Gossip Column: Galfond to Play JNandez, Perkins & His Thirst Lounge Team; Malta Casino Mogul Charged With Murder

Phil Galfond JNandez Bill Perkins & Yorgen Fenech - Gossip Column
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  • Namita Ghosh December 10, 2019
  • 3 Minutes Read

Remember a fortnight ago Run It Once (RIO) founder Phil Galfond had thrown a high-stakes heads-up challenge to the poker community?

It looks like the ball has started rolling in just the right direction for Galfond`s challenge! Last week, Galfond had confirmed his first heads-up challenger – poker playing billionaire, Bill Perkins, and his team of Thirst Lounge streamers! Galfond has named the heads-up contest his own ‘Durrrr Challenge,’ and this one with Perkins and team is slated to play out over 50,000 hands of PLO on Run It Once Poker!

While Perkins and Galfond were still mulling over the finer details of the high stakes contest that is likely to play out in January, another poker pro has been lined up as a second challenger. The second challenger is well-known high-stakes pro Fernando Habegger aka Jnandez, who has announced that he’s ready to play Galfond over 50,000 hands of PLO at $100/$200 stakes. JNandez has an envious reputation in the high-stakes PLO circuit, and it will be entertaining to watch the two PLO superstars slog it out for the big bucks with a lot of pride on the line.

In Europe, Casino owner and business mogul Yorgen Fenech has been arrested on the charges of complicity in the 2017 murder of the investigative journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia. Fenech, who is known to have deep connections with higher administrative and political machinery, has been denied a presidential pardon. His involvement in the case has had political fallouts as well in the Maltese government, with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announcing that he will be resigning from office on January 18.

 

Thirst Lounge Owner Bill Perkins & Team, JNandez to Play Phil Galfond Heads-Up

Run It Once (RIO) owner and three-time WSOP bracelet champion, Phil Galfond, has been devoting most of his time and resources towards growing his online poker site, and he hasn’t stopped at just that. Seeking out engaging ways to increase traffic to RIO, Galfond had in the last week of November come up with a brilliant idea – a high-stakes heads-up contest. Galfond had undoubtedly given good thought to the concept since he had called out two groups of people – those into poker training and creating poker content, and just about anyone who plays poker to jostle against him.

Bill Perkins Vs Phil Galfond
Bill Perkins Vs Phil Galfond

While Galfond got a lot of interest for the challenge, it seems that he has finally confirmed the first two matches of what he is calling his “own Durrrr Challenge!” Poker playing billionaire Bill Perkins and his Thirst Lounge Live-stream team are going to be Galfond’s first challengers. If that doesn`t get you excited enough, Galfond has well-known high-stakes pro Fernandes Habegger, popularly known as JNandez, lined up as his second challenger!

JNandez
JNandez

Galfond had confirmed his first heads-up challenger Perkins and his Thirst Lounge in a tweet last week.

Perkins, who is a Hedge Fund Manager, film director, and poker pro, had revamped his live-streaming venture, The Thirst Lounge, back in February this year. He even brought on-board 10 new hosts, namely Adam Klein, Cat Valdes, John Gonzalez, Ebony Kenney, Voislav Ivanovski, Jon Pardy, Justin Kelly, Kelly Minkin, Matthew Forsythe, and Priestley Leng.

The Galfond Vs. Perkins and Thirst Lounge team will compete over a marathon 50,000 hands of PLO on RIO on stakes of $100/$200, and the same will be live-streamed. While the finer details of the contest are still being ironed out, the same day, he also clarified that if either party is down $400,000 at any point, the match will end, and the loser will be forced to pay the winner a side bet.

From the sounds of it, Galfond has more on the line than Perkins and his Thirst Lounge streamers. If the latter goes on to win the challenge, Galfond will have to pay Perkins another $800,000. However, if Galfond wins, Perkins will have to shell out another $200,000. Evidently, this hasn’t fared well with Galfond’s wife and fellow poker player, Sarah Galfond.

While the heads-up contest with Perkins and Thirst Lounge team will be the first of Galfond’s challengers, they will most likely not be the last! Galfond is offering 5-to-1 on a $200,000 side bet for any non-RIO training site coaches willing to take on the bet, and already, JNandez has responded.

Like Perkins, JNandez is ready to play 50,000 hands of high-stakes PLO against Galfond, at the stakes of $100/$200, with him putting in another $200,000 if he loses, and Galfond having to dish out $1 Million as a side bet.

Galfond welcomed JNandez to the challenge.

Now, if Galfond is one of the most talented PLO specialists in the world, JNandez commands an equally iconic status in the high-stakes PLO circuit. So whatever be the outcome of the game, poker watchers can look forward to hours of epic live-streamed action!

 

Casino Mogul Charged With Journalist’s Murder

The gambling industry is no stranger to controversies and ugly altercations, and with massive amounts of money exchanging hands, sometimes things do go horribly wrong. Back in 2017, Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia had rocked quite a few boats with claims that she had information that would link some of the country’s top politicians with businessmen. Galizia alleged that this group was allegedly routing money in and out of Dubai. Months after Galizia discussed the activities of a Dubai-based firm called 17 Black as part of this elite, illicit group, she was killed in a car bomb blast.

Yorgen Fenech
Yorgen Fenech

The investigations opened a pandora’s box of controversial connections, uncovering the involvement of Casino owner Yorgen Fenech in Galizia’s murder.

Fenech is one of the most influential people on the island. The 38-year old millionaire was evidently in control of the operations at 17 Black and allegedly acted as a middleman in the illegal money transfers. After Galizia’s disclosures, he also reportedly facilitated the payment of €450,000 to the three men who executed the car blast.

As the incident rocked Malta, Fenech had to step down from his position as the CEO of the Tumas Group. He later named three top government officials – Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Keith Schembri, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi, and Economic Minister Chris Cardona, as being involved in Galizia’s murder.

With Fenech’s connections with senior officials and politicians coming to the fore, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has been hit by a barrage of accusations on the manner in which the case was handled. While three top officials of his government resigned earlier last week, on Saturday, Muscat, too, announced that he would be resigning on January 18.

Fenech’s appeal to be given Presidential pardon in return of naming the accused was turned down. On November 20, Fenesh made a desperate attempt to flee the country on his luxury yacht but was arrested by the Maltese Armed Forces.

While investigations continue in the case, Fenech stands to face a life sentence in prison for the murder charges.

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