Albini is best known as the producer of “In Utero,” the third and final album from Nirvana that was released in 1993 before Kurt Cobain passed away in 1994. He’s also a record producer and owner of his own recording studio in Chicago called Electrical Audio.

Albini also plays guitar and sings in his math-rock band Shellac, which most recently made a trip to Europe to play festivals in Germany and Spain.

Two weeks after a Shellac gig at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Albini flew out to Las Vegas to play at the 2022 World Series of Poker. This year’s WSOP marks the first year that the most-famous tournament series in the world is playing on the Las Vegas Strip after relocating from the Rio Casino to the Paris and Bally’s Casinos.

pic.twitter.com/vzWCXWmIe4

— steve albini (@electricalWSOP) June 18, 2022

Albini: 2-time bracelet winner

As a kid growing up in Montana, Albini first played poker when his grandmother taught him the basics. He cashed in his first WSOP event back in 2010 when he finished in 14th place in a $1,500 Seven-Card Stud event. That marked the first of his nine cashes at the WSOP, including two bracelet victories.

At the 2022 WSOP, Albini outlasted 773 runners in Event #32, a $1,500 HORSE tournament, to win $196,089 and his second bracelet. Albini edged out Canada’s James Morgan heads-up to win the bling. The HORSE final table also included Japanese high-roller Tamon Nakamura, Jason Daly, Richard Bai, Kyle Loman, Eddy Vataru, and Peter Brownstein. Notable players who went deep and cashed in the tournament included David Williams, Shirley Rosario, Phil Ivey, Fabrice Soulier, Ray Henson, Amnon Filipi, Ari Engel, Victor Ramdin, and Tom “DonkeyBomber” Schneider.

“When I’m playing poker, I try to commit to it,” Albini told the WSOP after his second bracelet win. “I try to take it seriously. Try to make sure I devote the attention to it that it deserves as an occupation. But, it’s only part of my year.”

At the 2018 WSOP, Albini won Event #31, a $1,500 Seven-Card Stud tournament, after defeating Australian pro Jeff Lisandro heads-up for the bracelet and $105,629 in cash. That Stud event attracted 310 runners and featured a final table including Katherine Fleck, 2000 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Frankie O’Dell, Paul Sexton, and Esther Rossi.

“I’ve been playing Stud my whole life,” Albini told the WSOP moments after his victory. “I love it, so I’m very comfortable playing Stud. And I ran pretty f–king good as well.”

Stud is his best game, and Albini plays a lot of cash games around Chicago. The only time he delves into tournaments is at the WSOP.

Bracelet winner Steven Albini reigns as the Event #32: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. champion. Albini's triumph earned him $196,089 and a second piece of WSOP hardware.

📸 @_RKMusic_ https://t.co/eiDrd88VfZ pic.twitter.com/1BIJCSUqJk

— WSOP (@WSOP) June 18, 2022

Nirvana legacy: No royalties

Albini worked with several top recording artists such as the Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in Page and Plant, The Pixies, PJ Harvey, The Stooges, Cheap Trick, The Breeders, Superchunk, Veruca Salt, Joanna Newsom, Bush, and Fred Schneider from the B-52s. However, his work with Nirvana is at the top of his resume.

“Nirvana is the biggest band that I’ve worked with, and I will ever work on,” Albini said about his work on “In Utero” back in 1993. “The record captured the sensation of how the band played. It was [an] emotional, striking moment listening to playback.”

Albini didn’t get rich off producing Nirvana because he believed it unethical to continue to take royalties and money away from musicians and artists after he completed his initial work on it as a producer and sound engineer. A lot of show biz insiders think he’s nuts about shunning royalties, but musicians respect him for his righteous ethics and deep respect for the creative process.

“I can only imagine what Steve Albini could’ve made had he taken points on that record,” said Dave Ghorl, drummer of Nirvana.

According to recording industry figures, “In Utero” went platinum five times for DGC Records, selling more than 15 million records. “Heart-Shaped Box” has been played over 448 million times on Spotify.

Busting donks for Electrical Audio

In 1997, Albini built a recording studio in Chicago called Electrical Audio, but the purist will never use Pro Tools in order to preserve the original sound of the musical acts.

“My monthly nut is $30K,” Albini said about his recording studio in 2014 on HBO’s Sonic Highways documentary special. “I have to make $1,000 every day. Gone broke a couple of times. Had to sell my house and sell off some guitars.”

Albini turned to cash games to supplement his income when his studio wasn’t booked. A lot of high-stakes games these days focus on PLO or Short-Deck Hold’em, but Albini is fortunate that he found a thriving Stud scene in Chicago.

“Playing cards is a pass time of mine, but it is also a second income,” said Albini. “There are times when I’ve been able to pay the salaries of people who work here because I had a good week playing cards. Owning a studio is much more gambling then when I’m playing cards.”

Albini never wants to be lumped in as a poker pro or even a semi-pro.

“It’s a part of my livelihood, but it’s not my profession,” added Albini.

The humble Albini also didn’t want to gloat about his HORSE victory. “First one felt like a fluke,” said Albini. “This one felt like a fluke.”

The post Nirvana Record Producer, Musician Steve Albini Wins Second WSOP Bracelet appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

Ready for an updated OG List of World Series of Poker Main Event winners? We’ve compiled a complete list of WSOP Main Event  champions, beginning in 1972 with Johnny Moss and including the current champion, Koray Aldemir, who shipped the 2021 version in Las Vegas for $8 million.

We’ve also compiled an additional list of WSOP Europe winners, and champions from the now-defunct WSOP Asia.

Johnny Moss won the WSOP Main Event in 1970, which was more like an MVP. Players voted on the best player at the inaugural series, and everyone picked Moss.

In 1971, the WSOP hosted its first Main Event, which had a $5,000 buy-in. Only six players competed, and it was winner-take-all. Moss defeated Puggy Pearson heads-up to win $30,000.

• Johnny Moss: 3 (1970, 1971, 1974)
• Stu Ungar: 3 (1980, 1981, 1997)
• Doyle Brunson: 2 (1976, 1977)
• Johnny Chan: 2 (1987, 1988)

Moss won three Main Event titles. Stu Ungar is the only other pro to win the Main Event three times. Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan each have two wins, and both won the Main Event in back-to-back years.

The $10,000 Lottery Ticket

The World Series of Poker Main Event has had a $10,000 buy-in since 1972. Some purists want to continue to keep the price at $10K, but other modernists would like to see the buy-in updated to reflect inflation.

A dollar in 1972 is worth approximately $6.25 today, so the Main Event price tag today should be closer to $62,500. There’s a minority of poker enthusiasts who would like to see the buy-in jacked up to $50,000, with others suggesting a compromise of $25,000.

The Glory Days at Benny’s Bullpen

Johnny Moss won three WSOP Main Events in the first six years of its inception. The early events featured small fields, but everyone had a cool nickname like Amarillo Slim, Puggy Pearson, or Sailor Roberts.

Doyle Brunson won back-to-back championships in 1976 and 1977. Texas Dolly won both titles while holding a 10-deuce, and the 10-2 became his trademarked hand. Shortly after winning back-to-back championships, Brunson authored Super/System, which is highly regarded as the Bible for poker pros.

1980s Rockstars: Ungar, Chan, Hellmuth

Stu Ungar kicked off the 1980s with a bang, winning  back-to-back WSOP titles in 1980 and 1981.

In 1983, Tom McEvoy made history as the first player to win a seat in the $10,000 buy-in event through a feeder satellite, created by Jack Binion. The creation of satellites aided in increasing the future growth of the Main Event.

Johnny Chan won the WSOP Main Event in 1987 and 1988. His victory at the 1988 WSOP over Erik Seidel has become a part of gambling lore, thanks to the inclusion of the moment in the cult-classic film “Rounders” (1998).

Chan is the last player to win back-to-back WSOP titles. Once the field size ballooned to over 200 players, it became near impossible to replicate consecutive victories.

Chan almost won three in a row, but Phil Hellmuth took down the 1989 WSOP Main Event. The Poker Brat was only 23 at the time, and the victory put him — and his ego — on the map. That victory marked Hellmuth’s first WSOP bracelet. Since then, he’s won 15 more WSOP events, and currently holds the record with 16 bracelets.

Seven Figure Club: Scotty Nguyen to Jesus, Stuey Three Times

In 1991, the WSOP Main Event entrants went north of 200 players for the first time. As a result, the WSOP awarded its first seven-figure payout. In fewer than 20 years, the WSOP Main Event went from a handful of old-school gamblers into a budding global phenomenon.

Brad Daugherty won the 1991 WSOP Main Event and became the first million-dollar winner in history.

In 1997, with the final table broadcast in front of Binion’s, Ungar won his third Main Event and his fifth overall bracelet. Ungar joined Johnny Moss as the only player to win the WSOP Main Event three times. Poker players recognize Ungar as the GOAT because Moss won his first WSOP by voting.

Poker Boom and Move to Rio: Moneymaker to Cada

In 2003, an accountant from Tennessee named Chris Moneymaker won his $10,000 seat to the WSOP Main Event through an online satellite at PokerStars. He parlayed $39 into a $2.5 million prize pool and helped ignite the online poker boom. Moneymaker outlasted 839 runners to win the 2003 WSOP Main Event. The next year, the entrants nearly quadrupled to 2,576, when Greg Raymer won the 2004 WSOP Main Event.

Joe Hachem won the 2005 WSOP Main Event, which was the last time a final table was played inside Benny’s Bullpen at the old Binion’s Horseshoe. Since 2006, the WSOP Main Event has played out at the Rio Casino.

Jamie Gold, a former agent in Hollywood, secured the highest single payout to date. Gold banked $12 million for his runaway victory at the 2006 WSOP Main Event. He outlasted 8,773 players, which is the largest field in the history of the WSOP Main Event.

Post-Black Friday

In the wake of Black Friday (when the US government shuttered online poker sites on April 15, 2011), the numbers for the Main Event dipped with players unable to secure seats through online poker satellites. Pius Heinz from Germany won the first WSOP Main Event in the post-Black Friday realm.

In 2019, Germany’s Hossein Ensan faded the second-largest field in WSOP Main Event history when he topped 8,569 runners to win the Main Event bracelet and $10 million in cash.

During the pandemic of 2020, the WSOP hosted a special hybrid Main Event championship that began online with an international pool and a domestic US pool of players. Although there won’t be a WSOP Europe Main Event champ in 2020, the WSOP crowned a 2020 champion in Las Vegas when Damian Salas from Argentina won the special installment.

In 2021, the WSOP was moved to the fall, but they played out a traditional Main Event with German pro Koray Aldemir besting a field of 6,650 players to win $8 million.

WSOP Expansion to Europe and Asia

In 2007, World Series of Poker expanded its brand to Europe by hosting the first of several championships in London. Norway’s Annette Obrestad, aka Annette_15, made a name for herself as one of the best online poker players in the world while she was still a teenager. She won the first-ever WSOP Europe Main Event one day shy of her 19th birthday. Casinos in Europe permitted gamblers who were 18 and older, whereas Nevada law states gamblers must be 21 or older.

Held for just two years, Daniel Negreanu won the inaugural WSOP Asia Pacific Main Event in 2013.

The AU$10,000 buy-in inaugural event had 405 runners, and Negreanu banked a little more than AU$1,000,000. In 2014, Scott Davies won the second and last WSOP Asia Pacific Main Event.

The post OG’s Updated List of WSOP Main Event Winners and Champions appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

Flack passed away in July and could be inducted posthumously into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Every year, the public votes on their choices for the Hall of Fame and the top-10 finalists are selected. There’s a minimum age requirement of 40-years old to gain entry. Mizrachi and Grospellier both turned 40 since last year’s voting round, making them eligible for induction.

• Eli Elezra
• Antonio Esfandiari
• Chris “Jesus” Ferguson
• Layne Flack
• Ted Forrest
• Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier
• Mike Matusow
• Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi
• Matt Savage
• Isai Scheinberg

There are 59 members of the Hall of Fame, with 32 active Hall of Famers determining this year’s induction class between now and November 17.

Huck Seed, 1996 WSOP Main Event champion, gained entry into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2020. Since 2010, the Poker Hall of Fame added multiple members every year with the exception of last year.

The post Layne Flack Among 10 Finalists for 2021 Poker Hall of Fame appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

Seidel banked $977,842 for the victory. He outlasted a field of 624 entrants and survived a final table that included Thomas Muehloecker, Isaac Baron, and Rui Ferreira.

Seidel shipped his first online bracelet event at GGPoker, which hosted the international leg of the virtual version of the World Series of Poker. For the second summer in a row, the WSOP played bracelet events online for Americans at WSOP.com, and for a global audience at GGPoker.

Seidel last won a bracelet at the 2007 WSOP when he binked a $5,000 lowball tournament. Even he didn’t expect he would win a virtual bracelet because his online skills aren’t as sharp as his brick-and-mortar prowess.

Thanks everyone for the kind words, I’m totally thrilled! Really caught me by surprise because I’m so out of my element online. Hope I can sleep 🍾🏆

— Erik Seidel (@Erik_Seidel) August 17, 2021

Now that Seidel finally got off the schneid, winning double-digit bracelets is entirely possible. But can Seidel get hot at the 2021 WSOP this fall in Las Vegas to pose a threat to Phil Hellmuth?

With nine WSOP bracelets, Seidel tied the legendary Johnny Moss. A trio of poker superstars have won 10 bracelets, including Johnny Chan, Phil Ivey, and Doyle Brunson.

• Phil Hellmuth 15
• Phil Ivey 10
• Johnny Chan 10
• Doyle Brunson 10
• Erik Seidel 9
• Johnny Moss 9

If Ivey played more bracelet events and avoided the baccarat tables, he would probably hold the all-time record for bracelets by now. As things stand, Hellmuth holds the all-time record with 15 bracelets, but if you ask the 1989 WSOP Main Event World Champion, he’d say he should have 20 by now. Hellmuth is hell-bent on playing as many WSOP events as possible to pad his lead on Ivey.

The post Erik Seidel Wins Ninth WSOP Bracelet in Super Millions High Roller appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

WSOP organizers plan to put on a full schedule of events, with the Main Event – the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship – tentatively beginning on Nov. 4 and wrapping up on Nov. 17.

WSOP organizers: ‘Get vaccinated,’ come to Vegas

The World Series of Poker moved to a hybrid, primarily online format in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In their announcement Thursday, organizers said they will review COVID-19 safety protocols leading up to the festival this fall, and will comply with all Nevada state directives regarding the pandemic.

With vaccination rates rapidly increasing throughout the United States and elsewhere, organizers say they can put on a safe and enjoyable WSOP later in 2021.

“This year, more than ever, we embrace our role at the WSOP to deliver memorable experiences and bring this community of poker lovers back together,” WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart said in a statement. “In 2021, the theme is, get vaccinated and get back to Vegas.”

In 2020, the WSOP organized two sets of online tournaments, one for American players in states with regulated online poker, and one for international players. The domestic version awarded around $27 million in prize money over 31 events, while the international series gave out $150 million in prizes over 45 tournaments.

Those online tournaments will return in 2021, taking the summer position traditionally held by the live WSOP. American events will begin on July 1, and organizers say they will release more information on their online tournament plans later in April.

European festival subject to regulations

Organizers also announced an expected WSOP Europe to take place at King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic beginning on Nov. 19. The series would include 15 bracelet events. However, the WSOP warned that this plan is still subject to regulatory approval.

“We hope and anticipate travel restrictions will ease by the fall,” Stewart said. “It’s important to us that we have an excellent tournament schedule available to our European players.”

The WSOP canceled both its live Las Vegas and European tournament series last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. 1,379 players entered a hybrid online Main Event – with separate US and international fields – nonetheless, with Damian Salas of Argentina defeating American Joseph Hebert heads-up live at the Rio to win $2.55 million.

While the tournament proved successful under the difficult circumstances, it paled in comparison to previous live WSOP Main Events. In 2019, Hossein Ensan of Germany topped a field of 8,569 competitors to win a $10 million top prize.

Johnny Moss won the first WSOP Main Event, which featured just seven players, in 1970. Every Main Event since 2004 has featured a field of more than 1,000 players, with the 2019 edition holding the record for the largest number of entries.

The post Shuffle Up and Deal: World Series of Poker Plans Return to Live Play in Fall 2021 appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

California Split is known as one of Altman’s lesser-known films in his stunning oeuvre as a director, which includes M*A*S*H, Nashville, and The Player. Even though its set nearly 50 years ago, gamblers still consider California Split one of the greatest movies and most realistic films about the life of a gambler.

“He’s taken us into an American nightmare, and all the people we met along the way felt genuine and looked real,” penned Roger Ebert in his review in the Chicago Sun-Times.

• Release: August 1974
• Produced by: Joseph Walsh and Robert Altman
• Written by: Joseph Walsh
• Directed by: Robert Altman
• Distributed by: Columbia Pictures

After spending time playing poker in different card rooms in SoCal, including at the Gardena, screenwriter Joseph Walsh penned the screenplay for California Split about two guys who developed a deep connection and friendship over their hankering for gambling action.

Columbia Pictures made California Split for a budget of $5 million.

Altman films are known for overlapping dialogue with characters talking over each other. It can be a sound editing headache, but California Split utilized a then state-of-the-art 8-track sound recording that allowed eight different simultaneous tracks.

The Plot: Tale of Two Gamblers

Altman blends genres with a gambling movie disguised as a buddy comedy. Uptight and super-square Bill Denny (Segal) holds down a boring day job at a magazine in Los Angeles. Bill plays poker to liven things up. Bill meets Charlie Waters (Gould), a dope-smoking degenerate gambler, at the tables and the two hit it off. After the two are mugged, they seek first aid at the apartment of local call girls who are Charlie’s acquaintances.

Bill’s late nights playing poker have put his job in jeopardy. After a rough run betting basketball, he borrows money to pay his bookie. It doesn’t take Charlie much to persuade Bill that the only way he’s really going to get out of deep debt is to bet bigger and more often.

During their gambling benders, Bill and Charlie visit a racetrack to wager on a horse, bet on local boxing fights, gamble on the NBA, play poker, and engage in wild prop bets. At one point, Charlie returns from a gambling sojourn to Tijuana, Mexico, to gamble at their dog track.

In one of the funniest scenes in California Split, a drunken Bill and Charlie degen it up trying to bet on if they can remember the names of all of the Seven Dwarfs from Snow White.

My favorite scene is when Charlie hustles high school kids in the schoolyard during a pick-up basketball game. After playing badly on purpose, the kids bet him all the money in their pockets that Charlie can’t beat one of them in a one-on-one game. Charlie destroys them.

Degens are Gonna Degen

Bill sells some of his most valuable possessions, including his car, in order to roll up a stake for a trip to Reno, Nevada. In Reno, he intends to take a shot in a nose-bleed poker game where they play $40/$80 Stud Lowball. Bill knows he can beat those stakes.

“Tough game, tough action!” said Charlie. “Lumberjacks. Cowboys. A lot of rich guys. Tough game.”

With less than $3,000 combined, the two board a Greyhound bus to Reno. On the rail of the big game, the two size up everyone at the table and go over a quick game plan. Despite being over his head with Amarillo Slim at the table, Bill buys in for $2,000. He thrives and cashes out $18,000.

Bill and Charlie head to the tables in the gambling pit, where they go on a heater shooting dice, playing blackjack, and betting on roulette.

With more than $80,000 won during this epic hot streak, an exhausted and emotional wrought Bill decides he’s had enough of living life in the fast lane. Bill splits the $80,000 score with Charlie and heads home. We don’t see it, but we all know Charlie will gamble the remainder of his share.

If you account for inflation, Bill’s $80K score at the end of California Split is worth more than a half-million bucks in 2021 dollars.

California Split: Did You Know?

Poker scenes were filmed on a sound stage in Hollywood, which replicated the Gardena poker room on the outskirts of LA.

California Split includes a cameo from poker pro Amarillo Slim, who played himself in the high-stakes poker scene.

Screenwriter Joseph Walsh and Steven Spielberg are close friends. Walsh and Spielberg worked together on the first couple of drafts of the script, and Walsh wanted Spielberg to direct the film.

• Bill Denny (George Segal)
• Charlie Waters (Elliot Gould)
• Amarillo Slim (Himself)
• Barbara Miller (Ann Prentiss)
• Susan Peters (Gwen Welles)
• Lew (Edward Walsh)
• Sparkie (Joseph Walsh)
• Helen Brown (Bert Remsen)
• Lloyd Harris (Jeff Goldblum)

Walsh originally brought the screenplay — then titled Slide — to MGM Studios, who wanted to make the film with Steve McQueen in the starring role. The deal fell apart when MGM insisted the entire film take place at Circus Circus in Las Vegas.

Walsh’s agent sent the script to Robert Altman, who adored the idea about the California gambling scene. With Altman attached to direct, Columbia Pictures greenlit the project. Altman and execs changed the title from Slide to California Split.

George Segal was the first actor cast in the main role of Bill. For the super-degen role, Altman considered Robert DeNiro and Peter Falk before Elliot Gould won the part of Charlie.

Showtime and Todd Phillips kicked around an idea about developing California Split into a series, but that was before the pandemic.

Other Gambling and Sports Movies

We’ve reviewed a bunch of sports films, including numerous baseball movies.

• The Bad News Bears (1976)
• Slap Shot (1979)
• Caddyshack (1980)
• The Natural (1984)
• Bull Durham (1988)
• Eight Men Out (1988)
• Major League (1989)
• Field of Dreams (1989)
• A League of Their Own (1992)
• Blue Chips (1994)
• Draft Day (2014)
• High Flying Bird (2019)

If you like gambling movies, check out Uncut Gems (2019) with Adam Sandler.

The post Gambling Movies: Robert Altman’s ‘California Split’ (1974) with George Segal, Elliot Gould appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

PokerStars launched in the state on Jan. 29 as Michigan became the the fifth state to offer online poker options to bettors, joining Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. as Early indications  show the state has already eclipsed its counterparts. 

According to PokerScout, which monitors online poker traffic worldwide, PokerStars MI, the state’s only online poker site to date, already ranks in the top 15 globally, with a seven-day average of 500 players. 

Michigan Millions

Overall, internet casino and sports betting operators in the state reported $42.7 million in gross receipts for the 10-day period from Jan. 22 through Jan. 31, with online gaming gross receipts nearing $30 million, according to the Michigan Gaming Commission Board.

 “Internet gaming operators are off to a good start in Michigan,” MGCB executive director Richard S. Kalm said in a press release. “The taxes and payments from online gaming will provide funding for K-12 students, the city of Detroit and Michigan tribal communities.” 

The state’s nine Internet gaming operators saw total gross receipts of $29.4 million, $4.83 million of which went to the internet gaming state tax. 

Those numbers include all online gambling forms — including casino gaming and sports betting. The Stars Group, owner of PokerStars and PokerStars Casino, partnered with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Gaming Authority last year to offer online betting and gaming market access in Michigan. The agreement gave The Stars Group first skin market access to operate and brand real-money online betting, poker and casino in Michigan, according to a press release. 

“The Tribe’s partnership with The Stars Group extends beyond our reservation and places the thrill of world class sports betting and online gaming under every finger-tip sliding across a touch screen in the State of Michigan,” Fred Harrington Jr., Tribal Council, LTBB Odawa, said when the partnership was announced.

With just a few days at the end of the month when online poker became live, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians made nearly $2 million in gross receipts, putting it fourth behind MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino and the Bay Mills Indian Community, all three of which began operating on Jan. 22. 

First Mover Advantage for PokerStars?

To date, PokerStars MI has quickly become one of the biggest online poker sites in the country. Among the five states to offer online poker, Michigan’s population is the second largest, but it may be a lack of competition that has allowed PokerStars to be so successful in the state out the gate. 

In New Jersey, for example, PokerStars NJ currently has a  seven-day average of 110 players, while competitors WSOP.com averages 240 players, and Partypoker NJ averages 95. 

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reports that total gaming revenue for January was $346.4 million, with internet gaming responsible for $103.8 million. 

Resorts Casino Hotel Atlantic City, which holds the casino license for PokerStars New Jersey, reported nearly $23 million for the month of January.

The inaugural Michigan Championship of Online Poker series of tournaments started on Saturday, featuring 60 events through March 8 with guaranteed prize pools of more than  $1 million. 

But with other operators like Partypoker and the World Series of Poker, owned by Caesars Entertainment, eager to join the market, don’t expect PokerStars Michigan’s reign to last forever. 

The post Michigan jumps to top of US online poker market just weeks since going live appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

Chess.com announced on Monday that PogChamps 3 will begin on Feb. 14, and will feature not only online streaming personalities, but also well-known celebrities from other fields.

Daniel Negreanu, Rainn Wilson Make PogChamps Debuts

Gamblers and poker fans will likely be rooting for Daniel Negreanu. The six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner tweeted that he was taking his first-ever chess lesson on Tuesday from none other than Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.

Looks like I’m getting my first ever chess lesson today and it comes from a guy who might be better than me at chess. No way to know for sure, but thats my educated guess on the matter 😂 https://t.co/D9xCqJPPXh

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) January 12, 2021

“Looks like I’m getting my first ever chess lesson today and it comes from a guy who might be better than me at chess,” Negreanu wrote on Twitter. “No way to know for sure, but that’s my educated guess on the matter.”

Fans of the American version of The Office will recognize the name of Rainn Wilson, who played the role of Dwight Shrute, among the PogChamps 3 participants. Popular rapper Logic will also play in the tournament.

As is tradition, most of the field consists of famous Twitch streamers and YouTubers, some of whom have played in previous PogChamps iterations. MoistCritikal, xQc, and Ludwig are each back to take another shot at the crown, with MoistCritikal having already won the consolation bracket in the first edition of the tournament.

New faces include variety streamer Pokimane, YouTuber MrBeast, former Fortnite pro Myth, HBO Max host Michelle Khare, and streamer CodeMiko. Chess.com plans to announce the remainder of the 16-player field in the coming days.

Chess Boom Produces Bigger Prize Pool

The format for PogChamps 3 will mirror that of the previous events. Players will be divided into four pools for round-robin play. The top two players out of each pool will advance to the championship bracket, while the bottom two move to the consolation bracket. From there on out, it’s knockout play until the overall and consolation winners are crowned.

This time around, the prize pool has doubled to $100,000 on the strength of new sponsorships. Chess.com credited this increase to both the success of the first two PogChamps events and the rise in interest in chess following the release of “The Queen’s Gambit” on Netflix.

None of the players participating in Pogchamps are professional chess players, or even experienced tournament veterans. In fact, much of the entertainment comes from watching the players improve their play over the course of the two-week tournament.

A team of top chess players will help the competitors get their games in shape by providing lessons to those who want them. Along with Nakamura, players like International Master Levy Rozman, International Master Anna Rudolf, International Master Danny Rensch, and Women’s FIDE Master Alexandra Botez will coach players while also commentating on the tournament.

GRIP6, a company that manufactures belts, wallets, and wool socks, has signed on as the presenting sponsor of PogChamps 3.

The post PogChamps 3: Third Edition of Celebrity Chess Tournament Adds Mainstream Stars to Field appeared first on OnlineGambling.com | OG News.

The World Series of Poker has announced that it will hold its $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Main Event in multiple phases, beginning with two online tournaments designed for American and international players.

Main Event to Culminate in $1 Million Heads-Up Duel

Americans can start playing on WSOP.com on Dec. 13 in New Jersey or Nevada. Meanwhile, international players can take part on GGPoker.com beginning on Nov. 29.

The two tournaments will play out in parallel, with each continuing until reaching the final table. At that point, each event will move from the virtual felt to live play. The American branch of the tournament will see the final nine meet on Dec. 28 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the traditional home of the World Series of Poker. The King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic will host the international final table on Dec. 15. Both live events are subject to change due to COVID-19 regulations or travel restrictions.

Those live tables won’t end the WSOP Main Event. Instead, the domestic and international winners will face off in a live, heads-up duel on Dec. 30 at the Rio. The winner of the televised showdown will take home an additional $1 million. More importantly, they will earn the title of 2020 World Champion, something organizers feel is critical to maintaining the continuity of the World Series of Poker.

“There must be a World Champion in 2020,” World Series of Poker executive director Ty Stewart said in a statement. “Poker’s history is too important. It’s a unique format for the Main Event, but this is a unique year.”

The World Series of Poker began in 1970 with a single event featuring seven top players. The WSOP has grown into an annual tradition featuring dozens of events, including supplementary tournament series in Europe and Asia.

WSOP Moves Online During COVID-19 Pandemic

Throughout that growth, the Main Event has remained the crown jewel of the WSOP. The tournament first awarded a $1 million prize to the winner in 1991, with the champion taking home a $10 million prize on two occasions, including in 2019, when Germany’s Hossein Ensan outdueled Dario Sammartino to top a record field of 8,569 players.

This year, organizers replaced the bulk of the WSOP with the 2020 World Series of Poker Online. WSOP.com and GGPoker.com hosted a combined total of 85 bracelet events. The online series culminated in a $5,000 main event, which Bulgaria’s Stoyan Madanzhiev won to earn $3.9 million in prize money.

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Staff ‘Committed to Running’ the WSOP

The 51^st running of the annual event at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas was originally scheduled from May 26 to July 15, but has become another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ty Stewart, executive director of the WSOP, said in a press release that “we are committed to running the World Series of Poker this year but need additional time to proceed on our traditional scale while prioritizing guest and staff well-being.”

“In the interim, official WSOP competitions are expected to be played online this summer, and we will soon announce details of an expanded series of tournaments to be played on WSOP.com and through partnership with international operators, which will allow players to chase WSOP glory from their homes,” he continued.

The 2020 WSOP was already slated to include 14 online bracelet events, up from nine last year. That number seems poised to grow with the postponement.

Schedule Changes Likely, but Main Event Will Take Place

Stewart said changes to the WSOP schedule will likely occur due to the postponement, but that the series will definitely include the $10,000 buy-in Main Event. The WSOP did not announce rescheduled dates as it continues the planning process.

Las Vegas casinos will remain closed through the end of April as officials begin to talk about how to reopen safely. Howard Stutz, a long-time gaming reporter for The Las Vegas Review-Journal and now executive director of CDC Gaming Reports, told KSNV in Las Vegas that he doesn’t expect live poker to return for a while, even after casinos are operational.

The WSOP said in its press release that the next live event on its calendar, the Global Casino Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina, is still scheduled for Aug. 11-13. WSOP Europe at King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, is also planned for the fall, with no definitive dates set.

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