Caesars Entertainment has finalized the $500 million sale of the biggest brand in poker to GGPoker's parent company, according to an announcement in late October.
Back in August, Caesars Entertainment shocked the poker world when it announced that it would be selling World Series of Poker (WSOP) to NSUS Group Inc, a leading investment group and operator GGPoker. The deal was solidified Tuesday and includes a $250 million cash transaction and a $250 million promissory note due in five years.
Though the WSOP sale marks a shakeup in the industry, poker players can still expect the summer WSOP to be held in Las Vegas for the next 20 years. Additionally, poker rooms at Caesars properties will continue to feature WSOP branding.
Tamer Alkamli was heads-up with Eric Yanovsky in a pot with around 85,000 in the middle and the board reading 8♠5♠5♣J♣. Alkamli checked from the hijack and Yanovsky made a bet of 56,000 on the button which Alkamli called.
The river was the 3♣ and Alkamli quickly checked again. Yanovsky counted out a bet of 137,000 which sent Alkamli into the tank for a couple of minutes. Eventually, he decided to let his hand go and Yanovsky raked in the pot.
Two players saw the 10♦4♠2♥ flop and Karolis Sereika checked from the big blind to Noah Schwartz in the cutoff who fired 8,000 into the pot of about 26,000. Sereika made the call.
The dealer rolled the 5♠ on the turn, and Sereika check-called another bet of 19,000.
When the 7♣ completed the board on the river, Sereika checked once again. Schwartz thought about it for a few seconds before announcing, "Nitty check."
Sereika turned his K♦10♣ face-up for top pair king kicker and Schwartz said, "Ah, you win, but that was a nitty check," while mucking his hand.
In a five-way turn of 3♠2♠2♣9♥, Dongwuk Moon fired 17,000 from the small blind into the pot of 39,000. Both Alexandra Botez on his left and Jean-Noel Thorel made the call while the other two players mucked their hands.
The K♣ completed the board on the river and Moon slowed down with a check before Botez splashed 55,000 across the line. Thorel tossed in a call before Moon mucked his hand.
Botez rolled J♦2♦, for trip deuces on the flop and Thorel slid his cards face down toward the dealer.
In the 869th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, sponsored by the free-to-play WSOP App, Chad Holloway hosts from down in The Bahamas at the 2024 World Series of Poker Paradise, while Kyna England is back at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas. Mike Holtz is out with a broken ankle, so Nikki Limo was kind enough to once again fill in as a special co-host.
Together, they discuss happening at the WSOP Paradise, the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship at the Wynn Las Vegas, and the European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague. That includes Phil Hellmuth making an appearance, the new stage at WSOP, and the Triton Million, which was won by Argentinean rapper Alejandro Lococo for $12 million.
Chad also had the honor of bringing the Women in Poker Hall of Fame trophy down with him to present to Kristen Foxen. In this episode, you can check out her acceptance speech, which PokerNews helped film. Speaking of the WiPHoF, Jeanne David was another inductee and she had a spot of luck drawing a Golden Passport into the ClubWPT Gold $5,000,000 Freeroll, which kicks off today!
At the EPT Prague, Thomas Santerne has already won two side event titles, while the 2022 WSOP Main Event champ, Espen Jorstad, took down the €25K Super High Roller Warm-Up for his first EPT title.
Oh, and we'll also let you know what Phil Ivey is up to as he's been seen double dipping at both the WSOP Paradise and WPT World Championship, including a planned holiday meet-up game (MUG) at the latter.
Dumitru Pora raised to 10,000 in the hijack and Pascal Lefrancois three-bet to 35,000 in the cutoff. Pora then moved all in for 390,000 and Lefrancois leaned back in his seat with his arms stretched out. "Okay," he eventually said, putting in the chips to call.
Dumitru Pora: A♥K♣
Pascal Lefrancois: Q♥Q♠
It was a classic flip situation, and Lefrancois won it after the board ran out 6♠4♥6♣J♣8♦ to send Pora to the rail.
Veselin Karakitukov opened to 7,000 in the hijack before Tamer Alkamli three-bet to 22,000 next to act. Mikhail Iakovlev was on the button and dropped a four-bet to 55,000 across the line. Karakitukov quickly folded, and Alkamli took a few moments before doing the same.
