Lee Davy comes to the aid of the lazy with another round-up of all the top news stories from the past week in poker; including Martin Jacobson’s impressive victory at the World Series of Poker Main Event; Ultimate Poker calling time on their Nevada adventure; and Dan Colman giving his candid opinion on the Poker Brat.
Martin Jacobson has become one of the most recognizable faces in world poker after winning the $10m first prize at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.
Jacobson started the Main Event with the second shortest stack, but timed his moves to perfection to play his way into the final threesome of Scandinavian excellence.
Jorryt van Hoof of Holland, Felix Stephensen of Norway, and Martin Jacobson of Sweden, contributing to a 6.1% decline in ESPN viewing figures thanks to a lack of U.S. presence.
Jacobson would eventually overcome Stephensen, in heads-up action, to win the first major title of his career, and immediately rise to ninth place in the all-time live tournament money list with close to $15m in prize money.
Dan Colman Calls Phil Hellmuth a Cancer
As impressive a win as Jacobson’s was, he has a long way to go before he can be mentioned in the same breath as Mr. WSOP himself: Phil Hellmuth Jr.
Hellmuth’s records for most bracelets won (13), most cashes (108), and most final table appearances (50) make him a veritable legend of the game. Or do they?
That’s not the opinion shared by Dan Colman, who took to 2+2 last week to call Hellmuth a ‘spineless whore’ and a ‘cancer to this world.’
The youngster, who has won over $22m in 2014 alone, made the comments after reading Hellmuth’s interview with ‘Rounders’ writer Brian Koppelman.
“Ouch, I was just attacked big time. It was personal and it hurts, but I am proud of the man that I am.” Hellmuth tweeted after being made aware of the news.
Colman later admitted that his comments were “harsh and over the top.”
Amaya Gaming Group With Outstanding Q3 Numbers
The attack on Hellmuth took the spotlight off PokerStars for a few days at least. The world’s largest online poker room has come under fire of late, after a series of cost cutting measures sent their loyal grinders into a little ditzy.
Well, it’s time to get on board the complain train once again after Amaya Gaming Group reported a 519% rise in Q3 revenue, thanks in part to a sizeable contribution from PokerStars.
Revenue hit the heights of C$239m, and $208m of that belonged to the work done by PokerStars and Full Tilt. The rich keep getting richer as the grinders opportunity to do the same keeps getting smaller.
Bwin.Party Takeover Rumors
A recurring theme amid the wave of criticism to hit PokerStars shores was the monopoly that they have over the rest of the competition. So I guess it’s not the greatest news in the world to hear that Amaya Gaming Group are one of the favorites to acquire Bwin.party digital entertainment.
The troubled UK-listed online gambling outfit publicly confirmed that are in talks with a number of interested parties, regarding a potential sale, with the tabloids pushing the names of Amaya and Playtech to the top of the suspect list.
Imagine if the same company owned PokerStars, Full Tilt and partypoker?
Oh dear…
San Manuel Band of Missions Indians With Some PokerStars Love
PokerStars did receive some love and attention last week after the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, in California, threw their backing behind a U.S. return for the Red Spade.
The Californian Tribe announced plans to join the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, The Commerce Casino, The Hawaiian Garden Casino, and the Bicycle Casino to fight for the right for PokerStars to return to California when it opens for business some time in the next couple of years.
Good news for PokerStars, but opinion is still divided on their return to California with at least a dozen local tribes still opposing their return due to their alleged status as a ‘bad actor.’
Ultimate Poker Shuts Down its Nevada Operation
If and when California legalizes online poker one suspects Ultimate Gaming will not be opening a poker room. Just a few weeks after Ultimate Poker withdrew their interest in the New Jersey market, they have done likewise in Nevada.
Ultimate Poker was the pioneer when they became the first company to offer fully regulated real money online poker in Nevada on April 1, 2013. Unfortunately, they have now also earned the distinctions of being the first companies to also fold their online poker operations in both New Jersey and Nevada.
“An extremely cost-prohibitive and challenging environment,” were the reasons cited for closure by Ultimate Gaming and their owners Station Casinos.
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
I will round off the week with a couple of major tournament successes.
Ryan Van Sanford took top dollar at the World Poker Tour (WPT) bestbet Bounty Scramble Main Event in Jacksonville. The 21-year old defeated 416 entrants to take the first prize of $421,068 after topping a final table that included the recent $1m River Poker Series winner Jason Helder.
And Antoan Katsarov continued his 100% winning streak (ok so he only has two recorded live tournament cashes on his Hendon Mob resume), by winning the PokerListings Battle of Malta.
The event, which is growing stronger each year, smashed its own record for the island’s largest live tournament after defeating 1,447 entrants to take the first prize of €122,750.
