Mazen Abdallah snatched the chip lead late into Day 1B to lead 333 hopefuls into WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open’s next stage
Poker action is heating up at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood where the latest edition of the WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open is currently taking place. The two starting flights of the $3,500 event are now complete and figures show that 333 survived through Days 1A and 1B to advance into the second day of action at the host casino.
This year’s WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open drew a record-breaking field of 898 entries, of whom 417 registered through Day 1A and the other 481 came into the event through Day 1B.
Mazen Abdallah, a player from Houston, Texas, will lead the remaining survivors into today’s Day 2. The player accumulated a stack of 469,500 on Day 1B to come atop the temporary leaderboard. Abdallah was also the only player to pass the 400,000 mark. He secured his chip lead late into the day. The player eliminated two fellow contenders on two consecutive hands to multiply his stack and emerge as the chip leader.
If Abdallah makes it to the paid positions, he will secure his largest ever cash from a live tournament. Speaking of money, the event’s field smashed the $2 million guarantee to generate a prize pool of $2,873,600. The money will be split into payouts for the top 113 finishers, min-cashes sitting at $5,845. The bubble is on pace to burst at some point today.
The six final tablists will each secure a min-cash of $103,310. And awaiting the champion is a top prize of $504,820 as well as a seat into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions.
Notables Still in the Race for the Title
No other player passed the 400,000 mark on Day 1B and no other player even passed the 300,000 mark. However, there were a number of notables who made it through the day, including Caufman Talley, Vinny Pahuja, Jeff Trudeau, and Nick Yunis. All four bagged more than 250,000 worth in chips at the end of the second starting flights.
They will be joined by the likes of Day 1A chip leader Ajay Gnanasambanthan, and former WPT champions Anthony Zinno, Phil Laak, Jonathan Jaffe, and Sam Panzica, who all locked a seat into Day 2 through the tournament’s first starting flight.
Day 2 of the tournament is scheduled to take place today starting at noon local time. The remaining players will play ten 60-minute levels, during which the money bubble is expected to burst. The Action Clock will be introduced one table from the bubble to add extra thrill to those battling for the WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open title at the host casino.
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Rhode Island becomes eighth state to offer legal sports wagering in an eventful week for the US betting industry
According to estimates, the state will collect $11.5 million in tax revenue from sports betting through the end of the fiscal year on June 30. The above-mentioned amount is significantly less than the original projection for tax revenue of $23.5 million that was based on the previously announced October 1 launch of Twin River Casino’s sports betting operation. The state expects to get $27.3 million in tax revenue next fiscal year. 
A Pot-Limit Omaha expert takes down the only PLO event on the schedule of the WSOP Circuit Planet Hollywood stop
Pot-Limit Omaha is Gerhart’s favorite poker game and he has been playing it a lot over the past several years. The player told WSOP staff that he has been trying to play as many PLO tournaments as possible. He won a PLO tournament and finished runner-up in another one in the months prior to his victory at Planet Hollywood. 
The 2018 edition of the WPT Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open is under way at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Main Event starts today
Last year’s edition of the $3,500 Championship event at Seminole Hard Rock Casino Hollywood drew 585 entries, some of whom had flown all the way from Europe and other parts of the world. A prize pool of $1.872 million was created, failing to crush the $2 million guarantee. 
Cordish becomes the sole owner of what would be Philadelphia’s second casino
As mentioned earlier, Stadium was selected as the winning bidder for South Philadelphia’s second casino in 2014. However, the company has not been able to move ahead with the project for several years as it has faced multiple hurdles, including legal action by its competitors in the bidding process. 
Two Virginia lawmakers to introduce sports betting bills during next year’s legislative session
The apparent start of a sports betting debate in Virginia should surprise no US gambling aficionado. The state was the first to legalize daily fantasy sports back in the spring of 2016 after the activity had taken center stage in prolonged and heated debates and legal actions in multiple states around the nation. 
Release of MassGaming’s probe into sexual misconduct allegations against casino mogul Steve Wynn temporarily blocked
Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez informed attorneys yesterday that she wants to hear arguments about whether the report indeed contains privileged information. A date for a hearing is yet to be determined. 
Development of betting app among the main reasons behind the delayed launch of sports betting at the property 
The complaint filed by the two tribes seeks to stop non-tribal cardrooms from operating house-banked card games
The complaint seeks injunction to compel the defendants to stop offering house-banked and percentage card games and legal relief for the financial losses sustained by the two tribes, which has also resulted in the loss of revenue for the government, employment opportunities for tribal members, and goodwill. Allegations in the lawsuit further included unfair competition and public nuisance, among others. 
Analysts believe the Gold Coast is not the most attractive casino market as Queensland Government is set to weigh in on second casino in the region
The Florida-based giant has embarked on a global expansion of its integrated resort business and Australia’s Gold Coast has been the latest destination it has set sights on. Hard Rock will also be among the bidders for one of three casino licenses in Japan and has recently received governmental approval to build a multi-billion integrated resort in the Spanish city of Tarragona. 
The tournament drew 712 entries, 70 made it through their respective flights to secure a spot among those returning for Day 2
The final flight was scheduled to feature 18 levels, just as the ones that had already taken place. Day 1F drew 157 entrants, of whom the top 18 were to make the money. Action was slated to continue until there were ten players left or until all scheduled levels were marked as complete. Flight F’s min-cashes were worth $695. Only 16 players managed to put chips in their bags when all 18 Day 1F levels were done. 
Churchill Downs and Keeneland will operate jointly Kentucky’s first new harness racetrack in 25 years
Kentucky Downs in Franklin and Caesars-Bluegrass Downs in Paducah were the other two bidders for the new racetrack license. Both expressed disappointment and frustration with the bidding process.
Flight B was, too, played on Thursday at the host casino. It saw 48 players register, generating a prize pool of $15,840. The top five finishers were to receive a share of the money, provided that all 18 levels were played. However, the money bubble burst deep into Level 17, so the final five players bagged and tagged for the night and the full Flight B prize pool went to the tournament’s overall prize pool.
Gaming commissioners say they need more time to review and investigate before deciding on the proposed casino site
During the Thursday meeting, developers presented gaming commissioners with the first pictures of the proposed casino resort, noting that those were only renderings and that construction documents were yet to be submitted, pending site approval by the Commission. 
