The Cubs bought low on the struggling Jose Martinez at the trade deadline. Photo by Charles Edward Miller (creative commons).
The 2020 Major League Baseball trade deadline passed on Monday at 4:00 PM ET
The San Diego Padres were the most active team, acquiring pitcher Mike Clevinger
How have the World Series odds shifted around now that the dust has settled?
Nothing about the 2020 baseball season has been normal, including the trade deadline. The San Diego Padres were the most active and have seen an uptick in their World Series odds as a result. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest winners and losers from the 2020 trade deadline.
2020 World Series Odds
AL Teams
Odds at FanDuel
Odds at FanDuel
NL Teams
New York Yankees
+420
+380
Los Angeles Dodgers
Oakland Athletics
+1000
+1400
Atlanta Braves
Minnesota Twins
+1100
+1500
Chicago Cubs
Tampa Bay Rays
+1100
+1600
San Diego Padres
Houston Astros
+1400
+3300
Cincinnati Reds
Chicago White Sox
+1700
+3800
Philadelphia Phillies
Cleveland Indians
+2200
+3800
St. Louis Cardinals
Toronto Blue Jays
+5000
+4100
Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles Angels
+7000
+4100
New York Mets
Baltimore Orioles
+16000
+4600
Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox
+16000
+5500
Colorado Rockies
Detroit Tigers
+16000
+7000
Arizona Diamondbacks
Texas Rangers
+16000
+12000
Miami Marlins
Seattle Mariners
+22000
+16000
San Francisco Giants
Kansas City Royals
+30000
+30000
Pittsburgh Pirates
Odds last updated on Aug. 31st, 2020.
Padres Load Up for Playoff Run
The Padres slow rebuild has finally come to a place where management feels their team can contend. The Padres, who boast a 21-15 record, understandably think they are contenders. They hold a three-game lead in the Rockies for second in the NL West, and the top-two teams in each division automatically qualify for this year’s expanded postseason (plus two Wild Cards in each league). With a playoff spot highly likely, the front office kicked the rebuild into high gear.
The blockbuster move of the day was the Padres acquiring Cleveland Indians ace Mike Clevinger. He might not get the attention that some of the other stud pitchers around baseball receive but Clevinger has the second-best ERA in the American League since the start of 2017 (second only to Justin Verlander).
The move capped off a slew of other trades, including acquiring catches Jason Castro and Austin Nola, first baseman Mitch Moreland, and lots of bullpen help. In a shortened season, given how the roster has been coming together, the Padres have put themselves in fantastic shape to contend in the National League West. Their World Series odds shifted from +2200 to +1600.
The Athletics (22-12) clearly see a window of opportunity, currently holding a 2.5-game lead on the Astros in the American League West. They got help in a number of ways, acquiring former All-Star Tommy La Stella from the Los Angeles Angels and pitcher Mike Minor from the Texas Rangers. Both are rentals who will be free agents at the end of the season, making this a rare move for the small-market A’s.
The Oakland A’s have acquired left-hander Mike Minor from the Texas Rangers for two players to be named later, sources tell ESPN. A’s needed rotation help and get it with a trade for Minor, who’s a free agent after this season.
La Stella should offer some pop in the lineup while Minor will give the rotation a boost … hopefully. Minor led the American League in WAR last season but is currently 0-5 with a 5.60 ERA this season. If he can rebound in a new environment, he’ll help the A’s staff, which is currently 16th in the Majors with a 4.84 ERA.
Cubs Try to Bolster Roster
The Cubs made a string of minor moves that might bolster a team that’s currently in first place in the National League Central. The division was supposed to be uber competitive but no other team is currently above .500, so the Cubs see an opening here.
Although the North Siders didn’t exactly do anything mind blowing, they did round out the roster. In the bullpen, they got Andrew Chafin, AJ Ramos, and Josh Osich. These aren’t stars by any stretch of the imagination, but sometimes, throwing more bodies in the bullpen is all that’s needed.
I like the depth the @Cubs acquired over the last 24 hours:
DH Jose Martinez
RP AJ Ramos
RP Andrew Chafin
RP Josh Osich
OF4 Cameron Maybin
Allows them to move on from Almora, Tepera, Sadler, Winkler and Rae or Underwood and Hernan Perez.
The Cubs also picked up Cameron Maybin and designated hitter Jose Martinez, who is not playing well this season. However, he had a .997 OPS versus left-handed pitching last season, so he could be a useful resource off the bench.
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He’s interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O’Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
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For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He’s interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O’Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
Argentina giants Boca Juniors have isolated players and suspended training for 72 hours after coronavirus testing revealed an “outbreak” of COVID-19 in the squad, the club confirmed on Monday in a statement.
The squad is currently in a bubble in a hotel complex outside of Buenos Aires preparing for the restart of the Copa Libertadores on Sept. 17, with club doctor Ruben Argemi telling Fox Sports that there are “around 19” positive COVID-19 cases.
Argemi didn’t want to give names because of the possible presence of false positive tests, but added that “we assume that there are a lot of cases and there is a problem.”
Boca Juniors sent players to their rooms and canceled training as a precaution while new tests were carried out, with the famous Argentine team scheduled to play Libertad in Paraguay on Sept. 17 in the group phase of the Libertadores.
The club was testing players twice a week in its bubble and had been returning negative results, until Friday night, when COVID-19 symptoms were detected in the camp. After the results of swab tests came back positive, the club took the decision to isolate all the players and await the results of PCR tests that were carried out on Sunday.
Club doctor Argemi confirmed that all the cases bar one have been asymptomatic and that Boca doesn’t understand how the bubble environment was contaminated.
“Nobody outside of the delegation comes in or goes out of the hotel,” said Argemi. “We don’t know what happened … We followed the CONMEBOL protocol, which is the most demanding, vigorously. No player left the bubble.”
Coach Miguel Angel Russo, 64, has now left the bubble due to his age and medical history, according to reports.
Libertad head coach Ramon Diaz sent a message of support to Boca ahead of the game between the two.
“It’s a shame because Boca is always a very important club,” said former River Plate coach Diaz. “I think Argentina is going through a hard and difficult time, hopefully it can get through it as quickly as possible and the players can get better.
“We need everyone to be ok, I hope they look after each other and get better.”
Hong Kong-listed Summit Ascent Holdings revealed in a financial update last week that it plans to cap its investment on Tigre de Cristal in Russia’s Far East, and instead seek new integrated resort markets.
Summit Ascent, the parent company to Tigre de Cristal in Russia, will conclude its investment in the casino property with its second and final phase. (Image: Go Nakamura/Getty)
Summit says phase two construction on Tigre in Vladivostok’s Primorye gaming zone will commence in the fourth quarter of 2020. The $200 million project will double the number of VIP and mass gaming tables and slots machines, and add more than 120 hotel guestrooms and suites. Four new restaurants and bars are in the works, as is an indoor beach club and spa.
Tigre de Cristal, currently the only casino resort in what Russia had hoped would become its version of the Las Vegas Strip, presently has 300 slot machines and 40 table games, 121 hotel rooms, five restaurants and bars, a virtual golf zone, karaoke rooms, and “high-end diamond and luxury watch boutique.”
But Summit says when the second phase of Tigre is completed, expected to open in 2022, that will be all she wrote for the integrated resort in terms of expansion. And that’s due to Summit Ascent’s largest investor.
Sun Goes Down on Far East
Tigre de Cristal was envisioned by Melco Resorts founder and CEO Lawrence Ho. Tigre opened in October of 2015, but after a disappointing first two years — largely because of limited visitors traveling to the remote region — the billionaire Ho sold off his entire stake.
Another billionaire has since stepped in: Suncity Group founder Alvin Chua. The man who made his fortune leading the premiere Macau VIP junket group controls a nearly 25 percent position in Summit Ascent. That will increase to nearly 70 percent once the $160 million transaction in underwritten shares Chua snagged in June is completed.
Chua says it’s time for Summit to play a hand elsewhere other than only in Russia, presently the company’s lone integrated resort.
In the financial update, Summit Ascent says instead of planning a third Tigre phase, it will invest in SunTrust Home Developers — a subsidiary of Suncity’s Philippines-listed entity that is developing a $800 million integrated resort casino at Westside City Resorts World in Manila’s Entertainment City.
“While the Directors remain cautiously optimistic about the long-term prospects of Tigre de Cristal in the Russian Federation, they are of the view that it is in the best interests of the Company to diversify its assets and revenue streams in order to reduce the Group’s reliance on a single revenue source and location,” the company declared.
Competition a Good Thing
Summit Ascent believes its phase two investment is still warranted, as the company believes more travelers will make the trek to the Far East once additional casino resorts open and there’s more excitement and energy regarding the region.
The Phase II development of Tigre de Cristal will place the Group in a better position to attract and retain customers, especially when other casino operators in the IEZ [Integrated Entertainment Zone] Primorye open for business in the near future,” the company concluded.
The $111.5 million Shambala Casino is set to open in the coming months. NagaCorp billionaire Chen Lip Keong says he, too, remains committed to building a NagaWorld casino complex on the Primorye strip.
Integrated resorts (IR) in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, can begin reopening effective immediately, but at a maximum capacity of 30 percent.
City of Dreams Manila will soon be less empty, as the property moves closer to reopening. (Image: Melco Resorts)
The news comes from Melco Resorts, one of the four IR casino operators in Manila. The company owns City of Dreams in Entertainment City. In Melco’s six-month interim financial filing made with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the casino operator says it has received clearance from gaming authorities in the Philippines to resume its business at City of Dreams.
On August 24, 2020, the Philippine government allowed PAGCOR-licensed casinos in areas covered by the General Community Quarantine to operate at 30 percent operational capacity,” the financial release disclosed. “City of Dreams Manila is preparing for the resumption of its normal operations in accordance with the terms and conditions of this new guideline.”
PAGCOR, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, a regulator and operator of state-run casinos, has yet to formally announce that commercial casinos can indeed resume their operations.
Financial Damage Done
The second quarter results for the four Manila IRs are in. And with their casinos closed throughout the April through June period. the results were, as expected, dismal.
Solaire reported a loss of $96.2 million, Resorts World $75.9 million, Okada $49.9 million, and City of Dreams $49.4 million. The four properties collectively lost $271.4 million.
The Filipino government ordered the casinos to close on March 16. Though Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has instructed PAGCOR to allow Manila casinos to reopen, the four operators say it will take some time before they can adjust their gaming floors to adhere to the government’s health safety regulations.
Melco, in addition to its Manila property, owns and operates IRs in Macau. Other than a 15-day shutdown in February, its casino floors in the Chinese Special Administrative Region have remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent decisions to ease entry restrictions into the enclave have improved business, Melco founder and CEO Lawrence Ho says.
“Despite the pandemic-derived travel bans, restrictions, and quarantine requirements that have adversely affected the performance of gaming revenues, we are excited to see some early signs of returning to normal operations in our integrated resorts,” Ho explained.
30 Percent Capacity
Macau and Las Vegas/Nevada — the world’s two largest gaming markets — are both allowing its casinos to operate at 50 percent capacity. A 30 percent cap further restricts the Manila casinos. But there should be plenty of available gaming positions for those who venture to Entertainment City.
100 Percent Capacity 30 Percent Capacity
Okada: 3,000 slots / 500 tables 900 / 150
CoD: 2,300 slots / 300 tables 690 / 90
Solaire: 1,620 slots / 300 tables 486 / 90
RW: 1,500 slots / 300 tables 450 / 90
Even at 30 percent maximum capacity, the four Manila casinos will still collectively offer 2,526 slot machines and 420 table games.
The WSOP Poker Players Championship is the one they all want to win, but while many suspected it might be the chip leader heading into the final table’s time to shine, Jason Koon, the final didn’t work out like that. In the end, German high roller Christian Rudloph took the victory and $1.8 million top prize to go with the Chip Reese Trophy.
This being the pandemic-inspired GGPoker-based WSOP 2020 Online Series, there was no celebratory champagne being popped and no camera bulbs to flash that winning moment into poker history. Christian Rudloph won’t care one bit about that, however, as he came from being third in the chipcounts when play began to overhauling tough players in every spot at the final table.
Winning the $50,000-entry Poker Players Championship in Las Vegas is a feather in the cap of any player. This year the buy-in may have been halved to $25,000, but the bragging rights are just as valuable, and beating such a strong final table from 407 total entries – meaning a prizepool of just over $10 million – is a huge achievement for the German player.
By far the biggest win of Rudolph’s career did not come easy. With an average stack at the start of the final table comprising just 23 big blinds, stacks were shallow and the action in such poker-shark infested waters was predictably large. It would, however, take 20 minutes for Aliaksei Boika to bust in 9th place, the Belarussian running an all-in with ace-five into Shankar Pillai’s ace-jack, which held.
Pillai was the last person his opponents would have wanted to have chips, his natural poker aggression meaning there would be no place to hide, but the next major hand involved two of the other big names at the final table. Jaosn Koon came into play as chip leader but lost a huge pot to Chris ‘Big Huni’ Hunichen when Koon’s ace-jack couldn’t catch Hunichen’s pocket queens.
Koon survived one more step on the ladder, Lithuanian player Paulius Plausinaitis busting next, but Koon was gone in a personally disappointing 7th place for $285,808, his remaining chips making their way to the eventual winner in Christian Rudolph.
Brazilian player Brunno Botteon was eliminated next as his pocket queens were outrun by Rudolph’s turned straight and the German went on a heater, knocking out Aram Zobian in 5th place ($529,005) and Aleksejs Ponakovs in 4th place ($719,700) as he wielded the axe.
When Hunichen had the dominating ace-king against Pillai’s ace-nine, the field had been reduced to a heads-up battle, with Hunichen only marginally behind. Rudolph actually lost the lead briefly but regained it soon after to grind Hunichen down to just five big blinds. Those went into the middle with Hunichen holding king-queen, a hand that was good against Rudolph’s queen-ten. But lady luck smiled on the German as a ten on the flop ended the match in Rudolph’s favour.
While ‘Big Huni’ collected a massive score of $1.3 million for finishing as runner-up, Rudolph’s winning prize of $1.8 million was by far the biggest live result of his stellar career so far, winning the German pro his first-ever World Series of Poker bracelet in the event that all his peers will envy him winning.
WSOP Poker Players Championship Final Table Results:
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Jon Rahm captured his fifth career PGA Tour victory on Sunday at the BMW Championship. Photo by @GolfCentral (Twitter).
Jon Rahm now has the second shortest U.S. Open odds following his win at the BMW Championship
Rahm drained a 66-foot putt on the first playoff hole to claim the title
Read below for analysis on whether or not Rahm is a good bet to win the U.S. Open at his new price
Anyone who says golf is boring clearly hasn’t been watching lately. Sunday’s final round at the BMW Championship was one of the most thrilling sporting events of the year, as Jon Rahm buried a 66-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Dustin Johnson.
The dramatic finish came only minutes after DJ sank a 43-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force the playoff, keeping his hopes of a FedExCup playoffs sweep momentarily alive.
Johnson, last week’s winner at the Northern Trust, was already the favorite at the year’s first Major in three weeks at Winged Foot, and now Rahm has been priced with the second shortest odds following his epic victory.
2020 U.S. Open Odds
Golfer
Current Odds at FanDuel
Odds on August 23rd
Dustin Johnson
+900
+900
Jon Rahm
+1100
+1400
Rory McIlroy
+1200
+1400
Brooks Koepka
+1400
+1400
Justin Thomas
+1400
+1400
Bryson DeChambeau
+1400
+1400
Collin Morikawa
+1800
+1600
Xander Schauffele
+2000
+2000
Patrick Cantlay
+2000
+2000
Webb Simpson
+2700
+2700
Odds taken Aug. 30th.
Rahm’s 2020 U.S. Open odds were shortened from +1400 to +1100, which separates him from a list of stars that includes Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau. He jumps to number two in the FedExCup standings behind Johnson, which is fitting since they are the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the World Golf Rankings.
The U.S. Open may be three weeks away, but we got a four day sample this week of what to expect. Olympia Fields CC, which hosted the U.S. Open in 2003, was a brutal test that left the majority of the top-70 players on Tour wondering what went wrong. Only five players ended the tournament below par, and Marc Leishman, the 21st ranked player in the world finished at +30.
Rahm was one of those players who couldn’t get anything going after two days and was 6-over par after 36 holes. Something must have clicked during his range session on Friday evening, as he proceeded to torch the course over the final two rounds.
Rahm fired a 66 on Saturday to get within three shots of the lead, and then followed that up with a bogey-free 64 on Sunday. He made 11 birdies and just one bogey over the final two rounds, after opening the tournament with only three birdies and nine bogeys on Thursday and Friday.
The Spaniard didn’t blow away the field any statistical category, but was solid across the board. He finished inside the top-nine in strokes gained off-the-tee, approach, tee-to-green and putting, and was second in greens in regulation (70.83%)
A Major Breakthough?
That kind of consistency in the key metrics is going to be imperative for success at Winged Foot, which promises to be the most difficult test of the season. The historic track will play roughly 7,400 yards as a Par-70, with five inch rough and some of the most undulated greens players will see all season.
Tiger Woods called the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields an ideal warmup for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, and after watching Rahm tear apart the course this weekend, it’s hard not to like him at the year’s first Major.
Rahm has been knocking on the door of his first Major victory for two plus years now, finishing fourth or better in three of his past nine Major Championship appearances. That includes a third place finish at last year’s U.S. Open, and considering he’s won at two of the most difficult courses of the season already (Olympia Fields and Muirfield Village), he seems prime for a major run at Winged Foot.
Rahm is the Real Deal
Sunday’s final round at the BMW Championship and subsequent playoff could very well be a preview of what’s in store at the U.S. Open in a few weeks. DJ and Rahm are playing the best golf of anyone on Tour right now and no one should be surprised if one of them wins the coveted Major. Of course their short odds are tough to swallow, but each of their game’s is tailor made for success at the U.S. Open.
PGA Tour win No. ✋. After shooting a final-round 64, Jon Rahm earns his second win in five starts after taking down World No. 1 Dustin Johnson in a playoff at the BMW Championship. pic.twitter.com/r4QptT1jnF
If choosing one I’d take the longer odds with Rahm, but if you’re looking to cash a bigger ticket don’t sleep on the BMW Championship’s third place finisher. Joaquin Niemann was one of the few players to break par on Saturday and Sunday, and actually led the field this week in strokes gained tee-to-green.
The 21-year-old is an excellent ball striker and proved this week that when his putter is on he can compete with the big boys. His +10000 odds scream value and are not a true reflection of just how talented he is.
Chris began his career at Hockey Night in Canada over 15 years ago. He has since worked at TSN for over 12 years as a writer, line-up producer, field producer, newsroom supervisor for Sportscentre, and presently as a promotions producer.
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Chris began his career at Hockey Night in Canada over 15 years ago. He has since worked at TSN for over 12 years as a writer, line-up producer, field producer, newsroom supervisor for Sportscentre, and presently as a promotions producer.
One of the few things normal about this year’s US Open is that the major tennis tournament will start on time. First round action in what is typically the fourth leg of the sport’s Grand Slam will start Monday.
Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the Western & Southern Open in New York on Saturday. Oddsmakers also expect him to win the US Open, which starts on Monday. (Image: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
But just as COVID-19 has done with everything else, little else will be typical at Flushing Meadows this year. Like with many other sporting events, there will be no fans at the US Tennis Association’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center cheering on the Williams sisters, or Novak Djokovic, or anyone who may make a surprising run to the men’s or women’s final.
There’ll also be fewer stars gracing the courts at Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums. On the men’s side, Roger Federer is still rehabbing from double knee surgery, and clay maestro Rafael Nadal has chosen to get ready instead for the French Open, which will begin a week after the US Open ends.
The French Open will be the final major on the schedule this year. Wimbledon officials decided to scrap its tournament this year, as it’s held on grass courts, which limits when it can be played.
On the women’s side, Australian Ashleigh Barty decided to skip the major, citing concerns about traveling in the midst of the pandemic. The last time the US Open didn’t feature the world’s top-ranked player came in 2010, when Serena Williams missed the tournament with an injury.
Men: Djokovic the Heavy Favorite
On the men’s side, it appears the US Open may be a one-man show, especially without Federer and Nadal looming. Top-seeded Djokovic comes into the tournament with a 23-0 match record this year. His tourney wins include the Australian Open, the only tennis major not affected by COVID-19, and the Western & Southern Open, which he claimed Saturday in a tune-up.
The Western & Southern typically takes place in Cincinnati. But organizers moved it to the USTA Center this year in an effort to limit travel for the world’s top players.
“I think, so far, these couple of weeks that we have been here, the USTA and ATP and everyone involved has done a pretty good job making sure that we are safe and that we are able to compete,” Djokovic said after Saturday’s win. “Hopefully, we can have another great two weeks and US Open.”
Both FanDuel and DraftKings expect the Serbian to add to his Grand Slam trophy collection. He’s -125 at DraftKings and -135 at FanDuel. For those looking for value, FanDuel is offering Djokovic at +730 to win the US Open without dropping a set.
His top competition will likely come from the remaining top four seeds. Third-seeded Daniil Medvedev, a US Open finalist last year, is offered at +500 at FanDuel and +550 at DraftKings. Stefanos Tsitsipas, the fourth seed, gets +650 and +800 odds, respectively, at FanDuel and DraftKings. Second-seeded Dominic Thiem fetches +850 and +900 odds at the two sportsbooks.
One thing of note, Tsitisipas is just 1-2 for his career at Flushing Meadows, and Thiem lost there in the first round last year and fell in the first round of the Western & Southern this year. They’re heavy favorites to win their first-round matches. But it’s certainly possible neither will stay around for long.
Women: Can Serena Tie the Record?
On the women’s side, Naomi Osaka and Williams are the cofavorites, with FanDuel and DraftKings offering them at+550 each. However, both players have some question marks hovering over them.
Osaka, the 2018 champion, pulled out of the Western and Southern final on Saturday, citing a hamstring injury. Williams, one of the most dominant players ever on the women’s tour, may be as much a sentimental pick, as she still tries to tie Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
Williams last major came at the 2017 Australian Open. She’s only won once on tour since. That was an Aussie prep in New Zealand earlier this year.
Daniela Hantuchova, a former tennis champion turned analyst, told WTATennis.org she thinks Williams, who has reached the last two US Open finals, still has a good chance to win.
She’s such a great champion who keeps evolving and improving with the game,” Hantuchova said. “Certain things may have worked against her back then. But she’s a much better player now, and so opponents have to find different ways to beat her. The sport has become much more physical, so she may still have to adjust to the fact that players are better able to stay with her, whereas she may have been able to hit them off the court in the past.”
Other odds of note include Karolina Pliskova (+850 FD, +900 DK), who is seeking her first grand slam. Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin is +1400 at FanDuel and +1100 at DraftKings. American teenager Cori Gauff, who made a big splash last year with an upset of Venus Williams at Wimbledon, is +2900 at FanDuel and +4000 at DraftKings to win her first major.
Fixed income manager Pacific Investment Management Co. (PIMCO) sees opportunities with corporate debt issued by travel and leisure companies, including casino operators, particularly if a coronavirus vaccine comes to market.
PIMCO Chief Investment Officer Mark Kiesel believes travel and leisure bonds, including casino debt, have rally potential. (Image: Bloomberg)
Airlines, gaming companies, and hoteliers, just to name a few, were among the leisure segments most repudiated during the March financial market selloff caused by the initial wave of COVID-19 cases. Specific to the gaming industry, bond prices tumbled, as ratings agencies rushed to lower outlooks and ratings on debt issued by some of the group’s biggest domestic and international operators.
Still, integrated resort operators were able to access capital in the debt and equity markets, even during the darkest days of the initial coronavirus surge. That allayed concerns about the companies’ ability to survive in a zero-revenue climate.
Even if you look at the deeply-affected COVID-hit sectors, these companies have 20 to 36 months of liquidity,” said Mark Kiesel, co-manager of the PIMCO Total Return Fund in an interview with Bloomberg. “Any vaccine that comes out in the next 6 to 12 months, I think you could see a rebound, and that’s the next wave, or the rally.”
Kiesel said the bond house is overweight travel and leisure debt in a “prudent way.”
Back from the Brink
As stocks tumbled and as US casinos were shuttered in March, concerns ramped-up about the ability of gaming companies to survive the pandemic.
Several months later, some casino giants are as well-capitalized as they’ve ever been. For example, Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS). The biggest US company in the industry by market capitalization, LVS says it has the cash to proceed with major Asia-Pacific enhancements while surviving 18 months in a no-revenue environment. Rival MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM), the largest operator on the Las Vegas Strip, has $8.1 billion worth of liquidity as of June 30.
PIMCO’s Kiesel told Bloomberg his firm has loaned money to “leaders” in the hotel and gaming industries, as well as to airlines via credits that are backed by new planes.
Speaking of Airlines…
The airline industry rebounding is essential to Sin City’s recovery because most travelers arrive to the largest US gaming mecca via passenger jet.
That makes Las Vegas vulnerable to airlines’ recent moves to slash routes to conserve cash. Wall Street analysts believe it will be 2022 at the earliest before domestic carriers see capacity levels on par with pre-crisis norms. Compounding Nevada’s woes is that drive-in traffic from neighboring Arizona and California remains slack.
However, there are incremental signs of improvement. In July, the consumer price index (CPI), the primary gauge of inflation in the US, rose 0.60 percent month-over-month. Relevant to gaming companies, airfares increased 5.4 percent, rental car prices jumped four percent, and hotel rates rose 1.2 percent, according to PIMCO research.
“Taking a step back, US prices in travel and leisure services in general have been much more flexible during the COVID-19 crisis versus what we’ve seen in past crises,” notes the asset manager.
The Catawba Nation’s $273 million casino project near Charlotte, NC took another step on Friday when tribal leaders unveiled the name for the planned – and controversial – resort.
The Catawba Nation on Friday unveiled the logo for its planned $273 million casino resort near Charlotte, NC. (Image: Catawba Nation)
Two Kings Casino Resort pays homage to the region and King Hagler, who was chief of the Catawba tribe from 1754 until his death in 1763. The resort will be located in Kings Mountain, NC, named for the nearby rock belt also named Kings Mountain at the nearby North Carolina-South Carolina state line. The town took the name after a pivotal Revolutionary War battle took place there.
“The Two Kings also represents our tribe’s long history of working with those around us, which King Hagler made a central part of his leadership,” the Catawba Nation said in a Facebook post Friday announcing the decision.
The tribal nation also unveiled the logo for the casino, which came about through consultation with Delaware North. The New York-based hospitality company will serve as the gaming operator for the casino. Construction is ongoing and the casino is set to open in about a year.
Tribal leaders estimate Two Kings will generate more than $300 million in economic activity annually and employ 2,600 people. The mayor of the town, located roughly 30 minutes west of Charlotte, has said he expects the resort to be the top entertainment destination between Atlanta and Washington, DC.
Federal Court Case Against Catawba Casino
However, the casino project is being contested in federal court by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The tribe, which is based in western North Carolina, filed the suit earlier this year against the Department of the Interior. The EBCI run two casinos in the state.
In the suit, the Cherokee tribe raised strenuous objections to the casino plans and the way federal officials awarded the project to the Catawbas, a tribe historically based in South Carolina. Earlier this year, the Interior Department signed off on the plan to put North Carolina land in trust for the Catawbas after legislation sponsored by US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) stalled.
In its amended complaint filed last month, the Cherokee claim political influence helped expedite the process. The EBCI allege Wallace Cheves, who has worked with the Catawba to develop a casino, donated nearly $600,000 to President Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee. He then used his access to get the Trump Administration to approve the project after meeting directly with high-level officials in Washington.
The EBCI also claim that the administration broke the law when it awarded the land without preparing an environmental impact statement. The Cherokees also believe the land in question may have ties to their tribal ancestry, and claim a casino built on the land would hurt its ability to protect any cultural resources that may be discovered there.
Cherokees Get Support
While the Cherokees are trying to stop the project in the courtroom, the tribe is also seeking help from county governments and other local groups in western North Carolina.
Nearly two weeks ago, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution by a 6-1 vote opposing the Catawba casino. Buncombe County, located about 50 miles east of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, is home to Asheville, the largest city is the western portion of the state.
The lone dissenter, Commissioner Anthony Penland, told his colleagues that while he understood the Catawba casino may hurt the Cherokees, he remembered a similar vote the commission took earlier in the month opposing unfair treatment of one group over another.
Considering the Catawbas high rate of poverty among their tribe, Penland said he could not support the measure.
I understand the personal views of the commission,” Penland said. “I really wished that it would have been as such that each commissioner could have just personally supported it and it didn’t come before the commission… everybody should have the same opportunity.”
EBCI Chief Richard Sneed also spoke at the Aug. 18 commissioners meeting. He appreciated Penland’s concern for social justice, but he said the process with the Catawbas circumvented the regulatory process, including the numerous environmental, crime, and traffic studies that would have taken years and millions of dollars of tribal funds to complete.
“If we’re going to talk about what is just and right, then we, as elected officials, are bound by the rule of law, and this is unjust and not right,” the chief said.
American player Thi Truong “HoneyandTHI” crushed the WSOP #74: $ 1,500 Pot Limit Omaha final table, railing five players to capture her first career win and the signature WSOP bracelet. Truong was the second female to win at the 2020 World Series of Poker Online[ international ] with Canadian pro Kristen Bicknell before her. Truong earned a career high score $ 215,938.24, a $ 15,000 WSOP Europe Package, and as a Natural8 player, Truong also won a 6 Month Team Bling Sponsorship Package worth $ 15,000. At the side events, Chinese player Kangstar89 banked his second $840 Bounty Hunter High Roller win this week. Recaps provided below.
Next chance for a gold is at the WSOP #75: $300 Double Stack No Limit Hold’em [ Asia ] which takes place on Saturday, August 29 @ 20:00 HKT. This is the last ASIA TIME ZONE event to accrue points towards the WSOP Asia Player of the Series race. Up for grabs is the one-of-a-kind WSOP Pure Gold Dragon trophy. Currently ahead is Brazil’sLuis Eduardo Assuncao Garla “Xapilskinha” with 3,568.84 points, trailed closely by USA’s Nicholas Maimone “rdcrsn” with 3,227.21 points. It is still anyone’s race though with a steal from behind very possible.
Entry flights continue to run for the brand’s esteemed WSOP #77: $ 5,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event [ $ 25M GTD ]. 18 of 23 flights have completed. 551 players are through to the final day led by Australian pro Kahle Burns with a towering 277.5 BB stack.
The 2020 WSOP Online [ international ] has been running since July 19th on Natural8 – GG Network. 42 bracelets have been claimed and a cumulative $ 83.4 million paid out. Only 12 bracelets remain. The series runs until September 6th. For first timers, make sure to sign up on Natural8 to avail of their fantastic promos and incentives. Read about it at the bottom of the page.
The WSOP #74: $ 1,500 Pot Limit Omaha attracted 972 to build a $ 1,385,100 prize pool. Amid a table loaded with bracelet winners and pros, Thi Truong powered through, eliminating five players to take the crown. For her incredible performance, she claimed the largest cut worth $ 215,938.24 and the coveted gold bracelet. This was Truong’s first ever career win and largest score. Playing on Natural8, Truong became the ninth WSOP Online champion to join the brand’s Team Bling.
Truong’s win seemed destined with 13 deep runs this series prior to her triumph. She entered the final table as chip leader having doubled up twice during the final 12 players. Joining her were three bracelet winners namely Kyle Bowker “johnmarbles”, Frank Crivello “Sbma2016”, and Enrico Camosci “GTOExploiter”. For the latter two, they both earned their gold this series and were impressively back at the final table. Several high profile pros filled other seats, Lithuania’sLaurynas Levinskas, Brazil’s Joao Simao “naturalMENTE” who was on his second final table visit this series, and American superstar Sean Winter with over $ 31.1 million in live tournament earnings.
WSOP #74 – $ 1,500 Pot Limit Omaha final table
It took under two hours for the champion Truong to emerge. Along the way, she railed Johannes Toebbe “Yohan86” (9th), denied Crivello (8th) a second gold, amassed ⅔ of the chips in play after eliminating Simao (4th), then emptied out Dante Fernandes (3rd) to face Camosci for the title ahead 2:1 in chips. For Camosci, it was a chance to match up to Canada’sAlek Stasiak with two bracelets this series. However, it was not to be. Five minutes in, his hopes were shattered.
Truong pushed on a turn board , Camosci called for his tournament life with , the river sealed the win for Truong while Camosci settled for a second place payout $ 165,414.32.
Final table payouts
1st Thi Truong “HoneyandTHI” – USA – $ 215,938.24 + $ 15,000 WSOP Europe Package
2nd Enrico Camosci “GTOExploiter” – Italy – $ 165,414.32
3rd Dante Fernandes – Brazil – $ 120,041.07
4th Joao Simao “naturalMENTE” – Brazil – $ 87,113.78
5th Laurynas Levinskas – Lithuania – $ 63,218.45
6th Joao Simao “naturalMENTE” – Brazil – $ 45,877.55
7th Frank Crivello “Sbma2016” – USA – $ 33,293.51
8th Sean Winter – USA – $ 24,160.99
9th Johannes Toebbe “Yohan86” – Germany – $ 17,533.70
Top 50 notable players in the money: Antti Nieminen “Botripper” (10th), Jesus Cortes (11th), Rui Ferreira (12th), Felipe Ramos (16th), Craig Timmis (23rd), Martin Zamani (25th), Anson Yan Shing Tsang “Tara@0z” (26th), Alex Foxen (27th), Ben Lamb (46th), and Chris Brewer (48th).
Tomorrow: WSOP #75: $300 Double Stack No Limit Hold’em [ Asia ]
This is the last ASIA TIME ZONE event to accrue points towards the WSOP Asia Player of the Series race.
Buy in: $ 300
Date: Saturday, August 29 @ 20:00 HKT
Late registration: 210 minutes
Re-entries: 2 times
Open: WSOP #77: $ 5,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event [ $25M GTD ]
Year after year, players flock to Las Vegas with dreams of winning a bracelet, however no gold is more desired than that of the WSOP Main Event. This year’s edition guarantees a staggering $ 25 Million, the largest ever in online poker.
The hunt for the 51st WSOP Main Event champion is well underway with 18 starting flights completed. Only 5 remain. 551 players are through to the final day with Australian pro Kahle Burns setting the bar high with a massive 277.5 BB stacked. Jonathan Dokler “Serenity” is ranked second with 204.4 BB. Among the newest final day qualifiers were: David Peters, Dario Sammartino, Isaac Haxton, Anant Purohit “MisterPro”,Chi Chung Ho “chipuker”, and Natural8 Team NLG pro Ana Marquez.
Buy in: $ 5,000
Guarantee: $ 25,000,000
Entry Dates: August 16 to August 30
Cumulative Entries: 3,022
Final Day qualifiers: 551
Entry flights: 5 remaining
Day 2: August 30 @ 18:30 UTC [ play down to final 40 players ]
Final Day: September 7 @ 18:30 UTC
Top 15 in chips
WSOP #77 – $ 5,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event [ $25M GTD ] top15 in chips
Also through via the previous flights were: Natural8 Team Hot Ambassadors Danny Tang, Pete Chen, and Niklas Ehrenholz “NikkyMouse”, Natural8 Team NLG prosFedor Holz, Manig Loeser, and Stefan Schillhabel “Schilli33”, Asian bracelet winners Ji Young Kim, Wei Guo Liang “SPARK1207”, and Sung Joo Hyun “ArtePokerTV”, other notable players Erik Seidel, Matthias Eibinger, Adrian Mateos, Sammy Farha, SamadRazavi “JejuKingCrab”, Sam Greenwood, Calvin Lee, and David Tai.
Paused: WSOP #70: $25,000 NLH POKER PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Last Sunday, the WSOP #70: $ 25,000 NLH POKER PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP high roller bracelet event went from 407 entries down to the final 9. The race resumes on August 29 @ 18:00 UTC / August 30 @ 02:00 HKT. A six digit payout awaits the top two places and an additional $ 15,000 WSOP Europe Package to the champion.
Leading in the pack is American pro Jason Koon whose extensive list of career achievements still lacks a WSOP victory. Throughout his career, Koon has cashed 43 times at the series, reaching the final table 10 times. The high roller crusher brings in a portfolio of $ 31.1 million in live tournament earnings with a largest score of $ 3,579,836 for his victory at the 2018 Triton Super High Roller Montenegro HK$ 1M No Limit Hold’em Short Deck.
Koon will have his hands full coming final day with fellow countryman Aram Zobian “Pusha T” looking to add a bracelet to match the ring he won at the 2019/2020 WSOP Circuit $ 215 No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack on WSOP.com. Another famed American player is online superstar Chris Hunichen with well over $ 12.5 million in online earnings and over $ 8.1 million in the live scene. Then there is the short stacked Paulius Plausinaitis “ChickenBBQ” who has everything to gain. Plausinaitis is the only player who secured a seat via the discounted $1K Ultra Satellite Qualifier.
Buy in: $ 25,000
Guarantee: $ 10,000,000
Entries: 407
Prize pool: $ 10,000,000
ITM: 55 places
Final table: August 29 @ 18:00 UTC / August 30 @ 02:00 HKT
*Live broadcast on GGPoker.TV.
WSOP #70 – $25,000 NLH POKER PLAYER CHAMPIONSHIP final table
Final table players by chip count
Jason Koon – USA – 7,863,055 – 49.1 BB
Shankar Pillai “Saquon” – USA – 6,875,234 – 43 BB
Christian Rudolph – Germany – 5,544,188 – 34.7 BB
Aram Zobian “Pusha T” – USA – 4,405,440 – 27.5 BB
Chris Hunichen – USA- 4,175,274 – 26.1 BB
Aleksejs Ponakovs – Latvia – 3,883,951 – 24.3 BB
Aliaksei Boika “BladeRunner1” – Montenegro – 3,297,276 – 20.6 BB
Paulius Plausinaitis “ChickenBBQ” – Lithuania – 2,905,555 – 18.2 BB
Brunno Botteon – Brazil – 1,750,027 – 10.9 BB
Among the players in the money were: Jack Salter (10th), Scott Seiver (15th), Stephen Chidwick (19th), Jacob Schindler (20th), Hun Wei Lee (30th), David Peters (32nd), Elio Fox (41st), Kartik Ved “Mandovi” (44th), Christopher Brewer (46th), Andras Nemeth (49th), Thai Ha (51st), and James Chen (52nd).
WSOP SIDE EVENTS
WSOP Side Event: $840 Bounty Hunter High Roller – KangStar89 – $ 33,860.50
Another victory for China’s KangStar89 at the $ 840 Bounty Hunter High Roller side event. Two nights prior, KangStar89 defeated Vlad Martynenko “CheckeToFold” to ship the event of its kind for $ 24,572.21. Last night, he shipped it again, denying two Vietnamese players – endlesslove and XeKooVn – to claim $ 13,601.50 plus a substantial $ 20,250 in bounties for a combined $ 33,860.50 in winnings.
Grueling heads up battle between Phillip Mighall “tazmania888” and “naripez” at the $ 1,500 Deepstack. Mighall entered with a 6:1 chip lead but after paying out two double ups with dominated by and outdrawn by two pair, it evened up. A deal was immediately struck. The battle resumed for the added Main Event Final Day seat. “tazmania888” went on to claim it.
WSOP Side Event: $800 PLO Encore – giannnn – $ 36,692.11
For Canada’s “giannnn”, it took four bullets to get there and claim the $ 36,692.11 first prize. “giannnn” overcame a big deficit at three handed, railed regdebaraio (3rd) to enter heads up in front of Brian England “cuntpuntin33”. His momentum carried, taking pot after pot to drain out England’s entire stack. This was giannnn’s first side event win this series.
Buy in: $ 800
Date: August 27
Guarantee: $ 75,000
Entries: 251
Prize pool: $ 190,760
ITM: 35 places
Winner: giannnn – Canada – $ 36,692.11
2nd Brian England “cuntpuntin33” – USA – $ 27,348.70
WSOP Side Event: $250 Super Turbo Six Handed – Philipp Gruissem – $ 17,990.56
After a swingy heads up battle at the $ 250 Super Turbo Six Handed between two Germans, Markus Prinz “_PrinzOfDTO_” and Philipp Gruissem, it was the latter who prevailed to capture his first side event this series. Gruissem earned a cool $ 17,990.56, which was just enough to help carry him into the black.
The race for the WSOP Player of the Series title and the Asia Player of the Series title are well underway. In store for the ultimate Player of the Series winners, overall leaderboard champion wins the WSOP Pure Gold Mouse, the Asia Player of the Series claims the WSOP Pure Gold Dragon, and the exclusive Pure Gold Card will be awarded to overall leaderboard finishers 2nd to 5th. Current standings after 40 completed bracelet events.
WSOP 2020 Online Leaderboard – Top 10
Canadian pro Daniel Dvoress continues to lead the overall race. Dvoress cashed in four events which included a victory at the WSOP #71: $ 1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER. Second ranked Alek Stasiak is not too far behind. Stasiak cashed in three events of which two were victories. He is the only player with two WSOP titles this series.
WSOP Player of the Series leaderboard current standing
WSOP 2020 Online Leaderboard [ Asia Time Zone Events ] – Top 10
At the Asia POS, WSOP #55: HK$ 8,000 NLH Asia Championship winner Luis Eduardo Assuncao Garla “Xapilskinha” maintains pole position. Only one Asia Time Zone event remains to accrue points towards this race – WSOP #75: $300 Double Stack No Limit Hold’em [ Asia ] runs on August 29 at 8pm HKT.
WSOP 2020 Online Leaderboard [ Asia Time Zone Events ]
UPCOMING KEY EVENTS
WSOP #79: $25,000 Heads Up NLHE [ 128 cap, no late reg ]
Buy in: $ 25,000
Entries: 128 cap Late registration: N/A Date: September 1 @ 18:00 UTC / September 2 @ 02:00 HKT
Semi Finals: September 5 @ 18:00 UTC / September 6 @ 02:00 HKT
WSOP #84: $100 WSOP MILLIONS [ $2M GTD ]
Buy in: $ 100
Guarantee: $ 2,000,000
Entry Dates: August 31 to September 6
Entry Flights: 26 offered
Final Day: September 5 @ 18:00 UTC / September 6 @ 02:00 HKT
WSOP #83: $10K WSOP Super MILLION$ [ $5M GTD ]
Buy in: $ 10,000
Date: September 6 @ 18:00 UTC / September 7 @ 02:00 HKT
Guarantee: $ 5,000,000
Notes: 2 day event
Other Games
For those looking to enter bracelet events for cheap, the WSOP Silk Road is your route. Daily tickets can be won until August 31. Alek Stasiak “astazz” earned his seat to WSOP #33: $1,111 Every 1 for Covid Relief via a $10 qualifier which bought him a seat in the $100 satellite to the above-mentioned bracelet event which he shipped for $ 343.2K. If you are interested in non- bracelet events, several WSOP side events are scheduled with buy ins from $125 to $800.
Natural8 Promos
For players signed up on Natural8, expect fantastic player incentives. WSOP Online champions Luis Assuncao Garla “Xapilskinha”, Daniel Dvoress, Hun Wei Lee, Teoh Ming Juen “Paul Teoh”, Shoma Ishikawa “pp_syon”,Marcelo Jakovjlevic Pudla “Marolo”, and Anson Yan Shing Tsang “Tara@0z” have already won a Team Bling Sponsorship package for their incredible achievement. Other promos are the First Deposit Bonus and WSOP Silk Road leaderboard race. 11 days left to avail of the promos!
WSOP Winner’s Circle Sponsorship Packages
Main Event = $100,000 Natural8 Sponsorship*
Win the WSOP Main Event and you’ll not only become a part of Team Bling, you’ll be the CAPTAIN of the team. This exclusive package includes:
12 month Team Bling Sponsorship
$15,000 Las Vegas Package ($10,000 to cover your buy-ins and $5,000 for expenses)
$25,000 for live event sponsorships
T$60,000 in online sponsorships, paid out over 12 months
Buy-ins of $1,000 and above = $15,000 Natural8 Sponsorship*
Win a WSOP Bracelet from any event with a buy-in of $1,000 and above, and you’ll get a Team Bling package that includes:
6 month Team Bling Sponsorship
$15,000 Las Vegas Package ($10,000 to cover your buy-ins and $5,000 for expenses)
Buy-ins from $50 to $999 = $7,500 Natural8 Sponsorship*
Win a WSOP Bracelet from any event with a buy-in of $999 and below, and you’ll get a Team Bling package that includes:
6 month Team Bling Sponsorship
$7,500 Las Vegas Package ($5,000 to cover your buy-ins and $2,500 for expenses)
WSOP First Deposit Bonus
First time depositors on Natural8 can expect a special bump in the load. For a minimum deposit of $20 are gifts worth up to $ 100 over six consecutive days. The initial $ 60 in WSOP tickets – WSOP Satellite and WSOP Spin & Gold, another $ 40 in WSOP tickets for those that complete all 6 AoF challenges of 100 AoF hands per day.
WSOP Silk Road
The WSOP Silk Road Micro Series has been ongoing since July 1st and will run until August 31st. This is for players looking to enter bracelet events for cheap. And seriously, who wouldn’t want to win a multi million event for as low as $ 1.08? Via this route, buy ins only go as high as $ 21.60. Top the Natural8 Silk Road Leaderboard to win an instant ticket to the WSOP #77: $5,000 Main Event [ $25M GTD ].
Plenty of action still to come so stick with us at Somuchpoker as we bring you daily updates on the ongoing 2020 WSOP Online on Natural8.
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