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Jennifer Tilly Loses Six-Figure High-Stakes Poker Pot Due to…

It’s difficult to blame her, yet it still stings.
With all of the numerous streaming services we feel forced to subscribe to these days, it might be difficult to commit to another, particularly for such specialized content as poker. Thus, as fantastic as PokerGO’s programming has become, it’s natural that fans of series like High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark can’t stomach another charge to their credit cards, particularly since such shows used to air on network and cable television. Yet this is a different period, and these are the breaks.

The trouble with not subscribing, of course, is that you lose out on some interesting hands. Jennifer Tilly, an actress and poker fan, was the unlucky victim of a cooler on Tuesday night’s episode of High Stakes Poker (Season 10, Episode 7). Coolers make for wonderful TV, but they can also ruin a person’s day if they get the short end of the stick.

Tilly had 2-2 in pre-flop action (there was a straddle on) and bet to $3,000 on the dealer button. Robert Sanchez called with K-9, and Antonio Esfandiari raised the pot to $11,000 with J-J.

The flop was a fast-paced J-9-2. Esfandiari had top set, Tilly had bottom set, and Sanchez had middle pair with a flush draw from the second nut. Esfandiari opened with a $14,000 wager, and both of his opponents called. The T increased Sanchez’s outs by giving him a gut-shot straight draw, but Esfandiari risked $43,000 and Tilly pushed all-in for $115,000. He had a good shot at a large pot, but Sanchez felt it was better to be cautious than sorry and folded.

Tilly received the dreadful news when Esfandiari soon contacted. Bottom set is a monster in a three-way hand (or any hand, really), so even with Esfandiari’s boldness, it was difficult to predict his top set coming. The river was the T, giving both players a full house, but Esfandiari’s beat Tilly’s.

The entire pot was $305,800, serving as a reminder to everybody that the poker gods don’t always care whether you make the correct choice.

Still no where near the show’s largest pot.
Even though the pot was significant, it was just one-quarter the size of the highest pot in High Stakes Poker history. This one sold for $1,227,900 during Season 4. It did, however, have an intriguing twist. After a series of raises, Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté called David Benyamine’s all-in with K-5 on a flop of K-3-5 (Sammy Farha was also involved, but ended up folding). To win, Benyamine needed to strike his flush draw or something runner-runner with his A-8.

After considerable deliberation, Laliberté requested that he automatically win a total of $238,900, the amount of the pot before to the big all-in raises. Benyamine agreed, and that was the end of it.

The other players at the table, looking for some excitement, wanted to rabbit hunt the turn and river, but both Laliberté and Benyamine refused.

Picture courtesy of PokerGO.com

Source: www.pokernewsdaily.com

What exactly is range in poker?

In poker, range refers to the probable range of an opponent’s hands at a certain moment of the distribution, or which cards he may play with. It is critical to be able to assess the range of the participant in order to design the best strategy against him and make +EV selections. In this instance, you must additionally consider the structure of the opponent’s range.

Hand ranges are the beginning cards that an opponent might hold. There are 1,326 new players in poker, but the majority of them are ineligible. All pockets may be classified as paired or unpaired, as well as suited or unsuited. The distribution’s outcome is heavily influenced by the number of hands chosen.

Card Squeeze is a unique feature available just at…

One of the most cutting-edge online poker platforms, the WSOP Ontario app is packed with features that enhance the poker-playing experience and make it more enjoyable for players.

The Card Squeeze function is an excellent example of the latter, since it offers nothing to facilitate your play or provide you a strategic advantage over your opponents. Instead, it enhances the gaming experience by mimicking the action of a real-life poker game.

Because the ability to squeeze your cards in online poker is relatively new, let’s take a look at how it works and what you can do with it on premium poker sites like WSOP Ontario.

Instructions for Playing Card Squeeze at the World Series of Poker, Ontario
Card Squeeze requires activation in the WSOP Ontario poker app’s ‘Settings’ before it can be used.

When this option is selected, your hole cards at all tables will be dealt face down, and you may gently squeeze them by exerting pressure with your mouse or touchscreen.

The cards may be squeezed as quickly or as slowly as the player wishes; the deck will still be folded in the allotted time if the player does nothing.

Moreover, a green ‘Open’ button will be accessible in every hand, enabling you to see your cards as if the Squeeze option had been disabled.

You won’t become a stronger poker player by squeezing your hole cards, but it will make the game more exciting and interesting, particularly in the latter rounds of tournaments when the blinds are high and every hand counts.

Compressing the Card Deck
Squeezing all the best cards in crucial all-in scenarios is possible in both cash games and tournaments at WSOP ON.

After getting all your chips in on the flop and being forced to display your hand in a crucial situation, the program will always provide you the option to squeeze the turn and river, no matter how strong or weak your hand is.

You’ll be handed a hand of cards face down, and you may either give them a leisurely squeeze or flip them over quickly to learn your destiny.

Cash game pots larger than 100 big blinds are the only ones in which you can squeeze board cards, but every tournament all-in gives you this chance.

If squeezing your hole cards was exciting for you, then seeing the river card that sends you home or gives you the lead in chips is sure to be a blast.

Come Have Some Fun at the WSOP Ontario
Card Squeeze is a cutting-edge game mode that was recently introduced to the WSOP Ontario software. Not only is this a feature not seen elsewhere, but early registrants to tournaments also benefit from the software’s bubble protection.

All you have to do to join the operator and have access to these and the top cash games and tournaments in Ontario is to be an in-state resident.

Create a free player account and play online poker at one of the top Ontario poker sites right from your computer.

Source: pokerfuse.com

Consider the following: if four queens are revealed, what…

Four of a Kind is the term used to describe a hand that contains the five cards QQQQ. It’s one of the top five-card combinations, ranking above a Straight, Flush, or Full House.

In poker, the order of combination ages does not depend on randomness. It’s not easy to find four identical cards, particularly if they’re high-value cards like the women.

The player has a decent chance of winning the hand with this set, but they also need to consider the remainder of the board and their pocket cards while trying to create Queens or Quads. Many players may get four of a type at the same time in theory, but in fact this seldom occurs. Furthermore, a high-value four of a kind is a solid combination that may be used again and again to win.

The odds of losing while holding QQQQ are quite low, despite the fact that this set nearly always wins. A weaker combination will usually be successful in a game.

Poker dealer

The croupier is in charge of maintaining order during a game of poker. He assists customers, clarifies complex regulations, and mediates conflict. The job seems simple and excellent from the outside. In reality, it calls for a great deal of talent, power, emotional charge, and stamina.

CONTRACTOR DUTIES
A croupier’s primary responsibility is to fairly divide the pot at the end of a hand of poker. However this term covers a lot of ground. As such, the incumbent is responsible for three primary duties:
Chiper. Apprentices in training and internships often fill this role. He is responsible for sorting the poker chips and card decks.
Dealer. regulates players’ adherence to the rules, clarifies their understanding of the game, and keeps track of turn and play sequences. The dealer is responsible for calculating the odds of the game, dealing the hands, and collecting any wins or losses. Members of the public often only speak to the dealer in a casino.
Inspector. His primary responsibility is to oversee the work of other staff, and he often oversees many tables. When required, he alerts management and security and helps them resolve odd or troublesome circumstances.
Jobs for Dealers: Choose the Right One
What connotations does the term “dealer” evoke in a listener’s mind? Obviously, working at a casino is glamorous, with the attendant use of expensive transportation and the presence of attractive individuals.
This is, however, just a small portion of the whole job. Clients from affluent backgrounds are notorious for being deceptive, unreliable, and erratic. Glamor and deceit are married. The employee will not get unpaid time off, but instead will be assigned to perform late hours on a sporadic basis. Being cooped up inside all the time, especially if it becomes stuffy, and never getting any sun might make you feel down.
The regular inspection of hands after finishing work and the absence of pockets also take some getting accustomed to. There’s no way to get out of the suit once they’re inside.
All of these things have a cumulatively devastating effect on one’s mental health, driving one to emotional exhaustion.
Which Dealer Should It Have?
It would seem that the individual who has selected this occupation has no unique criteria. To succeed, all you need to do is look your best. In fact, a dealer who has a tattoo, is dirty, has unclean hair, or is wearing unkempt clothing would never work in a casino.
But there’s more than that. A candidate for this role has to be able to assess situations rapidly and have the ability to anticipate outcomes. Learning to count quickly and accurately in your head is a unique talent, and not only for adding. It’s important that you can multiply even two-digit integers fast.
Self-assurance, self-control, the ability to interact well with a wide range of individuals, and the resilience to deal effectively with adversity all rank high on the list of desirable traits.
Also, keeping track of each player’s movements and activities requires real-time calculations. Some people argue that these traits must be present from birth and cultivated via education.
No one is going to give a greenhorn the keys to the poker room. Anybody can benefit from dedicating a few months to learning. There is a high attrition rate throughout training.
Even though it may seem like it, a poker croupier does not make the most money for his job. The average monthly wage is about $1,000 in major metropolitan areas and significantly less in smaller towns.
Croupiers who work for casinos earn a permanent payout tied to their bonus and tips, but they are not allowed to keep all of it for themselves. In most cases, the whole is distributed equally across workers.

The Bounty Builder Series has begun on PokerStars in…

PokerStars Ontario maintains its forward pace in 2023 with the introduction of a new and thrilling event series with a total prize pool of $700.000 CDN.

Less than a week after wrapping up its 50/50 Series, PokerStars Ontario is offering another special surprise for tournament lovers. The operator is holding a Bounty Builder Series, so expect lots of activity at the tables.

This series runs from February 18th to March 6th and contains CAD $700,000 in guaranteed prize money across all events played in the standard PKO (progressive knockout) style. This ensures that participants may still profit from their efforts even if they do not make it to the latter rounds of a competition.

PokerStars Ontario has a variety of tournaments with buy-ins starting as little as $5. There are tournaments with buy-ins as little as $0.01 and as high as $1,000, and more than a hundred events give players lots of opportunities to play at varying stakes.

Featured Events from the PokerStars ON Bounty Builder Series

For the Main Event, There Is Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars at Stake

The Main Event, with a $75,000 prize pool and a $200 entry fee, is sure to be the highlight of the tournament series. The competition is set for March 5, at the finish of the series.

Every elimination in the Main Event will be worth at least $50 thanks to the PKO structure and the $100 added to the bounty prize pool from each buy-in. As the tournament goes, the value of the bounties will rise as the player who scores each elimination will get half of the reward added to their total.

The event has a slow format, with a beginning stack of 50,000 chips and 15-minute levels that increase to 20 minutes later on. During the roughly four-hour late registration period, each participant may reenter the game a maximum of five times.

Overlay is possible in the Main Event of the PokerStars Ontario Bounty Builder Series. A total of 100 events are planned for the complete program, so there will be plenty of additional activity.

Series Overview and Key Moments in the Bounty System
Beginning this coming Saturday, February 18th, there will be nine separate competitions in this brand new series. Following then, tournaments will be held more often on Saturdays and Sundays, with at least four taking place each day.

The Sunday $100 Series Kick-Off has a CAD$10,000 guarantee, while the Sunday $5 Bounty Builder #8 has a comparatively modest CAD$1400 guarantee, which is also expected to be smashed due to the large number of entrants.

The program contains a range of games and styles, so those who like games other than Hold ’em will be able to find something to their liking. There are many other types of poker tournaments, including the more common Pot Limit Omaha and No Limit Omaha, as well as 8-game and HORSE events, 2-7 Single Draw, 5 Card Draw, and even Courchevel.

The Bounty Builder Series welcomes players of all skill levels thanks to its wide range of buy-in amounts. Around half of the tournaments have a buy-in of $30 or less, while the other half have buy-ins of $50 or more.

On Sunday, February 19, Event #15 (next to the Main Event) has the highest guarantee. With a $100 entry fee, participants have a chance to win $40,000. The February 26th $1000 Event #52 is a high-stakes event with a $35,000 prize pool for the highest bidder.

As compared to higher buy-in tournaments, the guarantees for lower buy-in tournaments are often less. However, there are four $50 tournaments that promise five figures, and they appear to achieve the perfect balance between the entrance cost and prize pool.

Fans of PKO at PokerStars Ontario, particularly those interested in trying their hand at games other than Hold’em, are in for a nice treat over the next several weeks.

Get the most recent PokerStars Ontario Download and register an account to find out for yourself why it is considered one of the best online casinos in Ontario.

Source: pokerfuse.com

PSPC 2023 has 1000 entries and is on track…

The PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) broke the record for the biggest non-WSOP live event ever conducted and the highest $25k buy-in tournament in history in its maiden edition four years ago.

Over 1000 players took their seats on the opening day of the long-awaited PSPC 2023 tournament, which might set a new record. Official PokerStars statistics show that 1003 people joined the $25,000 buy-in event. According to reports from the field, the total was significantly higher, with 1005 participants as of the end of play yesterday.

In any case, the prize pool exceeds $24 million. It has already become one of the top 25 biggest poker tournaments ever hosted, and the prize pool might increase even more as registration continues until later today.

The PSPC is described by the operator as “a real celebration of poker.” It is a single-day freeze-out event, with a significant chunk of the field made up of recreational players and those who earned their spot for free. The tournament is part of the operator’s well-known PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) tour.

Similarly to the debut event in 2019, PokerStars distributed over 400 Platinum Passes, each worth $30,000, securing a prize pool of over $10 million. The package covers event registration, travel, and lodging. Another 600 players joined the game via direct buy-ins or satellites on the PokerStars real money app, bringing the total prize pool to more over $24 million.

PSPC 2023 Players & Platinum Pass Holders

On Monday afternoon, Day 1 began at the new venue at the Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas, and “at the shuffle up and deal,” over 700 players had taken their places. Another 300 participants had joined the competition before the end of the day. To top last year’s participation level of 1039 total participants, the competition just needs 35 more registrants to register today.

To beat its reward pool, though, the endeavor is little more difficult: it requires around 100 more. Because the whole buy-in was contributed to the prize pool in the first edition, it was virtually rake-free. The operator does not charge a house fee for this edition, but a staff fee of $500 is withheld from each player’s buy-in. As a result, the pool receives $24,500 for each player’s buy-in.

The tournament featured many of the game’s biggest names, including reigning champion Ramon Colillas, who advanced to Day 2 alongside former WSOP Main Event winner and former PokerStars ambassador Chris Moneymaker, 2022 Main Event winner Espen Jorstad, Fedor Holz, Ryan Riess, Martin Jacobson, and others.

Andre Akkari, Arlie Shaban, Benjamin Spragg, and Sam Grafton are among the PokerStars Team Pros that made it through Day 1. Former 888poker ambassador Chris Moorman is tied for the chip lead with Tony Tran at 356,000.

Day 2 starts on Tuesday afternoon, with 680 players still alive. Players may still buy-in and register until level 11. The money is earned by the top 20% of the field. This implies that when the money bubble breaks, at least 200 participants will benefit, with the minimum cash award sitting at $26k.

PokerStars will provide live broadcast coverage on their official Twitch channel and on YouTube every day until the champion is declared, with a 30-minute delay. The PSPC is in effect until February 3, 2023.

Source: pokerfuse.com

Tactical tricks in poker – types, examples with explanations

One of the tools for implementing the strategy is tactics. Unlike a strategic plan, a tactical plan cannot be drawn up in advance, since the player does not know how the situation will turn out in a given hand. However, during the game, evaluating the actions and characteristics of opponents, the composition of their own and common cards, the poker player can use one or a number of tactics that are optimal for the current situation. Poker tricks are one of the ways to increase profits and every novice player should learn how to use them in practice. According to their features, they can be divided into several groups:

Bluff

The name of this category is probably familiar to all users. A bluff is an attempt to win the pot without having a strong hand. The poker player demonstrates a strong hand with his behavior and, having misled the opponent, makes him fold and give up the pot without opening and comparing combinations. However, it is not easy to make a bluff an effective tool. Some of these poker tricks are complex and require the player to take a series of carefully considered actions, while others are easy to perform. Here are some examples of poker tricks:

Betting with a weak hand is a technically extremely simple technique – the player simply needs to bet first in order to try to win the pot. But for it to be effective, a poker player needs to take into account many factors. He must be sure that the opponent does not have a very strong combination with which it will be profitable for him to equalize the bet. The player must choose a size increase that will be unprofitable for the opponent to compare. In some cases, it is better to bet a little, otherwise the opponent will suspect a trick.

Raising is a more difficult move, as it is a return raise to the bet of an opponent who shows a strong hand. It can work if the opponent has a non-premium combination, for example – a Pair on Queens when the board is an Ace or a King. Sometimes a Raise is effective on a dangerous board to make a Flush or a Straight, as it makes your opponent believe that you have made the Nuts.

Check-Raise – in this case, the player, acting first, announces a Check, but raises in response to the opponent’s Bet. Such a technique in the game of poker is especially effective if the poker player played Check-Call in the previous auction. This line of play often accompanies a very strong hand, and many opponents are at risk of checking for a subsequent raise.

A bet-raise is a very tricky move, as the player first bets with a bluff and then responds with another bluff to an opponent’s Raise. It turns out that he is trying to deceive him again in the same auction, since the first time he did not succeed. This technique is most often effective only against those players who often bluff themselves. You should have a high degree of confidence that your opponent’s raise was also made by cheating or with a medium strength hand.

Squeeze – The performer raises pre-flop after one opponent raises and the other calls. It is quite difficult in terms of choosing the right situation and due to the need for careful assessment of the player. It comes with risk as the raise is high – convincingly demonstrating that the poker player has a very strong hand – like a Pair of Aces.

Steal – Raising from a late position (Button, Cut-off, rarely Hijack) in order to take the Blinds preflop. Produced with a fairly wide range of cards and provided that all other opponents have folded. The performer expects to take the pot easily, as the Blinds will be at a disadvantage on the Flop by acting first.

Resteal – Countering Steel from the position of the Blinds. If you suspect that the opponent is trying to steal the Blinds with a wide range of hands, the poker player raises to save his chips and take the aggressor’s bet. Usually, you should choose a slightly smaller range of starting hands for Resteal than the opponent who makes Steel.

The listed tricks in poker differ from the rest in that the player who implements them does not have a strong combination or did not make it at all. Their goal is to take the bank without opening it. If the reception does not work, the performer loses the money spent on its implementation. Therefore, it is important to be able to choose the optimal situations for a bluff so that it brings profit at a distance.

semi-bluff

You can already judge by the name that these techniques are only half deceptive. They differ from bluffs in that the player does not have a strong combination, but has a high chance of making it on the following streets. Therefore, he risks less than with a bluff. Because of this, the semi-bluff is used much more often. For example, it is an effective playing line for Straight Draw and Flush Draw.

If the player does not have a ready combination, he can calculate the chances of making it. By comparing these odds with the size of the potential win if he gets the right card, he can understand whether it is profitable to use a semi-bluff or not. In addition, he can calculate the size of the bet, which would be profitable to make in such a situation. Made in it, he gets three options for the development of events:

The player bet even more – an unfavorable option, since if the opponent’s increase is unprofitable to compare, he will have to fold;

The opponent has equaled – the poker player will make a profit at a distance, even if the combination is not made in the current hand;

The opponent folded – the player receives a win, not knowing whether the combination would have been completed or not, which is also a good result.

In some cases, a semi-bluff can be used even if you have to make a disadvantageous bet at a distance. For example, if there is confidence that the opponent does not have a strong hand and will fold with a high probability.

A particular example of a semi-bluff is a continuation bet. A continuation bet is the continuation of aggression on the flop after a pre-flop raise against one opponent who previously called the raise. Even if the community cards don’t improve the hand, a player with an effective starting card range will often end up with a stronger hand than an opponent with a wider range. There is also a possibility that the opponent made a combination, but of medium strength on an open flop, which also allows you to take the pot from him without having a ready poker hand.

Bank increase

With a strong hand, you should often use poker tricks that allow you to increase the pot. Just like with bluffs and semi-bluffs, you need to choose the best technique for each specific situation, for example:

Nuts – With an unbeatable hand, you can use the tactical line of Check-Call or Bet-Call to the River, and check-raise or Bet-Raise on the River. The opponent will build up the bank himself, which will later go to you.

Strong Hand – If the hand is strong, but the opponent can improve on the following streets, the Check-Call technique cannot be used on the Flop and Turn. This will allow the opponent to watch the next cards, making bets of such a size that is beneficial to him. Therefore, in this case, you need to either check-raise already before the River, or make a high raise by acting first. The size of such a raise should be such that it is unprofitable for the opponent to complete flushes, straights or other combinations. Playing not according to the pot odds, the opponent will be at a loss in the long run, even if he makes a combination in the current distribution.

In some cases, these tricks in poker can be replaced with a natural draw. For example, having a strong or unbeatable hand, bet the big one first. This can be an effective move if you are confident that your opponent also has a strong hand, but weaker than yours. Let’s say you have an Ace Flush, and the player’s behavior suggests that he also has a Flush that won’t fold. He is unaware that his hand is weaker on a high card and can call or raise a high bet.

Each of these techniques should be studied in more detail in order to learn how to choose the appropriate situations for their implementation. Having mastered the full arsenal of tactical tricks and techniques, you will be able to significantly increase your profits, as they are intended for this.

On January 31, 2023, the first WPT Prime stop…

Since its inception in 2022, the World Poker Tour’s WPT Prime tournaments have proved to be popular. WPT Prime is intended to provide players from all around the globe with the opportunity to experience the excitement and pleasure of playing in a WPT Main Event for a fraction of the expense.

Last year, WPT Prime traveled to Vietnam, Australia’s Gold Coast, Cambodia, Madrid, Taiwan, and Las Vegas, and it is presently in Paris, France, where the €1,100 buy-in Main Event begins on January 31.

WPT Prime was last seen in the midst of the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. The World Poker Tour guaranteed the $1,100 buy-in event a $2 million prize pool, but a 5,430-strong field generated a $5,267,100 prize pool, culminating in a $712,650 payoff for winner Stephen Song. While WPT Prime Paris has little chance of reaching such absurd numbers, the data below shows that the tour does well in its European, Asian, and Australasian destinations.

Past WPT Prime Results

The WPT Prime Paris Main Event has five Day 1 flights, with the fifth and final flight using a turbo structure. Day 1a begins on January 31 at 12:00 p.m. CET, with consecutive starting days beginning at the same time on February 1-3. The turbo Day 1e will also take held on February 3 at 7:00 p.m. CET. On February 5, the WPT Prime Paris Main Event winner will be crowned.

If the Main Event follows in the footsteps of the previous WPT Prime High Roller, players will be in for a treat. The €2,200 buy-in tournament had 246 participants who competed for a €102,500 top prize.

Idir Haiche, a Frenchman, was the last guy remaining. He beat Portugal’s Hipolito Carapeta heads-up to win €102,500, leaving the runner-up with €71,020.

Argentina’s Andres Korn, who has about $2.5 million in live poker tournament winnings, placed fourth for €37,000, with Miroslav Alilovic, the 2022 EPT Barcelona ESPT High Roller winner, finishing fifth for €27,400.

WPT Prime Paris High Roller Final Table Results

Results of the WPT Prime Paris
Six WPT Prime Paris tournaments have concluded, including the aforementioned High Roller, but there’s much more to come at Club Circus Paris. The €715 Omaha tournament will be held on January 30, with a €3,300 Super High Roller on February 4-5.

If you missed out on becoming a WPT Prime champion in Paris, don’t worry since there are two additional destinations across the globe. WPT Prime Gold Coast will see the tour return to Australia before heading to Cambodia for the third leg of the 2023 tour. WPT Prime Gold Coast begins from February 23 to March 6, and Cambodia continues from March 9 to March 21. Perhaps you might win a seat at WPT Global online?

Did you know that the World Poker Tour is available online?

With the advent of WPT Global, poker players all around the globe now have the opportunity to win their way to WPT events, win prizes, and participate in thrilling activities like Poker Flips. WPT Global, one of the world’s major cash game poker networks, is accessible in over 50 countries and territories worldwide.

WPT Global has a generous deposit match bonus of 100% up to $1,200. (using any payment method). New players that deposit at least $20 earn this match bonus, which is unlocked in $5 increments (paid directly to the cashier) for every $20 of rake contributed.

Tournaments and cash games both contribute to bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of their first deposit to unlock and collect their whole bonus sum.

Source: www.pokernews.com