Archives February 2024

The 2019 SIGA Poker Championship has come to an end, with 346 total entries creating a prize pool of $263,800. The event was hosted by the Dakota Dunes Casino in Saskatchewan with John Hashem of Regina taking home the first-place prize.

Fast Game Play:

By Day 2 of the event, only 80 players remained. The day would go by fast as the field was narrowed down to the final table of nine players. The first to go would be Bin Xu, who put his pocket jacks up against Hashem’s two kings. It would be kings taking out the next player in the competition as Warren McCallum’s hand held up against an all-in by Todd Derdall.

According to Pokernews…

Hashem would continue his dominance of the final table by knocking out two players, Dallas Larson and Jason Topp. Both shoved this smaller stacks and got caught, with six players now remaining at the table. Eventually, the field would narrow down till only two remained Lyndon Knutson and Hashem.

The heads-up round would only last a few hands before Knutson would decide to shove with an ace. Hashem would call holding pocket jacks and they held up to give him the poker tournament win win.

Final Table Results of the 2019 SIGA Poker Championships:

The Dakota Dunes Casino hosted the event on October 4^th, 5^th and 6^th. The buy-in was $800 + $80, with a solid turnout as players registered to compete in the regular event as well as in satellites that ran from the 1^st to the 3^rd.

The Rivers Casino in Schenectady, New York recently played host to a Poker Night in America competition known as King of the Hill. Top poker pros were on hand to compete in the event, which was streamed on Twitch for fans and fellow players to enjoy from home. Included in the mix was Phil Hellmuth, Doug Polk, Daniel Cates and Frank Kassela. In the end, it was Hellmuth who earned the win after duking it out with Cates in the final heads-up matchup.

On Tuesday, Daniel Cates would take on Frank Kassela while Doug Polk would take on Hellmuth. It would take just a short time before Cates and Hellmuth would be the last two standing and have to go head to head to see who the champion would be.

On Wednesday, the two began competing in a best of three format, as reported by Pokernews.com. each player was given $100,000 in chips but the winner would take all. Blinds began at $50/$100 with levels increasing every 20 minutes. The first round would go to Hellmuth while Cates would take the second. This left the third round being the deciding factor as to who would be the ultimate King of the Hill.

The final match began later in the evening and it was certainly something to watch. Cates would take a commanding lead, which would leave Hellmuth down 7 to 1 in chips. Just a short time later and Hellmuth was down to a 34 to 1 chip deficit. Despite being down and seemingly out, Hellmuth was not ready to give up. He won a hand then another, and it wouldn’t take long before the lead Cates had previously held began to get smaller and smaller.

In the end, Hellmuth would have a 4 to 1 chip lead and the final hand would go down. Cates would move all in with K-Q off suit. Hellmuth would be in as well with A-6. The board ran in Hellmuth’s favor and the event would end after the seasoned poker pro made an amazing comeback.

After its recent success at the EGR Nordics Awards 2020, leading software and services supplier, Playtech, has now announced that it has extended its long-term partnership with online gambling operator Mansion until 2025. And has also inked a new agreement with Greek betting and lottery operator, OPAP.

Securing the five-year extension will see the London-headquartered supplier continue to provide technical support to Mansion brands across UK and Italian regulated markets.

“they remain a key long-term partner for Playtech”

Dedicated tab:

Under the terms of the new agreement, Playtech will add a dedicated casino tab on Casino.com, Mansion’s flagship brand. The Gibraltar-based firm has already committed to a tailored live casino studio space within Playtech’s Eurolive facility, featuring live blackjack and roulette.

In an official press release, Chief Operating Officer for Playtech, Shimon Akad, commented on the partnership extension…

“We enjoy a close and collaborative relationship with Mansion, and they remain a key long-term partner for Playtech. We continue to grow with them and support their position as market leaders. Mansion’s commitment to an exclusive Live Casino space for Casino.com is a significant step in taking the company’s Live offering to a new level and creating a valuable new USP.

Key partner:

“Mansion’s decision to extend its partnership with us comes at a very exciting time in terms of product development, particularly with the development of our Engagement Centre and Player Journey technology. It’s fantastic to see such a key partner like Mansion actively investing time in utilising new customer engagement tools to deliver an enhanced, personalised player experience. We look forward to continuing an ever-more successful partnership across all markets over the next five years,” Akad concluded.

Also commenting on the agreement re-up…

…Chief Executive Officer for Mansion Group, Karel Manasco, added that the firm’s longstanding partnership with Playtech was built on a “strong and successful” relationship. And that the “recent launch of our dedicated Live Casino, a unique and tailored studio space, allows us to offer a more exclusive and personalised experience for our players.

“With Playtech’s track record of innovation in this area, their engaging content will provide more choice to our growing portfolio and we’re very excited to continue this partnership.”

OPAP tie-up:

Playtech also recently inked a new digital sports betting partnership with Greek operator OPAP. Under the deal, Playtech’s BGT Sports (PBS) division will provide the operator with its new Quantum sports betting digital platform. The agreement sees the Athens-headquartered company firm become the first operator to use the platform as part of its Quantum launch.

BUSINESS WIRE – Guests will soon recognize a few famous poker faces around the tables at Rivers Casino. “Poker Night in America,” a nationally televised cable and web series, returns to Rivers Casino for a high-stakes celebrity cash game on Nov. 13 and 14. Play begins at 2 p.m. on Nov. 13.

“Poker Night in America” has filmed episodes at casinos across the country, and this is the show’s second stop in Pittsburgh. Poker Night spotlights the game and its players — often introducing audiences to surprising insights about some of their beloved poker personalities.

For the first time ever at Rivers Casino, the celebrity cash game will be open to spectators. Guests and players at Rivers will be able to watch the stars live and see the Poker Night film crew at work.

Poker celebrities expected to attend include:

• Phil Hellmuth, known around the world as the “Poker Brat.” Hellmuth holds the record for most World Series of Poker bracelets, with 13.
• Huck Seed, a four-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and former engineering student; he is known for his proposition bets.
• Gavin Smith. He learned cards by playing rummy and cribbage with his father. Smith is most recognized for his self-described “Clown” table image.
• Greg Mueller, a former professional hockey player; his nickname — “FBT” — stands for “Full-blown Tilt.”
• Jennifer Tilly. An Academy Award nominee, Tilly is also a star of the poker scene after taking home the gold bracelet in the 2005 World Series of Poker ladies event.

“Our guests will feel they’re a part of the show with a front-row seat to see these professional players doing what they do best,” said Bud Green, assistant general manager of Rivers Casino.

Poker Celebrities and Local Players Go Head-to-Head

Once the high-stakes cash game is complete, many of the pros, including Phil Hellmuth and Greg Mueller, will play in the Rivers’ Pittsburgh Poker Open Main Event. The tournament gives everyone the chance to join the pros in this high-action series. The buy-in is $1,100, and the prize pool of the Main Event is expected to exceed $300,000. The Pittsburgh Poker Open runs now through Nov. 17.

For the complete Pittsburgh Poker Open schedule, visit riverscasino.com. For more information about Poker Night in America, go to pokernight.com.

ABOUT RIVERS CASINO

Opened in 2009, Rivers Casino has been voted a 2014 “Best Place to Work” in the Pittsburgh Business Times, “Best Overall Gaming Resort” in Pennsylvania by Casino Player magazine and “Best Overall Casino” in Pennsylvania by Strictly Slots magazine. The casino features more than 2,900 slots, 83 table games, a 30-table poker room, nine distinctive restaurants and bars, a riverside amphitheater, a multi-purpose event space, live music performances, free parking and multiple promotions and giveaways daily. Already, more than $406 million in jackpots have been awarded to players at Rivers Casino.

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:

• Poker stars Phil Hellmuth and Jennifer Tilly.
• Bud Green, Rivers Casino assistant general manager.
• Todd Anderson, Poker Night in America president.

Contacts

MEDIA CONTACT:For Rivers CasinoEmily Watts, 268-932-8760 x 308emily@hornercom.com