Tag Archives: cards

Hellmuth Early Favorite Against Negreanu, If Match Takes Place

Phil Hellmuth is the early favorite in what could be an epic heads-up poker match against Daniel Negreanu, assuming they actually play. But neither player has yet to agree to the match.

Will Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu actually play heads-up? (Image: assopoker.com)

Negreanu recently finished off a losing heads-up battle against Doug Polk in which he dumped $1.2 million to his long-time rival. But he showed off some surprising heads-up skills against arguably the best heads-up player ever. He was more competitive than many expected.

Hellmuth, however, wasn’t so impressed with the GGPoker ambassador’s game. He criticized the strategy implemented by Negreanu’s coaches. After hearing the critical comments, Negreanu offered up a challenge to the 15-time WSOP bracelet winner.

Hellmuth, Ivey, Dwan Highlight Throwback-Style ‘High Stakes Poker’ Episode

Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, and Phil Hellmuth were all seated at the table on the latest episode of High Stakes Poker on the PokerGo app. The episode — #9 of Season 8 — was released on Wednesday and gave younger viewers a glimpse of what the show was like during the poker boom era when it aired on Game Show Network.

Tom Dwan always seems to run hot on High Stakes Poker. (Image: Poker Central)

High Stakes Poker first launched in 2006 with Gabe Kaplan and AJ Benza handling the commentary duties. The show ran on Game Show Network  until 2011, just after Black Friday. Poker Central, via its PokerGo app, rebooted the show in December 2020 for the first time in nearly a decade.

Thus far, PokerGo has released nine episodes and the most recent one was the most intriguing, at least for the old-school poker fans. Three of the biggest poker boom era stars — Ivey, Dwan, and Hellmuth — appeared. Chamath Palihapitiya, a venture capitalist worth more than $1 billion, also took a seat at the table, as did high-stakes regular Brandon Adams, an economics professor from Harvard.

Landon Tice Putting ‘Very Large Amount’ of Net Worth On the Line vs. Bill Perkins

Landon Tice admitted he’ll be selling action for his upcoming heads-up no-limit hold’em match against hedge fund manager Bill Perkins. But he also told his Twitter followers that he’ll still have plenty of skin in the game.

Landon Tice is taking a big risk against Bill Perkins. But he certainly doesn’t lack the confidence to win. (Image: seminolehardrockpokeropen.com)

The proposed match, which both parties have tentatively agreed to, calls for 20,000 hands at $200/$400 stakes. Those are the same stakes played in the recently completed Daniel Negreanu vs. Doug Polk match. In that competition, which spanned 25,000 hands, Polk won $1.2 million.

During that challenge, Negreanu lost an average of $48 per hand dealt. In the proposed Perkins vs. Tice match, if the losing player loses at the same rate, that individual would end up down $960,000. With that said, these are two different players and we won’t know the win/loss rates in the match until they actually play. But Tice, who is just 21 years old, doesn’t have the bankroll to risk losing that much of his money.

Dutch Poker Players Catch Tax Break Worth Millions

Dutch poker players are due rebates worth millions thanks to a recent decision by the national Tax and Customs Administration.

Dutch poker pros like Lex Veldhuis have caught a lucky tax break thanks to a recent ruling. (Image: Twitter/Lex Veldhuis)

Dutch news site CasinoNieuws broke the story last week that a long-running battle between players and the tax authority has come to an end.

Local pros have been fighting to overturn tax demands on money won on PokerStars.eu. With the help of lawyer and poker enthusiast Pepijn Le Heux, the players have triumphed.

Las Vegas Poker Rooms Can Increase Capacity, Still Limited Seating

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak is permitting Las Vegas poker rooms and other businesses to soon significantly increase capacity, up from 25 percent. But seating remains well below the maximum capacity allowed by fire code at each business.

Plexiglass dividers will remain at the poker tables in Las Vegas for quite some time likely. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Sisolak, a Democratic politician, dropped room capacity in restaurants, casinos, and other establishments to 25 percent a few months back. This forced the card rooms to limit seating significantly, causing lengthy wait lists for cash games at certain properties.

The governor spoke on Thursday afternoon, and gave some good news to certain Nevada businesses. That includes Las Vegas poker rooms, of which there are 20 currently open (31 prior to the global health pandemic). Per the governor’s new restrictions, gaming floors can operate at 50 percent of the maximum allowable capacity, beginning next Monday.

GGPoker Gets Licensed in Pennsylvania but Won’t Reveal Its Hand Just Yet

GGPoker may be on its way to the US thanks to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). In a meeting on February 10, the poker site’s parent company was awarded state license.

GGPoker Pennsylvania moved a step closer to becoming a reality after its parent company received a state license. (Image: Facebook/Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)

However, despite the excitement, GGPoker Pennsylvania is still a way off. In a statement to CardsChat, press officer Paul Burke said the company isn’t ready to show its cards just yet.

As per PGCB the meeting, NSUS Ltd, the company that owns GGPoker, was granted a license. This license allows it to provide poker and casino technology in the Keystone State.

Iconic Strip Club Owner, Poker Room Operator, Larry Flynt Dead at 78

Larry Flynt, the owner of two Los Angeles poker rooms, a nudie mag, and Las Vegas strip clubs, passed away on Wednesday at age 78. The founder of “Hustler” magazine’s exact cause of death was not disclosed publicly. He passed away at his Hollywood Hills home in Southern California.

Larry Flynt led quite a controversial life, but always stood behind his beliefs. (Image: New York Post)

Flynt is most known around the world as a free speech loving porn peddler who survived a murder attempt in 1978, but was paralyzed from the neck down for life. He was shot in Lawrenceville, Georgia as he walked down the street with his lawyer following a court case.

The incident not only left him partially paralyzed, he suffered excruciating pain for the rest of his life. That caused to become addicted to painkillers. Joseph Paul Franklin, a white supremacist, admitted to the shooting years later. His issue, he claims, was Flynt displaying an interracial couple in “Hustler,” an adult magazine.

A Match for the Ages: Negreanu Challenges Hellmuth to Heads-Up Duel

Daniel Negreanu already appears to have his next heads-up poker opponent in mind, and it’s none other than Phil Hellmuth, who was critical of “DNegs’” play against Doug Polk.

Will Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth face off on the felt in a winner-take-all heads-up match? Don’t bet on it. (Image: pokerscout.com)

Negreanu lost $1.2 million to Polk over 25,000 hands of $200/$400 No-Limit Hold’em on WSOP.com. He wasn’t expected to win, so it didn’t come as a surprise to many. The GGPoker ambassador entered the match as more than a 4-1 underdog.

Despite virtually every poker expert expecting a Polk victory, Hellmuth ripped into his fellow Poker Hall of Famer’s play on the new PokerGo show, No Gamble No Future.

PokerStars Michigan Strikes Hard and Fast with $1 Million COOP Festival

PokerStars Michigan is laying down a marker in the Wolverine State with the first in what’s likely to be a string of big-money festivals.

PokerStars Michigan is striking hard and fast with a $1 million guaranteed festival known as MICOOP. (Image: MelissaMN/Adobe Stock)

Just 12 days after launching in Michigan, PokerStars is setting the bar high with one of its famous COOP events.

The inaugural Michigan Championship of Online Poker (MICOOP) will get underway on February 20 and feature a $1 million guaranteed prizepool.

Sorry, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey is the Poker Player Who Best Compares to Tom Brady

No disrespect to Phil Hellmuth, a true poker legend, but it’s actually Phil Ivey who best compares to NFL superstar Tom Brady. Poker fans on social media recently spread a meme comparing the “Poker Brat” to the Super Bowl winning quarterback. Although debated in good fun, the creator of the meme got the wrong Phil.

Phil Ivey is poker’s biggest superstar, and has been for many years. (Image: CardsChat News)

Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-9 beatdown of the favored defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. In doing so, the former New England Patriots quarterback won his record sixth NFL title. Even at age 43, he’s still unstoppable and most football fans consider him the best QB ever.

Hellmuth can certainly make some comparisons to the future Pro Football Hall of Famer. Like Brady, the 15-time WSOP champion has a record for most titles, his being in World Series of Poker events. And he’s won bracelets in multiple decades, much like Brady’s Super Bowl rings have been spread out over nearly a 20-year period. But that’s where the real comparisons end, despite what you read on the following meme.

Kindred Group to Cut Problem Gambling Profits in Bold New Move

Kindred, the company behind Unibet Poker, doesn’t want money from gambling addicts. The revelation comes at a time the UKGC is pushing responsible gambling harder than ever.

Unibet Poker’s parent company, the Kindred Group, wants to eradicate revenue from problem gambling by 2023. (Image: Pipit Global)

In an announcement published on February 7, Kindred Group bosses said they want to cut out all revenue derived from problem gambling by 2023.

As such, its financial reports will now highlight “revenue derived from high-risk players” that display harmful gambling habits.

British Pros Cry Foul amid GGPoker Account Closure Dispute

A social media storm has been raging recently between GGPoker and several UK-based poker pros who believe their accounts have been closed unfairly.

A small number of British players, including Andy Wool (left), are concerned that GGPoker is using UKGC regulations to shut down pros. (Image: Twitter/dawhiteninja)

The dark clouds began gathering last at the end of February when British pro Andy Wool, aka dawhiteninja, posted what he described as a “warning” on Twitter.

In his words, a request to increase his deposit limit resulted in GGPoker permanently closing his account. Other pros, including Phil Galfond, were quick to rally around Wool, but that wasn’t the end of the story.

Loss Leaders: Learning to Lose in Poker can Make You Money in the Long Run

Poker players are losers. Each and every one of us. Every session. Yes, you too!

Think I’m wrong? Do the math.

Sometimes turning a loss into a win is easier said than done. (Image: Jamie Squire/Getty)

Look at your own experience the last time you played. You were probably dealt 30 or so hands an hour. If you’re even reasonably good, you discarded most of them before the flop. Of the ones you played, you folded at least a few on the flop or turn. If the hand went to showdown, you lost some and you won some. Add them all up, and you surely lost many more hands than you won.

‘Mattress Mack,’ Famous Houston Businessman, Wins $3.46 Million on Super Bowl Bet

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale put Doug Polk’s $1.2 million win over Daniel Negreanu to shame. The Houston businessman who famously places massive wagers on big sporting events, collected $3.46 million for his bet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to beat the 3.5-point spread in the Super Bowl.

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale posted yet another massive sports betting win. (Image: chron.com)

McIngvale is the founder and owner of the Gallery Furniture, a Houston-based furniture retail chain. The 69-year-old wealthy owner still works in the store he originally built, greeting customers daily.

He loves to work as much as he loves sports and gambling. The businessman is famous for placing huge wagers on major sporting events. In 2017, he made one of the craziest wagers ever, except it wasn’t at a sportsbook.

WSOP.com Pennsylvania Set to Launch in Time for 2021 Summer Series

Pennsylvanians may be able to play for WSOP bracelets online this summer, according to Vice President of 888 Holdings Yaniv Sherman.

WSOP.com is getting ready to go live in Pennsylvania and offer online bracelet events this summer. (Image: WSOP)

As the official online partner of Caesars Entertainment, 888 is responsible for powering WSOP.com’s US platforms. With sites already active in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware, Sherman wants to add Pennsylvania.

Speaking to Pokerfuse, the 888 executive said WSOP.com PA should go live in the first half of 2021. If all goes to plan, he wants online bracelet events to be available in the Keystone State this summer.

Landon Tice vs. Bill Perkins the Next Big Heads-Up Match in Poker?

Landon Tice and Bill Perkins agreed to a high-stakes heads-up poker match on Twitter, and it appears they aren’t just messing around. Whether or not they’ll actually go through with it, however, is another issue.

Will Landon Tice actually face Bill Perkins? (Image: Reddit)

With the Doug Polk vs. Daniel Negreanu and Galfond Challenge matches out of the way after three months of exciting action, poker is in search of its next heads-up battle.

Polk and Negreanu drew 10,000 or more viewers for nearly all of the 36 sessions they played. The match lasted nearly three months, and Polk won it by $1.2 million. It quickly became the talk of the poker community, and poker fans remained interested throughout.

Polk vs. Negreanu Challenge Recap: What You Missed if You Were One of the Few Who Didn’t Watch

Doug Polk and Daniel Negreanu finally wrapped a lengthy heads-up poker challenge, so let’s take a look back at all the action from start to finish.

Polk vs. Negreanu was more competitive than the final score indicated. (Image: Poker Central)

The poker pros played exactly 25,000 hands of $200/$400 heads-up no-limit hold’em on WSOP.com. They began the match in early November and concluded it this past Wednesday. In the end, Polk finished with a $1.2 million profit, right at 30 buy-ins.

The win was quite convincing and left little doubt as to who the better heads-up player is. Granted, nearly everyone expected Polk to coast to victory given his heads-up experience. But despite the seven-figure loss, Negreanu was actually more competitive than you may have anticipated.

Andy Bloch: More Could Die from Super Bowl Parties in Vegas than 2017 Mass Shooting

Former Full Tilt pro Andy Bloch made a concerned prediction about the danger of Super Bowl gatherings during a health pandemic. He went so far as to say there’s a good chance the NFL’s championship game watch parties in Las Vegas could cause more deaths than the October 1, 2017 mass shooting.

Andy Bloch is concerned with the dangers of hosting Super Bowl parties during a pandemic. (Image: realtor.com)

Stephen Paddock, a video poker player from Mesquite, Nevada, committed one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history more than four years ago. He shot dead more than 60 country music concertgoers, injuring hundreds more, across from the Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas Strip.

Bloch, however, is concerned that even more will die this weekend due to large gatherings. The Super Bowl attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Many come to wager on the game and attend parties or hangout at the various sportsbooks around town.

CardsChat Presents: Big Winners of the Week

The Polk/Negreanu dustup is done, an unregulated online tournament pays the winner more than a million bucks, live tournament poker is back in Vegas at the Venetian, and Michigan becomes the latest state to go fully legal. It’s a wild-wild mix of dramatic action, live and online, among amateurs and pros around the world (with Brazilians making a notable showing). Here’s who booked big victories in the game for the week ending Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021:

(Image: YouTube/DougPolkPoker)

Doug Polk

Heads-up NLH vs. Daniel Negreanu

Polk vs. Negreanu: The Rivalry Poker Always Needed; Will it Continue? (Op-Ed)

Doug Polk and Daniel Negreanu’s heads-up challenge is finished, but it would be great if this rivalry would continue in some fashion. The poker world hasn’t ever seen a rivalry this exciting, and it would be a shame if we never get to see these fierce competitors square off again.

Doug Polk and Daniel Negreanu have long been bitter rivals, and that’s good for poker. (Image: Poker Central)

Polk and Negreanu competed three times a week for three months straight. Despite playing so frequently, it’s clear the poker community never became bored of the challenge. Joey Ingram, Polk’s channel, and GGPoker each ran separate streams for all 36 sessions. They each had over 3,000 viewers almost every day. And then you throw in Matt Berkey’s stream and a few others, and there were more than 10,000 poker fans at all times watching.

The Galfond Challenge between Phil Galfond and Chance Kornuth, in comparison, only had a few hundred viewers during any given session. That isn’t a knock on the Galfond Challenge, and it’s a shame more poker fans didn’t follow the exciting back-and-forth match. But the battle between these two extremely talented pros lacked the drama that attracted so many, including myself, to the Polk-Negreanu match.