WSOP National Championship Gets Star-Studded Makeover, O'Dwyer Wins Big in Denmark

The WSOP National Championship is undergoing a significant transformation. This year, the championship will include 100 superstar poker players in addition to the 100 who qualified through the WSOP Circuit. The new format includes a $10,000 buy-in for the superstar players, with the money going into the prize pool, creating a +EV situation for the famous players. The tournament will be televised, and the winner will receive an official WSOP bracelet.

Steve O'Dwyer, a professional MTT player, has been on a winning streak. He recently won the WPT National Denmark tournament, earning $158,777. O'Dwyer's success in offline tournaments began in July 2011 when he won a $5,000 tournament at the Bellagio Cup, taking home $259,452. His recent wins include 5th place at EPT Barcelona and 2nd place at EPT London.

PokerStars is developing a new fast-paced poker format called ZOOM poker, similar to rush poker. The beta testing for ZOOM poker on real money will begin in mid-March. Players will have new options, including 'sit out on the next big blind' and 'fold and watch the hand to the end'. These features were notably missing in the Full Tilt client.