In case you missed it, the new Bet & Go Tournaments on GGPoker have proven to be a smashing hit on the platform with thousands of players from all around the world jumping into the action.
The unique and exciting tournament format is perfect for those who have caught a case of World Cup fever and love soccer. Each tournament on offer is linked to an upcoming match and features two buy-ins. The entry cost is determined by the odds of each team winning, for example, if you back the bookie’s favorite you will have a smaller discount applied to your buy-in. Whereas, if you think the underdog will be the victor then the buy-in will have an even bigger reduction in price.
The unique spin of the Bet & Go tournaments is that anyone who backs the team that loses automatically gets eliminated from the event regardless of how many chips they have in front of them. This was seen in the Saudi Arabia vs Argentina game, where nearly everyone backed the South American nation. They were all ousted from the virtual felt following the upset, which included the chip leader and drastically reduced the field.
Buy-ins for the event also fluctuate depending on what is happening in the game. Once the soccer match is over, the tournament then plays out as normal, and this is also the case if the game ends in a tie. If both teams are level after regulation time then nobody is eliminated.
Poker and Soccer Combine for World Cup Fun
One poker player who is a huge soccer fan is GGPoker Ambassador Jeff Gross, who was once a college soccer star and is delighted with the innovative idea that sees two of his passions combine.
“Really unique and creative way to incorporate sports into poker,”
“It’s an intense sweat as well as you can be doing well in the tournament and be out one second later or be short-stacked and then see the chip leader vanish!”
Gross once had aspirations to make it to the big leagues, having played Division One College Soccer. However, differences of opinion with his coach saw him step away from the game which was coincidentally around the time he found his love for poker.
The American swapped the field for the felt and never looked back. Inspired by Chris Moneymaker’s WSOP Main Event win in 2003, he started playing college games and online.
Since then, he’s amassed over $3.5 million in live tournament earnings, which more than justifies his choice for poker over the beautiful game. Nonetheless, Gross is still excited to see poker and soccer forge closer relationships.
“The Bet & Go promotion is really unique and creative way to incorporate sports into poker,” he said. “Taking the underdog can be a cool strategy and really pay off, look at the Argentina loss to Saudi Arabia! Imagine taking them, you would practically win the event as almost no one would take them,” he explained.
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Chances for USMNT
Obviously with soccer at one point in his DNA, Gross has kept a close eye on the World Cup and in particular, the United States Men’s National Team. The US faces its biggest test so far, with their match against England taking place later today. And for any hopes of making it out of the group stage, the team will need to get a result after squandering the lead against Wales in their opening World Cup game.
“The World Cup has been epic so far!” commented Gross. “The atmosphere seems to be electric and I am catching as many games as I can. The US vs Wales game was very exciting and I was impressed by how the US looked. To give up a penalty kick and tie in the end was disappointing. [But] I am confident they will make it to the round of 16.”
“I predict a 1-1 tie with England on Friday! I think the US is outclassed but they are young, hungry, and can be competitive.”
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Editor & Live Reporter
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.