US Pros Reflect on 20 Years of PokerStars

PokerStars USA pros Jen Shahade and Keith Becker reflect on PokerStars 20th birthday in 2021.

2021 marks the 20th year of operation for PokerStars, and it has been two decades of poker excitement. PokerStars USA Pros such as Jen Shahade and Keith Becker recently looked back on some top memories of their PokerStars action.

Shahade, who is both a chess and poker pro, looked back on binking a PCA ticket 11 years ago. “It was my dream to go to one of those amazing EPT spots but at the time I had just started my chess non-profit, so a satellite was my only way in.”

“I remember screaming in excitement when I won the seat and having the absolute best time in The Bahamas. Not only did I learn a lot about poker, but the experience also introduced me to the amazing culture of poker, and I made some life-long friends, like Jamie Kerstetter on that very trip!”

For fellow PokerStars PA pro Keith Becker, his biggest memory was PokerStars opening in Pennsylvania in 2019. That set off a series of events that saw him take part in DareToStream, team up with Mark Foresta on the Twitch streets, and ultimately representing the site as an ambassador.

Both Becker and Foresta also commented on watching EPT streams as ever-lasting highlights. From Foresta: “One of my favorite moments in PokerStars history has to be the EPT Monte Carlo Final table. This final table was completely stacked with amazing personalities and unbelievably strong players. This final table will go down in history as my favourite broadcast I have ever watched.”

Watch the EPT Monte Carlo Final Table Foresta mentioned below—it really was one of the toughest final tables on record!

published 2 years, 5 months ago • by permalink

The Big 20 Finale is Promising $5 Million

PokerStars anniversary tournament is set to be huge.

PokerStars 20th Anniversary is finally upon us and to celebrate, the operator is running what promises to be one of the biggest online tournaments in history.

The Big 20 Finale has an unbelievable $5,000,000 guaranteed prize pool. The buy-in is just $55, but if that is out of your price range, there are many cheaper ways to qualify.

Phased satellites start at just $0.55, and there are also regular daily feeders with buy-ins of $2.20, $5.50, and $11 to choose from.

And for the ultimate bargain hunters there are freerolls into the daily mega $5.50 satellites, plus Big 20 Spin and Go tournaments for $0.50.

Whether PokerStars can pull in the requisite 100,000 runners to make the guarantee, is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure this tournament is going to be massive.

published 2 years, 5 months ago • by permalink

Phil Hellmuth is the Latest Guest on Lad Bible’s My Stories

The Poker Brat discusses his life in poker, including losing $500,000 in one night.

Phil Hellmuth, who recently won his 16th WSOP bracelet, is the latest guest to be interviewed for Lad Bible’s “My Stories” feature.

In this six-minute clip from Twitter, Hellmuth talks about his legendary blow-ups, mixing with the stars, and how he once lost half a million in one night in Monte Carlo.

The self-styled Poker Brat—as demure as ever—says he wants to be “remembered as the greatest poker player of all time.” That may be debatable, but whatever your opinion of him, you could never accuse him of being boring.

The full 15 minute interview is available on Lad Bible’s YouTube channel.

published 2 years, 5 months ago • by permalink

Galfond Tries his Hand at RIO’s GTO Trainer

The new YouTube vid sees Phil exploring Run It Once Poker's software's Streak function.

Phil Galfond gives us an insight into his training regime in this new YouTube video.

Galfond spends 15 minutes walking us through Run It Once’s GTO training software for Pot Limit Omaha, called Vision.

The video focuses on a feature of the trainer called “Streak”, which tests the Hero in a range of spots with pre-selected parameters.

The PLO phenom plays a few hands of his beloved game, choosing the scenario “Flops, single raised pots on the button”. By his reckoning, it’s an area that he is “pretty weak in” although one suspects that’s a relative term when compared to the rest of us mere mortals.

After all, since beginning his Galfond Challenges almost two years ago, the scores are currently 5 and 0 in Galfond’s favor. We await the battle against Jungleman with bated breath, although as his new employer, things could get awkard…

published 2 years, 5 months ago • by permalink

The Lock-In World Series Round Up

David and Dara offer their thoughts on WSOP 2021

The latest episode of The Lock-In is something of an oxymoron, coming as it does, roughly 8,000km from home for Messers Lappin and O’Kearney.

The boys are top form, discussing a selection of their favorite memories of WSOP 2021 including: That Hand from the Main Event final table; Dara failing to recognize a top pro who was a guest on their podcast barely six months ago; and exploding urinals (yes you read that correctly.)

By the time you read this, David n Doke should be back from Vegas, and are hopefully already working on getting the next episode of The Chip Race out ASAP.

published 2 years, 5 months ago • by permalink