This week’s news includes a heartwarming holiday poker story but before we get there, we’ll update you on a couple of events and happenings from around the globe.
Fallsview Casino Will Host World Poker Tour In February
The Fallsview Casino will enliven the month of February up north as it will host the Fallsview Poker Classic World Poker Tour. The WPT will roll through the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara, just north of the border. In terms of prizing, a total of $5 million Canadian will be on the line.
Before that Fallsview showcase, some satellite events will help shape the field and allow players to earn entry to the event. The next satellite event will occur on January 13 in Fallsview itself. The real deal, the main poker tour event at Fallsview, will begin on Monday, February 18, with the starting flight at noon local time. That will initiate a series of smaller tournaments with their different levels of buy-in.
Satellites could be a good option for those working with smaller budgets as the entry fees are not cheap. We’re looking at $1,100, $2,500 and $5,000 buy-ins to get in the action at the 2019 Fallsview Poker Classic.
Online Poker Could Be Legalized In Israel
Could poker become legal in Israel in the near future? If a new bill makes it way through government with the proper approval, we could see online poker get the green light sooner than later. The key to this bill is that it’s trying to push through poker as a sport.
A recent Israeli Supreme Court ruling held that poker is a game of skill and not luck, which has given legislators in the Knesset (the legislative body in Israel) the inspiration to conceive of legalizing poker in a unique way that circumvents prohibitions of gambling. There is currently a one-year prison term as the penalty for playing poker in the country.
What’s interesting is that Israel – as a country – has a big hand in online casino and poker software and excels in terms of affiliates. A number of the country’s poker players have thrived in the World Series of Poker. Clearly, the people in the country are open to the idea and now we’ll find out if the government will change its archaic rules and start to allow it.
Wife Gives Husband WSOP Trip As Gift
The love of another person has rarely been so generous.
Randi Hilsercop knew her husband wanted to attend the World Series of Poker but in previous years, the couple had deemed the journey not affordable. This year, though, she found a way to give her husband, Jeremy, not only a flight from Tennessee to Las Vegas for a once-in-a-lifetime dream vacation but also an entry into the 2019 World Series of Poker.
The story went viral as a video was posted online of Jeremy breaking out in tears upon opening his gift. When other people in the poker community heard about the Hilsercops’ story, they pitched in to help with costs. Members of the community ended up hooking up Jeremy with a $30,000 Platinum Pass to the $25,000 buy-in tournament this January at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas as well.
The generosity kept coming. Other companies offered Jeremy various packages and materials for poker coaching and training products. All in all, this was one of the most heartwarming poker stories from this holiday season.