Tag: dan bilzerian

Daniel Negreanu can keep his hair. After weeks of hype and plenty of satellite action, GGPoker’s GGMasters Overlay Edition wrapped up on Tuesday.

The $150 freezeout guaranteed a $5 million prize pool and Negreanu promised to shave his head if the event met that sum. Despite getting close, the event came up short guaranteeing players some nice six figures in extra cash.

In the end, Albania’s “Sr_Duck” came out on top and took home $343,564.

“We were thrilled with the GGMasters Overlay Edition,” GG head of public relations Paul Burke saud, “and are so happy that more than 33,000 players got to experience this unique freezeout tournament and take aim at $5 million in prizes for a $150 buy-in.”

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Big numbers, but misses guarantee

From the beginning, GGPoker officials admitted it seemed unlikely the event would meet such a massive guarantee. Hence, the name of the tournament.

Negreanu believed there was no chance the prize pool would reach $5 million. He even planned to shave his head on video if he was wrong.

“I’ve never seen an online site be this aggressive with a guarantee they can’t really think is going to hit,” he told PokerScout. “It’s a unique way to give back to the players.”

Despite that, the site made a real run at actually meeting the guarantee. Because the tournament is a freezeout, there needed to be more than 36,000 distinct players.

The Overlay Edition came up just short by about 3,000 players. In total, the tournament brought in 33,133 players. With $138 from each buy-in going into the prize pool, that total produced a prize pool of almost $4.6 million.

The $12 tournament fee then helped make up much of the shortfall for another $397,596. GG had to kick in about another $30,000 to reach the guarantee.

However, some players won freerolls to get into the action, so that number may actually be a bit higher.

While the event didn’t quite get to the $5 million mark, the tournament certainly was large.

We condone this! #GGMasters https://t.co/ooURW7Vcta

— GGPoker (@GGPoker) March 22, 2022

 

Massive player pool at GGPoker

The Overlay Edition certainly produced large numbers and brought GG some extra headlines over the last few months. The event attracted online poker players from around the world and across the poker spectrum.

A few more of the interesting names finding a cash included:

• Niv Malach (Israel) – 5th, $108,645
• Wellington “ZaaKiiu” Oliveira (Brazil) – 7th, $61,096
• Jessica Teusl (Austria) – 2,746th, $401
• Niklas Astedt (Sweden) – 2,249th, $460
• Rebecca Rebuitti (Brazil) – 1,937th, $527
• Mark “Weazel_1991” Rubbathan (England) – 754th, $1,049
• Christophe “ChrisDM” De Meulder (Germany) – 584th, $1,204
• Johan “YoHViraL” Guilbert (France) – 206th, $2,746

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Dan Bilzerian is staying put

In other news, rumors began swirling on Tuesday that ambassador Dan Bilzerian had been removed from the GGPoker roster. This was fueled by a report from an online poker news site.

That news came after GG removed the Instagram star’s image from the site. The company apparently also removed some other Bilzerian-related aspects.

On Wednesday, GGPoker squashed those rumors and even announced that more was in the works with Bilzerian.

“GGPoker would like to confirm that Dan Bilzerian remains a partner,” the site noted in a Tweet.

“We will continue to work closely with Dan to engage with new player communities and grow our favorite game. Expect to hear about some new and exciting partnership activities in the coming months.”

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After 15 years as online poker cash game leader, PokerStars slid into the No. 2 position over the last week. GGPoker has now become the top dog in the battle for cash game players, according to PokerScout tracking records.

“It happened pretty fast and it’s been pretty cool,” GG ambassador Daniel Negreanu noted during his heads-up match this week against Phil Hellmuth on PokerGO.

No doubt officials at the company echo that statement.\

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A look at the GGPoker numbers

The reversal in ranking came over the last week as GG topped 5,000 cash game players, according to PokerScout’s player tracker. At the same time, PokerStars dipped below 5,000.

As of Friday, GG had reached 5,000 players for a seven-day average, compared to PokerStars’ 4,800. The battle looks like it could be neck and neck for a while and those positions may shift a bit.

By Friday, GG’s 24-hour peak reached 6,453 player compared to PokerStars’ 8,122.

GGPoker has continued to grow over the last few years. In 2000, the site began offering online World Series of Poker events and that continues this year.

A WSOP Circuit online series was held on the site in May. The WSOP Online also runs Aug. 1 to Sept. 12. The series gives players outside the US a chance to win one of 33 championship gold bracelets.

The company was only founded in 2014. Initially catering to Asian players, GG has shifted to a more global approach in recent years and found success.

Many players have praised the company’s software, tournaments, and promotions. The platform offers some unique features like the ability to stake other players.

Dan Bilzerian Battle Royale tournament producing nice numbers with unique format

GG ambassador Dan Bilzerian recently hosted a new event on the site. The Battle Royale combines multi-table sit & go game play with the site’s multiplayer “battle arena” format.

Battle Royale proved to be the site’s most popular new game launch to date, the company noted this week.

“The action’s been thrilling and intense in equal measures since Dan Bilzerian’s Battle Royale launched,” GGPoker head of public relations Paul Burke said in a news release. “The percentage of players coming back to take their shot in multiple games has remained at a consistently high level since day one, and the feedback we’re getting is overwhelmingly positive.”

Battle Royale is inspired by battle arena video games. Each No Limit Hold’em progressive bounty (aka progressive knockout) game begins once 100 participants have registered. 

Some statistics from Battle Royale’s first two weeks include:

• Total number of games run – 2,821
• Average duration – 53 minutes, 25 seconds
• Average first-place prize – 25.5 times the buy-in
• Top first-place prize – $317 won by “Excalibur11” in a $10 buy-in event on June 12
• Percentage of Day 1 players that have played multiple times:
  • 80% played two or more
  • 51% played five or more
  • 28% played 10 or more

How does the Battle Royale work? The game is made up of three levels and here’s a look at each.

Level 1: Rush Zone

This is a non-stop action Rush Tournament level. Players instantly move to a new table and are dealt hole cards whenever their involvement in the previous is complete.

This level ends once the number of players is reduced to 50 or at the 15-minute mark. If more than 50 remain, only the top 50 players advance.

Level 2: Shootout Zone 

The remaining 50 players compete at 10 five-handed tables, each playing down to a single survivor. This level ends once there is a single surviving player at all 10 tables.

If more than one player remains at any table after 15 minutes, the gameplay changes to a Flipout format. The remaining players are automatically all in until all table winners are determined

Level 3: Final Table 

The final level plays out as a standard final table. Each of the 10 remaining players is guaranteed a prize. The victor taking home the winner’s share of the prize pool.

Battle Royale seems to have found a following. It will be interesting to see if this kind of event catches on at other sites.

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GGPoker already boasts an ambassador stable that includes Daniel Negreanu and Fedor Holz. On Thursday, the site announced the signing of another major poker name – “King of Instagram” Dan Bilzerian.

Bilzerian has become one of the world’s most recognizable poker players and social media influencers. On Instagram alone, Bilzerian has more than 32 million followers.

“Dan joining Team GGPoker is a huge win,” Negreanu noted in a news release announcing the signing.

“No one in poker has a bigger reach than Dan. He has won millions in cash games and isn’t afraid to get into the mix against the sharks in the high-stakes streets at GGPoker.” 

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Bilzerian comes with some controversy

While he may bring plenty of eyeballs, Bilzerian has also been a polarizing figure in the world of poker. His social media posts frequently involve plenty of partying, global travel, and scantily-clad women.

When it comes to poker Bilzerian has made some big claims. At varying times he’s said to have won more than $10 million in a single session and $50 million over the course of a year (2014).

Bilzerian also has various business interests ranging from electronic cigarettes to CBD oil to vodka. He’s also worked as an actor on occasion.

https://twitter.com/DanBilzerian/status/1269910950171127808?s=20

His winnings and wealth have been disputed through the years. His father, Paul Bilzerian, was the subject of a Wall Street Journal investigation in 2014.

The elder Bilzerian is a former corporate takeover specialist. He battled the Securities and Exchange Commission over a $64 million civil judgement for 25 years. That involved self-exile on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and even renouncing his US citizenship.

As the Journal noted, many believed his father had “assets set aside for son Dan Bilzerian, a social-media star who has attracted millions of online followers by flaunting his exploits with cars, guns, bikini-clad women and high-stakes poker.”

Bilzerian told the paper that his father did endow him a trust. However, he says much of his wealth has come from private high stakes poker games.

“People are going to believe what they want to believe,” Bilzerian said in the article.

What’s in it for GGPoker?

While Bilzerian comes with an edgy background, that’s nothing new for the world of poker. Vice has come hand in hand with poker at various times.

Some may even view Bilzerian as a nice addition and contrast to a more sanitized version of the game. Marketers may see a little controversy as just an opportunity to get the GGPoker brand in the public eye.

The company has made big headlines in recent months with its partnerships with the World Series of Poker. That even includes the $10,000 Main Event, with much of the tournament now played online.

GG has grown at a rapid clip since its launch in 2017. Bilzerian coming on board may introduce the site to a more mainstream audience. His social media following allows the site to potentially reach those who might be new to the game.

That’s the hope for any brand ambassadorship nowadays – converting fans to real-money players. The social media star certainly has an audience and GG hopes some of those may want to play poker. 

“In these crazy times, GGPoker is the best option to get my poker on – they cater to the recreational players and that’s the future of poker, not a bunch of math nerds,” Bilzerian said in a news release.

“I’ve battled guys from the $2 buy-in to the $200,000 buy-in tables at GGPoker, and will be working with GG to make cash game tables even better for the average player out there.”

GGPoker celebrates signing with $100,000 freeroll

To celebrate, GG is hosting a special 40th birthday party for Bilzerian on Dec. 7. The $100,000 Birthday Freeroll is open to all new players.

At least 50% of the field will earn some cash and the winner takes home at least $10,000. Additionally, the champ also is rewarded with a $3,000 buy-in for a heads-up match against Bilzerian.

There are also some extras planned. The player eliminating Bilzerian wins an all-expenses paid trip to party with him in Las Vegas in summer 2021.

Anyone knocking out another Team GGPoker player or one of Bilzerian’s special guests wins:

• a Spin & Gold bundle valued at $200
• $1,000 in cash for one winner

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