2020 WORLD SERIES OF POKER - POSTPONED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS WSOP ORGANIZERS HOPE TO RESCHEDULE FOR FALL - Card Player
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www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 33/No. 11
May 20, 2020
2020 WORLD SERIES OF POKER
POSTPONED DUE TO
CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS
WSOP ORGANIZERS HOPE TO RESCHEDULE FOR FALL
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Masthead - Card Player Vol. 33/No. 11
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Table of Contents - Card Player Vol. 33/No. 11
26 14
18
Features Strategies, Analysis Also In this Issue
26 & Commentary 4
2020 World Series of Poker Postponed About Us
Due To Coronavirus Concerns
30
By Card Player News Team
Big Blind Ante 38
By Greg Raymer Poker Leaderboards
31
The Inside Straight Folding Top Pair, Top Kicker On The Flop
Tournament
By Jonathan Little
8 Hand Matchups
Poker News Recap 32
12 True Tales From A Hollywood Poker 34
Hustler: Ben Affleck Goes To School Adrian Mateos vs. Kahle Burns vs.
Player Of The Year Update
By Houston Curtis Michael Soyza
14 36 35
Table Talk: Is Jeff Gross The Face Of The
Variance: Part 3 Kahle Burns vs. Paul Phua
Second Poker Boom?
By Steve Zolotow
By Julio Rodriguez 36
Matthias Eibinger vs. Paul Phua
18
Final Table Takedown: Boris Kasabov 37
Mid-Stakes Regular Shares His Thought Paul Phua vs. Webster Lim
Process From The Final Table Of His First
WSOP Circuit Victory
By Steve Schult
22
Poker Stories Podcast
With David Tuchman
By Card Player News Team
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THE INSIDE STRAIGHT
the
INSIDE STRAIGHT
News, Reviews, and Interviews From Around the Poker World
CASINO GAMBLING REVENUE CUT NEARLY IN HALF FOR
STATES IN MARCH
Numbers From Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware Show Huge Drop
By Steve Schult
During the coronavirus-induced casino shutdown,
online gaming revenue has soared in states where it is legal.
The revenue gains from iGaming, however, don’t make up
for the lost brick-and-mortar revenue with several states
experiencing huge drops.
In mid-April, New Jersey’s Department of Gaming
Enforcement released financial information that showed the
Garden State hit all-time highs in online poker revenue. The
state’s online poker rooms raked $3.6 million in March, as
its online gaming industry was up 64.4 percent.
With only 16 days for its nine Atlantic City casinos to
operate, live casino gaming only generated $85.5 million.
Combined with New Jersey’s online revenue, the state only
generated $163.5 million in gross gaming revenue in March,
down $124 million year-over-year.
Pennsylvania, which legalized all forms of online gam- more drastically by some locales in Southern California,
bling in October 2017, experienced similar gains in its who don’t have access to online gaming revenue, but that
online gaming market since the shutdown. Its gross gaming same pain will likely be felt on the east coast soon.
revenue still fell from $304 million in February to $153 Parx Casino, Pennsylvania’s most profitable casino, is
million in March. located in Bensalem, just outside Philadelphia’s city limits.
According to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer, the It pays the city $11 million annually but has been closed
two states lost $274 million in gaming revenue just from since mid-March.
two weeks of the shutdown. When April’s numbers are Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo told the Inquirer
released in a few weeks, it will only be worse. that he expects to receive the first of four quarterly install-
Similar trends were seen in Delaware, which is in a ments since it was operational for most of the first quarter.
compact with New Jersey and Nevada to share player pools He doesn’t feel great about subsequent payments if the
for online poker. casino stays closed.
Vernon Kick, director of the Delaware Lottery, told the “After that I’m worried,” he said. “It’s a big part of our
paper that online gaming just doesn’t generate the revenue budget.”
that the state is used to seeing. The Pennsylvania state government relies more on casino
“Even though we’ve spiked up, it’s still just a drop in the gaming than New Jersey or Delaware. The Keystone State
bucket,” said Kick. iGaming is a very, very small portion. taxes slot revenue at 54 percent and table games at 16 per-
It’s up considerably, but those are percentages. Our dollars cent. The Garden State taxes each of those activities at 8
are nothing to write home about.” percent.
When revenue drops for private companies, tax revenue A reopening date for casinos in all three states has yet to
for the states dry up as well. The effect was felt quicker and be announced by state officials. ♠
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THE INSIDE STRAIGHT
VEGAS MAYOR WANTS CITY TO BE CONTROL GROUP FOR
CORONAVIRUS REOPENING
By Steve Schult
In a heated interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper in late
April, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said she wanted its
citizens to be the guinea pigs for the rest of the country by fully
reopening the local economy.
Goodman has been one of the more outspoken public
figures on this side of the economic issues surrounding the “None of those were as infectious,” replied Cooper. “You
COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, the former Democrat didn’t have people with Ebola on a casino floor.”
turned Independent called Gov. Steve Sisolak’s shutdown of “Well, we don’t know that,” said Goodman. “A neighbor of
non-essential businesses ‘total insanity.’ mine died from West Nile [virus] because the swimming pool
The 81-year-old went on Cooper’s show to discuss why she at the next property was full of mosquitos and the people who
believes reopening the local economy, including casinos, is the abandoned the property left the pool full. This is part of life.
right thing to do. She would like to follow the lead of Georgia It’s the challenges.”
Gov. Brian Kemp, who recently announced the reopening of At this point, the logic begins to shift and just minutes
his state’s economy. later, she explains that she offered up the city’s population to
“Let us get started and go back to work,” said Goodman. take part in a hypothetical experiment in reopening economies.
“We have all these people out of work that can’t even feed their “How do you know until we have a control group?” when
families… We have close to 900,000 families out of work asked by Cooper if the city’s death toll was low because of
because this wonderful city is shutdown.” social distancing measures. “We offered to be a control group.
There is plenty of data to make that argument as the inter- Anyone who knows anything about statistics knows that… I
view took place just a day before another 4.4 million Americans did offer. It was turned down. I offered to be a control group
filed for unemployment benefits. Thursday’s numbers brought and I was told by our statistician that you can’t do that.”
the five-week total since the outbreak to more than 26 million. Gov. Sisolak has yet to announce a date for a relaxing of
As of April 27, there were 3,665 confirmed cases in Clark the current restrictions on the economy and the reopening of
County and 174 deaths from COVID-19. casinos.
Her logic, however, took a turn as the interview went on as The website for Caesars Entertainment, however, has begun
Goodman tried to compare the spread of coronavirus to previ- to allow people to book stays at its properties as early as May
ous pandemics. 15. ♠
VIRGINIA PASSES CASINO AND SPORTS BETTING LEGISLATION
By Steve Schult
Virginia’s legislature voted in favor tax revenue could surpass $900 mil-
of Gov. Ralph Northam’s amendments lion over five years if a casino is built
to a bill that would bring brick-and- in each of the five cities.
mortar casino gambling and sports The legislation laid out a tiered tax
betting to the state. plan that will tax operators anywhere
The Senate approved the changes in between 18 and 30 percent, based on
a 30-9 vote, while the House voted in the total gross revenue.
favor of them by a 66-29 score. Along with the casino aspect of
Both SB 36 and HB 4 were on Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and what is now law of the land, it also
Northam’s desk in April but, instead Richmond will vote on the issue. legalized sports betting. Currently, the
of signing, he proposed amendments A simple majority vote in each city bill only legalizes online betting, since
that would slightly alter the way in will pave the way for a casino in its there is no guarantee that residents
which tax revenue from casinos would locale. Before the passage of this bill, of the five cities will vote in favor
be distributed throughout the state. Virginia was one of the few states that of casino construction. If casinos are
With his alterations approved by banned casinos. built, there will likely be a separate
lawmakers, the bill becomes law and The new industry is expected to bill passed that allows those businesses
five economically depressed cities in bring a windfall of tax dollars to to build retail sportsbooks at their
Virginia will be able to vote whether the state. A 2019 study conducted by casinos.
their locale becomes home to a casino. Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and The lottery commission will oversee
This November, residents of Bristol, Review Commission concluded that Virginia’s new industries. ♠
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THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - News, reviews, and interviews from around the poker world
Casino CEO: “At Least A Year” Before
Casinos Operate At Full Capacity
By Steve Schult
The CEO of one of the globe’s largest gaming companies Even with the regional aspect of Jim Allen
went on CNBC in late April and told reporters that he believes Florida casinos working in his favor,
it will take about a year before the American casino industry is Allen believes it will still take some time
running at pre-COVID-19 levels. to fully recover. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Hard Rock International Chairman Jim Allen believes that recently reopened beaches for limited activi-
while some regional casinos will rebound quicker than others, ties, but Allen believes this action doesn’t indi-
the tourism industry as a whole is going to struggle for quite cate the state is ready to return to normal.
a while. “While we see a ramp up, when we see the beaches in
“There’s going to be a real challenge, especially here in the Jacksonville as crowded as they were, that seems like that’s
United States, as far as ramping the business back up,” said kind of exciting,” said Allen. “But I think that’s just the initial
Allen. “And frankly, we’re planning on that taking at least a get-out-of-the-house [push].”
year.” Allen believes that sustained business growth will not come
Hard Rock International, which was bought by the as quickly as people flocking to the beach. When they do ramp
Seminole Tribe of Florida in 2007, owns casinos, hotels, and up, however, he thinks that casinos will take the necessary
Hard Rock Cafes all over the world. Allen noted that the steps to keep customers safe, noting the steps his casinos took
company’s hotel in Shenzen, a city just outside Hong Kong, during its final days of operation.
is only operating at 12 percent capacity despite being open for “We were doing a lot more than social distancing,” said
nearly a month as the country recovers from the first wave of Allen. “One slot machine was on and four were off. We were
coronavirus infections. only allowing three individuals at a gaming table.”
The company’s most profitable properties come from its six Florida casinos have been closed since all the properties
casinos in Florida, which Allen describes as a regional business. were shut down on March 20. A date for reopening has not
He believes casinos that attract people traveling by car instead been announced yet. It was one of the last states to shut down
of by plane will rebound before the rest of the industry. operations. ♠
RHODE ISLAND CASINO COMPANY BUYS THREE PROPERTIES
FROM CAESARS AND ELDORADO
By Steve Schult
In a move that removed large roadblocks to the approval company’s board of directors told the Times. “It reaffirms our
of the pending $17.3 billion merger between Caesars commitment to employers, customers and the communities
Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts, a Rhode Island casino in which we operate that Twin River will be stronger than
company bought three casinos from the two companies. ever.”
Twin Rivers Worldwide Holdings, the casino company The sale of Bally’s might be the key piece in the deal and
that owns Rhode Island’s two brick-and-mortar gambling increases the likelihood of approval in the Garden State.
operations, purchased casinos in New Jersey, Louisiana, and Daniel Heneghan, a gaming analyst, and former
Nevada from the two larger corporations. spokesman for the New Jersey Casino Control Commission
Twin Rivers bought Bally’s Atlantic City from Caesars told the newspaper that the sale lessens the footprint in
for $25 million, while it spent a combined $155 million in Atlantic City just enough to ease worry from the regulatory
buying Eldorado’s Mont Bleu Resort Casino & Spa in Lake bodies.
Tahoe and Eldorado Shreveport in Louisiana. “It will significantly reduce the level of economic
Since the announcement of the pending merger last year, concentration and that will make it a lot easier for the
Caesars and Eldorado have continually sold properties to Casino Control Commission to approve it,” said Heneghan.
avoid any monopoly concerns from gaming regulators. “The fact that it is being sold to a new player for the market
Eldorado sold three casinos in West Virginia and here will help increase the competition. I’m sure the need to
Missouri last summer before dumping another one of its get New Jersey approval was a big factor in deciding to sell
Louisiana casinos last January. Caesars sold a property in the property.”
Reno in January as well. Caesars will maintain control of the sportsbook in
With the purchase, Twin Rivers expands its portfolio. It Bally’s and the Wild Wild West area adjacent to the book.
already had properties in Rhode Island, Colorado, Delaware, The two properties are connected, and visitors do not
and Mississippi, according to the Washington Times. need to go outside to move from one property to another,
“This is a great deal for Twin River, and diversifies our meaning that the borders of the two casinos have officially
business across eight states,” Soo Kim, chairman of the changed. ♠
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PLAYER_11_PokerBro_FP.indd 3 5/6/20 11:36 AMTHE INSIDE STRAIGHT - Player of the year As of
4-22-2020
A Look At Players Outside the Top 20
Making Waves In Recent Weeks
Place Players Points Final Tables Winnings
Paul Phua -
1 Vincent Wan 2,280 1 $909,420
22 22nd Place
55-year-old Malaysian
2 Farid Jattin 2,177 6 $1,205,493
businessman and
poker player Paul
3 Anton Suarez 2,100 1 $1,000,000 Phua went on a cash-
ing spree in March,
making the money
4 Cary Katz 2,095 8 $2,420,543 in five events at the
MILLIONS Super High
5 Kahle Burns 1,956 6 $2,923,988 Roller Sochi over the course of eight days. He
made four final tables in that duration, win-
ning two titles and cashing for just shy of $2.6
6 Ngoc Hoang 1,900 1 $909,420 million in the process. He finished runner-up
in a $25,000 buy-in short deck event early in
7 Aaron Van Blarcum 1,896 8 $1,854,522 the series for $305,000 and 420 Card Player
Player of the Year points. Just three days later,
he topped a field of 42 entries in a $100,000
8 Sam Greenwood 1,881 6 $1,357,807 buy-in no-limit hold’em event to secure the
title, the $1,512,000 top prize, and 600 more
9 Tim Adams 1,857 6 $5,904,777 POY points. Phua added a second title another
four days after that, outlasting 31 entries in a
$50,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament.
10 Brian Altman 1,848 3 $542,866 The $620,000 and 408 points he earned for
that victory were enough to see him climb into
22nd place in the overall POY race standings,
11 Michael Addamo 1,806 5 $2,143,310
with 1,498 points.
12 Pablo Silva 1,800 1 $1,000,000
30 Mikita
Badziakouski -
30th Place
13 Christian Rudolph 1,750 1 $620,000
Like Phua, Mikita
14 James Romero 1,736 2 $745,000 Badziakouski also
put together an
impressive run in
15 Erik Seidel 1,686 5 $669,649 Russia. The 28-year-
old Belarusian
@ MILLIONS SUPER HIGH ROLLER SERIES; Oleg ParaMon
16 Eric Afriat 1,680 1 $394,120 poker pro emerged victorious from a field of
45 entries to win a $50,000 buy-in no-limit
hold’em event there for $765,000 and 510 POY
17 Alex Foxen 1,597 6 $1,603,559 points. A handful of days later he finished
third in the $250,000 buy-in Super High Roller
18 Nino Ullmann 1,540 2 $370,609 Bowl Russia, which drew 40 entries in total.
The deep run was good for a $1,600,000
payday and an additional 400 points. With
19 Stephen Chidwick 1,537 6 $1,043,973 these two scores and another final-table
finish earned earlier in 2020, Badziakouski
now occupies the 30th-place spot on the POY
20 Gareth Pepper 1,520 1 $690,000
leaderboard. He has already accumulated
$2,678,950 in earnings in 2020, with 1,250
points earned so far.
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THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - table talk
TABLE TALK:
INTERVIEWS WITH POKER'S TOP TALENT
Card Player sits down with the game’s well-known,
up-and-coming, and most notorious players for insight
into what it takes to make it in the poker world.
IS JEFF GROSS THE FACE OF THE SECOND POKER BOOM?
Popular Poker Personality Trades In High Rollers For Twitch Streams
By Julio Rodriguez
Online poker is booming again,
and other than the site operators
themselves and the sharks at the
top of the food chain, perhaps few
are better positioned for this second
wave of poker enthusiasm than Jeff
Gross. The Ann Arbor, Michigan
native has spent the last few years
transitioning his focus from the live
arena to online, where he streams a
lot of his action on Twitch with the
Poker Flow Show.
The following he built for himself,
which includes more than 135,000
viewers and listeners across his
Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch plat-
forms, led to interest from a number Gross had his own fair share with Gross in between his homes in
of online poker sites. Gross spent of high roller success as well, final Las Vegas, Miami, and Brazil while
two years as a brand ambassador tabling a few six-figure buy-in tour- he was in the Caribbean to stream
for PokerStars before making the naments and cashing in several some of his play in partypoker’s
switch to partypoker. The 33-year- $25,000 events. In 2012, he narrow- Powerfest series.
old now serves as the Co-Managing ly missed out on a World Poker Tour Card Player: There’s no live poker
Director of Team Online for par- title, and over the years, he’s had to play, but I’m guessing that self-
typoker, when he’s not also hosting several close calls at the World Series isolating hasn’t affected your usual
his own podcast, filming his vlogs, of Poker, including a runner-up fin- routine too much.
or providing commentary for some ish in the 2011 $5,000 shootout. The Jeff Gross: No. It’s been pretty
of the biggest buy-in tournaments in former University of South Carolina normal. The whole thing is obvi-
the world. soccer player has a combined $3.3 ously a terrible situation, but it’s not
In fact, Gross was in the commen- million in live tournament earnings. impacting my day-to-day very much
tary booth for the $1 million buy- Now married and a father to just because of what I’ve been up to
in Triton London super high roller, a baby boy, Gross is no longer jet the last few years.
which awarded the biggest prize in setting around the world from one CP: You’ve definitely been busy.
poker history of $20.6 million to high roller to the next, but he hasn’t It seems like you have half a dozen
Bryn Kenney. (He was also there completely given up the high-stakes poker-related jobs these days.
when his buddy Antonio Esfandiari lifestyle that once saw him collect JG: It really is crazy. It’s been
won what was then the biggest prize $550,000 from Bill Perkins for get- busy lately. I did take off a lot of
of $18.3 million in the 2012 Big One ting a simple tattoo on his back. (He time. Last year there was a couple
For One Drop.) still has it!) Card Player caught up of months where... I didn’t go to the
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014_Q&A_JeffGross.indd 14 5/6/20 11:00 AMTHE INSIDE STRAIGHT
In January of last year I was in the Bahamas, playing
a high-stakes cash game on a boat. And I lost one of
the biggest pots of my life. This was a $330,000 pot
against Rob Yong.
you were roommates with Michael
Phelps and traveling the globe every
week with the likes of Esfandiari,
Phil Laak, Brian Rast, and Bill
Perkins, competing in high roller
events.
JG: I was fortunate to play the
high rollers for a year or two. I played
some $100,000 buy-ins, you know,
obviously getting deals or selling
action. It was cool, it was fun, and
I had some success in them, but I
realized that it wasn’t for me. I was
playing with the world’s best players,
people who don’t make very many
mistakes, and there just had to be
an easier way. Unless you’re one of
those top one percent guys that are
just super gifted, but even then,
do you even want to go that route?
Even guys like Stevie [Chidwick],
you know, guys that are consid-
ered the best in the world, have to
be stressed out. You’re playing high
stakes, you’re traveling all the time,
and bad runs can go on for a year or
two years.
CP: Now you are this hybrid of
poker player and poker personality,
not only representing partypoker as
a team online site ambassador, but
also doing commentary work for
live poker events, hosting your own
podcast, and streaming your play on
Twitch. That’s a lot of hats to wear,
so I’m sure your degrees in market-
ing and entrepreneurship are coming
in handy.
JG: Yeah. I actually have an affili-
World Series of Poker, really, only we’re not even thinking about this ate background. That’s how I kind
twice for a few days, because we had year, but you know, potentially the of got into poker actually, funny
the baby. I’ve been adapting to that. following year. I think we’ll go. I met enough, was me promoting party-
So if I’m not busy with poker, then my wife there. Antonio [Esfandiari] poker back in the day. I was using
I’m busy with the family. got me to go back in 2014. We their very generous affiliate program
CP: I’m guessing you can’t take a walked by each other and I met her back in 2004 when I was in college.
baby to Burning Man, either? in the middle of the desert at seven CP: Is that why you made the
JG: You can, actually. Last year in the morning when she was waking switch from PokerStars?
we couldn’t, of course, because he up for the day and I was finishing my JG: People keep saying that
was only a few months old. We were day. And that, that was it. So now we PokerStars was dropping all of these
going to go this year. I think that have a Burning Man baby. guys, but I had a renewal on the
was our plan. Obviously, the world CP: Things are a lot different than table. I was ready to re-sign. But
is turned on its head right now. So your first years as a poker pro, when in January of last year I was in the
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014_Q&A_JeffGross.indd 15 5/6/20 11:00 AMTHE INSIDE STRAIGHT - table talk
‘A guy who is playing $22
tournaments and entertaining others
on a live stream is way more valuable
to an online poker site than a guy
who is wearing a patch at a few
$100,000 buy-in events per month.”
Bahamas, playing a high-stakes cash up. Is it difficult to keep the quality they could start streaming. Some of
game on a boat. And I lost one of high, while also being engaging with these guys are good friends of mine,
the biggest pots of my life. This was your viewers, and also trying to actu- so of course I would give them the
a $330,000 pot against Rob Yong. ally win? blueprint, on everything from equip-
I had aces, he had kings. Rob only JG: Honestly, my biggest struggle ment to content ideas. I give them
runs it one time, and this particular is not playing too many tables at the the full playbook, and the majority
time, he made quad kings. same time. I really like how some of them never even click live. The
But the funny part of that story streamers will just play one tourna- ones that do try it, usually stop after
is that, yes, I ended up losing, but ment and then engage more with a few streams. Because guess what?
I ended up playing with Rob for 10 the chat. The other side of that are It’s really hard. Even the top stream-
hours, getting to know each other. the guys who want to make sure ers go through mental fatigue and
And then we had a meeting. And they have a deep run or two, so they burn out. That’s why I don’t stream
then another meeting. He came to are playing a lot of tables at once. I as often or as long as some others do.
Miami to meet with me, and before think two to four screens would be When it’s time for streaming, I’m
you know it, partypoker has a new ideal, but then you get to Sunday and always excited and passionate about
team, with myself and Jamie Staples. there’s often eight to ten good tour- it. It’s not a chore I’m looking to get
Some people might say, that was naments running at the same time. through.
just being at the right place at the I’ve come to the realization that CP: You are definitely not afraid
right time, but guess what. That my whole deal is different. When to show some emotion when you are
didn’t come from me winning a I’m streaming, I want to win, but streaming, either. What’s wrong with
major tournament. The old model whether I win or lose slightly isn’t a fist pump every once in a while?
has changed. I have had a lot of suc- really that big of a deal. Streaming JG: I agree, but I’m also from the
cess in big live tournaments and a is for building my brand, promot- camp that says we are missing a little
bunch of close calls. Those numbers ing partypoker, and also networking bit of that emotion in live poker as
may be sexy, but that doesn’t appeal and getting involved in other cool well. I had Matt Savage on my pod-
to the masses. The guys who win the projects as a result. I’ve given up the cast talking about how the rules can
high rollers and consistently compete dream of… Look, I could just sit even discourage people from inter-
for million-dollar prizes are clearly here and study the game non-stop acting. It’s different in the UK than it
at the top, but they are not relatable for hours and hours every day and I is in the U.S., for example, but if you
to the average online poker player. might have a shot at becoming one get heads-up in a pot with someone
A guy who is playing $22 tourna- of the best players in the world, or and try some table talk, the dealers
ments and entertaining others on a I could do what I do now, and con- immediately shut it down. Whether
live stream is way more valuable to tinue to enjoy the game I fell in love you are talking about the contents of
an online poker site than a guy who with as a teenager. To me, there’s your hand or not, it makes the game
is wearing a patch at a few $100,000 nothing better than the social aspect way too intense, even anti-social. I
buy-in events per month. of poker. think that’s a mistake and something
CP: Looks like that might be one CP: Why don’t more poker players that should be addressed. I think
of the best pots you ever lost. stream their play? we’re just losing some of what made
JG: Well, it was still a massive pot. JG: (laughing) I can’t tell you poker so appealing during the boom.
(laughing) how many guys that are professional I don’t want the game to become too
CP: Speaking of your live streams, poker players, well-known players, serious. We keep the game growing
you’ve got quite the production set who have come to me and asked how by keeping it fun. ♠
16 CARDPLAYER.COM FOLLOW US ON TWITTER CardPlayerMedia
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THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - Final Table Takedown
FINAL TABLE TAKEDOWN
Boris Kasabov
Mid-Stakes Regular Shares His Thought Process From The Final Table Of His First
WSOP Circuit Victory
By Steve Schult
Boris Kasabov broke through to win his first World Series of Poker Circuit
ring in December after nearly six years as a regular in the mid-stakes tourna-
ment world. He defeated a 281-entry field in the $1,700 no-limit hold’em main
event at the IP Biloxi, earning $98,044 in the process.
The Houston native is a regular at WSOP Circuit stops all over the country
and has racked up $422,127 in tournament earnings over his short career. The
nearly half million-dollar sum came just from playing tournaments with buy-ins
ranging between $300 and $1,700 on a part-time basis.
Kasabov sat down with Card Player to break down a few hands he played at
the final table of his victory in Mississippi.
World Series of Poker Circuit IP Biloxi Main Event
Buy-In: $1,700 • Entries: 281 • Prizepool: $425,715 • First Place: $98,044
flat. Some of it was just how ended straight draw and the
K Q 9 8 I perceived my opponents original raiser bets 160,000.
and their capability of pay- What is going through your
ing me off if I hit or folding mind when you’re facing this
to aggression. All of that I bet? What sort of range are
had on my side and I wanted you starting to put him on?
K Q 9 8
Boris Kasabov Hamid Izadi to give him the option to BK: With the turn being
950,000 800,000 make a mistake. an overcard and filling a
SS: The small blind calls draw, I’m putting him on a
10 7 3 J A as well and you’re three- pretty strong hand. It doesn’t
handed to a flop. They both seem like much of a bluff to
10 7 3 J A check to you and you flop me. He seems pretty strong
nothing, but have overcards like he is trying to get some
and a fair amount of back- value.
Blinds: 20,000 – 40,000 with a 40,000 big blind ante door equity. Do you ever I haven’t made my hand
Players Remaining: 9 take a stab on this flop? yet and my perception of
BK: I did think about him is that he is pretty
Concepts: Deciding on folded. On the river, Izadi it, but obviously I didn’t. I strong, so I decided to just
correct river bet sizing to checked and Kasabov bet didn’t want to get in trouble call and go to a river.
extract value from the top of 360,000. Izadi called. and it’s okay to go to the SS: When you say, “pretty
your range Steve Schult: A lot of turn. Like you said, there strong,” what types of hands
The Action: Hamid Izadi people formulate strategies were so many good cards for are you talking about?
raised to 100,000 from around three-betting this me on the turn that I just BK: At a minimum, Q-J
middle position and Boris hand preflop in cash games. decided to check. or A-J. He could also have a
Kasabov called from late Is this a good candidate for SS: Did the presence of set that he flopped. I think
position. The player in the a three-bet in tournaments the small blind affect the if he had A-10 or other 10-X
small blind came along as ever or is it usually played frequency that you are going hands, he would probably
well and it was three-handed as a call? to bet the flop? If you were bet the flop. So, I don’t think
to a flop, which all three Boris Kasabov: A three- heads-up, would you be bet- he’s got air. I think he’s got a
players checked. The small bet is definitely an option. ting this flop more often? strong hand.
blind checked the turn and There were just so many fac- BK: Yes. If I was heads- SS: You river the nuts and
Izadi bet 160,000. Kasabov tors that came into this par- up, I would definitely stab. he checks to you. He has
called and the small blind ticular hand. I opted to just SS: You turn an open- 540,000 left in his stack and
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018_FTT_BorisKasabov.indd 18 5/7/20 9:25 AMTHE INSIDE STRAIGHT
you bet 360,000. How did a stack of big denomina- BK: At this point, I think all the chips in the middle
you come up with that size? tion chips and I bet those. he’s got either an ace or a in a really good spot but
BK: I remember thinking Especially, since it was an pair with a straight draw. caught a brutal runout to
he was pretty tricky and overcard, I wanted to put Based on the way that he chop the pot. From a mental
pretty solid, but he was also him to the test. I was really bet and the way that he had game perspective, how do
careful and wasn’t out of shocked that he just called played hands for the last you bounce back from that?
line too much. It was kind with the second nuts. few hours, I just felt like he How do you not lose your
of strange that he checked. SS: In hindsight, do you was going to call my jam. I mind and spew off all your
I got the sense he wasn’t wish you just moved all in, thought he was already com- chips?
going to just fold and let since he has about a pot-sized mitted to this hand. BK: It took me at least
me have the pot, so I tried bet left? I didn’t even waste much 10-15 minutes to kind of
to make it look like I was BK: Yeah. I do kind of time. I quickly moved all in get over that. This was so
trying to buy it. I had regret that. and he snap-called. bad that I did kind of fly
SS: When I saw this off the handles. It took me
J 10 A 8 hand, I was wondering why back to not a helpless spot,
you didn’t raise smaller, but but I just felt like it was such
it seems like this was super a bad runout and you start
J 10 A 8 player-dependent and you questioning yourself about
wouldn’t make this play how many more times you’re
Boris Kasabov Wayne Boyd against anyone else. Is that going to be in a spot like
1,120,000 900,000 fair to say? this. Because these are rare
BK: Exactly. This doesn’t spots and if they’re not win-
A K Q J 10
have anything to do with ning, you just feel a little
GTO (game theory opti- helpless from the runouts.
A K Q J 10 mal) strategy. This was more We went on break after a
of a Dan-Lowery-type play while and that did help me. I
where you just know your needed 20-30 minutes mini-
Blinds: 25,000 – 50,000 with a 50,000 big blind ante opponent. mum to kind of mentally get
Players Remaining: 7 SS: You obviously got back on track.
Concepts: Picking correct two cards preflop. I’d much A K 10 10
spots to limp in in position prefer to see if I can trap him
The Action: Action folded as opposed to bloating the
around to Boris Kasabov pot with a raise. I figured let A K 10 10
on the button, who limped. me just get into the pot as
Wayne Boyd completed the cheaply as possible and beat Boris Kasabov Brett Apter
small blind and Jeremy Eyer him post-flop. 1,350,000 760,000
checked his option in the big SS: What types of hands
A 8 7 9 J
blind. On the flop, Boyd led would you be limping and
out for 100,000, Eyer folded what types would you be
and Kasabov moved all in. raising with this player in the A 8 7 9 J
Boyd called. blinds? How does this alter
SS: Why did you decide your normal strategy?
to limp the button with J-10? BK: I’d only be raising Blinds: 30,000 – 60,000 with a 60,000 big blind ante
BK: I would say that hands that I’m willing to go Players Remaining: 6
around 97 percent of the time all the way with, in this spot.
I would raise here, but you’ve I’m not going to say only Concepts: Picking when dard, but what about the big
got to understand these play- premium hands, but pretty to pot control on the turn blind’s play here. When he
ers and how the hands were strong ones. Maybe some- The Action: Boris Kasabov has a 12-13 big blind stack
being played until that time. thing like A-J and up and raised to 130,000 from early and he’s just calling, what
I was just kind of waiting to some middle pairs. position and Brett Apter are you thinking? I would
trap mainly this player. I felt SS: You started this hand called out of the big blind. think that is a stack size
like I could do a better job of with 22 big blinds. Would On the flop, Apter checked, where most players are usu-
exploiting them if we played you still have a limping range Kasabov bet 100,000 and ally moving all in or folding.
post-flop because my edges at deeper stacks? What about Apter called. Both players BK: He was a little bit
will be bigger that way. shallower stack depths? checked the turn and Apter of an unconventional player,
I don’t want to just get BK: Against those two bet 250,000 on the river. but he definitely had a tight
everything all in preflop players, yes, I think so. I’d Kasabov called. range. I don’t know why
where I might only have a be limping with both deeper SS: You raise to 130,000 he didn’t opt to jam, espe-
slight edge. I knew I could and shorter stacks. from early position and the cially with pocket tens. I
trap these guys post-flop. SS: You flop the nuts and big blind calls off a stack can’t really explain that, but
And if I had raised preflop, he led right into you. At this that is just 760,000. Your he didn’t. I still perceived
nothing would’ve changed. point, what are you starting hand selection and raise him to have a pretty solid
This guy was calling with any to narrow his range to? are obviously beyond stan- hand when he defends his
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018_FTT_BorisKasabov.indd 19 5/7/20 9:25 AMTHE INSIDE STRAIGHT - Final Table Takedown
big blind though. ace, I didn’t want him to fold trol the pot and hopefully of my perception of him, if
I thought he would have a pocket pair like tens. So, get a safe river. And if I’m you will, was that he also
some of the bigger ace-highs, I didn’t want him to fold. ahead, the majority will still recognized that I respected
some broadways and middle Obviously if he jams, I’m call- be pretty safe. his play. When he bet that,
pocket pairs were about the ing. I wanted to price him in, There were a lot of differ- I was torn that he could just
only hands that I could realis- so that was why I made the ent factors, but I just remem- be representing something
tically put him on. smaller bet. ber with that player and with to try and move me off a
SS: I don’t know the other It’s pretty standard. A lot that turn, and the way he strong hand because of how
stacks at the table, but you of the times when you feel called, and the fact I knew he thinks I view him or is he
had him out-chipped by more like you’ve smashed it and that he was pretty tight, I just taking me to value town?
than 2:1. Would you be rais- you don’t want to run off your decided to just get to a river. His bet screams that. He’s
ing a little bit wider in this opponent, you will tend to And I don’t think I could not folding, but what hands
spot to attack his big blind downbet. get three streets of value from can he have and what hands
since he was super tight? Or SS: On the turn, he worse. I think that’s a pretty beat me? Obviously, all the
are you just playing your nor- checked, and you check significant reason as well. sets, any straight draw that
mal ranges? behind. What made you want SS: We mentioned earlier got there, but what hand did
BK: Well, yes, but since I to check back? that he started the hand with he play preflop and through
was in early position, I was BK: I decided to keep the a pretty short stack. Would the flop that beat me? I didn’t
playing against all the other pot small and check back. you have been betting the put him on any sets, so I
players too. If I was in late SS: What type of hands turn at deeper and shallower thought his most likely value
position, then, yes, absolutely. were you trying to pot control stacks? hands were either a straight
SS: You flop top pair and against? BK: Yes, to both. That’s with A-10 or maybe two pair
bet 100,000 when it’s checked BK: The board got really why it was kind of tricky. It’s with A-J. I think he would bet
to you. It’s on the smaller size. wet on the turn when the nine why I kind of regret my deci- A-J there.
What type of situations are came. He did call a flop bet sion on the river. So, I just thought that I
you looking for when you so I started to question myself SS: What about your had too much invested and
downbet? and thought that I could be decision on the river? He led had too much equity. But I
BK: I wanted to price him beat since that card can help out for 250,000. Walk me thought he could have missed
in. I downbet for a couple his range pretty easily. Yeah, through your thought pro- and wanted to represent
different reasons. I wanted to I could possibly still be good, cess. something with a value bet
induce a jam from a worse but if I am, let me just con- BK: I think his perception instead of a jam. ♠
Card Player Poker Tour
For those who play to win.
Full Schedules and More Information Available at
www.CardPlayerPokerTour.com
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CP_PokerSchool_1_FP.indd 1 5/6/20 11:38 AMCard Player Podcast
POKER STORIES PODCAST
With David Tuchman
Poker Stories is a long-form audio podcast series that features casual interviews with some of the game’s
best players and personalities. Each episode highlights a well-known member of the poker world and dives deep
into their favorite tales both on and off the felt.
To listen, visit www.cardplayer.com/poker-podcasts or download it directly to your device from any number
of mobile apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify. Catch up on past episodes featuring
notables such as Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Justin Bonomo, Nick Schulman, Barry Greenstein, Michael
Mizrachi, Bryn Kenney, Mike Sexton, Brian Rast, Chris Moneymaker, Maria Ho, Joe Cada, Freddy Deeb, and many more.
From: Long Island, New York
Lives: Los Angeles, California
Live Tournament Earnings: $163,650
David Tuchman has one of poker’s most well-known voices, having been in the commentator’s booth for some of the
biggest tournaments and cash games ever filmed. The New York-native got his start with Live At The Bike!, and then later Full
Tilt’s Million Dollar Cash Game. While living in London and covering the NFL and NASCAR for Sky Sports, Tuchman also spent time
with PokerStars for online and live events. In 2011, he began working with the World Series of Poker, and has continued to call
the action every summer since.
Before finding poker and his career in sports broadcasting, Tuchman was in Los Angeles to pursue his passion for acting. He
ultimately ended up with a few close calls, including a network TV series that wasn’t picked up, and a movie he was cut out of.
His IMDB page has half a dozen credits, including appearances on shows such as Beverly Hills 90210, Party Of Five, and Buffy The
Vampire Slayer.
Highlights from this interview include childhood nicknames, scoring five goals for grandma, pros and cons of college, wearing
many hats, being an extra for Pamela Anderson, close calls in Hollywood, why he had to miss his best friend’s wedding, get-
ting cut out of a George Clooney movie, shoving Jason Priestley, double pay on Buffy, lonely lunches with Jennifer Love Hewitt,
working for Sky Sports in London, calling the WSOP, the player who was banned from the broadcast booth, betting on elections,
Springsteen tattoos, Slapshot > Goon, from Corey Haim to Jim Carrey, and casting Shawshank: The Musical.
22 CARDPLAYER.COM FOLLOW US ON TWITTER CardPlayerMedia
022_Podcast_David Tuchman.indd 22 5/6/20 11:32 AMTHE INSIDE STRAIGHT
The Transcript Highlights
On Being Cut Out Of A George Clooney Movie
Julio Rodriguez: Let’s talk about your acting career.
David Tuchman: Acting career? Career is a very generous word.
JR: You have some credits here [on your IMDB page]. It may look like extra
work (as in an extra on set)…
DT: No, it wasn’t extra work. None of those credits you see are extra work.
I did extra work. In fact, my first extra job was…. Oh man… It was a Pamela
Anderson movie…
JR: Barbwire!
DT: Yes! You got it.
JR: My father took me to that… way too young. Do you remember what you
did in the movie?
DT: I walked onto an airplane. I guess it was an airplane. I’ve never seen the
movie.
JR: You’re not missing much.
DT: I was wearing a leather jacket.
JR: There’s a lot of leather in that movie.
DT: There you go. I saw Pamela Anderson. I saw the director, I saw the cam-
eras. I said, okay, this is kind of cool. I went out and did a couple student films.
I got an agent, a manager…
Another thing that’s not on the page is The Perfect Storm. They had an Air
Force base, there’s a whole coast guard scene. I filmed for a week up at Point
Mugu. They cut the entire thing, because the film was too long I guess.
I was really excited because it was George Clooney, and Mark Wahlberg, and
Wolfgang Petersen was the director. I couldn’t believe I got this part. I know it
was a small role, but I was going to be in the movie for about 40 seconds.
JR: You had lines.
DT: I had lines. We were fi lming for four or five days. My dad and my mom,
and all of their friends were going to be able to go to the movie and say, ‘Oh,
there’s David!’
JR: Did they at least tell you beforehand?
DT: They didn’t tell me, but I kind of knew. They called me up to make sure
they had the correct spelling of my name, and then I didn’t hear back from them
again… for a while. Then at the screening, the girl I was dating at the time said,
‘Oh, maybe you are still in it.’ And I said, ‘Nope. You see the guy who is dying
right now? My scene was with him.’
So I feel like I had some close calls. ♠
To listen to all Card Player Poker Stories Podcasts for free,
visit www.CardPlayer.com/link/podcast Catch up on previous
episodes and subscribe to have new episodes automatically
appear in your podcast app so you can listen on the go.
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022_Podcast_David Tuchman.indd 23 5/6/20 11:32 AMPLAYER_11_GlobalPoker_DT.indd 2 5/6/20 11:36 AM
PLAYER_11_GlobalPoker_DT.indd 3 5/6/20 11:36 AM
2020 WORLD SERIES OF POKER POSTPONED DUE
TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS
WSOP Organizers Hope To Reschedule For Fall, But No Dates Are Currently Confirmed
By Card Player News Team
The 2020 World Series of Poker has officially been post- On April 2, WSOP Vice President of Corporate
poned. On Monday, April 20 the WSOP released a statement Communications Seth Palansky told Card Player that a deci-
announcing that the 51st annual running of the world’s largest sion was not likely to be made until May, with organizers want-
poker series has been pushed back indefinitely due to the global ing as much time as possible to gather information before mak-
COVID-19 outbreak. ing a decision. Palansky was among the roughly 90 percent of
In the release, the event’s organizers indicated that they are Caesars employees put on furlough that same week.
targeting a move to the fall of 2020 for the series, but no exact “The only factors that matter for the WSOP, for it to be held
dates have been determined. The WSOP did stipulate that the as planned, is the health and safety of guests and staff,” said
rescheduled WSOP will include the $10,000 buy-in no-limit Palansky at the time. “If we can’t host an event as we have in
hold’em main event world championship. the past 50 years in Las Vegas, where everyone can participate
Last year, a total of 187,298 entries were made at the WSOP, safely and without risk, we won’t.”
with players from over 100 different countries participating. Palansky went on to underline that the WSOP would rely
The massive turnout resulted in a record $293,183,345 in prize on the health experts and government leaders for guidance.
money being awarded. Despite his assertion that the decision would likely not be made
Since first being held in 1971, the WSOP has exclusively until May, the move to postpone was ultimately made just over
kicked off in the late spring and early summer. If the series is two weeks later. As a result, the eight-week extravaganza that
indeed rescheduled for this autumn, it would mark the first the entire poker world builds its annual calendar around has
time in the event’s history that it started so late in the year. The now been replaced with a WSOP-sized hole.
original schedule announced for this year’s WSOP called for A Black Hole In The Summer Schedule
a record 101 gold bracelets to be awarded, but all indications “The WSOP is an important part of the poker landscape
point to an altered and likely decreased slate of events if and and the summers in Vegas are a big part of a lot of professional
when play gets underway. and amateur players’ lives,” World Poker Tour Executive Tour
“We are committed to running the WSOP this year but Director and Tournament Directors Association co-founder
need additional time to proceed on our traditional scale while Matt Savage told Card Player after the news broke. “Even
prioritizing guest and staff well-being,” said WSOP Executive though we knew it was coming, it still kind of sinks your heart
Director Ty Stewart in the release. when you hear that they are moving [the series] and people
Many around the industry displayed skepticism about the won’t be coming to Las Vegas this summer.”
series’ chances of taking place in Las Vegas. Well-known poker The postponement of the WSOP will have a lasting impact
personalities like Doug Polk and Mike McDonald were offer- throughout the poker industry, with its effects being felt by
ing public wagers betting against a summer series as far back as players, dealers, casino operators, competing poker tours,
February. As more and more marquee sporting events, music online poker sites, and many others.
festivals, and other large gatherings were steadily canceled and “We employ over 2,000 people at the Series,” said Palansky
postponed around the globe in March and early April, the when asked about how postponement or cancellation of the
likelihood of the WSOP going ahead as planned diminished. WSOP could economically impact workers. “Obviously a big
Last year, a total of 187,298 entries were made at the WSOP,
with players from over 100 different countries participating.
26 CARDPLAYER.COM FOLLOW US ON TWITTER CardPlayerMedia
026_CoverStory.indd 26 5/7/20 9:27 AM“We are committed to running the
WSOP this year but need additional
time to proceed on our traditional
scale while prioritizing guest and
staff well-being,”
- WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart
chunk of those are the dealers the players see on the front lines expanded series of tournaments to be played on WSOP.com
there, but there’s a whole host of other people. So ultimately, and through partnerships with international operators, which
look, there are potentially huge financial ramifications, but will allow players to chase WSOP glory from their homes,” said
we’re in the people business and we’ve all come to look at the Stewart in the press release.
WSOP as a summer camp where we all get together once a year A WSOP Circuit online series was announced just days after
and have a good time and make memories and share in our the initial wave of live poker series cancellations began, serving
passion and love for the game of poker.” players in the states of Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware.
In addition to the players and the workers directly employed The WSOP.com Super Circuit Series awarded 18 WSOPC gold
by the WSOP each summer, there is another group of work- rings from March 14-31. The series featured $1.24 million in
ers who rely on the WSOP as a crucial gig each year, which total guarantees, but more than $3.9 million in prize money
includes tournament reporters, photographers, and other mem- was ultimately paid out. An international version of the online
bers of the poker media. One media organization impacted WSOPC is also set to take place on the global-facing GGPoker
by the postponement is the digital video subscription service Network in May with $100 million guaranteed overall.
PokerGO. The service has provided live streaming coverage of Other tours and series have also made the move to online
final-table action from hundreds of WSOP events since 2017. in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Irish Poker Open
PokerGo has also worked in conjunction with ESPN to provide and the Poker Masters high-roller series both transitioned
same-day coverage of the largest poker tournament of the year, from live events to online, with both series taking place on
the WSOP main event. partypoker and utilizing the real names of the competitors.
“PokerGO’s programming includes coverage of the biggest The World Poker Tour announced the first-ever WPT Online
tournaments and live poker events around the world, and we Series running from May 3-19 on partypoker, with a $5 million
always look forward to the WSOP. We’re looking forward to guaranteed main event being the centerpiece of the schedule.
bringing the WSOP tournament to our fans in the fall,” said “The WPT is very excited to be a part of partnering with
PokerGO Chief Business Officer J.R. McCabe in a statement partypoker. It’s going to be our first champion to have their
to Card Player. name added to the WPT Champions Cup in an online event,”
The streaming service has launched several new series since said Savage. “I think it’s going to be a massive success and we’ll
the live poker hiatus began, which join their existing original see how this goes, but there is obviously a big chance that we
programming offered alongside coverage of live poker events. will do more with them.”
Since the shutdown began, PokerGo moved several of its Online poker traffic is up all across the board, with record
popular live high roller tournament series to the online realm. numbers on both American and international sites. PokerStars
The Poker Masters Online series more than doubled its guaran- recently hosted its largest-ever tournament, with 93,016 players
tees, awarding more than $35.4 million across 30 events. As entering the Sunday Million to create an $18.6 million prize
a result of that online festival’s success, PokerGo has decided pool. Online poker operators in New Jersey reported their
to also host the 2020 Super High Roller Bowl online, running single highest monthly earnings number in March. WSOP.com
from May 23 - June 1 with a $100,000 marquee high roller in Nevada saw an increase of 46 percent over the annual peak
event. during the summer, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“We knew we had to continue the momentum with an Sites around the world have responded by increasing their
online Super High Roller Bowl series in lieu of a live tournament tournament guarantees. Global Poker has seen its registered
this year,” said McCabe. player base grow to over 1 million. The site’s Sunday Scrimmage
With the series out of the picture for the summer, what will had featured a guaranteed prize pool of SC 50,000 prior to
be taking its place for players, workers, and fans? That question the shutdown but has since increased the guarantee up to
will remain largely unanswered, as much of the world remains SC 200,000 by mid-April. Global Poker even ran a special
in various states of shutdown due to the ongoing coronavirus SC 500,000 guaranteed edition of the tournament on April
pandemic. 26, and crushed the guarantee by more than six figures.
Online Poker Flourishes During Social Distancing BetOnline has also increased the guarantee on their big Sunday
One sector of the poker world that has certainly seen an event recently, up to $250,000 from $150,000, and Americas
increase in prominence is online poker. In fact, the WSOP’s Cardroom is gearing up for a massive $7 million guaranteed
announcement also included preliminary info about possible Venom tournament in July, after scheduling 15 separate $1
online poker events to be held during the now-open summer million events in May.
months. Will Other Live Tournament Series Fill the Void This Summer?
“Official WSOP competitions are expected to be played While the tournaments at the WSOP are the epicenter of the
online this summer, and we will soon announce details of an poker world for the summer, there are a handful of other sizable
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