Brad Owen entered Day 4 of the World Poker Tour (WPT) $5,250 buy-in Gardens Poker Championship with 15 big blinds and a dream as he looked to survive the two eliminations needed to advance to the six-handed televised final table.

The popular vlogger and WPT ambassador did so and will now head to Las Vegas to finish out the event inside the HyperX ESports Arena at the Luxor alongside fellow final tablists Ryan Salunga, Ky Nguyen, Chris Lee, Josh Lachman and Joey Deluca.

WPT Gardens Poker Championship Final Six

Read About Day 3 In the WPT Gardens Poker Championship!

Everything Owen on Day 4

Day 4 was a quick one as short stacks Steven Spunt and Thomas Choi were both eliminated within the first hour of play by none other than Owen. The veteran poker content creator first picked up his trademark “pocket jiggities” to oust Spunt, whose ace-king couldn’t hit to send him out in 8th place for $42,200.

“Best jiggities ever,” Owen told WPT. “I looked down at it, and I’m sure it wasn’t really visible but I kind of chuckled in my head a little bit and I was like ‘Oh this is fitting,’ I’m either going to get knocked out with the jiggities, or get a massive double-up to get us down to seven.”

Each remaining player is after their first WPT title and the $357,380 up top for first place. The eventual winner will also receive a unique sculpture trophy designed by American artist Daniel Arsham and will also get a seat into the $10,000 WPT World Championship in December.

Before the WPT Gardens Poker Championship plays out on May 27 in Las Vegas, there’s still the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown and WPT Choctaw final tables that will be live-streamed today and tomorrow beginning at 4:30 p.m. local time.

PokerNews will be on-site for all three final tables and will be sure to let readers know how they play out as the next WPT champions are named.

WPT Gardens Poker Championship Remaining Payouts

_{*Images courtesy of WPT.}

One of the biggest events in poker history is coming back to Las Vegas this December as the World Poker Tour announced the return of the $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop.

The million-dollar buy-in event, which previously took place at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), will now be at the Wynn as part of the 2023 WPT World Championship festival, adding further hype to an event that didn’t need it after a massively successful festival in 2022.

Whichever deep-pocketed players ante up a million to play the Big One will be doing so for a good cause. According to WPT, 6% of each buy-in “will directly benefit the One Drop Foundation to continue their mission of ensuring sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for communities facing extreme challenges.”

“The Big One for One Drop is such an iconic tournament in the world of poker. We are honored to put on this incredible event in conjunction with the One Drop Foundation and Wynn Las Vegas,” WPT CEO Adam Pliska said in a press release. “The $1 million buy-in is a testament to the heights this industry can reach and the continuous evolution of the World Poker Tour.”

Read About the Latest From the World Poker Tour!

Who Will Be the Next Big One Winner?

In previous years its been offered, the Big One for One Drop has produced some of the biggest prize pools ever and awarded many of poker’s biggest names.

Poker Hall of Fame candidate Antonio Esfandiari took down the 2012 event that drew 48 runners to win an incredible $18,346,673. Two years later, Daniel Colman went on one of the biggest runs in poker history that included topping the Big One field of 42 players to win $15,306,668.

In 2016, the Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza €1,000,000 Big One For One Drop drew 28 entries and saw Hong Kong’s Elton Tsang topping them all to win $12,248,912.

At the most recent Big One in 2018, all-time money leader Justin Bonomo topped the field of 27 players to win $10,000,000.

Before the million-dollar event, WPT will host two charity events in July. First will be the WPT EveryOne for One Drop at Wynn kicking off on July 9, a $10,000 buy-in event that will have a $10 million guarantee attached. After that, the $111,000 buy-in WPT Alpha8 for One Drop will commence on July 14 and will be live-streamed from Day 2 onward.

“Wynn is proud to host one of the largest events in poker history, included as part of the second annual WPT Championship festival,” Wynn Executive Director of Poker Operations Ryan Beauregard said in the press release. “We look forward to sharing this one-of-a-kind experience with players and fans from across the globe.”

Previous Big One for One Drop Winners

Join WPT Global Today

The launch of WPT Global means that poker players around the world now have the chance to win their way to WPT events, win prizes and enjoy exciting games such as Poker Flips. As one of the world’s largest cash game poker networks, WPT Global is available in over 50 countries and territories around the world.

WPT Global offers a large deposit match bonus: 100% on deposits up to $1,200 (using any payment method). New players depositing a minimum of $20 automatically receive this match bonus which is unlocked in $5 increments (credited straight to the cashier) for every $20 of rake contribution.

Both tournaments and cash games count towards bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of first deposit to unlock and claim their full bonus amount.

_{*Images courtesy of WPT.}

The partnership between PokerStars and Oracle Red Bull Racing (ORBR) has been a roaring success on the track and on the felt since the two brands joined forces. Several poker players worldwide have experienced once-in-a-lifetime events thanks to the Red Spade Pass, which has been confirmed to return for a second year.

The Red Spade Passes will be available to win across the PokerStars universe at different points of the season between May and October, with the first up for grabs via an easy-to-enter and free-to-play online casino game, ‘Spin of the Day’, which runs until July 10, 2023.

And as the 2023 Formula One season cranks up, PokerStars and ORBR are providing a unique content series called Between the Lines, which uncovers and explores the parallels between motorsport and poker at the highest level.

Christian Horner, Team Principal and CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said, “We loved being part of this content series developed by PokerStars. Strategy sits at the heart of everything that we do here at Oracle Red Bull Racing, just as it does at the poker table. The series really drove home the synergies between the two sports.”

_{For UK readers, please view the second video}

Episode 1 – Fortune Favors the Brave

The first of four episodes of Between the Lines has been released, and you can watch the pilot below. Episode 1, titled Fortune Favors the Brave, looks back at the parallels between the performances by F1 driver Sergio Perez and poker superstar Hossein Ensan from the 2022 Monte Carlo Grand Prix and the 2015 EPT Prague Main Event respectively.

Perez and Ensan wowed spectators and viewers with their boldness and fearlessness in their respective fields, which took their opponents by surprise, given the dynamics and obstacles they both faced.

The duo would go on to seal out the victories both on the track and the felt, much to the surprise of those watching.

Rebecca McAdam Willetts, Director of Partnerships & PR at PokerStars, said, “Developing the Between the Lines series with the support of Oracle Red Bull Racing has given us such a brilliant opportunity to look back at some of the most pivotal moments in one of the teams’ most successful seasons, as well as some of the most exciting moments in our live event history, and really dig into the skills and strategies that can be applied wherever mental dexterity is necessary and competition is fierce. Alongside creating major memories through our Red Spade Pass, we’re looking forward to giving fans additional opportunities to get under the hood this season with even more content, promotions, experiences, and rewards.”

Be sure to check out the first episode, which you can watch below. And take a look at what else is in store over the coming months.

_{For UK readers, please view the second video}

Epic Scenes as Formula 1 Car Drives Through Vegas Casino

2023 F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

2023 F1 Calendar and Results

Get a $400 Welcome Bonus When You Join PokerStars

New depositing PokerStars customers can claim a welcome bonus worth up to $400. Download PokerStars via PokerNews, create your free account and decide how much you want to deposit. Your deposit is matched 100% up to $400 as a bonus. In fact, your first three deposits in the first 60 days after making your first deposit are matched up to a combined total of $400. Make sure you use the PokerStars bonus code “STARS400”

The bonus releases into your playable balance in $10 increments each time you generate 180 redemption points, which in turn are earned at a rate of five per $1 contributed to the cash game rake or spent on tournament fees (6.5 points per £1, 5.5 points per €1, and four points per CAD$).

Pascal “Pass_72” Lefrancois is no stronger to massive online poker tournament scores, especially at PokerStars. Lefrancois reeled in another $207,900 on May 24 after coming out on top of the SCOOP 86-H: $10,300 Super Tuesday High Roller. The $207,900 Lefrancois won is the largest single prize of the 2023 SCOOP so far.

You may recall Lefrancois took down the $5,200 Main Event 2nd Chance during the 2020 SCOOP, a result that banked him $416,742, a sum only surpassed by the $1,069,210 he collected for a runner-up finish in the 2021 World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event. Don’t bet against Lefrancois bagging another six-figure sum before the 2023 SCOOP concludes.

SCOOP 86-H: $10,300 NLHE Super Tuesday High Roller Final Table Results

Eighty-seven entrants created an $870,000 prize pool that the top 11 finishers shared. Rui “RuiNF” Ferreira was the unfortunate soul who burst the money bubble, bowing out in 12th place, and locking in $21,957 for the surviving players.

Claas “SsicK_OnE” Segebrecht and “Ebaaa11” busted in the money, the latter’s elimination setting the final table.

Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden sat down with less than four big blinds at his disposal, so it was unsurprising when he fell in ninth. Vousden busted at the hands of “monzemann” who opened with queen-nine of spades, and Vousden called all-in with ace-seven of hearts. Vousden flopped an ace, but “monzemann” turned a spade flush to reduce the player count by one.

Eighth place went to recent SCOOP winner Espen “Hymn2Ninkasi” Jorstad one hand after Vousden’s demise. Jorstad jammed for almost exactly a single big blind and found himself up against Marius “DEX888” Gierse after the latter raised to isolate the micro-stacked Jorstad. Gierse’s king-jack stayed ahead of Jorstad’s nine-eight; and then there were seven.

The final seven became six with the untimely demise of Canada’s “Stumpfed”. “monzemann” min-raised to 60,000, “Stumpfed” jammed for 46,860 from the small blind, and Ole “wizowizo” Schemion squeezed all-in, folding out “monzemann.” Schemion turned over pocket queens which stayed ahead of the queen-nine of the now eliminated “Stumpfed.”

Next leaving the fold was “Gogac sniper,” who PokerStars’ Twitch commentator James Hartigan stated was Roman Hrabec. Their tournament ended when the action folded to them in the small blind, and Hrabec open-shoved for 15 big blinds with king-jack. Lefrancois instantly called with pocket tens in the big blind, before turning a set and improving to quads on the river!

The surviving players breathed a sigh of relief when Swedish legend Niklas “Lena900” Astedt was sent to the showers. Astedt came unstuck against Lefrancois.

Astedt min-raised to 70,000 with ace-jack, Lefrancois called in the big blind with ace-trey and promptly flopped two pair. Lefrancois check-raised a 58,800 bet on the flop to 157,500, and Astedt responded with call. A six on the turn was greeted by Lefrancois leading for 247,500. Astedt jammed for 780,058, and Lefrancois snapped him off. The river bricked, and Astedt was gone.

The final five-figure prize went to Schemion as the final table action passed the two-hour mark. With blinds of 25,000/50,000/6,000a, Schemion limped in, “monzemann” pumped it up to 175,000 only for Schemion to jam for 1,194,214. “monzemann” snap-called and showed ace-queen; Schemion flipped over jack-ten of spades. An ace on the turn proved more than enough to bust Schemion from the Super Tuesday High Roller.

Heads-up was set after Gierse ran out of steam in third. Down to 24 big blinds, Gierse three-bet all-in with pocket threes from the big blind over an opening raise from “monzemann,” who called and showed king-queen. “monzemann” won the flip courtsy of a king on the flop.

“monzemann” held a 5.4 million to 3.2 million chip advantage over Lefrancois at the start of the heads-up battle, but it did not stay that way for long after “monzemann” got a hero call horribly wrong.

The final hand occurred when Lefrancois opened to 132,000 with ace-king, “monzemann” three-bet to 480,000 with pocket eights, and Lefrancois moved all-in before “monzemann” called off the 1,964,082 chips they had behind. It was a coin flop with $36,000 on the line, a coinflip that went Lefrancois’ way when a king landed on the turn.

Game over and $160,667 for “monzemann” but a title and $207,900 for the one and only Lefrancois.

Other Notable PokerStars SCOOP Results

Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser has done it again and taken down a non-Hold’em SCOOP event. Having secured his eighth SCOOP title earlier in the series in the $1,050 NLO8 6-Max PKO, Glaser banked SCOOP victory number nine in the $215 PLO8 6-Max.

Glaser reeled in $12,572, and is now the only player with nine SCOOP wins, and trails Calvin “cal42688” Anderson by a single outright title. You would not bet against Glaser matching or even surpassing Anderson by the time the 2023 SCOOP concludes.

Elsewhere, there were victories for the likes of Marius “DEX888” Gierse and Dzmitry “Colisea” Urbanovich.

Is Tonight Veldhuis’ Night?

Team PokerStars’ Lex “L. Veldhuis” Veldhuis has endured some near misses during the series as he continues his quest to become a SCOOP champion for the first time. Veldhuis has yet another shot at glory after navigating his way to the final table of SCOOP 91-H: $3,150 NLHE PKO High Roller.

Only nine players remain, and Veldhuis is sixth in chips. You can tune into Veldhuis’ latest final table via the PokerStars Twitch channel or Veldhuis’ personal streams on May 25. Good luck, Lex!

PartyPoker LIVE is headed to the b in Bratislava, Slovakia, on July 18, for the first-ever Grand Prix Bratislava.

The elegant casino is located right by M. R. Štefánik Airport, making it a very convenient stop for anyone flying in. The casino’s 150-table tournament space will be full of pros and keen amateurs looking to win PartyPoker LIVE‘s first every Mystery Bounty Event.

Brand support and online satellites are, of course, provided by the PartyPoker online platform, as well as live satellites available on the casino floor.

There will be €1 million in total guarantees across the 35 events and satellites. The headline event will be the €500,000 guaranteed PartyPoker LIVE Grand Prix Main Event with a buy-in of €550. The Main event will feature six Day One flights, including one turbo flight.

However, there is a range of buy-ins for players with bankrolls in varying states of health. From basic €150 No Limit Holdem freezeouts to the €2,500 High Roller PLO event.

PartyPoker Grand Prix Bratislava Schedule Hightlights

The Grand Prix Bratislava’s Biggest Events

Most players who make their way to Bratislava will do so for the The Grand Prix Bratislava Main Event. With a €550 buy-in and a €500,000 guarantee, this event has a decent chance of showing some overlay. Players get good value at the table, too, with starting stacks at 40,000 and one re-entry per flight.

Plus, there are plenty of satellites at the Card Casino and online. So you can take your shot at getting in on the cheap.

Players with heftier wallets will want to check out the €2,500 High Roller Pot Limit Omaha event and the €750 buy-in Morava Poker Cup.

The Best Freeroll Tournaments On PartyPoker

How To Get Your PartyPoker First-Time Deposit Bonus

If you want to get started playing PartyPoker Grand Prix Bratislava online satellites starting from just €0.01, you can do so by setting up a PartyPoker account now.

Head over to PokerNews‘s PartyPoker review to download the PartyPoker client and create your account. When you make your first deposit you will receive a 100% deposit bonus up to £400.

The deposit is released in 10% chunks and in total you will have to accumulate four-times the Deposit Bonus in loyalty points. So long as you achieve this within 90 days of receiving the bonus, you can cash out the full amount or leave it on account to bolster your bankroll.

First-time depositors will also receive £40 in free play tickets deposited over the first six days after the deposit as follows:

• Day 1: 5x $1 SPINS tickets + 1x $5.50 MTT ticket
• Day 2: 2x $3 SPINS ticket + 1x $3.30 MTT ticket
• Day 3: 2x $3 SPINS ticket + 1x $5.50 MTT tickets
• Day 4: 4x $0.25 SPINS tickets + 3x $2.20 MTT ticket
• Day 5: 1x $5 SPINS ticket + 1x $3.30 MTT ticket
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You could even put the MTT tickets toward your satellite budget for a chance to play the PartyPoker Grand Prix Bratislava!

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