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On the same night the winning six numbers were chosen for the record Powerball drawing, a set of jackpot winners claimed California’s largest poker jackpot. At 6:44p.m. on Saturday, May 18, the Pechanga Bad Beat Megashare Jackpot hit and pain 177 players in the Pechanga Poker Room a share of $194,663.00. The “loser,” Jose M. from La Palma, Calif. scored $58,398.00. His hand, a queen high straight flush, was beat by a royal flush and triggered the massive payout.

27-year-old poker pro becomes first player to win the same WSOP Circuit Main Event twice.

Blair Hinkle did it again Monday night at Horseshoe Casino by besting 367 entrants in the $1,675 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event in Council Bluffs. Emotions were difficult to hide as the young pro sat behind his riches draped by some of his closest friends and family smiling for the camera.

Blair, who’s also a gold bracelet champion, pocketed $121,177, his second WSOP gold ring and automatic entry in the WSOP National Championship Presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof. On top of these accolades he earned the prestige of becoming the first player in WSOP Circuit history to win the same Main Event twice (he previously won it in 2010).

It’s a rare occurrence to have three local players end up at the final table of such a major event as the $3500 buy-in WPT Main Event of the bestbet Spring Series. It’s an especially difficult task when you consider that they have to wade through a veritable minefield of 351 deadly opponents the caliber of John Dolan, “Doc” Sands, Corey Burbick, Darryl Fish, and current WPT Player of the Year Matt Salsberg. But three great local players all found themselves sitting under the bright lights of the big table; Pete Tinnesz, Pete Chwala, and Danny Schecter were the big story going into the day.

Danny started the final table with almost double the stack of his closest opponent, professional poker player Mike Linster. It looked like it would be an easy day for Danny as he quickly eliminated pro player David Diaz with pocket kings after only a few minutes of play, but the professional players would soon make it clear why they play this game for a living. David Bell ensnared local tournament regular Pete Tinnesz in a trap after flopping top two pair with 9-10. Pete made a play with AK, David called and put an end to Pete’s final table run. Mike Linster took out Pete Chwala not long after. Danny was left to bring the Main Event win home to Jacksonville, but a heartbreaking badbeat would ensure that wouldn’t happen. With only 3 players left Danny ran pocket Kings into pocket Aces, and the chip leader to start the day would end up busting in 3rd place.

LAS VEGAS, NV - On Sunday, May 5, amateur poker player Daniel Healey of  Las Vegas, NV came in first place at Ultimate Poker’s first $10,000 SundayTournament at UltimatePoker.com, making history as the winner of the first legal, real money online poker tournament to be held in the United States.

The historic $10,000 Sunday Tournament capped at 200 players, with Healey taking home a first place prize of $4,173. 

“It is really exciting to be a part of history, winning the first tournament,” Healey remarked.  “I have been keeping up with the news updates and poker blogs ever since BlackFriday hit and was extremely excited to hear that legal online poker is here.  I am excited to be living in Nevada and playing my favorite game.”

“Since going live on April 30, there has been no downtime whatsoever, and demand to play in our first $10,000 Sunday Tournament exceeded our expectations,” remarked Joe Versaci, Ultimate Gaming Chief Marketing Officer.  “We ended up reaching our 200 player cap 45 minutes before the tournament opened.”

There are plenty of reasons to head for Verona, New York and the classy Turning Stone Resort & Casino. The East Coast Poker Championship is a big one. Live game action paying out a total of $10,000 on May 19th, is another reason. Owned by the Oneida Indian Nation, “The Stone” can legally allow 18 year olds to play. There are 2 bad beats in the lively cash room; one is for Omaha.

The East Coast Poker Championship begins on Thursday, May 16th, running through Sunday, May 26th, and featuring a $100,000 guarantee on Saturday, May 25th. You will like the structure of this $500+$60 event with 40 minute blinds, 15,000 in chips. There is a re-entry for 6 levels. Even with a rebuy this is a great pay-out for your investment. Friday, May 24th will see a $50K guarantee, and Thursday, the 23rd offers a $25K guarantee. These are both a reentry for 6 levels too. With plenty of other play time, including Bounty Re-entry’s and Turbo Re-entry’s, it will be hard to tear yourself away to play the always popular cash room. But make your way there on Sunday, the 19th, for the Grand Prize drawings. $500 at a clip, every 20 minutes from 5 pm to 10 pm, with the last one, a big $1000: that is a $10,000 give-a-way for the day! Note: players must qualify for the giveaways from April 25th through May 19th with a full house or higher.

This is a beautiful 4-Star resort. Jason DiBenedetto manages a great poker room with some of the nicest and most competent dealers you will ever meet. Call early to snag a poker discount: 800- 771-7711.

The World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Showdown has crowned a champion and Kevin “1SickDisease” Eyster has walked away with $660,395 as the newest member of the WPT Champions Club. He topped a field of 542 players and a final table that included Jeff Madsen, and his friend Zo Karim here in South Florida.

 The respected online professional took his career live earnings close to $1.2 million. He has also won over a million online in his successful career. Eyster certainly proved his skill at tonight’s final table. He began with the chip lead and was in solid control of the final table all night long en route to his first major live title.

First a ring, then a bracelet. That’s the old adage on the WSOP Circuit. Gold bracelet champion Nick Jivkov has ideas of his own, though, and his adage goes something like this: first a ring, then a bracelet, then a couple more rings, then hopefully a few more bracelets.

He’s keeping up his end of the deal, too. Jivkov bested 260 entrants in the opening event at Horseshoe Council Bluffs Friday night, winning his third WSOP Circuit gold ring, $19,110 and 50 points toward the Casino Championship.

Jivkov is a veteran of the WSOP, having won his first ring in 2010 at IP Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi, Miss. He followed the adage, winning a bracelet and $189,818 less than two years later in Las Vegas. He continued his winnings ways nabbing ring number two just a few months ago at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind., and finally, ring number three Friday night in Iowa.

NC Native Collects Gold Ring and $250K in First Cash

If ever there was a poker fairytale with storybook ending, it happened April 15 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort, nestled in the majestic Smoky Mountains.

The first-ever World Series of Poker Circuit ever held in North Carolina ended in spectacular fashion on Monday evening as John Bowman won the top prize of a quarter-of-a-million dollars to go along with Harrah’s Cherokee’s Main Event Championship. He stunned the poker world, his competitors, and even himself with the unexpected victory.

The Hollywood Poker Open (HPO) qualifying tournament at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has concluded. The top winner from the main event – Michael McNeil of Wheeling, West Virginia, will be heading to Las Vegas and the M Resort to compete in the $500,000 guaranteed HPO Championship on June 28-30. McNeil won $62,857, including the $2,500 seat at the HPO championship. He beat 143 competitors in the $1,620 buy-in event which was held March 29-31.