The popularity of bounty tournaments cannot be denied, and WSOP.com is giving US-based players a chance to experience them today. Also, the Mixed Game Festival returns to Las Vegas a fourth time, and the CEO is out at Bally’s. These are the short stacks CardChats picked up in its latest orbit of poker news.
WSOP.com is testing out a Mystery Bounty tournament formula in two of its US-facing markets, Pennsylvania and Michigan, with many of them scheduled to take place today (Feb. 14). The tourneys are not available in the shared market of New Jersey/Nevada.
Mystery Bounty tourneys are one of the hottest formats at live events. They work this way: When an entrant makes it to a certain blind level — often the second day in live events — they get to draw a prize envelope whenever they knock a player out. The World Series of Poker’s Mystery Bounty tournament that kicks-off the Summer festivities has a top bounty worth $1 million.
In the online versions at WSOP.com, half the guaranteed prize pool goes to the bounties, which kick-in at blind level 17. With blinds running eight minutes, players have to make it 128 minutes. The prizes are distributed randomly.
The buy-in of today’s tourneys range from $10 to $109. The top bounty of the $109 event, which takes place at 8:30 p.m. ET in Pennsylvania, is $2,000. There will certainly be more to come.
Shake up at Bally’s
The Bally’s Corporation is changing CEOs. The Rhode Island-based gambling corporation that owns 15 casinos in 10 states will replace Lee Fenton with Robeson Reeves. Reeves is currently the president of Bally’s interactive division, which includes Bally’s gaming software offshoot, Gamesys. Reeves came to Bally’s after serving as the CEO of Gamesys since 2015.
Fenton, who become Bally’s CEO in 2021, was at the helm when Bally’s bought Gamesys for $2.8 billion. He will step down as CEO and as a board members on March 31.
“I am honored to lead Bally’s and grateful for the support and confidence shown in me by my fellow Board members,” Reeves said in a press release. “We are a unique company with a robust core and an extraordinary set of opportunities ahead of us. I look forward to working hard with my Executive Team and all our teams to take those opportunities and maximize our growth.”
Mixed Game Festival returns
CardsChat Podcast host Robbie Strazynski will bring his mixed-game festival back to Las Vegas for a fourth time in March. The complete schedule will soon be released, but a “save the date” announcement was made through his CardPlayer Lifestyle newsletter yesterday.
The Mixed Game Festival IV will take place at Resorts World March 18-23. Bookended by a $260 Omaha 8 or Better/Stud 8 or Better on March 19, and $260 HORSE on March 23, the festival will also feature low-stakes ($4/8 and $8/16) round-the-clock dealer’s choice games.
Poker’s coming back to Twin River Casino
The poker room in Twin River Casino in Lincoln, RI, will reopen on Thurs. Feb. 23.
The 23-table room has been shuttered since the COVID-19 pandemic ruined everything. A Bally’s spokesperson told the Providence Business News that the room hopes to be back to being fully operational in a few weeks.
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