In this column, we deliver you the latest and most interesting online poker industry news from across the world and all platforms.
ACR’s Venom breaks record despite $175K overlay
Running its second Venom tournament this year, Americas Cardroom celebrated its previous success from the fourth edition by increasing the prize pool guarantee with an additional $2,000,000. The fifth installment of Venom, branded as the biggest tourney in the site’s history, boasted of a whopping $10,000,000 guarantee throughout its 7-day schedule. Four starting flights ran its course, garnering 3,930 total entries in the running to make it through Day 2. Falling short by only 70 players vs the expected 4,000 entrants, the major online poker platform covered an overlay of $175,000.
Despite the recorded overlay, the latest Venom tournament broke its previous record of $9.4 million prize pool and awarded the top two winners seven-figure payouts for their deep run. A minimum $130,000 payday was guaranteed for each final table qualifier and ended with player “BabyBowser” claiming the title along with the $1,514,000 top prize. Runner-up finisher “sw33ney” also became an instant poker millionaire, having won $1,015,200 for his impressive Venom performance.
https://twitter.com/ACR_POKER/status/1423065261939249153
PokerStars offers two major promotions as WCOOP approaches
This summer’s online grinders are in for a treat as leading platform PokerStars offers not one, but two major promotions in preparation for the upcoming World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). Both the Road to WCOOP promotion and WCOOP 50/50 series are currently running on the site, with the former set to award $1,000,000 in WCOOP tickets and the latter posting a $7,500,000 guarantee in prizes.
The Road to WCOOP ends on August 21st with players tasked to log-in each week and accomplish specific challenges should they wish to qualify for the promotion. The Redemption Points Target indicated under the Challenges tab is separated into three categories: Low, Medium, and High. In the event any player fails to secure a ticket, they are free to join the Ambassadors Freeroll happening on the 22nd, which will award $200,000 worth of WCOOP tickets and a $530 Main Event ticket for anybody who knocks out a PokerStars Ambassador in the tournament.
Road to WCOOP
| Challenge | Points Required | Tier Level | WCOOP Ticket Value |
| 1 | 50 | Low | $5.50 – $215 |
| 2 | 150 | Medium | $55 – $2,100 |
| 3 | 300 | High | $530 – $5,200 |
A pre-game WCOOP 50/50 series is simultaneously available until August 15th, offering a lineup of 50 events with entry fees of $50. The series is set to award a generous $7.5 million in prize guarantees with each champion receiving a sweet $5,200 Main Event ticket bonus on top of their tournament winnings. Multiple Spin & Go’s are likewise available throughout the schedule wherein players can try their luck in securing a Main Event seat for as low as $1.50.
This year’s flagship festival will kick off on August 22 through September 15 and is geared to award $100,000,000 in prizes – the biggest WCOOP to date. 2020’s events saw an $80,000,000 guarantee yet recorded smashing results of $99.9 million awarded to the PokerStars community while at the same time, wrapping up more than 1.1 million entries across 75 events.
Chico Poker Network launches $150K Rakeback Days promotion
US-facing Chico Poker Network is ending the summer season with a month-long promotion entitled Rakeback Days which offers players a chance to grab a share of the $150,000 in prizes awarded daily. The allotted prize pool is spread out across its leaderboards for both cash game and tournament players. $5,000 is meant solely for cash game grinders with all who meet at least the $10 minimum rake contribution, qualified for the promotion.
Prize money awarded is set in proportion to the player’s volume and is paid in the form of tournament dollars at a cap of $2000/ day or Game Bonuses (cash dollars) with a maximum of $3000/ day. Similar to other networks, players must opt-in in the Missions section to receive Rakeback Days prizes.
Dates for WPT World Online Championships on Partypoker revealed
Another major series is set to run alongside the prestigious World Series of Poker Online’s international leg, making the next few weeks a busy time for the online poker scene. The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Online Championships is presenting its second edition on the partypoker platform this August 12 through September 15, 2021. While the full schedule is yet to be released, the festival is focused on offering a variety of games similar to an authentic live poker experience. The Main Event alone, boasts of a $5,000,000 guarantee for a price tag of $5,300.
“We are excited to bring the WPT World Online Championships back after last year’s record-breaking success. WPT and partypoker continue to excel in creating exceptional events for players of all buy-in levels and we can’t wait to see the next name placed on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup” stated WPT VP Europe Hermance Blum in a press release.
GGPoker joins Belgian market
After two years since GGPoker pulled out of its market, players geo-located in Belgium are glad to find the major site now available to local users. The awaited entrance was welcomed last July 31st, just in time for the currently running WSOP Online festivities. Players have full access to the international games under the domain ggpoker.be despite the lack of welcome bonuses as opposed to legal restrictions. The now live GGPoker platform signifies the fourth licensed online poker room following competitors PokerStars, Entain/ partypoker, and Unibet.
