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A CRAVEN election candidate who lost his bid to get onto North Yorkshire County Council on the drawing of straws has joked how he had offered to settle the dead-heat result with a game of poker.

Labour councillor Peter Madeley, and Independent, Cllr Andy Solloway, both received 503 votes in the Skipton West and West Craven division of North Yorkshire County Council in the May local council elections.

The closest race of the county council elections in Craven also saw Conservative candidate Patrick Mulligan, who was seeking to be re-elected onto the county council just two votes behind with 501. The Green Party's Claire Nash took 166 of the votes in the ward, which saw a 35 per cent turn out, one of the lowest in the district.

Cllr Solloway won the seat following a drawing of straws, after the flipping of a coin and the cutting of cards were also considered before being ruled out at the election count at Skipton Town Hall.

At Tuesday's annual meeting of Craven District Council, of which both councillors are members, Cllr Madeley paid tribute to Cllr Solloway, adding that all the candidates knew it would be close.

He said: "People say to me it's unfair but that is life. I did offer to have a game of poker with Andy, but he declined.

He continued: "Losing to Andy is not a bad thing, he is a good man and he works hard."

Cllr Madeley was not in the hall when the election result was announced. A taxi driver, he was instead taking customers to the airport and entrusted the drawing of the straw to Cllr Brian McDaid, his fellow Labour councillor who sits on Skipton Town Council.

Cllr Madeley told his colleagues on the district council as a resident of West Skipton Cllr Solloway would be his representative on the county council and on the future North Yorkshire Council, and he wished him well.

Earlier, council leader, Cllr Richard Foster, paid tribute to the council staff, including returning officer, Paul Shevlin, who was taking part in his last election, for its smooth running.

"It went remarkably smoothy, despite one election going down, not even to a wire, it was a straw. Councillor Madeley and Councillor Mulligan were very unlucky to lose that election in the sense that it was so close," he said.

He added that just nine councillors would be going forward to represent Craven on the new North Yorkshire Council and that there would be a lot to do.

"Its going to be a big workload, but we will do our best to represent the Craven communities," he said.

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Dead-heat election candidate offered to settle result by 'playing poker' - Craven Herald

ST JOHNS, Antigua--(BUSINESS WIRE)--What a week at Everygame Poker. The perfect match a 100% deposit bonus up to $200, a bunch of Blackjack free bets, plus another chance to win a $5k prize package and a seat at this years European Poker Championship.

So how about that reload bonus? Drop a deposit of at least $25 between now and May 30th using the code MAY22, and Everygame will match it. 100%. All the way up to $200.

Thats big. But this? This is even bigger. Everygames Live Event Frenzy takes place this week, where the top prize is a $5,200 package. A package that will take you to the 2022 European Poker Championship in Austria!

Held in the picturesque tourist town of Velden, this years tournament takes place between July 13th and July 24th. And you could be at the 31st edition of this elite event if you play your cards right.

Take a look through the stacked schedule where youll find daily Live Event Frenzy satellites all week long, all of which could help you reach the Live Event Frenzy Final on May 29th.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience must be won this Sunday and heres what it includes:

$2,700 Main Event Buy-In

$500 to help with travel expenses

5-night stay for two at a premium hotel

Welcome Dinner with the Everygame crew

And as if all that wasnt enough, heres a little something else for you to enjoy $50 worth of Blackjack free bets! Log in, load up the Tangente tab and play Blackjack 21 where youll find 25 free bets waiting. Completely on the house.

Each bet is worth $2 and theyre there right now. Dont miss em!

ENDS

Editors notes:

About Everygame Poker:

https://poker.everygame.eu/

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100% Deposit Bonus at Everygame Poker in May - Business Wire

Most people are familiar with meet-ups. The trend started 20 years ago when people felt the need to connect in new ways. People could form meet-up groups for everything from political activism to book clubs to career networking. They still do for more reasons than we could even try to list here.

It shouldnt be surprising that someone harnessed the power of the meet-up for poker. It just so happened that it did take a long time to do it in a way that formed a special community of players.

Andrew Neeme had the initial idea to host a meet-up -- specifically a meet-up game, also known as a "MUG." He partnered with fellow poker vlogger Brad Owen to connect with people in the poker community who were watching their vlogs. It was a way to form a new community, one with people of similar poker interests, and a way to bring people together at and away from the tables. That was almost six years ago.

Today, Neeme and Owen continue to host MUGs. Theyve evolved, though, often to groups of hundreds of participants. The World Poker Tour recently partnered with Owen to bring that MUG power to its ranks. Owen is the newest WPT Ambassador and hosted his first WPT-sponsored MUG this week at Choctaw Durant just before the start of the WPT Choctaw Main Event.

It was a massive draw, but its success is a product of years of hard work and special care to protect its integrity and uniqueness. Owen and the WPT will make sure that remains the case.

Andrew Neeme was the creator of the MUG idea, though he coordinated with Brad Owen to pull it off.

Neeme started his vlog chronicling his cash-game play and analyzing some hands in October of 2016. Owen started his vlog in December of '16. By '17, they had each garnered a bit of a following on YouTube and social media. Owen remembers having about 7,000 subscribers, though only a fraction of Neemes approximately 50,000. Both wanted to expand their horizons a bit.

"The thought behind it was to be able to play poker face-to-face with our viewers -- meet them, interact with them, have drinks with them, have a fun time, not focus too much on the outcome of the session, and just enjoy being with the people who support our poker channels," Owen explained.

The two vloggers had different styles Neeme more artistic with aesthetically-pleasing blogs; Owen more comedic with a bit of a lighter tone. It turned out that they complemented each other well, both in the vlog world and in real life.

They hosted their first meet-up game in mid-2017 at the Mirage in Las Vegas, an older Strip casino that had a (now-defunct) small poker room. About 20 or 25 people showed up to play some fairly low-stakes cash games. They took a few shots, had some beers, and played poker for a few hours. Everyone was happy, including the Mirages poker room.

The next one was at a similar location: Treasure Island on the Strip. It drew a similar crowd with another positive result.

The more they hosted their MUGs, the more requests the duo received to host similar games at different locations. They found a casino near Phoenix called Wildhorse Pass later in 2017, and that one took the idea to a new level. Upwards of 75 people showed up.

"That was insane," Owen recalled. "At that point, we realized that we were really on to something with the concept. It was a win-win-win. The propertys poker room was busier than it normally was...by a lot. We were making great content, and we were interacting with the viewers, who were having a great time. It was a lot of fun."

Fast Forward Five Years

This past December, Owen celebrated his fifth vlog anniversary. His vlog now has more than 606,000 subscribers, and his vlogs have more than 129.8 million views. Each recent video regularly shows 450,000 to 700,000 views, though some have catapulted over the million mark.

Several months later, Owen inked a sponsorship deal with the World Poker Tour. He is the second ambassador to sign with the brand this year. (World-renowned DJ and music producer Steve Aoki was the first). Its a full-circle dream-come-true moment for Owen.

"I grew up watching the World Poker Tour events on television," Owen told me. "To now be friends with the people who are regularly at the final tables of the WPT, to be hanging out with people like (WPT commentator and actor) Vince Van Patten, is a dream in so many ways."

The young poker pro is now working closely with the World Poker Tour. WPT Choctaw in Oklahoma was the first stop for him as a WPT Ambassador, and he hosted a MUG at the Choctaw Durant casino the night before the Main Event began. Approximately 170 people showed up, including Van Patten.

Owen expects to take the MUGs on the road more with the WPT, with possible locations to coordinate with upcoming WPT Main Tour or WPT Prime stops in Australia and/or Spain. Hes fairly sure there will be a giant MUG at the Venetians poker room in Las Vegas this summer around the time of the recently-announced WPT Venetian Festival in the first half of July.

Changing and Remaining the Same

Owen looks forward to continuing to expand the MUG concept. His role in the poker world is now larger than ever, as is his influence.

Personally, this means that Owen will travel more frequently. On the positive side, his girlfriend loves to travel with him but doesnt play poker. This makes it easier to work it all around the lives of her two young daughters, as his job remains separate from their lives but is the conduit for family vacation opportunities. The added work as a WPT Ambassador may mean a little less quality time at home with his family, but all three of the women in his immediate life respect his work.

What does it all mean for MUG?

It means more players around the world will be able to meet Owen and other pros at meet-up games around the United States, Europe, Asia, and wherever else the World Poker Tour goes.

Meanwhile, it is vitally important to keep the core goals of the MUGs intact. The more people who attend, the tougher it becomes for Owen to mingle, play at every table for more than just a few hands, and chat with attendees. He doesnt want the experiences to lose the personal touch.

Those who "know" Owen through his vlogs or in person can sense that he wont let anything get out of hand. The World Poker Tour has a great deal of respect for Owen and his MUGs, as they are the package deal made him an ideal candidate for an ambassadorship.

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World Poker Tour Harnesses the Power of the Poker MUG - Sporting News

The UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) made its triumphant return to the live poker scene last month, with a successful event held at the iconic Hippodrome Casino in London.

Back then, it was James Rann who went home 86,568 richer after topping a 645-player field. The UKIPT's return continues this week with the tour's first stop in Dublin for six years, and a stop in Malta planned for next month.

PokerNews spoke with staff and players involved and asked for their thoughts on the return of the tour.

Head of Poker at The Hippodrome Casino is Kerryjane Craigie says that the return of the UKIPT to London was a tremendous success.

"The UKIPT is a wonderful brand that everyone has always looked forward to returning," she said. "And it's like it's never been away!"

The return of live poker has seen record fields in various events, and although no new record was set in London back in April, Craigie says that the field was full of different types of players all enjoying the UKIPT experience.

The Do-It-All Force Behind Londons Most Unique Poker Hangout, Kerryjane Craigie

"We've had a lot of new players, lots of European players coming over, lots of recreationals and players I've not seen before. It's brought back memories of the old UKIPT, with that community and a new generation of players. It's just been wonderful to be involved."

Players like Julien Sitbon, who made the final table in London, agree that the playing experience was a positive one.

"The structure is amazing, and with satellites online I think it's going to bring in more players. After playing online for a year and a half during lockdown, new players are coming and emerging. Now they'll finally be able to touch some chips and enjoy live events.

"It's a good way to start and balance and play here consistently, and then move up and potentially go to the EPTs."

Related: How to Win a PokerStars Players Championship Platinum Pass

Another person with memories of how the UKIPT used to be is photographer Danny Maxwell who has a long history with the tour, covering it first for his own site and now being part of the official PokerStars photography team.

"When I heard it was coming back, I thought it was interesting," said Maxwell. "Speaking to old regs from back in the day, it's just special to have them back together. These are the original guys who started going to the UKIPT events together, and became a poker family."

PokerStars Ambassador Ben Spragg played at UKIPT London, and narrowly missed out on a place at the final table finishing in 15th for 5,920. Some of his first cashes came on the UKIPT, in Galway and Bristol, and says that it was one of the first accessible tours for up-and-coming grinders something the tour retains into 2022.

"Back in the day when I was starting out, I would sell action to the UKIPT Main Event. It was kind of a big deal! Now there are events that are more accessible, but there's still at an aspirational level.

"There's big money to be won, but it's nice to have that connection to those starting out in poker, maybe played a little bit and want to get to a real live stop that's not quite as big as the European Poker Tour (EPT) for example."

The pandemic has seen many people pick up poker, some for the first time, and Spragg says that events like this are the perfect opportunity for people to play live poker for the first time.

"I think it's nice that they have the connection between PokerStars and us as ambassadors or other UK poker players, and this is the first time they're playing in a real venue with real staff.

"It can be intimidating for people to walk into a card room where they haven't played before. But [at UKIPTs] they see the PokerStars Ambassadors and people know these faces. It's where people are playing online, you can qualify online, and you can buy in with your online account here. There's a degree of familiarity."

There are plenty of satellites to the UKIPT in the PokerStars client.

New depositing PokerStars customers can claim a welcome bonus worth up to $600. Download PokerStars via PokerNews, create your free account, and decide how much you want to deposit. Your deposit is matched 100% up to $600 in the form of a bonus. In fact, your first three deposits in the first 60-days after making your first deposit are matched up to a combined total of $600.

The bonus releases into your playable balance in $10 increments each time you generate 180 redemption points, which in turn are earned at a rate of five per $1 contributed to the cash game rake or spent on tournament fees (6.5 points per 1, 5.5 points per 1, and four points per CAD$).

Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German, and then studied for a NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism at Sportsbeat in Manchester. He previously worked as a freelance live reporter, and video presenter for the World Poker Tour.

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The Return of the "Wonderful, Accessible and Familiar" UK & Ireland Poker Tour - PokerNews.com

Its 2am and your session is over. You sat down eight hours earlier and now youre ready to leave. You rack up your chips and have exactly $595. Considering you bought in for $300, youre leaving up $295. Good for you. You pick up your rack to go, and notice that youve left three green chips: $75. No matter. Its only money. You just leave it there.

No poker player has ever done that, ever. Even so, otherwise thoughtful players may often leave money behind on the table in almost as obvious a manner and give it no mind. Here are the three ways they do this:

The game is $2/5 No-Limit Hold em and youre up against a calling station. Youre the button and hes the cutoff. Its a loose game and youre holding Q Q. There are two callers in front of you, including the calling station. You raise to $20 and everyone folds except the villain, who calls. The flop is J T 3.

The villain checks and you bet $25. He calls. The turn is the 3. The villain checks and you bet $60. He calls, again. The river is the 9. The villain says, Just heads up? and checks. You think maybe hes checking a straight, setting up a check-raise, and so you check as well and show down your hand.

Youre leaving money on the table.

You should have bet probably quarter to half pot. Your opponent might have had nothing and folded, or he might have called with some smaller hand. Given how the hand was bet and your read of him as a player, he almost surely doesnt have a winner.

Sure, he might be setting up some check-raise play with a monster, but you cant always be afraid of monsters under the bed. Poker is a game of probability, not certainty. Its much more likely that he has a jack or a 10 or, even worse, and would have called your bet on the river. Otherwise good players fearing the worst sometimes avoid betting on the river just so they wont bet and lose. But, that failure to value bet and win that money is a big hole in their game. Dont leave that money on the table.

You have a great table and the stacks are deep. Three of your opponents are fish who have seemingly bottomless pockets, and who keep reloading. Theres no one noticeably better than you, and youre playing a great game. Filled with confidence, youve been running over the table. Youre up $1,100 and feel like you can practically read your opponents hands. Even so, you start worrying that youll lose back your winnings and are at what you think is probably the high point of your night.

Youre hardly ever up $500 and here you are, up $1,100. Your winning cant go on forever, you think, so you leave while the going is good to lock in your win. And again, youre leaving money on the table.

Sure, youre up, and up a lot, and leaving now will guarantee you have a lot of extra coin in your pocket. But, if you want to be a long-term winner, you cant think like that. Poker is one long game and this individual session isnt what matters: the next time you play, youll probably find the conditions arent so good.

Ive youre feeling on top of your game and the conditions are perfect, theres no good reason why you shouldnt continue to have a large edge over your opponents and keep making money. The deck doesnt know that youre winning, and your opponents may well be intimidated and more easily manipulated than if you were an unknown player or have been losing.

Keep playing while you have this big edge in this great game. If you leave now, youll be leaving money in front of other players that might well have ended up with you.

You brought $1,500 to a $2/5 game only to get slammed in your third hand, losing your initial buy-in of $500 to a set when you had top two. It happens.

So, you buy in again for another $500, but the guy to your left is picking you apart as if he can see your cards. He three-bets you so many times your head is spinning and, before long, youve rebought and are down to your last $200. Youre feeling seasick and demoralized.

You post the big blind and see you have been dealt 9 8 your favorite hand. Unfortunately, the pot is four-bet when it gets to you: $15, $40, $200. You have exactly $195 left and you figure, Hell, Im already in for $5. Ill win this hand or go home. So, you call.

Youre leaving money on the table.

In all likelihood, you just left your last $200 on the table. Sure you may win, but youre drawing very thin, arent getting sufficient pot odds, have no implied odds if you somehow hit your hand, and youve let your emotions get the better of you. The $200 at the end of your session is worth exactly the same as it was on your first hand when you never would have called in this situation.

Rather than call, you should have given up on the hand, recognized that you werent at your best, and taken your remaining $195 and gone right home. You could lick your wounds and come back another day, $195 richer than if you left it on the table for the probable pot winner to enjoy.

When you cash out at the end of the night, you surely wouldnt leave behind three green chips so, why do so by failing to take the right betting action? The money you leave on the table is money you can otherwise add to your bottom line.

Written by

Ashley Adams

Venerable grinder, 7-stud enthusiast, host of "House of Cards Radio" and author of Winning Poker in 30 Minutes a Day (D&B Publishing, 2020).

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Winning Poker: 3 Ways You're Leaving Money on the Table - CardsChat.com

The India Poker Championship (IPC), presented by Spartan Poker, which has been operating on the offshore casinos of Panjim, Goa since March 2010 will be hosting the tournament for the first time in Casino Vegas by Big Daddy, Nepal. The IPC this year already has over 250 confirmed participants and 10+ celebrities from the film and TV industry who will play to win the championship and Indias first Phygital trophies.

The seven days IPC live event will be held from today, 17-23 May 2022. With a prize pool of 3.5 crores GTD, this years IPC is a megastacks tournament with high buy-ins and high stakes.

The Indian Poker Championship is introducingIndias first-ever Phygital trophiesthat will be awarded to the winners of all four main events. The Winners will own a piece ofPhysical IPC trophies paired with adigital NFT twin. The winner gets to own a digital asset that the winner can take with him/her anywhere using his/her digital wallet.The main event winner will be crowned this seasons India Poker Champion.

Speaking on the launch, Spartan Poker Group CEO Amin Rozani said, Were excited to host the India Poker Championship, the first of many live events scheduled this year, that will bring together a wide range of entrepreneurs, investors, poker pros, and celebrities to create an enjoyable event. This year the IPC is more than just a competition, its a chance for poker fans to stay, play, and holiday with five-star luxury in Nepal.

The previous edition of the India Poker Championship was a huge success with record-breaking participation. This edition is expected to be grander and set a precedent for mega poker tournaments in the country.

Our IPC players are an extremely passionate group of players. We are thrilled to host the IPC at Casino Vegas by Big Daddy Nepal and provide our players with an even more authentic and immersive experience that they will love,added Zozani.

The India Poker Championship has been the countrys premier live tournament poker series since its inception in 2010. IPC hosted its inaugural international event in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2013. IPC is now back with its second International event in Jhapa, Nepal. Poker Aces, Celebrities, and a slew of other well-known figures adorn the IPC stage.

Read more from the original source:

The India Poker Championship kick-starts in Nepal - Animation Xpress

ST JOHNS, Antigua--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sunday evenings just got very special, with a myriad of possibilities awaiting you. Like the possibility of scooping a share of $10,000 this week - and every week - with the new Sunday Myriad!

Three different tournament formats, alternating every seven days, all giving players the chance to head into the new week in some style. Theres the classic Deepstack format and two bounty tournaments: the progressive bounty and the big bounty. Eliminate the opposition for extra cash on your way to that $10,000 GTD prize pool!

Now the Sunday Myriad is big. But try this for size. Everygame Poker are giving away one unbelievable $5,000 prize package and a place at this summers European Poker Championship.

Held in the picturesque tourist town of Velden, Austria, the 2022 tournament takes place between July 13th and July 24th. And you could be at the 31st edition of this elite competition courtesy of Everygame Poker.

Take a look through this weeks stacked schedule where youll find daily Live Event Frenzy satellites all week long, all of which could help you reach the Live Event Frenzy Final on May 15th.

The top prize in this event is this pristine package worth $5,200, which includes buy-in to this years Main Event in Austria. This once-in-a-lifetime experience must be won this Sunday, and heres what else Everygame are throwing in:

Last but not least, a Blackjack Quest that could leave you sitting pretty with a sweet $50 bonus! Up until May 15th, on the popular Tangente Blackjack game, you can earn a bonus by sticking it to the dealer and uncovering five different blackjacks.

Reveal a natural blackjack, a colored blackjack, a club-suited blackjack - and two or more blackjacks in the same game - and youll bank that big ol bonus. Go get it!

ENDS

Editors notes:

About Everygame Poker:

https://poker.everygame.eu/

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The Sunday Myriad Makes its Way to Everygame Poker - Business Wire

The Poker Walk will begin at the Student Recreation Center.

Western Michigan Universitys Recreation Department will host its 20th annual Poker Walk on Wednesday, May 18. The Poker Walk events objective is to celebrate National Employee Health and Fitness Day. This event will be free to all WMU students, faculty, and staff.

The annual Poker Walk event will be held outside at the student recreation center near the tennis courts. The participants will be given a scorecard that includes a QR code, course map and directional information on how to build a solid hand in poker. All event-goers that complete the walk and turn in their completed scorecard will be entered to win one of the winning hand prizes.

Event organizer Beth Northuis explained what lies ahead for the event and the community.

Last year with COVID, we updated our process on how we generated the card hands with QR codes, Norithuis said. Weve reached out to many on and off campus partners that work on promoting wellness efforts including Holtyn & Associates, The National Guard, West Hills Athletic Club, and the Sindecuse Health Center. Were excited to have everyone come out and get their 30 mins of exercise and have a chance to win some prizes.

WMU Recreation provides a Poker Walk map to guide participants through the activity.

Pre-registration for the event is open until May 17th by 5 p.m. Day-of registration will also be open at the indoor tennis courts inside the student recreation center. The winners of the event will be announced on May 20th.

If the event must be canceled due to weather, the event replacement date is May 24th. Find more information online.

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WMU Recreation to hold 20th annual Poker Walk - Western Herald

The first win

The very first European Deepstack took place in Drogheda back in 2008. At the time, I was a relative newb whod only learned the rules nine months earlier. Notwithstanding that, my obsessive and ultra-competitive nature meant Id already played more hands online than most will play live in a lifetime. Still, 1,500 ($1,561) was a lot to plank down on one tournament, so I decided Id only play if I satellited in.

I played a number of satellites online and got very close. On the Sunday before the Main Event, I played a live satellite in Drogheda and got close again (tenth, with seven tickets), but then played another satellite on Tuesday and got nowhere near. It seemed to confirm a recent worst-ever run of five or six tournaments without cashing (I honestly thought that was a horrendous downswing at the time).

So after the second satellite in Drogheda, I decided not to enter. I rang my wife Mireille to tell her to come get her despairing husband, and that the chicken-livered wimp had decided not to play. She was having none of it.

you need to get in and mix it with the best.

Youre playing. This is the tournament that suits your game best, you need to get in and mix it with the best. I put a blank cheque in your inside pocket, use it to enter before I get there or youll have me to answer to. If only all poker wives could be so supportive and sensible.

Five days later Im on the final table with a bunch of then Irish unknowns (myself included), and Hendon Mobster Joe Beevers. The unknowns featured a very young Marc McDonnell and Tony Baitson. The entire final table had less than $2.2m in live cashes at that point, $2m of which was Joe Beevers, with me, Marc McDonnell, and Gary Clarke contributing a cumulative total of zero! As such, Joe must have been licking his lips at such a soft and inexperienced final table, and the rest of us knew there would be no chops while he was still around. After he bust in fifth, we played on a little before the talk turned to the chop.

I went to consult with my brother as to what I should be looking for in the deal. Lloyd Farrell generously suggested that if Sean is helping me with negotiations, he should be allowed through to the table. Someone suggested a five-way even chop but since I had about 43% of the chips, that clearly isnt going to happen. A straight ICM chop would give me 55,000 ($57,300), but with that being just 9,000 ($9,376) short of first prize, I thought it equally unlikely the others would agree to it, so the question became what I should be shooting for. Sean suggested 45,000 ($46,886) as a very minimum.

my main consideration at this point in my career was the title

Lloyd asked what was the minimum Id take and I said 47,000 ($48,970). The tournament director helpfully suggested another common formula involving chopping half the remaining prizes equally and dividing the other half by chip count. Under this formula, I would come out with 51,200 ($53,346). Lloyd cannily pointed out that that was 4,000 ($4,168) more than I asked for, so he suggested the others all take an extra K. I was happy to do this so long as Im declared the official winner. Fran came up with another suggestion that we play on for the 4,000 ($4,168) and the title. I stuck to my position that I would take the 47,200 ($49,178) but only if I get the title too. To be perfectly honest, as nice as the money was, my main consideration at this point in my career was the title. I figured it could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take down a prestigious poker title.

The others all agreed to the deal, Fran somewhat reluctantly I think, and the tournament was over. Everyone seemed reasonably happy with the outcome and the deal. I was on a personal high as it suddenly hit me Id won this thing, and as an added bonus I got to be photographed with a big novelty cheque, something Id long harbored as a secret ambition. Looking at the trophy afterward, my brother commented:

Did you just give up 4K for a big vase?

I first met Annette OCarroll in Citywest in August 2009 when we both made the final table of a 300 ($256) side event. My recollection is she had almost all the chips and was playing a much more aggressive style from the one her stern headmistress appearance would suggest. This read was confirmed by my good friend Fergal Nealon (currently doing sterling work with Rapid Response Ukraine) who pulled me aside at a break for a word to the wise:

Dont be fooled by her oul wan act. She hangs around with all the best young players down in Sligo and soaks up all the strategy talk. Unlike the rest of her generation she knows the game moves on and she moves with it.

She had almost all the chips and I had almost none of them so after a couple of early confrontations where she put me in an ICM coffin, I decided the best plan was to lay low and let the rest of the table who were playing for the win punt off to her. The good old ladder-to-second-and-then-hope-to-get-very-lucky strategy I would repeat six years later against Upeshka da Silva at the World Series of Poker. On both occasions I managed the ladder-to-second part but not the then-get-very-lucky bit.

she took down Last Lady Standing pretty much every time

That early final table in a small side event lingers stronger in my memory than many bigger ones for a number of reasons, primarily because Annette insists on reminding me that she beat me heads up every time she sees me. As I started to play regularly on the Irish circuit, Annette was a regular familiar face. She did particularly well on the Celtic Poker Tour, exploiting her image to the max getting lads who didnt think ladies of a certain age ever bluffed as she took down Last Lady Standing pretty much every time.

Demonstrating her skill once more, she took home in excess of 20,000 ($20,920) from the final table of the 2022 European Deepstack Main Event:

The 2022 Dublin Poker Festival wasnt a great series for me personally, but it was heartening to see a lot of my friends do well. I learned poker at the age of 42. At the time the general belief was that poker, at least at the highest levels, was the preserve of the young or those who had gone astray very young. I managed to buck that narrative, and in recent years we have seen the rise of a new phenomenon I refer to as studious recreationals who bridge the traditional skill divide between recreationals and pros. In the pre-solver era, it was generally accepted that the only way to get good was by trial and error: play a few million hands online and get good along the way. There were no shortcuts, no training books or sites, no Twitch, and most of the books and other strategy content were frankly dreadful.

tools like DTO have run all the solves for you to train against

Nowadays theres no shortage of quality content. Even if you dont have the time to do a deep dive yourself with the solvers, there are more quality training videos than you could watch in a lifetime, and tools like DTO have run all the solves for you to train against. The books have also gotten much better, with those of Michael Acevedo and Andrew Brokos particularly excellent and digestible to anyone willing to put the work in (Im far too modest to suggest that my own three books also fall into this category, except I just have).

This has given rise to a new breed of recreationals who are as good or better than many pros, or at the very least extremely competitive. My friend John Farrell, a building contractor from Longford, falls into this category: always friendly, always looking to talk about mindset or strategy. So I was delighted to see John take down the 300 ($256) side event.

I ran into another friend who I wrote about recently, Keith Touhey, after hed bust in sixth in the Main Event. Keith sets his sights and standards very high and was very unhappy not to have gone further. I was on my way to play the last side event, so called Irish (three-card pineapple). He wasnt in the mood to play, or so he said. He quickly changed his mind and obviously ended up shipping the event a few hours later. That kind of quick recovery and resilience goes a long way in a game that keeps punching you when youre down.

Finally, a shoutout to another Great Dame of Irish poker, Willow Connolly, who in taking down the Irish Seniors Championship not only won a trophy, but one named after her own mother, 2001 Irish Poker Open winner Jenny Hegarty. My fellow VegasSlotsOnline News writer David Lappin recently paid tribute to her and OCarroll.

Originally posted here:

Dara O'Kearney: Reminiscing at the Dublin Poker Festival - VegasSlotsOnline

While winning a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet is one of the greatest accomplishments a poker player can achieve, many of the greatest and most successful players in the game have yet to put one on their wrists.

Since PokerNews last looked in 2021 at the greatest players who hadn't won a WSOP bracelet, high stakes crusher Jason Koon got the monkey off of his back by winning Event #11: $25K Heads-up No-Limit Hold'em Championship for his first bracelet, while other top players like Dan Smith and Isaac Haxton have yet to win WSOP gold.

With the 2022 WSOP right around the corner, here's a look at some of the best players who have yet to add a World Series bracelet to their long lists of accolades.

Note: This list looks at primarily poker tournament players or who are regular names in the tournament circuit. This excludes the likes of Tom Dwan and popular high stakes cash game players like Garrett Adelstein and Andy Stacks.

Bookmark this page! All you need to know about the 2022 WSOP is here.

With $38.2 million in live tournament earnings and a seventh-place spot on the Hendon Mob all-time money list, it is surprising that Dan Smith does not have a WSOP bracelet to his name. It's additionally surprising since the high stakes pro has had victories on the PokerGO Tour, WPT and EPT, in addition to Super High Roller Bowl Online and Poker Masters Online titles.

Despite not yet having won a bracelet, Smith has an amazing $10.1 million in WSOP earnings, heavily padded by a third-place finish in Event #78: The Big One for One Drop - $1,000,000 No-Limit Hold'em at the 2018 WSOP for $4 million, as well as a runner-up finish in the 2016 $111,111 buy-in High Roller for One Drop for $3.1 million.

Smith had a few deep runs at the 2021 World Series but is still looking for his first bracelet. This summer could be the year he finds it.

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Isaac Haxton is widely regarded as one of the best poker tournament players of all time, having racked up $27.7 million in live earnings across his career. Despite the millions in tournament cashes, including $3 million at the WSOP alone, Haxton has yet to win a bracelet.

Haxton came closest to doing so at the 2009 WSOP when he finished runner-up in Event #2: $40,000 40th Annual No-Limit Holdem to take home $1.2 million. Eight years later, Haxton finished third in the $50,000 Poker Player's Championship at the 2017 World Series to pocket $595,812.

Haxton's last WSOP cashes date back to 2020 in online GGPoker events, but a bracelet could certainly be in his future if he continues to play events.

Alex Foxen was clearly meant for poker tournaments as he won the very first WSOP Circuit event he entered in 2012 at Harrah's New Orleans to win $22,421 and his first ring. Despite racking up 60 WSOP cashes and a million more in WSOP earnings in the time since then, Foxen has yet to win another piece of World Series hardware.

It's been a great year of live poker already for Foxen, who took down Event #7: $15,000 NL Hold'em at the 2022 US Poker Open to win $283,500. The next month, Foxen $515,587 after finishing runner-up in Event #31: $50,000 Super High Roller at the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open, where PokerNews spoke with Foxen about the victory and getting wed in the Florida Keys.

Foxen was notably absent at the 2021 WSOP, though we will see if that changes this year now that most COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

Shannon Shorr is no stranger to success at the WSOP. The Alabama all-time money leader finished second in Event #7: $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em at the 2008 WSOP for $349,141, and finished third in Event #57: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed Championship for $455,362 four years later.

More recently, Shorr had another close call in Event #11: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em at the 2019 WSOP, where he finished second for $273,416 after falling to Daniel Strelitz. After so many deep runs and close calls at the World Series, it would be hard to argue that Shorr isn't due for a bracelet.

And Shorr is already off to a hot start in 2022, having taken down Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em at the US Poker Open for $213,900 in March and finishing second in $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em at the PGT Venetian High Roller Series for $64,400 earlier this month.

Multiple PokerNews staff members picked Shorr as their favorite to win a first bracelet this summer as part of PokerNews' annual WSOP predictions, so time will tell if those predictions come true.

A new addition to this list is Chris Brewer, a regular on the high stakes circuit who has accumulated $4.7 million in lifetime earnings since his first live cash in 2015. Brewer's biggest WSOP cash came last year when he finished fifth in Event #60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship 6-Handed for $211,235.

Brewer has had success outside of the World Series as well, including a victory in $10,000 WPT High Roller at the 2021 WPT Online Series and a first-place finish earlier this year in Event #9: 10,000 No Limit Hold'em at EPT Prague for 155,830.

Given his success on other tours and recent performance in the Poker Player's Championship, it seems only a matter of time before Brewer adds a first-place finish at the WSOP to his poker resume.

Gianluca Speranza has been within inches of earning a WSOP bracelet on multiple occasions, making him an easy addition to this list. In 2011, the Italian finished second in Event #2: 1,090 No-Limit Hold'em at WSOPE for 91,262. In 2017, he won more than seven times that, 689,246, when he finished runner up in the WSOPE Main Event, falling to Marti de Torres.

The runner-up finish in the WSOPE Main was Speranza's best live cash until he took down a 25,000 High Roller at EPT Monte Carlo earlier this month for 853,000. We will see if Speranza can continue his run-good this summer in Las Vegas and if it will earn him a bracelet.

Iconic poker commentator and Women in Poker Hall of Famer Maria Ho is still after a first bracelet despite racking up 71 WSOP cashes (seven more from when PokerNews put out this list in 2021) and $1.8 million in WSOP earnings.

Ho was denied a bracelet at the 2011 WSOP in Event #4: $5,000 No-Limit Holdem, where she finished second for $540,020. More recently, Ho finished sixth in the 2017 WSOPE Main Event to earn 174,365, another close call for the California pro and commentator.

Ho had a number of deep runs at the most recent World Series, including a fifth-place finish in Event #32: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. for $39,423. 2022 could be the year Ho adds a bracelet to her impressive poker resume.

With a record 334 WSOP cashes to his name, Roland Israelashvili sits far in front on the all-time list, ahead of Arkadiy Tsinis (237 WSOP cashes) and Ari Engel (218 cashes), the latter of whom was on this list until he won his first bracelet in 2019.

Despite having all of those cashes and an impressive eight Circuit rings, Israelashvili has yet to get a golden bracelet under his belt. The New Yorker, who is originally from the Republic of Georgia, had his closest call in Event #58: The Little One for One Drop - $1,111 No-Limit Hold'em at the 2013 WSOP, where he finished third for $295,433. The previous year, Israelashvili had finished fifth in Event #45: $50,000 Poker Players Championship for his biggest WSOP score of $317,882.

Israelashvili made a few deep runs at the 2021 WSOP and WSOPE, so expect him to be back this summer looking to finally win a bracelet.

Niklas Astedt is one of the best online tournament grinders to ever touch a computer mouse, sitting atop the PocketFives all-time leaderboard with $23.6 million in earnings. "Lena900" has also had success in the live realm, accumulating just under $1.5 million in lifetime earnings.

The Swedish pro played a heavy schedule at the 2021 WSOP and had a number of deep runs, including a 7th-place finish in Event #64: $5,000 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em; Pot-Limit Omaha for $70,367, and the next day finishing 19th in Event #66: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship for $20,097.

The previous year, the online grinder was denied a bracelet in a GGPoker.com $1,500 No Limit Hold'em event, in which he finished second for $156,905. Whether it's earned online or in a live arena, a bracelet could certainly be in Astedt's future.

Live poker statistics and poker's all-time money list rankings courtesy of The Hendon Mob.

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Some of the Best Poker Players Who Haven't Won a WSOP Bracelet - PokerNews.com