There’s very little that can harm the game of poker. A bloody U. S. Civil War? Nope, both sides saw their combatants pass time between skirmishes by playing the game. Shuttling it off to seedy casinos and back alley poker rooms? Nope, just adds to the mystery and the charm of the game. Have massive… Read more »
World Series of Poker
Inaugural Global Poker Awards Honor Poker’s Finest from 2018
The inaugural Global Poker Awards, sponsored by PokerStars and presented by the Global Poker Index from the studios of PokerGO in Las Vegas, were handed out on Friday night. Over the span of a brisk 74 minutes the awards show – hosted by commentator Ali Nejad and hostess Drea Renee – the Global Poker Awards… Read more »
Bryn Kenney, Sean Winter Take Lead at Quarter Mark in POY Races
The first quarter of the tournament poker season is in the books and, if there is one thing that can be shown, it is that the High Roller tournaments are meaning more than any other event. Bryn Kenney, a High Roller regular, is atop the standings in one Player of the Year race and recent… Read more »
Nominees Announced for Inaugural Global Poker Awards
That didn’t take long, did it? One day after the closing of the nomination period for the inaugural awarding of the Global Poker Awards, the Global Poker Index has come out with the final list of nominees. Spanning the globe and the world of poker, the Global Poker Awards will take over for the European… Read more »
Phil Hellmuth Shares His 2019 Goals with Twitter
If there’s one thing that poker legend Phil Hellmuth is noted for, it is his incessant self-promotion. He could sit back and let his resume do the talking – the 15 World Series of Poker titles, 136 total career cashes and nearly $23 million in career earnings – but the “Poker Brat” isn’t that way.… Read more »
Latest Twist in Borgata/Phil Ivey Lawsuit? Borgata Gains Right to Attack in Nevada
The saga regarding the lawsuit between the Borgata in Atlantic City and poker professional Phil Ivey has been one that has dragged out much longer than anyone figured. Now the Borgata is trying to put an end to the case, getting an assist from the judge in the New Jersey case to sign off on… Read more »
Editorial: Didn’t the World Poker Tour Learn Anything from the WSOP “November Nine?”
This last weekend, the World Poker Tour was playing in one of its venerable abodes, the Borgata in Atlantic City. The WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Main Event has become one of the preeminent poker stops on the tournament poker schedule, routinely drawing over 1000 entries in each of the last three years. But instead… Read more »
You Can Go Home Again: McLean and Tatjana Karr (Pasalic) Back Home in Indiana
The late author Thomas Wolfe wrote a novel (it was published after his death in 1940) called You Can’t Go Home Again. In that book, a writer tells the tales of his hometown – warts and all – and bears the brunt of scorn from those he used to live amongst. In essence, Wolfe was… Read more »
Poker Professional Micah Raskin Enters Guilty Plea on Federal Drug Charges
After being arrested in late 2018 on a variety of federal and state drug charges, poker professional Micah Raskin has pled guilty to a lesser federal charge of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and seen all state charges dropped. Although the plea bargain takes some of the more severe charges off the table, it is still… Read more »
Documentary on David “Devilfish” Ulliott Set for Broadcast on partypokerTV
He was arguably one of the best players ever to come out of Europe and, in particular, England. He was at times incorrigible, unrestrained, crass and boorish while simultaneously being an enchanting personality, funny, endearing and entertaining. He was the late Poker Hall of Famer David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott and a documentary on his life will… Read more »
WSOP Announces Dates for 50th Annual Tournament; WPT Announces Sale
Although it is getting a bit quieter with the holidays approaching, the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour have been busy with some moves. In one case, one organization is announcing the dates for its historic anniversary and the other is announcing a sale that leaves some questions. WSOP to Run May… Read more »
Passing of Poker Legend Thor Hansen Saddens Poker Community
The world of poker woke up on Wednesday to the tremendously saddening news that one of the true legends of the game, Norwegian Thor Hansen, had passed away after battling cancer for several years. Hansen was 71 years old and passed at some point on the evening or morning of December 4 or December 5.… Read more »
Are Prop Bets Getting Too Dangerous? $100,000 Bathroom Bet May Go Too Far
If you’ve been around gamblers for any length of time, one thing you will see is that they are willing to gamble on pretty much anything. If it isn’t cards, dice, sports or racing of some type, they will set up special bets – called proposition, or “prop” bets – to wile away the time… Read more »
Gordon Vayo Drops Lawsuit Against PokerStars, PokerStars Counters with Suit for Legal Fees
The long running battle between the online behemoth PokerStars and 2016 World Series of Poker Championship Event runner-up Gordon Vayo has apparently reached its end. With a hearing looming, Vayo has voluntarily dropped his lawsuit against the online poker site, but PokerStars isn’t done yet with the battle. According to court documents, PokerStars will be… Read more »
New ESPN “30 for 30” Podcast Focuses on 2003 WSOP Championship Event
It may seem surprising but poker – and especially the World Series of Poker – hasn’t always been the cultural milestone that it is nowadays. Only a couple of decades ago, the world of poker and the people around it was still considered second-class citizens, at best. A new podcast from ESPN’s award winning “30… Read more »
2018 World Series of Poker Europe: COLOSSUS Final Table Determined as Event #2 Gets Underway
Although it has been going on since October 9, it could be honestly said that the 2018 World Series of Poker Europe got off to its FULL start on Sunday. Action was fervid in the King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, as the COLOSSUS worked its way down to the final table and Event #2,… Read more »
Poker Professional Micah Raskin Facing Federal Drug Charges
In February of this year, poker professional Micah Raskin’s world came to a crashing halt when he was charged by Nassau County (NY) authorities of operating a major drug ring. Now the federal authorities are getting into the game, with Raskin facing more charges in a federal court along with his state charges. Earlier this… Read more »
Three Things to Watch for at the World Series of Poker Europe
On Tuesday, the eleventh running of the World Series of Poker Europe will kick off at the King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. The best poker players from across Europe will be in attendance and, it is fairly certain, a rather large contingent of U. S. players will make the trip “across the Pond” also.… Read more »
William Kassouf, Cate Hall Face Consequences for Their Actions
It is often said in the world of poker that you only have your “good name” to serve as your calling card. Your “good name” can serve to aid you in getting into a game, being vouched for by other poker players and gamblers and, in essence, to get you deeper into the world of… Read more »
PokerStars Sponsored Player Maria Konnikova Featured in New York Times Interview
It seems of late that the “Gray Lady,” the venerable New York Times, has been paying a great deal of attention to the world of poker. A couple of weeks ago, the Times featured an article on “retired” poker professional Vanessa Selbst’s new life as a hedge fund manager. Now the Times is going the… Read more »
Justin Bonomo Admits “Big One” Chop, Will Not Pursue POY
It’s been quite an exciting six months of poker for Justin Bonomo. Since the start of 2018, Bonomo has been on a tear in the High Roller world, winning ten championships and making 19 final tables. That tear has brought in $24,811,941 (thanks Hendon Mob!) in just seven months…or maybe less, if you extrapolate Bonomo’s… Read more »
Vanessa Selbst Focus of New York Times Feature Article
In the entirety of her poker career, Vanessa Selbst has been a focal point of the game because of her skills on the felt. One area that she seemed to lack in, however, was the general (read: non-poker) media, even though she was arguably one of the most successful players in the game. In fact,… Read more »
With Late Bracelet, Shaun Deeb Takes Over WSOP Player of the Year Lead
While most of the attention of the railbirds and the ESPN viewership was focusing on the World Series of Poker $10,000 Championship Event last week, an important thing was going on. As the WSOP wrapped up (at least for its Las Vegas leg), Shaun Deeb and a couple of other players were able to pass… Read more »
John Cynn Outlasts Tony Miles to Win 2018 WSOP Championship Event Title
After the longest heads-up battle in World Series of Poker Championship Event history, Illinois’ John Cynn was able to outlast Florida’s Tony Miles to capture poker’s World Championship in winning the 2018 WSOP Championship Event. The Early Action Coming to the three-man finale on Saturday night, both Miles (the chip leader) and Cynn were solidly… Read more »
Live Blogging the 2018 World Series of Poker Final Table, Day 2: And Then There Were Six…
Welcome back to our second night of live blogging of the 2018 World Series of Poker Championship Event Final Table! In the “old days,” when there was a live poker event like this – and televised – many in the industry would do what is called “live blogging.” Basically it was a way to watch… Read more »