Change has come in state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR) gaming licensing unit.

On Friday, PAGCOR announced the appointment of Attorney Angeline Papica-Entienza as the head of the agency’s Gaming Licensing and Development Department and as the assistant vice president of the corporation. Papica-Entienza would replace Ramon Villaflor, who recently stepped down from his post.

Several organizational movements were also seen in other positions in PAGCOR’s gaming licensing arm.

The state regulator bade goodbye to PAGCOR Casino Licensing and Regulatory Unit Senior Manager Dave Sevilla, who was replaced by Attorney Rowena Alcaide. Meanwhile, Angelie Agustin was appointed as the senior manager of the firm’s Responsible Gaming and Logistics Unit following the departure of its former head, Luis Dela Concepcion.

It’s only been six months since the Canidrome, a greyhound racetrack in Macau, knew it would be closing its gates for good—or a year if you consider that the racetrack was informed in the summer of 2017 that it would have to close or move. Its owner, SJM Co-Chairman and Executive Director Angela Leong, knew she would need to find a new home for the canine runners, but apparently was too busy to tend to the obligations. She requested a four-month extension of the July 21 deadline earlier this week, but the Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ, for its acronym in Portuguese) has denied the request.

In its succinct but clear denial of the application, the DICJ said,“After comprehensive consideration, the DICJ has decided to veto. The DICJ reiterates that the dog club must move out of the original site no later than 20 July 2018.”

The Canidrome has been under fire for what animal rights activists have claimed to be improper treatment of the greyhounds, both during their time at the track and throughout the Canidrome’s closing. The race track most recently tried to relocate the animals to The Jockey Club, a move that was met with immediate backlash due to the lack of facilities at the club.

The potential move to the Jockey Club was not addressed in the DICJ rejection. It has previously stated that an application would have to be filed “by Macau Jockey Club to the authority for the supervision of land use and must be approved by the authority responsible for animal protection and management.” Apparently, that never happened.

As the WSOP starts to wind down, another series of poker tournaments will be just about ready to get underway halfway around the world. In just a little more than a week, the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series will kick off in Jeju, South Korea with five tournaments scheduled across the 10-day event. Out of the five, three will be ante-only short-deck tournaments.

Short-deck, or Six-Plus Hold’em, is the latest variation of the popular Texas Hold’em format and has rapidly increased in popularity. In this version, the cards from 2 to 5 are removed, making the 6 the lowest card in the game. The Ace is still played high or low, meaning a player can have a straight of A-6-7-8-9 or one of 10-J-Q-K-A. Additionally, flushes beat full houses and a set beats a straight. Short-deck has created an entirely new twist on a popular game, and probably shouldn’t be played after a few too many cocktails.

The Triton series will offer the short-deck version as ante-only games. No blinds are posted; rather, players who receive hole cards pay an ante with the ante increasing in size at regular intervals. The result is more players competing in a given hand, as they have already paid into the pot.

The festival will begin on July 23 and run through Aug. 1. There will be short-deck games with buy-ins of $13,000, $64,000 and $127,000, as well as a regular NLHE game of $64,000 and the competition’s Main Event with a buy-in of $255,000.

Casino patrons in Macau can feel a little safer. According to the city’s Judiciary Police (JP), only 706 suspected gaming-related crimes were recorded from January to May of this year, marking a decrease of 3.8% over the same period last year. The JP consider crimes to be “gaming-related” when they occur inside or near a casino.

Of the crimes, 144 were described as being suspected unlawful detention related to loan sharking. This was a decrease of 39.7% year-on-year and comes as the JP has stepped up its involvement to stop the activity. The increased presence, while reducing unlawful detention, hasn’t had the same impact on loan-sharking activity, though, with a total of 212 cases recorded during the period. This was an increase of 61 cases over the amount seen during the same period last year.

JP Director Sit Chong Meng said in a speech this past Wednesday that crime in the city is “gradually decreasing.” He further stated that there have been less casino-related crimes detected while, at the same time, there has been an increase in the number of suspects that have been delivered for prosecution.

Last month, 113 people were arrested in Macau on suspicion of being involved in illegal loan sharking. At the time, it was the largest bust of its kind since Macau was handed over to China by Portugal in 1999. On July 4, another 13 were arrested for the same crimes and in February 28 individuals were arrested. In May, 280 individuals were questioned by the JP in only 13 days over possible connections to loan-sharking operations.

Another look at the World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table as 26 players condense to a final table of nine, with the 2009 champion Joe Cada still in with the chance of becoming a two-time champ. 

There was a lovely moment during Day 5 when Joe Cada reminisced about a hand he played in the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

“What tournament was that?” asked a player seated at the table.

“This one, in 2009.”

Another round-up from the World Series of Poker this time focusing on a record 15th bracelet win for Phil Hellmuth, as the Poker Brat once again proves that despite his childish tantrums he knows how to win a sliver of gold.

Phil Hellmuth is like a speck of sand in Giza. But if you drink the liquid left for Alice and become small enough to walk through the tiny door that leads to the poker world, the full majesty of Hellmuth comes into view, from a speck of sand to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. And at this rate, when it comes to lay him to rest, Hellmuth will be surrounded by more gold than a Pharoah’s final resting place. 

It’s not been the best series for the man who owns the thing.

Five cashes.

Another round-up of weekly poker news including Joe Cada making his second World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table, Phil Hellmuth capping off a stressful week with bracelet #15, and much more. 

To win on World Series of Poker (WSOP), Main Event is a minor miracle. To win two, you would need a billion epiphanies to come together. It’s a Big Bang moment. More of a Pagani Huayra than a Lada, and yet that’s what might happen to one Joe Cada.

In 2009, 21-year-old, Joe Cada became the youngest player to win the WSOP Main Event, when he overcame a final table that included James Akenhead, Antoine Saout and a certain Phil Ivey.

Cada won $8,546,435 on that day.