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World Pool returns to UK and Ireland with launch of £50,000 jockeys’ charity prize
World Pool, the largest globally commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, will make its UK seasonal bow at Newmarket Racecourse on Saturday 4 May, where a brand new £50,000 initiative is being launched for jockeys.
For the first time the opening two Classics of the UK Flat season will both be World Pool events, with the QIPCO 1000 Guineas on Sunday 5 May becoming a new World Pool race this year and joining the 2000 Guineas run the day before.
Guineas weekend will also see the start of a new World Pool initiative, the World Pool UK & Ireland Jockeys’ Championship, where jockeys will compete to accumulate points across World Pool fixtures in the UK & Ireland.
For the winning jockey of every World Pool race in the UK and Ireland, points will be awarded based on the World Pool win dividend. The concept of this point system offers a level playing field for all jockeys, from leaders to rising stars, and their chances of winning are dictated by the public as reflected by their World Pool odds.
Beginning with the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, the competition will conclude on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on 19 October, with the winner receiving £50,000 to be donated to a charity of their choice.
A further new addition to the World Pool calendar this year will be the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas on Sunday 26 May. The Tattersalls Gold Cup, run on the same day, will also be a World Pool race for the first time, with prize money increased from €450,000 in 2023 to €500,000 this year.
Following the successful introduction of World Pool Moment of the Year in 2022 in Great Britain and Ireland, this will continue in 2024 covering all full World Pool meetings and will reward stable staff with cash prizes, as well as a VIP trip to Hong Kong for four people in 2025 to the overall winner.
One World Pool Moment of the Day will be selected at each full World Pool meeting with the winning groom receiving HK$40,000 (or equivalent – £4,000 in the UK and €4,000 in Ireland).
Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “It’s fantastic to be returning to the UK and Ireland with an extended World Pool fixture list this year now featuring the English and Irish 1000 Guineas, and we look forward to making these historic fillies’ Classics available to customers from around the world.
“In addition to the popular World Moment of the Day initiative, we’re excited to announce the new World Pool UK & Ireland Jockeys’ Championship, which will provide a different dimension and further competition to World Pool racedays right up until QIPCO British Champions Day in October.
“It’s a unique competition, with a jockey’s points being determined by World Pool win dividends, and a great initiative as there’s £50,000 up for grabs for the leading rider to donate to a charity of their choice. We are committed to giving money back to racing and good causes, and this seemed the perfect way to do that.”
Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group, said: “It’s always an exciting time of year as the Flat season gets underway and we’re delighted that both the UK’s first Classics are World Pool events. City Of Troy has the potential to be a global superstar and we look forward to his seasonal reappearance being watched and bet on by 28 countries who play into the UK’s first World Pool event of 2024.
“Racing fans in the UK and Ireland will be able to access the huge global pools at tote.co.uk, on the Tote App and at racecourses which means excellent value is on offer, while the sport benefits from this increasingly important revenue stream.”
Martin Stevenson, Chief Executive Officer of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which represents the media interests of The Jockey Club, Goodwood, and York Racecourses, said: “RMG looks forward to another exciting World Pool season in UK and Ireland, and will continue to work closely with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, UK Tote and our racecourses to grow both the sport’s revenues and global appeal.”
Amy Starkey, Managing Director, Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and thank them for their support as we deliver three exciting World Pool days across the QIPCO Guineas Festival and the Betfred Derby Festival.
“For the first time in the UK, we have worked alongside World Pool to host a nine-race card on QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day. This will include the first Classic of the season, whilst we are also delighted to feature the following day’s three-year-old Classic Fillies’ race, the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, as a World Pool race for the first time.
“World Pool enables strong reinvestment back into British racing and working alongside them to secure these additional races is an important step as we continue to strengthen links with Hong Kong, engage more fans with British racing and strive to grow our sport.”
Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of the Curragh Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with World Pool in 2024 with the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and the Tattersalls Gold Cup on 26 May and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby meeting on 30 June included in the programme.
“We had a very positive first experience with World Pool last year and look forward to building on it this year, bringing our racing to a wider audience. Irish horses have enjoyed great success internationally in recent years and we are delighted to be showcasing our best races through World Pool.
“Inclusion in World Pool has enabled us to increase prizemoney at the Curragh in 2024 and we look forward to developing this relationship further in the future.”
Upcoming UK and Irish World Pool events in first half of 2024:
May
Saturday 4: 2000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Racecourse (F)
Sunday 5: 1000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Racecourse (S)
Saturday 18: Lockinge Stakes Day – Newbury Racecourse (P)
Sunday 26: Irish 1000 Guineas Day – Curragh Racecourse (P)
June
Saturday 1: Derby Stakes Day – Epsom Racecourse (F)
Tuesday 18: Queen Anne Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Wednesday 19: Prince of Wales’s Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Thursday 20: Gold Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Friday 21: Commonwealth Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Saturday 22: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Sunday 30: Irish Derby Day – Curragh Racecourse (F)
*F: Full meeting – World Pool coverage on all races in the relevant meeting
P: Part meeting – World Pool coverage only on selected races in the relevant meeting
S: Single race – World Pool coverage only on this race in the relevant meeting
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Poker formats share a surface: private cards, community cards, betting rounds, and a final five-card hand. The difference between variants, however, is not cosmetic. Texas Hold’em gives players 2 private cards, so the first decision is narrow and readable. Omaha gives 4, then forces exactly 2 of them into the final hand. That single rule changes the way every board is read.
Adding variety to your poker playing routine can be great fun, but it’s crucial to understand the formats before you do – or you may find yourself struggling at the table!
The Format Is the First Practical Filter
Once the basic rules are familiar, format choice becomes easier to understand when the games are seen side by side. A player comparing Hold’em with Omaha is not only comparing two sets of rules. They are comparing the amount of private information available before the flop, how many possible hand combinations need to be tracked, and how quickly each decision starts to feel comfortable.
That is where an Australian online poker setting gives the comparison more practical shape. A page focused on online poker Australia places Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Zone Poker in the same playing context, which makes the differences clearer without treating poker as one generic format.
Hold’em starts with 2 hole cards and 5 community cards, giving players a cleaner starting point. Omaha starts with 4 hole cards but still requires exactly 2 private cards and 3 community cards for the final hand. Omaha Hi-Lo keeps that same construction while asking players to think about high and qualifying low hands. Zone Poker changes the rhythm by moving a folded player to a new table and a fresh deal. Seen together, these formats show that poker choice is not only about hand rankings. It is about the kind of attention each version asks from the player.
A recent Ignition Australia post makes the same point in cultural terms, noting that poker in Australia has changed over the years while the heart of the game has stayed intact. The format conversation is not only technical. The same game can move from a physical room to a phone screen, from Hold’em to Omaha, or from a standard table to a faster online format, while still centering on timing, reading, and the next card.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVM_bPlErLf/
Hold’em Gives Cleaner Reading
Texas Hold’em is often easier to explain because the relationship between private cards and the board is direct. A pair in the hand, a suited ace, or two connected cards creates a clear starting point. After the flop, the player can ask a simple question: did the community cards improve the hand, threaten it, or create a draw worth following?
That clarity does not make Hold’em shallow. It makes the decision tree easier to see. Position, bet size, board texture, and opponent behavior still matter, but the player is not juggling as many private-card combinations. This is why Hold’em has become the main reference point for casual poker viewers and newer online players. The game gives them enough structure to follow the action, while leaving room for deeper judgment as experience grows.
Omaha Creates More Temptation
Omaha can look generous at first because 4 private cards seem to create more routes to a strong hand. That impression is where many Hold’em habits become unreliable. More starting combinations also mean opponents can connect with the board in stronger ways. A hand that feels powerful in Hold’em may be ordinary in Omaha if the board is coordinated.
The exact 2-card rule is the point beginners must absorb early. If the board shows 4 hearts and a player holds only 1 heart, that player does not have a flush. If the board shows pairs, a full house still depends on the required combination of private and community cards. Omaha asks players to slow down the first instinct and rebuild the hand under the format’s rule.
Omaha Hi-Lo adds another reading layer. A player may be looking for a strong high hand while also watching whether a qualifying low hand is available. The board can divide attention, and the clearest decision may depend on whether the hand has a path to one side of the pot or both.
Pace Changes the Same Cards
Zone Poker shows that format choice can also be about rhythm. In a standard table format, folded hands create waiting time. That delay lets players watch other hands finish, notice tendencies, and settle into the table’s pace, but it can feel slow and under-engaging. In a fast-fold format, folding moves the player quickly into a new hand, which makes the session feel sharper and less observational. The cards stay familiar, but the table observation window changes.
Poker formats are easiest to understand when the reader stops treating them as labels and starts treating them as different ways of processing incomplete information. Two private cards, four private cards, a split-pot rule, or a faster table rhythm can all change how a hand feels before the river arrives. The social layer also remains part of online play, as described in 2025 open-access work on multiplayer online games and social connection.
The post Texas Hold’em vs Omaha for Players Comparing Poker Formats appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Lottomart has launched Dragon’s Rage, a new S Gaming slot available as a permanent exclusive to Lottomart players in the UK.
The release follows the partnership’s previous exclusive title, Fisherman’s Fortune, and adds another game to Lottomart’s exclusive-content portfolio.
Set in a dragon’s treasure lair, Dragon’s Rage uses a 1,024-ways-to-win format. Features include the Coil Collect mechanic, choice-led Free Spins, and Rage Spins. The game also includes three fixed-level jackpots: Inferno, Flame and Ember.
Chris Ruddock, Commercial Director at Lottomart, commented: “We’re delighted to launch Dragon’s Rage as a permanent UK exclusive. Developed in close collaboration with S Gaming, the game combines a strong fantasy theme with engaging features designed with our players in mind. We’re looking forward to seeing how our customers respond to the launch.”
Charles Mott, CEO of S Gaming, added: “Dragon’s Rage is the latest title developed through our close collaboration with Lottomart. It has been a pleasure working together on the concept and development of the game, and we’re proud to bring this new fantasy adventure exclusively to Lottomart players in the UK.”
The post Lottomart launches S Gaming slot Dragon’s Rage as permanent UK exclusive appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Supplier cites 147.6% active user growth and increased bet activity across football and basketball in the first 12 months.
DATA.BET has published first-year performance results for its sports betting vertical, marking 12 months since the product’s official launch. The supplier said results from newly acquired clients show 39.7% GGR growth and 147.6% growth in active users over the period.
The company also reported turnover up 30.7% quarter-on-quarter. It said betting activity increased, with the number of bets and stake volume up 83.5%, while combo bets rose 160.5%.
By sport, DATA.BET said football led engagement, with bet counts up 107.5% and active users up 173.1%. Table Tennis saw a 172.5% increase in its player base, while tennis posted bet counts up 33.6% and active players up 35%. The supplier pointed to basketball as the strongest commercial contributor, with turnover up 83.7% and its user base up 96.8%.
DATA.BET attributed performance to product features including Bet Builder (football, basketball, baseball, and American football), streaming within the betting interface, and widgets for match and player data. The company also highlighted official data partnerships with Infront (tennis), Odds Composer (basketball), Genius Sports, and BETER.
At tournament level, DATA.BET said the England Premier League was the most profitable tournament over the full year, with event count up 45.7% and “close to half of total betting volume” generated through the 1X2 market. The supplier added that top-tier tournaments outperformed low-tier disciplines across turnover (102.7%), profit (187.2%), and bet count (196.6%).
“Taken together, the first year demonstrated that scale and stability are not opposing forces — broad coverage, official data, and engagement-focused features directly contributed to growth across turnover, player numbers, and betting activity”, said Yevhenii Ilchenko, Head of Sports at DATA.BET. “We built the vertical on the right foundations from the first, and the numbers reflect that. “
The post DATA.BET reports 39.7% GGR growth in year one of sports betting vertical appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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