Phil Galfond still trails by a sizeable amount in the third Galfond Challenge against the challenger, poker coach Chance Kornuth. But the competition is moving at a snail’s pace, and still isn’t even close to reaching the halfway point.
Phil Galfond and Chance Kornuth may never end their competition. (Image: Twitter)
The high-stakes Pot-Limit Omaha challenge began more than a month ago. At this pace, it may not finish before the Daniel Negreanu-Doug Polk match, which has just begun. Kornuth and Galfond agreed to play 35,000 hands at $100/$200 stakes on WSOP.com in Nevada.
Due to travel issues and not wanting to be outside the US for so long, the match isn’t taking place on Run it Once, the poker site owned by Galfond. And thus far, the change in scenery hasn’t been kind to the poker site founder.
GGPoker’s High Rollers Week has begun, with the popular online site offering players a chance to compete in 20 high-stakes tournaments offering $20 million in guaranteed prize money from Nov.8 – 15.
Get in on the high-stakes action at GGPoker. (Image: GGPoker.com)
The poker site, represented by Daniel Negreanu, has grown in terms of popularity in recent months. A big part of that growth is due to the WSOP Online Bracelet Series the site hosted this past summer.
From July to September, the poker site hosted more than 50 gold bracelet events, including the $5,000 Main Event, which generated the largest prize pool in online poker history (over $27 million). Now, GGPoker is taking another step toward competing with the likes of Partypoker and PokerStars.
The poker industry will always look back and be thankful that Sammy Farha didn’t beat Chris Moneymaker at the 2003 WSOP Main Event final table. By losing heads-up, Farha allowed the amateur to win and novices around the world believe they too could become the next world champion.
Phil Ivey has opened up about the hand that cost him a WSOP title, but helped start the poker boom. (Image: BBC/Reuters)
For that reason, Farha will also be a part of poker folklore. However, people forget that Phil Ivey played his part in shaping the industry.
In his latest video interview with Barry Greenstein, Ivey talks us through his emotions after “that” hand against Moneymaker.
Small ball doesn’t seem to be working well for Daniel Negreanu, who is getting thoroughly thrashed by his rival Doug Polk in their heads-up match.
Daniel Negreanu is now down the cost of a nice Las Vegas home. (Image: WSOP.com)
If the current trends continue, Negreanu is about to be far less wealthy than he’s accustomed to. He’s said on Twitter that he can afford to play this match, but he hasn’t even been competitive since play shifted online.
The GGPoker ambassador got off to a strong start last week, winning the only live session — 200 hands — by $116,500. But the feuding poker pros have now played two online sessions, and to say Polk has dominated would be an understatement.
Nate Silver forecasted Joe Biden’s chances at winning the presidency at nearly 90%, but the former online poker pro’s FiveThirtyEight polling model, on the whole, was far from accurate … again.
Nate Silver might want to return to poker now that his credibility as a polling expert is in question. (Image: YouTube)
FiveThirtyEight, Silver’s website, gave Donald Trump a 30% chance at defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016. Those odds were higher than any other mainstream media outlet, but his polling model was still off in most swing states.
Silver claimed pollsters adjusted their methods this year following Trump’s stunning victory four years ago. He expressed confidence in the pre-election polls that showed Biden with a huge lead nationally and, more importantly, in swing states. As such, his forecasting model at FiveThirtyEight accounted for Biden’s polling favorability versus Trump and gave the incumbent candidate about the same odds to win as cracking pocket aces with a smaller pair.
Another EPT Online champion has been crowned following an impressive comeback in the $10,300 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller.
Ka Kwan Lau won the second EPT Online title of 2020 after an epic comeback in the $10,300 PLO High Roller. (Image: Twitter/WPT)
A day after David Laka won the first title, Ka Kwan Lau came through a tough final table to win Event #2.
When the final table started on Monday, Norway’s Andreas Torbergsen was at the top of the chip counts. That made the high-stakes PLO pro the favorite on paper. However, Lau clearly hadn’t read the script, as he put in the session of his life to score the upset.
Unibet Poker continues to prove that focusing on casual players and the lighter side of gaming is a winning strategy.
Unibet Poker achieved another quarterly high in 2020 with revenue far beyond what it was last year. (Image: Unibet)
Proof that you don’t always have to offer high-stakes tournaments and pro-friendly features came courtesy of the Kindred Group’s latest quarterly report.
The parent company of Unibet Poker reported year-on-year growth of 24%. Fueling another season of growth was the group’s poker vertical.
Investors have been fighting to buy shares in online poker and gaming companies for much of 2020 but, following the latest COVID-19 developments, interest has taken a dip.
Shares in various online poker and gaming companies have taken a dip following the announcement of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. (Image: TheStreet)
Those in poker have witnessed first-hand the pandemic’s impact on the industry. Activity across every major online site has been up this year and, as such, share prices have soared.
However, with Pfizer close to releasing a COVID-19 vaccine, online gaming companies have seen their value drop.
It was considered one of baseball’s most unbreakable records. But on September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. added to his Hall of Fame resumé by playing in his 2131st consecutive game, eclipsing the mark of another immortal, Lou Gehrig, in front of the home fans at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Now, a quarter century later, in celebration of the achievement, the all-time great shortstop has worked with TOPPS to curate two special edition collectible card series which tell the story of his journey to 2131, the magical night—which included a Ripken home run—and the day he finally ended the streak four years later.
The Ripken set will be available for a limited time beginning on Sunday, 25 years to the day he passed Gehrig, in a deluxe collector’s edition which includes a Ripken autograph card as well as a standard edition. Cards will depict numerous highlights of his career as well as other players and games Ripken selected as personally most memorable.
“Baseball cards have been a part of my family’s life for years, and I couldn’t be happier to be working with TOPPS to create this set,” said Ripken, whose father Cal Sr. coached and managed and brother Bill also played in the Majors. “I selected cards that represent special moments and people that have made my life in baseball special, and ones that I think fans will enjoy collecting.”
“Cal Ripken’s ‘Ironman’ streak is one of the sport’s classic records, set by one of its most popular players ever,” said Jeff Heckman, Topps’ Global Director of Ecommerce. “We are excited that Cal wanted to commemorate this 25th anniversary with cards that represent what the game means to him, in the context of this achievement.”
A commemorative TOPPS Project 2020 card celebrating Jackie Robinson Day Friday across MLB posted today at http://topps.com/project2020. Artist Don C‘s interpretation of the classic 1952 Topps Robinson card is available through 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
The Robinson card, issued today along with Jacob Rochester’s reimagining of the iconic 1955 Roberto Clemente, is one of a series of 20 cards posted by each of 20 commissioned pop artists, two each weekday since the originally scheduled opening of the 2020 season in March. The series has been extremely popular with fans and collectors, and is now more than halfway through the full set of 400.
Don C’s Robinson work places the all-time great in front of his retired #42, which will be worn by all Major Leaguers in games today, with “In Loving Memory” in script above and his signature below the legendary pose from the original card, on a light blue background.
Some of the elements selected by Alonso include NYC street art (bright colors, graffiti lettering, bright textures); and “Molon Labe” derived from King Leonidas, leader of the 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae, which Alonso says captures his approach at the plate.
Included are 20 base cards featuring top stars of today, plus 30 insert cards with Alonso’s season award picks, the 50-homer club (of which Alonso became a member last year), franchise favorites and more, all with strong ties to the second-year Mets star.
With baseball, basketball, hockey and others back on the fields, courts and ice, and football training camps underway, fans have been able to enjoy live sports that the COVID-19 pandemic has denied them. With hopes high that the delayed seasons can continue through to their conclusions, fans’ enthusiasm for Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com) baseball board and digital games set records for sales and engagement, according to numbers released today by the market leader in sports simulations.
For the period of March through July 2020, Strat-O-Matic sales far surpassed the same time frame in 2019:
Baseball Board and Windows platform sales are more than 70% higher
Baseball Board game product sales are more than 85% higher
Baseball Windows platform sales are more than 50% higher
Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 sales are more than double
New Members on Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 are more than 200% higher
And this past month, as the pro squads were returning, interest in Strat-O-Matic baseball was even more pronounced, as compared to July 2019:
Baseball Board game product sales were more than 80% higher
Baseball Windows platform sales were more than double
Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 sales were more than double
The Strat-O-Matic daily baseball season simulation also brought the company unprecedented attention from popular sports and entertainment personalities and media outlets:
More than a dozen newspapers and other platforms, including The San Francisco Chronicle, Akron Beacon Journal, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel and others reported the simulation results regularly. Numerous writers were engaged in selecting lineups and also involved their readers via social media.
““I am proud our incredible team was able to pivot in this complex market,” said Adam Richman, Strat-O-Matic President. “We are thrilled live sports have come back, and through the pandemic, simulation’s crucial place in sports has become clear.
“We look forward to providing more entertainment and connection for sports fans,” he added. “Strat-O-Matic has been and will continue to be the bridge to fill holes as professional sports leagues awaken and occasionally pause as our country moves through this difficult time.”
With live sports still on hold (though hopefully coming back soon!), fantasy leagues have been looking for ways to keep their members together, combining their love of baseball and football with the camaraderie that goes with participating with friends. And for the first time, the popular Baseball 365 and Football 365 products from Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com), the market leader in sports simulations, give commissioners the tools to manage leagues of recent and all-time great rosters, with games simulated daily, just like regular fantasy sports.
Commissioner league users can invite specific guests to compete, incorporate league settings, draft teams at any pace, and even fill out spots with computer-controlled “bot” teams. Players serve as GM and manager, setting lineups, pitching rotations and managing styles (baseball) or starters, schemes and tendencies (football) for a realistic fantasy experience.
Baseball 365 Commissioner leagues can choose from the 2019 season, a new “All-Time Greats 9” set of more than 5,300 cards, additional single-seasons of 1982, 1986, 1999, 2007 through 2018, or mystery card sets from every decade from the 1960s through the 1990s. Football featured cards include the 2018 season, as well as an All-Time Franchises set with greats dating all the way back to the 1940s.
“Many Strat-O-Matic players are also huge fantasy sports fans, and just like Strat-O-Matic leagues stay together for years, a lot of the fun of fantasy is playing with your friends” said John Garcia, Strat-O-Matic’s Director of Research and exec-in-charge of 365. “There’s nowhere else to go right now to buy out a fantasy league in baseball or football with your friends.”
“The Commissioner leagues combine the excitement and strategy of Baseball 365 and Football 365 with the convenience and control that keep leagues and friends together,” said Bernie Hou, Director of 365 for Strat-O-Matic.
Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com), the market leader in sports simulations, continued an unparalleled month of growth and recognition this week, being selected by People.com as “Best Board Game for Sports Lovers” amongst their list of iconic games that have gained steam during these unusual times. The list includes other classics such as Monopoly, Candor, Scrabble and Candy Land. The entire list can be seen here https://people.com/entertainment/best-board-games/
“While the events of the last six weeks are certainly not what anyone wanted or expected, we continue to forge ahead by providing quality and engaging content on a daily basis, not just for our traditional players, but for thousands of new consumers of every demographic who have found us for the first time or returned to us after time away,” said Hal Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder and president. “We are honored to make this list. and are continuing to find new ways to have consumers connect not just with us but with each other; a connection that we believe will continue into the future.”
In addition to the recognition, the increased interest is also reflected in sales, traffic and social numbers, which continue on the upswing. Board and Windows games, digital platform Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365, Website traffic, new users and social media have all seen significant boosts over comparable time periods as fans continue to satiate their thirst for baseball, Strat-O-Matic style, connecting with the game and each other across all of these areas.
Some Strat-O-Matic by the numbers highlights include:
Baseball Board and Windows platform sales from March 15-31, 2020, are more than 50% higher compared to the same time period in 2019
Baseball Board game product sales are more than 60% higher comparing second half of March 2020 to first half of March 2020
Baseball Windows platform sales are more than 45% higher comparing second half of March 2020 to first half of March 2020
New Members on Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 are more than 75% higher between March 17-31, 2020, compared to the same time period in 2019
Traffic on Strat-O-Matic.com from March 27, 2020, was 472% higher compared to March 27, 2019
Since MLB’s scheduled March 26 Opening Day, traffic on Strat-O-Matic.com has been 380% higher compared to the same time frame of 2019
Since MLB’s scheduled March 26 Opening Day, new users on Strat-O-Matic.com have been 781% higher compared to the same time frame of 2019
Fans with questions about any facet of the Baseball Daily and Basketball simulations can contact Strat-O-Matic at [email protected].
The Topps Company and its fast-growing on-demand platform TOPPS NOW™ today announced one of the most unique, transformative and eclectic offerings in company history: “Project 2020,” a first of its kind effort that combines some of the most iconic cross-generational cards in the company’s nearly 70 year history with baseball, re-imagined by some of the world’s most influential, creative and eclectic artists, cartooners and pop culture influencers.
Some
of the notable artists on the list include celebrity jewelry designer
Ben Yang…aka Ben Baller; Chicago based designed Just Don,
who has worked with Kanye West and Nike on major projects; Mexican
American tattoo and graffiti artist Mark Machado, known as Mister
Cartoon; Australian Tyson Beck, whose recent resign of the
NBA logo in the image of Kobe Bryant became an international cause
célèbre; New York native and design artist Sophia Chang and
L.A. Based streetwear artist Joshua Vides.
The
first two cards, issuing today, include Ben Baller’s Ichiro (2001)
and Jacob Rochester’s Sandy Koufax (1955).
Each
of the 20 artists will reinterpret 20 cards, representing
baseball’s greatest stars from the 1950s to
the present day. The cards will only be available for a 48-hour
period from the time each is introduced.
“When
we think of the collectible world and where it has evolved today,
sports and pop culture continue to collide,” said Jeff
Heckman,
Global Director of Ecommerce. “We could
not think of a better way to expose trading cards to a new audience
than working to reinvent some of the classic baseball cards and
personalities of the game of baseball through the eyes and hands of
many of the world’s greatest pop culture figures of today. ‘Project
2020’ will be a must have for core and casual baseball fans, and
will more importantly showcase the names and stories of the artists
and the players on the cards to a global audience whose interests lie
well beyond the sport. It is a transformative move we are very
excited about.”
“Roberto
Clemente and his story have always been inspirational to me,” said
Mister Cartoon, whose hometown high school mascot was the Pirates,
adding to his longtime connection to the Pittsburgh slugger and made
working on the Clemente card extra special. “I want to take each of
these classic cards and supercharge them!”
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