Tina Mattson

The year has been fantastic for Sean Perry and Ali Imsirovic as the players continue their reign in Las Vegas. Sin City is holding high rollers PokerGO Tours, and both players dominated the events.

Ali entered the 10,000 dollars No-Limit Hold’em Event on Thursday after winning eight high roller events in the previous four months. The player even won 200,200 dollars back in May in the 10,000 dollars No-Limit event. Likewise, in May, Sean entered the event after winning 365,500 dollars in the 25,000 No-Limit Hold’em Event.

There are more high-profile players like Andrew Lichtenberger present in the event. The player won 120,00 dollars in the $10K NLH and 125,300 dollars in the $25K NLH tournament. In addition, the event witnessed Cary Kat securing 121,130 dollars for second place and Nick Petrangelo winning 103,520 dollars for the third position.

Ali was already a crowd favorite before entering the tournament with his eight titles in 2021 alone. The player won the Global Poker Index Player of the Year and PokerGO Tour previously. The poker professional from Bosnia beat 34 players in the 10,000 dollars No-Limit Hold’em Event on Friday. It helped Ali rack up his ninth high roller win in 2021, five more than any player in history. The event added 136 PokerGO Tour points for the player, making his count across 2,600.

Besides Ali, Sean was also a hot pick for the win. After the Venetian tour, the player has 2,021 points under his tally. Sean is only behind Ali currently, with a gap of 579 points. Sam Soverel is trailing the players with 1,646 points at the third spot. Sean Winter is close to Sam with 1,614 points.

On Saturday, Sean winning the 25,000 dollars event to score 290,000 dollars helped him win his fourth high roller championship this year. 

Both Ali and Sean are on a roll and are expected to continue their domination throughout the year.

Layne Flack’s family and friends are holding a memorial on August 20th at a bar in Las Vegas. The group has decided to share memories and stories of the late comedic professional who passed away recently.

Matt Savage, Executive Tour Director at WPT, is backing the function since he was also close with Layne. The event will run from 5 pm to 8 pm at Brooksy’s Bar and Grill.

Matt talked about the function in an interview, stating he is expecting some of Layne’s close friends to be there. Some of the names include Todd Brunson, Chip Jett, and Ted Forrest. While Matt also wants Doyle Brunson to be present, the player might not be able to make it.

The player turned 88 recently and, despite being a legend, is relatively away from the limelight. Unfortunately, as the player planned to participate in multiple World Series of Poker Events this fall, his wife, Louis Brunson, experienced a medical condition. While Louise left the hospital the same day, the legend prefers to be at home with her. That is why the participation of Doyle is not confirmed.

Rk Brooks, the owner of Brooksy’s Bar and Grill, was also a close friend of Layne. The bar is located at 9295 Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. The bar will offer a limited space since Matt expects several of Layne’s friends to make it to the function. 

Before passing away at the age of 52, Layne created a legacy within the poker circuit. Thus, the function will surely be filled with numerous stories and incidents regarding the player. 

The player scored five World Series of Poker gold bracelets between 1999-2003, accounting for six of the total career wins. Matt went as far as to state that Layne was the best in business during the 2000s by a mile.

The player is also known to be a great father, gambler, and golfer. Many even deem Layne as one of the funniest players in the space. Layne spent most of his life in Las Vegas and won over 5 million dollars in tournaments.

The state lines are still seeing ongoing work for sharing of liquidity by the US. At the same time, all of the sites of WSOP.com have been entitled to the availability of a bonus. All of the rooms of WSOP will see the promotion for the new DIY Bonus open for the players residing across the states of Nevada, Pennsylvania, to New Jersey. The period between 15th to August 22 has been earmarked for encouraging the players to build their bonuses. 

The customary regulation sees promotions and bonuses being tailor-made to suit specificities or certain conditions regarding the market. In comparison, for WSOP.com, the same bonus has been earmarked for all the markets where the advantage lies with the players in choosing the bonus they want to earn. This is dependent on how much time each player can devote to playing. This is entirely in the player’s hands to make as much free money they want to earn. Controlling the experiences is an adage that comes with opting for promotions by the players and sees the bonus directly proportional to the amount of time devoted for play. 

Building A Bonus

The simplest of details make up the promotions for the new DIY Bonus feature. This is where one can opt for playing across any of the sites from WSOP PA, WSOP NJ to WSOP Nevada and all one needs to do is opt for the email-provided WSOP links. This gets the game started, and players can start their cash poker journey and collect as much as APPs. Unlocking a bigger bonus requires each player to earn the maximum APPs while the promotions are up and running. The same will be available for the duration spanning from15th to August 22. APPs can be earned for bonuses till 11:59 pm on August 22. 

Playing cash games on the WSOP.com site will enable players to get a shot at accruing the DIY Bonus cash. The criteria specify the players to be active and play for three days while the promotional period is ongoing. The same also mentions earning a minimum of 1 APP for each of the days logged in will qualify for the bonus cash. A round-up of the APP points will be done once the promotional period will get over. Every player needs a minimum of 1000 points to make it to the level of 100 dollars. 

PA Highlights including Keystone Classic and Bracelets

August 1 saw the leading domestic bracelet series of NJ and NV, while eight more US bracelets are in the offing. The same will be handed out to the players of WSOP PA starting from August 8. The guaranteed 500,000 dollars Keystone Classic series and a progressive knockout series are in the offing for the late half of August. 

GGPoker is quickly becoming a significant player in the poker space, and its latest announcement is a testament to the statement. The operator officially announced the Road to Vegas satellite tournaments for WSOP 2021 Main Event. GGPoker has already listed the qualifiers, and players can choose the preferred route to win the 12,500 dollars package for Las Vegas.

The first week of qualifiers starting from August 1st, users can avail 65 packages worth 812,500 dollars. In addition, the packages include three different buy-in alternatives, allowing players to win the trip to Las Vegas for 80 dollars.

Daniel Negreanu, GGPoker’s Global Ambassador, commented on the situation. As per Daniel, the World Series of Poker Main Event is one of the most esteemed tournaments in the poker world. With GGPoker’s assistance, users from across the globe can enter the tournament. Daniel has participated in the event since 1998, and the player thinks no other tournament comes close to it. Daniel added that every poker player, including him, dreams of winning the tournament.

GGPoker’s promotion page for the 12,500 dollars WSOP Main Event highlights:

• 10,000 dollars the World Series of Poker Main Event entry
• Room at the Rio All-Suite Hotel, Las Vegas, for a week
• 1,250 pounds for travel cost
• Access to the GGPoker’s WSOP Players Party
• GGPoker merchandise
• Entry to the Platinum Lounge at the hotel 

GGPoker is going all-out with the rewards, even more than 888poker, WSOP’s former business partner and official satellite package. 

Road to Vegas: The First Week

As per GGPoker, the first week of the satellite tournaments include:

• 38 qualified participants with assured prizes
• Buy-ins ranging from 80 dollars, 250 dollars, and 1,050 dollars
• 108 dollars step satellites to the 1,050 dollars qualifier
• 12,500 dollars guaranteed in 65 packages
• Five daily qualifiers throughout the week

GGPoker has also released details about the WSOP 2021 Main Event. The player going the farthest in the Road to Vegas event can earn a special package for the 2021 WSOP Europe. The reward will only be awarded if the player participated via GGPoker. 

The operator will choose five qualifiers daily throughout the week, with the final day having eight satellites. Every qualified player can win the 12,500 packages with different buy-in options. 

The tournaments are listed on GGPoker’s official network. It includes Natural8, which is also launching an exclusive promotion for the international leg of the WSOP 2021 Online Bracelet Tournaments.

Users cannot transfer, sell, or swap the packages with other players. But the FAQ section dictates that any player that cannot attend the Main Event will get T10,000 dollars in return for the entry.

Players winning more than one package can exchange them for tournament dollars. The event is starting with the WSOP 2021 Online Gold Bracelet Events, marking another busy schedule for the WSOP.

Winning poker tournaments is challenging, and Daniel Negreanu understands it well. The player did not land a tournament win since 2013, giving critics substance to attack the player. But Daniel shut down the critics by winning 700,000 dollars at the PokerGO Cup.

The 50,000 dollars buy-in tournament had a no-limit hold ’em format. Daniel defeated 35 participants and won at the studio arranged by Aria. After winning, Daniel stated that “the hardest part of the tournament was emotions. Over the years, the weight of continuously placing second was too heavy. So while playing at the final table, Daniel only thought about not placing second. Anything but second place.”

Other than the curse of placing second, the player also suffered two major heads-up defeats. The first came against Dough Polk, where the player lost 1.2 million dollars. The second loss came against Phil Hellmuth, where Daniel lost three heads-up watches for 350,000 dollars.

According to the Hendon Mob Poker, the 46-year old veteran has amassed over 42 million dollars during his illustrious career. After Daniel’s last victory in 2013, the player placed second 10 times. 

Daniel admitted that sitting at the final table resurfaced the bad feelings of placing second. The player compared his situation to the flashbacks showing movies where characters know they will die and witness their entire life unroll. The player started seeing all the second placements before hearing the winning announcement. 

Daniel managed to take back the chip lead during the final round and beat Coleman with 10-K against pocket fives. Luck sided with the player as the deck drew a ten on the river, marking Daniel’s victory in 8 long years.

Coleman went home with 455,000 dollars while Daniel scored 700,000 dollars. However, the player did not rest and instantly joined the PokerGO finale, a 100,000 dollars buy-in no-limit event. Daniel likes to compete against elite players, and the event comprises several of them. 

To know whether a player is the best or among the best, it is necessary to play such events, said Daniel. With the player finally tasting victory after eight years, he has become one of the favorites to win the finale as well.

One of Las Vegas’s most iconic establishments, The Plaza Hotel & Casino, which has been operating successfully in Las Vegas for the past 50 years, is now being honored by the Nevada Preservation Foundation. The foundation has considered this casino hotel as a building of “historical significance.”

The foundation presented a bronze plaque to Jonathan Jossel, CEO of The Plaza. Jossel said the award would be kept in the lobby so that guests can see it.

Technically, the plaza will celebrate the 50th anniversary on July 2, but the foundation has coordinated with the hotel to celebrate throughout the year.

In the past, many felt that the site should be demolished to turn it into a modern casino. Among these people was Oscar Goodman, the former Las Vegas mayor who was keen on something new that could have a picturesque entry to Union Park. However, by 2010, the renovation project of $35 million began.

Legacy of Las Vegas’s History

The Plaza opened its doors to patrons on the 2nd of July in 1971 at the first train depot site. The original name of the property was Union Plaza and was based on the Union Pacific. The long-running relationship with the railroad remained steady until the discontinuation of the Desert Wind Route in 1997.

At the time, The Plaza was the biggest casino hotel globally, having around 500 rooms.

Apart from this, the casino hotel has interestingly made an appearance in multiple Hollywood movies like- The Mexican (2001), The Grand (2008), Casino (1995), and others.

According to Cynthia Ammerman, the Nevada Preservation Foundation executive director said that The Plaza is the first commercial space that received this recognition. According to her, commercial spaces like The Plaza represents the heritage of Las Vegas and is reason enough to celebrate the title.

Resorts World Las Vegas, a Genting-owned company, will open in June. Located towards the northern side of Wynn/Encore, the casino will partner with Gemini – a provider of online wallets and cryptocurrency exchange. This cryptocurrency service provider is owned by billionaire twins Tyler Winklevoss and Cameron Winklevoss.

The property is slated to open on June 24. It will have separate hotels, gaming arenas, poker rooms that will host tourney play and cash games.

The deal between Resorts World and Gemini will make this property the first crypto-friendly one on the Las Vegas strip. Together, the companies are pursuing the creation and implementation of crypto-friendly services at best-in-class institutional rates across all areas of the integrated resort experience. Details about these services will be finalized and announced in the coming weeks.

Presently, Resorts World gamers will use only Crypto for all purchases tied to non-gambling activities. They may not use crypto for gambling transactions or purchasing chips. The possibility of using crypto for mainstream gambling activities in the industry will grow as the usage of cryptocurrencies gains more widespread popularity.

Gemini’s online wallet service is suited for this possibility. The online cryptocurrency exchange supports almost every virtual currency. The use of crypto for mainstream gaming is dependent on how long Nevada regulators take to approve. Until then, cryptocurrency cannot be used to directly fund gaming transactions.

While Resorts World is officially the first Vegas Strip Casino to undertake this, some other downtown casinos already accept cryptocurrency for non-gambling-related purchases.

About Resorts World Las Vegas

Resorts World Las Vegas is being developed by Genting Berhad, a publicly-traded Malaysian corporation registered with the Nevada Gaming Commission. The company has affiliated operations in the Americas, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the Bahamas.

About Gemini

Gemini is a platform that allows customers to buy, sell, store, and earn cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, ether, and DeFi tokens. Gemini’s simple, reliable, and safety fund gaming transactions directly products are built to empower the individual. Gemini was founded in 2014 by twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.