It seems that the more things change within the vast and ever expanding world of poker, the more they stay the same.
German wunderkind Fedor Holz continues to be winning the entire money, despite suggestions he was able to hang all of it up. Daniel Negreanu remains to be the darling of the media, despite taking over a brand new role as host of his own poker podcast, and PokerStars remains to be setting the top-quality in live events, despite plans for some new branding released this week.
All this, and more at the state of online poker legislation in California and the scale of the 15th annual World Championship of Online Poker kicking off on PokerStars next month, on this week's Five Thoughts:
1. Don't Call It A Comeback
Fedor Holz
Kudos to Fedor Holz, who pulled the wool over the poker world's eyes while continuing the best high-roller heater of all time, popping out of "retirement" to book a win within the EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller for €1.3 Million last week.
To be fair, the 23-year-old German never really retired, as reported by various media outlets. Exhausted from the whole seven-week summer grind on the 2016 WSOP, Holz simply spoke about creating a lower than full-time commitment to next year's WSOP and mused in regards to the possibility of constructing a more substantial contribution to society than the typical professional poker player does. So it wasn't really a shock to peer him ensue in Barcelona and add to the greater than $12 million in tournament earnings he's secured during the last six months while in this massive heater.
Holz has admitted he hasn't really discovered what he desires to do together with his life yet, and at 23, that's greater than OK. Obviously, if he desires to save the world, running off into early retirement and a volunteer position within the Peace Corps is an option, however it really is not the best one for him at the moment. In fact, although creating a greater contribution to society is his ultimate goal, someone along with his current skill set remains to be doing exactly what he's doing, making as much money as he can while riding out the heater, and working out later how he can best use a few of it for the betterment of all.
It's certainly fun watching Holz dominate at the felt. He's a wise kid, humble, and proof that tough work and dedication pays off, even in poker. Nevertheless it could be more fun watching him dominate in real life, understanding his optimal line going forward, changing into some more or less new age Robin Hood of poker, and creating a significant difference in his own life, and the lives of others, if, and when, he's able to do so.
2. EPT Out, PokerStars Championships, Festivals In
PokerStars Championship
This week, PokerStars announced a plan to rebrand its entire live events roster beginning in 2017, essentially taking it's wildly successful European Poker Tour event model to its biggest stops, across the different tours, around the globe and calling them PokerStars Championships. In addition they unveiled plans to continue to construct upon the success of the smaller, regional tours, turning them into PokerStars Festivals.
The first scheduled PokerStars Championship can be held within the Bahamas from January 6-14, 2017, that's exciting for 2 reasons. First off, the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure will continue in a single form or another. If the WSOP is poker's summer camp, the PCA is definitely its winter break, and poker players and fans from around the globe have to be overjoyed the thrill goes to continue. Secondly, nobody should pretend the Bahamas is in Europe anymore. Making the PCA part of the ecu Poker Tour never made any sense geographically speaking. Now we will all just pretend that never really happened.
The PokerStars Festival events are designed to be shorter week-long live events with a fun, holiday feel, tailored towards recreational players and the primary one is slated to move off in New Jersey from October 29 through November 6.
New Jersey within the Fall doesn't exactly scream out vacation destination, however the exciting thing here's that all of it represents PokerStars' return to big-time live events within the U.s.. There's going to be greater than 50 tournaments with buy-ins starting from $100 to $5,000 and quite a few unique features at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, and it'll be the primary time in a very long time that Americans could be capable of benefit from the hospitality and fun offered at PokerStars events with no need to move overseas.
3. Negreanu Jumps within the Podcast Business
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu launched what's certain to be a great addition to the poker podcast skyline last week. The entire Contact Poker Podcast is promising to be an in-depth inspect the business side of poker, and with Negreanu hosting, it is a simple task to be an informative and entertaining one.
Negreanu's agent Brian Balsbaugh was the primary guest at the inaugural episode and the pair's lengthy discussion on sponsorship throughout the poker boom was a super listen, even supposing just for example of some great stories highlighting how much the game, and the business surrounding it, has changed over the last few years.
While the actual challenge for the super-busy Negreanu can be maintaining with a normal schedule for the pod, here's hoping he does because his insights and access to the ability players on this industry are certain to be second to none.
4. California Online Poker Hits a Snag
Poker in California
The fight to play legal and controlled online poker in California has morphed right into a battle for where exactly California players could be in a position to get their game on.
Last week, a bill to legalize and regulate online poker within the State look poised to pass Assembly and head to the Senate, but by the point a planned Monday vote rolled around, that bill was off the table.
PokerStars' parent company Amaya, and the coalition of California tribal interests that backs them, sent off a letter opposing an amendment to the bill that called for a foul actor clause, putting a five-year ban, and doubtless more, on companies accepting US wagers after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed in 2006.
The message this is clear: Online poker is coming to California, it's only a matter of who'll be allowed to host the games and collect the rake, and that lengthy battle seems to be just beginning.
5. WCOOP Gets Bigger and Smaller
WCOOP
When the 15th annual World Championship of Online Poker kicks off on PokerStars next month, it will likely be both the most important and smallest ever.
Running Sept 4 to 26, PokerStars’ flagship online tournament championship will feature a record-breaking 82 events and greater than $50 million in guaranteed prize pools. The principle Event will feature a $10 million guarantee making it some of the richest poker tournaments at the planet, online or off, and after a successful $51,000 Super High Roller event last year, PokerStars has doubled that record buy-in to $102,000.
That's the large stuff. The little stuff is that the sector Championships might be mirrored by a low-stakes companion series for the primary time ever. Mini-WCOOP will feature identical events from WCOOP at a small percentage of the fee. All the small-stakes series was designed to provide recreational players and others who typically don't play WCOOP the chance to feel just a little excitement surrounding the series.
Here's hoping, and expecting, this September brings with it another successful World Championship of Online Poker, now on both ends of poker's economic spectrum.
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