Although the game of poker has experienced a steady downtrend in recent years, there are numerous current events that could greatly impact the American marketplace in 2018.

With that in mind, we have compiled 5 U.S. Poker Industry News Topics that will be of interest to American players throughout the country.

Poker Industry Update #5: Regulated New York Online Poker

There is developing news for regulated online poker in the Empire State. According to New York lawmaker Clyde Vanel, NY Assembly Bill 5250 has a “good shot” at being approved by the state legislature in 2018.

The proposed law would provide a “skill-based” carve out for the game of poker, and allow it to be offered for real money online by as many as 11 land-based New York casino license holders. NY A5250 would also define poker as a game that falls “outside the general definition of gambling,” while potentially blocking the world’s largest poker site (PokerStars) from entering the Empire State market altogether.

In a recent interview with Online Poker Report, State Assemblyman Vanel said that he will “whip the votes” between now and June 2018, and invites grassroots feedback from New York online poker players who would like to engage on the topic with their corresponding NY Assembly Members.

The constituent-lobbying approach is a departure from traditional consumer outreach that was once spearheaded by the Poker Players Alliance, and encourages poker activists in New York to communicate directly with lawmakers.

Those who would like to find out more about NY A5250 can do so by reading this New York Online Poker FAQs article courtesy of Part Time Poker.

Poker Industry Update #4: Live Poker Room Revenue Concerns

Live casinos in the northeastern United States are currently going through a transitional period of their own following a widespread gambling expansion enacted by Pennsylvania lawmakers. This along with a “manifest destiny” attitude toward casino proliferation by some proponents could result in a significant increase in brick & mortar gambling destinations throughout the surrounding region.

Commercial gambling establishments in the U.S. are facing stiff competition from tribal casinos (which are federally regulated organizations who then compact with statewide lawmakers). This and other factors have led two New York casinos to petition the government for financial assistance.

Existing pressures on land-based casinos in the northeastern U.S. could spell trouble for poker games at smaller venues, as peer-to-peer competition typically brings in far less revenue for operators compared to slot machine terminals and house-edge table game formats.

Full-time professional poker players who derive most of their income from live games are advised to evaluate Pennsylvania poker rooms and all land-based casinos on a case-by-case basis to remain informed on which venues offer the most recreational-friendly games and advantageous rewards mechanisms.

Poker Industry Update #3: Is Poker Destined for a Comeback?

Mason Malmuth with Doug Polk (Upswing Poker WSOP Party)

There’s been some interesting news in 2018 concerning a potential resurrection of poker on a global basis.

According to Two Plus Two Magazine publisher Mason Malmuth, improving economic factors worldwide might lead to a resurgence of the game we all love. “Games will get better and better” as a result, states Malmuth.

However, the 2+2 forum Top Dog also reminds readers that higher rake remains a concern. Poker sites aren’t the only operators who have been increasing the cost of poker. Rake caps for small stakes games in Sin City have gone up from $2 to $5 in many cases, and recreational players are often charged as much as $25/hour to enjoy poker in certain casinos outside of Las Vegas, reminds the former U.S. Census Bureau statistician.

Still, an improved economy does provide gamblers with more disposable income — so poker pros should be on the lookout for more profit-based opportunities as they arise.

Poker Industry Update #2: Legalized Sports Betting

What in the world would “legalized sports betting” have to do with the poker industry?

For one, industry stakeholders used to spend their Sunday nights/Monday mornings viewing online poker tournament final tables — but now that activity has been replaced by sleepless nights pondering when the United States Supreme Court will issue a ruling on PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) sports betting prohibitions.

And while it’s true that legalized sports wagers outside of Nevada would significantly impact the U.S. online gambling market, friction still remains among iGaming lobbyists and the American Gaming Association — despite the AGA having recently added The Stars Group, GVC Holdings and other online poker service providers to its Board roster.

Making real money wagers on sports is a gambling activity that isn’t shunned by poker players like traditional casino games sometimes are, but iGaming may be left holding the bag even if  the upcoming SCOTUS ruling is favorable to legalized sports betting fans.

AGA remains “neutral” on online gambling but appears supportive of online sports betting (though preferably couched in the euphemism of “mobile” betting). Position is increasingly at odds with membership at large. https://t.co/OkyIpFPKzF

— Chris Grove (@OPReport) March 16, 2018

Poker Industry Update #1: Pennsylvania Online Poker Games

There’s extremely positive news on the horizon for online poker players in the Keystone State.

Online poker games in Pennsylvania are expected to “go live” in 2018. Several land-based casinos are preparing to partner-up with sites like PartyPoker, Betfair, 888 Poker and PokerStars to create a statewide market that could compact with New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware to form a combined player pool in four U.S. states.

Momentum for skill-based, competitive poker games exists both live and online, yet it will be up to operators to create an environment in which players are encouraged to participate in these games (as opposed to lottery-style gimmicks that have dominated the scene for years).

Our readers who would like to learn more about regulated online poker can check out our U.S. Online Poker Sites Guide here at Upswing Poker.

The post Poker Industry Update – United States appeared first on Upswing Poker.

This summer’s charity event is capped at 48 players. The tournament has historically attracted supporters of former fire-eating street performer and Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberté. The Canadian billionaire formed the One Drop Foundation in 2007, and the non-profit organization has several ongoing projects that focus on safe water initiatives.

The entry fee breakdown will include a $920,000 prize pool buy-in plus an $80,000 donation that is provided by each player as proceeds towards One Drop initiatives.

WSOP parent company Caesars Entertainment will also be providing all 2018 Big One for One Drop entrants with membership into the top-tier of its Total Rewards® player benefits program, called “Seven Stars.”

2018 will mark the third time the “Big One for One Drop” has been held in Las Vegas (a similar €1 million buy-in event was held in Monte Carlo back in 2016, but that tournament was private and prohibited many professional players from participating).

Following is a look at the Big One for One Drop tournament’s history. 

Big One For One Drop 2012

The partnership between Guy Laliberté and WSOP parent company Caesar’s Entertainment began in 2011, with the inaugural Big One for One Drop event making its debut in July 2012.

Antonio Esfandiari (known to poker fans by his nickname “The Magician”) took down the tournament for a record cash prize of $18,346,673 after defeating current partypoker sponsored player Sam Trickett, who placed second for $10,112,001.

At the time, Esfandiari’s victory propelled him to #1 on the all-time live poker tournament cash prize list, a spot currently held by PokerStars sponsored pro Daniel Negreanu.

Big One For One Drop 2014

In late June of 2014, the Big One for One Drop returned to Las Vegas amid controversy, the event’s organizer Guy Laliberté claimed to have been victimized by collusion practices on Full Tilt Poker less than a month before the World Series of Poker was scheduled to begin. 

A separate controversy arose once Daniel Colman bested Negreanu to take down the $15,306,668 first place prize, then promptly exited the tournament area — foregoing post-victory media interviews. Colman would later reveal to Poker Life Podcast host Joey Ingram that he simply experienced an adrenaline dump immediately upon realizing he had just witnessed what could very well be the biggest poker moment of his career.

Big One For One Drop 2018

Nearly four years have passed since then, and the 2018 Big One for One Drop promised to be one of the biggest prize pool poker tournaments in 2018.

And, in fact, it was. Justin Bonomo took down top honors, winning a whopping $10 million.

Players and fans of the World Series of Poker can check out this year’s full schedule at the WSOP’s official website.

The post Big One for One Drop at the WSOP | History of the $1,000,000 Buy-In Tournament appeared first on Upswing Poker.

In an official blog communication, Director of Poker Innovation and Operations Séverin Rasset justified the latest PokerStars rake increases through the need for “maximum flexibility and agility” as the online gambling conglomerate faces regulatory challenges in various jurisdictions throughout the world.

Old Pricing Structure: $11 MTT = $10 prize pool buy-in + $1 rake (10% rake)
Flexible & Agile Pricing Structure: $11 MTT = $9.80 prize pool buy-in + $1.20 rake (12.24% rake)

The price adjustments reflect The Stars Group‘s ongoing commitment to charging online poker players higher fees to enjoy traditional, competitive forms of real money poker on the internet.

The increases also mean that PokerStars’ popular low-stakes MTT games have become significantly more expensive than similar tournaments made available by competitors Partypoker and 888 Poker, which continue to offer $10+$1 rates for comparable online events.  

Joey Ingram Explains PokerStars Rake Hike

Poker Life Podcast host Joey Ingram took to the YouTube airways to communicate the “innovative” PokerStars rake changes that will largely affect micro-to-small stakes tournament players on the site.

“They’ve decided to protect the recreational player even further,” Ingram told his audience — a sarcastic reference to past rake increases and/or rewards reductions that the company has presented as measures to protect casual players from online poker professionals.

Ingram, a live poker commentary talent who enjoys playing The Great Game of Pot Limit Omaha, called-out sponsored PokerStars live streamers who promote the site for not providing their respective audiences with sufficient notice of the changes.

“If you’re out there wondering why have you not heard about this, I think that’s a great question,” offered the former American Poker Awards Podcast of the Year trophy recipient. “I have not seen any of the ‘influencers’ on PokerStars talk about this yet publicly.”

Joey Ingram would go on to say, “I don’t know if they’re sending out messages to people letting them know about this rake increase. Maybe they just don’t think people care, right? I think the only thing I’ve heard is Daniel Negreanu laughing about it on Poker After Dark.”

John Duthie Exposes PokerStars Massage Rake

In a separate Twitter communication by The Stars Group VP of Corporate Communications Eric Hollreiser, it was confirmed that the world’s largest poker site extracts additional value from massage therapists who labor at sponsored European Poker Tour events.

The news was brought to light by EPT founder and former PokerStars executive John Duthie, who now represents the rival Partypoker LIVE event brand as its president.

C’mon John, you were at Stars when the contract was done and know full well we don’t take 50% or anything close

— Eric Hollreiser (@erichollreiser) March 18, 2018

PokerStars did not reveal the precise amount it charges contracted talent for the privilege of working on behalf of poker players who attend EPT tournaments.

You should not be taking a penny!!!

— John Duthie (@JohnnyDuthie) March 19, 2018

Followers of Joey Ingram’s Twitter account were quick to pick up on the irony of the world’s largest poker site continuing to justify more expensive fees as a means to “protect” those who choose to participate in official sponsored events through their poker play or labor.

It's better for the masseuse to make less, it protects them from retirement

— Ryne Rindfleisch PMP (@RynePMP) March 20, 2018

* Read more about TSG Massage Therapist Vig here.

UKGC “Player Protection” Regulatory Initiatives

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) has released proposed revisions to online gambling licensing codes that provide stringent consumer protections for all who participate in real money online poker or casino games within that jurisdiction.

The 34-page document highlights three major points in its Executive Summary:

• Stricter controls on misleading advertising and marketing
• Promotions and bonus terms must abide by “consumer protection legislation”
• 8-week time limit for operators to resolve customer complaints and disputes

The regulatory proposals, combined with a high profile UKGC crackdown on internet gambling operators — which holds gambling sites explicitly liable for in-house along with associated talent and affiliate-generated marketing content — significantly increases protections for online gamblers in the UK.

Furthermore, existing Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) guidelines appear to define false advertising tactics, such as those employed by PokerStars (see: VIP Club Removal), as non-compliant  — while also stipulating that operators must adequately communicate the terms of rewards, bonuses and related material promotions to all iGaming consumers.

Gambling sites and their affiliates are under immense pressure as a result of the new UK regulations, and must seemingly adjust to a reality in which all patrons (regardless of skill level or withdrawing tendencies) are equally considered to be “consumers” to online gambling operators.

UK restrictions on misleading advertising and marketing could be viewed as favorable regulation for both professional and casual poker players who have long borne the brunt of PokerStars chagrin related to real money, skill-based peer-to-peer gameplay that online gambling consumers are charged to participate in.

Online poker players — especially those who reside in the United Kingdom — could improve their knowledge of consumer protections by becoming familiar with official iGaming regulation/legislation literature cited above, and sharing it with those who wish to engage on the topic.

In the meantime, the new PokerStars rake increases for small stakes events will undoubtedly have a negative material effect on poker players of all skill levels who compete in those tournaments on the world’s largest poker site.

Read More Info on PokerStars Rake

PokerStars Rewards Price Hike (Jun 28, 2017)
PokerStars Partially Unveils Cashback Rewards Changes (Nov 14, 2016)
Doug Polk PokerStars Nightmare (Jul 31, 2017)

The post PokerStars Rake Changes Explained by Award Winning Personality appeared first on Upswing Poker.

The Keystone State represents one of the largest land-based casino markets in North America since it authorized real money gambling over a decade ago. And with online poker coming to PA by early 2019 (thanks to an October 2017 gambling expansion law signed by Gov. Tom Wolf), Pennsylvania will soon be the fourth U.S. jurisdiction to offer regulated online poker.

Following is a look at the top 5 Pennsylvania poker rooms along with a brief tie-in to upcoming online poker games in the Keystone State.

1. Parx Poker Room (Bensalem)

2999 Street Rd. — Bensalem, PA — TEL: (888) 588-7279

Located just outside Philadelphia, Parx Casino hosts the largest of all Pennsylvania live poker rooms with a total of 48 poker tables dedicated to the game enjoyed by millions around the world. This makes it ideal for hosting small-to-mid stakes tournaments that take place daily (buy-ins typically range from $300 to $500 during the week, with $1,500-$2,500 MTTs on the weekends).

Parx Poker Room’s cash games consist mainly of No Limit Hold’em with a slight blend of Pot Limit Omaha and Mixed Games. Max buy-ins for competitive players generally top out between 150 and 200 Big Blinds. However, some low-stakes PLO games allow players to buy-in for 400 Big Blinds, with a few of the high stakes cash games having no max buy-in at all. 

2. Rivers Poker Room (Pittsburgh)

777 Casino Dr. — Pittsburgh, PA — TEL: (877) 558-0777

In early 2017, Rivers Pittsburgh hosted perhaps the largest beatdown of heads-up No Limit Hold’em pros ever witnessed, when Carnegie Mellon University poker bot Libratus soundly defeated Jason Les, Dong Kim, Daniel McAulay and Jimmy Chou.

With a total of 30 poker tables, Rivers offers a standard mix of live poker games while entertaining fans during its Poker Night in America broadcasts — televised by Rivers’ parent company Rush Street Gaming.

Rivers offers daily MTTs with low buy-ins typically ranging between $50 and $100, although entry fees are usually bumped up to around $300 on the weekends.

3. SugarHouse Poker Room (Philadelphia)

1080 N. Delaware Ave. — Philadelphia, PA — TEL: (267) 232-2000

SugarHouse Casino holds a special place in the hearts of Upswing Poker fans, as it was the site of Doug Polk’s PNIA debut (March 2017) when he bested 14-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth in a huge cash game pot before taking home another $25,000 in a “coin flip” against Chicago businessman Jeremy Kaufman.

SugarHouse is also among the largest Pennsylvania poker rooms with a total of 28 poker tables. Daily MTTs are generally in the low buy-in range of $45 to $100, although some seasonal events boast guarantees with a larger buy-in of $150 to $200. The poker room releases monthly tournament calendars on its official website.

4. Wind Creek Poker Room (Bethlehem), Formerly the Sands Poker Room

77 Sands Blvd. — Bethlehem, PA — TEL: (877) 726-3777

Any property with the name Sheldon Adelson attached to it has historically been a controversial topic for poker players in the United States, as the casino magnate’s properties — along with their owner — have been steadfast in their opposition to regulated online poker in America. Luckily, Sheldon is no longer attached since the Sands was sold and rebranded Wind Creek.

However, Sands Casino Bethlehem is tied for the second largest Pennsylvania poker room with 30 poker tables… plus, there is a change in ownership in the works as the Alabama-based Poarch Band of Creek Indians purchased the Bethlehem casino for $1.3 billion USD in March 2018.

Sands Pennsylvania holds tournaments on a daily basis with buy-ins between $100 and $250, which is a slightly more worthwhile entry point for profitable players when compared to smaller PA poker rooms.

However, cash games are not that popular at Sands Monday-thru-Friday. A mid-week check of “Current Games” will typically show only low stakes games with a $1/$2 blind structure, with perhaps a dozen total players in the Sands PA poker room.

5. Harrah’s Poker Room (Chester)

777 Harrah’s Blvd. — Chester, PA — TEL: (800) 480-8020

Harrah’s Casino in PA is located on the outskirts of Philadelphia and houses 28 poker tables. Harrah’s also forms part of the Caesars Entertainment casino empire which operates the world famous WSOP brand.

Unfortunately the official website’s tournament calendar was unavailable when we checked, but Harrah’s Philadelphia does host cash games with stakes as high as $5/$10 for No Limit Hold’em.

As with all Pennsylvania poker rooms, we recommend that players in the area phone-ahead to the poker rooms of their choice to inquire about game offerings on a particular date.

Below is a list of smaller Pennsylvania live poker rooms. As of March 2018, only ten brick & mortar casinos in the Keystone State offer poker.

6. Mohegan Sun Poker Room: 18 Tables (Wilkes-Barre, PA) 
7. Hollywood Poker Room: 17 Tables (Grantville, PA)
8. The Meadows Poker Room: 14 Tables (Washington, PA)
9. Mount Airy Poker Room: 9 Tables (Mount Pocono, PA)
10. Presque Isle Poker Room: 7 Tables (Erie, PA)

Pennsylvania Poker Online Update

The latest news from Pennsylvania concerning real money online poker games is that regulators will begin accepting applications for iGaming licenses beginning in April 2018. 

Most media analysts have determined that Pennsylvania online poker games should be available by early 2019, if not later this year.

If you would like more detailed information on the current Pennsylvania iGaming landscape, read our U.S. Online Poker Sites Legislation article from February 2018.

NOTE: For official revenue data relating to Pennsylvania live poker rooms, our readers should visit the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board website. The PGCB is the regulatory body that governs both land-based and online casinos in the Keystone State.

The post Top 5 Pennsylvania Poker Rooms for Cash Games & Tournaments appeared first on Upswing Poker.

Major topics include PokerStars’ treatment of its real money players, the ongoing late-reg “soup line” cheating exploit on Americas Cardroom, and of course — the world’s highest profile MTT pro — Daniel Negreanu.

Doug put the headline PokerStars Team Pro on FULL BLAST, and called out the $36 million live poker tournament cash prize recipient for a number of comments related to a lack of security at the world’s largest poker site along with the upcoming 4th Annual American Poker Awards.

96 people already voted for the 4th Nomination Panel of the @GPI American Poker Awards. Some big surprises and solid choices. I cannot wait to get all the shit for it.

— Alexandre Dreyfus (@alex_dreyfus) February 6, 2018

Our readers are invited to watch the February 8th program in its entirety below. Timestamps have been provided for convenient reference.

(0:00) Intro, Polk & Papi reunite for “Emergency Podcast”
(0:59) POLKER RANT: PokerStars’ 2015 Supernova/SNE robbery of high volume players
(3:39) PokerStars monopoly, poker ecology, PokerNews (huge affiliate/news site) is owned by PokerStars
(5:06) Doug calls out Daniel Negreanu’s recent “long-haul” Twitter comment, old-school Joe Sebok UB shout-out
(7:28) Side-saddle reference, Joey summarizes conflicts of interest: PokerStars and content creators
(11:51) “Polker Integrity” w/Doug Polk — frustrations with poker industry reality
(13:52) Nice guys finish last? Buddha, moderation, meditation and Super Bowl LII story
(15:18) Doug’s 100-day “No Drinking” Challenge – the YouTube Crypto channel
(17:08) What can Doug & Joey do to help poker community? Drawing awareness to issues affecting all players.
(19:19) Joey’s recent video on Americas Cardroom (Winning Poker Network) cheating
(22:37) Poker community’s reaction to Joey’s ACR cheating allegations, ongoing player regulation
(25:00) Doug talks about ACR’s status as a “Black Market” offshore site for US players
(26:40) What steps should online poker sites be taking to curb collusion and prohibited software?
(28:20) GFY Belarus/Ukraine/Russia accounts?
(30:22) High stakes poker discussion, Poker Central/PokerGO paywall programming
(35:46) POLKER CENTRAL (support the cause) + BANG BANG to fine print contract clauses
(36:49) Televised poker programming marketing strategy comparison — Network TV still rules
(40:07) Doug Polk pimps PokerGO monthly subscription promo code
(40:55) Papi rants about Fernando “JNandez” Habegger
(44:23) Doug gives his thoughts on recent dispute/falling out with JNandez
(45:23) #FJim arrives in live chat, Joey’s boundless energy
(46:13) Daniel Negreanu “advocacy” & “influencer” discussion begins, DNegs’ lack of ownership disclosure
(48:13) Doug on DNegs’ role in poker, 2017 #MoreRakeIsBetter pillow talk and 2016 “Amazing Things” promise
(50:03) Doug says Negreanu is “petty,” a “massive hypocrite,” and an “embarrassment”
(50:44) Doug gives his view of Daniel Negreanu double-talk, Feb 8th Tweets about “influencers”
(52:06) Papi replies to Doug’s rant about Daniel Negreanu
(53:43) 4th Annual American Poker Awards: The definition of “Influencer”
(55:22) Papi confesses to Doug, gives shout-out to GPI/GPL/APA content manager Eric Danis
(56:48) Cary Katz “influencer” discussion
(58:59) Matt Savage “influencer” discussion
(1:00:03) More on American Poker Awards
(1:02:40) The 2018 Joey Poker Awards — ACR rumored to have strong participation — “Biggest Raked Game” trophy & more
(1:05:52) Former Amaya/The Stars Group CEO David Baazov (whose criminal defense continues to be funded by TSG)
(1:07:06) Conclusion of American Poker Awards discussion
(1:10:14) Doug asks Joey to give his thoughts on vlogging, talk about poker vlogs
(1:16:50) Blockchain technology and poker
(1:23:06) Joey spams a Phil Galfond/RIO reference, gets mute-hammered then changes his tune
(1:24:14) Poker training content, Upswing Poker courses, improving poker player base
(1:32:38) Doug talks about “under-bluffing” — shares story about Dong Kim
(1:35:00) Joey teases “MTT PRO” pursuit, Doug shoots on reality of poker tournaments
(1:38:49) Industry to Polker Player: GFY — Did PokerStars ruin Doug Polk’s “poker dream?”
(1:41:00) Shout-out to Brent Hanks and other high stakes game organizers
(1:41:48) Joey’s thoughts on attracting “fun” players
(1:43:17) Update on “3 NBA Players” podcast guest prop bet for $2,000 USD
(1:44:36) Final thoughts. How can Doug & Joey “influence” the poker world for the better?
(1:47:51) Outro, upcoming content – follow Joey & Doug on social media – @JoeIngram1 and @DougPolkPoker

Doug Publishes Update on YouTube Channel

On Monday, February 12th, Doug published a follow-up video on his YouTube channel that relates to his recent podcast with Joe Ingram (watch below).

We release new poker strategy articles twice per week here on Upswing. Sign up for our email list here to receive articles in your inbox whenever they go live (you’ll get some pre-flop charts as a bonus).

Alternatively, you can check for updates on our main blog page at www.UpswingPoker.com/blog.

(Note: Want to turn your poker hobby into a profitable side job? Start crushing your competition with expert strategies when you join the Upswing Lab. Learn more now!)

Read more Upswing Poker content from our contributors:

• Choosing The Best Poker Rooms to Maximize Winnings and Happiness
• 6 Tips for Cash Game Dominance by Doug Polk & Ryan Fee
• 5 Entertaining Tweets from “Texas Dolly” Doyle Brunson
• Cash Game Strategy Quiz – How Much Do You Really Know?

The post Doug Polk Gets Fired Up on Emergency Podcast with Joey Ingram appeared first on Upswing Poker.

Here is a Top 5 list of the Most Memorable Doug Polk Moments that took place this year.

 (#5) Record-Setting Partypoker Powerfest Victory for $271k

Doug continued to set poker streaming records in 2017. After reclaiming the title of Largest Twitch Poker Cash with a runner-up performance in the WCOOP High Roller event in September of last year, he then established the YouTube Poker Streaming Record on May 21st with a victory in the Partypoker Millions Powerfest online tournament for $271,272 USD.

We took it down for $272,000! Thanks to everyone for tuning in, couldn't be happier to win another tournament streaming!

— Doug Polk (@DougPolkPoker) May 22, 2017

The win was viewed live by more than 10,000 fans who watched the final table action while Doug’s 5% Giveaway went from negative numbers to five figures cash.

That poker session was especially satisfying because it came on the backdrop of Doug reaching 100,000 subscribers on YouTube — which the world’s second largest search engine recognized through its coveted Silver Play Button award.

(#4) Dan Polk Becomes Tabloid Phenomenon

Back in January, Doug released a YouTube video discussing Dan Bilzerian’s poker ability that went viral and eventually surpassed 1 million views.

The clip garnered so much attention that mass-media publications TheLADbible and Ask Men covered the story on their respective websites.

However, The Sun UK surprised everyone when they originally misprinted Doug’s first name, referring to him as Dan Polk. The moment was ironically captured live on the Poker Life Podcast with host Joey Ingram, and marked Doug’s initial exposure to mainstream distribution.

“There are already enough Dan’s in the poker world,” exclaimed Doug when the mistake (since corrected) was discovered. However, the Legend of Dan Polk lives on to this day.

(#3) Doug Polk Felts Phil Hellmuth in Poker Night Debut

When two parties decide they want to work together for the interests of others, magical things can happen for poker fans.

Such was the case when Doug made his debut on Poker Night in America alongside 14-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth and Chicago businessman Jeremy Kaufman.

The weekend live stream was highly profitable for our favorite pro, who managed to win a huge hand against the Poker Brat — made timeless by PNIA organizer Matt Glantz who snapped one of the most popular poker images of the year.

Massively disgusting.@DougPolkPoker
Phil does not approve. pic.twitter.com/nE3qqU4WFp

— Matt Glantz (@MattGlantz) March 17, 2017

To top it all off, Doug managed to negotiate his way to a $25,000 cash bonus in an epic flip against Kaufman once the live cast had ended.

(#2) Doug Trolls PokerStars (and Fans) in Sponsorship Video

Before being purchased by Amaya in 2014, PokerStars was beloved by many professional players who had come to appreciate the world’s largest poker site’s high quality online offering, EPT live tournament stops, forthright communication, player fund bailouts of competing sites and cashback rewards to its highest volume customers.

But a high profile “communication error” in late 2015 that took tens of millions from “Supernova Elite” players along with across-the-board price hikes and an outright dismissal of pros by The Stars Group have since resulted in major conflict between the publicly-traded company and for-profit players.

So when Doug took to his YouTube channel to make an “important announcement” concerning PokerStars, longtime fans gasped when they saw a thumbnail of the three-time WSOP bracelet winner donning official PokerStars gear.

Doug would go on to reveal that joining forces with PokerStars was just a crazy nightmare… but for a moment, the poker world really believed the Supreme Leader was teaming up with the Isle of Man corporation.

(#1) Doug Wins WSOP High Roller for One Drop

The most memorable Doug Polk moment of 2017 happened in June when he took down the $111,111 buy-in WSOP High Roller for One Drop for $3.68 million USD and earned his third World Series of Poker bracelet.

Winning such a high profile poker tournament against top-notch competition was an important achievement for Doug, who began his poker career grinding low-stakes online games roughly ten years ago.

Overall, Doug took home about $1.5 million USD in profit during the 2017 WSOP — 2% of which was awarded to his fans via a $30,000 Cash Giveaway that was broadcast on Facebook Live.

—

What are your thoughts on this list of Most Memorable Doug Polk Moments in 2017?

Should the “Rake It” campaign have been included? How about Doug’s King of The Hill battle against Phil Hellmuth? Give us your thoughts, and Happy Holidays from your friends at Team Upswing!

Read more Upswing Poker content from our contributors:

• 6 Tips for Cash Game Dominance by Doug Polk & Ryan Fee
• 5 Entertaining Tweets from “Texas Dolly” Doyle Brunson
• QUIZ: Learn More About Your Favorite Upswing Poker Pros

The post 5 Most Memorable Doug Polk Moments of 2017 appeared first on Upswing Poker.

#5: PokerStars High Profile Mergers

The world’s largest online poker site has beefed up its rhetoric on entering a Merger & Acquisition phase soon, and 2018 will be the year that The Stars Group’s vision for the future of online poker partners with other big name corporate entities.

In fact, the only thing TSG executives seem to hype more than getting rid of for-profit players is their desire to initiate an M&A strategy. The company hopes to obtain talent with skill sets that will move it farther away from traditional peer-to-peer competitive models, which will mean continued bad news for poker pros who patronize that site.

With the recent announcement that mega affiliate PokerNews is majority-owned by The Stars Group, those who keep up with the industry could soon witness a formal declaration by PokerStars that its main competitor is Zynga Poker… and not other real money gambling websites.

TSG’s 3Q-2017 earnings report showed increased revenue across the board for online poker, casino and sports wagering. So if ever there was a time for shot-taking to extract maximum value for the biggest online poker platform, 2018 is it.

#4: Doug Polk Wins Poker Personality of The Year

Perhaps the best-kept secret in the poker industry is how much everyone is looking forward to the 2018 American Poker Awards.

Well, maybe not if you count how high the anticipation is for Season 2 of the Global Poker League.

Congrats to the Las Vegas Moneymakers for winning @GPL!

Retweet to show your support for their hard-fought win! #lolgpl #entrepreneurlife pic.twitter.com/Cl2WkfWmRL

— Doug Polk (@DougPolkPoker) December 2, 2016

Sarcasm aside, fans have witnessed a meteoric rise in poker entertainment this year, led by live stream personalities who have provided value to their respective audiences while bringing more potential players into the mix.

Some of the biggest names in poker at the moment include Doug Polk, Joey Ingram, Daniel Negreanu, Bill Perkins, Fedor Holz, ‘Jungleman’ Daniel Cates, Andrew Neeme and Phil Hellmuth. Yet it will be Supreme Leader Douglas K. Polk who hoists the coveted trophy at next year’s ceremony… if only so Alex Dreyfus can dissuade Doug from making another #lolGPL YouTube video. 

#3: Regulated U.S. Online Poker Expansion

Doug Polk Discusses U.S. Online Poker

Now that Pennsylvania has formally legalized real money online poker, look for more states to join in 2018.

There are currently four U.S. states that have passed legislation to regulate Internet poker so far (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware). It will be interesting to see if Michigan, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts and perhaps other jurisdictions embrace similar regulation in the coming year.

One major factor could be whether the Keystone State enters into a shared liquidity deal with NJ/NV/DE that would expand the regulated United States market to 25 million potential customers.

Assuming PA’s integration (either as a compacted state or stand-alone region) is relatively seamless, the conversation on regulated online gambling in America should gain traction in 2018.

#2: Skill-Based Poker Aligns with Competitive eSports Gaming

Daniel Negreanu vs. Bertrand Grospellier (Hearthstone Exhibition – Blizzcon)

Poker is peer-to-peer real money competition that’s more in line with eSports tournaments for games like League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) rather than house-edge casino products.

And while PokerStars’ quest to rid its online platform of professional players has been awesome for its short-term revenue needs, the big money in the industry — at least if you go by what Mediarex CEO Alex Dreyfus believes — is tied to linking rankings systems for both poker and eSports.

Will the #EntrepreneurLife guru spark a renaissance in how competitive gaming is viewed by fans? Or will his promotional efforts in the eSports realm fall flat similar to GPL’s Season 1 programming?

#1: The Evolution of Televised Poker

Doug Polk, Olivier Busquet, Jeremy Kaufman (Poker Night in America)

Televised poker experienced some growing pains in the second half of 2017.

Durr Challenge creator Tom Dwan (aka #SaveTom) kicked off a trend of high profile cancellations when he no-showed two Poker After Dark programs in nearly as many days. Then “Doug Polk Week” on Live at the Bike got upended with several players backing out of an aggressively-marketed high stakes game at the last minute.

Fortunately, much of the worldwide poker audience forgave the eleventh-hour changes once ‘Jungleman’ Daniel Cates showed us “mad,” but it is clear that live poker programming will need to evolve next year in order to build on its success. And most of that responsibility lies with the cast members.

Viewers are seeking justification as to why they should spend time watching live poker action instead of posting on Facebook or crawling the latest Netflix library additions. Televised poker will adapt to this challenge and rise to the occasion with content that provides a clear value to those who spend their time consuming it.

Read more Upswing Poker content from our contributors:

• 10 Texas Hold’em Tricks That Will Make You a Better Player
• 5 Entertaining Tweets from “Texas Dolly” Doyle Brunson
• GrindNation: Meet The Online Poker Stream Team

The post 5 Ambitious Predictions for the Poker World in 2018 appeared first on Upswing Poker.

The third installment of Poker Night in America’s King of The Hill heads-up contest begins Wednesday as current title holder Olivier Busquet welcomes 2014 Big One for One Drop winner Daniel Colman, Harvard Business School graduate Brandon Adams, and this year’s WSOP Main Event champion Scott Blumstein for two days of high stakes heads-up poker action — with the winner taking home $200,000 USD and the coveted King of the Hill belt.

We have our official KOTH3 line up!@DanielColman_ VS @olivierbusquet @badams78 VS @SBlum2711

Happening Oct 25-26 @sugarhousepoker!

— PNIA (@PokerNightTV) October 20, 2017

The telecast is part of a four-day series of real money poker competition being offered up this week by the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia.

Wednesday’s broadcast is scheduled to begin at 6:00pm Eastern Time with three-time WSOP bracelet winner Doug Polk hosting live commentary alongside Pete Manzinelli. The event will be streamed live on Poker Night in America’s Twitch channel.

Busquet Seeks King of the Hill Title Belt Defense

Olivier Busquet — King of The Hill (October 2017)

Professional poker player, MMA enthusiast and Twitter philosopher Olivier Busquet outlasted Poker Night’s first-ever King of The Hill winner Phil Hellmuth two weeks ago at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh before besting Upswing Poker Lab coach Parker Talbot in the King of the Hill II Final.

Ironically, the $8 million live poker tournament cash prize winner “called his shot” back in August after the Poker Brat used his White Magic live read skills to pull off surprise upsets of heads-up No Limit Hold’em specialists Polk and Jungleman Dan Cates.

Hey @phil_hellmuth congrats on winning the first #koth on @PokerNightTV. Great job and well done. But know this….I'm coming for that belt

— Olivier Busquet (@olivierbusquet) August 25, 2017

Busquet’s successful title defense is a strong possibility according to leading poker odds-maker PokerShares, which (as of Wednesday morning) has the native New Yorker at 3.59 TO WIN in the four-person heads-up tournament. However, Busquet is still listed as a slight underdog versus Colman.

I'm an underdog to dan? Is this a joke?

— Olivier Busquet (@olivierbusquet) October 8, 2017

The duo will face-off during the semifinal round Wednesday, with the Blumstein vs. Adams matchup determining who gets the remaining spot on Thursday’s King of the Hill 3 Finals program.

King of The Hill 3: Challenger Bios

Daniel Colman (aka mrGR33N13) is one of the most highly regarded heads-up No Limit Hold’em players in the world. The 27-year old Massachusetts native worked his way up to prominence in the online realm before defeating “Kid Poker” Daniel Negreanu to win the 2014 WSOP Big One for One Drop in Las Vegas to the tune of $15 million USD.

Daniel Colman Wins Big One for One Drop (July 2014)

The on-scene celebration party was cut short when Colman didn’t stick around for long to do exit interviews, which rubbed a handful of media reps the wrong way. He would later reveal on the Poker Life Podcast that he experienced an adrenaline dump immediately after the final card was dealt in the marquee charity event. These days the former online heads-up grinder represents crypto-based site Virtue Poker.

Brandon Adams is a Harvard Business School alumnus who earned a victory in September’s Poker Masters preliminary Event #4 for just over $800,000 — denying Doug Polk (who finished runner-up) in the process.

Brandon Adams Poker Masters Win Event #4 (September 2017)

Adams is an important figure in the Daily Fantasy Sports industry and published author who has quickly garnered a following among poker fans thanks to his expert insight, friendly disposition and entertaining poker play.

Scott Blumstein bested more than 7,200 opponents this summer to become the newest World Series of Poker Main Event winner — picking up $8.15 million and the game’s most prized bracelet in the process.

Scott Blumstein, WSOP Main Event Champion (July 2017)

Congrats buddy. Really happy for you. Welcome to the most exclusive club in poker

— Ryan Riess (@RyanRiess1) July 23, 2017

At just 25 years of age, Blumstein is familiar with the Pennsylvania area having grown up in neighboring New Jersey. He is also a student of poker mind coach Elliot Roe and has largely credited the Primed Mind brand for his mental approach and toughness at the poker tables.

Watch King of The Hill 3 on Twitch

All three big name challengers will make their King of The Hill debut on the Poker Night televised stage this evening. Thousands of fans around the world will be tuning-in on the official @PokerNightTV Twitch channel to see who advances to Thursday’s Final, with a packaged version of the show set to subsequently air on the CBS Sports Network.

Whether you’re a seasoned poker veteran or new to the game, the Poker Night in America broadcast promises to be an entertaining and informative experience for enthusiasts who enjoy real money competition.

Can Olivier Busquet successfully defend his King of The Hill title and retain the championship belt?

Will the $50,000 entry heads-up contest combined with the Locals Live format attract new patrons to the SugarHouse Philadelphia venue?

The poker world will be watching tonight starting at 6:00pm Eastern on @PokerNightTV.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONSIDERATION (TWITTER): @PokerNightTV, @sugarhousepoker, @olivierbusquet, @badams78, @DanielColman_, @SBlum711, @PeteManzinelli, @DougPolkPoker

Read more Upswing Poker content from David Huber:

• Meet Upswing Poker PLO Crusher Fernando Habegger (Jul 26, 2017)
• Top 5 Doyle Brunson Tweets of 2017 (Sep 27, 2017)
• Doug Polk Makes Poker Night Debut at SugarHouse Casino (Mar 18, 2017)

The post King of The Hill 3 Preview – $50,000 Heads-Up Battles on Poker Night in America appeared first on Upswing Poker.

THIS WEEKEND, the Poker Brat gets his first shot at a title defense live from Rivers Casino Pittsburgh when he takes on Upswing Poker Lab coach Parker ‘tonkaaaaP’ Talbot in one of 2 semifinal matches to be broadcast on the @PokerNightTV Twitch channel starting Friday around 6:00pm Eastern Time.

https://twitter.com/phil_hellmuth/status/916176220647317504 https://twitter.com/tonkaaaap/status/915921986060156928

Veteran online and live poker pros Shaun Deeb and Olivier Busquet will face-off in the second match Friday night to determine who will advance to the KOTH II Finals on Saturday.

https://twitter.com/shaundeeb/status/913105721230860292 https://twitter.com/olivierbusquet/status/900911209590865920

Upswing Poker Lab creator and 2017 WSOP High Roller for One Drop champion Doug Polk will anchor this weekend’s telecast as thousands of fans around the globe tune-in to see how live, heads-up No Limit Hold’em poker has evolved to become one of the most popular televised poker formats in the world.

We can not wait to see this guy announcing tomorrow for @PokerNightTV! @DougPolkPoker #BrainvsAI pic.twitter.com/BPCa2U4fYT

— Rivers Poker Room (@RiversPokerPitt) October 5, 2017

Poker Night in America 2017: A Rich TV Poker Tradition

Poker Night in America has established a rich tradition of televised poker in 2017. Led by event organizer Matt Glantz, the show has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to the creativity of its crew, cast members, and hosting casinos — which have afforded high profile players an opportunity to showcase the game we all love in a zero rake format.

Doug Polk’s arrival onto the PNIA set alongside Hellmuth, Busquet, Deeb and Chicago businessman Jeremy Kaufman this past March attracted 4,300 fans who watched in awe as some of the biggest names in poker showed off their skills both on and off the felts.

One week later, GPI Female Poker Player of The Year Cate Hall steamrolled social media rival Mike Dentale in a heads-up match for $30k while approximately 10,000 fans spectated from their virtual seats.

However, the telecast experienced growing pains in April during a 7-handed show in Oklahoma when cast members were unable to set aside their real life differences for the benefit of viewers. This resulted in a ratings drop along with displaying how important player creativity and chemistry are to a globally-televised poker event.

King of The Hill Becomes Reality

At a time when PNIA decision-makers and cast personalities could have easily rested on their laurels (or worse — attempted to pass-off blame directly to the viewing public), Poker Night instead decided to innovate by creating the heads-up King of The Hill format while introducing an all-new REVEAL BUTTON that added yet another layer of strategy and entertainment to the program.

Poker Night in America Organizer Matt Glantz

The move was a resounding success. Peak concurrent Twitch Poker viewership during the inaugural King of The Hill semifinals reached 12,500 with another 10,000 tuning-in for the KOTH Final — where Phil Hellmuth showcased his White Magic live read skills in an unbelievable come-from-behind victory against Jungleman Dan Cates.

Watch King of The Hill II Friday & Saturday

Four players will enter Rivers Casino Pittsburgh Friday with hopes of turning their original $50,000 investment into $200,000 — but only one player will walk away with the cash and title belt.

Fans can ensure a front row seat to the marquee event and participate via chat beginning at 6:00pm Eastern Time on the @PokerNightTV Twitch channel.

Poker enthusiasts who are in the immediate Pittsburgh area are invited to attend live and meet 14-time WSOP bracelet winner and former Main Event champion Phil Hellmuth Friday as the semifinal matches begin.

This Fri meet @phil_hellmuth FREE from 6-7pm! PLUS stay for the @PokerNightTV #KingOfTheHill tournament! https://t.co/s4x247LCSa @MattGlantz pic.twitter.com/Y5t55CY9Ab

— Rivers Casino (@WinBigRivers) October 5, 2017

We look forward to the King of The Hill II matchups as well as interacting with the live PNIA audience this weekend!

SOCIAL MEDIA CONSIDERATION (TWITTER): @PokerNightTV, @RiversPokerPitt, @olivierbusquet, @tonkaaaap, @shaundeeb, @phil_hellmuth, @dougpolkpoker

Read more Upswing Poker content from David Huber:

• Top 5 Entertaining Poker Vlogs of 2017 (Aug 30, 2017)
• Top 5 Doyle Brunson Tweets of 2017 (Sep 27, 2017)
• Inaugural Poker Night King of The Hill Preview (Aug 21, 2017)

The post Phil Hellmuth Goes for King of The Hill Title Defense This Weekend appeared first on Upswing Poker.

German poker pro and 2017 Poker Masters winner Steffen Sontheimer joined Poker Life Podcast host Joey Ingram recently for a two-hour show that included an epic response to televised and social media rants initiated by 14-time WSOP bracelet winner and King of The Hill title-holder Phil Hellmuth.

I asked @RunGo0seRun his thoughts on Hellmuth on our podcast yesterday and… well…. I learned about reducing negative edges #BangBang pic.twitter.com/S8a9dlYfaW

— gN PapiGTO (@Joeingram1) October 3, 2017

Sontheimer — who stormed through the recent five-event Poker Masters series to win its prized Purple Jacket — had his poker skill and potential longevity in the game brought into question while competing alongside the former WSOP Main Event champion late last month.

“[Phil Hellmuth] does one thing right… he is late registering for the tournaments. This increases variance and reduces negative edge,” offered the $6 million USD live poker tournament cash prize winner known on Twitter as @RunGo0seRun.

“I’m not really sure what White Magic is exactly,” continued Sontheimer. “If it’s like talking a lot when you face a bet — and then fold the best hand — this works out perfectly. It’s something [Hellmuth] does super well.”

Sry for that, I will get you a new drink next time we meet

— Steffen Sontheimer (@RunGo0seRun) October 4, 2017

The 2017 Poker Master is part of a growing contingent of young pros who are rapidly moving up the all-time money list. This thanks in part to super high roller events that have spread in popularity in recent years — which in turn have threatened Hellmuth’s coveted Top 10 status as a career live event money leader in his own right.

Phil Hellmuth Surge in Popularity?

Hellmuth — who used his “White Magic” live poker reading skills to defeat highly touted pros Doug Polk and ‘Jungleman’ Daniel Cates during the inaugural Poker Night in America KOTH telecast — has experienced a surge in popularity among his colleagues and fans in 2017.

Despite frequent barbs at opponents that have persisted throughout his career, the 53-year old Wisconsin native has displayed a renewed vigor in growing the game of poker this year, openly communicating with fans of all skills levels on a wide range of topics. The outreach has been in-line with that of fellow high profile pros who have granted unprecedented access to the high roller lifestyle and real money poker competition.

The Poker Brat‘s heads-up victory has also given confidence to a fair deal of vociferous “recreational” poker players who have enjoyed watching the controversial personality compete against top-notch talent in all-new televised poker formats.

Furthermore, the $22 million USD live tournament cash prize winner’s personal website currently shows up when visiting the RealKidPoker.com domain.

Here's something fun: Go to RealKidPoker .com.

— Lance Bradley (@Lance_Bradley) September 27, 2017

The world’s career live event money leader Daniel Negreanu (known on Twitter as @RealKidPoker) has publicly disagreed with many of the Poker Brat‘s beliefs related to poker skill level — culminating in a Twitter spat that was documented in detail by PokerNews on September 20th.

Hellmuth to Defend KOTH Title This Weekend

This Fri meet @phil_hellmuth FREE from 6-7pm! PLUS stay for the @PokerNightTV #KingOfTheHill tournament! https://t.co/s4x247LCSa @MattGlantz pic.twitter.com/Y5t55CY9Ab

— Rivers Casino (@WinBigRivers) October 5, 2017

Fans around the world can watch Phil Hellmuth in action this weekend as he defends his King of The Hill title-belt at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh. The $50,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em contest will award $200,000 USD to the eventual winner.

The Poker Night in America live stream will begin Friday around 6:00pm Eastern Time with two semi-final matches including Hellmuth, Upswing Poker Lab Coach Parker Talbot, Olivier Busquet and Shaun Deeb.

Hey @phil_hellmuth congrats on winning the first #koth on @PokerNightTV. Great job and well done. But know this….I'm coming for that belt

— Olivier Busquet (@olivierbusquet) August 25, 2017

Our very own Doug Polk will be commentating the action both Friday and Saturday, which can be viewed directly on the @PokerNightTV Twitch channel for free. Read more Upswing Poker content from David Huber:

• Phil Hellmuth Defies Odds, Becomes King of The Hill Champion (Aug 24, 2017)
• Televised Poker Gains Momentum in 2017 (Aug 15, 2017)
• Poker Life Podcast Year in Review (Dec 21, 2016)

The post Poker Masters Champion Dumps on White Magic appeared first on Upswing Poker.