The New Jersey Online Poker Briefing: PokerStars Returns to the Garden State
Last week, New Jersey online poker players celebrated the return of PokerStars for the first time in the United States since Black Friday took place on April 11, 2011. While the official hard launch took place on March 21, players began getting in the action on March 16 with a limited-release soft launch.
As expected, players reacted positively to the new PokerStars NJ ring-fenced client, with many praising its software during the soft-launch phase. Additionally, many players are hopeful that the return of the online poker room will positively impact the landscape of regulated online poker rooms in the Garden State.
The first big tournament on PokerStars NJ took place on Saturday, March 19, when 239 players ponied up the $30 buy-in in the Saturday Kick-Off [3-Stack,6-Max] $5,000 Gtd and created a $6,525 prize pool. New Jersey's "WhostolemyRR" will forever be known for shipping the inaugural event, banking $1,501 for his efforts.
Notable players appearing on the final table in this tournament included Steven "FadeOrHoldz" Madara (3rd - $783) and Meir "fingers911" Yedid (4th - $522). Madara also appeared on another big final table over the weekend when, under the screenname "stevenmadara," he won $1,890 in the Daily $10K on the partypoker NJ/BorgataPoker.com network.
While PokerStars returning to U.S. soil is stealing most of the headlines, Moe "MoeFarah" Farah is continuing to prove why he is a force to be reckoned with by outlasting 283 entrants to take first place in the partypoker NJ/BorgataPoker.com $50,000 Guarantee for an impressive haul of $11,320, the largest of the weekend.
Also scoring big on the final table in this tournament were Jonathan "DaCoolerKing" Kim (4th - $4,528), Josh "Shipitagain" Rosengarten (5th - $3,792), Sean "wishihADSOMELuk" Martin (6th - $3,226), and Krishna "ninjaG0" Kalidas (8th - $2,094).
Both Kim and Martin also appeared on other major final tables this weekend. Kim finished in sixth place in the WSOP NJ/888poker NJ Sunday $30,000 Guarantee for $1,223, while Martin, under the screenname "Sean_naeS," finished third in the WSOP NJ/888poker NJ $10,000 GTD Weekly Sunday for $1,134.
The $30,000 GTD Weekly Sunday produced other big winners in addition to Kim including "UnoZombert," who shipped this event for $8,691. Daniel "centrfieldr" Lupo (2nd - $5,070) and Craig "Ruby_" Rubinstein (6th - $1,610) also navigated through the 174-player field to reach the final table. Coincidentally, Rubinstein was featured in a PokerNews by Donnie Peters talking to players about the PokerStars New Jersey launch, Poker Players Excited and Ready for PokerStars Launch in New Jersey.
Not to be left out of the mix was Michael Lavenburg, who, under the screenname"pay4medsch00l," won $3,800 after winning the Daily $10K as part of a heads-up deal on Sunday before winning another $760 later in the day under the screenname "myGAME" with a fifth-place finishing in the $10,000 GTD Weekly Sunday.
Next weekend promises to be a big one for players in the Garden State as not only does PokerStars launch its full slate of Sunday Majors which you can read about here, but WSOP NJ/888poker NJ will also hosting its big monthly tournament, The BIG Deal, which features a $500 buy-in and a $30,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Here's a full look at the New Jersey weekend results on PokerStars NJ, partypoker NJ, BorgataPoker.com, WSOP.com NJ, and 888poker NJ:
Saturday Kick-Off [3-Stack,6-Max] $5,000 Gtd
| Buy-in | Date | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| $27.30+2.70 | Mar. 19 | 239 | $6,525 |
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WhostolemyRR | $1,501 |
| 2 | jakaseti | $1,044 |
| 3 | Steven "FadeOrHoldz" Madara | $783 |
| 4 | Meir "fingers911" Yedid | $522 |
| 5 | wv_darkhorse | $392 |
| 6 | MyDogPetrie | $268 |
Daily $10K [Re-Entry]
| Buy-in | Date | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100+9 | Mar. 19 | 122 | $12,200 |
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamdizzi777 | $3,416 |
| 2 | VARJAK | $2,227 |
| 3 | bobbyv64 | $1,464 |
| 4 | wangtang221 | $1,068 |
| 5 | AA5454 | $763 |
| 6 | NeverNude83 | $610 |
| 7 | RvrCrdBING | $488 |
| 8 | Burritoboy28 | $397 |
| 9 | Mahi_Mahi | $305.00 |
Daily $10K [Re-Entry]
| Buy-in | Date | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100+9 | Mar. 20 | 180 | $18,000 |
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael "pay4medsch00l" Lavenburg | $3,800* |
| 2 | boyequity | $3,121.00* |
| 3 | Steven "stevenmadara" Madara | $1,890 |
| 4 | Jacob "jakep474" Perry | $1,485 |
| 5 | kingking69 | $1,098 |
| 6 | Cdabby007 | $900.00 |
| 7 | Imperator3 | $720.00 |
| 8 | TENAFLY_BILL | $567.00 |
| 9 | Billy_Wheels | $450.00 |
*Reflects heads-up deal
partypoker NJ/BorgataPoker.com $50,000 Guarantee
| Buy-in | Date | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200+15 | Mar. 20 | 283 | $56,600 |
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moe "MoeFarah" Farah | $11,320 |
| 2 | bernstreg | $7,454 |
| 3 | PayneKilla | $5,377 |
| 4 | Jonathan "DaCoolerKing" Kim | $4,528 |
| 5 | Josh "Shipitagain" Rosengarten | $3,792 |
| 6 | Sean "wishihADSOMELuk" Martin | $3,226 |
| 7 | LADYDICE | $2,660 |
| 8 | Krishna "ninjaG0" Kalidas | $2,094 |
| 9 | BrianFantana | $1,528 |
$10,000 GTD Nightly [R&A]
| Buy-in | Date | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| $27.50+2.50 | Mar. 19 | 150 | $10,592 |
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | driver | $2,913 |
| 2 | Joseph "megolaman1ac" Liberta | $1,695 |
| 3 | NJREDD1010 | $964 |
| 4 | MarcusAllin | $752 |
| 5 | GBasile | $646 |
| 6 | mavs19 | $540 |
| 7 | sevilla21 | $413 |
| 8 | cjdstable | $265 |
| 9 | Ngudan777 | $191 |
$30,000 GTD Weekly Sunday
| Buy-in | Date | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| $185+15 | Mar. 20 | 174 | $32,190 |
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | UnoZombert | $8,691 |
| 2 | Daniel "centrfieldr" Lupo | $5,070 |
| 3 | sansara52 | $2,897 |
| 4 | DrDoom | $2,253 |
| 5 | Antinatalist | $1,931 |
| 6 | Craig "Ruby_" Rubinstein | $1,610 |
| 7 | Jonathan "DaCoolerKing" Kim | $1,223 |
| 8 | therightreed | $773 |
| 9 | CeeLos86 | $547 |
$10,000 GTD Weekly Sunday
| Buy-in | Date | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| $91+9 | Mar. 20 | 137 | $12,467 |
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | liquidTLO | $3,428 |
| 2 | Angel "ChromeKing" Lopez | $1,995 |
| 3 | Sean "Sean_naeS" Martin | $1,134 |
| 4 | Gmoney27 | $885 |
| 5 | Michael "myGAME" Lavenburg | $760 |
| 6 | Bigcakes1111 | $636 |
| 7 | vanillaakim1 | $486 |
| 8 | verbal_kint | $312 |
| 9 | Paul "rungood27" Scaturro | $224 |
If you play regulated online poker tournaments in New Jersey and would like your real name appearing in future articles, please contact this editor at [email protected].
*Special thanks to PocketFives.com for some of the data in this article.
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