Author Archives: jnewell
Jennifer began writing about poker while working at the World Poker Tour in the mid-2000s. Since then, her freelance writing career has taken her from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back to her hometown of St. Louis, where she now lives with her two dogs. She continues to follow the poker world as she also launches a new subscription box company and finishes her first novel. Jennifer has written for numerous publications including PokerStars.com and has been followed the US market closely for the last 7 years. Follow Jen on Twitter
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Legendary Minneapolis Jim Meehan Passes Away
He was known to the poker community as “Minneapolis Jim” Meehan, a longtime poker player who became well-known during the poker boom for his sense of humor and his skills at the table. Often seen with a ragged cowboy hat and a cigarette hanging from his lips, usually with a drink nearby, the tall man was easy-going and pleasant, a friendly face in any game. Meehan passed away on December 6, 2018. His obituary noted that he died peacefully but
Most Players Confirmed for Super High Roller Bowl V
In December, poker players look forward to a number of tournaments to round out the year. One of the most highly anticipated, though, is the Super High Roller Bowl. Not only is this always a popular event among the high-stakes players and poker fans around the world, this will be the second iteration of the SHRB in the same year. The first Super High Roller Bowl of 2018 was held at the end of May, but December seemed like the
World Poker Tour Adds More Stops to Season XVII
The World Poker Tour officially kicked off its Season XVII earlier this year with a stop at the Gardens Casino in Southern California. The WPT Gardens Poker Festival ran from July 21-26, and the $5K buy-in Main Event accumulated 584 entries for a $2,944,800 prize pool. Simon Lam took home the WPT title in the end, along with more than $565K and a 2018 Mercedes Benz SLC Roadster. In November, the WPT announced additions to the tour that would start
PartyPoker Millions Meets Massive Online Poker Guarantee
When PartyPoker first announced its MILLIONS online tournament, poker players’ interests were piqued. And when the prize pool was guaranteed to be at least $20 million, they were as ready to play. PartyPoker was doing more than upping its guarantee from the previous $5 million; the company was asking players to believe in its vision. Changes in recent years were meant to show players players that their opinions matter, that their requests for better online poker were heard, and that
Norwegian Poker Legend Thor Hansen Dies
On the morning of December 5, 2018, the sad word of Thor Hansen’s passing spread through the poker community. Details about his death are unconfirmed, but he did wage a long battle with cancer and outlived his original prognosis by quite a few years. Known as the “Godfather of Norwegian Poker,” Hansen is widely credited with popularizing poker in his home country of Norway. His skills at the table, accumulated over the course of more than 50 years, were rewarded
Simmons Takes Leadership Role at Poker Central
In 2015, Poker Central began to take its place in the poker community as a solid source for poker content. There were livestreams of tournaments like the Super High Roller Bowl, as well as some original content from company partners like Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Esfandiari, and Phil Hellmuth. The online poker content provider began to produce its own shows, while also offering access to some of the best poker programming from years past, such as High Stakes Poker and Poker
Iden Insists Michigan Online Poker at Finish Line for 2018
Michigan State Representative Brandt Iden continues to keep the hopes of poker players high as the holidays approach. As the last month of the year began, he gave his most hopeful and confident statement yet about the legalization of online poker and other casino games in 2018. Online poker supporters have been disappointed many times in the past decade as the United States struggled with the legality and parameters of internet gaming. The American government, both on the federal and
Kentucky Emerges as Online Poker Possibility in 2019
Will online poker play a part in resolving the ever-deepening pension crisis in the Commonwealth of Kentucky? It may be an unlikely solution, but it is a part of the latest proposal from the state’s attorney general, who strongly urged lawmakers to consider it. The sudden push to consider the legalization of sports betting is one thing for Kentucky, but to consider other games like online poker is quite another. Many will remember former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear’s move in
Players Await Official PokerStars Christmas Calendar
It’s that time of year again…or is it? Every December, PokerStars fills its promotional calendar with giveaways and challenges, all to celebrate the holidays. There is usually an array of promotions that appeal to players of all bankroll sizes and play frequency, all with the goal of giving away millions of dollars. Most years, the holiday promotions begin on December 1 for PokerStars players, though occasionally, the action kicked off during the last week of November. This year, however, there
Pennsylvania Welcomes PokerStars for Early 2019 Launch
After a year of waiting and watching the Pennsylvania online gaming market come together, the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fit. PokerStars, partnered with Mount Airy Casino in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, received its license to offer online poker. The awarding of the license happened at a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) meeting on November 28, 2018. The details have yet to be publicly released, and there is no official launch date for the site. However, this step is
