Poker Headlines is a weekly Interactive Poker Talk Show live on Twitch, where we debate Hot Topics in the poker world, and deliver gaming news from around the globe.
Filmed lived on Sundays at 12PM Pacific Time, full episodes can be found at www.twitch.tv/hustlerhunny for a month after the stream date, and highlights can be found at www.youtube.com/hustlerhunny
Below, you can watch the latest show’s highlights (from November 1, 2020), which is followed by a recap of the full episode.
Question 1: What’s new with the Negreanu/Polk Grudge Match?
The Negreanu vs Polk Grudge Match process has been anything but smooth. Each week we learn new and different information, as the player change positions and agree and disagree with different rules.
This week. the date of the match was delayed from November 1 to November 4.
What was originally proposed as an online match, playing two tables simultaneously, will now have its first phase played live, with real chips and cards, with 200 hands being contested in the PokerGO studio.
Luckily for the public, Doug’s condition of broadcasting via PokerGO, was that the match be broadcast free, and not require a PokerGO subscription.
(Ed. note: The nearly 4-hour live stream can be viewed below.)
The other extremely surprising revolution was that charts and notes are now allowed.
Daniel had originally agreed to using some charts within certain parameters, but then tweeted out that neither he nor Doug would be allowed to use charts. Now Daniel has done a total 180 degree flip, agreeing once again to the use of charts.
Question 2: Will Duhamel be considered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to have been conducting a gambling business when he won the 2010 WSOP Main Event?
It has been revealed that the CRA will take to court to battle Jonathan Duhamel for $1.5 million in back taxes for the time period of 2010-2012, which is when Duhamel won the WSOP Main Event.
For poker winnings to be taxed, the CRA must prove that Duhamel was professional player at that time and that he was carrying out a gambling business. For a person to be in the business of gambling, it must be proven that they expect to receive a recurring income.
CRA has gone after poker player before, and always lost. The most likely problem Duhamel faces is the fact that he was given a PokerStars contract after his Main Event win, which potentially proves he was receiving recurring income. He may also be considered in the business of gambling if it’s believed his ability to sell action makes him able to accept recurring income.
Since Duhamel has already paid US taxes on his WSOP Main Event win, I do expect a foreign tax credit to be issued if the courts do not rule against his favour.
Trivia Question
We added a new category on Poker Headlines and will ask poker Trivia Questions during the Twitch stream. This week’s trivia question was about the WSOP Main Event:
In 2010 when Jonathan Duhamel won the main event. He outlasted 7,318 players.
Question: How many entrants did Phil Hellmuth outlast to win the 1989 WSOP Main Event?
Answer: Phil Hellmuth had to outlast only 177 players to win the 1989 WSOP Main Event.
Tweet of the Week
Our tweet of the week was awarded to regular Twitch follower Zefram who showed up to help Doug Polk with his upcoming match, by giving away the secret to poker success. 1. Make a pair 2. Bet.
I’m here to help. pic.twitter.com/wxNGEAhKGy
— Zefram Phan 🕒 (@Zefram_) October 30, 2020
Question 3: High Stakes Poker is returning to PokerGO. Will it have the winning format of the original series?
Tom Dwan posted on a video on Twitter this week from the PokerGO studio showing the live action of the new season of High Stakes Poker, which is set to air on PokerGO starting December 16, 2020.
The original High Stakes Poker program was my absolute favourite poker show, thanks to the legendary characters, like Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey and Sammy Farha, so I was extremely excited to see a glimpse of the new setup and witness two of my favourites, Ivey and Dwan at the game.
Maureen, who has only seen YouTube reruns of the original program, wonders if the novelty of nosebleed stakes action will have worn off, given the amount of big-buyin poker we now have access to.
The table banter at the High Stakes poker added to the enjoyment as did Gabe Kaplan the original host. For the new series to be a success, the announcer has to be great, but also able to just sit back and let us listen to the players’ table talk.
Question 4: Will the updates to 888poker and GG Poker bring new players to the game?
888poker updated their mobile app this week, introducing a vertical play option to the app, with the ability to play up to four tables simultaneously. They also added throwables, the option to “throw” icons at you opponents.
GG Poker launched a Splash Dance Feature of Daniel Negreanu.
I am skeptical that either of these features will bring new players to poker. The new 888poker app seems like just another way to steal players from the poker tables and get them into the online casinos. As for dancing Daniel, I have no idea who that appeals to.
That concludes this week’s episode of Poker Headlines.
We had a bunch of tech issues this week, and honestly not a whole lot went on this week in poker, but it was great to have my regular cohost Maureen Bloechlinger back. We look forward to interacting live with chat again on Sunday, noon Pacific time.
