Lee Davy makes use of a train ride to London by bringing you a weekly news round up that includes a live stream of Daniel Negreanu releasing a stream; PokerStars saying bye-bye to another star; the Chinese coming down heavy on the APPT; an extra chapter in the Lock Poker saga, and a whole host of individual praise and back patting.
When pondering the weekly news highlight, I’m torn between the Lock Poker debacle and Daniel Negreanu’s urine.
That’s what I love about this game. One moment you are writing about people taking the piss, and the next it’s people taking a piss.
Wee will have to wait for Negreanu’s stream. Not even Kid Poker’s poker is bigger than another chapter in the Lock Poker saga. So what were the criminals up to this week? Well, according to USPoker’s John Mehaffey, Lock Poker has finally taken the hint and shut up shop.
Earlier this week, Mehaffey learned that players couldn’t download the Lock Poker software. Players trying to access both .eu poker and casino sites were left staring at that rather annoying rainbow thing that twirls on your Mac (if you have Windows, and don’t know what I am talking about, then get a Mac. It’s 2015 ffs).
It’s thought there is somewhere between $10-15m of player’s funds held somewhere within the world of Lock Poker. I doubt that. That money is about as safe as anything left in a Hatton Garden safety deposit box. It’s long gone.
Whilst some players will be glad to see the site close down, you have to feel for those who have had their money stolen. One imagines that keeping the site in operation, also keeps their dreams alive that their money will one day be returned.
One doubts we will receive an official press release from Lock, and as neither the Curacao regulator, or officials of any kind, seem to have done anything about this thievery, in the past two years, we will keep our ear close to the grapevine.
Now, let’s move on to much more interesting things.
Let’s talk about Daniel Negreanu’s piss.
Kid Poker set the cat amongst the pigeons, this week, when he debuted on Twitch. Considering he is the main draw in a company worth billions, one would have thought his production would have been a little classier than a stream of him lying in bed playing poker. But I guess that’s what Twitch is all about.
If you are a regular viewer of Twitch phenom Jason Somerville, you may often wonder how he manages to stream for 7-8 hour stretches without eating, or taking a piss. I know I do. Daniel Negreanu didn’t last more than 30-minutes before nature called.
‘I don’t want to miss a hand,” said Negreanu.
Ever the consummate professional, the Canadian, waltzed into the bathroom, set his laptop onto the sink, and proceeded to take a piss.
“I’m getting more comfortable with you people,” said Negreanu.
He has a lot to learn.
I’m sure Jason Somerville would have sat down to take a piss, and placed the laptop on top of the bathroom bin, so he could have maintained a direct eye line with his fans. That’s what I do when taking a dump and talking to my sweetheart on Skype.
Not only did Negreanu make the news because we got to see him take a leak. He also won $50k during his three-hour stream, playing poker against some of the best-mixed game players in the world. However, you can’t help but wonder about the longevity of this plan. His competitors have access to Twitch, and with just a few minutes delay, can pick up a lot of information regarding the way he plays.
Negreanu is ever the role model though. A few days after he made his Twitch debut (he currently has 13,405 subscribers, and over 220,000 unique views), Liv Boeree decided to follow suit. This takes the toilet trick to a whole new level. Unfortunately, Boeree managed to cross her legs, and we never got to see Boeree pee.
Twitch will make many people rich. But who would have thought owners of colostomy bag companies would have been amongst them?
I once stood next to Jonathan Duhamel whilst he took a piss. I didn’t look. The former World Champion will not be repeating Negreanu’s trick on Twitch under the guise of PokerStars Team Pro, after the pair decided to part ways this week. At least that’s what we think has happened.
Duhamel turned up to play at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown without his Team pro patch. That’s the equivalent of Jason Somerville waking up and not turning on Twitch. There was something amiss.
The rumors circulated. PokerStars said nothing in reply. His mugshot was taken down from Rogues Gallery. Articles were written. Duhamel did nothing to bat down the claims. Therefore it’s true. PokerStars have let Duhamel go after four years in the team.
This is how the whole thing works when people lose their sponsorship deals.
Why?
God only knows.
Duhamel is the latest in a long line of Team pros making way for the likes of Somerville. Victoria Coren-Mitchell is a part of that cast, although she left before anyone could give her the Humpty Dumpty treatment. Not that it’s done her any harm. This week she appeared as the guest host on Have I Got News For You and pulled in close to 5 million viewers. Everyone loves a bit of Vicky Coren-Mitchell. Now there is someone I would like to see Twitch.
Not everyone was getting sacked this week. PKR decided to promote one of their most active online grinders to the role of Team Pro. The ranks that have been graced by the likes of Jake Cody and Vladimir Geshkenbein now contain Dan O’Callaghan. I caught up with him for a quick chat, and will release the interview in the next couple of days. He’s a good lad.
O’Callaghan’s profile is going to rise as a result of the patch. Expect to see him at more live tournament around the UK and Europe, and even a tour of the World Series of Poker. One place you won’t find him is at the Super High Roller Bowl. The new $500,000 buy-in event that will take place this summer, connected with the new 24/7 poker TV channel Poker Central, is slightly out of danshreddies reach.
This week, a roster resplendent with 54 of poker’s biggest names has been thrust onto their website. The word on the street is Cary Katz is making all the calls and securing all of the seats. Katz is legendary within Vegas circles for organizing the biggest tournaments in town. Even Phil Hellmuth is pegged down to play. Keep your eyes open for what potentially could be one of the biggest prize pools in the history of the game.
One face that was missing from the player list was the One Drop founder Guy Laliberte – and it’s not as if he doesn’t have the cash! Forbes estimate the net worth of the Cirque du Soleil founder at $1.9 billion, and this week he increased that quite considerably by selling a majority stake in the entertainment company for an estimated $1.5 billion. The new shareholders, TPG capital, installed the CEO of Caesars Acquisitions Company, Mitch Garber, as their Chairman. Laliberte retains a minority stake, and will continue to contribute to the tour as a creative advisor.
Super High Roller events are all the rage, but you won’t see too many of them being operated in the People’s Republic of China. This week, their status as a provider of live poker tournaments went from a sturdy shade of black, to 50 shades of grey. Only it’s PokerStars officials who could be wearing the handcuffs.
People were getting excited about the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Nanjing Millions. The 2014 Beijing Millions created a record for the largest live tournament ever held outside of the US (The GUKPT Goliath would later beat it), and it was hoped this one could be even bigger.
After 2,300 players registered for the re-entry event, the organizers decided to put on a fourth starting day. Everything was running as smooth as a Daniel Negreanu Twitch stream. Then the local plod got involved. They closed the show down, and according to World Gaming Group, a criminal investigation has since begun.
It’s a game of cards.
This week a woman was pictured lying next to a dead giraffe she had just recently shot dead. Can’t we get our priorities right please!
I will end this week’s news round up with a very quick summary of individual praise.
Griffin Paul is the latest World Poker Tour (WPT) Champions Club member after winning the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown; Wesley Wiegand turned his third WPT Final Table into his first win with victory in the WPT National Series Main Event in Johannesburg; Chris Russell won the largest ever field in Cherokee history by taking the first prize in the $365 re-entry WSOPC side event; Sam Mitten-Laurence won the United Kingdom & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) Main Event in Dusk till Dawn, Ivan Luca won the High Roller in the same festival, and Michelle Chin created history by becoming the first female to win a WSOPC Main Event in their 11 year history with victory in Council Bluffs.
Time, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Someone has just called the clock.
