Daily Rewind: PokerStars' Table Changes, Aussie Charity Event, New Rational Boss
In today's Daily Rewind we check out PokerStars' changes, preview Joe Hachem's charity tournament and see who the new boss of the Rational Group is.
The Daily Rewind is your one-stop-shop for a sharp review of the day in poker. Join us here for a mix of the latest news and a more irreverent insight into the poker world. Today we discovered the following topics for you:
PokerStars implement changes
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Yesterday marked the start of PokerStars' most recent upgrade: a simpler lobby.
Having announced back in October that they were altering the speed of their tables, the poker room has finally started the reclassification process yesterday.
In an announcement on 2+2, a PokerStars' representative explained that their tables will no longer be classed as "Normal" and "Fast," but, instead, will have a common dynamic.
Under the old system players, at a "Normal" table were granted 35 seconds to act in a Big Bet game, compared to 18 seconds at a "Fast" table.
The changes, which are set to finish next week, will set a player's thinking time based on two factors: the table type and the preceding action.
It's hoped that by standardising time limits across all tables, the game lobby will be a lot less chaotic and allow for a greater range of games in the future.
The following table shows how PokerStars' tables will now operate:
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Aussie Million's benevolent side
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| Elizabeth will be on display |
The annual Aussie Millions kicked off yesterday with a $1,100 No Limit Hold'em tournament.
However, with a host of stars descending on the Crown Casino, thoughts are already turning to Sunday's charity event.
Now in its sixth year, Shane Warne and Joe Hachem's $1,000 tournament will feature a number of famous faces such as actress Elizabeth Hurley, Patrik Antonius and Annette Obrestad.
Since its inception the event has raised over $6,000,000 and has become "one of the biggest charity days of the year" according to Warne.
Once completed, the Aussie Millions schedule continues with a varied range of tournaments, including a $10,000 Main Event and two high stakes spectacles with buy-ins of $100,000 and $250,000.
High stakes corner
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| Gus smiling again |
Gus Hansen bounced back from a terrible start to the year with a table-topping profit of $560,337 yesterday.
The bumper haul put him well ahead of Viktor "Isildur1" Blom who also put an end to his recent slump by raking in $172,160.
More significantly, though, Hansen's 1,794 hand session helped put him just $300,000 away from erasing his 2013 deficit.
Indeed, it seems the win has given the Dane enough confidence to continue grinding as his running profit today is over $600,000.
While Hansen moved out of minus figures, "patpatpanda" and Scott "mastrblastr" Seiver each suffered losing days.
The former topped the table with a loss of $268,184, while Seiver saw $247,380 slip from his bankroll.
Ashkenazi takes charge of PokerStars
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With PokerStars' parent company (the Rational Group) continuing to expand its empire, a new Chief Operating Officer has been appointed.
Rafi Ashkenazi (pictured left) was a former senior figure a Playtech and will now take charge of the Rational Group's two leading poker sites, which includes PokerStars.
Ashkenazi's role will commence on February 1 and he will be responsible for maintaining the "best-in-class customer support and service" that's defined the company as an "industry leader".
Daily Signoff
Andre "Acoimbra" Coimbra became the first Portuguese Magic: The Gathering World Champion and after turning his hand to poker he became the country's first SuperNova Elite player. In this short film we learn about his healthy approach to the game.
