Category Archives: Poker

Poker players in The Villages are complaining they have been given a raw deal.

Fans of Texas Holdem and other games lined up at the podium at Wednesdays Amenity Authority Committee meeting at Savannah Center. They claimed that their card games were abruptly canceled after disruptive behavior of a renter in connection with a card game at Laurel Manor Recreation Center.

Poker players defended the social aspects of their card games, but were outraged that their games were shut down by Recreation Director John Rohan.

The decision to end these games is uncalled for, said Villager Bill Johnson. I am calling for a review of Mr. Rohans employment. I think he needs to resign. Hes been here long enough.

Sandra Jones of the Village of St. Catherine, who previously lived in The Villages, but moved away before moving back, was also after Rohans scalp.

I think its time Mr. Rohan retire. We need some new blood in here, Jones said.

However, AAC Chair Donna Kempa was forceful in her defense of Rohan, the longtime director of recreation in The Villages. She said residents anger was misdirected.

John did not make the rule. He was enforcing the rule. He is unfairly bearing the brunt of this, Kempa said.

Kempa allowed the poker players complaining to go on for nearly an hour, later explaining that she thought it was important for the residents to be allowed to air their grievances.

However, golfers, who were at the meeting for an entirely different reason and wanted to object to course conditions, finally complained about the poker players and said it was time for them to sit down.

District Counsel Kevin Stone explained that state statute prohibits gambling, regardless of the amount, at District-owned recreation facilities.

His explanation only prompted more questions.

What about bunco? What about 50/50 drawings?

Officials said that playing cards is allowed at recreation centers, although gambling is not.

Residents were told they could reapply for the rooms they have previously used but must pledge that no gambling will take place.

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Poker players in The Villages complain they've gotten a raw deal - Villages-News

The increasing buy-ins are no stopping the High Rollers and for the second time in a week the Triton attendance record has been smashed.

The Triton Series really has gone mainstream. Days after the opening event in Jeju attracted a record-field, the record has been broken again.

The $25,000 GG MILLION$ Live event has just concluded with Mario Mosbck taking it down for $1,191,196. His heads-up opponent Sergio Aido actually pocketed more after a heads-up deal, taking home $1,237,804.

This was Mosbck's second victory on the tour having won an event in Monte Carlo last year.

This event attracted a whopping 305 entries, blowing last week's record out of the water and for a much bigger buy-in. All of the events have attracted at least 185 entries so far and the increase of the buy-ins as the week progresses has not been slowing down the attendances. We no doubt will see a Triton record for the biggest field in a six-figure buy-in event this week.

These are the winners so far in Jeju:

Will we see bigger fields this week? Let us know in the comments:

Barry Carter is the editor of PokerStrategy.com and the co-author of The Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2, Poker Satellite Strategy, PKO Poker Strategy, Endgame Poker Strategy, GTO Poker Simplified, Mystery Bounty Poker Strategy and Beyond GTO.

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News: More records broken at Triton Jeju - pokerstrategy.com

March 22 - April 1 event is the launchpad for year-long experiences designed to get Canadians closer to the action

TORONTO, March 7, 2024 /CNW/ - GGPoker, the largest online poker room in the world and Canada - announces that it is bringing The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit to Toronto for the first time ever. The WSOP Circuit stop in Toronto from March 22 April 1 at Great Canadian Casino Resort in Toronto, launches a series of GGPoker experiences for Canadians to get closer to the game and participate in first-class live poker events. Qualifiers for the WSOP Toronto Circuit are now open. Interested participants can find out more by visiting here for Ontario residents or here for the rest of Canada.

Raising the Stakes in Canada

Conceived by poker players, for poker players, GG (Good Game) Poker has become the biggest online poker room in the world. With more than $3 billion in total prizes and 3.8 billion hands played in 2023 alone, the company is also a market-leader in Canada, with goals to continue engaging players from coast-to-coast in dynamic ways.

"Bringing the fun back into poker is at the backbone of everything we do, and our success in the Canadian market shows that our experience-based approach to engaging players is working," says Sarne Lightman, Managing Director, GGPoker. "Whether on our app, or at one of our world-class WSOP events, GGPoker brings Canadians closer to the game, and the action."

With hundreds of tournaments running daily and 20+ headline tournament series throughout the year, GGPoker has upped the ante to become the home of tournament poker. Partnering with WSOP, which runs the most prestigious tournament in the industry, the Toronto WSOP Circuit is just one of a series of WSOP events in 2024, each inviting Canadians to qualify for a chance to join the ranks of Canadian poker pedigree. Following the WSOP Toronto Circuit event, a road will be paved to the WSOP in Vegas (May 28 - July 17) and the international WSOP Online (October 10 17), with multiple opportunities to qualify only possible through GGPoker.

WSOP Circuit Hits Toronto

For the first time ever, Ontario residents and players across Canada will get to experience and play in a local live WSOP Circuit event as the tournament touches down at the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto from March 28 - April 1. The event will bring together Canadian qualifiers and direct buy-in players, who will rub elbows with some of Canada's poker masters and past champions, including generational talent and GGPoker Global Brand Ambassador, Daniel Negreanu, winner of six WSOP bracelets and one WSOP Circuit Ring. He will join fellow GGPoker Ambassadors, Kevin Martin, and Greg "Goes All In" Liow at the tables to vie among thousands for a WSOP Toronto Circuit Ring

"Bringing a hometown crowd into live poker events at this level is long overdue and I am thrilled to be a part of it," says Negreanu. "Whether you want to qualify, or simply watch the action, the WSOP Toronto Circuit will give Canadians an unprecedented view of big-league poker and I invite everyone to come down and check it out."

The full WSOP Toronto Circuit runs from March 22 April 1, with the Main Event taking place March 28 April 1. The public is invited to participate by buying in directly, qualifying on GGPoker, or simply attend for free and watch all games unfold in the Poker Room and get a closer look at the mastery of some of the world's best poker players. For complete information and detailed schedule, please visit: https://greatcanadian.com/promotions/wsop-circuit-event-dates/

About GGPoker

GGPokeris the World's Biggest Poker Room, with a global player base. It offers a range of innovative games and features such as the patented Rush & Cash poker, All-In or Fold, Flip & Go, Spin & Gold, Battle Royale, GGCare & GGCheers, integrated staking platform, SnapCam video messaging, PokerCraft, and Smart HUD, all designed to enhance gaming experiences and make poker more fun than ever.

In 2020, GGPoker hosted the world record-breaking WSOP Online main event and the WSOP 2020 Main Event. In 2021, GGPoker won PokerListing's 'Best Poker Software Overall' award. In 2022, GGPoker became the world's largest online poker room and was awarded the Online Poker Operator of the Year Award at the SiGMA Americas Gaming Awards. In 2023, GGpoker sent more than 750 players to the live WSOP 2023 Main Event via its celebrated Road to Vegas satellite tournaments and over 1,000 to the WSOP Paradise in Bahamas.

About the World Series of Poker

Part of Caesars Entertainment's Caesars Digital operations, the World Series of Poker is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world, having awarded more than $4 billion in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport's top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker's longest-running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2023, the event attracted 214,641 entrants from more than 114 different countries to the Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas and awarded more than $403 million in prize money. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent of WSOP Europe in 2007, WSOP Asia-Pacific in 2013, WSOP International Circuit Series in 2015 and WSOP Paradise at Atlantis Paradise Island in 2023. All WSOP events are subject to the then-current and applicable WSOP tournament rules. For more information, please visit http://www.wsop.com.

SOURCE GGPoker

For further information: Jyoti Minhas, Strategic Objectives, [emailprotected]

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World's Biggest Poker Room, GGPoker, Brings World Series of Poker to Toronto - Canada NewsWire

One of "American Idol's" most memorable contestants, William Hung, a Los Angeles area poker player, told People magazine his gambling addiction led to a failed marriage.

Hung, 41, infamously appeared on Season 3 of American Idol in 2004. He didnt advance beyond the initial phase after having one of the worst auditions judge Simon Cowell had heard after listening to a horrendous off-key rendition of Ricky Martins She Bangs.

Despite the public humiliation, Hung parlayed the appearance on the popular musical talent scouting show into some fame and notoriety. He gave up the musical career years ago and has since played poker regularly, although those days now appear to be over. But his gambling habit, according to an interview with People, turned into an addiction that doomed his first marriage.

I was earning way more doing that than I was at my regular job. It was going well for a while, Hung said of his poker game.

The only problem was he didnt stick to just playing poker. He began to bet on sports heavily to a point it became an addition, and a costly one for multiple reasons.

I know better [now]. I wasnt supposed to do those things, but I did it anyway, he said, calling himself greedy. And I paid for it. I got divorced, and I learned I had to be smart about which risks I chose to take, Hung continued.

On a positive note, Hung has since remarried and now has a stable job in Los Angeles as a data analyst. For the past decade, hes played cash games regularly in Southern California, at Commerce Casino and other LA area card rooms.

Hung does have some small results on The Hendon Mob totaling $108,295 in lifetime live tournament cashes, his most recent being last June at Venetian in Las Vegas, a small cash in a $600 buy-in event. Hes also appeared as a headliner in some charity events, including a 2023 Ante 4 Autism tournament at South Point in Las Vegas, a tournament Hung won in 2022.

The former American Idol contestant has competed in some World Series of Poker (WSOP) events but hasnt recorded a cash.

Hung told People he knew he was good at poker but got greedy and thats why he started to bet on sports, which apparently was his downfall in the gambling world.

PokerNews Podcast: William Hung Tackles Poker

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Infamous 'American Idol' Contestant William Hung Lost Wife Over Poker, Gambling Addiction - PokerNews.com

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$1.39 Million Fortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive Jackpot Hits at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh - WV News

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$1.39 Million Fortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive Jackpot Hits at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh - Chronicle-Tribune

After 13 hours of play, the curtain has closed on the 2024 Merit Poker Western Series $5,300 Main Event here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. It took 13 hours for a winner to be crowned from 30 hopefuls who made it to the third and final day. Maksim Shornikau of Belarus emerged victorious after the dust had settled, outlasting a field of 153 entrants and last defeating China's Shuang Luo to capture the title and top prize of $177,500.

Shornikau started the day third in chips and was seemingly in cruise control for most of the day, coming into the final table with the chip lead and claiming three final table knockouts en route to victory. Before today's win, Shornikau had just over $250,000 in live tournament earnings to his name with a previous best score coming from a 15th-place finish in the 2022 EPT Prague main event for 52,050 ($54,835). Today's score not only triples his previous best but, perhaps surprisingly, is also Shornikau's first time outright winning a poker tournament.

"Everything is good" Shornikau said when asked how he felt about his first tournament win. "I've had a lot of situations in previous tournaments where it just didn't click for me at the final table but this time everything clicked and I am very happy about it".

Shornikau is good friends with Mikalai Vaskaboinikau, a notable crusher with over $3,000,000 in career tournament earnings who also happens to be from Belarus. Shornikau acknowledged the value of learning the game with Vaskaboinikau years ago, but also mentioned his experience in online events that helped him prepare for today's final table.

"Mikalai and I are friends since we were twenty years old. We started playing together, we learned together. I also play a lot online which really helped bring my game to a higher level".

When asked about his experience playing in Merit Poker Events and what keeps bringing him back, Shornikau touted the player experience that Merit Poker provides.

"I like it here very much. The conditions that they've made for the players, both tournament and cash players, I cannot find that anywhere else. That's why I keep coming back".

The $5,300 High Roller smashed it's $300,000 guarantee, attracting a total field of 153 entrants to generate a prize pool of $703,800. Of those 153 entrants, 30 players managed to advance to Day 3. With only 20 spots paid the action was slow to start, with many middling stacks attempting to outlast the money bubble. Aleksandr Kirichenko began the day as the chip leader but dropped down the counts after paying off Justus Held, who started the day second in chips and took the lead in the first level of the day. Luo, who began the day sixth in chips, also had a good start after picking off a bluff from Aleksandar Tot in another early highlight.

Bulgaria's Fahredin Mustafov became the unfortunate soul to burst the money bubble after moving all in from the small blind only to run into a dominating hand. From this point the action became fast and furious and Shornikau began to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with, scoring three of the first four knockouts after the money bubble had burst to put himself neck and neck with Held for the chip lead.

Other notables who made the money but fell short of the final table include ACR team pro Monika Zukowicz, Milos Skrbic and Held, who was eliminated one spot shy of the final table after getting pipped by Tot.

Tunisia's Maher Achour came into the final table with the shortest stack at just three big blinds and was the first to be eliminated at the hands of Anatoly Nikitin. Achour was quickly followed out the door by Guoliang Wei who found himself on the wrong side of a blind on blind confrontation against Kirichenko.

Estonia's Tarmo Tammel began the day as the shortest stack with just under nine big blinds but did a great job laddering up, even finding himself among the chip leaders at one point during the final two tables. His run came to an end in seventh-place after losing a flip to Kirichenko that cost him most of his stack. Kirichenko would finish Tammel off shortly afterwards. Bogdan Munteanu and Nikitin were next to fall in sixth and fifth place respectively.

Start of day chip leader Kirichenko did a great job battling back after an early setback against Held and came very close to avenging his runner up finish at the last $5,300 Merit Poker High Roller event from the Gangster Series this past October. He would ultimately fall in fourth-place to Shornikau, who held two thirds of the chips in play going into the final three. Although Shornikau's victory seemed like a foregone conclusion from this point, Luo doubled through Shornikau twice in quick succession to leave him short-stacked for the first time since the day began.

With victory seemingly slipping through his fingers, Shornikau hit an incredible run of cards to come back from the brink of elimination. Luo was a 91% favorite to eliminate him after the flop in a blind on blind confrontation but Shornikau hit running cards to make a straight and stave off elimination. He would win a flip against Tot immediately after to leave Tot on fumes. Luo would finish Tot off shortly after and heads-up play would begin.

Luo began heads-up play with nearly a 2:1 chip advantage and almost won the tournament outright after moving in with pocket-sevens and getting called by ace-deuce in one of the first hands of heads-up play. Shornikau would spike the ace to reclaim the lead from Luo.

In the final hand of the night, Luo did an excellent job setting a trap after flopping two pair and checking both the flop and turn out of position. Shornikau had turned top pair and moved all in only to be snap-called by Luo, who was an 80% favorite to secure the double up which would have made the two players nearly even in chips. As fate would have it, Shornikau would make a better two pair on the river to win the final pot of the night, the title and top prize of $177,500.

That concludes our coverage for this event but be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the action from the 2024 Merit Poker Western Series $3,300 Main Event which is already underway and set to play down to a winner on January 25.

Las Vegas-based PokerNews Live Reporting Executive, originally from Chicago, IL

Excerpt from:

"Everything Clicked" For Maksim Shornikau's First Tournament Win in Merit Poker Western Series $5300 High Roller - PokerNews.com

Last week, Arden Cho finished as runner-up to Daniel Smiljkovic in the PGT Championship, winning $200,000 in the process.

Cho is no stranger to the PokerGO studio, having previously gambled with Phil Hellmuth on No Gamble, No Future and has played in several cash games at the venue. But this result felt like a step forward in the actress's poker career, and she spoke with PokerNews about her experience and where her poker journey would take her next.

Thanks to tournament sponsor Eat Mezcla, Cho found herself seated in a star-studded field and played on Day 1 with the likes of Chance Kornuth, Artur Martirosyan and 2023 WSOP Main Event Champion Daniel Weinman.

"Everyone in the field was a top pro," she told PokerNews. "So every situation was tough! I had to make so many tough calls and tough folds. When it got down to about 14 players, I felt like I folded my way to the final six.

Daniel Smiljkovic Rallies to Defeat Arden Cho Heads-Up for PGT Championship Title ($500,000)

"But I was having a great time watching, learning as I was going and adjusting to the game. I spoke with Maria Ho before the tournament, and she gave me a ton of advice and a lot of help. I almost gave up multiple times when I got down to like 15 big blinds, but the support was tremendous, and somehow I held on and got doubles when they counted."

Making it through Day 1 was "unreal", says Cho, but with Day 2 seeing Cho make her first major final table, she says that nerves played a huge part.

"I didnt have much of a game plan, I just didn't want to bust first,"

"I didnt have much of a game plan. I just didn't want to bust first," she admitted. "Brian Kim went over some scenarios with me and explained ICM, and gave me as many final table tips/advice as he could.

"Initially, I planned to play fairly snugly. I was coming in as a shorter stack with very little final table experience, so I was just hoping to make the pay jumps and let the guys battle it out."

The advice worked, with Cho working her way through the final table and showing real tournament know-how to make the most of her deep run.

"As the blinds were picking up, I felt like I really had to pick some spots to survive. I also just adjusted to how I felt everybody was playing [against] me. I knew I was the weakest player at the table; my blinds were always attacked, and everyone played fairly aggressively.

"This is what I love about tournament poker, Im learning so much every single time I play"

"There was a Kx4x four-bet bluff when we were three-handed - that was my first time ever trying something like that, and I never knew you could do things like that with certain combinations of hands and apply pressure to players because of ICM. It was so exciting to try! Probably more exciting that it was successful. After the tournament, I spoke to Brian and told him that if I hadnt spoken to him, I think I wouldve gotten 5th or 6th.

"But again, this is what I love about tournament poker, Im learning so much every single time I play."

Cho says the heads-up against Smiljkovic was a "mental battle", and although it didn't go her way on this occasion, she says she was always realistic about her chances and is looking forward to taking what she's learned and applying it to future occasions.

"I knew I had no shot unless I got super lucky," she confessed. "Hes too good. I have no heads-up experience. Im sure my play was atrocious. I made a bad call in the end when I thought he only had 11 big blinds to actually double him up for over 17 big blinds.

"But he deserves the trophy. Hes a better player, and Im so glad to have had the experience because I definitely learned a few things from playing Dan heads-up!"

An incident on Day 1 of the PGT Championship got the poker world talking, with many believing that Jeff Lennon had gone too far with the way he interacted with the former Teen Wolf and Partner Track star.

While appearing intoxicated, Lennon quizzed Cho on everything from her status as an amateur player to whether she had a boyfriend, even going so far as to question her sexuality. When asked, Cho said that this happens "just about every time" she sits down to play poker.

Seemingly Intoxicated Poker Player on PGT Championship Stream Puts Viewers on Tilt

"This was just a small glimpse of what it's like being a woman at a poker table," she said. "So you can just imagine how bad it can get. Hopefully, moments like these being caught on stream and people voicing their opinions will change the way men act with women at the poker table.

"As someone who loves poker and hopes more women play - Im thankful for the allies speaking out and having our backs in those spots. Im a bit immune to it, but I do hope for change and see it slowly happening."

Cho told PokerNews that Lennon had, in fact, reached out to her in the aftermath to apologize.

"I believe his intentions weren't malicious, and he might have just had a few too many tequila shots!" she said before adding: "There are also a lot of really stand-up men in the poker community who are very welcoming to recreational and women players."

Cho says that going forward, balancing life with poker and her career in acting will become more difficult as she heads off to film her next project, but she insists that her poker hobby will still provide her with ample learning experiences.

"With acting, I put in an insane amount of preparation and work prior to filming, and even while filming, I'm constantly putting in work. I suppose if I want to keep playing tournaments, I should do the same for poker but can you blame me for wanting to keep it fun and exciting?

"I think I put the chips in bad at least four times this tournament and said 'Oops'. Because theres always a chance to get lucky! I still try to learn from my mistakes every time I play, but its more of a learn as you go style. Ive had so much fun playing a bunch of tournaments in 2023. I can't promise a tonne of tournaments, but expect to see me on the felt on my days off - especially if I'm invited to any other cool tournaments!"

Will Shillibier is the European Executive Editor for PokerNews and based in the United Kingdom. He started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.

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Arden Cho Reflects on PGT Controversy, Continuing to Learn and Her Future in Poker - PokerNews.com

Dear San Diego

Michael Zucchetis one of those guys who listens more than he talks, and his calm and thoughtful demeanor has served him well at the poker table and at the negotiating table.

Ive never played poker with him, but I know him enough to know hes an understated, thoughtful guy, one of these guys who listens more than he talks, and Im guessing thats how he plays poker, said Dear San Diego co-host Tony Manolatos.

Zucchet oversees the City of San Diegos largest labor union as General Manager of the San Diego Municipal Employees Association.

In addition to his day job, Michael is one of San Diegos leading political minds, frequently called on for his strategic advice and recommendations. Hes also a fierce poker player, enjoying rare success in Vegas. Michael also serves as aSan Diego Port Commissioner.

Hes married with two kids and he and his family reside in Ocean Beach. Its his family life, he says, thats the priority and it may not have been if his political career did not take an unexpected turn.

The Dear San Diego podcast with Tony Manolatos and Juan Hernandez is produced by JC Polk ofOlas Mediaat the digital branding companys studios in Mission Valley.

More here:

Dear San Diego Podcast: Michael Zucchet on Family, Unions, Politics and Poker - Times of San Diego

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Percy Jackson & the Olympians season 1, episode 6, "We Take a Zebra to Vegas."

Percy Jackson & the Olympians episode 6 features the Lotus Casino scene from Rick Riordan's books, but it misses out on the perfect callback to the movies. The Disney+ series is giving Riordan's best-selling novels a second chance on-screen, something that's come as a relief to those disappointed with the short-lived Percy Jackson film series. Despite the movies' negative reception, certain elements from the original adaptations have proven memorable including their original casting.

While Walker Scobell is masterfully capturing Percy Jackson's book mannerisms, many fans continue to associate Logan Lerman with the young demigod. The Percy Jackson movies' trio Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, and Brandon T. Jackson are still iconic in their roles, even if new talent has taken over. And the films do have a few other strengths, which is why the Percy Jackson show should have worked in a callback during its casino episode.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians episodes 1-6 are currently streaming on Disney+.

Disney's Percy Jackson show had the opportunity to reference the movies during its casino scene, a nod it could have accomplished in multiple ways. To start, the usage of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" in 2010's The Lightning Thief is entertaining and iconic. Given that Lady Gaga remains a well-known artist, it wouldn't have felt outdated for the series to use the same song while the new Percy Jackson trio became enthralled by the White Lotus casino. Using "Pokerface" would have maintained the feeling of the moment and offered a fun Easter egg for longtime fans to pick up on.

Sadly, Percy Jackson & the Olympians episode 6 didn't go this route, opting for Dua Lipa's "Levitating" as a backdrop to its casino scene instead. While this fits the vibe and allows Percy Jackson to connect with its modern audience it's a missed opportunity for the Disney series. The show also missed out on the perfect chance to include movie cameos from the original trio.

In addition to including a musical callback to the Percy Jackson movies, the TV adaptation could have used its casino episode to include cameos from Lerman, Daddario, and Jackson. While having Lerman appear in a major role, like that of Poseidon, would have felt heavy-handed, placing the original stars in the background of a chaotic casino scene would have been a fun and fast cameo. It wouldn't have distracted from the story or the new Percy Jackson cast, and it would have acknowledged the adaptations that came before. Sadly, Percy Jackson & the Olympians missed its best opportunity to do this.

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Percy Jackson's Lotus Casino Episode Missed Out On The 1 Movie Callback We've Been Waiting For - Screen Rant