The Nightly Turbo: Tony G Withdraws from WSOP Big One, Play Antonius Heads-up, and More
One spot opened up for the $1 million buy-in event at the World Series of Poker this week. Unfortunately, it came at the expense of our very own Tony G. We'll cover that story, plus Patrik Antonius promoting a new online poker room, in this edition of the Nightly Turbo.
In Case You Missed It
Joe Cassidy won his first World Series of Poker bracelet on Thursday. We break down that story and more in the Day 19 WSOP recap.
A handful of notables are in contention for a WSOP bracelet in the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E event on Friday. We tell you who in the WSOP What To Watch For.
How was the high-stakes action at the PokerStars tables this week? Read the Online Railbird Report to find out the week's biggest winners and losers.
Phil Ivey made a big splash in the Global Poker Index this week. Will he crack in the Top 10 next week? Mickey Doft breaks down the biggest movers and shakers of the GPI.
How does @AsianSpa feel about Phil Hellmuth's 12th bracelet? Check out his latest blog in The Muck.
Jesse Martin joined the Strategy with Kristy podcast this week. Martin and Kristy Arnett discuss a $1,500 NLHE event the two played at the 2012 World Series of Poker.
It was a crazy second week at the World Series of Poker. Take a photographical look back with the WSOP Week in Photos.
Looking for a fun, behind-the-scenes perspective of life at the WSOP? The Muck is providing several daily stories from inside the Rio, so check it out!
Tony G Is Committed — To Basketball
Last week, the World Series of Poker announced that 42 of the 48 spots had been filled for next month's $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop event. However, one extra spot has opened up now that our very own Tony G has pulled out of the event.
Guoga recently removed his name from the list due to his duties with the Lithuanian basketball team. The Lithuanian club will be playing exhibition games in Houston next week and will then travel to Venezuela at the beginning of July. Tony is the manager of the national team and says he's taking a short break in poker to pursue his other passion.
Who will fill Tony's spot in the One Drop event? Mike Sexton, Phil Hellmuth, Jean-Robert Bellande and Ben Lamb have announced their intentions to play but we won't know for sure until an updated list is released by the WSOP. Be sure to follow this space for updates!
For a look at the confirmed entrants in the Big One for One Drop, check out WSOP.com.
The Patrik Antonius Heads-up Challenge
Former Team Full Tilt Poker member Patrik Antonius is the new face of online poker site iGame. Antonius is the first Team FTP member to sign on with another online poker room since the controversial poker site was shut down last year.
As part of his new deal, Antonius will face off against one qualifier in a pair of heads-up matches that will be streamed live at iGame.com. If the qualifier beats Antonius in both matches, he or she will walk away with €20,000.
Antonius has been spotted in Las Vegas this summer playing high-stakes pot-limit Omaha, but we likely won't get to see him sporting a new patch until the World Series of Poker $50,000 Poker Player's Championship later this month. He's also put a deposit down for the Big One for One Drop event, which kicks off on July 1.
Find out more about Antonius' heads-up challenge at iGame.com.
Another Big Series Down Under
Crown Casino in Melbourne has announced the schedule for the 2013 Aussie Millions Poker Championship. The series will feature 26 events from Jan. 17 through Feb. 3, including a $10,000 Main Event, a $25,000 High Roller and a $250,000 Challenge.
The Aussie Millions has been one of the top poker destinations in the world since 2008. Organizers anticipate around 4,000 guests from around the globe during the summer festival. They'll all be vying for a piece of the anticipated $20,000,000-plus prize pool.
“It’s the place I keep coming back to, for the poker, the Australian Open tennis, the atmosphere, the staff and the Australian people,” said 2007 Aussie Millions Champion Gus Hansen. “The exquisite effort by Crown to make it a great event for the novice, the aspiring amateur and the high-stakes pro keeps you coming back time after time.”
We have the full schedule of 2013 Aussie Millions events right here at PokerNews.com.
Going Once, Going Twice...
Pinnacle Entertainment is the new owner of the Heartland Poker Tour and Federated Sports+Gaming Inc. after putting up the highest bids at a bankruptcy auction this week.
Pinnacle, along with William Hill and a few other companies, appeared at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland to make their bids on the two Chapter 11 companies. The highest bid for the HTP was $4.2 million, and FS+G's assets went for $300,000. Those assets include the Epic Poker League, Global Poker Index, the EpicPoker.com website.
The Epic Poker League was formed by FS+G in June 2011 as an exclusive tournament series for the game's top pros. However, before even finishing the first season, FS+G filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after racking up more than $7 million in debt with more than 100 creditors. Now under new ownership, the future of the EPL is in up in the air.
Read more in the article at PokerNews.com.
Explain This, Maria Ho
Sarah Grant loves to find dirt on professional poker players. This week, Sarah stalked the Facebook and Twitter accounts of Maria Ho for the latest edition of Explain This.
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