Running the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event during a pandemic was never going to be easy. However, some railbirds are less than impressed with how things have played out so far.
Some players have criticized the way this year’s WSOP Main Event has played out online and in Europe. (Image: Twitter/WSOP)
The poker community’s reaction was largely positive when the WSOP announced it was going to trial a hybrid version of the Main Event.
Although it called into question the status of September’s $5,000 Main Event winner, no one was mad at getting another chance to win a bracelet. However, for certain critics, the end product hasn’t matched expectations of what a Main Event should be.
Verizon Media, the global media and technology company and Entain plc (LSE: ENT), the international sports-betting and gaming operator (formerly known as GVC Holdings), today announced a global innovation alliance to develop new opportunities across interactive sports and entertainment. Entain brands include Ladbrokes, bwin, PartyPoker, and BetMGM in the United States, which is co-owned with MGM Resorts.
The new alliance coincides with initial findings from new research for Entain by YouGov, revealing that the use of technology is increasingly shaping consumer behaviours in gaming and entertainment around the world, notably in the United States and Australia. Social media has become central to consumer enjoyment, with new immersive experiences, driven by virtual reality and 5G, accelerating growth of both gaming and e-sports.
Verizon Media and Entain will collaborate to develop a first-of-its-kind highly immersive proof of concept virtual reality experience, that will combine live sports viewing with interactive layers of sports data and gaming. Consumers will be able to participate in sports events, check data, socialise with friends, and place bets on Entain platforms.
Additionally, Entain will work closely with Verizon Media to develop concepts for new formats with emerging technologies like 5G, virtual reality, and augmented reality to bring the best experiences in immersive content and gaming to sports betting and gambling. Along with betting on the Entain platforms on live streaming sports events, the goal is to create realistic, immersive experiences for sports fans, such as being in the stadium, participating in play, competing and betting on outcomes on the Entain platforms.
“To win in the future we need to understand where consumers will be in five, ten years’ time and work with other global businesses also investing in that,” said Shay Segev, CEO of Entain. “We envisage consumers meeting at a game with friends, who could in fact be elsewhere, using virtual reality headsets to watch, interact and share the experience together and, potentially, compete between themselves at half time or feel like they’re on the pitch with the players.”
“This new alliance takes the collaboration between our two companies to a new level and will allow us both to maximize new opportunities across sports-betting, content and entertainment,” said Guru Gowrappan, CEO, Verizon Media.
“Together, we are building the next-generation of content experiences for sports and gaming fans. Our world-first 5G-enabled production studios in LA and London, creative technology teams and Verizon Media’s Immersive platform, that enables extended reality (XR) content to be created and distributed across digital channels at scale, allow partners like Entain to bring next-level immersive and interactive experiences to their customers.”
The collaboration builds on an existing successful relationship between Yahoo Sports, part of Verizon Media, and BetMGM, a joint venture with MGM Resorts through which Entain operates in the United States. BetMGM is integrated throughout Yahoo Sports in the US, and in legal jurisdictions fans can place a bet with BetMGM without leaving the Yahoo Sports app.
The new alliance coincides with first findings of new research for Entain from YouGov, revealing that gaming and entertainment is converging across multiple devices and becoming increasingly interactive, with two-thirds of consumers combining it with social media to increase their enjoyment.
Across all markets, men aged 25 to 39 are the most likely to be innovators or early adopters and are the key audience for e-sports and gaming. Half of e-sports players are in this age group, with most also interacting in social media and more than half enjoying a bet. When it comes to conventional sport, interaction is also increasingly important to this audience, with 31% of 25 to 39-year-old and 34% of over 55’s also engaging digitally to increase their enjoyment of watching sport.
Doyle Brunson sung the praises of Phil Hellmuth on Twitter, touting the “Poker Brat” as the greatest no-limit hold’em player in the world.
Is Phil Hellmuth the best NLH player ever? Doyle Brunson sure seems to think so. (Image: YouTube)
It’s tough to find a more credible source when it comes to poker skills than “Texas Dolly.” After all, he’s a Poker Hall of Famer and 10-time World Series of Poker Main bracelet winner, one of just four players in history to reach that plateau. So, when he makes such a bold claim, the poker community listens.
I just saw Phil Helmuth has cashed 154times at the WSOP so he has probably entered 200 tournaments. He is the best NLH tournament player in the world, in my opinion. https://t.co/CJkPlO0y6I
Doyle Brunson sung the praises of Phil Hellmuth on Twitter, touting the “Poker Brat” as the greatest no-limit hold’em player in the world.
Is Phil Hellmuth the best NLH player ever? Doyle Brunson sure seems to think so. (Image: YouTube)
It’s tough to find a more credible source when it comes to poker skills than “Texas Dolly.” After all, he’s a Poker Hall of Famer and 10-time World Series of Poker Main bracelet winner, one of just four players in history to reach that plateau. So, when he makes such a bold claim, the poker community listens.
I just saw Phil Helmuth has cashed 154times at the WSOP so he has probably entered 200 tournaments. He is the best NLH tournament player in the world, in my opinion. https://t.co/CJkPlO0y6I
High Stakes Poker returned to the poker world on Wednesday on the PokerGo app, and the pots weren’t as monster as you may have expected.
(Note: spoiler alerts forthcoming)
Tom “durrrr” Dwan returned to High Stakes Poker on Wednesday. (Image: PokerGo)
High Stakes Poker was one of the most popular poker shows ever. From 2006 to 2011, the cash game show aired on the Game Show Network. Many of the game’s biggest stars competed regularly. Pros such as Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, and Daniel Negreanu battled for the highest stakes in front of a massive television audience.
High Stakes Poker returned to the poker world on Wednesday on the PokerGo app, and the pots weren’t as monster as you may have expected.
(Note: spoiler alerts forthcoming)
Tom “durrrr” Dwan returned to High Stakes Poker on Wednesday. (Image: PokerGo)
High Stakes Poker was one of the most popular poker shows ever. From 2006 to 2011, the cash game show aired on the Game Show Network. Many of the game’s biggest stars competed regularly. Pros such as Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, and Daniel Negreanu battled for the highest stakes in front of a massive television audience.
When you think back on the Thoroughbreds who were among the foal crop of 2015, there was one grand superstar in Triple Crown champ Justify and a host of other talented runners.
The Stronach Group is endorsing a call from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to ban the sale of North American Thoroughbreds to South Korean racing interests, it was announced Dec. 16.
The six horses entered in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) Dec. 19 are all competing for the first time since Del Mar, as is one jockey: Mike Smith. He rides Petruchio in the 1 1/16-mile race, where his mount faces Red Flag and four others.
It was all about the girls at the one-day Tattersalls Ireland Flat Foal and Breeding Sale Dec. 16 with fillies from the newly added yearling section leading the way.
Next year will be more “financially painful” than 2020 for Ascot, whose leadership does not expect attendances to return to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2022.
Maxfield, who missed a start in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at age 2 due to injury and a possible tilt in September’s Kentucky Derby (G1) following another setback, returns to action in the $75,000 Tenacious Stakes Dec. 19 at Fair Grounds.
The son of Tapit and sire of champion Monomoy Girl was euthanized Dec. 15 after a stall accident. The stallion had been sold to Yushun Stallion Station in Japan and was scheduled to ship in mid-January.
Alain Barows, a Henny Hughes colt, took the points lead in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby with a five-length victory Dec. 16 in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Racecourse.
Trainer Federico Villafranco has been suspended 30 days by the Arkansas Racing Commission after four of his horses tested positive for caffeine in races at Oaklawn Park in early February.
Owner-trainer John Ortiz has been fined $500 and issued a suspension of 30 days by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, 15 of them stayed, after Woopigsooie tested positive for clenbuterol after a $16,000 claiming race at Ellis Park July 2.
Awesome Again, winner of the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and the sire of four Breeders’ Cup winners, died Dec. 15 at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky. He was 26.
