February 19th, 2024 – The world of poker is always filled with excitement and controversy. In recent weeks, we've seen a mix of both as the industry gears up for some major events.
Firstly, the nominations for the 5th Global Poker Awards have been announced, and voting for the Fans Choice Award has begun. The awards ceremony will take place live on PokerGO on Saturday, February 24th, 2024. This year's nominees include 16 different categories, showcasing the best of the poker world.
Another topic that's been making waves is the issue with bots in online poker. Sites like 888Poker have taken steps to refund players who lost money to bot accounts or RTA ( robotic tournament artificial) accounts in 2023. The cat-and-mouse game between players and bots continues, with sites working hard to stay one step ahead.
In more positive news, America's Cardroom (ACR) is gearing up for their massive $5 Million Guaranteed Venom PKO event, which starts on Thursday. This will be the 8th time the site has run this popular tournament.
PokerStars is also shaking things up with the introduction of a new rewards program, featuring "Select" and "Select+" tiers. Competition in online poker is always a good thing, as it drives innovation and better experiences for players.
GGPoker's $100 Million Guaranteed Bounty Hunters Series is set to begin on Sunday, offering players a chance to win big. And with unseasonably cold temperatures gripping many parts of the world, now might be the perfect time to cozy up with a warm cup of coffee and get some online poker action in.
However, not all news has been positive. Twitch.tv, the popular online streaming platform owned by Amazon.com, announced earlier this week that they would be cutting 35% of their staff (around 500 jobs). The platform has become a vital hub for online poker streaming, so this move is likely to have significant implications.
In more lighthearted news, Daniel Negreanu revealed that 2023 was his worst year ever, with losses totaling $2,228,174. However, he's bounced back in style by winning a recent tournament. And Shaun Deeb seems to be on track to win his massive $1 million weight loss bet with Bill Perkins.
GGPoker has also apologized after an embarrassing "superuser" incident involving the site. The last thing the industry needed was another controversy surrounding bots, but it looks like GGPoker is committed to making things right.
Finally, Phil Ivey continues to dominate at the age of 46, winning two tournaments within a week at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series London. And Garrett Adelstein's recent hand against Robbi Jade Lew exploded into mainstream media, sparking debate and discussion in the poker community.
It's been an eventful few weeks in the world of poker, to say the least. From major events like the Global Poker Awards and GGPoker's Bounty Hunters Series to controversies surrounding bots and streaming platforms, there's always something new happening.