Without a doubt, it’s been a thrilling week for the online market in Nevada. However, the most significant news this week has emerged from the state’s traditional gaming industry.
The most significant news has been the ongoing narratives unfolding at the 2014 World Series of Poker. A legend of the game recently secured his 10th career bracelet and is aiming for his 11th in the Big One for One Drop tournament that started on Sunday, which has a buy-in of $1,000,000.
We’ll update you about both of these stories and strive to bring you up to speed with all the latest action from the WSOP, as detailed below.
The WSOP isn’t the only headline in this week’s Nevada Online Poker Review. We’ll also update you on the latest potential legal issues Sheldon Adelson may be facing, as he is currently under investigation by another three-letter government agency. Additionally, Adelson was recently inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame. We’ll also discuss what Nevada online poker players can anticipate from Ultimate Poker following their most recent software update, plus much more.
Adelson getting unwanted attention from IRS
Sheldon Adelson, a multi-billionaire and casino tycoon, is familiar with confrontations with the US government. He has previously faced a $47 million settlement from a money laundering investigation. He has also had to handle bribery allegations in Macau. Now, it seems the IRS is set to step in and investigate further potential money laundering incidents between Adelson’s overseas and local casinos.
This all occurs against the backdrop of Adelson’s campaign against online gambling. It’s not surprising that the Adelson group has ceased to use money laundering as one of their main arguments. The Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, led by Adelson, initially used money laundering and the potential funding of 9/11 attacks as their primary points of contention. However, these have now been superseded by claims of underage gambling.
One Drop the redux
Secure your seats and prepare for the grandest poker event, the biannual Big One for One Drop tournament with a $1,000,000 buy-in, as it is about to commence.
For this iteration of the tournament, the maximum number of seats will be limited to 56, an increase from the inaugural event in 2012 which had a cap of 48 players. The entrants comprise of distinguished figures in the poker world along with several prosperous businessmen who have a fondness for the game and are willing to stake $1 million of their personal wealth.
2012 tournament champion Greg Merson, who purchased entry into the tournament, shared images of his buy-in and the receipt for his $1,000,000 entry fee, which was featured in the Washington Post. Jean Robert Bellande famously snapped a selfie with his buy-in too.
Here is a complete list of entrants for this year as of Sunday evening break:
- Sam Trickett
- Tom Hall
- Vanessa Selbst
- Brian Rast
- Scott Seiver
- Dan Smith
- Guy Laliberté
- Phil Ivey
- Noah Schwartz
- Phil Galfond
- Rono Lo
- Erik Seidel
- Daniel Negreanu
- Niklas Heinecker
- Brandon Steven
- Bill Klein
- Paul Newey
- John Juanda
- Tobias Reinkemeier
- Tony Gregg
- Cary Katz
- Gabe Kaplan
- Christoph Volgelsang
- Daniel Colman
- John Morgan
- Connor Drinan
- Daniel Cates
- Rick Salomon
- Igor Kurganov
- Jason Mercier
- Greg Merson
- Doug Polk
- Isaac Haxton
- Antonio Esfandiari
- Jean-Robert Bellande
- Erick Lindgren
- Max Altergott
- Stanley Choi
- David Sands
- Talal Shakerchi
- David Einhorn
#WSOP2014 Updates
Ivey wins #10
Phil Ivey secured his 10th World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet on Friday night, joining the exclusive club of double-digit WSOP bracelet winners – Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, and Phil Hellmuth. In doing so, Ivey also claimed a significant prop bet he had placed with Daniel Negreanu. They had wagered heavily with various parties that one of them would emerge victorious with a bracelet within the year.
A special honor is bestowed upon Chad Brown.
Poker professional Chad Brown is presently battling cancer in hospice care and despite his brave fight, the prognosis isn’t promising.
Chad is widely acknowledged as a premier figure in the poker world. The World Series of Poker rightly awarded him his first and ultimate WSOP bracelet on Saturday, a fitting tribute to an exceptional player, as can be seen in the video below.
Today, we paid tribute to @DowntownChad Brown by presenting him with an honorary bracelet. He is a true professional who represents all the positive aspects of the game. pic.twitter.com/fadlZFqmF6
From WSOP on June 28, 2014.
WiPHoF adds two more
Allyn Jaffrey-Shulman and Deborah Giardina were recently inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Golden Nugget, adding two more names to their list of honorees.
Here’s a look at the women who have received honors since the establishment of the WiPHoF in 2008.
- Marsha Waggoner, Susie Isaacs, Linda Johnson, and Barbara Enright make up the Class of 2008.
- Cyndi Violette, Jan Fisher, and June Field are part of the Class of 2009.
- Kathy Liebert, Jen Harman, and Billie Brown belong to the Class of 2010.
- Kristy Gazes, Margie Heintz, and Phyllis Caro – The Class of 2011.
- JJ Liu and Kathy Raymond from the Class of 2012
- No one was inducted into the Class of 2013.
- Deborah Giardina and Allyn Jaffrey-Shulman – Class of 2014
Traffic trends in Nevada
According to www.pokerscout.com, the Nevada market has seen a reversal in course over the past week, following an increase in cash game traffic on WSOP.com which peaked at 150 players. The average number of cash game players on WSOP.com has now dropped back down to around 130-140.
Nonetheless, Ultimate Poker, boosted by a range of new promotions, has been gaining momentum. It’s now drawing close to almost 50% of WSOP.com’s traffic, with an average cash game traffic of around 60 players.
Just a week ago, WSOP.com was leading Ultimate Poker by a margin of 150 to 50 at one point.
The word on the street
Ultimate Poker receives a much needed software update.
Welcome to Nevada in the 21st century…
Ultimate Poker players in Nevada, as part of a substantial software upgrade, now have two options for geolocation verification: the standard cellphone triangulation or the more accurate wi-fi verification used in New Jersey. The latter should assist players who had disconnection issues due to weak cell signal or a depleted phone battery.
The Ultimate Poker Software has been updated with the addition of these new features:
- Hand history
- Player notes
- Time bank
- Displays for tournament re-buy and add-on in the lobby.
- Auto bonusing
- Waitlists
