minutes
No Late Reg
18:15
20
NL - Flipout - 36 Player Cap - Double Elimination
€100 + €10
FLIPOUT
10 Minutes
No Late Reg
19:00
8
NL - Dublin Poker Cup - Flight 1C (One Entry Per Flight)
€300 + €30
15,000
20 Minutes
Level 4
22:00
21
NL - Hyper Turbo - Single Rebuy - Super Satellite to €25K High Roller - Event # 16
€2,500 + €100
10,000
10 Minutes
Level 8
February 13 (Saturday)
11:00
22
NL - One Rebuy/One Add on Super Satellite to EPT Main Event (Max Spend Allowed)
€500 + €50
4,000/4,000/8,000
20 Minutes
Level 4
12:00
3
UKIPT Main Event - Day 3
CLOSED
CLOSED
60 Minutes
CLOSED
12:00
23
NL - UKIPT High Roller - Day 1
€2,000 + €200
25,000
40 Minutes
Level 4
12:30
16
NL - High Roller - Single Re-Entry - 8 Handed - Day 2
Sometimes reading the PokerStars Blog can put you in a place you'd never expect yourself to be. For PokerStars' $ickFLop, that place will be this weekend's $700 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Mega Satellite.
We told you about this event on Monday, but click that clink if you missed it. In short, on Sunday PokerStars is hosting a $700 Mega satellite with 25 PCA prize packages guaranteed. That is, at the very minimum, 25 of those players will be joining us in the Bahamas for the PCA.
Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.
We thought we'd have a little fun and decided to give away a ticket to the event. The rules were simple. All we needed was for you to post a picture of yourself in a real money game at PokerStars and let us see it on Twitter along with a couple of other tidbits.
Today, our random draw landed on this eligible tweet.
@PokerStarsBlog my favourite PCA story: https://t.co/r6BQW6udmi #PCAMega pic.twitter.com/9jHGBVRufI
— Matty Wadsworth (@MattyWadz) November 3, 2015
Just for doing that, $ickFlop will be playing in this weekend's big PCA Mega. If he does well there, well, we'll be seeing him in the Bahamas in just two months for the PCA Main Event.
Now, we understand, some folks will be disappointed that they didn't win. So, we feel obligated to remind you that there are a lot of ways to win your PCA seat this week. Just check out all the PCA Week promotions here.
Did you miss out on this contest? Then make sure to follow us on @PokerStarsBlog so you don't miss us the next time.
Congrats, $ickFlop. Good luck on Sunday!
Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.Brad Willis is the PokerStars Head of Blogging.
Sunday Warm-Up: needdollarz gets $98K in three-way chop victory ^
With the Sunday Million on hiatus due to 8,669 players who are trying to gain a last minute ticket into this year's World Series of Poker Main Event, the big tourney of the evening started a few hours earlier. The $750,000 guarantee Sunday Warm-up had a strong showing tonight despite all the players looking for a last minute Father's Day gift, much like a certain writer who picked up a Home Depot gift card on the way to see his dad. 4,129 showed up for with the $215 buy-in and unlike last week, crushed the guarantee creating an $825,800.00 prize pool leaving aside $129,553.34 of that for tonight's winner. Perhaps the victor tonight will show up at his or her father's place with little more than I did after taking home the six-figure win.
Down to the final table bubble and a difference of around $1,600 on the line, not to mention the six figures awaiting for our winner, short-stacked Mochuelo1 with just over one million chips and 80K/160K ante 16K blind tried to improve with a shove from the cutoff holding [Ks][Qh]. JoeJ1337 in the big blind looking down at pocket tens [Tc][Ts] refused to relinquish the blinds and made the call. In an odd reverse fade, JoeJ1337 started spamming "Q" in the chat box, and sure enough nary a "Q" found the [7s] [5h] [8s] [7h] [Th] board and Mochuelo1 was sent home in tenth place ($4,954.80).
Click image for larger picture
Seat 1: needdollarz (7782684 in chips)
Seat 2: Nitrite (3644958 in chips)
Seat 3: degiomusic (6655267 in chips)
Seat 4: SiiliSuhonen (2076100 in chips)
Seat 5: JoeJ1337 (4826878 in chips)
Seat 6: raare01 (3537032 in chips)
Seat 7: QazMiNowPlz (5872951 in chips)
Seat 8: lankeshwar (2080064 in chips)
Seat 9: da produca (4814066 in chips)
Blinds would move up to 100K/200K ante 20K within a few minutes of the final nine being seated as needdollarz came in with the most tournament dollars followed closely by degiomusic and QazNiNowPlz who was flying the colors of Denmark.
Hearts Ahoy
After losing a huge eight million chip pot to SilliSuhonen, lankeshwar was left with just a half million in chips. Three hands later with the blinds at 125K/250K ante 25K, lankeshwar found [Ad][Qs] in early position and open shove for 476,916 chips. Folded around to degiomusic in the big blind who only had to call another 226,916 while holding 3.4 million behind, made the math call with [4h][9h]. 1.3 million chips in the middle with lankeshwar having to fade a flush draw [Th] [3h] [3d] after two hearts hit the flop. [Js] on the turn was fine, the red lady on the river [Qh] completed the flush for degiomusic sending lankeshwar off in ninth place ($6,606.40).
Moving with the chip rhythm
Five hands later da produca would open shove from UTG holding pocket nines [9s][9d] for 3.3 million. Two spots over degiomusic held pocket kings [Kd][Kh] and called all-in for just 82,947 chips less as the rest of the table went back to watching World Cup highlights. Two pair came out on the [Qh] [5s] [Td] [Ts] [Qs] board as degiomusic's kings over queens reigned supreme, taking in the 7.1 million chip pot. The very next hand da produca's 82,947 chips went into the middle in the big blind as QazMiNowPlz and degiomusic made the call. After the [Kd][7d][6c] flop, degiomusic led out for the minimum as QazMiNowPlz left the hand and turned up [Kc][Js] for top pair. da produca still had some life with the ragged [5h][9h] and an inside straight draw. But, the saving eight would stay away from the [6h] turn and [3c] river sending the da produca back to da studio in eighth place ($10,322.50).
Nitrite blows up
In one of the biggest pots of the tournament to this point, chip leader SilliSuhonen would put needdollarz to the test preflop after needdollarz found his preflop raised by both Nitrite and SilliSuhonen. needdollarz would abandon the 532,123 chips as Nitrite was all-in against SilliSuhonen for the 7.9 million chip pot. Watch the results below:
RSS readers click through to see replay
Pocket queens for SilliSuhonen [Qd][Qc] would trample Nitrite's [Jd][Ac] on the [3d] [3h] [Kd] [8d] [Th] board and scoop the 7.9 million chips as Nitrite took in $18,580.50 in seventh place.
1337dOOd done
The blinds moved up to 150K/300K ante 30K as JoeJ1337 and QazMiNowPlz tried to combine their similar five million chips and change stacks into one massive stack preflop. JoeJ1337 would cover by 57,705 chips and turned over pocket eights [8s][8d] to QazMiNowPlz's big slick [Kc][Ad]. Much like the final table bubble hand, JoeJ1337 immediately went for the reverse sweat and started spamming "aaaaaaaaaa". Obviously, that worked as no ace hit the board but a king did on the river [3s] [7h] [4c] [4h] [Ks] sending the 11 million chip pot to QazMiNowPlz. The next hand SilliSuhonen would scoop up JoeJ1337's scraps and send the elite one out in sixth place ($26,838.50).
Time to face the music
Just two hands later degiomusic, who helped carve a few players from the final table would find his own head on the chopping block facing chip leader SilliSuhonen. After raare01 and degiomusic made the call of SilliSuhonen preflop raise to 700K all three would see the [Qs][Ks][5d] flop. From the big blind degiomusic tried to scare off the remaining players with a shove for 2.7 million. Instead the response was an equally quick call from SilliSuhonen holding big slick [Ks][As] and quick fold by raare01. degiomusic also held top pair but a lesser kicker [9h][Kd], and failed to catch up on the [8h] turn and [7s] river leaving the tournament in fifth place ($35,096.50).
3-2-1 Contact!
Three eliminations in four hands tends to make writer's hands cramp up. With the blinds holding steady at 150K/300K ante 30K raare01 tried to hop into the action by shoving for 2.3 million over the top of a preflop raise by needdollarz. Holding 6.1 million in chips and only having to call 1.7 million more, needdollarz would make the call holding [7s][Ac]. raare01's [Ah][8c] looked a lot brighter after the [6d][9s][Jc] flop. But, the [7h] would dim the lights on raare01's tournament as the [3s] turned those five million chips in needdollarz's direction. raare01 would finish just outside of the proposed deal in fourth place ($46,657.70).
Did I mention a deal?
Immediately the final three had our PokerStars host pause the time clock for one of the quicker deals I have had the pleasure of covering. Details below leaving $10,000.00 for the winner:
Watch this massive 17 milllion chip pot between needdollarz and QazMiNowPlz play out below:
RSS readers click through to see replay
After the [4h][6h][8s] flop QazMiNowPlz would check as needdollarz would lead out for one million. QazMiNowPlz check-raised all-in and covered as needdollarz could not hit the call button quickly enough with the flopped straight [5d][7s]. QazMiNowPlz's top pair [Kh][8d] would be drawing dead by the [3s] turn as 17 million chips went to needdollarz. QazMiNowPlz's remaining 666,873 chips would be placed in the middle for a snack on the next hand as SilliSuhonen would hit a broadway straight to send off QazMiNowPlz in third place ($87,678.76).
Quick end to a long tourney
Ten hours after 4,129 players started, heads-up play would begin with needdollarz in a 15.8 million to 25.4 million chip deficit to SilliSuhonen. Three hands in needdollarz would score a needed double-up with another eight high straight, scoring 31.2 million chips. After the reversal in chip counts, needdollarz would apply the pressure in winning six of the final eight hands including the final hand where SilliSuhonen decided to test his luck preflop and shoved for 7.5 million chips holding two face cards [Qh][Jc]. With decent suited ace [Td][Ad] needdollarz made the call. A jack on the flop [Ks] [8s] [Jh] had SilliSuhonen looking good to get back into the tournament. [9d] helped no one on the turn but the rivered [Qs] improved both hands as needdollarz racked up yet another straight and the final 15 million tournament chips to become this week's Sunday Warm-up champion and collected the additional $10,000 bringing the total winnings to $98,320.19!
$750,000 guarantee Sunday Warm-Up Results (06-20-10) (*denotes part of three-way deal)
Look forward to some StarsFun at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure ^
We might be waist deep in an EPT festival right now, but that never stopped us looking ahead to the next festival coming up, especially when it's the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
The PCA is the jewel in the PokerStars calendar, offering more than 100 tournaments in great venue, but with a backdrop of palm trees and Paradise.
But the PCA is more than about poker. Our plan is to make it a memorable trip whether you walk away as the new PCA Main Event champion or with nothing more than a story.
What will that involve exactly?
Well for one thing we're thrilled to announce that Breakfast with the Pros is back. These are a great opportunity to meet Team PokerStars Pros, ask questions and hear what they have to say about the game. We even throw in breakfast. They're a highlight of the festival not to be missed, and run from January 7 to 13, starting at 11am each day.
Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.
The player lounge is then turned over to a host of other activities, including Atari Fun. You can play classic Atari games such as "Centipede", "Asteroids" and "Missile Command" with a chance to win one of three replica machines each day. The player lounge is also a great place to relax and get away from the bustle of the tournament room for a while. Be sure to drop in and say hello.
But this year it's not just inside where we're running activities.
If you like basketball then we're staging a 3-v-3 Basketball shootout featuring Jason Mercier, which is open to the first 48 players to register and runs on the morning of January 11 to 12. We're also accepting alternates - just email PCA@pslive.com. On January 11, registration runs from 9:00am to 9:30pm, you'll shoot for half an hour and then the games will run from 10am until noon. The next day you'll shoot from 9.30am, with games running from 10am.
As well as being a great chance to get some vitamin-A after long sessions at the table, the winners will gain free entry into a $1,000 side event on January 13. Oh, and if you like free stuff every player who enters gets a free t-shirt for taking part.
Then there's a tailgate party which (admittedly weather depending) coincides with the NFL play offs. They'll be a free-to-enter squares contest to across the weekend of January 9 to 10, as well as beer, food, and the obligatory beer pong. We'll also be throwing in a few prizes to win along the way.
Back indoors and they'll be extra events on the schedule to keep things new.
HU4Rollz will pitch you against Marc Andre Ladouceur, Liv Boeree and Randy Lew from Team PokerStars in a free to enter Heads-Up Challenge. They'll be prizes of course, ranging from $500 to $1,000 for consecutive wins. That runs from January 8 to 10.
We'll also be hosting the first ever PokerStars Casino €100,000 guaranteed blackjack tournament on January 8, featuring a buy-in of $500 and maximum of 2016 players, in the Atlantis Casino.
Lastly the official player party will wrap up the adventure on January 13, from 8-.30pm to 10.30pm before moving to the Aura night club. Taking place in the Grand Ballroom, they'll be free drinks, canapés and some great entertainment.
We're excited by it and we hope you are too. For all the details visit the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure homepage.
Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.
Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog.
ANZPT7 Melbourne Day 3: Matusik maintains lead into final nine ^
The final table is set!
While the cash tables were buzzing with players chasing the royal flush jackpot, those on the tournament floor were looking for a huge score of their own.
When play began we had 63 poker hopefuls return to the Crown poker room and we were off to a flying start as the shortstacks gambled for their tournament lives.
After eight and a half hours of play we've finally made it to our last-ever AZNPT final table. Those lucky nine will be back tomorrow before we crown a champion!
The plan starting the day was to play down to seven but when time lingered on and the action slowed down as we approached the end, a decision was made to conclude things nine handed.
Play would conclude only a few minutes into Level 24 when start-of-day chip leader Kenn Langcake eliminated Adam Monaghan. It folded around to Monaghan on the button who pushed all in for his last 195,000 in chips. Next to act Langcake moved in over the top with enough to cover and with the big blind out of the way the cards went on their backs.
Monaghan: [Qh][8h]
Langcake: [Ad][4c]
Monghan needed help and he celebrated after finding it on the [Qs][3h][Ks] flop. He was trying to fade an ace to stay alive but couldn't do it as the [Ac] turn rolled off and the [9c] river bricked. Monaghan would have to be content with his 10th place finish for $11,725 while the other nine guaranteed themselves $19,120.
Bubble boy - Adam Monaghan
Leading the way for tomorrow's return after a great day on the felt is Peter Matusik. The Brisbane local emerged as chip leader about half way through proceedings and is currently out in front with 2,430,000.
Matusik put a stop to Day 1B end-of-day chip leader Hyeong Wook Choi into the late stages of the night after the dealer fanned out an action flop. The [3c][8s][6s] board saw a jam from Choi and a snap-call from Matsusik before players revealed their hands.
Matusik: [6h][6d]
Choi: [Qs][9s]
It was Matusik's middle set up against Choi's flush draw and with the [Kd] turn and [Td] river appearing Choi would fail to spike one of his outs to instead find the rail. Matusik would continue chipping up as play went on before ultimately finishing with the lead going into the final table tomorrow.
Current chip leader - Peter Matusik
Following Matusik on the chip stack podium are Lin Shi (current second place) with 1,865,000 and reigning Aussie Millions champion Manny Stavropoulos (third place) on 1,570,000. By reaching the final table here this week Stavropoulos has already guaranteed himself the ANZPT Player of the Year title and will be hunting for the last ANZPT Main Event title to top it off.
ANZPT7 Melbourne Final Table Draw
Seat 1: Manny Stavropoulos (Australia) - 1,570,000
Seat 2: Kenn Langcake (Australia) - 650,000
Seat 3: Mile Krstanoski (Australia) - 525,000
Seat 4: Carl Knox (New Zealand) - 860,000
Seat 5: George Balandinos (Australia) - 990,000
Seat 6: Erich Stadler (New Zealand) - 490,000
Seat 7: Peter Matusik (Australia) - 2,430,000
Seat 8: Lin Shi (Australia) - 1,865,000
Seat 9: Nikolce Trajkovski (Australia) - 800,000
So that's all for tonight! The remaining nine players will return tomorrow from 12:30pm to battle it out for the ANZPT Main Event title! In the meantime you can find out about our final tablists by reading there player profiles. We hope you can join us tomorrow - Stay tuned!
You probably already know that The Poker Academy is sending some of their students to the 2016 WSOP to compete in a $1,000 buy-in bracelet event.
If not, all the details of their 12-Week Challenge can be found here.
What you probably don’t know is that they are offering a free webinar series to go along with the 12-Week Challenge.
Card Player has been given access to the course, and is reviewing it, session by session to give our readers some insight into how The Poker Academy can take your game to the next level. See the session 1 review here.
That’s right. Between January and April, Rick and Rep will host 12 free webinars that will correspond to each of the 12 sessions in their no-limit Tournament Course.
To learn a little more and sign up for the webinars, click here.
Each webinar will start with Rick and Rep presenting what they think are the important topics from each session. Then they will host an informal Q and A afterward.
If you’re already a student, it’s a great opportunity to get clarity on any uncertain topics or dig a little deeper into something that interests you.
If you aren’t a student yet, the webinars will give you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the instructors and see how they think about poker.
The best part? It’s absolutely free. You can come to as many or as few of the webinars as you want. The full list is below.
What are you waiting for? Click here to sign-up.
Session 1
Tues, Jan 5th
06:00 PM
Session 2
Thurs, Jan 14th
06:00 PM
Session 3
Tues, Jan 26th
06:00 PM
Session 4
Thurs, Feb 4th
06:00 PM
Session 5
Tues, Feb 16th
06:00 PM
Session 6
Thurs, Feb 25th
06:00 PM
Session 7
Tues, Mar 8th
06:00 PM
Session 8
Thurs, Mar 17th
06:00 PM
Session 9
Tues, Mar 29th
06:00 PM
Session 10
Thurs, Apr 7th
06:00 PM
Session 11
Tues, Apr 19th
06:00 PM
Session 12
Thurs, Apr 28th
06:00 PM
Sign up for The Poker Academy today to take your game to the next level.
You probably already know that The Poker Academy is sending some of their students to the 2016 
