The WPT signs another ambassador, the return of Live at the Bike, and Greektown Casino turning into a Hollywood are some of the short stacks CardsChat picked up in last week’s orbit of poker news.
The popular vlogger and card room co-owner Brad Owen joins Steve Aoki in the role of ambassador for the WPT’s 20th season.
Owen will play in events and host meet-up games at WPT stops during this year’s schedule, starting at WPT Choctaw on May 12.
“I am excited to be joining the team at WPT,” said Owen in a press release. “I’ve been looking forward to making this the next big step in my poker journey, and I believe our partnership will help us both continue to grow the game of poker.”
To celebrate his ambassadorship, WPT will give away two $3,800 WPT Choctaw Main Event seats and two $1,500 WPT Prime Passports through Owen’s Twitter account. To enter, visit Twitter and retweet Owen’s tweet about the contest. Entrants also have to follow Owen and the WPT.
I couldn’t be happier to be joining @WPT! I’ll be traveling to tour stops and hosting Meet Up Games around the world. The 1st MUG event will be at Choctaw on May 12th. We’re giving away 2 WPT Choctaw ME seats and 2 WPT Prime Passports. To win, follow the rules in the pic below: https://t.co/wFNYErZe8z pic.twitter.com/QO4lPvutdT
— Brad Owen (@TheBradOwen) April 26, 2022
“Brad has shown himself to be one of the most impactful forces in the community and the game as of late,” said Adam Pliska, World Poker Tour CEO, in the same press release. “His genuine approach to sharing the game of poker has reached an incredible amount of fans, and WPT is fortunate to be joining forces with him.”
Owen, who’s mainly a cash-game player, built a 600K-strong YouTube following by streaming and analyzing live cash poker hands since 2016. Owen talked about his poker life just last month on a CardChat’s Podcast, hosted by Robbie Strazynski
Petition to allow phones at Pennsylvania poker tables
A Pennsylvania poker player launched a petition asking the state’s Gaming Control Board to change the rules and allow cell phones at poker tables in order to vlog his poker adventures.
“Vlogging in no way influences the outcome of any poker hand as most vloggers aren’t even looking at the phone while they are playing and recording (only their) hand,” reads the petition. “It is an excellent way to bring new players to the game and an excellent way to bring exposure to the poker rooms in Pennsylvania to a national audience.”
Jason Kowalski, a budding poker vlogger known as Poker Punx on YouTube, started the petition. He began vlogging his poker play at Parx Casino about six months ago, but was told to stop earlier this month because cell phones are officially off-limits to poker players.
Sign the petition here.
Casino fined for getting patron fall-down drunk
Staying in Pennsylvania, the Washington Trotting Association, owners of Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, was assessed a $40K fine for serving alcohol to visibly drunk customers.
In one case, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says a patron was served 17 draft beers in 12 hours and 44 minutes. The person fell and was injured. A second incident saw a person down five mixed drinks, three shots, and one beer in three hours and 29 minutes. That person then got into a fight with two casino security guards.
The control board also placed a patron on the Involuntary Exclusion list, which bans people from entering any Pennsylvania casino. People on either the involuntary or voluntary exclusion lists who are caught gambling are usually charged with trespass. The person was banned for leaving their seven-year-old in the car of Presque Isle Casino’s parking lot while they gambled at the sportsbook.
According to the PGCB, this parent-of-the-year nominee was the 135th person to be banned for leaving their kids in cars in parking lots of Commonwealth casinos since September of 2011.
Greektown Casino in Detroit will rebrand
Greektown Casino will soon become Hollywood Casino at Greektown.
The VICI-owned property is rebranding as part of a $30 million renovation and upgrade that includes a new HVAC system, a revamped lobby, new carpets, and room renovations.
The name change is subject to the approval of Michigan’s gaming board.
Live at the Bike returns
The popular poker streaming show, “Live at the Bike,” returns with a new look on Saturday. Billed as a relaunch and ribbon cutting, the first show of the year will be the maiden voyage in a brand-new studio at the Bicycle Casino.
Running since 2005, LATB launched a cottage industry of live poker streams. In 2021, Bally’s bought Bicycle Casino and one of the changes was to the name of the poker show. Its Youtube channel is now called Bally’s Presents Live at the Bike.
More information and its upcoming schedule can be found here.
