Williams is best known for doing something that most pros scoff at: playing micro stakes cash games.

BlackRain79 became notable in 2009, when a chart showing his win rates at different stakes went viral. Nothing that he’d done at limits ranging from $0.25/$0.50 to $3/$6 NL hold’em stood out.
He lost $3,000 playing on $2/$4 tables and made minimal profits at the other limits.

But what took those reading the chart by surprise was Williams’ profits at $0.02/$0.05 tables. He’d managed to earn $13,000 at stakes where pots rarely exceed a dollar.

Since that time, he’s continued grinding in the micro limits while also becoming an expert in the subject. He now writes micro stakes strategy ebooks and runs a popular YouTube channel.

Williams has also garnered himself a little mainstream fame recently. Vox.com writer Luke Winkie has published an interview with BlackRain79. Here are some highlights from their chat.

Why did Williams Pursue a Poker Career in the Micro Stakes?

As mentioned before, playing micro stakes poker for a living is very unconventional. Williams didn’t initially set out to dominate the lowest limits. He instead fell into this role after messing around at different stakes.

“So I was basically just screwing around,” he told Winkie. “I started playing millions and millions of hands at the lowest stakes because it was just so easy.

“I became an expert in that, and I transitioned into teaching it. I wrote a book called Crushing The Microstakes [in 2011] that became very popular, and it just kind of went from there.”

More on Williams’ Fame

A now-defunct site called PokerTableRatings used to track players’ wins and losses without their consent. Williams was initially outraged at this. But the situation became a blessing in disguise.

“I was pretty pissed off, because I don’t want my income known to the world. But people saw that I was making significant sums of money at extremely low stakes,” he said.

“So ironically, that website made me kind of famous in the poker community. My profile became a freakshow full of comments. I said, ‘Hey guys, I’ve got my own website, I’m only answering questions there from now on.”

“So I got a huge amount of traffic on my site from PokerTableRatings. I started writing some articles about how to beat the lower-stakes games, and I looked into some online marketing stuff and learned you could write an ebook very easily. I took a shot at it, and it ended up doing really well.”

How did BlackRain Come to Dominate the Micro Stakes

The micro limits are generally the easiest in poker, because there’s less money at stake. Williams quickly learned that his chances of beating one and two-cent games were significantly higher than bigger stakes.

“It’s just full of people who are pure amateurs,” he explained. “The money involved is not significant for an American. It’s a lot of people where it’s just their hobby, and nobody is taking it seriously or [is] that good.

“When you go up to higher stakes you encounter more professionals. They’ve got notes on you, they’re studying your game, they’re using tracking software. They’re playing to win. It’s a much, much different environment.”

Williams Played up to 10,000 Hands Per Day

Many poker players have trouble logging 1,000 hands in a day. But Williams was playing an astounding 10,000 hands on some days as a full-time pro.

“There were times where I’d play as many as 10,000 hands a day,” he said. “But I’d say I’d average around 3,000 to 5,000 hands a day. That’d be pretty normal for me.”

Playing this many hands required a disciplined approach that saw him multi-table extensively.

“When I was full-time I would play the table limit on PokerStars, which is 24 tables. And then I’d sometimes add a couple more on other sites.

“I played a very systematic approach. I know exactly what I’m doing with every hand. It’s a very tight, aggressive game, there’s not a lot of creativity to it.

“I’m playing against people who are going to make massive mistakes. So I don’t need to think too deeply about it. It’s a straightforward process.”

BlackRain Didn’t Make a Fortune in the Micro Stakes

Williams noted that he made enough to pay the bills as a full-time player. However, he wasn’t earning enough to live lavishly like other famous pros.

“I was probably making around $15 an hour during my peak on the lower stakes. I did play the higher stakes, where I’d average more,” he recalled.

“But when I was playing the lower stakes, which is what I’m most famous for, I was literally making minimum wage in Canada.

“I live in Thailand now, where the cost of living is much lower, and $15 an hour is quite good out here. It’s a tough game, it’s a tough way to make a living, but it does give you that freedom. That’s what I always wanted.”

Williams had more to say about his career and poker in general. You can check out the entire Vox interview here.

The post Micro Stakes Phenom Nathan “BlackRain79” Williams Explains Rise to Vox appeared first on Rakeback News.

As per the deal, FOX will acquire a 5 percent stake in the Stars Group. With each share valued at $16.44, the media giant will own $236 million worth of Stars. Meanwhile, the Stars Group will use the investment to pay debts and invest in more projects.

FOX Dives Into Sports Betting

FOX Sports is one of the world’s biggest sports media outlets. They’re also on the path to becoming a titan in the betting game too.

They’ll launch two sports gambling products in the near future. The first will be a free site, where users can win prizes by guessing the outcomes of sports games. The other will be FOX Bet, a traditional online sportsbook that’ll be offered in any state with legal betting.

FOX Sports’ lofty position in the media gives them an edge over many competitors. They can advertise FOX Bet on their station, which is viewed by millions of people every day.

PokerStars Continues Gaining Legitimacy in US

The Stars Group has made great strides in changing the perception of their brand, including PokerStars. The latter ran afoul of the law in the US after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was signed into effect.

Everything came crashing down in April 2011, when PokerStars’ former owners, Rational Group, were indicted for money laundering. The Rational Group eventually sold PokerStars to Amaya Inc, which rebranded to the Stars Group. The latter has worked extensively to improve the brand’s image in America.

States like California sill refuse to work with the Stars Group/PokerStars, citing that they’re “bad actors.” New Jersey, however, has welcomed the company into their regulated market.

The deal with FOX Sports is yet another sign that the Stars Group is making inlets in the US. They’re now going to help a $23 billion company launch a real-money sportsbook.

Will FOX Sports Also Get Into Online Poker?

The Stars Group has gotten into the sports betting market in recent years under BetStars. However, they’re still best known for PokerStars — the world’s largest poker site.

That said, it’s a wonder if FOX Sports will use this partnership to extend into online poker as well. The company has given no indication that they’re interested in doing so. Then again, they have a perfect chance to take on internet poker with the Stars Group as their partner.

Whatever the case may be, FOX is definitely moving forward with online sports betting. New Jersey will be a logical launching point, because the Garden State already has legal internet betting. FOX Sports will benefit from the Stars Group’s years of experience while undergoing their new gambling venture.

The Stars Group, meanwhile, can leverage their high-profile partnership with FOX to land more deals. After all, the FOX Sports alignment gives them more clout in the US market.

The post Stars Group and FOX Sports Sign Major Deal appeared first on Rakeback News.

But Negreanu and PokerStars have finally decided to go their separate ways. The 44-year-old said that the two sides agreed to an “amicable split.”

The amicable part definitely seems true, because Negreanu has nothing but good things to say about his previous sponsor.

“It was a great run but we’re no longer gonna be an ambassador for the company,” he announced via Twitter.

“I worked with so many great people, some really good people at PokerStars. I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world, play in Barcelona, Monte Carlo, PCA which were three of my favorite stops. I wish everyone the best.”

Rebecca McAdam Willets, who’s PokerStars’ director of group relations, wished Negreanu the best in his future endeavors.

“Daniel has been one of the most influential faces of poker and indeed PokerStars for 12 years, and it has been wonderful to have his passion, support and insights throughout our relationship,” said Willetts. “We wish Daniel the very best for the future, as well as wedded bliss and tons of run good this summer.”

Reasons for Negreanu Parting Ways with PokerStars

Negreanu hasn’t given a defining reason for splitting with his longtime sponsor. However, he did offer some clues in the video.

For starters, he recently got married to poker TV host Amanda Leatherman. The two have dated off and on, with Leatherman holding a special place in his heart for years.

“My life is headed in a new direction,” said Negreanu. “Gonna have some babies … I’m super excited about the future with my new woman. Love is in the air.”

The bachelor has settled down and is now looking to start a family. Traveling the world as part of an obligation to Team PokerStars probably isn’t the most-appealing idea now.

Another likely reason for Negreanu splitting with Stars is that he’s tired of defending them. PokerStars has made some unpopular moves in recent years, including raising rake and eliminating the Supernova Elite VIP level.

Negreanu would often stick up for them, even when they raised rake. Fellow pros like Joe “ChicagoJoey” Ingram and Doug Polk made fun of Kid Poker for defending the rake increase.

As Negreanu puts it, he’s glad to speak his mind without being accused of only sticking up for PokerStars. He discussed this aspect in a recent YouTube video:

“In a lot of ways, it’s somewhat freeing,” he explained. “For years, when I make a statement about poker, people say, ‘You’re just saying that because you’re being paid to say that.’ Which I know is not true.

“I could pass 1,000 lie detectors to prove that — but what’s great about the situation now is I can go back to essentially making comments and statements about the poker community that I guess would have more credibility because of that.”

Negreanu continued by discussing how his years in the industry have given him insight on the poker business.

“I’ve had the luxury over the last 20 years of being on the inside when it comes to the business side of poker, the professional side of poker,” he said.

“I know what poker players are missing. I know what some of the people in business miss about what it’s like to be a professional poker player. I’ll still fairly discuss any issues, positive and negative, with them, with partypoker, with WSOP.”

A Look Back at Negreanu’s Time with PokerStars

During the poker boom, Daniel Negreanu developed and worked on his own site, Full Contact Poker. It was successful enough to the point where a company offered him $170 million for the online poker room.

He was close to agreeing to the deal. However, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was signed into effect in October 2006. The company quickly backed off, given that the UIGEA imposes severe banking restrictions on US-friendly poker sites.

The following summer, Negreanu signed a sponsorship deal with PokerStars in June 2007. He joined a team that included recent WSOP Main Event champs Joe Hachem, Chris Moneymaker, and Greg Raymer.

Part of the deal also included Full Contact Poker’s player base being integrated into Stars. But Kid Poker was still the main attraction of the deal. He became their greatest ambassador, showing up to all of their European Poker Tour (EPT) events.

It also helped that Negreanu experienced plenty of success on the poker felt. He was at one point the all-time leader in poker tournament winnings. He also boasts six WSOP gold bracelets to his name.

Many pros have parted ways with PokerStars in recent years. However, Negreanu had remained the one constant. He’s also become known as an ambassador for the game.

As discussed before, representing Stars hasn’t been the easiest thing to do lately. They’ve transitioned into an all-around gaming company and have made shrewd moves to maintain profitability in the poker sector.

After leaving the company, Negreanu no longer has to worry about defending PokerStars when players are annoyed. He now has the freedom to speak his mind without being accused of shilling Stars.

Most importantly, Negreanu has more time to spend with his new wife and to raise a family.

The post Why Did Daniel Negreanu Split with PokerStars? appeared first on Rakeback News.

Jiang has accumulated $1.18 million in live tournament earnings ⁠— most of which has come in the last few years. Her crowning achievement includes winning the 2017 PokerStars Championship Macau along with $498,073 (HK$3.87 million).

The New Zealand resident continues to rack up more impressive accomplishments. She’s not only known as one of the top female pros in Asian, but also one of the better players, period.

What makes Jiang more amazing is her story, which has seen her seen her go from rags to riches. That said, I’m going to cover more on Jiang’s path to becoming a highly skilled poker pro.

Struggling to Adapt to Life in New Zealand

Sosia spent her earliest years in inner Mongolia. Her family, including father Youngkang, mother Lee-yee Lin, and brother Honglin, were forced to move there due to an “unfavorable status” with the Chinese government. Inner Mongolia is a particularly harsh region of the country with barren land.

“It was post-Cultural Revolution. It was quite a stark period of communism in China,” Jiang said. “There hadn’t been much economic progress.

“No one had anything so you just didn’t know anything different. It was very austere. We lived in a concrete block house with concrete floors.”

Jiang can barely remember her early life in Mongolia. Instead, she feels like her life began after a dramatic move 12,000 kilometers away to New Zealand.

“It was pretty interesting. It’s funny, my childhood memories, it’s almost like there’s a fissure,” she explained.

“I have very vivid memories of that early period in New Zealand and it’s hard to distil what are my actual early memories before that versus what is told to me.”

Her grandmother, Picktao Young, was already living in the country at the time. So, the Jiangs’ move to this distant land felt more natural as a result.

But living in New Zealand was far from natural. Sosia struggled to adapt to the language and overall culture shock.

“At my very first day of primary school I didn’t speak a word of English, I didn’t know the alphabet,” Jiang said. “They pulled this poor Vietnamese kid out of the class to try to help me and we quickly realised we didn’t speak the same language. It was futile.”

Another problem is that the Jiangs had no money or friends in their new country. Her parents quickly went to work, something they basically did 365 days a year for five straight years.

Introduction to Card Games

The Jiang family didn’t have much money when they arrived in New Zealand. As a result, Sosia and her brother didn’t have any toys to play with. All they had was a couple of card decks.

“My father had always loved games. The one thing we did always have is, when they had time, card games as a family,” she explained.

“From the time my brother was capable of holding two decks of cards in his hands, that’s what we did for leisure.”

They didn’t play poker back in these days. However, they enjoyed a variety of Sheng ji-based games, which involve points and lots of strategy.

Sosia Learns Poker

Since arriving in New Zealand, the Jiangs had been conditioned to believe that education was everything. So, when a slot opened up for Sosia at the prestigious Diocesan School, her parents spent everything they had on sending her there.

After graduation, she went on to Australian Nation University, earning a double degree in Asian studies and commerce. Sosia furthered her education even more with a law degree from the University of New South Wales.

Jiang began working in the corporate world shortly after getting her law degree. Her company moved her to Shanghai, where she’d be introduced to poker.

“My boss at the time invited me and a couple of people from the Hong Kong firm to a home poker game,” she explained.

“Nobody is ever immediately good. I’m pretty sure I won money the first time I played, but they call it beginner’s luck for a reason.

“When you first start, you’re either happy because you’ve won a bit of money or you’re a little bit steamed because you’ve lost some and want to win it back. There’s motivation to keep playing in both scenarios.”

In addition to learning live poker through home games, Jiang also picked up online poker too. Her brother, Honglin, was playing internet poker while studying for his PhD in statistics.

“This was the heyday of online poker. He gave me some guidance, recommended a couple of books and gave me some tips on how to improve my game,” she recalled.

“Looking back they were super, super rudimentary days, but it was so important to have someone to discuss strategy and hands with.”

Jiang Becomes a Poker Pro…Eventually

Sosia wasn’t a great player immediately. However, she used her love of poker and previous knowledge of card-game strategy to improve. Circumstances, along with her continual improvement, led Jiang into the world of professional poker.

While working in Shanghai, Jiang got tired of the corporate world and moved back to New Zealand to pursue a teaching career. At the same time, she began playing poker tournaments abroad. Sosia would eventually begin butting heads against her poker idols in these events.

“I was on my phone saying, ‘Oh my God, I’m sitting next to Ike Haxton.’ I’m having one of those moments,” she said.

More importantly, she was having success in these tourneys. Jiang proved even better in online and live cash games, where she earned a great deal of money. Soon, Sosia was making far more from poker than teaching.

What Makes Sosia a Good Poker Player?

Jiang continues to do well in the poker world today. She believes that her instincts are one of her key attributes with regard to being successful.

“I have pretty good instincts. It’s not that I think I have a good read on people,” she said.

“It’s intuitively with the information around you, and everybody gives off some non-verbal signals. Even subconsciously, you’re taking all of that into account.”

Sosia also bases a lot of her strategy on mathematics, rather than trying to read opponents’ physical tells.

“I’m actually quite anti tells-based play,” she explained. “Basing huge decisions on some sort of guesswork is not sound play. However, it’s relevant to informing some of your decisions at the margin, if that makes sense.

“Fundamentals are the most important thing however you’d be remiss to ignore some of the physical information you have from the environment around you.”

How Is Jiang Treated as a Woman in Poker

Much is made about women in poker. Females make up approximately 5% of tournament fields, meaning they’re a decided minority. Sosia was asked by NZHerald whether she views being a woman as an advantage.

“If someone is going to play poorly against me because of some irrational assumption or stereotype they’ve made, they’re just going to be a poor player, full stop,” said Sosia. “So when they play poorly, I can’t say it’s because I’m a woman because honestly those people are just bad against everyone.

Jiang added that anybody can be competitive in poker, regardless of their race or gender.

“Poker is unadulterated competition. And because it’s a strategic game I don’t see any reason it needs to be the purview of mostly white, male under 30-year-olds.

“Anyone is capable of getting better at the game. It’s different from other sporting pursuits because you don’t have physical limitations in that respect.”

However, Sosia believes that too few players actually improve in poker because of self-delusion. Everybody thinks they’re a great player, thus creating a tendency to be lazy and avoid working harder to become better.

“The thing about poker is it allows a lot of room for self-delusion,” Jiang explained. “I include myself in that. It’s very, very difficult to truly understand where you are versus your competition.

“Because of the element of luck involved, when you lose it is pretty easy to blame it on bad luck and when you win it must have been because you’re really good.

“I’m well, well aware that I am significantly above EV, expected value, in terms of my skill level in these tournaments and logically, over a long period of time, what I can expect to win.”

Jiang looks to use her skills to continue winning more money in the future. She’s earned the bankroll to compete in some of the biggest stakes available, such as the Triton Million (£1 million buy-in). That said, you’ll likely be seeing more of Jiang in the poker world as time goes on.

The post Sosia Jiang: From Mongolia to Poker Success appeared first on Rakeback News.

One of the biggest highlights of Tiger Jam is the celebrity poker tournament. Woods, who competes in the tourney every year, found himself pitted at the same table as All-NBA guard Russell Westbrook.

These two squared off in an all-in hand, which became the highlight of the tournament. Woods shoved preflop with ace-king suited, while Westbrook called him with pocket queens.

The first card on the flop was an ace, which caused Tiger to raise his arms in triumph after landing top pair. However, he was quickly deflated as the second card was a queen, giving Westbrook a set. The board failed to save Tiger, and he was eliminated from his own event.

WPT anchor Lynn Gilmartin captured the entire scene and tweeted about it:

Even if you’re @TigerWoods or @russwest44, you just can’t avoid those flips. #TigerJam pic.twitter.com/WchPCYCy1Q

— Lynn Gilmartin (@LynnGilmartin) May 25, 2019

Westbrook’s Win Over Woods Is Labeled a “Bad Beat”

The media has picked up on this poker story, given that it involves two prominent athletes. Major news outlets have labeled the hand a bad beat (examples here and here). But is it really?

No exact definition of a bad beat exists. However, most poker players have a general idea on what these type of hands are.

Basically, a bad beat is when a hand that’s an overwhelming favorite loses to an underdog hand that gets lucky with board cards. If you shove with pocket aces preflop and lose to 6-7 suited, for example, then you’ve suffered a beat.

Some poker novices confuse bad beats with a “race.” The latter is when two players go all-in preflop and each hold cards that give them close to a 50% chance of winning.

Race or Bad Beat?

Back to the hand between Westbrook and Woods: was it a bad beat or simply a race?

Again, Woods held ace-king suited and the Oklahoma City Thunder star had pocket queens. Here are the percentages on each hand winning or tying:

• Pocket queens winning = 53.59%
• Ace-king suited winning = 46.02%
• Tie = 0.39%

Based on the percentages, you can see that Woods didn’t suffer a bad beat at all. He essentially lost a hand where he was at a mild disadvantage.

Woods vs. Westbrook Still Makes for a Fun Poker Story – Even if It’s Not a Bad Beat Story

Perhaps you were already well aware that ace-king suited losing to pocket queens isn’t a bad beat. But the numbers thoroughly prove that it’s not.

Regardless, it’s nice when poker grabs mainstream headlines for the right reasons. Tiger Woods and Russell Westbrook are legends within their respective sports.

The latter has averaged a triple-double in three straight seasons. Previously, Oscar Robertson was the only player to average a triple-double for a season. But even Robertson was only able to pull off the feat once.

Woods has won 15 Majors, which ranks him second all time behind Jack Nicklaus (18 Majors). Woods’ most recent victory came at the 2019 Masters.

The post Did Tiger Woods Really Suffer “Bad Beat” to Russell Westbrook? appeared first on Rakeback News.

The world’s largest poker site is now offering both all-in insurance and short-deck “6+ Hold’em Spin & Go’s.” You can find out more on these features/games below and why they’re worth trying.

All-In Cash Out Feature

Stars is in the processing testing an “All-In Cash Out” option. Currently available on play money tables, this all-in feature provides the chance to take equity after shoving.

This option doesn’t influence the results or odds of a hand. Instead, it just offers the chance to earn a cash payout based on one’s hand value. PokerStars provides the insurance and charges a fee worth up to 1% of a player’s equity.

Of course, nobody has to take the protection. But it’s a nice way to guarantee something from an all-in pot. Any player who elects not to accept insurance will simply win or lose based on the hand results.

Here’s an example of how All-In Cash Out works:

• You have pocket jacks (53.68% equity).
• The opponent has ace-king suited (45.94% equity).
• Tie (0.38% equity).
• Blinds are $1/$2.
• You shove with $150.
• The opponent calls.
• Everybody else folds.
• Pot = $303 ($300 from two all-in hands, plus $3 in blinds).
• You select the insurance feature.
• The opponent ignores this option and lets the hand play out.
• $162.65 in equity (53.68% of $303), minus the house fee of $1.63 ($162.65 x 0.01) = $161.02
• You receive $161.02.
• The opponent loses the hand.
• PokerStars collects the remaining $141.98 from the pot.

The Benefit of All-In Cash Out

The main draw to poker insurance is that it reduces variance. You may lament the many times you’ve gone all-in and lost with a great hand.

Insurance guarantees money from any given all-in hand. It provides this opportunity at a relatively cheap cost too, since PokerStars only takes 1% from your equity.

Furthermore, you can also guarantee a profit with good equity. With pocket aces or kings, you’ll very likely have the best hand.

Another advantage is that insurance encourages more action. Players will feel more comfortable shoving if they have the option of receiving guaranteed money from their equity.

Short Deck 6+ Hold’em Spin & Go’s

Spin & Go’s are highly popular SNGs at PokerStars. They have the ability to offer huge prizes, relative to the buy-in, thanks to a multiplier ranging from 2x to 12,000x.

Now, PokerStars is adding to their Spin & Go selection with a short-deck 6+ Hold’em version. Available at buy-ins ranging from $1 to $100, these tourneys use a short-deck format and require both antes and blinds.

Short-deck hold’em has become more popular ever since appearing in high-stakes cash games. In particular, it gained plenty of fame after surfacing in the Triton Super High Roller Series in 2018.

PokerStars subsequently introduced 6+ Hold’em in January 2019. This game has succeeded at Stars, whereas other innovations, such as Showtime Hold’em and Unfold Poker, have failed.

How Does Short Deck Hold’em Work?

If you’ve never played short-deck hold’em before, then you shouldn’t have much trouble learning the rules. It works much like standard Texas hold’em, minus a few cards from the deck.

All card values from 2-5 are removed, leaving the deck with 36 cards. Thus, you have a better chance of forming big hands thanks to the lack of low values.

This game has a few other nuances. For example, the wheel straight is A-6-7-8-9 due to the removal of 2s through 5s. The odds of making different hands are also quite different from a 52-card deck. Additionally, a flush outranks a full house.

All in all, short-deck hold’em is definitely a fun variation to try. It’s especially interesting in the new Spin & Go format.

The post PokerStars Rolls Out All-In Insurance, 6+ Hold’em Spin & Go’s appeared first on Rakeback News.

Appearing on the True Geordie podcast, Bilzerian brought up some new tidbits about his poker career that weren’t previously reported. Actually, these new pieces of information border on outrageous and have caused many to question if they’re true.

That said, I’m going to cover some of the poker-related highlights from the podcast along with Bilzerian’s controversial claims.

Bilzerian Feels Like Rounders Perfectly Documents His Life

Poker comes up as a subject for the first time when Bilzerian mentions showing a girl Rounders. He himself has seen the film “like 200 times.”

“It resonates so strongly with me because that was kind of like my poker career,” he says. “Going broke, putting it all on the line, going into underground things, the whole thing.”

Bilzerian is referencing all of the underground cash games he’s played over the years. For example, he was part of the infamous Hollywood poker ring that included actors Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Toney Maguire.

Keeping His Poker Skills a Secret

Dan Bilzerian’s poker career is poorly documented. After all, very little of his play took place in the public eye.

His only live tournament cash includes a 180th-place finish in the 2009 WSOP Main Event ($36,626). According to the interview, this is exactly how he preferred things as a poker pro.

“I never wanted to be the guy showing everybody on TV how good I was,” Bilzerian explains. “I wanted to be the guy that people thought sucked so that I could play with the rich guys.

“For me, it was like the one thing in my life that wasn’t about ego. It was about bank account.

“You know, so I just let people think that I had a big trust fund. That’s how I got all my money, because that allowed me to get into all of those really good games. And that’s the scoreboard in poker.”

Poker Helped Launch Bilzerian’s Instagram Success

These days, ‘Blitz’ is far better known for his Instagram account than poker. But a little-known fact is that poker helped form the foundation for his social media success.

“That was actually one of the drivers for my Instagram was showing these guys how much f**king money I had, or hanging out with hot p***y, I’m doing all this dope sh*t.

Portraying this high-roller lifestyle got Bilzerian into some very lucrative poker games.

“[My image] made them want to play poker with me more. Because people don’t want to play poker with somebody who doesn’t have a lot of money. Because A – you can’t win a lot, and B – they’re less likely to be gamble and be fun,” he explains.

“They want to interact with you. They want to meet you. It was multi-faceted. It wasn’t just about the girls. I mean, that’s how it started, but there were other benefits for sure.”

Bilzerian Doesn’t Care About What the Poker Community Thinks of Him

When asked about poker YouTubers (e.g. Doug Polk) who say disparaging things about him, Bilzerian doesn’t really seem to care.

“I don’t give a f*ck. I don’t hang out with those motherf***ers. I could care less. I had friends who played poker, but I didn’t really get into that crowd that much.

“I wasn’t trying to be a grinder. I did like grinding in college and played online and did all that sh*t. But I kind of moved on from that.

“For me, it was about getting into the games with the celebrities, producers, the hedge fund guys. I didn’t even want to be associated with poker players. I didn’t want to hang out with them, I didn’t want to be seen with them.”

Bilzerian adds that he didn’t avoid hanging out with poker players because he thought they were uncool. Rather, he just didn’t want these relationships to tarnish the amateur image he’d created.

“I wanted to be the rich idiot. I didn’t want to be the guy who hung out with poker players. I didn’t want people to think I was good. These guys [other pros] were ego-driven, they wanted everybody to think they were good.”

Outrageous Claim on Being One of First to Use LAG

Loose-aggressive (LAG) poker is certainly nothing new in the game. But Bilzerian claims that he was one of the first to adopt this style during his career, which spanned from the late 2000s to mid-2010s.

“When I started playing poker, I was one of the first guys who started playing loose aggressive. And that’s kind of like the adapted style nowadays. I was one of the first people who kind of pioneered that.”

Bilzerian continues explaining his use of LAG and how it benefited him.

“It was good for me because A – I played more hands and gave more action, and B – it allowed me to get into more pots with the bad players. And I had more chances to exploit them, have more chances to get paid off on big hands, be less predictable.

“My success is not an accident. Like, ‘Oh, it just happened.’ This stuff was just proper planning. Just the same as getting laid, as making money, it’s a clear path.”

The podcasters received blowback for not pressing Bilzerian further on his claims – especially the one about pioneering LAG. They even did a follow-up regarding the criticisms they received.

That said, Bilzerian remains one of the most-controversial figures in poker and beyond. He definitely furthered this reputation with his profanity and stories during the True Geordie podcast.

The post Dan Bilzerian Discusses Rise to Poker Success and “Pioneering” LAG appeared first on Rakeback News.

This chat took place around the WSOP Main Event, so the WSOP was a topic of discussion. But Negreanu also got into other interesting aspects about how he’s managed to stay successful in poker for so long. That said, I’m going to cover what Kid Poker discussed regarding his success along with other subjects.

No Correlation Between Main Event Results and WSOP Tournaments Beforehand

Some players view certain WSOP side tournaments as warm-ups for the Main Event. However, Negreanu said that how he performs leading up to the ME has nothing to do with his eventual results.

“Well, surprisingly, none whatsoever,” he said. “There have been World Series’ where I’ve had really great runs and then did nothing in the Main Event, and vice versa.

“Really what matters is like how much energy I have and how lucky I get. Because, for as much as there are professional poker players in this game, luck does play a role.

“And there’s a lot of minefields when you’re dealing with upwards of 8,000 to 9,000 people, which we expect to play in this Main Event.”

Poker Has Evolved Greatly in Recent Years

Reiter brought up how Negreanu said, “The moment when you feel you’ve achieved poker Zen — you know what you’re doing — is when everybody passes you.” He continued to ask Kid Poker how much more difficult the game is today.

“The game of poker, the way it looked when I started playing in the late nineties, is very different from what you see today,” Negreanu explained.

“The advance of AI and different software programs you can use to figure out stuff that, in the past, old-school gamblers just figured out by trial and error.

“Now, there’s actual evidence of in this situation, this is what you should do. And that was never around before, and a lot of the top players at the very highest level used that to improve their game.”

The 45-year-old added that he sees poker players becoming even better as a collective in the coming years.

“The game will always continue to evolve and improve in terms of the quality of players. If you don’t study as well, you’re very likely to be surpassed by the young up-and-comers.”

Negreanu Explains How He’s Succeeded Where Other Old-School Pros Have Failed

Reiter brought up the fact that Negreanu has continued to be a successful player while other household poker names have dropped out of the limelight. Kid Poker offered some keys to his longevity.

“It requires some self-awareness, some humility, and some willingness. You’ve got to say, ‘Okay, I’ve been a pro for 20 years, but these young kids are learning things that I don’t know.’

“So let me learn something from them. Instead of taking the position that I’ve mastered it all and there’s nothing left to be learned.

“So, always be willing to sort of check in within myself every six months or so. And be like, “’Am I better than this crew and if not, what can I do to improve?’”

Using and Counteracting Game Theory Optimal (GTO)

Many poker players have implemented GTO into their game plan. Reiter was on top of this, asking Negreanu what he thinks about the subject.

What [GTO] does is, it’s a baseline. For example, let’s say you’re playing against the perfect computer,” explained Negreanu. “Well there is one play that is optimal against this player, against this computer.

“Now what I do, what I’ve incorporated while working with some coaches is I’ll try to figure out what is the game theory optimal play. Now, I’m going to adjust, right?

“So if the game theory says I should be bluffing 80 percent of the time here. Now I’m going to ask, ‘Whom am I playing against? Well I’m playing against you! You never fold.’

“So I’m going to deviate from that. I’m going to try and exploit by maybe only bluffing 20 percent or maybe bluffing zero percent.

“It’s important as a baseline to learn game theory in today’s game, but then you always want to adjust based on the opponent you’re playing, because not everybody is a robot.”

Negreanu Discusses WSOP Main Event Strategy

Reiter pointed out how Main Event fields are consistently large, leaving for lots of variation in skill. He then asked Negreanu how he handles such a diverse field in the early days of the tourney.

“The best way I would describe it is if you were a boxer, like the Floyd Mayweather style, where you keep your guard up and throw lots of jabs,” said the long-time pro.

“So I’m looking to build chips and doing so in a small ball way, where I’m taking a few big risks. I’m taking a lot of little ones, and looking to build that way. Really keeping my guard up and the goal in Day 1, the primary goal is survival. Secondary goal is chip accumulation.”

The entire chat between Reiter and Kid Poker is really good. The CBS host is very knowledgeable about the game. If you’d like to see more on what Negreanu had to say, you can check out the entire interview here.

The post Daniel Negreanu Shares His Secrets for Keeping His Poker Edge appeared first on Rakeback News.

It stands to become the most-expensive poker tournament ever when accounting for exchange rates. The Main Event would cost $1.26 million or €1.13 million when converted to dollars and euros, respectively.

Little information is available about this tourney, beyond the massive buy-in. The Triton Series website mentions that the £1 Million Main Event will last for three days.

The London series will be the latest for Triton, which has held multiple publicized events across the world. They’ve staged poker series in Jeju, Macau, Montenegro, and the Philippines within the past several years.

A Look Back at the Biggest Poker Tournament Buy-ins

The Triton Super High Roller Series London won’t be the only time that a tournament has featured at least a $1 million entry fee.

The very first was the $1 million Big One for One Drop at the 2012 WSOP. This tourney made international headlines when considering that the previous largest buy-in was $250,000.

The original Big One for One Drop drew 48 entries and offered a prize pool worth $42 million. Antonio Esfandiari won the event along with a record poker payout worth $18,346,673.

The 2018 Big One for One Drop also featured a $1 million entry. Justin Bonomo topped a 27-player field to win it along with $10 million.

In 2016, the €1 million Monte Carlo One Drop Extravaganza set the new bar for buy-ins. Its €1.1 million entry fee was worth $1.1 million at the time. Hong Kong’s Elton Tsang won this tourney along with an €11,111,111 prize.

What to Expect from the 2019 Triton High Roller Series London

Triton London is still several weeks away. Again, little is known about the £1 Million Main Event for Charity, including early entries.

However, we can assume that many of poker’s usual high rollers will be in attendance. Bonomo is almost a given, considering how he’s been on a recent hot streak and won the 2018 Big One.

Other players who cashed in the same tourney and might be in attendance include Fedor Holz, Dan Smith, Bryon Kaverman, and Rick Salomon.

Of course, the poker world has some other mainstays in high-roller events. Dan “Jungleman” Cates, Phil Ivey, Bryn Kenney, David Peters, Erik Seidel, and Dan Smith are likely candidates to be on the felt in London.

No matter who plays, though, the Triton High Roller Series London should be a memorable event. And the £1 Million Main Event for Charity will no doubt highlight the action.

The post Triton London Running Most Expensive Poker Tournament Ever – £1 Million Buy-in appeared first on Rakeback News.

For example, a poker pro who sells 50% of their action at 1.2:1 markup is asking investors to cover 60% of the buy-in(s). Meanwhile, both sides will still split 50% of the profits.

These types of staking deals ramp up around WSOP time. But a few of this year’s packages have drawn serious criticism. In particular, Johnnie “JohnnieVibes” Moreno and Allen Kessler were bashed by certain pros over their markup asking prices.

Let’s take a closer look at these stories and examine whether or not the pros are in the right over their markup deals.

Moreno Seeks Elite Markup

Johnnie Moreno is a poker Twitch streamer with marginal success in live tournaments. He’s only earned $72,244 in six years of being on the tourney circuit.

Nevertheless, JohnnieVibes recently offered a WSOP package that includes 1.38 markup. Moreno isn’t necessarily asking for this lofty markup because of his skills, but rather as a way for fans to support him as a streamer.

“If you want to gamble with me, support the vlog, say thanks for providing you value through this group or my videos.” he explained, “Strike it rich with tournaments this summer, help me win a bracelet, etc., this is your chance to ride with me.”

Poker pros Doug Polk and Shaun Deeb were offended by the type of markup that Moreno is asking for. They believe that he’s a “scammer” who’s taking advantage of inexperienced investors. Tweeting under the handle Markup Police, Deeb wasn’t forgiving in his criticism:

“Dear @JohnnieVibes when selling a package that after almost 1.4 markup equals lifetime cashes you’re scamming people. If you need the money just beg next video like you’re on twitch.”

Polk chimed in with the following sarcastic tweet:

“Not cool Deeb, Johnnie is an excellent tournament player (He talks about it in his vlog all the time). If he wants to sell at 1.38 on 43k worth of buyins, investors are getting a deal! He has a proven track record in tournaments, lets just let the numbers speak for themselves.”

Daniel Negreanu Jumps In to Debate Markup Police

Deeb also took exception to Kessler asking for WSOP staking without providing how much he’s spent on buy-ins. Kessler instead only touted how he’s won $900,000 in nine years at the WSOP:

“Listen i know how obsessed with numbers and data you are how don’t you include your total buyins for these 9 years. I’m guessing they’ll show your -ev”

Daniel Negreanu defended Kessler by noting that he’s not asking for a “package” but rather a one-off deal for the Main Event. ‘Kid Poker’ continued by blasting Deeb’s efforts to expose other pros:

“And I mostly did that to force you to put your money where your big mouth is anyway. You didn’t. Your goal here is abusing and bullying people. Cause it’s who you are dude.”

“[…] In poker tourneys people often sell percentages at a marked up rate. Shaming these people is wrong. Mocking the buyers of pieces is shameful. It helps no one and hurts the tourneys. People wanting to play but are afraid of the backlash.”

Deeb responded by claiming that he tells things like they are and wants to expose the so-called scammers:

“I am an asshole but not a bully I just don’t sugercoat shit I’m not fake like you and I don’t screw over the community for my own finically stability like you. I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is lets bet 250k Wsop poy me vs you ignore any events over 100k”

Should Kessler and Moreno Feel Ashamed of Their Asking Prices?

Negreanu and Deeb are definitely on different sides of the fence when it comes to calling out mediocre pros over markup. Neither side seemed to convincingly win the argument.

Kid Poker is right in that Deeb could go about criticizing other pros in a nicer manner. But Deeb may legitimately feel that he’s helping the poker community by doing so. Furthermore, he’s sparked some interesting thoughts on whether certain pros should charge such high markup.

Most winning tournament players charge between 1.2 and 1.5 markup. The latter end is reserved for top-notch pros. Moreno is therefore offering a bad deal (1.38) when considering his lack of success.

Kessler, meanwhile, has a more-reasonable offer ranging from 1.05 to 1.2 markup (depending on WSOP event). But the issue is that he only focused on his winnings and ignored the buy-ins.

You can argue that both Kessler and Moreno could stand to work on their offers. However, calling them scammers is a bit over the top.

The onus is on the investor to do research and find out whether they’re getting a quality deal. Failing to google Moreno’s tournament results before throwing money at him is inexcusable. Staking Kessler without noticing that he left his buy-ins out of the description is also really bad.

This isn’t to suggest that true poker scammers shouldn’t be held accountable. However, Moreno and Kessler aren’t blatantly trying to bilk investors out of money. Any interested backers need to perform due diligence and decide if either player is worth the money.

The post Should Poker Pros Be More Practical with Staking Markup? appeared first on Rakeback News.