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Tuesday, February 2, 2016
hearTV, the affordable solution for streaming live audio to smartphones, announced the nationwide release of its first commercial product after achieving significant success at more than 100 beta locations.
Businesses simply connect the transmitters to their TVs and consumers are able to stream live audio to their smartphones via a free app available for Android and Apple users.
“The great thing about hearTV is that it can be utilized in various settings. Not only is this an ideal solution for fitness centers, hotel lobby’s, airports, restaurants and sports bars, but we had customers implement the product in waiting rooms, museums, churches and stadiums,” said George Dennis, CEO at hearTV. “These businesses are providing an enhanced viewing experience and they’re benefiting from it too. For example, restaurants and bars are finding that customers are staying longer resulting in higher tickets. It’s a win-win for everyone!”
hearTV offers businesses with a low-cost solution to ensure their guests are provided with an optimal viewing experience. The system pricing starts at $249 and is a one-time purchase with no subscriptions or other requirements.
Guests using an iPhone or Android download the free hearTV app from the App Store or Google Play, join the hearTV Wi-Fi hotspot, launch the app and can listen to their desired program.
“We’ve solved a major pain point for both establishments and guests. The days of establishments featuring multiple TV monitors, but forcing customers to listen to the audio from one TV are over. With hearTV, nobody is shortchanged,” said Dennis.
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On Tuesday, February 2, Alex Dreyfus, the CEO of Mediarex Sports & Entertainment, announced the Alpha version of HoldemX: "a whole new poker game that tries to build a bridge between poker and eSports."
Built to entice poker players and video gamers, HoldemX is a whole reinterpretation of Texas hold'em that has been openly inspired by other popular games like Magic: the Gathering, Heartstone, and Uno.
"What we are launching today is not a new format or a poker variant, it's a whole are game," Dreyfus told PokerNews on Tuesday. "There are hundreds of millions of people who know how to play poker out there, and many of them do not play anymore because they got bored and because they are no longer excited by Texas hold'em. With HoldemX we are going to spice up the game and offer something new, engaging, and fun that will bring that excitement back."
"With HoldemX we are also going to target a whole new demographic."
"With HoldemX we are also going to target a whole new demographic that has been largely untouched by the poker industry as we want to engage the new generation of video game players who haven't been into poker yet."
To achieve this ambitious goal, Dreyfus and his team devoted the last nine months to the development od aì complex multi-layered play experience that incorporates an added strategic layer to normal gameplay, adopting the fast paced game rhythm of pure turn based strategy games within a 'poker' environment.
In the Alpha version of the game, HoldemX players get to engage in heads up battles where to the regular 52-card deck used is added a so-called 'Discovery Deck.' "The Discovery Deck keeps things simple with only 15 cards designed partially as an educational experience to give players a chance to play around with the fundamental mechanisms of the game before flooding the platform with multiple deck options, special cards, and other features," Dreyfus continued. "Later on, we will introduce additional xDecks - including branded ones to tie in pop culture, media and video gaming interests."
HoldemX Aims to Bring the Fun Back In Poker
Talking about the inception of the game, one of his team's main goals was to create a new product that could bring elements of fun and entertainment back in poker. "Poker went to the extreme where everything is about money, and it looks like the industry somehow forgot that poker is first a foremost a fun game, not a gambling one."
"Now that competitors like Heartstone are shaking the industry, we need to be able to offer something new, something can bring more drama and excitement to a skill game like poker - and this is exactly what HoldemX does."
"HeartStone is not about money: is about fun, special effects, and skills."
What it does not, however, is to bring money to the table. At least during the first months, HoldemX will not offer any form of real money play - even if, by Dreyfus' own admission, something may change as the game's popularity grows. "The absence of the money element is not a problem at all," Dreyfus said when asked whether he believed that the lack of a financial reward for players couldn't undermine the development and the popularity of the new game.
"Ninety percent of those who play poker today don't play for money. Us, who work in the poker industry, we often forget to think about this - but how many people play every day at Zynga Poker or at the social version of WSOP poker? There are millions of people who play poker only for the fun of it - and today we are simply not keeping them in mind when we work with poker."
In this sense, Dreyfus seems to believe that HodemX is not going to compete with poker but is instead going to expand the industry and bring it to explore a whole new market. "HoldemX is not a threat and it would be a mistake to see this game like one. Today, poker's biggest threat is an amazing and exciting game like Heartstone - and the way this game attracted a huge number of poker players testifies that."
"HeartStone is not about money: is about fun, special effects, and skills. Players like Daniel Negreanu or Bernard "ElkY" Grospellier openly admit to playing it all the time even if they don't get any money out of it. They do it for the pleasure, the fun, and the excitement of being onto something new. And this is a model we think we can reproduce with HoldemX too."
A Game to Bring Millennials to The Casino?
The launch of the social platform, however, is only the first part of a complex strategy that may one day lead to HoldemX being played at brick-and-mortar casinos around the world and right from all the most popular poker clients.
"We based our platform on a real money one, which will allow us - if we will want want to do so - to shift it into a real money product or to license that product to the real money operators," Dreyfus shared. "We believe online operators should embrace HoldemX and distribute it the same way they do with other games like slots or roulette, and simply make it part of their offer."
"This way, HoldemX would become content for their players. By offering HoldemX games, the online operators would be able to become part of exciting online and live experiences. Once the Global Poker League will kick off, we will organize live HoldemX events and people the opportunity to participate in exciting challenges right inside The Cube."
"We believe we have a unique propositions and we are investing millions into this project."
And that's not it, as the French entrepreneur shared also that many casinos said to be interested in bringing a game like HoldemX to the casino floors. "I demonstrated the game to some of the leading casinos in Las Vegas and they told me that they want to have this game on the casino floors in order to target new generation of millennials as this is the kind of new product that could bring new people in."
One thing that Dreyfus doesn't hide, however, is one big risk that is tightly connected to the success of his creation: the fact that somebody else will like the concept enough to reproduce it in-house - similarly to what happened to the lottery sit-and-go's after the launch of the Espresso games by Winamax.
"It's a possible scenario, but back in October we filed a patent application in the US for HoldemX as a metagame and I believe we will get it approved in the same way it happened to Rush Poker in the past," Dreyfus went on to explain.
"We believe we have a unique propositions and we are investing millions into this project. We have the narrative, we will have the events, and we will have great experiences built around it - and this is why I believe it makes more sense for other companies to work with us rather than to compete against us. Also, right after the GPL Draft, we will start to stream live games on Twitch.tv to educate people, show the full potential of the game, and start to build on it."
"I Hope People Will Help Us to Make It a Great Game"
"I was fortunate to get a test run of HoldemX prior to its launch. I enjoyed playing, and most specifically liked the additional levels of thought that were introduced," PokerNews Editor-in-Chief Donnie Peters said. "I'm not going to predict that HoldemX will be a total game changer, but I will say that its introduction is a positive one and should spark new interest."
Expanding on the game, Peters added also that he liked "the creativity and innovation of HoldemX. As someone who has never played Hearthstone, but understands the concept having played Magic: The Gathering when I was younger, the adaptation of such ideas to poker is an exciting one."
"I am supportive of the initiative behind such a creative idea like HoldemX and believe the industry is a better place with individuals like Alex Dreyfus looking to push the game forward."
"I would be extremely happy if HoldemX could have the support of the player's community."
Also, Peters seems not to be the only one who decided to speak in favour of the game, as Dreyfus explained that part of the poker community has already expressed support for HoldemX. "Philipp Gruissem has publicly stated that he was willing to get any type of challenges for 5K at HoldemX, and all the other players who have seen the game during the development phase liked the idea and enjoyed the fact that we have been able to bring in something new, something that will challenge them into rethinking the poker strategy they already master so well to excel also at this game.
"In six months from now, I would be extremely happy if HoldemX could have the support of the player's community," Dreyfus concluded. "I would like to see people debating about it, developing a strategy to become better at it, writing articles about it, and even having some healthy arguments on forums. I would love people to jump in HoldemX now that we are in the Alpha phase and help us to make it a great game by sending us their feedback and by telling us what to add (or to take out) to make it a better game than game than it is today."
You can try the Alpha version of HoldemX for free on this page. Also, you can leave your impressions and feedback about the game atfeedback.holdemx.com.
Want to stay atop all the latest in the poker world? If so, make sure to get PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!
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Concerns continue for casino operators in Macau as January marked the 20th straight month that gross gaming revenues (GGR) declined when compared to the same month a year ago.
According to a report released by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, Macau casinos recorded MOP 18.67 billion ($2.33 billion) in GGR during Jan. 2016, representing a 21.4-percent decline from the MOP 23.75 billion ($2.97 billion) in GGR in Jan. 2015.
This is on top of the fact that last year declined by a high 34.3 percent when compared to the year before with casinos recognizing MOP 230.84 billion ($28.9 billion) in 2015 GGR and a more robust MOP 351.5 billion ($44 billion) in 2014 GGR.
Despite the record-breaking decline taking place in Macau, according to GGR Asia there may be reason for optimism as leading investment analysts were expecting a larger 23-percent decline in January. Additionally, online poker opponent and Chief Executive Officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation Sheldon Adelson also insinuated during a recent conference call with investment analysts that the monthly declines may end in the near future, stating that, "We do see stabilization in gaming revenue trends [in Macau]."
However, we may need to wait a little longer before stabilization occurs for casinos in Macau. Industry analysts are not forecasting a rosy February, believing that lower GGR is likely with the Chinese New Year celebrations commencing on Feb. 7.
While historic declines are taking place in Macau, things are looking up for casinos in the state of Nevada, specifically in the gaming capital of the world, Las Vegas.
According to a report published last week by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, gaming win in Dec. 2015 ($982.1 million) increased by 3.3 percent when compared to Dec. 2014 ($950.6 million).
As one would expect, Las Vegas Strip casinos contributed the lion's share of this figure by realizing $600.8 million of the state's gaming win. This represents a substantial 8.2-percent increase from the Dec. 2014 gaming win of $555.2 million.
Iconic casinos in downtown Las Vegas remained fairly stable year over year, recording a 1.1-percent increase in gaming win from $43 million in Dec. 2014 to $43.5 million. This doesn't tell the entire story, as the gaming win for this region in the last half of 2015 increased by 8.0 percent from $250.1 million in the last half of 2014 to $270 million.
Investors have reacted to this growth, as according to Yahoo! Finance the stock price of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE: BYD), the operator of three downtown casinos, increased by a huge 32.9 percent in the past year.
Downtown Las Vegas wasn't the only area in Nevada to experience growth in the latter half of 2015, with total state gaming win increasing by 1.2 percent from $5.496 billion in 2014 to $5.562 billion. However, Las Vegas Strip casinos only experience a minor growth (0.6 percent) during the period when comparing the second half of 2015 gaming win of $3.187 billion to the $3.168 billion recorded from July to Dec. 2014.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia.org
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Monday, February 1, 2016
MGM Resorts International announced last month that its Las Vegas properties will soon no longer offer free parking for guests, even if they are gambling. The casino giant owns the likes of Bellagio, Mirage, Circus Circus, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, MGM Grand and New York-New York.
In a company blog post dated Jan. 21, MGM CEO Jim Murren said “the current parking model is decades old.” According to Murren, the fees will help pay for a “significant investment of $90 million to expand and enhance parking infrastructure to improve the parking experience.”
Exactly how much visitors will have to shell out to park at a MGM casino hasn’t been announced yet, but Murren said that over-night parking wouldn’t be more than $10.
He cited tourism industries in other cities that don’t have free parking.
“We operate tens of thousands of parking spaces that cost tens of millions of dollars annually to operate,” Murren said. “This is why fee parking is a standard practice for hotels, resorts and entertainment facilities across the country, especially those in high-demand tourist and convention destinations such as New York, Los Angeles and Orlando.”
Obviously there was a lot of backlash to the decision, but Murren again stressed that Las Vegas isn’t what it used to be. Gaming as a percentage of overall revenue is at a historic low.
“Although I’ve lived here for 18 years, I too have come to value many of the qualities of our community that some people believe are our birthrights, with free parking as one of them. But I also know that many of the traditional features of a visit to Las Vegas are now part of our long ago history,” Murren added.
While there are still places to park for free on the Las Vegas Strip, some believe that MGM’s decision will start a new trend for parking fees. Last year, MGM apparently was the first casino operator in Las Vegas to stop allowing cash to play at all of its poker tables, a change which was later implemented by Caesars and other casino giants.
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^
A look at all the major stories from this past weekend on PokerStars.
Weekend highlights
* Another big weekend for TCOOP, with the Main Event won by Dinesh "NastyMinder" Alt who won a first prize of $396,691
* Damianos "damourinio" Aslanidis wins the Sunday Million, earning $155,457
* LameR25 takes down the Sunday Warm-Up
Round up of latest results
I think it's fair to say that the weekend was dominated by events taking place in TCOOP 2016 this weekend, which came to a close yesterday. We'll get to that in a moment, but first let's pay traditional respects to the Sunday Major winners, specifically Damianos "damourinio" Aslanidis in the Sunday Million, and LameR25 in the Sunday Warm-Up.
In the former there was a heads-up encounter that promised a fitting end. Damourinio himself has more than $1 million of winnings on PokerStars, but he was up against Vladimir "vovtroy" Troyanovskiy, a player with multiple scores online and some $4.2 million won in the live game. As Martin Harris it was something of a scrap, and well worth reading about, which you can do here.
Meanwhile in the Warm-Up eventual winner LameR25 took his time winning the first prize of $84,420. As David Aydt reported for the Blog, he arrived at the final table some way off the lead, but set about reversing his position, doing so with aplomb. Read the report of that final table here.
Here are those two results in full:
Sunday Million ($215 No-Limit Hold'em, $5M Gtd) results
Entrants: 6,105
Prize pool: $1,221,000
Places paid: 900
1. Damianos "damourinio" Aslanidis (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) $155,457.64*
2. Vladimir "vovtroy" Troyanovskiy (Russia) $152,777.59*
3. jatekos22 (Hungary) $112,52.37*
4. sydens (Brazil) $67,155.00
5. TheRocket08 (Canada) $51,282.00
6. szaaadi (Poland) $39,072.00
7. øøøøøøø (Czech Republic) $26,862.00
8. Pökergöt (Germany) $14,652.00
9. KRab42 (Canada) $9,462.75
* denotes a three-way deal leaving $20,000 for the winner
PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up results
Entrants: 2,680
Total prize pool: $536,000.00
Places paid: 396
1. LameR25 (Ukraine) $84,420.00
2. WICKED617 (Netherlands) $62,980.00
3. TaBuLA_Ras4 (Greece) $45,024.00
4. Miguel "inca7bar" Silva (Malta) $30,820.00
5. OTT CANADA (Canada) $23,316.00
6. TAPÎSpayé? (United Kingdom) $17,956.00
7. Se7enTr3y (United Kingdom) $12,596.00
8. dand63 (Canada) $7,246.72
9. Drento18 (Canada) $4,556.00
The weekend's top online tournament winners
It's not every weekend that the Sunday Million pay-out looks small, but this was one of those weekends. Thanks to the back end of TCOOP, with Main Events and High Rollers filling the schedule, damourinio's $155,457 Sunday Million win was only the fourth biggest of the weekend, with TCOOP titles filling the top three spots.
| EVENT | WINNER | COUNTRY | PRIZEMONEY |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCOOP-49: $700 NL Hold'em Main Event [Turbo] | NastyMinder | Switzerland | $396,691.43 |
| TCOOP-47: $2,100 NL Hold'em [Turbo, High-Roller] | gray31 | Canada | $213,867.23 |
| TCOOP-50: $215 NLHE Wrap-Up [Hyper-Turbo, Deep, 1R1A] | Adi Agarwal | India | $160,000.00 |
| $215 Sunday Million | damourinio | Macedonia | $155,457.64 |
| TCOOP-46: $215 NL Hold'em [Turbo, Ultra-Deep] | Sick Pastorr | Poland | $105,630.29 |
| $215 Sunday Warm-Up | LameR25 | Ukraine | $84,420.00 |
| $530 Sunday 500 | dragonwarior | Germany | $64,617.00 |
| $109+R Sunday Rebuy | cal42688 | Mexico | $53,325.00 |
| TCOOP-45: $109 NL Hold'em [8-Max, Turbo, 1R1A] | Large Coffee | United Kingdom | $45,000.00 |
| TCOOP-42: $82 NL Hold'em [Turbo, Zoom] | Sr.Rouquinho | Czech Republic | $41,638.31 |
TCOOP latest
Talking of TCOOP, there were 15 TCOOP events completed over the weekend, another combined prize pool of nearly $8 million to be won. You'll find each of those results below, with links through to the final table report.
TCOOP-36 ($82 NL Draw, Turbo, Optional Re-Entry) results
Entrants: 498 (300 entries, 198 re-entries)
Total prize pool: $37,350
Places paid: 66
1. Oscar "MendaLerenda" Serradell (United Kingdom) $7,096.70
2. MaTitheone (Poland) $5,229.00
3. risto155 (Estonia) $3,828.37
4. schn4trick (Germany) $2,614.50
5. Artur "ARTSchGamble" Scerbak (Germany) $1,867.50
6. Bigboss300 (Germany) $1,195.20
TCOOP-37 ($215+R No Limit Hold'em, 6-Max, Turbo) results
Entrants: 659 (1,094 Rebuys, 449 Add-Ons)
Total prize pool: $440,400
Places paid: 84
1. Rui "RuiNF" Ferreira (Czech Republic) $81,474.00
2. uWannaLoan? (Ireland) $60,775.20
3. felter1989 (India) $45,141.00
4. mczhang (United Kingdom) $30,828.00
5. oswald1987 (United Kingdom) $22,020.00
6. Tankanza (Austria) $13,212.00
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TCOOP-38 ($215 NL Hold'em, Turbo, Ante Up, Progressive Super-Knockout) results
Entrants: 1,191
Total prize pool: $238,200.00
Places paid: 153
1. chickensssss (Canada) $20,566.66 + $8,468.09 bounties
2. philipgm (Denmark) $14,887.50 + $2,649.20
3. MarcusG22 (Canada) $11,314.50 + $5,065.20
4. RodRish (Chile) $8,289.36 + $781.25
5. pcayobh (Brazil) $5,895.45 + $3,270.59
6. Tankanza (Austria) $4,704.45 + $2,301.55
7. FiatEruditio (Russia) $3,513.45 + $2,399.59
8. The Carnadas (United Kingdom) $2,322.45 + $487.50
9. marksfive (United Kingdom) $1,310.10 + 300.00
TCOOP-39 ($82 FL Hold'em, 6-max, Turbo) results
Entrants: 643
Total prize pool: $48,225
Places paid: 84
1. duffm0n (United Kingdom) $8,921.95
2. TaBuLA_Ras4 (Greece) $6,655.05
3. RyderRock (Germany) $4,943.06
4. _stel_23_ (Greece) $3,375.75
5. Team PokerStars Pro's Kosei "K. Ichinose" Ichinose (Japan) $2,411.25
6. BADEXTASY (United Kingdom) $1,446.75
TCOOP-40 ($215 HORSE, Turbo) results
Entrants: 337
Total prize pool: $67,400.00
Places paid: 48
1. maggess88 (Netherlands) $12,974.50
2. SharkBoy217 (United Kingdom) $9,604.50
3. cladarth (Poland) $7,245.50
4. RL1D (Norway) $5,223.50
5. berserk64 (Russia) $3,538.50
6. Anders "Donald" Berg (Norway) $2,527.50
7. scrubbyz (Canada) $1,853.50
8. Piipboy (Russia) $1,516.50
TCOOP-41 ($215 PL Omaha, Heads-Up, Turbo) results
Entrants: 497
Total prize pool: $100,000
Places paid: 64
1. Zackattak13 (Canada) $20,000*
2. flaszeczka (Poland) $18,000*
3. JimmyDean (Finland) $7,000
4. WTFOMFGOAO (Russia) $7,000
* Reflects the results of a two-way deal that left $2,000 in play for the winner
TCOOP-42 $82 NLHE [Turbo, Zoom]) results
Entrants: 3,536
Total prize pool: $265,200.00
Places paid: 450
1. Sr.Rouquinho (Czech Republic) $41,638.31
2. InsaneShark (United Kingdom) $31,028.40
3. patasss (Uruguay) $22,011.60
4. mendozoQ (Russia) $15,249.00
5. zinkAA (Russia) $11,353.21
6. WrestUA (Ukraine) $8,619.00
7. oChris77o (United Kingdom $5,967.00
8. -BigChri$- (Norway) $3,315.00
9. spydhysa (Norway) $2,121.60
TCOOP-43 ($215 NL Omaha H/L, 6-Max, Hyper-Turbo) results
Entrants: 641
Total prize pool: $135,122.80
Places paid: 84
1. AntonKrasch (Switzerland) $24,998.15
2. filfedra (Czech Republic) $18,646.94
3. SHIPP ITT (Canada) $13,850.08
4. OELoose (Norway) $9,458.59
5. mabelstark (United Kingdom) $6,756.14
6. duremar2001 (Russia) $4,053.68
TCOOP-44 $82 NLHE [Turbo, Saturday Speedway SE]) results
Entrants: 3,287
Total prize pool: $250,000.00
Places paid: 414
1. mrswoodwork (Canada) $27,343.99*
2. 4Bullè&Pupè9 (Malta) $18,043.56*
3. CyrusSaissor (Canada) $23,924.68*
4. monar31 (Russia) $23,304.59*
5. Scrunter101 (Canada) $22,383.18*
6. Outeiri (Germany) $8,375.00
7. marksfive (United Kingdom) $5,875.00
8. TakeOverCz (Czech Republic) $3,380.00
9. DARKYMAK (South Africa) $2,125.00
* reflects the results of a five-way deal that left $5,000 in play for the winner
TCOOP-45 ($109 NL Hold'em, 8-Max, Turbo, 1R1A) results
Entrants: 1,194 (710 Rebuys, 513 Add-Ons)
Total prize pool: $250,000
Places paid: 152
1. Large Coffee (United Kingdom) $45,000.00
2. Frederik "Fred_Brink" Jensen (Denmark) $32,500.00
3. MikeyGG3 (Canada) $25,000.00
4. LeoRai (Kazakhstan) $18,525.00
5. shogunAA (Finland) $12,500.00
6. MaTitheone (Poland) $7,500.00
7. utvekklo2 (Sweden) $5,000.00
8. irishkajungl (Russia) $3,125.00
TCOOP-46 ($215 NL Hold'em, Turbo, Ultra-Deep) results
Entrants: 3,364
Total prize pool: $672,800.00
Places paid: 432
1. Sick Pastorr (Poland) $105,630.29
2. cubanirris (Mexico) $78,717.60
3. heavenwalker (Hungary) $55,855.85
4. V.bl0m (Malta) $38,686.00
5. JJ@mess (Czech Republic) $28,930.40
6. 1mates1 (Slovakia) $22,202.40
7. panda_zhang9 (China) $15,474.40
8. guitarpiano (Peru) $8,746.40
9. Senterpied (United Kingdom) $5,382.40
TCOOP-47 ($2,100 NL Hold'em, Turbo, High-Roller) results
Entrants: 805
Total prize pool: $1,610,000.00
Places paid: 108
1. Grayson "gray31" Ramage (Canada) *$213,867.23
2. Alex "steakaddict." Papazian (Romania) *213,052.03
3. Mark "RenRad 01" Darner (Canada) *$180,925.29
4. Rafael "GM_VALTER" Moraes (Brazil) *$167,370.45
5. Pimmss (Netherlands) $82,915.00
6. TMoney0209 (Canada) $66,815.00
7. ex6tenceLV (Latvia) $50,715.00
8. ILIOS72 (F.Y.R.O.M) $35,581.00
9. PureCash25 (Canada) $20,608.00
* Reflects the results of a four-way deal
TCOOP-48 ($530 8-Game Turbo) results
Entrants: 320
Total prize pool: $160,000.00
Places paid: 42
1. bambelbi3510 (Switzerland) $33,600.00
2. Sputnick_PT (United Kingdom) $24,480.00
3. Julian "jutrack" Track (Germany) $18,400.00
4. PokerStars Team Online Naoya "nkeyno" Kihara (Japan) $12,800.00
5. aramesko (Russia) $9,600.00
6. zzwwzzwwzz (China) $6,400.00
TCOOP-49 ($700 NL Hold'em Main Event) results
Entrants: 4,077
Total prize pool: $2,711,205
Places paid: 540
1. Dinesh "NastyMinder" Alt (Switzerland) $396,691.43*
2. KungKroon (Norway) $346,181.46*
3. gringenkov (Brazil) $223,674.41
4. marcasa (Netherlands) $155,894.28
5. Makuherra (Finland) $115,226.21
6. anthonyff (United Kingdom) $88,114.16
7. IMFICKLE (Finland) $61,002.11
8. RSRMCA (United Kingdom) $33,890.06
9. Petr "Hurloon" Jaros (Czech Republic) $21,689.64
* Reflects the results of a two-way deal that left $40,000 in play for the winner
TCOOP-50 ($215 NLHE Wrap-Up [Hyper-Turbo, Deep, 1R1A]) results
Entrants: 2,247 (1,041 rebuys, 1,295 add-ons)
Total prize pool: $1,000,000.00
Places paid: 288
1. Team PokerStars Pro Aditya "Adi Agarwal" Agarwal (India) $160,000.00
2. RamsGold (Costa Rica) $120,000.00
3. Propheus7 (Switzerland) $90,000.00
4. C. Darwin2 (Sweden) $62,000.00
5. BlackCat-IL (Israel) $45,000.00
6. AnyGameSir (Poland) $35,000.00
7. Martin "M.nosbocaJ" Jacobson (United Kingdom) $25,000.00
8. Lundisgsund (Austria) $17,000.00
9. Pro1612 (Germany) $9,500.00
TCOOP Player of the Series
It came down to the wire on the Leader Board but it was British player ouchbadbeat who held on having recorded 16 cash finishes, the best being a fifth place finish in TCOOP-2. Ugritaly, one of two players to win two TCOOP events this series, finished in joint second place alongside Czech player Zagalo87, who reached two final tables among 12 cashes.
For topping the leader board ouchbadbeat wins a Championship trophy along with a SCOOP 2016 Main Event ticket.
Here's how the top ten finished. Check out the Leader Board page for all the scores.
| PLACE | NAME | COUNTRY | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ouchbadbeat | United Kingdom | 340 |
| 2 | ugritaly | Australia | 310 |
| 2 | Zagalo87 | Czech Republic | 310 |
| 4 | TedyKGB88 | United Kingdom | 275 |
| 5 | DJeka[MD] | Moldova | 270 |
| 6 | buzzard1881 | Canada | 260 |
| 6 | maggess88 | Netherlands | 260 |
| 6 | nkeyno | Japan | 260 |
| 6 | NastyMinder | Switzerland | 260 |
| 10 | 10Badboy10 | Russia | 250 |
That's all from another weekend on the PokerStars. Congratulations to all of this week's winners. As always send your questions and comments to us on Twitter: @PokerStarsBlog.
Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog.
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9:05pm: O'Dwyer triple-barrel bluffs Kaverman
Level 12: Blinds 10,000/20,000 (3,000)
Steve O'Dwyer is now into the chip lead after a huge triple-barrel bluff against Byron Kaverman in the biggest pot of the tournament so far.
O'Dwyer opened with a raise from the hijack position with [ks][qh] and Kaverman made the call in the big blind with [qd][8d]. Kaverman was dominated but he flopped a flush draw on the [4h][6d][3d] flop.
Kaverman checked and O'Dwyer made a continuation bet of 65,000. Kaverman called and the turn was the [8c] to give Kaverman top pair. Action was checked to O'Dwyer who continued to tell the story with a bet of 140,000. Kaverman again called as a huge pot was in the middle before the [3c] completed the board.
Kaverman checked again and O'Dwyer bet again with just king-high, making it 300,000 to go. Kaverman went deep into the think tank for a good five minutes. He was pained over the decision but he eventually, and reluctantly, folded the best hand. O'Dwyer gave a smile and, knowing that Kaverman would find out his cards in thirty minutes anyway, he decided to dig in the needle by flashing his bluff to the table.
With that pot, O'Dwyer is now into the chip lead with over 1.1 million with Kaverman slipping to 800,000.
8:55pm: Level Up
Level 12: Blinds 10,000/20,000 (3,000)
8:45pm: Nice squeeze by Peters
Level 11: Blinds 8,000/16,000 (2,000)
Fabian Quoss opened to 40,000 from the hijack and picked up calls by Connor Drinan on the button and Byron Kaverman from the small blind. It got to David Peters in the big blind and holding [qd][tc] he put in a raise to 133,000, leaving himself only 268,000 behind.
The move was well timed with the other three players throwing their hands away and Peters picking up a nice pot uncontested.
8:40pm: Igor eliminated
Level 11: Blinds 8,000/16,000 (2,000)
Byron Kaverman opened the action with a raise before the short-stacked Igor Kurganov moved all in for 208,000 with [as][4s]. Kaverman made the call and tabled [ah][ks] as once again he found a big hand when the short stack shoved all in.
The board ran out [ac][6h][6d][5s][3d] which wasn't enough to save Kurganov from elimination. He's out in seventh place with Kaverman extending his advantage over the final six as he moves up to 1.1 million in chips.
8:35pm: Upswing for O'Dwyer
Level 11: Blinds 8,000/16,000 (2,000)
The hand went three-handed to a flop with Steve O'Dwyer holding [ad][jd], Byron Kaverman holding [ah][7s] and Igor Kurganov with [ac][8s].
The flop of [3c][js][8h] saw action check to O'Dwyer and he bet out for 67,000. Only Kurganov came along to see the [3d] turn and when it was checked to O'Dwyer again, he continued for 92,000.
Kurganov only had 210,000 behind but eventually decided that folding was his best play and the pot was shipped to O'Dwyer.
8:20pm: Tollerene out
Level 11: Blinds 8,000/16,000 (2,000)
Igor Kurganov opened with a raise to 37,000 with [js][ts] before Ben Tollerene moved all in for his last 267,000 with [qd][jd]. Action was then with Byron Kaverman in the big blind. He looked down at [as][jc] and decided to move all in over the top. Kurganov got out of the way and the cards were on their backs!
The board ran out [4h][5h][jh][7s][ks] which was no help for Tollerene. He departs our final table leaving us with seven players remaining in the LK Boutique $250,000 Challenge.
8:15pm: Distraction and confusion
Level 11: Blinds 8,000/16,000 (2,000)
Igor Kurganov just had some concerns over the cards in use. He appeared to notice some tiny imperfections in the cut on the edges of the cards and after a closer inspection by the Tournament Director it was decided to change the deck.
Moments later there was more confusion after Fabian Quoss won a small pot and commented that the pot was short the amount of the small blind. After some discussion it was determined that Connor Drinan had accidentally pulled back his small blind, so he compensated the difference.
8:10pm: Drinan rakes one from Kurganov
Level 11: Blinds 8,000/16,000 (2,000)
Connor Drinan raised to 40,000 with [ah][9s] and Igor Kurganov defended his big blind holding [7d][6d] to see a flop of [7s][9h][3h].
Kurganov check-called a bet of 40,000 as players went to an [8d] turn.
Drinan continued for 75,000 when checked to and despite Kurganov picking up a straight draw straight draw to accompany his pair, the Russian folded his hand to preserve his stack.
7:55pm: Play resumes
Level 11: Blinds 8,000/16,000 (2,000)
Our final eight players are back in their seats and ready to go.
Connor Drinan - 857,000
David Peters - 734,000
Byron Kaverman - 607,000
Fabian Quoss - 442,000
Paul Newey - 363,000
Igor Kurganov - 352,000
Ben Tollerene - 335,000
Steve O'Dwyer - 310,000
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7:40pm: Scheduled break
Players have stepped away for another 15 minute break.
7:40pm: Newey check-raises river
Level 10: Blinds 6,000/12,000 (2,000)
Igor Kurganov brought it in for a raise to 24,000 from the button with [8h][7s] and Paul Newey defended his big blind with [ks][4h].
The flop came down [2c][qc][9h] and both players checked before the [3c] turn. It went check check again and the river [5d] appeared. Newey checked and Kurganov had a stab for 30,000.
A crafty check-raise from Newey to 85,000 however, despite him having the best hand with king high, got Kurganov to give it up and Newey collected the pot.
7:35pm: Kurganov doubles up
Level 10: Blinds 6,000/12,000 (2,000)
The very next hand Fabian Quoss moved all in from the small blind to put maximum pressure on Igor Kurganov in the big. Kurganov took one look at his [kh][qs] and quickly called and he was great shape to double up against Quoss' [qh][6h].
Things didn't get better for Quoss when the board ran out [qc][2s][ks][jh][5h] giving Kurganov two pair for the double up. He's up to just over 400,000 with Quoss slipping to around the same amount.
7:30pm: Connor turns an ace
Level 10: Blinds 6,000/12,000 (2,000)
Connor Drinan raised from the hijack position to 30,000 with the [as][jh]. Fabian Quoss defended his big blind with [8h][8d].
The flop landed [5c][kd][ks] and Quoss was still in the lead with his pair. He checked it over to Drinan who nibbled for 25,000. Quoss called but the [ah] on the turn was not the card he wanted to see. Quoss checked to Drinan who bet 75,000 with his aces and kings. Quoss made the correct fold and Drinan took it down.
7:25pm: Peters takes some from Kaverman
Level 10: Blinds 6,000/12,000 (2,000)
Byron Kaverman raised the button to 27,000 with [6s][5s] and David Peters called from the small blind with [ad][th] and players went to a flop of [5h][js][9c].
The action went check check and the [8s] arrived on the turn. Peters checked again, but Kaverman put in a delayed continuation bet to 52,000. After a call from Peters players saw the [qh] river.
A final check from Peters saw Kaverman consider his options for a few moments before firing for 130,000. Peters snapped it off with a straight which was good to collect the pot.
That hand sees Kaverman dip to 600,000 in chips while Peters builds to 770,000.
7:10pm: No action for Newey
Level 10: Blinds 6,000/12,000 (2,000)
Ben Tollerene raised the cutoff to 28,000 with [as][5c] and Paul Newey made the call on the button with [6h][6c]. Action then folded to Byron Kaverman who came along in the big blind with [jd][8h] as we were three ways to a flop of [6s][kh][7s].
It was a great flop for Newey as he spiked his set but his two opponents whiffed the board completely. Action checked to Newey and he bet 68,000. Kaverman and Tollerene instantly folded as Newey received no action with his set.
7:05pm: Kaverman keeps up the momentum
Level 10: Blinds 6,000/12,000 (2,000)
Byron Kaverman just scored himself another nice pot after picking up pocket aces and clashing with David Peters.
Kaverman opened the action with a raise to 27,000 holding [ad][ah] before Peters put in another raise to 74,000 from the hijack with [as][th]. After a smooth call from Kaverman the dealer fanned out the [9c][9h][4s] flop.
Kaverman checked and Peters continued for a bet of 70,000 which was met with a call. The [2s] turn prompted both players to check as was the same for the [ts] river.
Kaverman's aces held and he climbs to almost 1,000,000 for close to a quarter of the chips in play.
6:55pm: Quoss chips up
Level 10: Blinds 6,000/12,000 (2,000)
In a battle of the blinds, Steve O'Dwyer raised to 36,000 from the small blind with [ad][5c]. Fabian Quoss, who has yet to make any impact on this final table, made the call in the big blind with [ks][qs].
The flop landed [7c][jd][6s] and O'Dwyer checked. Quoss bet 40,000 with the second-best hand and O'Dwyer gave the decision plenty of thought before letting it go.
6:50pm: Greenwood out the door
Level 10: Blinds 6,000/12,000 (2,000)
Sam Greenwood had just left us after losing a coinflip to Byron Kaverman.
Greenwood opened with a raise to 30,000 before Kaverman reraised to 78,000 from the small blind. After counting out his own stack Greenwood moved all in for his last 360,000 and was quickly called.
Greenwood: [ah][qd]
Kaverman: [ts][td]
Greenwood found an ace on the [as][th][9s] but Kaverman had improved to a set of tens. Greenwood was drawing super thin and couldn't catch running straight cards on the [4c] turn and [qh] river.
Greenwood departs in 9th place while Kaverman climbs back up to 760,000 in chips.
6:40pm: Level up
Level 10: Blinds 6,000/12,000 (2,000)
6:35pm: Two pair for Tollerene
Level 9: Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000)
Ben Tollerene opened from the small blind with a raise to 25,000 holding a less-than-impressive [jc][5h]. Paul Newey defended with the [ad][3d] in the big blind and both caught something on the [9d][jd][kh] flop.
Tollerene took the lead with a pair of jacks and he checked. Newey had the nut flush draw but he decided to check behind. The turn was the [8h] and again both players checked. The river was the [5s] and Tollerene decided to bet 40,000 with his rivered two pair but Newey threw away his cards.
6:30pm: Kaverman turns the nuts
Level 9: Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000)
Byron Kaverman brought it in for a raise to 20,000 with [ad][qh] and David Peters next to act called with [9h][9c].
Kaverman checked on the [qd][5d][6d] flop and Peters took the betting lead throwing 26,000 into the pot. Kaverman called and the [kd] arrived on the turn. Action went check check before the [ts] rolled off on the river.
Kaverman went into the tank with the nuts and after a couple of minutes led for 50,000. Peters quickly threw his hand away and the pot was pushed Kaverman's way.
6:20pm: Jacks for Newey
Level 9: Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000)
Holding the [ah][8s], Igor Kurganov opened with a raise to 20,000 from the hijack position and action passed to Paul Newey in the small blind. He looked down at [js][jc] and decided to move all in for his last 213,000 chips.
Newey, the lone amateur player remaining, has been fairly quiet on this final table so far and Kurganov gave the raise respect as he quickly gave it up.
6:10pm: Greenwood doubles through Drinan
Level 9: Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000)
Recent shortstack Sam Greenwood just got a boost to his stack after scoring a double up through Connor Drinan.
Drinan opened the action with an early poition raise to 25,000 holding [as][js] before Greenwood moved all in from the small blind with [ah][ks] for his last 146,000. It was then on Ben Tollerene with the big blind who had a tough decision after waking up with [jh][jc]. After a few moments in the tank Tollerene made a big laydown but Drinan called off the jam and the cards went on their backs.
Greenwood had Drinan dominated and was in a great position to double up. The [kd][9c][3s] was a welcome sight for Greenwood and he held through the [6c] turn and [4d] river to keep his tournament hopes alive.
6:00pm: Kurganov takes one from Peters
Level 9: Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000)
David Peters opened with a preflop raise with the [ah][6d] and Igor Kurganov was the lone caller in the big blind with a dominant [ad][ts].
The flop and turn were both checked to take us through to the river on a board of [qh][9c][kd][2h][tc]. Kurganov hit a pair but checked and Peters decided he needed to bet to win the pot. He tossed out 37,000 but Kurganov made a nice call with third pair to take it down.
5:55pm: Drinan chips up with aces
Level 9: Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000)
Paul Newey raised to 22,000 from the hijack with [kd][jc] before Connor Drinan bumped it up to 55,000 with [as][ad] in the cutoff. It folded to Steve O'Dwyer in the big blind and he made the cold call with [th][tc] before Newey got out of the way.
The flop came [5h][jh][5c] and the two players checked to see the [7s] turn. O'Dwyer then opted to lead for 63,000 and Drinan made the call. The [3c] river saw O'Dwyer bet again, this time for 140,000. Drinan tanked for several minutes, likely thinking about jamming for value, but ultimately just flat called and took the pot down with aces and fives.
5:35pm: Play resumes
Level 9: Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000)
Players are back to the action. Here's how they stack up.
Steve O'Dwyer - 642,000
Fabian Quoss - 611,000
David Peters - 567,000
Connor Drinan - 523,000
Ben Tollerene - 414,000
Igor Kurganov - 390,000
Byron Kaverman - 369,000
Paul Newey - 284,000
Sam Greenwood - 200,000
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5:20pm: Break time
Our nine remaining players have stepped away from the table for their first 15-minute break. Coverage will resume shortly.
5:15pm: Free river good for Peters
Level 8: Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000)
Byron Kaverman opened with a raise to 18,000 holding [kc][jc] and David Peters made the call in position with [5h][5d].
The flop was [2s][jd][ts] which gave Kaverman top pair. He decided to check and Peters checked behind. The turn was the [9d] and again both players checked.
The river brought the [5c] which was a disastrous card for Kaverman as he allowed Peters to catch up for free. Kaverman decided at this point to make a bet for 35,000 but he was faced with a raise to 96,000 from Peters with his set of fives. Kaverman went deep into the tank for several minutes before finally splashing out a call.
Peters showed him the bad news and Kaverman gave a wry smile before tossing his cards into the muck. Kaverman slips to 370,000 with Peters now up to around 570,000.
5:05pm: Kurganov gets some back
Level 8: Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000)
After losing a chunk of chips on the previous hand, Igor Kurganov was able to claw some back on hand number two of the final table.
Byron Kaverman opened with a raise to 18,000 from late position with [ac][9s] and Kurganov defended his big blind with an adventurous [jc][5d].
Both players checked the [7h][2d][8s] flop before Kurganov led out for 35,000 with his double-gutshot straight draw on the [9h] turn. That card gave Kaverman top pair so he made the call, but Kurganov took over the lead when the [jd] appeared on the river to give him top pair.
Both players checked and Kurganov took it down.
5:00pm: Big pot pushed to Quoss
Level 8: Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000)
Fabian Quoss won the $100,000 Challenge this week and is priming himself to potentially win this $250,000 Challenge too after raking a sizable pot.
The action began with Igor Kurganov raising to 18,000 with [kd][jd] under the gun before Byron Kaverman called from the cutoff with [ts][tc], David Peters called on the button with [2s][2c] and Fabian Quoss came along from the big blind holding [9s][7c].
The flop landed [9d][7d][9h] and the action checked to Kaverman who led for 27,000. Quoss gave it considerable thought before raising it up to 100,000 and it was on Kurganov to act. Holding the king high flush draw but unknowingly drawing dead to everything except a running straight flush, Kurganov cold-called. Kaverman threw away his pocket tens and the [ah] appeared on the turn.
Quoss continued on the turn for a small bet relative to the pot for 100,000 but Kurganov made the right fold.
4:55pm: Play under way
Level 8: Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000)
We're about to pick up our coverage from the final table with around twenty minutes left to play in this level. Steve O'Dwyer will take the chip lead intot he final table with 650,000 chips.
Final Table redraw
Seat 1: Igor Kurganov - 450,000
Seat 2: Sam Greenwood - 175,000
Seat 3: Ben Tollerene - 426,000
Seat 4: Paul Newey - 288,000
Seat 5: Connor Drinan - 547,000
Seat 6: Byron Kaverman - 585,000
Seat 7: David Peters - 454,000
Seat 8: Steve O'Dwyer - 650,000
Seat 9: Fabian Quoss - 425,000
Prize pool information
Only the top three players will finish in the money in this tournament with the payouts as follows:
1st $1,960,000
2nd $1,176,000
3rd $784,000
4:15pm: Break to feature table
With the elimination of Brian Rast, the players are now breaking the two tables to redraw for seats on the feature table which will be nine handed.
With the action shifting solely to the feature table, we'll now be continuing on a 30-minute delay in order to sync with the live stream on RunItUp.TV. #nospoilers
4:10pm: Rast removed by Kurganov
Level 8: Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000)
Brian Rast was all in and at risk preflop against Igor Kurganov.
Rast: [as][9d]
Kurganov: [jh][th]
Rast had the best of it until the [2d][3c][tc] flop left him chasing an ace.
The [8h] turn and [7h] couldn't help him and he exited the tournament in 10th place.
3:50pm: Lucky ducks for Greenwood
Level 8: Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000)
Sam Greenwood has been battling with his short stack for most of the day so far, but he's just found a double up to get a little bit of breathing room.
Ben Tollerene opened with a raise from the cutoff position to 18,000 before Greenwood moved all in for 84,000 in total in the small blind. Action folded back to Tollerene who instantly called and tabled [qh][jh] to be racing with Greenwood's [2s][2d].
The flop hit both players when it landed [2h][qs][7c] but Greenwood's set gave him a stranglehold on the pot. The [4c] turn sealed the deal before the meaningless [ts] hit the river.
Greenwood is now up to around 190,000 with Tollerene back to 650,000.
3:35pm: Level up
Level 8: Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000)
3:30pm: Timex tank-calls himself to the rail
Level 7: Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000)
We arrived on the river to see Mike McDonald had made a bet and Igor Kurganov had raised for enough to cover the Canadian's stack.
The board read [9h][3d][js][4d][ks] and McDonald had a decision for his tournament life. He was in the tank with [kh][qh] for a rivered top pair, and after a few moments he called it off.
"I've got a set" announced Kurganov tabling [9s][9c] and McDonald was out of his seat and leaving the tournament area.
3:25pm: Tollerene building
Level 7: Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000)
David Peters was chip leader a few minutes ago but such are the swings in this tournament, he's now well back in the pack after losing a big pot against Ben Tollerene.
Tollerene opened with a raise from the cutoff to 15,000 before Peters three-bet the button to 42,000. Action folded back to Tollerene who made the call and they saw a flop of [2c][7h][td].
Tollerene checked and then called the bet of 37,000 from Peters before both players checked the [5s] turn. The river was a repeat [5h] and Tollerene splashed out a healthy bet of 125,000. Peters was quick to make the call but mucked when Tollerene showed [ts][th] for a full house!
Tollerene is now into the chip lead with 740,000 with Peters back down to 355,000.
3:20pm: Greenwood doubles
Level 7: Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000)
After making a big river laydown against Ben Tollerene, Sam Greenwood has recovered those chips and then a few more with a big double up on the very next hand.
It started with Connor Drinan raising to 15,000 from under the gun. David Peters called on the button before Greenwood moved all in from the small blind for 119,000 in total. Drinan folded but Peters gave it some thought and then made a gambling call with [5c][5h]. He was hoping to be racing but Greenwood tabled a strong [qc][qd].
The board ran out [3d][ac][ks][ad][2s] to see Greenwood double up to around 275,000 with Peters still in good shape with around 600,000.
3:10pm: Ivey gone
Level 7: Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000)
The comeback of Phil Ivey was short-lived.
After defending from the big blind with [8s][6s], Ivey check-raised all in on a flop of [2h][2s][5s] with his flush draw. His opponent was Ben Tollerene, runner-up in the $100,000 Challenge. Tollerene had bet the flop for 15,000 and then made the call for a total of 89,000 with his [as][5d] top pair, top kicker.
Ivey was looking for spades, a six or and eight to stay alive but the [3h] turn and [qh] river completed the board. Ivey is out as Tollerene continues his good form in Melbourne as he climbs to over 400,000 chips.
3:00pm: Fedor Holz exits
Level 7: Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000)
Fedor Holz has been on a massive heater of late but he couldn't make much of his time in this $250,000 Challenge. He was the first eliminated yesterday and after a re-entry, the German has busted first again here today.
It was back to back hands that would see Holz's demise.
The first saw Phil Ivey rise to 13,000 from the hijack seat, Holz call on the button and David Peters defend from the big blind. The flop landed [7h][tc][jc] and it checked to Holz who made it 16,000 to go. Peters was the only caller and the [qs] arrived on the turn.
Peters checked again before Holz continued for 28,000, only to face a check-raise from Peters to 80,000 in chips. Holz took his time but did commit to a call before players went to the [2d] river. It was then that Peters moved all in for 240,000, only just covered by Holz, sending the latter into the tank.
A couple of minutes passed but Holz threw the chips in for a call only to see he had been coolered for most of his stack. Peters showed [9d][8s] for a flopped straight ahead of the [qh][jd] top two pair of Holz.
The hand left Holz with only 17,000 which he got all in from the cutoff in the very next hand. Sam Greenwood called to put him at risk from the big blind and the cards went on their backs.
Holz: [kh][9d]
Greenwood: [qd][7s]
Holz got it in good but the [qs][6c][7d][5s][td] runout saw Greenwood hit two pair to send Holz packing.
2:55pm: Ivey triples
Level 7: Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000)
If there's anyone who can recover from six big blinds in the LK Boutique $250,000 Challenge, it's Phil Ivey. The man that everyone fears most, and the winner of this event three of the last four years, Ivey is now a force again after tripling up his short stack.
Ivey was blinded down to just 36,000 when he moved all in from the cutoff. Connor Drinan flat-called on the button before Fedor Holz raised from the small blind to isolate the all-in player. It worked as Drinan got out of the way.
Ivey tabled [qc][jc] but would need to improve against Holz's [ac][ks].
The flop was [4h][7c][6c] and Ivey picked up a flush draw which then connected on the [4c] turn. Ivey wouldn't want to see any more clubs with Holz holding the ace, but the river bricked the [3d].
Ivey is now back up to around 120,000 and has a pulse once again in this tournament.
2:50pm: Turn jam from O'Dwyer
Level 7: Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000)
Mike McDonald opened to 15,000 on the button and Steve O'Dwyer defended his big blind.
On the [9s][4c][7s] flop O'Dwyer check-called 18,000 before the dealer turned the [td].
O'Dwyer checked again and McDonald continued for 40,000. After eyeing McDonald's stack and contemplating his decision, O'Dwyer moved all in.
McDonald waited a few moments but opted to throw his hand away.
2:35pm: Cards in the air
Level 7: Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000)
The cards are now in the air on Day 2 of the LK Boutique $250,000 Challenge.
The LK Boutique $250,000 Challenge set to crown a champion!
The final day of the 2016 Aussie Millions will bring the conclusion of the largest buy-in tournament of the series - the LK Boutique $250,000 Challenge.
Yesterday saw 15 entrants in this event and a short day of just six levels would reduce that to just 12 players. GPI Player of the Year Bryon Kaverman leads the way with Fedor Holz close behind, although Holz did have to fire a second bullet into the prize pool to make it this far. Steve O'Dwyer, Brian Rast, $100k Challenge champion Fabian Quoss and the immortal Phil Ivey are also still in the field, although Ivey has some work to do to win his pet event as he enters today as the short stack.
We have word that there has been one late entry today with Mike "Timex" McDonald jumping in with a fresh stack of 250,000. Blinds will kick off at 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000-chip ante.
We'll be providing live updates throughout the day, with live streaming hosted by Jason Somerville over on RunItUp.TV. Stay tuned!
Want to be here next year? Sign up for PokerStars and start your journey. Click here to get an account.
Take a look at the Aussie Millions official website for tournament schedules, structures, news and information from the Crown Poker Room in Melbourne.
Live updates brought to you courtesy of Brad Kain and Heath Chick. Photos by Jonno Pittock and Christian Zetzsche.
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