Now that the holiday season has come and gone, Daniel Negreanu and many other poker pros are gearing up for another trip to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. We’re covering that story, plus a remarkable accomplishment by Alex Wice at PokerStars, in this edition of the Nightly Turbo.

In Case You Missed It:

Ben “Sauce123” Sulsky was online poker’s biggest cash game winner in 2012. Sulsky won more than $3.5 million, besting top pros like Jens “Jeans89” Kyllönen, Ben “Ben86” Tollerene and Phil “MrSweets28” Galfond to earn the honor.

Marvin Rettenmaier climbed past Dan Smith into the top spot of the Global Poker Index. What pushed the German pro into the lead? Mickey Doft takes a look at the major changes in this week’s GPI rankings.

Kid Poker’s First Rant of 2013

Before embarking on his trip to the Bahamas for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure this week, Daniel Negreanu fired up his webcam Wednesday to record a video blog entitled Happy New Year Rant!

Negreanu opened the blog by discussing poker’s “outcasts” and how he’s vowed to get some of them back on track. Last week, Negreanu commended one of poker’s famous pariahs, Sorel Mizzi, for a blog he wrote about his infamous past. We’ll touch on Mizzi later in this Nightly Turbo. Another player Daniel mentioned was Howard Lederer. However, as you’d expect, Negreanu won’t be reaching out to his nemesis anytime soon.

Kid Poker also discussed his love life and how his ex-wife helped him become a better person. Despite not making it as a couple, Negreanu has remained friends with his ex, saying that she helped him “become a better man.”

Negreanu missed an easy segue to mention his upcoming appearance on Millionaire Matchmaker, a reality show on the Bravo Network which pairs millionaires with compatible gold diggers partners. Negreanu recently tweeted a teaser video for the show, including an awkward scene in which he speaks with an astrologer about marriage.

Here’s the latest edition of Negreanu’s Rant:

Wice Wins the Race

We’re only three days into 2013, but the race to become the first SuperNova Elite on PokerStars is already on.

Last month, PokerStars posted a promotional competition to see who can reach Supernova and Supernova Elite status first in the New Year. The first player to reach 100,000 VPP would earn Supernova status and a few prizes, including 100,000 FPP to use in the VIP Store. The winner would also get his face stamped in the 2013 PokerStars Collectible Card Deck along with Team PokerStars Pros and other notable live and online PokerStars players.

Amazingly, after just 39 hours and 25 minutes, poker pro Alex “AWice” Wice was congratulated as the first player to earn 100,000 VPPs in 2013 a tight race against “MouldyOnions.” The two players registered for nearly every high-stakes hyper turbo sit-and-go on PokerStars after the turn of the New Year, and Wice showed slightly more endurance to reach the finish line first.

PokerStars VIP Manager Steve Day revealed the final tally on the TwoPlusTwo forums Wednesday afternoon:

100,001.88 AWice

94,720.82 MouldyOnions

Congratulations to Alex Wice, first player to 100,000 VPPs in 2013!

Total time taken: 39 hours 25 minutes.

Wice posted the following on TwoPlusTwo after it was all over:

I want to give a few details of what happened over the last couple of days.

Alex Wice

First, the sprint finish. Basically, in order to catch up to MouldyOnions at the very end, I had to play $60 hypers as well. This was pretty tough and I ended up 50 tabling. If you look at PS steve updates I was getting 6k vpp an hour. This is completely insane, if you cough you are done. (It cannot be compared to tabling hypers in the past because PS has changed the time to act and other rules so it is much faster than it used to be.) Also, I think I had a log file thing too, or something similar. I lagged out of 30 tables with 2k vpp to go. I was very flustered, lol.

In general, for high-count tabling there is extreme stress induced on the body, I think my practice with exercise before hand has helped me sleep and play more comfortably (and feel less anxiety) even though I am still getting used to it. I probably sweated an entire bucket through my hands over the last couple of days – talcum powder, gloves, and many towels didn’t help.

I am happy for this challenge and for MouldyOnions in particular because it allowed me to test myself at the hardest level and rise to the challenge. If you had asked me 2 days ago when I would get SN, I would never have guessed now. Also if no one was close to getting first SN, neither of us would have played as hard.

At this pace, Wice would reach SuperNova Elite status within two weeks. That would smash the record set last year by Andrew “azntracker” Li, who reached Supernova Elite in just two months. The mark was previously held by Team PokerStars Online’s George “Jorg95″ Lind, who hit the landmark in about 11 weeks in 2010.

Read the full thread at TwoPlusTwo.com.

Mizzi Turning a Corner?

Sorel Mizzi has vowed to start a new chapter in his life in 2013, taking responsibility for his past and mentally working through everything to better himself, his career, and his future. Facing many hardships in the past, Mizzi was accused of cheating on more than one occasion during his career as a poker pro.

Mizzi received a life ban on Full Tilt Poker in late 2007 after an investigation concluded that Chris ‘BluffMagCV’ Vaughn sold his account to Mizzi with three tables left in the Sunday $1 Million Guaranteed tournament. Mizzi went on to win the event under Vaughn’s name, and Vaughn was later disqualified from the tournament. Vaughn had his winnings seized and both players were banned for life from the site.

Sorel Mizzi

Then, in late 2008, PokerStars banned access to Mizzi’s “zangbezan24″ account for three months after he violated PokerStars’ Term of Service. Mizzi was accused of handing off his tournament seat to a different player, resulting in disqualification and an initial ban of six months, which was then reduced to just three.

Mizzi began mending some of his negative reputation back in 2010 by earning the title of Bluff Magazine Player of the Year, only to fall back into scandal in early 2011. Just a few days after Full Tilt Poker allowed for Mizzi’s account to be reinstated after a two-and-a-half year ban, a cheating accusation surfaced on the TwoPlusTwo poker forums. Shaun Deeb posted details of an incident in which Mizzi cheated John Racener out of thousands of dollars playing Chinese Poker during the PCA in January.

Now, Sorel Mizzi has taken to his blog to start anew by admitting to his mistakes and vowing to change his perception of himself and others. “I’m committed to using my experiences to redefine my values and strengthen my character,” Mizzi wrote. “I’ve woken up, and I’m ready to be the hero in my own movie. Having integrity, being honorable, loving and passionate is no longer a struggle; it’s a way of life and a state of being.”

His honest and heartfelt blog has come with much praise from other players who have given him words of encouragement and admiration for being bold, honest and mature. Brian Rast posted a comment following his blog, saying, “I enjoyed reading this. I am glad to see you growing, maturing, and dealing with these kind of problems. Just remember that change is a process, it’s not instantaneous. I miss you and hope everything’s well.”

World Series of Poker Media Director Nolan Dalla also lent support, commenting, “This is a refreshing perspective. Unfortunately poker is filled with one-dimensional self-centered people. When I read something like this it renews my hope for the future.”

Mizzi ended his blog by announcing a New Year’s resolution of maintaining the “positivity, love and acceptance of the child I once was, no matter the obstacle.”

Check out his full blog at SorelMizzi.ca.

Galen Goes to School

On Thursday, 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure champion Galen Hall announced via Twitter that he won’t be traveling to the Bahamas for this year’s popular poker festival. Hall said he’ll be skipping the trip to Atlantis for the first time in three years because he’s starting his last two quarters of business school on Monday.

After winning the Main Event in 2011 for $2.3 million, Hall made another big splash last year by taking third in the $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller for $470,000. While he’s earned more than $2.8 million during his two trips to Atlantis, Hall is probably best remembered for the incredible laydown he made during heads-up play against Chris Oliver in the 2011 Main Event.

In case you don’t remember the play against Oliver, here’s another look (action begins at around 6:40):

The 2013 PCA kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 5 with the $100,000 Super High Roller. PokerNews will be on site to cover all of the big moments, so be sure to check our Live Reporting page for all of the updates from the Bahamas.

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The presents have been opened, champagne bottles have been emptied, and Antonio Esfandiari has survived two New Year’s Eve parties. Now, it’s time to get back to the daily grind here at PokerNews. In the first Nightly Turbo of 2013, we’re covering a proposed Texas bill that would ban online poker, the nominations for the European Poker Awards, and more.

In Case You Missed It:

The 2013 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is set to kick off later this week. Chad Holloway takes an all-inclusive look at the first 10 years of the Main Event.

What can the poker world expect in 2013? Rich Ryan makes 10 bold predictions for the coming year.

Another year is in the books, and little progress was made in legalizing online poker in the U.S. Matthew Kredell examines in his 2012 Legislative Year in Review.

A number of 2012 Player of the Year awards are being handed out this week. Dan Sun received the honor from the Mid-States Poker Tour.

Texas Considers Online Poker Ban

The Texas Gaming Act of 2013 will be up for discussion once again when the state’s legislation reconvenes on Jan. 8, 2013.

Originally proposed in December 2012, the revised bill would regulate land-based poker rooms while banning online poker. The measure also prohibits electronic poker tables, which were supported in the earlier bill.

Sponsored by State Sen. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin), the Texas Lottery Commission would get a new poker division that would permit licenses to existing pari-mutuel facilities, bingo halls and tribes. Tribes and pari-mutuels could offer poker around the clock, while bingo halls would be limited to having poker games only during normal hours of operation.

In the proposed bill, tournaments would have a suggested $100 max buy-in that would eliminate any major series from passing through the state. Also included are provisions for bad-beat and promotional jackpots.

According to the bill, operators would be taxed a mere maximum of 18 percent of gross revenues with a portion going to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs to aid homeless and low-income residents of the state.

Having similar proposals in the past, Texas remains conservative to gambling interests despite the state lending its name to poker’s most popular game.

CalvinAyre.com has more.

Mad Marvin Leads European Poker Awards Nominations

The nominations for the 2013 European Poker Awards have been announced and the list is loaded with talented poker pros.

Marvin Rettenmaier, who already won the honor of 2012 European Global Poker Index Player of the Year, tops the list with nominations for Best Tournament Performance and Poker Personality of the Year.

Also receiving nods for various awards are Chris Moorman, Viktor Blom, Gus Hansen, Bertrand Grospellier, and Tony G.

Hosted by Kara Scott, who is also up for Poker Personality of the Year, the ceremony will take place at the Elysee Biarritz in Paris on Jan. 22, 2013 as part of the Euro Finals of Poker Series in the French capital. The ceremony will be sponsored by the Global Poker Index, which partnered with the European Poker Awards in the latter half of 2012.

The winners will be selected by a panel chaired by Nic Szeremeta, creator of the event. The panel will also include Stephan Gollubits, Jérôme Schmidt, Barry Carter, Joe Beevers, Alexandre Dreyfus, Michael Michelin and Jesse May.

The full list of nominations is as follows:

Rookie of the Year – Gaëlle Baumann, Lucille Cailly, Aubin Cazals, Ole Schemion

Best Tournament Performance – Davidi Kitai, Rocco Palumbo, Marvin Rettenmaier, Ole Schemion, Sam Trickett

Europe’s Leading Lady – Gaëlle Baumann, Liv Boeree, Lucille Cailly, Elisabeth Hille

Internet Player of the Year – Viktor Blom, Jens Kyllönen, Chris Moorman, Ilari Sahamies

Poker Staff Person of the Year – Dave Brannan, Nicolas Fraioli, Neil Johnson, Simon Trumper

Rob Gardner Memorial Award for the Poker Personality of the Year -
Neil Channing, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, Tony Guoga, Gus Hansen, Marvin Rettenmaier, Kara Scott

Best European Event of the Year – EPT Barcelona, Irish Poker Open, Prague Poker Festival, WSOPE Cannes

Read more about the event at GlobalPokerIndex.com.

PokerStars Launches Zoom Poker Tournaments

Zoom Poker tournaments are the new craze at PokerStars after the world’s leading online poker room launched a beta test of the new format on New Year’s Day.

Similar to Full Tilt Poker’s Rush Poker tables, Zoom Poker is a fast-paced poker format that allows players to play hundreds of hands per hour and (potentially) increase profits. The game plays exactly the same way as any other online cash game except for one huge difference – as soon as you fold, you are removed from the table you were seated at and placed at a new table with different players. You can fold at any point when you are facing a bet, or click “Fast Fold” to fold even when it is not your turn to act.

While Zoom tournaments are still in the developmental stage, the events offered since New Year’s Day proved to be a hit among players. As many as 12 real-money Zoom Poker tournaments are on the daily schedule throughout this week. All of them can be found in the Micro stakes tab in the PokerStars lobby.

Zoom Poker has been very popular since it launched last spring. Said Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu: “Zoom Poker offers people a different way to play poker. Recreational players, who want more constant action, will be able to fold instantly and wait for better hands, while pro grinders will be able to get in hundreds of more hands an hour and win more. On top of all that, it’s just so much fun to play!”

More Records in Macau

Macau’s casinos set more records in 2012, raking in $38 billion in gambling revenue – a 13.5 percent increase over 2011 ($33 million).

The number was boosted by a monthly revenue growth of 19.6 percent in December, a new record for the Chinese gambling mecca. According to the Macau government, the $3.43 million generated in December was the highest ever.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the $38 billion yearly figure is higher than the $35.64 billion collected by the entire U.S. commercial casino industry in 2011. Last year, Macau pulled in about 5.5 times the gaming revenue of Las Vegas.

Macau has been the home to many of poker’s biggest cash games and tournaments over the past two years. Top pros like Tom Dwan, Patrik Antonius, Gus Hansen and Sam Trickett have been regulars at the Poker King Club, playing cash games as high as HKD $30,000/$60,000 (USD $3,850/$7,700). In August 2012, Stanley Choi won the biggest-ever buy-in tournament in Asia, the $260,000 buy-in Macau High Stakes Challenge, for $6.5 million.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has more.

PPC at Aruba

In May, the DeepStacks Poker Tour will make its first trip outside the U.S. for the 2013 DeepStacks Poker Tour Players Poker Championship at Aruba. The $2,500 Main Event will run from May 6 through 9 and boasts a $200,000 guarantee.

On Wednesday, the PPC unveiled a promo for the event:

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Check out the original source here! Originally from PokerNews.com