Tag: World Series of Poker

WSOP gets underway

pair of aces in poker with poker chips

This is the time of year for poker aficionados as the World Series of Poker gets underway at the Rio in Las Vegas. The Rio has been slipping in recent years as a Las Vegas destination, but the WSOP always brings it back to the forefront as it gets invaded by poker fans and players who have been brushing up their skills all year online working on their game and going for bonuses like the 888 poker bonus. The atmosphere changes completely this time of year as the Rio becomes a mecca for the poker world.

Every year brings new highlights along with new issues, and the Las Vegas Sun pointed out 25 things to look for with this year’s tournament. The Rio will get some new attention with the all-new VooDoo Zipline, which stretches from one tower of the Rio to the other. The zipline is strung 490 feet above the ground and you can get up to 33 MPH on this thing. This attraction gives you an idea of what the Rio needs to do these days to grab attention, as newer and trendier casinos have swiped many of the young and beautiful visitors who no longer see the Rio as a real option unless they’re trying to save cash.

As for the actual poker, developments in online play with new state regulations are also have an impact. Online players have changed the sport, but sanctioned tournaments can make things even more interesting to the point where the WSOP might start looking seriously at hybrid games. We’ll see how that plays out. Also, WSOP.com is making it easier now for fans to track the tournament action in real time.

There’s no doubt that the WSOP will do everything possible to keep its status as the top tournament and event in the world. This year’s Main Event is featuring a guaranteed $10 million first-place prize.

Greatest Poker Scorers of All Time

poker dealer

In this interesting read, we present to you the list of the best poker players of all times. Now while reading through, keep in mind that this list is time and measurement bound, however, the players’ progress and winnings have been meticulously monitored and evaluated to give you a thrilling read.

1. Antonio Esfandiari has won two World Poker Tour (WPT) championships and three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets in his career and is known throughout the world for his elaborate chip tricks. As of July 2013, his total live tournament winnings exceeded $25.5 million.

2. Daniel Negreanu has often been called the unofficial ambassador of poker. His charm mixed with highly intuitive and active play has garnered him a huge fan following. He is one of the highest-grossing tournament players of all time. He has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles, all of them in 2004. His total live tournament winnings exceed $16,100,000.

3. Phil Hellmuth also makes the list of biggest all-time poker winner with over $17.4 million won on poker platforms. He plays poker full-time. He is known as the “Poker Brat” and he has reached the historic milestone of 100 WSOP cashes and has won 44 live tournaments.

4. Erik Seidel is a former professional Backgammon player and Wall Street trader who now uses skills learnt on Wall Street by winning money on poker platforms worldwide. In 2010, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and has won $18.5 million in live tournament play till date.

5. British Poker Pro Sam Trickett also makes it to the all-time best list. He is only 27 years old and started playing poker back in 2005 after suffering a knee injury that ended his professional football career. Till date he has won with over $19.6 million.

Thus, be inspired by the likes of the people mentioned in the list. Once inspiration strikes, come and play poker online at Titan Poker to make it to the all-times best list.

Players advance in World Series of Poker

In the video above, you can watch the reigning World Series of Poker Main Event champion Greg Merson talking about the 2013 Main Event. At that point he was still in the tournament and perhaps feeling confident, but he was recently eliminated, finishing 167th which is pretty respectable.

The Main Event has changed dramatically over the years, and now the tournament is so big it has to be staggering when compared to the old school events. On Friday the field was narrowed down to 648 players, all of whom will take home a minimum of $19,000 for their efforts. The last player eliminated was Farzad Bonyadi, a twenty-year World Series of Poker veteran who has three bracelets. The drama of having Bonyadi go down when he went all-in just punctuated the new reality of this tournament. There were only 34 players back in 1977 when Doyle Brunson repeated as Main Event champion, and Johnny Chan was able to win a second title in a row in 1988 by beating a field of 167 players.

The popularity of poker, it’s presence on TV, the acknowledgement now by many that it’s a game of skill, and the innovations in online gaming and tournaments have permanently altered the poker landscape. These trends are not slowing down, particularly now with smartphones and mobile apps expanding the playing field even more. Access now extends beyond the smoky poker table or even the computer screen, as we can play anywhere, 24/7. You can easily play casino games on Android phones by clicking here and seeing the best options. The new generation of players flooding Las Vegas for the World Series will only keep growing. Also, public sentiment has changed to the point that politicians realize that this game of skill should be afforded the proper respect and regulation.

It will be fascinating to see if we’ll ever have another back-to-back Main Event winner again. Now that the doors have been blown wide open, it seems practically impossible given the sheer number of poker players. The odds are definitely against it.