The professional poker landscape has witnessed several top poker moments this year that have redefined the competitive scene. From record breaking tournament turnouts to individual displays of dominance, these historic milestones highlight a period of significant growth and change for the game. These events have captured the attention of the global community by showcasing high stakes drama and technical mastery.
One major highlight involves Japanese player Shiina Okamoto, who secured a historic second consecutive bracelet in the World Series of Poker Ladies Championship. Okamoto managed to navigate a field of over 1,200 participants to defend her title, marking a rare feat of back to back dominance in a major tournament. Her ability to maintain composure under pressure has established her as a premier force in the modern era of the sport.
The competitive season also saw a breakthrough for female representation at the highest levels of the game. Leo Margets made headlines by becoming the first woman in three decades to reach the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. Finishing in seventh place for a 1.5 million dollar prize, her deep run challenged long standing records and brought renewed attention to the evolving demographics of elite competition.
In the high stakes arena, try this for one of the top poker moments of the year: Kristen Foxen achieved a significant financial milestone by becoming the highest earning woman in the history of the game. Her performance at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Jeju propelled her past previous records, further solidifying her status as a top tier professional. This achievement reflects the increasing stakes and talent levels present in modern high roller events.
The international circuit also celebrated a first when Xuan Liu captured a title at the Triton Poker series in Montenegro. Her victory marked the first time a woman has won a championship in that specific high stakes series, representing a shift in the global competitive hierarchy.
Finally, Michael Mizrachi returned to the spotlight with a dominant performance at the World Series of Poker. Known as a veteran of the game, his latest victory served as a reminder of the enduring skill of the older generation of players. These top poker moments collectively demonstrate a year of intense competition and historic achievements that continue to shape the future of the professional circuit.
In the 77 years since the formation of the Jewish state, and for the 2,000 years since the destruction of the Second Temple, the West has understood peace in the Middle East—peace between Arabs and Jews—as impossible.
Semantically, the “Peace Process” was the continuing enjoyment of a process which could be ended only by peace. What, then, have the West, the world and the United Nations been doing in regard to the Mideast since 1948?
Michael Calore: Yeah. My favorite indiscreet product placement was in the show Entourage from HBO. It was on TV, I don’t know, 15 years ago.
Lauren Goode: Oh, I remember it.
Michael Calore: And the characters used to say to each other, “I’ll BBM it to you.”
Lauren Goode: No. Time capsule.
Michael Calore: Yeah. Which is like, even if you had a Blackberry—
Lauren Goode: Yeah, you never said that.
Michael Calore: Nobody ever said that.
Lauren Goode: No, it’s so true.
Michael Calore: They would text it to you.
Lauren Goode: Incredible.
Michael Calore: But no, I’m going to BBM it to you.
Andy Greenberg: Just the fact that we even know what BBM-ing is just kind of means it worked.
Lauren Goode: Or maybe it’s more, “What is that, guys? I don’t remember that. I’m too young.” All right, Andy, give us your WIRED, TIRED.
Andy Greenberg: Well, I am not a video game reporter, but I did buy the—everybody has been talking about this game Silksong. It was $20 on the Switch. I bought it for my 9-year-old son, and I thought that I would play this cute little game and I just cannot believe how fricking hard it is. Nobody is talking about the fact that this incredibly popular game—it makes you want to cry. Like me, not my son, like me, the adult. I cannot stop playing it.
But I have been more frustrated playing this game than I have been maybe in anything else in my life or work for years. This is my extremely amateur video game trend watching observation that for a while all these games got really easy like Candy Crush and Farmville and Angry Bird stuff where you just basically can’t lose. And people seem to love that and games got incredibly easy. And now it feels like we’re in this era where games are just absurdly hard, including these—what look like casual games for kids are in fact some of the most challenging things you will do in your life. And actually I think it’s great. So yeah, I would say TIRED are easy games and WIRED is games that are ridiculously hard and making me want to cry.
DETROIT (AP) — Chauncey Billups earned a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame a year ago, recognizing his resilience and clutch play in a championship-winning NBA career.
His ability to bounce back and make all the right moves is being put to an entirely different test by a gambling scandal.
Billups, who was placed on leave as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, was one of more than 30 people arrested last week for what federal law enforcement officials described as their involvement in various illicit gambling activities. The coach was alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes poker games with ties to three Mafia families. He also matches the credentials of someone described only as Co-Conspirator 8 in an indictment detailing how some people gave bettors inside information on player health statuses.
“My message to the defendants who’ve been rounded up today is this: Your winning streak has ended,” Joseph Nocella, the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, said in outlining the charges.
Billups’ alleged involvement was stunning for someone with a sterling reputation, earning the NBA’s sportsmanship award in 2009 while playing for his hometown Denver Nuggets.
Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, who calls Billups his best friend, said he spoke with Billups on the day he was arrested and was encouraged by what he heard during the conversation.
Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he hates to see what Billups is going through as a friend he has had since middle school.
“I think everyone needs to allow due process to happen, and then obviously judgments can be made,” Bickerstaff said on Sunday. “You feel for anyone you’ve known and have a relationship with and know his family well.
“I know he’s going through it,” he added. “It’s a difficult time for him.”
‘Pressure is nothing new to me’ Billups, who is married and has three daughters, was arrested at his home in Oregon before dawn last Thursday. Hours earlier, the Trail Blazers lost their season opener at home to Minnesota. After tipping off his fifth season in Portland, Billups was asked if he felt pressure because the franchise’s new ownership group attended the game.
“That pressure thing is nothing to me, man,” Billups said in his last public comments on Oct. 22. “I do the best I can and let the chips fall where they may. You know that about me by now.”
Billups appeared before a judge in Oregon, and was released from custody on conditions. His attorney, Chris Heywood, denied the allegations.
“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation and his freedom,” Heywood said. “He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”
The 49-year-old Billups grew up in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood and starred in college for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Boston drafted him No. 3 overall in 1997 and he bounced around the league, getting traded during his rookie year twice more over the next two years.
Billups signed with Minnesota in 2000 as a free agent and after two solid seasons, he leveraged his value to sign a $35 million, six-year contract with the Pistons.
Billups was known as Mr. Big Shot He was known as Mr. Big Shot because of his knack of making clutch shots in the Motor City, where he found his groove as a player and later had his No. 1 Pistons jersey retired as one of the most popular players in any sport in Michigan.
Billups guided Detroit to its third NBA championship in 2004 and the NBA Finals the following year during a run of six straight appearances in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Pistons later traded him to Denver for his second stint with the franchise. After Billups went on to play for the New York Knicks and Clippers, he closed his five-time All-Star career in Detroit during the 2013-14 season with more than $100 million in earnings.
Billups started his career as a TV analyst the next year, a role he gave up to pursue a coaching career with the Clippers under Lue. He was hired as Portland’s coach in 2021 and signed a multi-year extension with the Trail Blazers last April and has a career 117-212 record as an coach in the league.
The NBA, in reaction to the arrests of Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier for their alleged role in gambling schemes, has started a review of how the league can protect not just the integrity of the game but its players and coaches as well.
The league made those revelations in a memo sent to all 30 teams, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.
Congress has asked NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to testify about the league’s illegal gambling scandal
Several current and former players and coaches were named in FBI indictments
Congress is demanding answers from the NBA for what’s emerging as the biggest sports betting scandal since Pete Rose was found to have bet on baseball games he managed and played more than four decades ago.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver takes questions about the FBI’s indictment of several of its current and former players and coaches. Congress has asked Silver to testify about the illegal sports betting and gambling scandal. (Image: Amazon Prime)
This week, the FBI unsealed two federal indictments naming more than 30 defendants who allegedly engaged in an unlawful sports betting and gambling operation, with the rigged poker component thought to have involved New York crime families. Several current and former NBA players, including Terry Rozier, NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones, were named in the charges.
This is the insider trading saga for the NBA,” FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday. “It’s not thousands of dollars. It’s not tens of thousands of dollars. It’s not even millions of dollars. We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud, theft, and robbery.”
Rozier is accused of throwing games and faking injuries for the benefit of his illegal sports gambling cohorts. Jones is accused of selling inside information about the status of key players, including LeBron James, to bettors looking for an edge on the books. Billups is alleged to have participated in an illegal poker scheme with mob ties.
Congress Demands Answers
On Friday, the bipartisan leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver requesting that he testify before the panel, which has jurisdiction over interstate commerce, consumer protection, and sports, regarding the federal sports fixing and illegal gambling indictments.
The committee is seeking the NBA’s insights about the insider sports betting trading, which actions it intends to take to limit the disclosure of nonpublic information for illegal purposes, and whether the league’s Code of Conduct effectively prohibits such illegal activity. The committee members are also asking for an explanation of how the NBA’s current regulations might have allowed the matter at hand to be executed, and if the league is reevaluating the terms of its sports betting partnerships.
The hearing will presumably also discuss player props, or bets in which a player can singlehandedly influence.
Silver ‘Deeply Disturbed’
Silver was interviewed about the FBI bombshell during Friday night’s game between the Boston Celtics at the New York Knicks.
My initial reaction was that I was deeply disturbed. There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting,” Silver said on Amazon Prime Video, during the streaming service’s first NBA broadcast.
“I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation,” Silver said.
Silver also answered for the NBA’s unfruitful probe of Rozier’s illegal conduct, as alleged by the FBI, when sportsbooks in 2023 tipped the league off to suspicious betting activity surrounding his player props.
We frankly couldn’t find anything,” Silver said. “Terry cooperated. He gave the league his phone. He sat down for an interview. We ultimately concluded that were was insufficient evidence despite the aberrational behavior to move forward.”
Silver concluded by saying Rozier hasn’t been convicted of anything, but he acknowledged that “it doesn’t look good.”
Station Casinos announced on Monday that live poker will be returning to Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, just 15 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. It will soon become the first Las Vegas poker room closed during the pandemic to reopen since 2021.
Stations Casinos Bring Back Poker to Green Valley Ranch
Like other Station Casinos, the interior features a retro design that evokes the nostalgia of poker’s earlier days. At Green Valley Ranch, rich red tones dominate the poker room, highlighted by a burgundy floral carpet that immediately catches the eye. Interestingly, however, the casino, which will reopen in December, will do so with 16 tables, instead of the previous 22.
Open 24/7, the room will offer cash games and tournaments in fixed-limit hold ’em, no-limit hold ’em, pot-limit Omaha, and Omaha hi/lo. Green Valley Ranch’s poker room will be just the 19th remaining in a city that boasted over 60 in the early 2000s. It would have been the 20th, but Poker Palace Casino is set to close on October 1 with its new owner, Truckee Gaming LLC, planning to reopen the venue without poker.
However, back to Station Casinos, the reopening of the Green Valley Ranch property could be seen as part of the company’s broader expansion in 2025. Early this year, Station Casinos also started construction on a Durango expansion, which will see the venue receive over 25,000 square feet of new casino space when it opens in 2026.
How Has the Poker Scene in Las Vegas Changed Over the Years?
Since the decline of the poker boom around 2012, roughly 40 poker rooms in Las Vegas have shut down. After the pandemic, the Green Valley Ranch poker room, located just steps from the sportsbook, was converted into a smoke-free slot area.
Poker rooms rarely return once they’ve been converted into slot machine areas. This is largely because slot machines generate significantly more revenue per square foot for casinos. Unlike slots, poker doesn’t give the house an inherent edge; casinos earn their share through rake (a small percentage taken from each pot in cash games) or through tournament entry fees, rather than profiting directly from player losses.
However, according to a press release from Station Casinos, strong customer demand was the primary driving force behind the decision to reintroduce poker. Ken Janssen, vice president and general manager of Green Valley Ranch, said the decision to bring back poker was a direct response to guest feedback. He noted that the return of poker is part of a broader series of exciting upgrades at the property, which is currently undergoing a $200 million renovation.
Las Vegas is getting one of its poker rooms back. Station Casinos announced Monday that live poker will return to the Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, a 15-minute drive from the Strip.
Green Valley Ranch will soon become only the first Las Vegas poker room closed during the pandemic to reopen since 2021. (Image: phgmeetings.com)
The poker room, which the locals casino closed during COVID, will reopen by December, with 16 tables instead of the 22 (according to PokerAtlas.com) that it had pre-pandemic.
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the room will deal fixed-limit hold’em, no-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, and Omaha hi/lo in cash games and tournaments.
Knowing When to Fold ‘Em
Green Valley Ranch’s poker room will be only the 19th in a town that had more than 60 in the early-aughts. (It would have been the 20th, but the Poker Palace Casino will close on October 1. And its new owners, Truckee Gaming LLC, are planning to reopen it without poker.)
Around 40 Las Vegas poker rooms have closed since the poker boom started going bust around 2012. After COVID, Green Valley Ranch’s poker room, located steps from its sportsbook, was repurposed as a smoke-free slot machine area.
Poker rooms don’t typically return once they’re converted to slot areas. That’s because, per square foot, slots generate much more revenue for casinos. (Poker provides no edge to the house. Casinos don’t directly benefit from player losses and, instead, earn rake, a small percentage taken from each pot in cash games, or tournament fees.)
As Stations admitted in a press release, however, it was customer demand that was responsible.
“We took our guests’ feedback loud and clear and are pleased to announce the return of poker, among the many exciting upgrades happening at the property,” said Ken Janssen, Green Valley Ranch’s GM and VP. (Green Valley Ranch is in the midst of a $200 million remodel.)
Here are all the poker rooms in the Las Vegas area that will be left standing after the Poker Palace closes…
Aria
Bellagio
Boulder Station
Caesars Palace
Golden Nugget
Horseshoe
Mandalay Bay
MGM Grand
Orleans
Planet Hollywood
Red Rock
Resorts World
Santa Fe Station
Skyline
South Point
Venetian
Westgate
Wyn
Station Casinos operates three of them: at Boulder Station, Red Rock and Sante Fe Station.
This blog contains links from which we may earn a commission.Credit: Casey Murphy/Unsplash
Look, the Philadelphia Eagles are already pretty damn good at football. But here’s the thing — they could get even better by stealing some tricks from poker pros.
These card sharks have mastered skills that translate perfectly to the gridiron.
And honestly? The Eagles would be crazy not to pay attention.
Reading People Like a Book
Ever watch a poker pro in action? They’re basically human lie detectors. Poker players spend hours studying every twitch, every betting pattern, every tiny tell their opponents give away. It’s almost scary how good they get at it.
The Eagles already watch game film — every team does. But they could take this way further. Instead of just looking at what plays teams run, they should be studying the subtle stuff. Does the quarterback always tap his helmet before a blitz? Do linemen shift their weight differently on run plays versus pass plays?
It’s like when Daniel Negreanu calls out exactly what cards his opponent is holding. That level of observation doesn’t happen by accident.
Ice-Cold Discipline
PHOTO: Casey Murphy/Unsplash
Here’s where poker gets really interesting for football. Every single hand, poker pros are doing math. They’re calculating odds, managing their bankroll, deciding whether that bluff is worth the risk. And they do it all without showing emotion.
The Eagles need that same ruthless discipline. Sure, football’s an emotional game — passion matters. But the best decisions come from clear heads, not hot tempers.
Think about those crucial fourth-down calls. How many times have we seen teams (not naming names, but we all know) make terrible decisions because they got caught up in the moment?
A poker player would crunch the numbers first. What are the odds? What’s the downside? Can we afford this risk right now?
Rolling with the Punches
Poker players have this saying: “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” The game changes constantly — your pocket aces get cracked, someone goes all-in when you least expect it. The best players just… adapt.
Football’s the same way. Game plans are great until the other team does something you didn’t see coming. Remember when the Patriots started using that no-huddle offense against everyone? Teams that adapted quickly won games. Teams that didn’t get steamrolled.
The Eagles are actually pretty good at this already, but they could push it further. What if they practiced switching between completely different offensive schemes mid-drive? US poker pros don’t just have Plan B ready — they’ve got Plans C through Z mapped out too.
Bouncing Back from Bad Beats
Any poker player will tell you about bad beats — those brutal hands where you do everything right and still lose. Maybe your full house loses to a straight flush. Maybe someone hits a miracle card on the river.
The key? You can’t let it tilt you. You’ve got to shake it off and play the next hand like nothing happened.
Football’s full of these moments. Fumbles on the goal line. Pick-sixes on perfect throws. Missed field goals in the playoffs. The teams that win championships are the ones that don’t let those moments snowball.
The Eagles could learn from how poker pros build mental toughness. They use specific routines, breathing techniques, and even meditation. Whatever it takes to stay level-headed when everything’s falling apart.
Building Your Network
Here’s something most people don’t know about poker: the best players share information all the time. They’ll text each other about tough hands, discuss strategy, and even stake each other in big tournaments.
It sounds counterintuitive, but helping your competition actually makes everyone better. And when everyone’s better, the whole ecosystem grows.
The Eagles could tap into this mindset more. Yeah, they work with other teams in a transactional sense, but if they opened their minds to sharing insights, training methods, and mistakes, they could build a stronger knowledge base that would advance football for all.
No official confirmation has come that GGPoker may soon move to an invitation-only model for its high-stakes games involving blinds of $25/$50, but there is some evidence to suggest that the change may already be afoot.
If true, the move is interesting, as it suggests that GGPoker does not want to open its games to a wider audience, focusing on what could be an exclusive selection of high-stakes players who are keen to spend more, given the chance to compete against their ilk.
High Stakes Players Are Equal, But Some Are More Equal
The move could also be occasioned by tightening the higher tiers of the platform where GGPoker wants to make sure there are no bots. Both explanations are equally plausible, although not very likely to be what motivates the company right now.
The change, which was first shared by Russian community members who received emails notifying them of the update, is due to take place on November 8, but there have been no official press statements by the company just yet.
Yet, the rumors have created a vortex of online reactions, and the response has not been flattering. Libertainian-minded poker rank-and-files have criticized the platform for abusing the trust that they have placed in the GGPoker brand.
By shutting the free entrance to high-stakes games, one of the biggest dreams of the poker community could be killed, precisely having the chance to start from small games, learn the ropes, master the game, and then enter the high-stakes games.
The invite-only format would severely limit this free migration throughout skill levels, restricting certain players possibly indefinitely, the community fears.
This accusation comes on top of other criticism sustained by the platform, specifically about its decision to “gamify” poker, or in other words make it more appealing to more people by way of simplifying the formats and essentially relying on randomness for winning.
High-stakes players have also said that they would not have the opportunity to maintain the same level of income. But is it all that bad?
Should “The Fish” Fear of the Move or Embrace It?
Overwhelmingly critical of the move, the community has not elected many defenders of the changes. YouTuber Joe Ingram suggested that GGPoker’s rumored decision may not be all for the wrong purposes.
Rather, GGPoker could be trying to screen and filter players who may be suspected of cheating, but this is a tenuous argument to uphold and is reminiscent of the way sports betting platforms tend to ostracize “sharp” bettors.
However, Ingram has a point to insist that there have been numerous tools used in high-stakes games to give players a statistical edge. Nevertheless, the aftertaste of this rumored change is bitter. What, ask players rightly, if the people who decide who gets to play in the high-stakes games collude?
In a game where skill should be the only deciding factor, this bizarre new form of gatekeeping rankles
The World Poker Tour (WPT) has announced its upcoming lineup of high-profile events that will capture the attention of poker pros and fans worldwide. With event stops in Paris, Montreal, Las Vegas, and Cambodia, WPT is preparing for an action-packed few months of tournaments. While fans in some regions may be disappointed, the championship has reaffirmed its intention to visit as many diverse destinations as possible.
Paris, Montreal, and Vegas Will Host Exciting Events
Kicking off in October, WPT will host simultaneous series in both Paris and Montreal. From 14 to 19 October, the WPT Prime Paris Championship at Club Circus Paris will offer many thrilling events. These include the €500 WPT Opener and the marquee €1,100 WPT Prime Paris Championship running from 23 to 28 October. The championship sports an almost 30-event schedule catering to all kinds of players.
Meanwhile, WPT heads out to Playground Poker in Montreal for its parallel championship series, starting with the WPT 500 event featuring a CAD 400,000 ($295,000) guarantee. The six consecutive starting flights will run from 14-19 October, culminating with the finale on 21 October.
Next in line is the WPT Prime Playground Championship, with a CAD 800,000 ($590,420) guarantee from 20-25 October, while the headline event, the CAD 3,500 buy-in WPT Playground Championship, with a CAD 1.5 million ($1.11 million) guarantee, runs from 24-30 October.
December will see WPT return to Las Vegas for the highly-anticipated WPT World Championship at the Wynn from 3-23 December. The series will feature a record-breaking $5 million freeroll as part of a promotional campaign for WPT’s soon-to-launch online poker suite. The highlight, the $10,400 World Championship, kicks off on 14 December with many other events on the packed schedule.
2025 Kicks Off with the WPT Cambodia Championship
The WPT’s plans are not limited to 2024. The second WPT Cambodia Championship will occur from 6-24 February, with tournament guarantees exceeding $3 million. The premier $3,500 WPT Cambodia Championship will run from 19-24 February, offering a $1.5 million guarantee, up $500,000 from last year’s event.
Other key Cambodia events include the $1,100 buy-in WPT Prime Cambodia with its $750,000 guarantee (14-18 February) and the $600 Championship Warm Up with a $150,000 guarantee (7-10 February). WPT CEO Adam Pliska was excited about the upcoming festivals and was particularly optimistic about Cambodia’s status as a rising poker destination.
“Our festivals in Cambodia at NagaWorld have immortalized some amazing moments from record-breaking fields to the Sexton Cup’s first appearance in Southeast Asia.”
Adam Pliska, WPT CEO
These coming events more than compensate for the organization’s decision earlier this year to cancel its WPT Macau event, which was scrapped in May. Despite the cancellation, the brand still promised to hold future world-class events in the Asia-Pacific region. With high-stakes tournaments across iconic poker destinations, WPT is once again setting the stage for memorable moments and intense competition.
A professional poker player has won a huge jackpot, proving that luck can come from anywhere. The fortunate player celebrated his win on X, sharing a video of the big moment.
Kessler Wins Big
Allen Kessler is a professional poker ranked 10th in All Time Total Cashes with 363 tournament cashes, according to the Global Poker Index. These include 69 WSOP cashes, 12 WSOP Europe cashes and 91 WSOP Circuit cashes, among others.
Despite being best-known for his poker exploits, Kessler just made headlines winning a $1.2 million jackpot on a slot cabinet at The Poker Room Thunder Valley in California. Kessler was playing a Buffalo slot by Aristocrat.
As mentioned, Kessler shared the big moment on X, highlighting his amazing achievement.
According to Kessler, he had been playing the slot machine for some 12 hours. He had been staking $125 per spin and had credit of $2,458 in the machine at the time of his win.
The Poker Pro Said He Loves Buffalo Slots
Kessler was provided with a difficult decision – he can either claim the jackpot as a lump sum payment or have it paid out over the course of 20 years. On X, he asked math pros if they could help him with the decision and jokingly asked them to bear in mind that he “might not live 20 years” considering his diet.
Kessler spoke on the matter with VegasSlotsOnline News and said that he loves playing Buffalo slots. He said that he loves Buffalo Power Play because of its exciting mechanic and the opportunity to buy right into the bonus round. He added that he won his jackpot after approximately 50 times before winning the $1.2 million jackpot.
This spectacular win adds to his $4.4 million poker earnings.
Sunday marked the beginning of one of the most-anticipated poker events of the year, the WSOP Online Championship Series. The exciting series kicked off on June 2 and were initially planned to run through mid-July. However, WSOP confirmed that the WSOP Online Championship was extended by a whole week, adding 28 more events to the packed schedule this summer.
According to Pokerfuse, initially, the series offered a guaranteed sum that was north of $5 million. However, with the addition of new events, the total guarantee increased by nearly $900,000, bringing it closer to the mind-blowing $6 million.
Adding more events thanks to one more week of action means that the WSOP Online Championship Series will conclude on July 21, 2024. Throughout the series, there will be a whopping 200 events, offering guarantees that vary in size. Buy-ins for the different tournaments start from as low as $10 and go all the way up to $1,000.
Undoubtedly, the exciting poker series will attract a wide range of seasoned poker pros. Considering the events that offer buy-ins of $10, $22, $55 and $77, upcoming poker players are likely going to try their luck too.
The Series Offer a Range of Exciting Events
The gem of the WSOP Online Championship Series this year is the Main Event. With a $320 buy-in, the Main Event offers a staggering $300,000 in guarantees. The Online Championship Series’ Main Event is scheduled to take place on July 14, 2024.
Throughout the series, there’s a range of events with six-figure guarantees. Notable mentions include Event #56 the $100,000 NLH Mystery High Roller that offers a $100,000 guarantee. The event with a $1,000 buy-in kicked off on June 6 and will run through June 15.
High rollers might also find it interesting to participate in Event #123, the $100,000 NLH Special Mystery Tuesday. The exciting event features a $500 buy-in, $100,000 in guarantees and is scheduled for July 2.
Another notable mention is Event #168, the $100,00 NLH Mystery Highroller scheduled for July 13. As the name suggests the event features $100,000 in guarantees while its buy-in is $1,000.
Event #167, the $10,000 NLH Freezeout is likely also worth looking into, considering the $10,000 in guarantees and $55 buy-in. The $10,000 NLH Freezeout is scheduled for July 13.
A total of five events will take place on the last day of the WSOP Online Championship Series. Notably, Event #197, the $150,000 Closer offers $150,000 in guarantees. The buy-in for the thrilling event is only $215.
Iconic ACR Pro and former World Series of Poker (WSOP) winner Chris Moneymaker has announced a minimum of 15 players will attend the $200,000 GTD Moneymaker Tour Main Event scheduled for October in Aruba.
How to Win Moneymaker Tour Aruba Packages
The Aruba stop can be reached by players who win Moneymaker Tour Aruba packages by attending the Beast Tournament Mega Satellite at Americas Cardroom which is scheduled for June 9 at 6:05 pm ET.
Direct buy-ins for $95 will be available. Players will also be given the opportunity to qualify for free by ranking on ACR Poker’s Beast weekly leaderboard.
The Mega Satellite guarantees 15 packages each worth $3,000, totaling $45,000. Each package will feature a $1,500 entry to the $200,000 GTD Main Event, along with an extra $1,500 to cover players’ travel expenses.
The travel money will go straight into qualified players’ accounts.
The US-themed online poker site founded in 2001 with its headquarters in San José, Costa Rica, supports the Moneymaker Tour every week by holding $109 satellite qualifiers.
The Sunday qualifiers award $1,500 Main Event entries to future Moneymaker Tour stops.
An Iconic Tour From an Iconic Player
In 2003, the American poker player took the poker world by storm when he went from amateur to champion by winning the Main Event at the 2003 WSOP after qualifying via an online poker platform.
In 2023, the iconic player decided to create the Moneymaker Tour, a land-based poker tourthat would represent a fresh addition to the constantly changing world of poker.
12281 players claimed the offer this month
The tour, created together with Tony Burns, made its debut at the Palm Beach Kennel Club in Florida, branched out into Daytona Beach, and eventually went out of the Sunshine State to reach Cincinnati at the end of the year.
After that, the epic poker tour reached the Texas Card Housefrom where it continued to reach new destinations including Palm Beach Kennel Clubin West Palm Beach on May 14 where 35 out of the 269 remaining players fought for Event #26’s prize pool of $61,870.
One of Chris Moneymaker’s most recent results is a 6th place ranking in ACR Poker’s record-setting $12.5 Million Venom, which brought him a cash prize of $382,007.
Next in line was a Montenegro win at Event #1 GG Million$ Live at the Triton Super High Roller Series where the player scooped up an extra $903,000.
Commenting on his latest accomplishments, Moneymaker said he was “really proud to wear the ACR Pro patch on the big stage.”
He also took the opportunity to thank ACR Poker “for their help in supporting” his tour while expressing excitement for being able to watch all the players compete in “beautiful Aruba” this upcoming fall.
While other cities have embraced poker rooms, and Dallas is still figuring out what it wants to do with them, things aren’t looking so good for poker rooms in Farmers Branch. Today, the Farmers Branch City Council will consider whether to allow the card rooms in the city…
The World Series of Poker (WSOP), the world’s biggest and longest-running poker series, released its 2024 Tournament of Champions schedule. In addition, the series unveiled details for the exciting end of its 19thWSOP Circuit season.
As reported by WSOP, the latest edition of the WSOP Circuit, which started shortly after the final of the 2023 World Series of Poker tournament in Vegas, had over 25 stops and is set to conclude in California with WSOP Circuit Los Angeles at the Commerce Casino & Hotel.
The bombastic conclusion of the WSOP Circuit will offer $1.75 million in guarantees. WSOP-C Los Angeles will kick off with the $600 Housewarming No Limit Hold’em, a two-day ring event with a $500,000 guarantee. Additional events poker fans can look forward to include the traditional $1,7-00 WSOP-C Main Event with a $1 million guarantee.
Participants will also get a chance to play in the $1,100 Mystery Bounty No Limit Hold’em with a guarantee of $100,000, the $2,200 High Roller No Limit Hold’em event, as well as in the $400 Pot-Limit Omaha and $400 H.O.R.S.E specialty events.
The WSOP-C final is headlined by the aforementioned Tournament of Champions. According to WSOP’s announcement, the Tournament of Champions will run from May 22 to 24 with a $1 million freeroll championship. As announced by WSOP, the event will follow a similar format as the 2022-23 season.
The final two days of action will also include last-chance satellite events, which will provide participants with a shot at a $11,000 package that features a full buy-in and a $1,000 travel stipend for the upcoming 2024 WSOP Main Event at Horseshoe Las Vegas.
Commerce Casino & Hotel Is the Perfect Arena for the Event
WSOP’s SVP and executive director, Ty Stewart, said that the Commerce Casino & Hotel is the perfect place for WSOP-C because of its history as a leading card room.
We look forward to kicking off our new strategic relationship with a special WSOP Circuit finale and the Tournament of Champions bracelet event. We also look forward to qualifying more players from Los Angeles for the WSOP Main Event than ever before.
Ty Stewart, SVP & exec director, WSOP
Official WSOP gold ring winners and WSOP bracelet winners who have qualified through May 2024 will be invited to the Tournament of Champions, the series added. Thanks to the ongoing partnership between WSOP and GGPoker, players can also qualify through ClubGG and GGPoker.com.
Commerce Casino & Hotel’s director of guest experience, Spencer Villaseñor, also commented on the matter, saying that his team is “ecstatic” to join forces with WSOP.
This collaboration marks the convergence of two giants in the poker world and presents endless possibilities. Together, we are committed to pushing boundaries and setting new standards of excellence in the industry.
Spencer Villaseñor, director of guest experience, Commerce Casino & Hotel
In the meantime, Toronto recently welcomed its inaugural WSOP event, set to run from March 22 to April 1 at Great Canadian Casino Resort.
The 2024 WSOP has released it’s schedule of events for this summer. The richest, most prestigious and longest-running poker series announced its full daily events during the tournament, following the success of the record-breaking event in 2023. The 55th edition of the series heads back to the Las Vegas Strip at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas.
The2024 WSOP will run from May 28th through July 17th this year, offering nearly 700 tables, many new events and, of course, the highly coveted Main Event Bracelet. Speaking of, the Main Event will begin on July 3rd, with four starting flights running until 6 July. Late registration will be available on July 7th and 8th through Level 7, or around 4:40 p.m. on Day 2 of each day.
The championship Final Table will occur July 16th and 17th at Horseshoe Las Vegas. Last year’s World Series of Poker Main Event drew a record 10,043 entrants and crowned Daniel Weinman as its champion. Hailing from Atlanta, Ga., Weinman became the first American to win the WSOP Main Event since 2018 taking home $12.1 million, the largest Main Event first-prize payout in series history.
The opening week for the 2024 WSOP contains more action-packed events, with the Champions Freezeout and No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout. There will also be a Seniors High Roller No-Limit Hold’em Event, a Mixed No-Limit Hold’em event, and a Pot-Limit Omaha Double Board Bomb Pot with buy-in for this event will be $1,500 with a starting stack of 25,000. Other categories worth noting are the Independence Day Celebration No-Limit Hold’em Event a $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em During Main Event, the $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship No-Limit Hold’em.
Poker fans from around the world can enjoy the sights and sounds of the Las Vegas Strip while reveling in the history linked to Horseshoe Las Vegas. Horseshoe owns a special place in the legacy of the World Series of Poker, as the first-ever WSOP was held at Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas in 1970. Last summer, the WSOP unveiled the Hall of Fame Poker Room at Horseshoe Las Vegas, featuring 20 poker tables with non-stop action and a permanent Poker Hall of Fame exhibit.
The 2024 WSOP Final Table, TV set and staging will again reside inside Horseshoe Las Vegas, and the main cage will be located at Paris Las Vegas. The two buildings are connected and share a parking garage, which can be accessed from Paris Drive. Weekend marquee events will have adjusted starting flights during the 2024 WSOP. The events will now have either three starting flights Friday through Sunday or four starting flights Thursday through Sunday. This change results in popular events such as Monster Stack, Millionaire Maker, and Colossus now having three starting flights.
When booking early, entrants of the WSOP bracelet events can enjoy reduced hotel room rates at Horseshoe and Paris, as well as all Caesars Entertainment resorts in Las Vegas, by using the special advanced booking code “WSOP24”. Rates are based on availability and are subject to change. Please visit our reservations page to view a complete list of rates across all Caesars Entertainment properties. To view the entire 2024 WSOP bracelet schedule, please visit the WSOP website, where a downloadable version is provided.
When it comes to participating in online casino games on a low budget, the secret is to discover video games that provide low minimum bets and suitable odds. Many casinos cater to low rollers by imparting a variety of games that permit for smaller wagers, stretching a modest bankroll without sacrificing the enjoyment value.
Slots, often the cross-to desire for budget-friendly online casino gaming, can permit spins for as low as a few cents, making them a high option for the ones seeking to revel in the joys of playing at the same time as managing their spending.
Beyond slots, table video games which include blackjack, baccarat, and roulette provide strategies and bet kinds that cater to conservative bankrolls. For example, betting on pink or black in roulette provides close to even-money probabilities that are appropriate for low stakes. It is similar for slot machines. If you want to take a look at some of these, visit Virgin Games.
Meanwhile, card video games like blackjack and baccarat can also be approached with techniques that limit the house edge, making them appealing to budget-conscious gamers who experience a blend of strategy and success.
Key Takeaways
Low-stakes games are available for players with smaller bankrolls.
Slots often provide the lowest betting options, with spins available for mere cents.
Table games can offer good odds and strategic play for conservative bettors.
1. Blackjack
When we’re targeting casinos with the intention of playing on a budget, blackjack emerges as a strong candidate due to its low house edge and affordable minimum bet options.
Some online casinos require as little as a $20 deposit. This modest amount allows us to access blackjack games without significant investment and offers a foundation to manage our bankroll effectively.
For an immersive experience, live dealer blackjack tables are available with minimum bets often starting at $1. These tables allow us to enjoy the thrills of live casino play while maintaining our budget.
Live Dealer: Yes
Typical Minimum Bets: $1 – $20
House Edge: Varies by blackjack variant
Blackjack Variants and House Edges:
We opt for variants like Atlantic City Blackjack or Spanish 21 when looking for the lowest house edges. These games offer subtle rule changes that can significantly affect the odds and potential return, maintaining both our entertainment and budget.
Leveraging blackjack-specific bonuses can stretch our funds further. For instance, BetUS offers a 50% bonus up to $500, which can be used on blackjack games, increasing both our playtime and chances to win.
2. Poker
When playing poker on a low budget, our focus remains on finding games with lower buy-ins and managing our bankroll effectively. Online platforms often offer Low Deposit Poker Sites, perfect for starting with smaller stakes.
We can participate in free poker games or no-deposit poker options online to hone our skills without risking a significant amount of money.
In brick-and-mortar casinos, Las Vegas stands out as a hub for low-limit poker games. We should search for tables that offer Low-Limit Texas Hold’em, where the blinds and buy-ins are within our budget.
Remember tha in poker, patience is crucial. We favor a tight-aggressive strategy, playing a smaller number of strong hands and betting aggressively with them. This approach reduces the risk of losing our stake too quickly while maximizing potential returns on our investments.
We aim to make each bet count and wait patiently for opportunities where we have a strong hand and are more likely to win.
3. Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the most budget-friendly online casino games that players can revel in. We locate its rules sincerely: you could locate your wager on both the Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand, or a Tie. Here, the intention is to guess on the hand that totals closest to 9.
When gambling Baccarat on low finances, we propose betting at the Banker despite the usual five% fee on wins. This is due to the fact the Banker’s guess has the bottom residence side, usually around 1.06%, which means better odds for us.
For beginners or those wishing to avoid risk, many online casinos offer free Baccarat games. This allows us to practice and understand the game dynamics without spending money. Additionally, when we do decide to play with real money, we look for:
No-Commission Baccarat games: These versions eliminate the 5% commission, although they might adjust payout rates.
Promotions and Bonuses: We take advantage of bonuses that can extend our playtime without requiring additional funds.
4. Lotto
When we look at casino games suitable for players on a budget, lotto-style games emerge as popular choices. These games often require a minimal investment, which aligns well with limited bankrolls. Here’s how they work:
Typically, lotto games allow us to participate for as little as $1 or even less per ticket or round, giving us numerous opportunities to play without a significant financial commitment.
Types of Lotto Games
We can buy tickets with a predefined set of numbers or choose our own, awaiting the draw that could bring us returns.
Similar to a lottery, we pick numbers and see if they match the randomly drawn set to win prizes.
Online casinos offer versions of keno and bingo, which often allow for micro-stakes.
While lotto games provide a low entry cost, the potential returns can be substantial.
Budgeting Tips
Set a limit: Decide on our spending ahead of time.
Track expenses: Keep a record of our tickets and bets.
Play for fun: Remember that lotto games are a form of entertainment.
5. Progressive Jackpot Slots
When we do not forget casino games which can be appropriate for an extremely low price range, innovative jackpot slots stand out. These slots provide the danger at triumphing huge sums of money while permitting gamers to wager with small quantities.
What Are Progressive Jackpot Slots?
Progressive jackpot slots are casino games wherein the jackpot will increase whenever the game is performed however the jackpot isn’t won. A portion of each guess is going into the jackpot pool, which could turn out to be pretty good sized.
We emphasize video games like Mega Moolah and Major Millions, acknowledged for their excessive jackpot values.
Mega Moolah: Often hits multi-million dollar jackpots.
Major Millions: Also reaches impressive jackpot amounts.
Finding the Best Value
We seek slots with higher Return to Player (RTP) percentages, as they offer a better return over time. For example, Mega Fortune has a 96.6% RTP. It’s low-volatility, making it suitable for our low-budget strategy.
Budget-Friendly Tips
Aim for slots with lower betting minimums.
Look for casinos offering free spins or bonuses.
Play for smaller jackpots that hit more frequently.
6. Roulette
When exploring casino games suitable for a tight budget, we cannot overlook Roulette, especially its low-stakes variants. Our goal is to enjoy the game while preserving our bankroll.
We seek out online casinos offering Roulette tables with minimum bets under a dollar. This approach allows us to partake in the excitement without risking substantial sums per spin. Such tables often feature 1 cent to 50 cent minimums, making the game accessible for all budget levels.
Roulette Strategies on a Budget
We focus on outside bets such as Red/Black, Odd/Even, or High/Low. These bets offer nearly a 50/50 chance of winning, making them a suitable choice for prolonged play.
Setting a loss limit and a win goal is crucial. We never exceed our set limits and always play with funds we are prepared to lose.
We prefer European Roulette with its single zero, which has a lower house edge compared to American Roulette with an additional double zero.
To maximize our time and funds, we prioritize online casinos featuring:
FAQs
Do Casinos Give Free Play?
Yes, many casinos provide unfastened play as a promotional perk to new site visitors or dependable customers. The free play can come inside the shape of no-deposit bonuses, rewards for becoming a member of a gamers’ club, or other special promotions. It’s basically credit score that the online casino offers you to use in their games without risking your very own cash.
How to Win 21 at Casino?
Winning at 21, or blackjack, includes knowing the primary approach, that is grounded in statistical likelihoods. We endorse familiarizing your self with while to hit, stand, break up, and double down based for your hand and the dealer’s upcard.
However, whilst this can increase your probabilities, a win is by no means assured given that the game in the long run relies upon on success as properly.
Which Odd Is Likely to Win?
The odds of triumphing vary by way of recreation. Games like blackjack and video poker generally provide a number of pleasant odds, with house edges that can be as low as 0.5% if performed with the ideal strategy.
Meanwhile, slot machines and the lottery typically provide longer odds, making wins less possibly in assessment.
What Is the Fairest Casino Game?
The fairest online casino video games are typically those with the lowest residence area and those that permit using strategy, which offers players manage over their moves. Games like blackjack, baccarat, craps, and video poker are considered fair due to their pretty low residence aspect and strategic element.
The Bottom Line
In managing our gaming on a tight budget, selecting the right casino games is crucial. We seek games with lower bets and better odds, aiming to extend our playtime while maintaining the thrill.
The Big Six Wheel and Goldfish slot are examples of such games, with the former offering a lower house edge at $1 bets and the latter providing rich features on modest bets.
Lastly, we should include the leisure price of casino video games while staying inside our monetary consolation zone. Our amusement of online casino video games ought to usually be balanced with the truth of hazard and should in no way impact our economic health.
An amateur poker player lied about having terminal colon cancer so that he could raise enough money to partake in the World Series of Poker Main Event, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Rob Mercer of Vallejo, Calif., admitted Tuesday to the outrageous falsehood.
“I did lie about having colon cancer. I don’t have colon cancer. I used that to cover my situation,” he told the Review-Journal. “What I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have told people I have colon cancer. I did that just as a spur-of-the-moment thing when someone asked me what kind of cancer I had.”
Questions about Mercer’s diagnosis, which drew widespread attention in the poker world, surfaced last month, according to the publication.
He apologized for creating a GoFundMe to raise funds off his phony diagnosis in June, seeking to rake in $10,000 so he could play in the No-limit Hold’em World Championship.
Before news of his scheme broke, he reportedly received more than that — between $30,000 and $50,000 in donations, including a suite at Bellagio, and did participated in the event.
Mercer now claims that he has a different form of cancer — undiagnosed breast cancer — and says he has no plans to repay the money raised from the GoFundMe.
He said he spends about 18 hours per day in bed and has quit playing poker due to his declining health.
Vertucci said he began to notice red flags about Mercer even before his elimination just a few hours into the tournament.
He recalled Mercer appearing ungrateful for the Bellagio suite, as well as witnessing him in the casino pit and confronting him about possibly using the money he raised to gamble. Vertucci said Mercer then became defensive.
“Deep inside, I just thought, ‘I don’t like this kid,’” Vertucci said on his YouTube show.
“He’s still a human being and you need to care about every person on the planet regardless of what a big piece of cheese they could be,” Vertucci added.
Doyle Brunson, one of the most influential poker players of all time and a two-time world champion, died Sunday, according to his agent.
Brunson was 89.
Brian Balsbaugh, Brunson’s agent, posted a statement on Twitter from the family.
“It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our father, Doyle Brunson,” the statement read. “He was a beloved Christian man, husband, father and grandfather. We’ll have more to say over the coming days as we honor his legacy. Please keep Doyle and our family in your prayers. May he rest in peace.”
Passing this on:
“It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our father, Doyle Brunson. He was a beloved Christian man, husband, father and grandfather. We’ll have more to say over the coming days as we honor his legacy. Please keep Doyle and our family in your…
Condolences from poker players and notable figures in the poker world flooded social media following the news.
Rip #DoyleBrunson. I had the pleasure of playing with him many times. He had a wicked sense of humor and always put a smile on my face. Even when he bluffed me out of a hand he did it in such a genial way, I felt like it had somehow been an honor for him to take my chips. #Legendpic.twitter.com/Bzn9GElEFC
Brunson, called the Godfather of Poker and also known as “Texas Dolly,” won 10 World Series of Poker tournaments — second only to Phil Hellmuth’s 16. He also captured world championships in 1976 and 1977 and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988.
He wrote a book called Super System in 1979, which was one of the first books to delve into poker strategy and created a lasting impact that helped bring many others to the game.
Five-time WSOP winner Scotty Nguyen tweeted that he “can’t believe this day has come – you will always be held high in our hearts, the man, the myth, the legend & THE GODFATHER of poker baby! Mr Brunson, you made poker what it is baby! thank you for what you give to all of us baby! RIP Mr Doyle Brunson THE GODFATHER OF POKER.”
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can’t believe this day has come – you will always be held high in our hearts, the man, the myth, the legend & THE GODFATHER of poker baby! Mr Brunson, you made poker what it is baby! thank you for what you give to all of us baby! RIP Mr Doyle Brunson THE GODFATHER OF POKER pic.twitter.com/TiwzjQfhCi
Doyle Brunson died Sunday, according to his agent, Brian Balsbaugh
ByMARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer
LAS VEGAS — Doyle Brunson, one of the most influential poker players of all time and a two-time world champion, died Sunday, according to his agent.
Brunson was 89.
Brian Balsbaugh, Brunson’s agent, posted a statement on Twitter from the family.
“It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our father, Doyle Brunson,” the statement read. “He was a beloved Christian man, husband, father and grandfather. We’ll have more to say over the coming days as we honor his legacy. Please keep Doyle and our family in your prayers. May he rest in peace.”
Brunson, called the Godfather of Poker and also known as “Texas Dolly,” won 10 World Series of Poker tournaments — second only to Phil Hellmuth’s 16. He also captured world championships in 1976 and 1977 and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988.
He wrote a book called “Super System” in 1979, which was one of the first books to delve into poker strategy and created a lasting impact that helped bring many others to the game.
Five-time WSOP winner Scotty Nguyen tweeted that he “can’t believe this day has come – you will always be held high in our hearts, the man, the myth, the legend & THE GODFATHER of poker baby! Mr Brunson, you made poker what it is baby! thank you for what you give to all of us baby! RIP Mr Doyle Brunson THE GODFATHER OF POKER.”
His influence carried beyond poker.
“This one is a heartbreaker,” actor James Woods tweeted. “Doyle Brunson, the greatest poker player who ever lived, has cashed in his chips.
“Doyle was so kind and helpful to me. He was gracious to my late dear brother and every friend I introduced him to. A gentleman and a genuine legend.”
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
