The Stars Group, parent company of PokerStars, reported its second quarter results this week. In what the poker world is wondering if it is a sign to come, the percentage of poker as a portion of revenue compared to the rest of the company sharply decreased. Sports betting took over as the top vertical in… Read more »
Month: August 2019
Competitors Feeling the Heat from Encore Boston Harbor
The Encore Boston Harbor casino opened less than two months ago, but its impact is already being felt in the region. And that impact is not always a positive one. According to reports, both regional casino competitors and local restaurants have experienced struggles since the Wynn Resorts property cut the ribbon. Ripples felt an hour… Read more »
Parx Casino Celebrates New Sportsbook Grand Opening
When I covered the World Series of Poker live at the Rio in Las Vegas nearly a decade and a half ago, one of my favorite things to do when I took a break from the action was to pick up some food at the casino’s Chinese restaurant, then walk a few steps and sit… Read more »
Lawsuits Against Two Houston Poker Clubs Dropped
The Harris County (Texas) attorney dropped civil suits against Houston’s Prime Social Poker Club and Post Oak Poker Club last week, citing the lack of a criminal case. The two poker clubs were raided in May and their owners and management were hit with illegal gambling and money laundering charges. Because those charges were dropped… Read more »
PokerStars Launches All-in Cash Out at Real Money Tables
All-In Cash Out only for micro-stakes A few weeks ago, PokerStars began testing a new All-in Cash Out feature on its play-money .NET client. Apparently, that testing went well, because the poker room announced on Monday that the feature is now live on the real-money, .COM client. It is only an option at the micro-stakes… Read more »
WSOP-E Champion Barry Shulman Sounds Off on Nick Marchington Controversy
While the 2019 World Series of Poker Championship Event may have concluded about a month ago, there is still a hubbub about one particular part of it. According to many reports, including one from my friend and colleague Dan Katz, Nick Marchington, who earned his third ever cash in only the biggest poker tournament in… Read more »
Editorial: Time to Separate the “High Rollers” from the Record Books
The history of tournament poker isn’t a long one. At best it dates back to the 1960s, when the first “Texas Road Gamblers” (the predecessor of the World Series of Poker) convention was held in Reno. Even in 1970, when the late Benny Binion brought the convention to his Horseshoe in Las Vegas and rebranded… Read more »
Split Decision on Player of the Year Races Moving to Final Third of the Year
As we prepare to enter the final third of the 2019 tournament poker calendar, the battle for the prestigious title of Player of the Year couldn’t be hotter. In fact, with the two major POY races, there is a split decision on who is in the lead, with wide discrepancies between the two tabulations. Stephen… Read more »
Poker Pro Gavin Griffin Rebukes Backers in Nick Marchington Staking Saga
In an op-ed posted on CardPlayer.com, professional poker player Gavin Griffin says that the backers that are suing Nick Marchington for ten percent of his World Series of Poker Main Event winnings are flat-out trying to steal his money. He makes no bones about this and while he doesn’t think Marchington is squeaky clean in… Read more »
Armed Poker Robber Caught After Month on the Lam
Kansas City-area man Oscar Glover was arrested near Tulsa, Oklahoma last week after he was on the run for almost a month. Glover allegedly followed a poker player home from Harrah’s North Kansas City Casino on July 1 and robbed him at gunpoint. According to a WDAF-TV Kansas City news report, casino security footage shows… Read more »
Ohio County Not Seeing Casino Payoff
Erie County, Ohio had expected its share of casino taxes from the state would offset other state funding cuts. Unfortunately, it was wrong. Read more »
Incorrect Player Count on Tournament Money Bubble Rankles Players
Players in a poker tournament were angered when they played several hands thinking they had made the money only to find out they were on the bubble. Read more »
WSOP Main Event Seventh-Place Finisher Nick Marchington Sued in Staking Deal Gone Bad
When you make the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event, it is supposed to be a celebration. Even if you don’t win the whole thing, you have just won at least a million bucks and have made a name for yourself in the poker world. In Nick Marchington’s case, though, the… Read more »
Aaron Zang Wins Most Expensive Tournament in Poker History
For the better part of this decade, the World Series of Poker Big One for One Drop reigned as the most expensive tournament in poker history with a stunning $1 million buy-in. This weekend, it was overtaken by the Triton Million – A Helping Hand for Charity tournament, part of the Triton Super High Roller… Read more »
Standoff Continues Over Future of Michigan Online Gaming and Poker
After once getting to the point where all it needed was one person’s signature, the state of online gaming and poker in Michigan has plummeted precipitously. Now, there is a definitive standoff between the representatives pushing for the Wolverine State to adopt regulations for the industry and the state’s new Governor over whether or not… Read more »
Penn National Gaming Signs Sports Betting Deals with Several Operators
Penn National Gaming announced a blockbuster sports betting deal with a number of operators on Wednesday, setting it up to be a major player in the online sportsbook field. It also gives the operators – DraftKings, PointsBet, theScore, and The Stars Group – much needed entry into several states. A press release issued by Penn… Read more »