WCP VIII: Seeded matches set, Netherlands with one hand on the trophy

The final round robin heads up matches are over and it's the Netherlands out ahead with just one set of high pressure seeded heads up matches to play. Bar a miraculous turn of events, which is always possible in the World Cup, it will be one of three countries lifting the trophy; the Netherlands (241), Peru (237) or Japan (222).

Germany (219) and Tajikistan (215) stand outside chances of winning but would need to dominate all five of their heads up matches to do so, and hope their rivals fail. Tajikistan have already had one sweep scored and one conceded so it's distinctly possible that takes place.

Win 0 HU: 0 points
Win 1 HU: 5 points
Win 2 HU: 10 points
Win 3 HU: 25 points
Win 4 HU: 30 points
Win 5 HU: 50 points

Team Netherlands captain Noah Boeken

The leader board as it stands
1. Netherlands, 241 points
2. Peru, 237 points
3. Japan, 222 points
4. Germany, 219 points
5. Tajikistan, 215 points
6. Costa Rica, 189 points
7. France, 187 points
8. Rest of the World, 174 points

It's been a wild ride for Team Tajikistan as it's been the first time all five have played live beyond home games and they've acquitted themselves well. We caught up with their captain Angel Davidov during round six.

"The event means a great deal for all of us and Tajikistan. Like in any other post-Soviet country card games are considered gambling but we're trying to prove that it's a sport. For a country with only 50 poker players it was a big victory just to get here ahead of countries like Ukraine and Russia," said Davidov, a hulking tower of a man.

"When we walked in here yesterday we said, 'We are not going to finish in ninth place, we're shouldn't be the first to leave if we want to achieve our goal of promoting poker. Our goal today was to finish in the top four... but first or second would be great for us and Tajikistan. Ten people have asked me where it is. It was in Europe according to some, others thought Latin America!" said Davidov.

One round left to play.

Angel Davidov (the tall one)

The payouts
1st. $90,000 ($22,500 per person)
2nd. $65,000 ($16,250 per person)
3rd. $45,000 ($11,250 per person)
4th. $30,000 ($7,500 per person)
5th. $20,000 ($5,000 per person)
6th. $15,000 ($3,750 per person)
7th. $10,000 ($2,500 per person)
8th. $7,500 ($1,875 per person)
9th: Italy, $5,000 ($1,250 per person)

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Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: World Cup of Poker]

Americas Cup moving toward the slopes

With more than 35,000 entries into the PokerStars Americas Cup of Poker, the pre-event favorites have pulled out to a commanding lead.

As you've likely heard, the Americas Cup is pitting people from all over North and South America against each other in a battle for bragging rights and big money at the end of the world. At stake, a chance at the live final in the Patagonia region of Argentina and a heck of a ski trip in September.

A snow boarder on the slopes in Argentina -- Photo by Palmiro Bedeschi

After one round of play, several of the divisions have seen serious blow outs. In Group A, the United States and Mexico have crushed Equador and preliminary qualifier Guatemala 8-0 in early action. Canada and Colombia have done the same thing to Uruguay and Panama in Group B. In Group D, Argentina (host of the live final) and Brazil skunked Paraguay and Honduras.

It's only in Group C where things have stayed exceptionally tight. All four countries are still well within reach of making live final. As of right now, here's how the teams win/loss records look.

Costa Rica (6 - 2)
Chile (4 - 4)
Venezuela (4 - 4)
Peru (2 - 6)

The top two teams in each group will be headed to the live final. This week, PokerStars announced that all teams that finish in third place will get a chance to play for the $10,000 ninth place playoff. That means that even those teams that didn't fare well in the early going still have a reason to fight.

To see the full results so far, check out the Americas Cup results page.

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Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: Americas Cup]

Westgate partners with Gamblino to promote SuperContest football handicapping event

Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and Gamblino announced a partnership to expand the reach of the SuperBook’s annual SuperContest, the world’s largest and most renowned pro football handicapping competition. The partnership marks the next step in the advancement of the SuperContest and the progression of sports betting in America. Much like satellite tournaments brought the World Series of Poker to the everyday poker player, Westgate and Gamblino, a mobile gaming company, will provide the casual sports bettor access to the once-exclusive SuperContest.

“Each year the SuperContest continues to get bigger and better and our partnership with Gamblino is the perfect way to reach even more people,” said Jay Kornegay, Vice President of Race & Sports for the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. “We are excited and know that this will allow us to exceed our record-breaking SuperContest numbers.”

Gamblino will host the competitions and has created a series of SuperContest Satellite tournaments that are free to enter and available to anyone in the U.S. Their mobile app will operate individual sports betting contests around professional and college sporting events. The winner of each tournament will earn a free entry into the 2015 SuperContest, where they will compete with the world’s best handicappers throughout the NFL season for a chance to win a share of the pot, which was $2.1 million in 2014. Last year’s winners took home nearly $750,000 and the SuperContest is anticipating that they could have their first million-dollar winner in the near future.

The satellite tournaments will operate on a unique points system developed by Gamblino, so no currency is ever exchanged. This feature makes the app legal across the U.S. and provides players the thrill of placing a bet without the financial risk. The app is currently free to download for iOS users with Android capabilities expected by Summer 2015.

“We built Gamblino to deliver the thrills of sports betting to fans around the country who can’t make it out to Las Vegas,” said Frank Wilson, founder of Gamblino. “The design of our app makes placing a bet easy for the casual fan without sacrificing the experience a seasoned bettor would expect. These satellite contests provide an unprecedented opportunity for anyone to compete for a spot in the SuperContest for free and from the convenience of their mobile phone.”

The Satellite Series begins with the college basketball tournament and will challenge fans to beat the odds throughout the contest. Players can learn more about the SuperContest Satellite Series, download Gamblino, and register for the mobile tournaments at www.SuperContestSatelliteSeries.com. Registration for the contest is now available through the Gamblino app.
 

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Shuffle up for the UKIPT All-In Kitchen

Food, or poker? Depending on what time of day it is, and maybe the size of your stack, it's sometimes hard to work out which is the more pleasurable. So we're happy to announce we've discovered a way to bypass this universal quandary, with an innovative pop-up restaurant.

This week PokerStars and Jones & Sons teamed up to celebrate the new season of the UK and Ireland Poker Tour. Uniting poker with gourmet food, the "All-In Kitchen" was created, the world's first pay-by-poker restaurant.

It sounds like something out of a daydream between hands, but it's exactly as it sounds -- you play poker to determine how much you pay for your meal.

The first All-In Kitchen proved a huge success this week, and there are now plans to roll out the experience nationwide across all the UKIPT stops this season.

Here's how you put your money* where your mouth is, whether you're a poker rookie, or regularly frequent the world of Super High Rollers (free stuff is free stuff after all).
First you play three hands of poker. Then, what you pay is based on how many chips you have at the end of those three hands. That could be £10, £5 or absolutely nothing, all complements of PokerStars.

And the thing is, even if you bust out in the first hand with a gloriously ill-considered hero call, you're still only paying £10 for a great three course meal, normally worth about £50 a head, with a cocktail to wash it down with of course.

As Andy Jones, Founder of Jones & Sons, put it: "I love food and never shy away from the tables when I get the chance, so having the opportunity to create a menu that combines two of my favourite things was something I jumped at. Embracing Poker within the dishes was a lot of fun and some of the dishes that hit the cutting room floor were a bit out there, but I can't wait to see the results and serve up some Aces."

One look at the menu, curated by Jones & Sons, and you get an immediately idea why, when it comes to the All-In Kitchen, you can't really lose.

The gourmet offering will feature a 'Royal Flush of King Crab Thermidor', 'Queen Scallops accompanied by Salt Baked Swede and Bacon Marmalade, '4 Of A Kind of Lamb Chops, Rump, Kidney and Shoulder With A Rosemary Jus' and even a '2 Pair of Pear Tarte Tatin, Pear Caramel and Ice Cream'.

So let's see: £10 at most for a £50 three course gourmet meal? That's £40 added to the prize pool right there.

The All-In Kitchen has already packed up its London operation but plans are already afoot for it to re-appear at future stops. Watch out for details of how you can book a seat as the Tour continues.

For now, shuffle up and eat.

* The event is meant for customers to have fun. Poker at this event is optional and no money is wagered during the poker element of the experience. You can rock up and soak up the atmosphere and pay full price for you meal, or you have the option of playing a few hands and winning your meal for less or completely FREE.

---

Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog.


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Riccardo Lacchinelli takes IPT Sanremo crown

Italian player Riccardo Lacchinelli defeated a field of 392 players in Sanremo, to win the latest leg of the Italian Poker Tour, collecting a first prize of €70,500 from a prize pool that totalled €380,240.

It was the second IPT final table of Lacchinelli's career, after he finished in ninth-place at the IPT Grand Final of Saint Vincent last season.

Riccardo Lacchinelli

Lacchinelli is one of the most famous and feared player in the Italian Poker scene with a resume that includes 31st place at the EPT San Remo 2011 (buy-in of €5,300) for a prize of €22,500; second place at the IPT San Remo 2010 (€2,200 buy-in) for a payout of €110,000; first place in a €330 side event during EPT San Remo in 2010, for a prize of €20,000; 143rd place at the PCA in 2009 ($ 10,000 buy-in) for a payout of €12,500; third place at the IPT San Remo 2008 (€2,200 buy-in) for a €30,000 prize; 45th place at EPT Prague in 2008 (€5,300 buy-in) for a payout of €8,300.

He proved himself to be the most skilled player at the final table in Sanremo, and that proved enough to capture the trophy.

Lacchinelli's heads-up opponent was French player Michel Segui who took second place for €59,500.

The final hand featured Segui going all-in with 3♠Q♣, called by Lacchinelli with 3♦J♦.
The following board gave the Lacchinelli the prestigious trophy of IPT winner and first prize:

J♠ 7♠ J♣ Q♥ 6♥

This was the final payout:

1. Riccardo Lacchinelli €70,500*
2. Michel Segui €59,500*
3. Roberto Masullo €32,000
4. Giuseppe Di Stasio €25,000
5. Antonio Illiano €20,000
6. Muhamet Perati €15,000
7. Carlo Savinelli €11,000
8. Alessandro Peppino Reich €8,770
*denotes two-way deal.

Mini IPT

The fifth stop of the Mini IPT Season 6 registered a total of 534 entries for a €155,394 combined prize pool. Italian player Saimon Omar Pisano took home the €30,000 first prize and trophy after a long and challenging heads-up against fellow Italian player Daniele Nazzaro who took home €18,500.

"Last Man Standing"

Fiodor Martino Lavagetto, from Italy, is the winner of the "Last Man standing" promotion by Neteller. He takes home a €1,000 cheque.

IPT next stop will be in Nova Gorica 23-27 October 2014. This will be the sixth stop of Season 6 and the third consecutive with a €1,100 buy-in and a freeze-out format. The "Mini IPT" will again be incorporated in to the main festival schedule rather than taking place beforehand with a €300 + €30 Single Re-entry with three start days.

Satellites for IPT Nova Gorica 2 Season 6 will start next week on PokerStars.it

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Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: Italian Poker Tour]

Cleo Queen of Egypt Provides InterCasino Players Wealth

^When playing inside an online casino, there is nothing better than playing games where the odds are in your favor. One online casino video bonus slot stands out this week, which means players may want to flock there. These progressive jackpots certainly made a few lucky online casino players weeks a bit better. Inside Intercasino [...]

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