Greg Merson
Sends The World Poker Tour To The Showers
Former WSOP Champ unhappy about the WPT 500 event.
There’s no question where Greg Merson's allegiances lie.
Merson, the 2012 World Series of Poker Champ, apparently doesn’t think too highly of the World Poker Tour moving in on the World Series Of Poker's turf. The WPT is currently running their own $1M guaranteed prize pool event, the WPT 500, at the same time as the WSOP Main Event and it’s right down the street at the Aria. That doesn’t seem to sit very well with the 2-time bracelet winner.
World Poker Tour Executive Tournament Director Matt Savage quickly replied to Merson, indicating that he has the utmost respect for the WSOP and would never expect anyone to think of the WPT 500 as an alternative to playing the WSOP event (if they were already going to do so).
But the hits just keep on coming from Merson:
Strong words by Merson as he publicly dresses down the WPT. Merson hasn’t previously had any major public beef with the WPT (to our knowledge) and it was just a couple months ago, the beginning of March, that Merson played (and cashed in) the LAPC, a WPT event, at the Commerce Casino.
The tirade has some speculating as to whether Greggy is just a loyal WSOP customer, thankful for the gifts he’s been given by winning the WSOP ME a couple years ago or if there’s a deeper alliance between the brand and the player. Merson was, after all, sporting a WSOP.com patch during Day 1a of the Main Event.
Or maybe you have noticed that he has also been hyping WSOP.com, pretty much, all summer long.
While there may be some sentiment that the WPT is looking to capture a little of the WSOP’s spillover. Not everyone jumped on the anti-WPT train though, as players and industry came to the WPT’s defense.
Has the World Poker Tour hurt the WSOP numbers? Is the WPT 500 simply an auxiliary event that players can jump in if they aren’t playing in the Main Event, cannot afford the $10K or have a premature evacuation from the Rio? We’ll know soon as Day 1C is expected to be a massive field for WSOP and the WPT 500 is just under 800 people from fulfilling their own guarantee. Maybe everyone can be happy.
Watch ElkY Play an MTT Blind on GGPoker
After losing the prop bet against Fedor Holz, ElkY will be fulfilling his punishment live on his Twitch channel later today.
Check Out PokerStars' New Throwable Item "Card Deck"
The list of items that you can virtually throw on PokerStars is growing every week.
Isaac Haxton Compares PokerStars and partypoker on the Weekly Poker Showdown
High stakes poker pro and partypoker ambassador, Isaac “Ike” Haxton is the latest guest on the Weekly Poker Showdown podcast with host and fellow Team partypoker member Jaime Staples.
Watch: The Hand that Led Phil Galfond to an Epic Victory Versus Venividi
ICYMI, YESSS Phil Galfond did it!
ICYMI: Pokerfuse Podcast with Former PokerStars Comms Director Eric Hollreiser
Last week on the special edition of the Pokerfuse Podcast, our host Michael Gentile sat down with former Head of Corporate Communications and Global Poker Marketing for PokerStars, Eric Hollreiser, to discuss various topics covering everything from Black Friday to Supernova Elite, PSPC and what’s the future of online poker may look like, and much more!
Sunday Million Anniversary Edition Smashes Record, Generates $18.6 Million Prize Pool
The special event exceeded its ambitious guarantee by over $6 million
Doug Polk Uploads Final Poker Video
Doug Polk has uploaded his last ever YouTube video to his hugely successful poker channel.
Watch the Second Annual Global Poker Awards Live Stream for Free on PokerGO
In just a few hours, the much-awaited second Annual Global Poker Awards will be held live in Las Vegas at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino.
PokerStars to Celebrate International Women's Day with a Platinum Pass
This International Women’s Day, PokerStars is once again doing something special.
Major WSOP F*ck Up! Daniel Negreanu Stripped of POY Title
Error In Points Tally Discovered
The Postulation Station: A Mike Postle Mega Post
An attempt to compile everything you could possibly want to watch, listen to and read about the Postle/Stones cheating scandal.
Run It Once Poker Offers 70% Rakeback via 35/35 Promotion
The promotion is called 35/35 and the end result is 70% rakeback for players on Run It Once Poker.
Kevin Martin Ends Streaming Career: Partypoker Ambassador Says "Journey is Over"
After just four months at partypoker's Team Online, the Canadian MTT grinder throws in the Twitch towel.
High Stakes Poker Pro Antonio Esfandiari Kicks Movie Star Kevin Hart's Arse
High stakes poker pro and three time WSOP bracelet winner, Antonio Esfandiari has won yet another prop bet. He took comedian Kevin Hart down in just three rounds, as part of a boxing prop bet.
Missed the Global Poker Awards? Watch It Free Here!
The inaugural Global Poker Awards are officially in the books.
Lex Veldhuis Ships Sunday Warm-Up Live on Twitch
Last night, Lex Veldhuis took down the PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up Live on Twitch for over $34,000.
#10YearChallenge: PokerStars
Let's have a look at how PokerStars has changed in 10 years.
Just How Much Did Platinum Pass Holders Win at the #PSPC?
PokerStars gave away 320 free entries to the $25,000 buy-in PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) over the course of the previous year via Platinum Passes that after accomodations and spending money were valued at $30,000.
Watch: Crucial Hands at the #PSPC Final Table
In case you missed out on the Final Table stream of the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) event, here are clips of some of the most crucial hands at the Final Table of the event.
Bill Perkins Dishes Out The Wisdom At The PSPC
Joey Ingram sat down with Bill Perkins at the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) for a podcast that would almost hit the three hour mark.
This is Why One PSPC Platinum Pass Winner Tanked Two Minutes with Aces Preflop
With life-changing money on the line, one Platinum Pass winner genuinely considers folding aces pre-flop!