In this column, we deliver you the latest and most interesting online poker industry news from across the world and all platforms.
WSOP Winter Circuit underway at Natural8 – GGNet
The online poker scene is closing in on a successful year across the Natural8 – GGNetwork arena with its premium World Series of Poker Winter Circuit currently underway. The premium festival is on the move to completing its five week schedule through January 9, 2023, featuring 18 WSOP Ring Circuit Events. A colossal $150,000,000 in guarantees will be awarded throughout the series with a bonus of $175,000 in prizes to be won exclusively for Natural8 players. Natural8 champions of the WSOP Ring Events are automatically entitled to Team Bling Sponsorships worth up to $50,000.
While the festival is already past its halfway mark, there are still a number of events to look forward to including the awaited $10 million guaranteed Main Event for a buy-in of $1,700. Event #15: New Year’s MYSTERY BOUNTY is also a great way to mark the beginning of 2023 with its top bounty of $250,000, even possibly a player’s biggest score. As of writing, 10 of the 18 WSOP Ring Events have wrapped up, leaving eight to complete within the next few weeks for a total of $19,000,000 left to be claimed from these key events alone.
2023 WSOP Winter Circuit Ring Events
| Date | Day | Time (UTC) | Time (HKT) | Event Name | Buy-in | Guarantee |
| Dec 20 | Tue | 18:00 | 02:00 (+1) | #11 $1,500 Deepstack Championship NLH | $1,500 | $1,000,000 |
| Dec 22 | Thu | 18:00 | 02:00 (+1) | #12 $1,050 “Naughty or Nice” Bounty NLH | $1,050 | $1,000,000 |
| Dec 26 | Mon | 18:00 | 02:00 (+1) | #13 $400 CHRISTMAS COLOSSUS NLH [Final Day] | $400 | $2,500,000 |
| Dec 29 | Thu | 18:00 | 02:00 (+1) | #14 $840 “Stocking Stuffer” Bounty Superstack | $840 | $1,000,000 |
| Jan 2 | Mon | 18:00 | 02:00 (+1) | #15 New Year’s MYSTERY BOUNTY [Final Stage] | $210 | $2,023,000 |
| Jan 3 | Tue | 18:00 | 02:00 (+1) | #16 $1,500 6-Handed Championship NLH | $1,500 | $1,000,000 |
| Jan 5 | Thu | 18:00 | 02:00 (+1) | #17 $525 PLO “Ho Ho” Bounty Special | $525 | $500,000 |
| Jan 9 | Mon | 18:00 | 02:00 (+1) | #18 WSOP Winter Circuit MAIN EVENT, $10M GTD [Final Day] | $1,700 | $10,000,000 |
Dutch market remains closed off to major operators
It has been over a year since the updated Dutch online gaming regulations have pushed out major online poker operators without a viable license suddenly in the dark. Pokerstars included, remains to be one of the most awaited sites to make a comeback following the shutdown. However as reported firstly by CasinoNieuws.nl, parent company Flutter continues to be hopeful in reigniting its operations this coming 2023. Though with slow processing timelines, it’s more probable that PokerStars’ market launch (should there be one) be available later in the year or maybe even the following.
“We continue to refine our approach to the diverse range of markets we operate in, with a particular focus on consolidating our existing #1 positions and investing for leadership in high growth markets. The Netherlands continues to present an exciting opportunity for our PokerStars business, and we hope to make a return in 2023.”, relayed by Flutter’s spokesperson.
Joining the wait for a license are also global sites 888poker and partypoker as available platforms: GGPoker, Unibet, and iPoker skins: Holland Casino Online and Bet365, continues to dominate the market amidst the situation.
Winning Poker Network launches PLO5, Winter OSS wraps up
An interesting surprise to jumpstart the holidays, US-friendly Winning Poker Network recently introduced a new variant to its lobby offerings – PLO5. Stakes from $0.01/$0.02, $0.05/$0.10 up to $25/$50 are available across the sites along with several formats namely 6-max, 9-max, Hi, Hi-Low, and Short. Upon its launch, nearly two dozen tables were quick to fill up with the game’s popularity expected to increase within the following year.
Aside from its continuous updates, the network has also been big on tournament poker with its last major event for the year wrapping up this weekend. The Winter Online Super Series (WOSS) is close to completing its 148-event lineup with buy-ins ranging from $6.6 to $2,365. This year’s edition boasts a total of $24 million in guaranteed prizes, significantly higher than that of last year’s $15 million festivities and of course, showcased its newest game PLO5 on schedule for the first time in the network’s history.
https://twitter.com/ACR_POKER/status/1597636601357778947?s=20&t=XHhgMkPsFcPCaYCrzw6iRw
GGPoker obtains German license
Already dominating the online poker scene with its leading traffic, players geolocated in Germany can feel more at ease knowing that the poker giant is now entirely legal with a gaming license valid for the next five years. NSUS Malta Ltd made it publicly known earlier this month that it has been awarded a license by the State Administration Office of Saxony-Anhalt to run its operations. GGPoker continues to fulfill its duties, paying a 5.5% tax for cash games, and a reduced rate of 3% for tournaments.
