It’s not unusual for a champion to return from a layoff. What’s rare is when a champion is sidelined for 18 1/2 months by two separate injuries and then returns to the races better than ever.
Monthly Archives: January 2021
Hank Azaria’s Home Game premieres on PokerStars
From The Simpsons to the poker table, Hank Azaria commands to a heap of respect. So the news that the Hollywood movie star, who has starred in films such as Run Fatboy Run and The Simpsons Movie and television such as Friends, Ray Donovan and Brockmire, will lead the star-studded cast at the felt in PokerStars’ new Hank’s Home Game series can only be a good thing.
Back in May, the PokerStars ‘CALL for Action’ event saw more than $1 million donated to charities with 90 celebrities coming together before David Costabile won $100,000 for his chosen charity – World Central Kitchen. This time, Azaria has a series to offer.
Each episode of Hank’s Home Game will feature six celebrities butting egos at the online felt, with cameras on each superstar bringing the banter to life. What are they playing for? Well, their share of a $50,000 donation the charity of their choice. It could be a life-changing donation.
So, who else will be taking each other on via the PokerStars YouTube channel? Well, some absolute A-listers. Actors Don Cheadle, Jon Hamm, Josh Charles and Michael Cera will join Azaria and comedian Michael Ian Black at the felt from 6pm GMT (United Kingdom time) on this Sunday, January 31st.
King Guillermo Heads West for San Pasqual
Road trips to the West Coast were a standard part of Victor Martinez’s career as a five-time Major League baseball All-Star. In contrast, King Guillermo, Martinez’ 4-year-old colt, is a rookie when it comes to a cross-country trip.
Multi-state lottery games make North Carolina players millionaires overnight
Two lucky North Carolina residents are among the dozens of millionaires created by Mega Millions and Powerball drawings in the past week — under some rather unique circumstances.Mega Millions, Powerball, Winner Stories, North Carolina, Multi-State Game
Sikura: World of Trouble Unfairly Tainted by Indictment
Hill ‘n’ Dale president John Sikura said breeders are unfairly avoiding sire World of Trouble due to a federal indictment of trainer Jason Servis. Sikura said the stallion was a legitimate dual surface grade 1 winner with a proven pedigree.
Mutasaabeq to Miss Spring Races With Shin Injury
A shin injury will sideline graded stakes winner Mutasaabeq this winter and spring, taking him out of consideration for the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), trainer Todd Pletcher said Jan. 28.
Romans Encourages Historical Horse Racing Support
Historical Horse Racing proved the game-changer and steps need to be taken to ensure its survival, writes trainer Dale Romans.
Share the Ride Carries Top Weight Again in Toboggan
Weight played a key role in Share the Ride’s first start at Aqueduct Racetrack. It also figures to be a key factor when the 6-year-old Candy Ride (ARG) gelding makes a return trip to the Big A Jan. 30 for the $150,000 Toboggan Stakes (G3).
NBA championship odds: Lakers still favorites
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
With the 2020-21 NBA regular season shortened to 72 games – and some teams may not get all 72 in with around two dozen postponed so far – we are at the quarter-pole for the vast majority of clubs.
Fans may have been treated to an NBA Finals preview Wednesday when the Los Angeles Lakers took their 10-0 road record to the Philadelphia 76ers, who entered with a 9-0 record when having their preferred starting lineup of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and Danny Green all available. Those guys all were Wednesday and the Sixers upset the Lakers 107-106 on buzzer-beater by Harris.
Philadelphia has the best record in the Eastern Conference but is only +1600 to win its first NBA title since 1983. The Sixers when healthy are excellent, but they have been below-average on the road and terrible overall when Embiid, a top MVP candidate, is out of the lineup. It will be important for the Sixers to get home-court advantage in the East, even if there will be no fans allowed in the playoffs (by then, they might be allowed).
Google Play to permit real-money gambling apps in 15 more countries
Technology giant Google will permit real-money gambling apps in its Google Play marketplace in a host of new countries as of March 1, as the company continues to relax its formerly strict anti-gambling stance.
On Thursday, Google announced updates to its Google Play Policies, dramatically expanding the number of countries in which real-money gambling apps, gambling-related ads and daily fantasy sports apps are permitted. At present, real-money apps are permitted only in the UK, Ireland and France, as well as Brazil (but only for state lottery operator Caixa Economica Federal).
As of March 1, real-money gambling apps will also be permitted in (deep breath) Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.
While Google’s real-money policy encompasses online casino, sports betting, lotteries and DFS, there are market-specific restrictions for each of the above countries (listed here). For example, Australian law doesn’t allow online casinos, so those are out, while Canada’s real-money apps are restricted to “governmental operators only” (at least, for the time being).
Derby Diaries: Patrick O’Neill on Hot Rod Charlie
Patrick O’Neill, nephew to two-time Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1)-winning trainer Doug O’Neill and bloodstock agent Dennis O’Neill, reflects on Hot Rod Charlie in a diary written with Tom Pedulla for America’s Best Racing.
Nevada casinos suffer worst gaming revenue year since 1997
Nevada casinos took a gaming revenue gut punch in December 2020, with sportsbooks the only gaming vertical to post year-on-year growth.
Figures released Thursday by the Nevada Gaming Control Board show the state’s casinos generated combined gaming revenue of $683.7m in December, a 35.3% decline from the same month last year and $87.5m below November 2020’s total. It’s the lowest monthly total the state has endured since August 1997.
The figures were laid low by Gov. Steve Sisolak’s November decision to halve the casinos’ already restricted capacity to just 25% of normal. The fallout was most apparent on the Las Vegas Strip, which saw its December gaming revenue fall by more than one-half to $292m, while Downtown Vegas was down a comparatively mild 28% to $45.5m.
December’s statewide slots revenue was down more than one-third to $459m, while the ‘table, counter & card games’ segment fell 37% to $224.7m. Every single product in that latter category suffered double-digit declines, led by baccarat ($63.2m, -17%), blackjack ($48.4m, -54.9%), craps ($19.6m, -48.5%) and roulette ($14.8m, -42.4%).
Godolphin Runners Dominate Carnival's Second Night
It was all Godolphin—almost all the time—in the second night of the World Cup Carnival at Meydan Racecourse Jan. 28 as Sheikh Mohammed’s blue silks were home first in four of the five Thoroughbred races and filled the top six spots in one of them.
Baffert, O'Neill 3-Year-Olds Vie in Robert Lewis Stakes
Between Bob Baffert and Doug O’Neill, they have won eight runnings of the Kentucky Derby (G1). In keeping with that history, the two trainers hold the best hands Jan. 30 in the Robert L. Lewis Stakes (G3), Santa Anita’s second Derby prep of 2021.
Huge Field Flocks to WPT Lucky Hearts in Florida for Return of Live Tournament Poker
In the first major live poker tournament in the US in nearly a year, a relatively unknown Ilyas Muradi took down the main event of the World Poker Tour’s Lucky Hearts Poker Open at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. For Muradi, it was a $620,000, life-changing score. For a poker community starved for major tournament action in the face of the coronavirus, the whole series was like a breath of fresh air.
Plexiglass separators and mask requirements provided safety for competitors in the World Poker Tour Lucky Hearts Poker Open at the Seminole Hard Rock in South Florida. (Image: WPT)
Mask-wearing players took their seats at 8-handed tables, protected by plexiglass dividers. WPT hero Darren Elias ran deep yet again, while a former Survivor contestant came just shy of victory.
In the first major live event since the pandemic struck, the tournament drew a massive field of 1,573 — nearly twice the size of 2020’s event. Entries were split over two Day 1s.
Jack Hardcastle wins WPT Montreal for $447,859
After an epic final table, British poker player Jack Hardcastle sealed victory in the WPT Montreal Main Event, winning a career-high score of $447,859.
The recent star of The Lock-In with Dara O’Kearney & David Lappin, Hardcastle took down a stacked final table featuring some of the best players in the game with vast experience of closing it out.
Hardcastle didn’t go into the action with the chip leader either, with Dan Shak holding that position as the action began. The American did not have his best day at the online felt, however, and that left the way clear for the champion to forge a path to the title.
The action began with a fairly predictable exit, the former multiple WSOP bracelet-winning player Upeshka De Silva short-stacked and all-in for 13 big blinds with ace-king off-suit. That shove seemed destined for a chop pot pre-flop, with De Silva’s caller, Lebanese player Rayan Chamas, holding ace-king too. Chamas’ ‘Big Slick’ were both in clubs, however, and two clubs on the flop were followed by another on the turn to reduce the field to eight players.
Drain the Clock to Make Graded Debut in Swale Stakes
Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Nentwig’s Drain the Clock will make his graded stakes debut Jan. 30 in the $100,000 Claiborne Farm Swale Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Mutasaabeq to Miss Spring Races, Derby With Shin Injury
A shin injury will sideline graded stakes winner Mutasaabeq this winter and spring, taking him out of consideration for the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), trainer Todd Pletcher said Jan. 28.
UK online licensee White Hat Gaming fined £1.3m for regulatory shortcomings
UK gambling regulators have reached a £1.3m settlement with licensee White Hat Gaming after the company’s approach to social responsibility (SR) and anti-money laundering (AML) was found wanting.
On Thursday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) announced the regulatory settlement with White Hat Gaming regarding its “inadequate” policies and procedures for identifying and managing customers deemed to be at a higher risk for problem gambling and money laundering.
The shortcomings involved seven customers’ accounts at four White Hat sites – Grandivy.com, 21Casino.com, Hellocasino.com and Dreamvegas.com – that emerged following a March 2019 UKGC compliance assessment. The following January, the UKGC notified White Hat that the regulator had commenced a review of its remote operating license.
In one case, a customer lost £70k over a three-month span in 2018, after which White Hat created a customer intelligence report that eventually concluded the customer was sufficiently well-heeled to absorb these losses. However, White Hat failed to lock the customer’s account while it was identifying their source of funds (SOF), a move the company acknowledged was incorrect.
KEEP to Allocate 20K in 10 Kentucky Scholarships
The Kentucky Equine Education Project Foundation has announced the allocation of $20,000 in scholarships to students pursuing equine studies or a related field within the state of Kentucky.