Monthly Archives: June 2021

Northland COVID-19 cases decline for 8th consecutive week – Duluth News Tribune

Posted: June 24, 2021 at 11:24 pm

Five deaths were recorded in the Northland in the seven-day period four in St. Louis County and one in Koochiching County.

Seven-day total of new cases and daily averages in Northland counties:

Of the 51 new cases in the Northland this week, 19 were in St. Louis County, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. When broken down by city, 15 cases were accounted for in data from St. Louis County.

New cases in St. Louis County cities June 18-24:

As of Thursday, the county's seven-day testing positivity rate was 0.7%, a 0.5% decrease from last week. The county conducted 2,560 tests June 18-24.

Carlton County logged six new cases in the last week, according to Minnesota Department of Health data, but when broken down by ZIP code, seven cases were recorded. Those new cases came from 542 tests, putting this week's testing positivity rate at 1.1%.

New cases in Carlton County ZIP codes June 18-24:

Between June 18 and 24, 2,736 more people became fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the Northland and 1,444 people received a first dose of the vaccine. There are now 217,804 Northlanders who have received at least one dose and 205,207 are fully vaccinated.

Percentage of people with at least one dose in each county:

Duluth's health care systems continue to encourage residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as vaccine rates slow down. At St. Luke's, 77% employees and 96% of physicians are fully vaccinated as of June 15, according to Sue Miller, occupational health nurse.

Essentia Health did not provide specific numbers about staff vaccinations, but Chief Medical Officer Peter Henry said vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective at slowing the spread of the virus and reducing serious complications from it.

"We trust the guidance and science from top medical experts in the country and encourage everyone to receive the shot, including all of our staff members," Henry said.

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Coronavirus Data for June 23, 2021 | mayormb – Executive Office of the Mayor

Posted: at 11:24 pm

(Washington, DC) The Districts reported data for Wednesday, June 23, 2021 includes 13 new positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, bringing the Districts overall positive case total to 49,297.

The District reported no additional COVID-19 related deaths.

Tragically, 1,141 District residents have lost their lives due to COVID-19.

Visit coronavirus.dc.gov/data for interactive data dashboards or to download COVID-19 data.

Below is a summary of the Districts current ReOpening Metrics.

Below is the Districts aggregated total of positive COVID-19 cases, sorted by age and gender.

Patient Gender

Total Positive Cases

%

Female

%

Male

%

Unknown

%

All

49,297*

100

25,695

100

23,438

100

164

100

Unknown

64

<1

20

<1

39

<1

5

3

0-18

6,395

13

3,175

12

3,197

14

23

14

19-30

13,269

27

7,288

28

5,928

25

53

32

31-40

9,762

20

5,023

20

4,702

20

37

23

41-50

6,303

13

3,178

12

3,112

13

13

8

51-60

5,825

12

2,872

11

2,939

13

14

9

61-70

4,203

9

2,116

8

2,081

9

6

4

71-80

2,109

4

1,142

5

962

4

5

3

81+

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Brazil and Russia see fresh wave of COVID cases, showing pandemic is far from over in many places – MarketWatch

Posted: at 11:24 pm

Brazil counted a record number of new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, while Russia saw its highest tally since late January, highlighting the unequal state of the pandemic around the world and the need to promote vaccination.

Brazil counted 115,228 new infections in a single day, the most since the start of the outbreak, according to its health department, confirming that a third wave is underway. The nation of 212 million counted 2,392 new deaths, bringing its total to 507,109, the second highest official number after the U.S., according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University.

Both Brazil and Russia are lagging in getting their citizens vaccinated. Brazil has fully inoculated just 11% of its population, the Johns Hopkins data show, while Russia has achieved vaccination of just 10.8% of its population of about 144 million.

The U.S. program, meanwhile, has slowed in recent days, as fewer people are making vaccination appointments. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions tracker is showing that 150.8 million people, or 45.4% of the overall U.S. population, are fully vaccinated, meaning they have have received two doses of the vaccines developed by Pfizer Inc. PFE, +0.36% with German partner BioNTech SE BNTX, -0.75% or Moderna Inc. MRNA, +3.82%, or one of Johnson & Johnsons JNJ, +0.46% single-dose vaccine. Thats up from 45.3% a day earlier.

The number of U.S. adults receiving at least one dose of a two-dose regimen increased to 65.6% from 65.5% a day ago. The Biden administration said Thursday thatover 70% of the U.S. population thats 30 or older has received at least one shot.

But experts are concerned over the take-up rate in the South, in particular, where many states are still below 40% of their populations fully vaccinated. The list includes Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. In Ohio, a lottery offering millions of dollars in prize money as an incentive to get a jab has ended, with the state vaccination rate still below 50%.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced the Ohio program in May, and it generated a strong initial response, with a 43% boost in vaccinations in the first week.

Clearly the impact went down after that second week, DeWine said Wednesday.

Underscoring the risk posed by new variants of the virus, notably the delta variant that was first detected in India and is now in at least 85 countries, Danish health officials are urging soccer fans who attended the UEFA European Championship group-stage match between Denmark and Belgium on June 17 in Copenhagen to get tested for COVID, having found at least three people testing positive for the highly infectious variant. About 4,000 people were seated close to those individuals, according to the Associated Press.

See also: Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is now in 85 countries and accounts for 20% of U.S. infections in past two weeks

India and Taiwan are still improving but new cases are increasing or still high South East Asia, Africa, Russia, Mexico and Brazil, Danske Bank analysts wrote in a note. In other words, COVID-19 risks are declining in the developed world due to mass vaccination but not in emerging markets and developing countries with limited access to vaccine.

In medical news, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it plans to add a warning about highly rare cases of inflammation of the heart in adolescents and young adults after being vaccinated with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Reuters reported. Those vaccines use the same mRNA technology. CDC officials meeting Wednesday acknowledged a possible link to the vaccines, while stressing the protection they offer from COVID-19 more than offsets risks.

The U.S. government plans to study the immune responses of pregnant and postpartum women who have received a COVID-19 vaccine. The observational study, which is being funded by the National Institutes of Health, will also evaluate how and if antibodies are passed to infants via the placenta and through breastfeeding.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, said in a news release that tens of thousands of women have been immunized against COVID-19 and no safety concerns have emerged, but he noted that there are no robust clinical data about vaccinating this group of individuals. Pregnancy is considered a risk factorfor developing a more serious form of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The global tally for the coronavirus-borne illness headed above 179.7 million on Thursday,according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University, while deaths climbed above 3.89 million.

The U.S. continues to lead the world in total cases at 33.6 million, with a death toll of 602,959.

India is second in total cases at 30 million and third by fatalities at 391,981, although those numbers are expected to be undercounted given a shortage of tests.

Brazil has the third highest caseload at 18.2 million, according to Johns Hopkins data, and is second in deaths at 507,109.

Mexico has fourth highest death toll at 231,847 and 2.5 million cases.

In Europe, Russia has overtaken the U.K. in COVID deaths. Russia has recorded 129,278 fatalities, while the U.K. has had 128,312, making Russia the country with the fifth highest death toll in the world and the highest in Europe. Russia reported 20,182 new cases on Thursday, its highest daily total since Jan. 24.

China,where the virus was first discovered late in 2019,has had 103,627 confirmed cases and 4,846 deaths, according to its official numbers, which are widely held to be massively underreported.

Read on: Breakthrough infections in people who have gotten their COVID-19 shots are very rare. But heres why Rick Bright wants the CDC to restart the sequencing of all viral strains.

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Coronavirus Data for June 22, 2021 | mayormb – Executive Office of the Mayor

Posted: at 11:24 pm

(Washington, DC) The Districts reported data for Tuesday, June 22, 2021 includes 9 new positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, bringing the Districts overall positive case total to 49,284.

The District reported no additional COVID-19 related deaths.

Tragically, 1,141 District residents have lost their lives due to COVID-19.

Visit coronavirus.dc.gov/data for interactive data dashboards or to download COVID-19 data.

Below is a summary of the Districts current ReOpening Metrics.

Below is the Districts aggregated total of positive COVID-19 cases, sorted by age and gender.

Patient Gender

Total Positive Cases

%

Female

%

Male

%

Unknown

%

All

49,284*

100

25,687

100

23,433

100

164

100

Unknown

64

<1

20

<1

39

<1

5

3

0-18

6,392

13

3,174

12

3,195

14

23

14

19-30

13,266

27

7,286

28

5,927

25

53

32

31-40

9,759

20

5,020

20

4,702

20

37

23

41-50

6,302

13

3,178

12

3,111

13

13

8

51-60

5,823

12

2,871

11

2,938

13

14

9

61-70

4,203

9

2,116

8

2,081

9

6

4

71-80

2,108

4

1,141

5

962

4

5

3

81+

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Ex-soldier opens fire in Thai coronavirus field hospital, kills 1 – Reuters

Posted: at 11:24 pm

BANGKOK, June 24 (Reuters) - A former soldier fired gunshots in a coronavirus field hospital in Thailand on Thursday, killing a 54-year-old patient after earlier shooting dead a convenience store employee, police said.

The suspect, 23, believed that the patients in the hospital in Pathum Thani near Bangkok were drug addicts and that he hated drug addicts, regional police chief Amphol Buarabporn told Reuters, after an initial investigation.

The field hospital was once a drug rehabilitation centre and was reorganised to treat COVID-19 patients.

Closed-circuit camera footage that circulated online showed the a man walking into a hospital in combat uniform and red beret brandishing a firearm.

Hours earlier, the suspect shot and killed a convenience store employee in Bangkok over a dispute, Amphol said.

The suspect was later arrested.

Pictures of the scene at the field hospital showed broken glass in front of an area where patients were sat in their beds.

In February last year, a soldier killed 29 people in a rare shooting spree at a Thai shopping mall while, which drew attention to treatment of junior military staff in Thailand.

Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Additional reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Martin Petty

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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How 17 advanced economies view the EU and its COVID-19 response – Pew Research Center

Posted: at 11:24 pm

Majorities across much of Western Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region have a favorable view of the European Union, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey of 17 advanced economies. But perceptions of the EUs response to the coronavirus outbreak are mixed, and while many in Europe say economic relief from the Brussels-based institution has been sufficient, substantial shares in most countries feel it has not gone far enough.

A median of 63% across the 17 publics surveyed rate the EU positively. Among the eight member states surveyed, opinions are most favorable in Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands, where at least 70% have a positive view of the EU.

These three countries also have the most positive evaluation in the region of the EUs response to the pandemic; roughly six-in-ten or more say the organization has done a good job handling the coronavirus outbreak. By comparison, a median of only 48% across all 17 publics approve of the EUs response.

This analysis focuses on public opinion of the European Union, including views of the EUs response to the coronavirus outbreak. For non-U.S. data, the report draws on nationally representative surveys of 16,254 adults from March 12 to May 26, 2021, in 16 publics. All surveys were conducted over the phone with adults in Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

In the United States, we surveyed 2,596 U.S. adults from Feb. 1 to 7, 2021. Everyone who took part in the U.S. survey is a member of the Centers American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATPs methodology.

To account for the fact that some publics refer to the coronavirus differently, in South Korea, the survey asked about the Corona19 outbreak. In Japan, the survey asked about the novel coronavirus outbreak. In Greece, the survey asked about the coronavirus pandemic. In Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Taiwan, the survey asked about the COVID-19 outbreak. All other surveys used the term the coronavirus outbreak.

Here are the questions used for the report, along with responses. See our methodology database for more information about the survey methods outside the U.S. For respondents in the U.S., see our U.S. survey methodology. Information on populist party categorization can be found here.

Although majorities in Germany, France and Belgium have a positive assessment of the EU overall, only about half or fewer think it has handled the outbreak well. Greeks are the least likely among those surveyed to view the EU favorably overall, though a majority of Greeks say the EU did well in its response to the pandemic.

The EUs economic response to the pandemic generally receives mixed reviews from the European countries polled. When thinking about the economic consequences of the coronavirus, a median of 48% say the EUs relief efforts have been about right, compared with 40% who say they have not gone far enough and just 6% who think they have gone too far. Here again, people in Sweden and the Netherlands have some of the most positive assessments of the EU, while those in Greece say the EUs economic efforts are insufficient.

Outside the EU, many express a positive opinion of the institution, while Canadians and Americans also rate the EUs response to the outbreak positively. Roughly six-in-ten Americans have a positive view of the EU and say it did a good job in response to the pandemic. But relatively few in the Asia-Pacific region approve of how the EU has handled the outbreak. Only 39% in Australia, 31% in South Korea and 21% in Taiwan think the EU did well in its response.

The sense that the EU has handled the pandemic well is related to positive assessment of the EU in every public surveyed. In France, for example, 83% of those who think the EU handled the outbreak well view the institution favorably, compared with only 38% who think the EU did a bad job dealing with the outbreak. Differences in EU favorability based on how people view its pandemic response tend to be larger in most EU countries surveyed, compared with publics in the Asia-Pacific region.

Similarly, people in the eight EU countries surveyed who rate the EUs economic response to the outbreak positively are much more likely to express a positive opinion of the organization than those who think economic relief efforts did not go far enough.

Despite more mixed ratings of the EUs coronavirus response, overall opinion of the EU has been at its highest in recent years in several countries. Favorable views of the EU in Italy and Sweden saw significant increases since last year, with two-thirds or more in each country now viewing the EU positively. Japan and South Korea also saw similar increases, with Japan going from an all-time low of 47% in 2020 to 61% this year.

On the other hand, there were also notable decreases in public approval of the EU. Belgium and Germany both saw significant decreases in approval of the EU, with Germany dropping from a high of 73% in 2020 to 63% this year. There was a similar drop in the UK, where ratings of the institution were at a historic high in 2020 after the country officially left the EU, though roughly half still have a positive opinion.

Within the publics surveyed, there are considerable divides in approval of the EU across age, education and political groups. Adults ages 18 to 29 are significantly more likely to approve of the EU than those 65 and older in 10 publics, including the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. In France, for example, 80% of younger adults approve of the EU, while just 57% of older adults say the same a 23 percentage point difference.

Similar divides can be seen across education levels in 11 of the publics surveyed. Those who have a postsecondary degree are more likely to approve of the EU. In the UK, for example, 65% of those with higher levels of education are warm to the EU, compared with 46% of those with a secondary degree or less.

Ideology and party backing are often tied to assessment of the EU within the member countries surveyed. In general, supporters of right-wing populist parties are notably less supportive of the EU. This pattern can be seen in Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany. For example, while 68% of those who do not support Alternative for Germany (AfD) approve of the EU, only 41% of AfD supporters say the same. The opposite pattern can be seen among the center and left-wing populist parties in Europe, where supporters of these parties are more likely to have a positive assessment of the EU.

Ideology is related to views of the EU outside the bloc as well. People who place themselves on the left of the political spectrum are significantly more likely than those who place themselves on the right to evaluate the EU positively in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In the U.S., Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have more positive opinions of the EU (78%) than Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (46%).

Note: Here are the questions used for the report, along with responses, and its U.S. methodology.

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How 17 advanced economies view the EU and its COVID-19 response - Pew Research Center

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Is US Poker on the Brink of Shared Liquidity Between States? – PokerNews.com

Posted: at 11:24 pm

It's an exciting time for US poker, although here at PokerNews we admit we've heard that sentence before.

However, with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) opting not to appeal a recent case involving the Wire Act to the US Supreme Court, it would appear that shared liquidity in US online poker is now a distinct possibility.

That would mean that the seven states that have already legalized online poker (Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan and Connecticut) could all be playing against one another by the end of 2021.

In 2011, the Department of Justice concluded that the Wire Act was only applicable to sports betting.

What is the Wire Act?The Wire Act is a United State federal law that states it is illegal to place bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest using a wire communication facility.

However, in 2018 the new administration issued a new interpretation, stating that "all but one of its prohibitions sweep beyond sports gambling".

As a result of this interpretation, the New Hampshire Lottery Commission brought action against the US Department of Justice in the hope of clarifying the situation. Their stance was that if the Wire Act made all interstate wagering by wire illegal, then cross-state lotteries, like Powerball, would also be illegal.

In 2019, a US District Court judge ruled that the Wire Act only applied to sports betting and not to other forms of online gambling, however this ruling was then appealed.

The case was heard in the United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in June 2020, and six months later they upheld the ruling.

The Department of Justice then had 150 days to appeal again, something which would see the case head to the US Supreme Court, but after yesterday's deadline passed without an appeal the case is now closed.

So far, seven states of legalized online poker, although you are only able to play in six with West Virginia currently considered by operators as too small to sustain its own player base.

However, with this case and the interpretation of the Wire Act laid to rest, it opens up the chance for them to join an interstate player pool similar to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) currently operating between Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware.

888 Holdings PLC, who currently operates WSOP.com in those three states, has already announced it intends to bring legalized online poker to Michigan and Pennsylvania, potentially expanding the MSIGA from two states with 10 million residents to four states with 33 million residents.

This would also have knock-on effects for the World Series of Poker, with more Americans able to win online bracelets.

For reference, if all seven states were to be joined into one combined player pool, that would total approximately 41 million players, more than the population of Canada.

One thing poker players will all be asking is whether this ruling means the return of a wider PokerStars US brand, instead of the state-by-state clients that currently exist. Currently, three separate PokerStars clients exist, with each state only allowed to play against their own populations.

This arrangement means that major festivals such as SCOOP are run separately, with PokerNews having live coverage of PASCOOP, MISCOOP and NJSCOOP.

Combined, these three festivals generated $6.35 million in total prize pools with over 117,000 entries and 406 champions crowned.

Were these three states to join together, putting aside any additional states PokerStars may look to expand into, that would still generate a player base of over 31 million people.

SCOOP Series Concludes Largest Combined Tournament Series in PokerStars US History

The next big topic up for discussion among US poker players is whether or not this increased liquidity will lift some of the question marks over certain states legalizing online poker.

One state that has already thrown its hat into the ring is Illinois. In March 2021, Democratic state representatives Robert Rita and Jonathan Carroll introduced HB 3142, which seeks to launch online gaming in the state.

However, last month the state's regular legislative session closed without the bill passing, although Senators did pass a resolution asking for potential online casino revenues to be studied, suggesting there is at least some level of interest in the bill.

Sadly, a similar bill in North Dakota that would have put the legalization of online poker on the 2022 general election ballot failed in the state's upper chamber.

In total, seven states have legalized online poker as of June 2021: Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan and Connecticut).

You can currently play on PokerStars in Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey as of June 2021.

You can currently play on WSOP.com in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware as of June 2021. There are also plans to expand to Pennsylvania and Michigan.

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Phil Ivey is still the GOAT – Deadspin

Posted: at 11:24 pm

Oops. he did it again.Image: Getty Images

When it comes to poker, Phil Ivey proved hes still the GOAT.

Ivey won the World Poker Tours star-studded 32-player $25,000 heads-up invitational tournament in Cabo on Tuesday, sweeping old-school rival Patrik Antonius in three games. Ivey earned $400,000 for his victory while Antonius took home $200,000.

Ivey had a brutal draw throughout the bracket, as he faced wizards Manig Loeser, Anthony Zinno, Stephen Chidwick and Chris Kruk. He consistently stunned the streams highly knowledgeable and skilled commentators throughout the tournament, somehow managing to find zero-equity bluffs that are definitely not solver-approved. He broke poker Twitter on Monday in his match vs. Kruk with this airball bluff:

Antonius, also one of the GOATs, at age 40 is still probably the most handsome man in poker. The Finnish superstar got a break by drawing Japanese celebrity GACKT in the first round, but the rest of his run was impressive, as he beat favored heads-up boss Doug Polk, online pro Stefan112 and Sam Greenwood.

The match was anticlimactic as Ivey won the first two matches in uber-aggressive fashion. In the third and deciding game, Ivey coolered Antonius early with a flopped straight while Antonius turned two pair, giving Ivey a 25-1 chip advantage. Antonius fought back to make it only 3-1 but Ivey soon prevailed.

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Hilariously, there was a moment where Antonius asked to take a bathroom break, and instead ended up playing the hand on his iPad in the bathroom.

Ivey was an end-game boss on Full Tilt Poker, with $20 million in earnings, but he has kept a low profile since, even skipping the World Series of Poker for several years. He is tied with Johnny Chan for second most WSOP bracelets, with 10, and has more than $7 million in lifetime WSOP winnings. Ivey, considered by many to be the greatest all-around poker player because of his mastery of all variants and formats, was also the top star of classic televised poker shows such as High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark, battling with Antonius, Tom Dwan, Phil Hellmuth and others in many memorable hands.

The WPT championship signals that the living legend is still relevant as ever. Ivey has always kept his thought process close to the vest. Poker strategy has evolved since the days of Full Tilt Poker, with the advent of top players using solvers and simulation programs to come up with game theory optimal frequencies. Its clear that Iveys done some work, and also, as commentator Nick Schulman, he seems to be able to intuit correct actions. Also, while the games were played online at Poker King, there was a live element as the players were sitting in the same room, receiving a feed of their opponent. While some top online players argue that live tells arent even a thing, Ivey has always been a guy who says he likes to see your face.

However, perhaps Iveys greatest skill was his ability to know when people are playing back at him too light, and understanding situations where his opponents dont want to risk their entire stack. Even against well studied players who know Ivey is over-bluffing spots, he can still win pots with outright savagery.

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Phil Ivey is still the GOAT - Deadspin

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Battle of the Titans: Ivey Sweeps Antonius to Win WPT HU Poker Championship ($400000) – PokerNews.com

Posted: at 11:24 pm

June 23, 2021Jason Glatzer

A battle of the titans took place on Tuesday evening, with Phil Ivey battling against Patrik Antonius in the 32-player World Poker Tour $25,000 Heads Up Poker Championship. Ivey won the first three heads-up matches against Antonius to sweep the best-of-five format for the $400,000 top prize.

Many in the poker community felt the clock was turned back more than a decade before the match took place with two poker legends standing the test of time and still on top of their games.

Ivey recently shared his love of poker in an interview with Joey Ingram and expressed how he prefers to play live and look at his opponent. Although the entire event was held online at PokerKing, the entire event mandated players utilize webcams to give the players and fans a more of a live poker feel than one typically sees online.

"I want to travel and play poker [...] I still enjoy playing online poker. When things come up, they're great. But I prefer to play live and look at my opponent. Nowadays, online has gotten a lot tougher.

Related: The Return of Phil Ivey? 10-time Champion Aims to Play 2021 WSOP

Ivey took an early chip lead during the first match. Antonius temporarily took the lead before Ivey stormed ahead to take the lead before extending it to a 3:1 chip advantage.

Antonius had a chance to double his stack to even things up but instead, Ivey won the first match after his nines held against Antonius' ace-eight.

Antonius had an early chip lead in the second match and had double the stack of Ivey. The Finn seemed to be ready to tie things up but his sevens were unable to win a flip against king-queen after Ivey improved to Broadway to double his stack and take the chip lead.

Ivey, who showcased many bluffs of his own, picked off a bluff to win the second match with Antonius betting the turn and jamming the river with king-seven suited despite whiffing the queen-high board and needed a comeback for the ages as he needed to win three matches in a row after Ivey correctly called with jacks.

Antonius held a small chip lead during the third match before fireworks went off. The Finn opened with ace-six suited and was called by Ivey with four-trey.

Ivey flopped the nuts with six-five-deuce initially hitting the board and check-raised Antonius who held top pair. An ace landed on the turn making it difficult for Antonius to get away from the hand as he improved to top two pair.

Antonius called a bet from Ivey and didn't improve to a full house with a second deuce landing on the board on the river. Ivey jammed and Antonius was down to crumbs after he called.

Antonius was down but not quite out as he doubled up twice and a third double would have evened the stacks. Instead, Ivey won the match after his ace-ten held against queen-jack suited to win the WPT Heads Up Poker Championship for $400,000, while Antonius had to settle for the runner-up prize of $200,000.

While the event certainly turned back the clocks for many in the poker community, the poker world is once again likely to witness Ivey in the headlines for years to come and the 10-time WSOP bracelet winner plans to visit the WSOP this autumn for at least a few events.

"But I'm looking to play, I'm looking to play poker on TV. I'm looking to travel and play poker," Ivey said in an interview with Ingram. "I'm looking at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). I'm not sure about a full schedule, but I'm planning on playing a few events."

*Lead image courtesy of the World Poker Tour.

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Battle of the Titans: Ivey Sweeps Antonius to Win WPT HU Poker Championship ($400000) - PokerNews.com

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Best Poker Sites in USA: 10 Top Poker Rooms That Accept Americans in 2021 – L.A. Weekly

Posted: at 11:24 pm

Weve made it easy for you to find the best online poker sites in the USA today. Weve researched the sites ourselves and created this bumper guide that details the best online poker sites around right now, basing our criteria on things like bonuses, rakeback, and traffic.

In this article, well be explaining exactly why we chose each poker site and who we think theyd be ideal for. Well also be answering your most popular questions related to playing online poker in the US.

Lets start.

Reputation We checked the licensing and user reviews to make sure that each site in our list is legit, established, and trustworthy

Variety We wanted to find casino sites that offer a good variety of poker games, as well as video poker and other table and card games

Rake Rakeback is something any poker player needs to consider, and we worked hard to find the best poker sites in terms of rake/value for your money

Players and Traffic Understanding that the key to a good poker site is having players of all levels to compete against, we used traffic volume as one of our top indicators

Bonuses Lastly, we looked for poker sites that offer attractive bonuses, regular promotions, and rewarding VIP schemes

Ignition comfortably takes our top award for a number of reasons. Although it was only established in 2016, its risen through the ranks to become one of the USs most reputable and popular online poker casinos.

Its safe to use, offers a variety of payment methods, and the user experience is excellent.

In terms of its poker offerings, Ignition is able to offer a high volume of players to compete against. There are always at least 1,000 players online at any one time, and theyre usually of various skill levels. While most players are soft players there are still the complete newbies, as well as more polished gamblers and even some sharks.

Zone Poker, meanwhile, though not unique to Ignition, helps the site stand out by offering quick fire poker to anyone who hates the slowness of a traditional game of poker.

And while the low welcome bonus is a tad disappointing, the huge weekly tournament prize pools make up for it.

When it comes to Multi-Table tournament strategies (MTT), Bovada is the top dog. Here, you wont find any sharks capitalizing on weaker players. Instead, you have to go into it with the mindset of being at a real casino, which means you have to take your time to read the other players.

We really like that, along with the fact that rake is comparatively low. Its not as low as it used to be, but with $0.01 collected for every $0.20 in the pot, we dont think thats too shabby at all.

Moreover, Bovada is a really soft site for US players, with sensible buy-ins that are coupled with big guarantees.

Were not huge fans of the VIP scheme or the lack of an official license, but overall Bovada is hard to beat when it comes to its all-round online poker experience. Traffic is very good, too.

We were going to give the best for sports betting accolade to Bovada, but decided that BetOnline edges it simply because Bovada does poker a little bit better.

That isnt to say that BetOnline cant offer an accomplished online poker experience it can. Its consistently listed as one of the top 3 online poker rooms available to US players, it uses top notch software, and there is a huge variety of poker variants here.

These include No Limit Holdem, Omaha and Stud.

However, its worth mentioning that if you live in Washington, Nevada, Delaware, Pennsylvania or New Jersey, you wont be able to play poker here.

You can, however, still access the sportsbook, which we think is one of the best around. With ample live betting opportunities, lots of sports variety and bonuses, flipping between the poker rooms and the sportsbook will be a lot of fun for some players.

Americas CardRoom doesnt command quite the same traffic as Ignition and Bovada, but its still a major league poker site thats worth a look especially if you wish to play via Bitcoin and are finding it hard to find a US site that accepts the digital coin.

Indeed, Bitcoin withdrawals are quick and free and there are zero fees involved (unless you want to convert your BTC into another currency). This is a major boon because its not easy for US players to find a Bitcoin casino.

But lets get down to the poker. Americas CardRooms ace in the pack is its Texas Holdem variant, which is its best for traffic. It seems that most players are drawn to this game, and you can play against a variety of skill levels.

Even better, Texas Holdem has a no-limit version available.

There are also multi-table tournaments available, a $215 buy-in tournament each Sunday, and while its a little bit frustrating that players from Nevada arent accepted here, it gets the big thumbs up overall.

Red Dog Casino is another reputable online casino site that accepts US players. A generous welcome bonus is on the table for new players, as are regular promos thereafter.

Bitcoin is accepted, along with a good variety of other payment methods, but its video poker where Red Dog Casino truly excels. Here, youll find a huge selection of video poker games, including Deuces Wild, Joker Poker, and Jacks or Better.

What were not too keen on is the fact that navigation isnt the best, and it can take a while navigating through the site and finding the online poker rooms.

Other than that, there are 350+ games in total, with 300 available on mobile, as well as plenty of live dealer games.

InterTops belongs to the Horizon Poker Network, which helps to establish its credibility. Rakeback is pegged at 36% which is very decent, there are plenty of low-stake tournaments to get stuck into here, and we see InterTops as being very much aimed at the recreational player.

This is largely because this casino site is much softer than many other poker sites. It wont be unusual for you to get to know other players, simply because the same old faces tend to rock up each day.

Fixed prizes go as high as $1,000, which naturally wont suit high-stakes gamblers, but for Americans who just want to have a bit of fun playing the likes of Pot Limit Omaha, InterTops is a solid option.

Black Chip Poker belongs to the Winning Poker Network. Traffic is good, the tournament schedule is excellent but a lack of a mobile client is a mark against it.

Still, we see Black Chip Poker as one of the best poker rooms on the internet right now for US players because of its huge tournament prize pools. Its not unusual for a tournament to offer a pot as big as $1,000,000, and most tournaments (as many as 9 out of 10) accept re-entry.

HUD is supported, the site accepts players from most states, and Bitcoin is accepted as a payment method.

Weve included a few soft sites on this list, but for US players we have to argue that Juicy Stakes is the best soft poker room. This is simply because both the tournaments and the cash games are softer than any other US online poker room.

Indeed, rake back is 36%.

User experience is good, both pro players and recreational players could have a good time here, and theres a generous welcome offer available.

One of the slight drawbacks is that high-stakes games have poor traffic, but since most players who use the site prefer the small buy-in tournaments, its not a major problem.

PokerStars is one of the biggest online poker sites thats been accepting US players for years. Its been around for 20 years, its totally legit and payouts are fast and reliable.

And when we say its best for traffic, we mean it when it comes to US players, no other poker room has more. Each tournament is able to attract a huge amount of players, while even the mobile app has multiple tournaments and cash games.

Somewhat frustratingly, the best players are punished with decreased rewards and there is no rakeback, but there are plenty of payment methods available and lots of fun to be had here for serious players.

Cafe Casino is an all-round casino that offers a poker section. It offers a few variants, including video poker, along with the usual mix of table games and slots.

It scoops our award for the best bonus because its welcome offer for US players is generous, and there are further promos on offer once you become a regular player.

Cafe Casino doesnt specialize in poker as much as many other sites on our list, but if you want a general casino experience and wish to flip flop between different games, it might be a worthy option.

As long as your specific state permits it, you remain within state lines while gambling, and the site you sign up to is legal in the US (and accepts US online poker players), you can play online legally in the US with the best sites for online gambling.

There isnt too much of a difference when it comes to online poker between US and EU online poker sites. Both offer the same variant of poker, such as Texas Holdem and Omaha, along with different buy-ins and prize pools.

When it comes to real-life poker sites, the difference is in the size. American poker rooms are often huge, while EU poker rooms tend to be smaller. But again, it all depends where you go.

For some, when they play poker online, the experience is just as good as live poker. For others, its a poor substitute but a substitute theyre willing to accept all the same. Its usually a similar situation for other online games such as online sports betting.

However, the rules are exactly the same, the games tend to move at the same speed, and you can play for free or for real money playing poker online just as you would when playing live poker.

Perhaps the major difference is that online poker lacks the same atmosphere and buzz as live poker in a proper casino setting.

All fully-licensed US online poker sites are legit and not rigged. They are held to account by online poker regulation, and while a player may feel as though the house is cheating when they experience multiple losses, the reality is that its almost impossible for a gambling site to cheat. Players searching for top slots online and other games also ask this but if a casino is licensed this shouldnt be an issue.

Some of the best poker softwares available right now includes Simple GTO Trainer, which helps you to assess every single conceivable situation in poker games. You can use it to map out strategies and essentially plan for any situation you may come across.

We also like HoldEm Manager, which helps you analyze your opponent and how they play, as well as PIO Solver, which is all about analyzing game theory so that you know what to do whenever specific problems arise.

Put simply, when a poker room has good levels of traffic, it means there will be more poker players for you to compete against all day (and night) long.

Subsequently, when there are more poker players to compete against at poker sites, there are also likely to be weaker players who you can prey upon and eat alive. In other words fish.

The main bonus you can get is the first deposit bonus, which is available to new players and can be as high as $5,000 depending on the site. Sometimes, a site will even offer a no deposit welcome bonus if youre lucky. Sites can offer bonuses on different games including poker

Either way, the welcome bonus is your best chance of getting your poker account up and running because it lets you play a few games without risking your own money. Cafe Casino is our top pick for bonuses, but there are plenty of other top sites that offer attractive welcome bonuses.

Depositing and withdrawing money is simple enough you just need to head over to the banking section of the poker room, select deposit or withdrawal, choose your preferred method and then follow the on-screen instructions.

More and more US poker sites now accept Bitcoin, including Americas CardRoom and Bovada which are among the best casinos with Bitcoin. Not all US sites accept BTC yet, but we fully expect more to add this payment method as the year progresses.

The first thing you should consider is what kind of player you are a newbie, a recreational poker player, or a pro? Then, you should take into account things like player traffic, tournament buy-ins (how low, how high), as well as poker variants (does this site offer your preferred poker variant?).

Aside from poker, other important things to consider include payment methods, reputability (read poker site reviews and check the licensing), payouts, and usability as a US player.

Also, if you want to play casino games other than poker, this is something else to check out. Casino sites offer a variety of other games and specialize in bingo games, slot games, roulette games, online CSGO gambling, and many more.

These are the best poker sites online that are legal in the US. If you want to play online poker at a top site, there is a lot here to consider. However, we always recommend that you do your own research too so that youre 100% comfortable at whichever casino site you sign up to.

Whatever you decided to do, we wish you the best of luck!

If you suffer from a gambling problem or suspect somebody you know does, then we strongly suggest that you call Gamblers Anonymous at 1-626-960-3500 to talk with an advisor for help and to make gambling safer for you or your loved ones.

Underage gambling is an offense, all sites are 18+ ONLY. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly and only bet what you can afford. Casinos listed on our site may not be available in your region. Check your local laws to ensure online gambling is available and legal where you live.

Visit these organizations for free gambling addiction resources:

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Best Poker Sites in USA: 10 Top Poker Rooms That Accept Americans in 2021 - L.A. Weekly

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