The Mid-States Poker Tour is not the biggest poker tournament hosted by casinos in the United States, but it is quite a tempting proposition for local players. In the absence of major series taking place in February and March, these tournaments are bringing together many poker players who don’t mind competing for a guaranteed prize pools of €100,000 and above.

The most recent winner of such an event is Brian Arbaugh won the opening event in the aforementioned series. Many more tournaments are scheduled in late January and early February, with Columbus becoming the hotspots for poker players from all over the country. The buy ins are more than reasonable, with players being allowed to buy in for as little as $30 and winners frequently return home win the five digit amount.

If you want to know when the next competition starts and plan on attending several tournaments, check out the complete list of MSPT Running Aces events:

Jeff Lisandro is on a winning streak and it looks like the sky’s the limit for this poker professional, who participates in all sort of tournaments. While he is an accomplished Texas hold ‘em player, he also has a talent for prevailing in pot limit Omaha and his most recent accomplishments came at these tables. He bought in for the AU$1,650 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament at the 2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific festival and outshined more than 300 players.

There were plenty of Australian players to beat, which is only natural since this tournament is held on the continent, but very few of them were a match for Jeff. He is a multiple WSOP bracelet winner and by prevailing in this tournament, he added the sixth coveted bracelet to his collection. There are not many players out there who can beat him in a competitive game of Omaha, with those who made the final table being fully aware of the danger.

The winner was guaranteed a prize exceeding AU$50,000, while the one finishing in the second place had to settle for AU$30,000. The final table was comprised of eight players, but two of them were eliminated at the end of Day 2, which meant that only six of them returned for the final act of the competition.

Jeff Lisandro was not the chip leader but he lasted long enough, to see three more players being sent to the rail and then he made his move against Zane Ly. Throughout Day 3, he was the player to dominate the tables and doubled up twice, but in the end he was eliminated in the third place. With the vast majority of his chips going to Jeff, Lisandro had no problem in wrapping things up when heads-up began. He had a significant advantage over Jason Gray and it took less than half an hour for the winner to be decided.

This is how the final table shaped up and the prizes collected by the eight finalists:

Jeff Lisandro also made a deep run at the World Series of Poker in 2014 and is among those who frequently participate in the flagship tournament. He will probably travel with his poker buddies to Las Vegas this November to see Daniel Negreanu and McClelland inducted into the Hall of Fame.…

The news about a Full Tilt Poker Jackpot SNG awarding a first prize of $15,000 sent shockwaves among poker players who prefer online action over live casinos. The idea behind this competition was straightforward, with players being invited to participate in regular tournaments, while competing for a lot of money. In order to be eligible for a five-digit paycheck, players didn’t have to risk more than $10 out-of-pocket, as pretty much any sit and go would qualify.

Everything that one hopes to learn about the structure of these tournaments and what makes them eligible for $15,000 can be found at http://www.fulltilt.com/poker/tournaments/Jackpot. Players are supposed to sit down at the tables and follow the routine, with the software announcing the ones that will be competing for the massive paycheck. Everything is random, so regardless of the game of choice all the players have exactly the same chances of boosting their bankroll it

The first winner is a female poker players from Russia who was playing in a $10 sit and go and discovered with satisfaction that the payouts were generously boosted. By the time she realized that instead of a regular double digit amount she had a chance of winning $15,000, the 23-year-old student was shocked. This didn’t have a negative effect on her game, because she kept pushing her opponents and didn’t settle for a consolation prize.

Speaking of which, the one who finished third received $2,000, while the runner-up took home $3000, more than they were expecting. Alisa became the first tournament winner to take advantage of the new Full Tilt Poker campaign and her achievement serves as an example to fellow poker players. These freezeout tournaments are immensely popular at the aforementioned poker room, mostly due to the fact that they take little time to complete.

Players don’t have to wait for a long time at the tables and even if you are not playing at full potential, you don’t have to worry about fatigue hurting your game. The $15000 Full Tilt Poker Jackpot SNGs are bound to continue in August, but it is not certain how long the boosted payouts will be awarded. This means that those who have an account with this poker room, should take advantage of this promotion while it lasts and hopefully add thousands of dollars on top of their regular payouts.…

The Global Poker Index is one of the most respected authorities when it comes to ranking poker professionals, due to the fact that their leaderboards are always accurate. The best poker players are trying to improve their position on these lists, because this is the definitive proof that they are doing great at live tournaments. Not surprisingly, the GPI is gaining a lot of traction and the best proof that they plan to expand, is that they will organize the American Poker Awards.

It is a competition that plans on rewarding the most successful players from North America, the place where poker was invented and perfected over the years. It is a bit ironic, that right now American players are not allowed to play their favorite game over the Internet, but there are good signs that legislation is slowly changing. Lawmakers are contemplating the possibility of passing favorable laws and eventually, things will return to normal although it might take a while for that to happen.

As far as the GPI tries to achieve, they plan on bringing together the top American poker pros and host a festivity that is very similar to the European Poker Awards. On this side of the Atlantic, players are receiving trophies every year and the first edition took place more than 13 years ago. Being nominated and winning a prize is a reason of great pride for the recipients and it comes as no surprise that the names are easily recognizable by those who are even remotely interested in poker.

Depending on what happens at the World Series of Poker, American players can improve their chances of being the first to win a prize at the upcoming awards. To get a general idea about the favorites, it is enough to check out the GPI player of the year and top 300 leader boards. Granted this players from the United States have to go online elsewhere and compete over the Internet from beyond borders, they are doing a good job and have a decent chance at winning an award.

The organizers are poised to improve brand recognition worldwide and such a competition has the potential of establishing the Global Poker Index as a top player. More details regarding the upcoming awards are to be unveiled as we don’t even know the location for the ceremony. It would come as no surprise if the organizers will choose a place in the United States to award the prizes, especially with their new project involving a poker magazine to be launched in Las Vegas.…

The WSOP National Championship acts as a magnet for those who want to boost their bankroll ahead of the World Series of Poker. The two competitions are quite similar just as the name suggests, but the buy ins are far more affordable for the former. Kyle Bowker can afford to participate in pretty much any live poker tournament and he’s expected to feature in Las Vegas among other poker professionals in June.

Meanwhile, he was inspired to join the other 325 players in the tournament hosted by a casino in Philadelphia and gladly paid $1675 to participate. The No-Limit Hold’em Main Event Championship exceeded expectations and the prize pool surged far beyond the guaranteed amount. An eclectic mix of poker professionals and amateurs made this competition even more exciting and the fact that Kyle Bowker prevailed is hardly a surprise.

He has played his fair share of live tournaments, but until recently he had to settle for deep runs and plenty of money finishes. It is a bit surprising that this is the first time he wins a big competition, but those who have followed his activity over the last couple of years will see in this achievement a confirmation of his huge potential. Proper bankroll management and unbridled enthusiasm for the game itself kept him going, when everything seemed to be stacked against him.

Reaching the final table was a challenge, but things turned from difficult to insanely complicated when just nine players were left. Jeff Madsen, David Baker, Ryan Eriquezzo, Eric Baldwin and Loni Harwood were all eliminated earlier that day, but the ones still standing were no pushovers. It definitely helped Kyle that all these poker professionals were out of the picture, but he fought a difficult battle nevertheless.

He brought a decent stack to the final table but he was not even remotely close to matching the chip leader’s stack, so he had to take it one step at a time. In the end, Kyle outshined all of them including several WSOPC ring wearers and claimed a prize of $115k. In case you’re wondering how much the other eight players to call, this list will pretty much answer all questions:

1. Kyle Bowker – $115,920
2. Justin Liberto – $72,664
3. Joe Kuether – $52,280
4. David Bivins – $38,778
5. Kevin Saul – $29,212
6. Antonio Payne – $22,342
7. Timothy West – $17,338
8. Thomas Cannuli – $13,648
9. Anthony Minniti – $10,896

When you are widely regarded as one of the best poker players in the world and losses keep piling up over the Internet, it is obvious that you’re doing something wrong. Most people would freak out and stop any activity right away, but that’s why Gus Hansen is different and much appreciated. The Danish poker player keeps going despite all the adversity and he shows no sign of slowing down.

The last couple of weeks were far better than the last few years combined, with Hansen winning almost $1 million in one weekend. He came $150,000 shy of crossing the threshold, but even so he can consider himself fortunate to have ended the losing streak. In the great scheme of things, not even $1 million would represent much, because Gus is claimed to have lost an eight digit amount over the Internet.

For the time being, Hansen plans on taking it one step at a time and the first baby steps were made in the right direction as he won $320,000 on Saturday. He decided to stick to triple draw tables for a while and after losing a few hands in the beginning of the session, he returns on track and finished the day on a positive note. Most of the money were collected at $2k/$4k 2-7 TD tables against Dan “jungleman” Cates and five other players.

Dan was obviously the top counter candidate for Gus and the one with the best chance of crushing the table, but things took a different and surprising turn. Cates started to bleed chips from the first hand, eventually losing $200,000, while Hansen collected a combined amount of $570,000. Not so long ago, Gus Hansen and Viktor Blom were involved in a very exciting competition ran by Full Tilt Poker, with each of them captaining a team of players who want free rolls.

That was a fun and exciting competition, but this time they didn’t sit down at the same tables, instead Viktor Blom played against Doug Polk. It was a bad decision for the Swedish professional, as the $500/$1000 CAP NLHE tables action resulted in a $300,000 loss. Some of the money were recuperated later in the day, but the weekend itself was disappointing. The fact that Viktor lost the biggest hands due to bad luck alone as he played brilliantly, it is only a pale consolation.

Gus Hansen finished the day as the biggest winner, with $526,000 and the entire weekend filled his coffers with $850,000.…

Your online poker strategy must relate to the place you want to finish. You can play tight-aggressive (TAG) for a ITM finish (in the money). If you still play to win, you have to play more loose-aggressive (LAG) and to assume greater risks – for example, to shove with pocket pairs early.

In small tournaments (eg SNGs of 180 online poker people at Full Tilt), we always recommend LAG approach – largely due to the fact that the first places are awarded more consistent, like playing here. Similarly, satellite type tournaments or steps type tournaments ones, matter much more to come first and therefore to play looser.

Strategy for large, medium and small stack.

Play according to your stack size. Big stacks over 30xBB should play aggressive and to use to steal the blinds, game type and bluff squeeze. Need to coerce smaller stacks blinds and do not be afraid to call pre-flop when you have a marginal hand like suited connectors or a big ace.

Players with average stacks (between 15 and 30 BigBlinds) must play slightly tighter than a deep stack, yet to dominate players with short stacks and profit from other players in the same tight situation. You shouldn’t do too often shove preflop in early position without good hands, but stealing the pot is still very important. Most of the action should come from the mid- late position and it is very important not to become pot bound against adversaries with big stack. There are other more effective ways to gather chips than to get in a coin flip with the chip leader of your preflop.

Let’s be honest – small stack players need a miracle right now. If you have less than 10xBB, then you should put your best into play 50% of hands as soon as possible. Much of your game at this point depends on your luck and takes big risks.

Continue To Steal/Defend Blinds

Blinds value (+antes) is massive, which is why preflop pots are very important to steal.

When you’re in the final stages of a tournament, you have to try to steal the blinds in position as often as possible and take advantage of the players’ tight/weak on BBs. As long as you raise or bluff with hands that have outs (suited connectors for example) can still receive calls and to hit a monster.

I have to say two words about blinds occur.…

Norway leads by example and it is frequently cited as an ideal destination for those who cherish quality of life in an open-minded society. Poker players who plan on relocating there might be surprised to hear that the game is still illegal in Norway, although baby steps are being made in the right direction.

The new government majority contemplates the possibility of legalizing poker and MP Roy Steffensen could be the one to make the decisive move. There are plenty of reasons for why the game should be legal, but so far there were no many willing to carry the flag and fight for this cause. As a result, Norwegian players who are looking forward for this year’s edition of the Norway Championship of Poker have already booked flights and accommodation in Dublin.

The capital of Ireland will act as a gracious host for this major event, between April 5^th – 13^th  which is frustrating for the numerous Norwegian poker pros. Many have already made a name for themselves both online and in land based casinos, yet they can’t play their favorite game in their own country. In the past, efforts hit a brick wall, given the ruling majority’s opposition, but there are reasons for optimism.

Current Minister of Culture Thorhild Widwey is a big supporter of poker and she is willing to make compromises so that a prominent tournament can be organized in a local casino. This is a small step rather than a giant leap, but for the poker community in Norway it is still something worth celebrating. If everything goes well, a Norwegian Poker Championship could be held in 2015, within borders. If and when it happens, you will find all information about the tournament on the Norwegian casino portal Casinoer.com.

Among those who made a significant contribution to the cause are Erlan Wiborg and Ola “Odd Oddsen” Amundsrud with the former accepting a heads-up challenged issued by the poker pro. Erlan bowed to Amundsrud and the professional made his point, with the entire campaign being aimed at promoting poker and speeding up its legalization.…

Vietnam is not a country famous for its gaming hubs and very few poker professionals travel here for poker tournaments, but this all could change in the upcoming years. Local authorities are working to attract giant casino ventures and their efforts are finally paying off, with big investors expressing their interest to spend money in Vietnam. The focal point of attention is the Grand Ho Tram Strip, where a string of casinos and luxurious hotels were erected or are in the process of being built.

It is obvious that the Asian market is growing at an accelerated pace and what is more important is that there is plenty of room left to grow. Macau casinos are attracting millions of players throughout the year and billions of dollars are spent here, making it a bigger gaming hub than Las Vegas. Vietnam has a favorable legislation that presents many benefits to those willing to invest in this niche, not to mention that the authorities are willing to make more compromises than their European counterparts.

A huge project that was supposed to conclude at the end of the decade in Madrid is in danger of being put on hold indefinitely due to the fact that Spanish legislators refused to allow smoking inside the premises. Obviously, there might be additional motives for why the investors are willing to pull out from this project, with one of them being the fact that the Spanish capital city will no longer host the next Olympics. Regardless of the reasons for why the Grand Ho Tram Strip is suddenly more attractive for investors, Vietnam officials have plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

The best proof that the Asian Coast Development company and other investors who try to establish a dominant position at the Grand Ho Tram Strip have long-term plans, is that they’ve signed a partnership with JWP advertising agency. These guys are some of the best in their line of work and will diligently work towards promoting the business beyond borders, in an attempt of attracting as many players as possible. The project is still in its infant stage, but big steps have been made into the right direction.

There is of course concern regarding the possibility of poker players and other casino highrollers to choose Macau. On the bright side, the idea of novelty as well as the possibility of tapping into the immense potential of a new gaming hub, should render this fears groundless.…

One of the most popular series ran online by PokerStars is the MicroMillions, which despite its humble beginnings grew into a main attraction. Players from all walks of life compete in this tournament, because the buy-ins are as low as they get and the potential rewards generous. In a nutshell, the series is a compendium of tournaments that will set players back just a couple of dollars, while the prices are comparable to regular tournaments ran by the poker company.

Initially, its audience was made almost exclusively of rookies and players who found it impossible to advance to higher limits and seems to be stuck at micro stakes. Over the course of time, regulars and even grinders decided to give the MicroMillions series a try because it had a reputation for offering generous payouts. The idea of competing against less experienced opponents and risking virtually nothing remains every bit as appealing as ever and as a result the number of competitors increases every year.

The MicroMillions is scheduled for November and the sixth edition promises to break all previous records and the main event is the highlight of the series. Players have two ways of qualifying for this tournament, with the most straightforward one being to pay $22 out-of-pocket. Given the fact that the guaranteed prize pool stands at $150,000 and we have every reason to believe that it will be surpassed by at least $100,000, the investment is definitely worthwhile.

Surprising as it might sound, some people can’t afford to pay $22 for tournament and that’s why the poker company presented them with an alternative way of attending. Not surprising, qualifiers run live for the main event and regular ones only cost $.55, with several satellites being scheduled every day. Both those who participate in the main event and players who settle for one of the side tournaments, should know that a good placement on the MicroMillions Leader Board could bring them a bonus payout.

Those who spend a lot of time playing poker on PokerStars and make the MicroMillions their tournament of choice, can win a token worth $215. The best part is that this is not a one-time deal and the same token can be used week after week to buying in at the Sunday Million for a total of six months. These weekly events have a guaranteed prize pool of $1 million, so it is hard to believe that the token recipient will leave empty-handed after playing for six consecutive months.…