On this episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad and Mike are joined by Matt Berkey to break down all the latest headlines from the poker world. The trio dive into the growing “patch war” controversy at this year’s WSOP, Charlie Carrel being banned from entering the USA, the return of poker at The Lodge and much more.

Players can win up to $10 every day this month by playing cash games.

It was a lengthy process, but Champions Club Dallas is finally here.

Follow top mixed game poker pros at the WSOP this summer using the PokerNews MyPlayers feed

Complete five weekly MTT challenges on Paddy Power Poker to qualify for the €1,000 Sunday freeroll.

A California judge temporarily blocks the AG's blackjack ban, ruling regulators overstepped their authority.

A big win for a big poker star.

The Lodge is back and the RGPS is heading to Austin.

Liebert topped a 179-entry field to win $22,564 from the $92,185 prize pool.

PokerStars Anniversary Series Main Events offer $6M GTD on May 24, with satellites from $1.10.

Other stories include Charlie Carrel's US ban and a Maurice Hawkins bankruptcy update.

Rakeroom lets poker players earn free or discounted hotel stays through committed casino play.

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WPT Global is hosting freerolls and satellites for a €250k GTD live event in Bratislava

Barney Frank relentlessly fought to legalize poker in the U.S.

Jorge Abreu played an interesting heads-up hand against Twitch streamer Felix Schneiders.

It marks the first time an American betting operator has partnered with F1.

Poker Wars will run May 21-24 and stars Jon Pardy, Abby Merk, Haven Taylor, and more.

Poker OG Haralabos Voulgaris had the perfect start to the session

Five players at MGM National Harbor win a combined total of over $3.3 million during May

Earn up to 50% cashback when you play BLAST tournaments at 888poker.

Veldhuis finished in second place in the $5,250 Bounty Hunters event for $64,022.

Ye "Tony Mars" Shen was previously accused of cheating in poker games.

The WPT Australia festival will take place Sept. 10-30.

Others in the game included Randy "3Coin" Sadler, Mike Matusow & Phillip Hellmuth III.

Build your ultimate summer poker rail list and track every major WSOP update in real time

The British poker player can't play at the WSOP.

Neofitov wins PartyPoker Tour Madrid Main Event for €43,250 in record-breaking festival.

The $215 PKO Sunday Million attracted a 4,648-strong crowd.

The Opening Event attracted 222 more players than in 2025.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now just weeks away, and prediction markets are already filling with markets tied to major games and even the tournament’s biggest stars. One of interest asks traders whether Lionel Messi will actually play in the...

The DTD300 Deepstack boasts a £250,000 guarantee for a £340 buy-in.

The series awarded $524,202 in prize money.

K Poker Cup and King Poker Cup return to Jeju for 17-day festival this summer.

Bankrupt or not, the champ keeps winning.

Pentakota took home over $200,000 after a heads-up deal with Jeremy Chan

The German superstar was involved in one of the hands of the year, en route to victory...

Mega Hour tournaments shuffle up and deal hourly for 12 hours at WPT Global.

Explore Malta's best restaurants, bars, spa, and beach during Battle of Malta 2026.

Dimitrov defeated Astedt heads-up in the $5K Thursday Thrill.

The series runs from May 31 through to June 4 at City of Dreams Manila.

Hugues Mazerolle lifted the Estoril Poker Fest Main Event trophy at Casino Estoril

Giha topped a 195-entry field to win the $59,657 first-place prize.

This isn't your typical Loose Cannon.

Ivey is poised to have a big summer.

Read about the Sunday Dynasty and Sunday Shield tournaments.

Keating had a brutal session, but Airball was unstoppable.

Others in the game included Randy "3Coin" Sadler, Mike Matusow & Phillip Hellmuth III.

The poker player wants £100,000 in damages.

Rough way for Rampage to go out.

The actress turned conservationist is hosting a charity poker tournament.

This poker player has rebuilt his life after a public breakdown in the WSOP Main Event.

Scott Fuhrman played on tilt and it cost him.

Scott Fuhrman played on tilt and it cost him.

Rigby is becoming a legitimate poker star.

Nobody likes getting their pocket aces cracked, but this PokerStars aims to end that.

This poker player has rebuilt his life after a public breakdown in the WSOP Main Event.

The inaugural Hendon Mob Asian Championships takes place in Manila this June.

Jeff Madsen joins the show to reflect on the 20th anniversary of his 2006 WSOP POY.

Sturm took down the $1,050 Super Tuesday for $40,321.

Bencb hosts five-day MTT bootcamp May 18-22 covering ICM, PKO, exploits, and value betting.

Season 3 of the popular poker show will air starting May 17.

Gambling tax changes have shaken up the poker industry.

Gambling tax changes have shaken up the poker industry.

The 17-time bracelet winner will be streaming on BetRivers Poker on May 15.

When should you fire another bullet into a re-entry tournament?

The EPF Main Event champion took home €88,600 for a €299 buy-in.

"CPU0r" took home $41,775 for their 888poker XL Spring Series Main Event victory.

Six years after the lights went dark on one of poker’s most iconic festivals, the Aussie Millions Poker Championship 2026 Presented by CrownBet brought the series back to life and defied all expectations. The long-awaited revival delivered massive turnouts throughout the schedule, and the $10,600 Main Event was no exception as 770 entrants turned out to chase Aussie Millions glory — good for the fifth-largest Main Event field in series history.

This blackjack hand is the stuff made of nightmares.

Big hands were played by Derk van Luijk, Ben Heath, and Team PokerStars Pro Raul Mestre.

The Lodge is almost back in action.

Phil Ivey has won 11 bracelets and won $11,047,501 at the WSOP.

Others in the game included Randy "3Coin" Sadler, Mike Matusow & Phillip Hellmuth III.

Best no deposit bonus codes May 2026 – free spins & cash for US, UK & Canada casinos.

Nacho Cuesta explains why live poker tells are more relevant than ever in the solver era.

There’s naturally a huge overlap between betting, poker, and prediction markets. Now, Kalshi has merged all three. One of its latest markets lets users trade on the outcome of a poker event - not just any poker event, but the biggest one in the...

The 888poker XL Spring Series RAKELESS Main Event final table is set.

A six-figure score at Champions Club.

The embattled lawyer reported $1.7 million in 2025 gambling winnings.

There’s naturally a huge overlap between betting, poker, and prediction markets. Now, Kalshi has merged all three. One of its latest markets lets users trade on the outcome of a poker event - not just any poker event, but the biggest one in the...

ChingWangLao wins WPT Asia Series Leaderboard 2026, topping 1.5M players for ¥1M prize.

Deeb continues to disrespect Hellmuth's game.

Learn how to set PokerNews as a preferred Google News source for more poker updates and coverage.

A victory at breakneck speed, as Roman reigned in Monte Carlo...

The $25 Mini Main and $250 RAKELESS Mystery Main Events are heading for large overlays.

The octogenarian outlasted 317 opponents on her way to collecting £31,390.

Moneymaker had a huge weekend on No Gamble, No Future.

Following his Aussie Millions win, Trayner looks ahead to the WSOP and a summer in Vegas

2017 Ladies Champ Heidi May prepares for a WSOP comeback and backs Shiina Okamoto to win big.

A victory 6 years in the making as the latest Aussie Millions champion is crowned...

Tony Hachem discusses the APT’s growth, its move away from casinos, and the Aussie Millions

Binder goes wire-to-wire to lead the final eight in the €5,300 EPT Main Event

Did Hellmuth just reveal some major Las Vegas news?

Wright is ready to make the ultimate gamble.

It was October 2023 when Bernhard Binder, roughly one year after he started his poker journey, recorded his first cash in an event at the PokerStars European Poker Tour - a 23rd place at a $1,100 buy-in tournament at EPT Cyprus. Not even three...

Wright is ready to make the ultimate gamble.

The most popular slot livestreamer had an interesting opinion.

Is this one of the craziest tournament scams you've ever heard of?

Paul Newman takes down the 888poker UKPL Blackpool Opening Voyage.

A new wave of mainstream reporting on prediction markets has emphasized that most casual users lose while a small group of sophisticated traders captures most of the profits. That criticism directed at prediction markets by both The Wall Street...

The second APAT Online Championship Weekend runs on Sky Poker from May 8-10.

Joe, Tony, and James Hachem discuss family, legacy, and the 2026 Aussie Millions Main Event

Massive value awaits in the 888poker XL Spring Series Main Events.

At least 25 seats to the $1.5M Gtd Anniversary Series Main Event will be won.

Guillen secures $71,690 and an Aussie Millions title in Melbourne

The remaining players are all guaranteed €16,100

Triton Super High Roller Series heads to Montenegro May 13–28 with 18 nosebleed events.

Should the WSOP allow dealers to be rated?

$130 Milestone Satellite will begin on Wednesday, May 13!

Could Josh Giddey play at the 2026 WSOP?

Wynn Resorts is reportedly reconsidering the timeline for its ambitious $5.1 billion Al Marjan Island project in the United Arab Emirates. According to reporting from Bloomberg, the ongoing military conflict between the U.S. and Iran is...

Plus, a set-over-set cooler that benefitted Alan Keating in a $1.2 Million poker hand.

Kerstetter had a big series.

Someone will turn $11 into the lion's share of a guaranteed $500,000.

The 2026 Aussie Millions Main Event is officially the fifth-largest in history, but that only tells half the story. The tournament returned to the poker calendar after a six-year hiatus, with many unsure whether field sizes would suffer as a...

Founder Blake Wynn spoke to PokerNews about what goes in to the Celebrity Poker Tour.

Others in the game included Randy "3Coin" Sadler, Mike Matusow & Phillip Hellmuth III.

There are some exciting new events this summer.

Construction of the Hard Rock Las Vegas guitar hotel tower has reached a major milestone.

More than $8M of Dvoress' $50M winnings come from EPT events.

This was truly something to see.

This was truly something to see.

Alex Kulev hits three-outer on the bubble before winning the €250K EPT Monte Carlo SHR

Jackson Warne advanced to Day 2 of the Aussie Millions, honoring his late father, Shane

Andy Lee takes down the A$25,000 Challenge at the Aussie Millions for a new career best score.

They say everything is big in Texas, and they aren't kidding.

Starting May 6, and running until May 17, players in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada will battle for a dozen Circuit rings. The events have a combined guarantee of $1.5 million. Buy-ins range from $100 for the $150,000 guarantee Mystery Bounty on May 10, to the $1,000 high-roller two days later.

Here’s the full schedule:

Bracelet time!

As the WSOP kicks-off in Las Vegas, so does the bracelet series online. Starting May 30, and running until July 14, players will have a shot at 30 online bracelets.

Events start at $400, with a handful of $1,000 events, two $3,200 events, and a $5,300 high-roller event taking place June 27. The three high-roller events start online and finish live in Las Vegas in front of the cameras, so plan accordingly.

There are also two mega-sats into the WSOP Main Event that cost $215 on June 28 and 30. Satellites for all the events will be run. Check the client for times..

“The WSOP Online Bracelet schedule continues to be one of the most exciting extensions of the World Series of Poker,” Danielle Barille, Vice President of Online Poker at Caesars Entertainment, said in a press release. “From massive guarantees and our Online Bracelet Leaderboard to live final tables and Main Event qualification opportunities, the 2026 schedule is designed to give players more ways than ever to compete for WSOP gold.”

Here’s the full schedule:

Click here for more information.

The PokerStars Anniversary Series features 63 Omaha events.

Experience a smarter way to follow the action with the newly overhauled MyPlayers feed

The 888poker XL Spring Series is in full swing.

More than $3.4 million was paid out during the PokerStars Mystery Bounty Series.

Matthew Gawel wins the $600 Main Event at the 2026 Jamul Poker Open for $36,015.

Get ready for a big poker event in Sooner country.

May topped a 321-player field to win $47,787 at Caesars Southern Indiana

Hamid Izadi was encouraged to play the MSPT by his good friend, Josh Reichard.

Burleson's "positive" he'll be heading to the WSOP after this win

The £560 UKPL Blackpool Main Event guarantees that £100,000 will be won.

We look back at the impressive GPI Player of the Year runs of the 2017-2021 winners.

See what you can redeem PokerStars Power Path Passes for in May.

The event raised over €28,000 for the One Drop Foundation

Joseph Antar defeats Jennifer Cassell heads-up for the largest win of his career to-date

There are some surprising names on the list.

From Moneymaker to modern pros: discover the six essential films every poker fan must see.

History was made at TCH Social.

Negreanu didn't appreciate Dylan Linde calling out David Peters.

The actress and poker player spoke with PokerNews about her latest project.

PokerStars introduces dynamic delay for EPT Monte Carlo’s record-breaking High Roller action

Ponce defeated Weiran Pu heads-up to win his first Aussie Millions ring

The 14th Mixed Game Festival will take place at the Bellagio.

A Royal Flush jackpot hit this week in Atlantic City.

The BetRivers Table Talk Podcast is hosted by PokerNews' Chad Holloway & Keith Becker.

The first GUKPT Luton festival of 2026 runs May 14-24.

Check out the festivals taking place at King's Resort, Rozvadov, in May 2026.

Check out the festivals taking place at King's Resort, Rozvadov, in May 2026.

Kings cracked on Aussie Millions $2.5K NLH bubble as Ponce rivers set to bust Manns Kings.

The poker superstars are back after missing last year's edition.

Aussie Millions ambassador Van Marcus came third for the second time at the festival.

It was a good series with Willie Wiggins and Ryan Hoenig.

Maurice Hawkins finally makes his long awaited appearance on the PokerNews Podcast, sitting down with Chad and Mike for a candid and unfiltered interview. Fresh off the headlines surrounding his controversial bankruptcy, Hawkins addresses the situation in this unedited and at times, heated exchange. It’s a must watch episode packed with big topics, big personalities, and one of poker’s most talked about figures.

Chino Rheem, Sam Soverel call in Rick “Scum” Salomon and go on $2.5 Million slot heater.

Plus, David Peters was called out by Dylan Linde, Jungleman kicked off HCL, and more!

Here's how to play in four $100 freerolls at PartyPoker this February.

GGPoker and Grosvenor Casino enter into a landmark partnership.

Cohen won $656,200 of the of the $4.5 million generated by 1,417 players who put up $3,500 for a shot at the championship. Cohen’s biggest cash before this was for $193,100 when he won his only World Series of Poker Circuit ring in 2024.

“I’m so grateful. It’s been an amazing ride,” said Cohen after his win. “I’m sure it will settle in a few days. It hasn’t yet, but it’s been quite an unreal experience.”

His WPT title will not only be memorable because of the massive amount of money, but who he had to beat heads-up for the title: 2022 NFL Hall of Fame member Richard Seymour,

Seymour, who is coming off his largest cash of $106,577 he won by winning his first WSOP Circuit ring in the $2,200 event in North Carolina in February, scored his biggest cash by finishing second for $430,000. The heads-up match lasted more than two hours, and ended after Cohen hit a set with pocket sevens against Seymour’s pocket tens.

The top 170 players were paid and included WPT Champion Dylan Smith (10th place), WPT Champion Alexander Farahi (19th place), WPT Champion Frederic Normand (31st place), WPT Champion Orson Young (39th place), WPT Champion Vitalijs Zavorotnijs (42nd place), WPT Champion Mike Vela (44th place), Season 11 WPT Player of the Year Matt Salsberg (64th place).

“Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood continues to be an exceptional partner and host for one of World Poker Tour’s marquee events. We are proud to bring the World Poker Tour back to such an iconic venue year after year,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “Congratulations to Ian Cohen on capturing this prestigious title and adding his name to the coveted Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.”

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Final Table Results

That’s exactly what happened to a player at MGM Springfield in Massachusetts on March 21. An unnamed player bet $5 on the slot machine game “Phoenix Link” and won the jackpot prize of $17,084.09. Yowzers!

On the same day at the same casino, another player turned $1.50 bet into $11,004.18 playing a slot machine called “Dragon Link.”

According to Masslive.com, the Springfield casino distributed more than $100 million in jackpots in 2025, with July recording the highest monthly total when the casino paid out more than $12.9 million in jackpots.

The largest slot machine jackpot won at MGM Springfield happened that month when a player turned a $250 bet into $136,000 playing “All Star Poker 2.″

Speaking of poker, a player won $100,000 playing video poker at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City after betting $125 on a Double Double Bonus Poker Game King machine. He hit a royal flush in hearts for the big payday.

Meanwhile in Bakersfield, Calif., a man won a $340,000 jackpot at Hard Rock Casino Tejon on April 25. Local William Wenger was the lucky winner. He was playing a Light & Wonder Blazing 7’s Nudging Stacks slot machine.

“We couldn’t be happier for William, and we look forward to many more winning celebrations ahead,” Hard Rock Casino Tejon property president Chris Kelley said in a release.

But first, the DeepStack Extravaganza Poker Series is coming to a conclusion with more than 20 events left to play. Running since April 1, the 75-tournament series comes to a close May 17. And the very next day is the start of the 2026 Championship Poker Series.

It’s one of a handful of series in Las Vegas that are running alongside of the World Series of Poker.

With 121 events, the series beats the WSOP schedule by 21. It’s an expansion from last year’s schedule of 116. According to the casino, last year’s series brought in almost 30,000 entries and awarded close to $30 million in prize money.

Here are some of the schedule’s highlights:

• June 6–10: $1,100 NLH ($1 million guarantee)
• June 11–14: $1,100 Seniors NLH ($1 million guarantee)
• June 19–22: $1,600 Seniors NLH ($1.5 million guarantee)
• June 30–July 2: $2,500 NLH LIPS Ladies High Roller ($150K guarantee)
• July 11–14: $1,100 NLH MSPT ($1 million guarantee)
• July 15–19: $1,600 NLH MSPT ($1 million guarantee)

The Venetian prides itself on spreading tournaments that appeal to both amateurs and professionals. Last year’s winners included Patrick Leonard and Josh Reichard, and it will surely be more of the same this year. Check out the full schedule here.

British pro Guy Taylor took his time to call off his stack in a Mystery Bounty tournament

The latest clash between prediction market platforms and state legislatures has less to do with any intentional violation of the law and more to do with a debate over a fundamental question: are these federally regulated markets, or gambling...

PartyPoker Tour hits Madrid May 11-17 with a €100K GTD Main Event at Casino Gran Via.

A gargantuan 1,865 entry strong field showed up for the event.

888poker LIVE Barcelona runs from May 14-24.

WPG Asia debuts with a 10M TWD GTD Main Event in a new long-term partnership with CTP

Alan Keating saw perfect turn and river cards to scoop $1.238M pot.

A former NFL star crushed it on the felt.

And on Monday, it became home to the Happy Valley Casino, which, after six years of planning, opened its doors for play.

The casino is the 18th for Pennsylvania and part of the state’s most recent gambling expansion in 2017, which allowed mini-casinos to occupy former storefronts. It’s the fifth mini-casino to open after Penn State alumnus Ira Lubert secured a license for $10 million in 2010.

Happy Valley Casino sits in a former Macy’s at the Nittany Mall. The 94,000 square feet space houses about 600 slot machines and 30 table games. There is no poker room. About 50,000 students attend Penn State, and its college football team brings tens of thousands of fans to the area whenever there’s a home game.

Lubert, a property developer who also sits on Penn State’s Board of Trustees, originally partnered with Bally’s, but that agreement ended when Bally’s decided focus on a project in Chicago. Saratoga Casino Holdings took over the $100 million project, and is the company that will manage the casino.

It also runs the Saratoga Casino Hotel, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Saratoga Casino Black Hawk, Colo., and Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel in Natchez, Mississippi.

Happy Valley Casino actually opened its door on Saturday for a two-day stress test conducted by the state’s Gambling Control Board, which it passed.

Happy Valley Casino is open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

He also pleaded guilty to providing inside information to gamblers when he was coaching the Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. The two cases are separate.

“I’d like to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association,” Jones said Tuesday, according to The New York Times. “I knew these games were rigged and that players were being cheated. I’m really sorry to everyone involved for my actions.”

Chauncey Billups, who has been put on leave as the Portland Blazers head coach, is also being accused of being a “face card” to attract players to poker games that used high-tech to cheat players. Corrupted shuffle machines, tiny cameras, and even a poker table with an x-ray unit were used to cheat players out of millions of dollars, says the Feds.

Billups pleaded not guilty in the case. He’s scheduled to go to trial Nov. 2.

Billups and Jones were two of 31 people charged by the Department of Justice in the poker cheating scandal.

“As shown by his guilty pleas today, Damon Jones converted his fame and ties to professional basketball into a multi-faceted criminal betting operation.  He used private locker room and medical information from multiple NBA teams to cheat legitimate sportsbooks.  He also, separately, lured unsuspecting victims to high-stakes rigged poker games,” stated United States Attorney Joe Nocella in a press release.  “Jones will now face the consequences for his corrupt conduct.  Insider betting and rigged poker schemes erode the integrity of American sports and fair contest.  This Office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to profit through fraud and corruption.”

The DOJ estimates that nearly $10 million was cheated in the poker games, which were run by the New York mafia known as La Cosa Nostra. Federal sentencing guidelines call for a punishment of 63 to 78 months, but prosecutors agreed to take 15 months off it if Jones entered a guilty plea by April 30, according to the AP.

He will also face 21 to 27 months in the sport’s betting case, where prosecutors say he passed on inside information about certain player’s availability to gamblers. Jones is free until he is sentenced Jan. 6, 2027.

PokerStars reshapes Power Path with a new $530 Bronze Pass and $109 Spade Pass entry point.

In the 960th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz are joined by Maurice Hawkins, who finally took them up on their long-standing offer to come on the show and share his side of the story. Maurice discusses his recent...

Lavin, who plays as “TonyBandanas,” is a 17-time online World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner with three WSOP bracelets. He also won the BetMGM leaderboard title four times. Not bad for a man who all but quit poker after Black Friday destroyed the online poker industry in America in 2011.

He’s won all those titles since returning to the game during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“Mike is exactly the kind of player we want representing BetMGM,” said David Mileaf, Director of Poker at BetMGM. “He built his game on our platform and won our leaderboards. His story proves what’s possible for any player willing to put in the work online.” 

Lavin will become the face of its online poker room, which is available in New Jersey, Nevada, Michigan, and Laqvin’s home state of Pennsylvania.

While most of his success comes online, Lavin is starting to make his mark in live events. His biggest cash came by winning the WSOP $1,500 Shootout for $267,000 and a bracelet in 2025.

Now a company man, Lavin sounded like one when explaining while he joined forces with BetMGM.

“What attracted me to BetMGM was simple – they listen to the players. Before I had any affiliation with the company, I saw how the poker team engaged with the community in a way no other platform does. I’m proud to officially represent a team I believe in and that cares about its players.”  

Lavin will surely be at the ARIA during the WSOP for the BetMGM Poker Championship in late June. The $3,500 tournament, which players are already qualifying for online, starts June 29.

PokerNews launches its new freerolls on 888 poker

Boost your winrate against lesser-skilled opponents with these c-betting tips.

OlyBet's Festival Weekend hits Vilnius, Tallinn & Riga with poker, mixed games, and more.

Record fields headline Aussie Millions return as Danny McDonagh reflects on strong start.

It was a big day for "Big Sey"

The online poker series will run May 3-17.

Others in the game included Randy "3Coin" Sadler, Mike Matusow & Phillip Hellmuth III.

The poker room will finally get its money back.

“Big announcement. I have invested in Octopi Poker,” he said on X. “I love this site. They do some stuff right. Thomas Boivin has been very impressive, we went through the site together — a lot of fun. Phillip and Nick are using this site everyday.”

Phillip and Nick, who have been joining their pop playing a lot more poker in the last several years, also vouched for the site.

“It’s got a lot of good information, a lot of solver access, they have free and post flop sims, and they have an AI that takes from final table and live stream videos,” said Phillip.

Here’s what Octopi Poker said, via X.

“We have a massive addition to Octopi Poker to announce.

Phil Hellmuth, 17-time bracelet winner and one of poker’s most recognizable players, is joining Octopi as an investor and ambassador.

Our vision is to make high-quality poker study more accessible, affordable, and fun for everyone — from beginners and players new to solvers to serious competitors.

Phil’s experience across multiple eras gives him a rare perspective on what players at every level need to improve. We’re excited to work with him as we build products for the widest possible range of poker players.

He joins Stephen Chidwick and Thomas Boivin in helping guide the future of Octopi.

We’re also excited to welcome Phillip and Nick Hellmuth to the team.

Welcome to Octopi, Phil, Phillip, and Nick!”

Octopi’s advanced training ecosystem

Octopi Poker is a subscription-based poker training site that was born in 2022 when “Victoria Livschitz, Nick Schulman, Phil Shing, and Andrew Lichtenberger found themselves discussing the intersection of poker, cloud computing, and AI.”

Four years later, and now exists a suite of learning tools and video lessons that is designed to give both amateurs and pros a cutting-edge understanding of poker.

The first tier subscription costs either $25 a month or $200 annually. It gives players the ability to study preflop ranges, compare these ranges across stack sizes, and drill the most common tournament spots (ChipEV and Even Stacks) into a GTO Trainer.

It also includes weekly coaching sessions by Matt Hunt.

It will cost players $600 annually, or $65 a month, to access the site’s “advanced training ecosystem” to “get everything that’s included with the Personal plan as well as the ability to study, and drill, complex tournament situations (ICM, final tables, & uneven stack situations).”

This tier also includes full access to a suite of final table videos from Triton, World Series of Poker, and PokerGO Tour events in a way that allows players study every move while utilizing charts generated by Octopi Poker’s AI.

Phil and his sons went over this in more detail in their video.

More information about the site can be found here.

The news isn't good for Atlantic City, or New Jersey in general.

It marked the second MSPT title for Lee Rzentkowski. He won his first back in 2022.

Maurice Hawkins joined Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz for a 40-minute, uncut episode.

PartyPoker Party Cases explained: earn rewards up to $1,000 plus daily freerolls

Get ready for the Estoril Poker Fest! €500 Main Event, 6-Max action, and live PokerNews coverage

Check out two incredible promotions at Stretch Network this May.

RakeLESS Sundays return this May with four $100K Mystery Main Events featuring zero rake

The $30.11 6-leg parlay yielded a cool $1,980,073.12.

Spragg ultimately fell in 15th place in a 5,543-strong field.

Robert McAdam took down the event after a four-handed ICM deal.

PokerStars celebrates 25 years with a $50M GTD festival and a $500K Sunday Storm anniversary

The third time was a charm for David Gomez in the CNP Winamax Barcelona Main Event.

Hawkins' filing for bankruptcy comes days after he was reportedly garnished in Tunica.

Hear from Randy Garcia's attorney Rogen Chhabra.

Discover the biggest WSOP wins, including record-breaking payouts and eye-watering buy-ins

The 2026 XL Spring Series Main Event is rakeless and boasts a $500,000 guarantee.

Aggarwal busted six bullets and was about to call it quits when he decided to max-late reg.

Cloutier earned his first live series tournament win in the $800 Main Event

Mizrachi returns 8th in chips out of 355 returning players.

Danny Allen is known in the poker world as "The Poker Beard."

Some of the most epic instances of karma in poker.

BetRivers Casino Streamer Hoagie Casino gave away nearly $1,000 on stream.

Chinese poker pro Aaron Zhang was on the losing end of a record-setting pot.

Patrick Tardif is not only a WPT Global ambassador but a huge WPT fan.

Cates had a moment of frustration on Friday night's high-stakes poker stream.

Hustler Casino Live is going on the road to Las Vegas.

The series will run at Champions Club Texas from April 29-May 11.

Qualify for The Monster 2026 via PaddyPower Poker with daily €10 satellites.

The series kicked off with a Celebrity Challenge & $1M GTD $1,500 Opening Event.

Rigby's won last year's RunGood Main Event for $52,323.

In this episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad, Ben and Mike discuss Etay's missing Trophy that recently became listed on eBay, the 15th Anniversary of Black Friday, US Poker Open Winners and more. Keep up with PokerNews on Social Media!: - Twitter/X: [URL]https://twitter.com/pokernews[/URL] - Instagram: [URL]https://instagram.com/pokernews[/URL] - Facebook: [URL]https://facebook.com/pokernewsdotcom[/URL] - Tiktok: [URL]https://www.tiktok.com/@pokernews.com[/URL] GambleAware.org ------------------------- #PokerNews #poker #wsop #podcast #stolen #trophy #etay

S.S. Lazio, one of Italian football's largest clubs, have just made a new signing... but it's not on the pitch. The Serie A side have a new front-of-shirt sponsor after announcing a multi-year agreement with prediction market platform...

Smith and Wong win titles days before the $3 million GTD Main Event.

The Greek Poker Odyssea runs June 10–19 in Thessaloniki with €1M in prizes and a €1,000 Main Event.

Hear about all the big winners from the 2026 PGT U.S. Poker Open and plans for 2026 WSOP.

Will Negreanu be ready to compete for bracelets this summer?

This is one of the coolest promotions for soccer fans.

Billings is the place to be May 1-3.

Mulder essentially led from start to finish at the GGMillion$ final table.

Solver reveals if folding pocket nines at a GGMillion$ FT was correct.

What a series it was for Brock Wilson.

Dylan Linde made some bold accusations.

Ronnie Day added The Reserve Club Fifth Anniversary title to his WSOP bracelet.

Full schedule and details for Grosvenor Poker's inaugural Yorkshire Poker Open in Leeds.

Discover how you can win your way into the 2026 WSOP Main Event.

OlyBet Showdown Vilnius 2026: 30+ events in Lithuania, May 9–17, led by €1,100 Main Event.

The 15th Anniversary Sunday Storm boasts a $500,000 guarantee.

Out of a field of 783 entries, the Matthieu Cartillier secured his first WSOP Circuit ring.

The jackpot hit at Casino Royale.

Aram Zobian was playing for a special cause at the 2026 U.S. Poker Open.

Others in the game included Randy "3Coin" Sadler, Mike Matusow & Phillip Hellmuth III.

David Peters has $49 million in earnings but is apparently in debt.

Resorts World New York will begin to offer gamblers table games on Tues., April 28, as long as the New York Gaming Commission signs-off after final tests are completed this week. The casino is confident enough that the testing will be fine that they already booked rapper Nas to cut the ribbon and throw the first ceremonial roll of the dice on a crap’s table.

The Queen’s casino will add more than 240 table games when it celebrates, including blackjack, craps, baccarat and roulette. Nas will be joined by “a who’s who of elected officials, community leaders and entertainers to kick off the action,” according to a press release.

Resorts World New York City, which is owned by Genting Group, was awarded one of three casino gambling licenses that were available to New York City and its boroughs. New York State’s Gaming Commission also awarded the $500 million licenses to Bally’s Corporation and a partnership with New York Mets owners Steve Cohen and Hard Rock in December.

Bally’s will build Ballys Bronx at Bally’s Golf Links, while the Cohen partnership presented plans to build Hard Rock Metropolitan Park near CitiField, where the Mets make their home. Resorts World plans include a $5.5 billion expansion that with a 7,000-seat arena and room for 800 gaming tables and 6,000 slot machines.

“New York City has never seen anything like what we’re planning for April 28. Once the Gaming Commission’s final testing is complete, live table games will be open and operating right here in Queens for the first time in the history of New York City,” said Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East. “Resorts World now employees over 2,200 team members and have already doubled our workforce and expect thousands more team members as the integrated resort is developed over the next three years.”

Resorts World New York City was always one of the favorites to win one of the licenses because it has operated an enormous slots parlor since 2011.

Running from May 27 to July 12, the series once again boils to a rumble with the $4 million guaranteed BetMGM Poker Championship. The $3,500 event starts June 29 and runs until July 4. Live satellites for this and all of the events will be held at the ARIA, but many people will qualify for the Championship online.

Let’s hear it straight from BetMGM:

Online players in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan can qualify for the BetMGM Poker Championship through a packed schedule of online satellites running through June 23. Two qualification paths are available to win a $3,500 Championship seat, hotel accommodations, and $500 cash, with entry points starting as low as $10. 

• Championship qualifier: Players begin via $10 or $25 satellites, advancing to Championship qualifier finals with $100 or $250 buy-ins. Finals run weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays, with additional Sunday finals in June, awarding multiple guaranteed seats at each event. 
• ARIA package: Daily step satellites starting at $5 and $50 feed into package finals held multiple times per week, awarding a full $7,200 ARIA package. 

“Summer in Las Vegas is where the poker world convenes, and the BetMGM Poker Championship is the centerpiece for us,” said David Mileaf, BetMGM’s Director of Poker. “The partnership between BetMGM and MGM Resorts gives players access to venues and experiences that simply can’t be replicated. That’s the power of what we’ve built – a seamless road to the rail from your living room to Las Vegas.” 

The whole series is a fun schedule of no-limit hold’em events combined with a nice enough mixed-game schedule to scratch most poker player’s tailbones. Badugi, H.O.R.S.E., T.O.R.S.E., 8-Game, Limit Hold’em, Omaha 8 or Better, and Stud 8 or Better, are some of the servings.

Buy-ins start at $300 with a bunch in the four-figure range, like the $1,100 BetMGM Pot-Limit Omaha event on June 13, which kicks-off the BetMGM portion and its line-up of six-figured guaranteed events.

The total prize pool guarantee of the series is just shy of $19 million. For more information, and room discounts, visit ARIA.

This is just one of several big-time series going on in Las Vegas alongside of the World Series of Poker.

The Wynn Summer Classic (May 20 to July 13) will also bring in the poker crowds with a healthy schedule of 100 that includes four events with guarantees of $2 million, $3 million, $5 million and $10 million for the series $10,400 championship on June 21.

And of course, the WSOP launches its nearly two-month oddesy May 26, rising the tide for every poker player to step foot in Las Vegas.

Players find massive value as PokerStars covers $200K in overlays on the FanDuel platform

On April 13, Tarek Mansour, co-founder and CEO of Kalshi, posted a cryptic video on LinkedIn. A dark, glassy green torus, an interwoven, looping geometric form, rotates slowly as the camera circles it from different angles. The shot eventually...

Including bounties, the champion received $9,043.

Skrbic discusses his 2019 WSOP Main Event run and Rakeroom, his poker travel platform.

Cedric Schwaederle won the £1,250 GUKPT London Main Event for £102,880.

Backlund’s pocket aces sparked a comeback to help him win the OlyBet Tallinn Showdown Main Event

888poker cash game players now have the option to Run It Twice.

A Triton multiway hand reveals how AI solvers change poker strategy.

This is one of the coolest promotions for football fans.

Joao Simao claims victory in U.S. Poker Open Event #8 $15,000 NLH at the PokerGo Studio for $292,800.

Big tournaments coming each Sunday.

Mrs. Foxen bags fifth PGT tile

Last year, Kristen Foxen bagged her first U.S. Poker Open Golden Eagle trophy in the opening event, and this year was more of the same. She brought her A-game to the fourth event, a $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em contest that brought in 66 entries, and won her second U.S. Poker trophy, and her fifth PokerGO Tour title.

The $198,000 prize that came with her second Golden Eagle trophy pushed her lifetime tournament poker cashes up over the $15 million mark.

The top 10 made the money, and those missing the final table were Vladas Tamasauska, Jesse Lonis, and Cherish Andrews, who was the winner of the series’ third event, a $5,100 battle that was worth $117,407.

Jeremy Ausmus came to the final table with a big chip lead, but that was gone once play got to heads-up. Brandon Wilson, Michael Rossitto, Brock Wilson, and Sam Soverel were the players knocked-off in between.

A set with pocket sixes against Ausmus’ pocket nines was the hand that won Mrs. Foxen her fifth title. She now has five career PGT titles in 45 cashes, reached 18 final tables with $4,141,279 in career PGT earnings.

It was Ausmus’ second runner-up finish of the U.S. Poker Open — he finished in the same spot in the opening event. And then would do it again against Kristen’s husband a few days later.

2026 U.S. Poker Open Event #4 Final Table Results

Mr. Foxen follows it up with lucky 13

A few days after his wife sat for a victory photo, Alex did it himself for the thirteenth time on the PGT trail.

He won his third Golden Eagle trophy by taking down Event #7, another $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em donnybrook that attracted 70 entries. He won $210,000, giving him more than $56 million in tournament winnings, according to the Hendon Mob.

All but $444,000 of that came in PGT events, where he is also the all-time leader in points earned. He sits one off the all-time lead of 14 titles with Soveral, but is also the all-time leader in top three finishes (45).

Again, the top 10 were paid. Chino Rheem, Sean Winter, and Shannon Shorr all missed the final table. And again, a Foxen had to battle Ausmus heads-up for the title, and again, wound-up with all the chips and the trophy.

2026 U.S. Poker Open Event #7Final Table Results

Arash Asadabadi denied a heads-up chop and captured the full first-place prize.

Terry Ketterer went wire-to-wire to win the record-setting RPT South Dakota Championship.

This past weekend, Season 17 of the Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) hosted a $1,110 Main Event at Minnesota’s Running Aces Casino. The 2026 MSPT Minnesota Poker State Championship attracted 882 runners over a trio of starting flights...

Master the WSOP with Faraz Jaka’s guide to physical stamina, range reading, and strategy

Win big from April 26 – May 4 with $3M+ Gtd and a $500K Gtd Mystery Bounty Main Event

Rep Dina Titus shared what it was like to sit down with Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel.

The Foxens and Brock Wilson/Cherish Andrews are tearing it up.

Foxen continues to be unstoppable.

Turn $0.55 into a €1,600 poker package to Rozvadov or Tallinn with WPT Global satellites

The cards once again smacked Mariano in the face on HCL.

Brock Wilson continues his heater inside the PokerGo Studio and wins Event #6 of the U.S. Poker Open.

"The uncertain glory of an April day, which now shows all the beauty of the sun, and by and by a cloud takes all away." - The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Act 1, Scene 3). The beauty of Shakespeare is that the experiences he captured are...

Goliath 2026 returns to Coventry with a £2M prize pool across 25 events from July 23.

One of the most coveted sports cards in the world was sold by a poker crusher.

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The €1,100 Main Event carries a €1 million guarantee.

GGPoker announces the $300M GG World Festival, the richest series in online poker history

This episode of the PokerNews Podcast features an in-depth conversation with T.J. Reid about his transition from poker media to a major role with the World Series of Poker Circuit, as well as discussing his incredible $3M score in the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event last December.

Peter Placey has been playing poker recreationally since the 1980s.

Get ready for one of the biggest events of the year in Europe.

You don't usually see hands like this on Day 1.

Hear what it was like to have a front-row seat to one of poker's most infamous slowrolls!

Cherish Andrews and Brock Wilson are crushing in Las Vegas.

Another huge win for the poker legend.

The schedule is out for the Aria's summer poker series in Las Vegas.

WPT Global offers $20 free when you deposit $20 via Luxon Pay this April

March Madness has always been a test not just of college basketball teams, but of the world’s top forecasters. The tournament turns millions of fans into casual statisticians. Every round becomes a running argument not just about what will...

A new PokerNews video essay breaks down the Black Friday scandal.

Earn up to 50% cashback when you play BLAST tournaments at 888poker.

The poker pro hadn't planned on playing the event and joked that she was retiring.

One of the best photographers in the game came up big on the felt.

Major series coming to the U.S.

Others in the game included DJ Washburn, Kelly Lucas, and actress Jennifer Tilly.

Deng came up clutch.

The poker vlogger put two tough beats on Michael Berk.

With bounties included, "HayashiJoao" banked $12,593 for their victory.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdi means an arraignment hearing that was scheduled for today was postponed.

According to the AP, “the judge’s order said the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission had sufficiently shown that ‘event contracts’ fall within the Commodity Exchange Act’s definition of “swaps,” and that it had demonstrated a reasonable chance of success in showing that the act preempts Arizona law.”

Although this is a temporary order, it seems like a huge win for Kalshi, since the judge wrote in his order: “The Act grants the CFTC ‘exclusive jurisdiction’ over the regulation of ‘swaps.’”

It doesn’t seem to matter to the CFTC that some of these “swaps” just are, in reality, wagers on everything from baseball games to elections. In fact, the CFTC has repeatedly acted on behalf on Kalshi and other predictive market operators by suing states who are trying to shit down the sites.

Last Wednesday, the CFTC filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona asking the court for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order that would halt Arizona’s efforts to apply state criminal and gambling laws against CFTC-regulated prediction markets.

That came a week after the CFTC filed a motion with the Department of Justice challenging Arizona’s criminal filings.

“Arizona’s decision to weaponize preempted state criminal law against companies that comply with a comprehensive federal regime sets a dangerous precedent,” Chairman Michael S. Selig wrote in a press release. “The CFTC is committed to vigorously defending its exclusive authority over prediction markets. We are asking the court to send a clear message that intimidation is not an acceptable tactic to circumvent federal law.”

The CFTC has also filed complaints against Connecticut and Illinois in order to seek “declaratory judgments that federal law grants the CFTC exclusive authority to regulate event contracts and requesting permanent injunctions preventing the states from enforcing preempted state laws against its registrants.

The CFTC has clear and longstanding exclusive jurisdiction to regulate event contracts under the Commodity Exchange Act, which preempts state laws purporting to regulate prediction markets.”

This year, 30 bracelets will be won online. In Las Vegas, 100 will be won in live events. This schedule only applies to those who can in play ion WSOP Online n Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, and, of course, Nevada. GGPoker, who owns the WSOP brand, has not yet released the international online bracelet schedule.

Starting May 30 and running until July 14, buy-ins for the bracelet events range from $400 to the $5,300 high-roller event, which is one of three high-rollers. The high-rollers will start online and finish live in Las Vegas. Satellites will be available for all the events.

Mixed-in the schedule are a couple $215 satellites that guarantee 25 seats will be won to the Main Event in Las Vegas. The site is also offering a deposit bonus that includes a ticket into a WSOP Main Event qualifier. See the site or the client for more details.

Here’s the full schedule:

The RGPS is heading to Japan in a couple weeks.

Big hands were played by Steven Jones, Shiina Okamoto, and Hengtao Zhu.

Brendan McGinn forgot he qualified for the EPT Championship until a last-minute email

Bellagio boosts NLH buy-in caps while ARIA announces the Poker Classic and a major freeroll

The poker community is rallying behind Doug Polk and his Texas card room.

The poker community is rallying behind Doug Polk and his Texas card room.

Cody Hughey rallies from short stack at FT to win RGPS Passport Joplin Main Event for $67,940.

Let’s take a second to sit with the number. One billion dollars. That’s 1,000 metric tons of $1 bills. Roughly 189 million Big Macs. Enough to buy a mansion in nearly every country on Earth and still have room left over for an F-35 fighter jet...

GTO Wizard’s new benchmark proves specialized AI still outplays GPT-5 and Grok 4 in poker

The series featured 17 numbered events and offers a Player of the Series leaderboard.

Neymar came agonizingly close to winning the $1,050 Sunday High Roller.

In this episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway wraps up his visit of the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe together with some of the biggest names of the game. He's joined by Martin Kabrhel, Lexy Gavin-Mather, Dan 'Jungleman' Cates, Landon Tice, and Calum Grant interviews the Main Event winner Marius Kudzmanas.

In this episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad, Ben and Mike react to the latest updates from The Lodge Card Club raid story. Criminal charges were not filed against The Lodge Card Club in Texas on Thursday as the 30-day civil asset forfeiture deadline approached. But the poker club's money will remain in the state's possession.

On this episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad sits down with Josh Arieh to break down the viral video of a player being disqualified, the controversial PLO bubble situation, Arieh's own deep Main Event run and more.

The first three 2026 GUKPT London champions have been crowned.

Hard Rock Bet Jackpots are now available to New Jersey residents.

Set your alarms for 6:00 p.m. EST on April 12 if you're an online poker player residing in Michigan, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania, because that is when the Sunday Million launches at PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel. PokerStars Exclusively on...

The SiGMA Poker Tour returns to Malta this May with a €150,000 GTD Main Event and VIP networking

Jeremy Ausmus had nearly half the chips in play with five left at the start of Day 2 of Event #1: $5,000 NLH at the 2026 U.S. Poker open, and he had significantly more than that when he got to heads-up play with Brock Wilson. But not even Ausmus...

Pedersen won €600K in GGMillion$ HR to close out 2026 WSOP Europe festival

Is 2026 finally the "Chainsaw's" year?

Lexy Gavin-Mather and Landon Tice also join the show to share their 2026 WSOPE thoughts.

A record-breaking 2,617 entries were tallied, and helped smashed the €10M guarantee

The four-time Circuit winner pleaded guilty to financial institution fraud in 2025.

The four-time Circuit winner pleaded guilty to financial institution fraud in 2025.

A new home for WSOP Paradise...

Online gambling bills stalled in Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia.

Find out what the 9-page civil asset forfeiture document had to say.

Hossein Ensan and four top pros join the €2M GTD Diamond Poker Series PLO Grand Slam

Get all the details about both right here.

The record-breaking 2026 WSOP Europe Main Event final table is set.

Lisa Pickell planned to donate her kidney to fellow poker player Debbie Troncone.

Hear from 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year Ian Matakis.

April 9 was a key day in The case against The Lodge.

More than $3 million is guaranteed during the PokerStars Irish Open After Party.

Receive 100% rakeback on your PLO5 and PLO6 cash game play at 888poker from April 10-12.

On this episode of the PokerNews podcast, we sit down with Shaun Deeb to break down his World Series of Poker Europe, including his reaction to the brutal experience of losing to quads twice. Deeb also opens up about his pursuit of WSOP Player of the Year, and we get his thoughts on recent criticism from Nicky P.

Annette Obrestad, famously the youngest-ever World Series of Poker bracelet winner, is making a long-awaited return to the felt after nearly a decade away from the game. The Norwegian pro, who stunned the poker world by winning the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event at just 18, spoke candidly about her decision to step away, citing burnout and a desire to explore life beyond poker. Now back at WSOP Europe, Obrestad says she’s rediscovered her competitive spark and is eager to test herself once again against elite fields. During her time away, she focused on a variety of creative pursuits and personal interests, giving her a fresh perspective that she believes will benefit her game as she re-enters the spotlight.

The World Series of Poker Europe brings the PokerNews Podcast on the road to Prague, where the team dives into the heart of the action. While on-site, they catch up with Nicky P to discuss recent tournament winners, break down his viral poker hand, and explore what’s next for him as a rising poker vlogger.

Chad takes a trip to Dublin, Ireland to cross the long-standing Irish Poker Tour off his poker bucket list.

Imagine turning a $10 satellite into $411,843.

The bold move actually paid off.

The social media playboy is trying to enter the political arena.

50 Main Event seats will be awarded during the online bracelet series.

A brutal quads cooler ends Okamoto's run as Obrestad's fairytale Main Event return is over.

Shaun Deeb also talked about losing out on his ninth bracelet to quads... twice!

Set your alarms for 6:00 p.m. EST on April 12 if you're an online poker player residing in Michigan, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania, because that is when the Sunday Million launches at PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel. PokerStars Exclusively on...

A brutal beat for the poker legend on Day 4 of the WSOPE Main Event...

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The 2026 Venetian DeepStack Championship runs from May 18-August 2 w/ 121 numbered events.

Get the full schedule for the MPF Spring 2026, featuring the €500K GTD Grand Event in Malta

A massive event is coming to Jeju in May.

RGPS Council Bluffs runs April 21–26 with 11 ring events, headlined by the $800 Main Event.

Words were exchanged in a PLO bracelet event.

The 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event champ shares details on where she's been for years.

Nick Palma-related drama on the bubble at WSOP Europe - but who's right?

The RGPS team is heading to Hollywood Casino April 21-26.

The Lawsons have been married for 40+ years, and their bracelets came two decades apart.

WPT Global players starting high-stakes cash games receive 40% rakeback.

Guimarães secured a career-best score of R$205,000 in the SiGMA SPT Main Event in São Paulo

Charity Series of Poker has a trio of April Events in Las Vegas at Via Brasil Steakhouse.

With bounties included, "Reggie_Degen" took home $11,041 for their victory.

A dominant performance at the final table.

Deeb survived a bubble scare as 393 players cashed in the record 2026 WSOPE Main Event.

The Michigan poker pro pleaded guilty to auto loan fraud in August 2025.

The 2026 WSOPE Main Event has smashed previous records with biggest field & prize pool ever.

In the 951st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is at the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Prague where he is joined by special guest cohost Nick "Nicky P" Palma, who is fresh off a big online Sunday where he took down two...

Did you catch these WSOPE 2026 bracelet winners in Prague?

We look back at the legendary GPI Player of the Year runs from Dan Smith to David Peters.

Who will become the 2026 Irish Poker Open Main Event Champion?

Thirty 888poker players will win £560 UKPL Blackpool Main Event seats for free.

Mizrachi cracked aces en route to a top ten finish in Day 1c

Others in the game included DJ Washburn, Kelly Lucas, and actress Jennifer Tilly.

Two absolutely insane folds: you make the call.

Was it the best fold you’ve ever seen?

Was Foxen's Triton Jeju fold GTO-approved?

This year's winner is slated to take home a €517,100 top prize.

The 51-event series catered to 5,864 entrants and awarded $2,450,680 in prize money.

Quads again denied Deeb as Silbernagel won the WSOPE COLOSSUS bracelet.

Keating was noticably absent from Friday's game.

BetRivers launches "Diamond State Rakeback" promo with up to 250% weekly boosts starting April 6.

Kabrhel is driving his peers nuts already.

The announcement revealed IPO stops in Australia, Marrakech, and the United States.

These players have earned millions at the WSOP but still haven’t won a bracelet.

The $10M guaranteed tournament began on Friday in Prague

Roope Tarmi collected €79,945 for this €10,000 Super High Roller victory.

What a roller coaster ride for Eric Wasserson.

Eight massive stories from Triton Jeju 2026, featuring Ben Tollerene and co-founder Paul Phua

Find out who qualifies for Welcome Bonuses on PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel.

Owners of Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino defaulted on a $90 million loan.

The Roughrider Poker Tour (RPT) is set to return to Deadwood for the 2026 SDPSC Main Event.

Other stories include Kristen Foxen's pocket kings preflop fold & Brandon Wilson's heater!

Deeb finished second in a bracelet-awarding event for the seventh time.

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Best no deposit bonus codes April 2026 – free spins & cash for US, UK & Canada casinos.

The champ took home $193,725.

Prosecutors say Goldstein imagines a future playing Andy Beal for millions.

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Charity Series of Poker has a trio of April Events in Las Vegas at Via Brasil Steakhouse.

In this emergency recording of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad, Mike, and Ben discuss the first public video released by @nSHJYJD3jU/edit since The Lodge Card Club was raided last month.

Mike Estes now sits second on the MSPT Season 17 Player of the Year leaderboard.

In the 949th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow do an emergency show to react to the long-awaited video by Doug Polk in which he discusses the raid on his Texas card club. The Lodge. Find out what the large...

Here’s what to consider before you take your seat.

BetRivers Poker is offering bobbleheads, added cash prizes and more this month.

PokerStars and FanDuel unite to launch a massive new poker network across MI, NJ, and PA.

Liu outlasted 1,296 opponents in the $10,000 GGMillion$ High Roller at GGPoker.

Check out where the Power Path can take you this month!

The series at MGM National Harbor Oxon Hill will run April 13-19.

Polk defended the Texas poker room he co-owns.

Ottomar Ladva became a WSOP Circuit ring winner online at GGPoker.

GTO Wizard merges its plans into two tiers, adding new tools and features for all subscribers.

Labeled a poker prodigy, stories about the young lady from Norway known online as “Annette_15” began to circulate before she won her first and only WSOP bracelet that happened to come with a $2 million payday. How she never made a deposit when she started playing online at the age of 15, running freerolls into tens-of-thousands of dollars after seeing an ad for poker sites at a bowling alley.

About the time she played and won a $4 180-person sit ‘n go by only looking at her hole cards once (she said covered them with a sticky-note and got curious one time), which happened a few months before binking her bracelet. About how she’d stay up all night playing tournaments, winning them for five-figures when she was a teenager.

“I had no idea what I was doing, but it turned out I just kept winning,” Obrestad told the WSOP. “The players were so bad. I eventually saw that there were other games, and started playing a little bit of hold’em.”

And that led her to London, where her poker fairytale really took-off. Her win led to a sponsorship from an online site and two years on the tournament poker trail. While she performed admirably, the bottom line is that she was not necessarily cut-out for the spotlight.

“I signed a sponsorship deal with (Betfair) and it basically allowed me to go to any live tournament that I wanted to enter. They paid for my flight, hotel, and my buy-ins. I was basically freerolling for two or three years, and it was absolutely insane. I remember checking into these nice hotels, and I would just look out the window and shake my head, being like, ‘How am I here?’ I was so grateful, I could not believe that that was my life; absolutely insane.

Obviously, it came with a lot of media attention that I wasn’t expecting. This was probably the worst part of winning that tournament, because I was a very shy girl back then, and I did not like to have all of those eyes on me. To be thrown in the deep end and having to do interviews all the time and do all of these things I didn’t really want to do and have people recognize me, come up to me, and want to talk. Like I said, I was very shy.

It was overwhelming at times. Of course, a lot of good came out of it, but it wasn’t why I got into the game to begin with. I didn’t want the fame, I just wanted to play poker. I tried to be grateful for it, but it was definitely tough.”

Time off

In 2018, she decided to walk away from the game and focus on her health after an eating disorder swallowed her whole.

“I realized I was not in the right headspace to play anymore,” Obrestad explained. “I developed an eating disorder pretty close to when I stopped playing. People probably noticed I was losing weight. I was obsessed with food, fitness, and counting calories and macros, and my mind wasn’t in the game anymore. I would sit at the poker table and wonder what I was going to eat for dinner.”

“It just got really bad at some point, and I couldn’t focus. I was like ‘I need to take a break’. I tried to come back to the game for a little while after, and my passion just wasn’t there anymore.”

And that’s where her poker journey was left off. Until now.

The comeback

The WSOP and Obrestad announced that she will make her return to poker action at WSOP Europe, which begins today (March 31) and runs until April 12.

“It’s been nice to feel so welcome again,” Obrestad said. “I wasn’t sure what it would be like to get back into poker. I didn’t know if I would still know how to play this game. I’m surprised how many people still recognize me and know who I am when I go sit down at the local $1/$3 game; it’s been kind of crazy. Everyone’s just been super nice.”

She says she plans on playing the €1,000 Ladies event on April 4, and the €5,000 Main Event with its €5 million guarantee April 3.

“I’m just looking forward to playing. I’m looking forward to being back on the felt in a big tournament atmosphere again. Just remembering how the atmosphere is, right before the tournament starts, with all the tension in the air, and how excited people are,” she said. “I’m still rusty, I don’t know how I’m going to do in these big tournaments. I don’t know how people play anymore, but I’m not going to do a bunch of studying leading up to it. I’m just going to go into it with the knowledge I have and hope that’s enough.

“I’m just going to have fun, and not put too much pressure on myself.”

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Winning at the Wynn

Just down the street from the Paris and Horseshoe casinos on the Strip, is a casino that looks like a big hunk of chocolate. In that casino is a wonderful poker room that rivals any in the world.

It’s there that the Wynn Summer Poker Classic will run from May 20 to July 13. And the poker room is using some very nice prize-pool guarantees to get players to mosey on down to try the action.

Players will certainly head to the Wynn for the $2 million guaranteed $3,000 Pot Limit Omaha Mystery Bounty event that begins July 4. Or how about the $5 million guaranteed $3,500 No-Limit Hold’em event on June 11?

The $3 million guaranteed $2,200 Mystery Bounty on June 15 will certainly bring in the numbers, as will the $2 million guaranteed $1,600 Turbo event on June 10.

The entire schedule is packed full of both satellites into all the events and tourneys with six and seven figure guarantees, but the one with eight figures is going to be a banger.

That’s the Wynn Summer Poker Championship, a $10,400 event that has the drop-dead gorgeous guarantee of $10 million. The first of four starting days starts on June 21, and the tourney will conclude June 27.

Organizers expects more than 1,000 entries. Nick Petrangelo won this event and its $2.2 million top prize in 2024.

And last year, Michael Sklenicka rivered quads on the last hand of the Championship during a three-way all-in to win $2.3 million. The top three payers last year won at least $1 million.

The schedule also has plenty of events for those who love to compete in contests not called no-limit poker. The first week starts with six mixed-game events — as well as a senior event — before turning into a no-limit hold’em heavy slugfest.

Satellites for a lot of these event start at $500, and players will find their way into the $10,400 Main Event for $1,100.

There are two Ladies events: A $2,500 high-roller that starts June 29, and a $600 event June 22. Neither carry a guarantee.

The WSOP runs from May 27 until the final nine of the Main Event is determined on July 13. The tournament will then be paused until Aug. 3, so it can be broadcast with a slight delay on ESPN.

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Two six-figure jackpots hit in Las Vegas this month.

Two players won jackpots on slot machine within a few hours on March 22. The first player turned a $2 bet on the Huff N Puff Money Mansion machine into a very nice smack-a-rooney of $19,950.09. Casino staff responded to another machine going off like a fire truck the same evening when a player turned a $12.50 bet into $21,607.14 playing Lighting Dollar Link.

The two players got lucky picking the right machine at the right moment as Encore Boston Harbor Casino is the home to more than 2,700 slot machines, as well as 175 table games.

A day later, a patron turned a $7.50 bet into $25,548.64 on a Huff N Even More Puff Grand machine.

But they weren’t as lucky as the unnamed player who turned a $2.50 bet on the Screaming Links machine into $178,975 the same week.

The casino says that 13,635 were won there in February alone, paying out $36,420,957.87 in prize money, mostly off of the slot machines. This was the lowest amount the casino paid out in jackpots in seven months. In January, $40,699,671.04 was paid out by 14,895 total jackpots, while December saw $43,030,773.07 paid out by 16,147 total jackpots.

That amount includes the $1,620,335.70 an unnamed player won winning the progressive jackpot playing “Royal 9 Baccarat.”

In August, Encore Boston Harbor Casino says it paid out the most jackpots in its nearly seven-year history: $46.3 million.

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Rheem also won the award at last year’s PGT PLO series. His other two came in the PGT Mixed Games series in 2023 and 2025. No other player has more than three.

And he did it this time without winning any events.

The PGT Gold Cup was the only piece of hardware he took from the series. He won all his points by cashing in four out of the 10 tourneys that were held at the Venetian, but never winning one. With eight cashes this month in PGT events, he’s running as hot as Death Valley.

He came as close as possible after finishing as runner-up in the series’ first tourney, the $3,000 Main Event. PGT changed things up a bit this year by starting with the Main Event.

He lost to Bruno Furth, who scored his only cash in series with the victory, which was good for $150,000. The 300 points he earned in this single event was enough to put Furth at the top of the leaderboard, just ahead of Rheem’s 281.

And that’s how the series ended. And although Furth wound-up on top of the leaderboard, the title of series championship and the PGT Gold Cup goes to Rheem because, by rule, players must cash at least twice in order to be eligible for the bonus prize.

As far as most money won during the series, Jeremy Druckman finished on top with $209,400. Rheem’s total was $136,555. Druckman won $182,400 in the $10,100 event, which was his first PGT title.

After starting the series with a second-place finish that was good for $100,000, Rheem followed it with an eighth-place for $10,800, fourth for $15,435 and $16,000 in bounties, and a fifth for another $10,320.

Rheem will soon hit the $20 million lifetime mark, according to The Hendon Mob. Of that, $6.4 million came in PGT events where he’s won nine in 81 cashed and 41 final tables.

PGT PLO Series at Venetian Las Vegas Top 10 Leaderboard

*Not eligible to qualify for the series leaderboard as they have not cashed in at least two events.

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“We’re proud to welcome the World Series of Poker back to ESPN,” said Ashley O’Connor, Vice President, Programming & Acquisitions at ESPN. “Poker is filled with unexpected storylines, and nobody is better equipped to showcase the stories that unfold throughout a tournament more than ESPN. Bringing the WSOP back reflects our continued commitment to delivering premium competition and that connects with fans in new and exciting ways.”

The announcement also ended speculation about how long the final nine players of the Main Event will have to wait until concluding the tournament. The answer is 20 days.

When the WSOP dropped its schedule a few weeks ago, it gave a huge hint that the final table will be delayed for broadcast. WSOP and ESPN did this from 2008-2016, delaying the final table a whopping four months so ESPN could show the final hands of the Main Event as the grand finale of its poker package.

The Main Event starts July 2, and will run until the final nine players are determined July 13. It will then pause until Monday, Aug. 3, where it will be broadcast on a slight delay for three consequetive nights. According to the WSOP, broadcast of the WSOP also starts on July 2.

Promised is more than 100 hours of Main Event coverage. During the 20-day break, “ESPN will air specially curated prime-time episodes to build momentum and introduce the final table competitors to a global audience,” according to the press release.

The full broadcast schedule has not yet been released, but coverage will go beyond the Main Event.

This deal ends a five-year partnership with PokerGO and CBS, whose contract with the WSOP ends in May. ESPN will use Omaha Productions, Peyton and Eli Manning’s company that produces sports documentaries for Netflix, NFL content on YouTube, and the weekly Monday Night Football Manningcast.

The Walt Disney Company owns both ESPN and ABC, so there’s a possibility that some of WSOP poker will end up on there.

“The World Series of Poker is a global phenomenon that transcends the gaming category, and our goal is to bring it to the widest possible audience,” said Ty Stewart, CEO of the WSOP. “Returning to ESPN – the home of our most iconic moments since 1987 – allows us to showcase the human drama of the Main Event like never before. With our new ownership’s commitment to growth, this is the perfect time to bring the ‘World Championship’ back to the biggest stage in sports.”

ESPN first covered the WSOP in 1978. It hit its stride in the lates 90s into the 2000s, and played a huge part in the explosion of poker during that time.

2026 WSOP Main Event Schedule

“We’re proud to welcome the World Series of Poker back to ESPN,” said Ashley O’Connor, Vice President, Programming & Acquisitions at ESPN. “Poker is filled with unexpected storylines, and nobody is better equipped to showcase the stories that unfold throughout a tournament more than ESPN. Bringing the WSOP back reflects our continued commitment to delivering premium competition and that connects with fans in new and exciting ways.”

The announcement also ended speculation about how long the final nine players of the Main Event will have to wait until concluding the tournament. The answer is 20 days.

When the WSOP dropped its schedule a few weeks ago, it gave a huge hint that the final table will be delayed for broadcast. WSOP and ESPN did this from 2008-2016, delaying the final table a whopping four months so ESPN could show the final hands of the Main Event as the grand finale of its poker package.

The Main Event starts July 2, and will run until the final nine players are determined July 13. It will then pause until Monday, Aug. 3, where it will be broadcast on a slight delay for three consequetive nights. According to the WSOP, broadcast of the WSOP also starts on July 2.

Promised is more than 100 hours of Main Event coverage. During the 20-day break, “ESPN will air specially curated prime-time episodes to build momentum and introduce the final table competitors to a global audience,” according to the press release.

The full broadcast schedule has not yet been released, but coverage will go beyond the Main Event.

This deal ends a five-year partnership with PokerGO and CBS, whose contract with the WSOP ends in May. ESPN will use Omaha Productions, Peyton and Eli Manning’s company that produces sports documentaries for Netflix, NFL content on YouTube, and the weekly Monday Night Football Manningcast.

The Walt Disney Company owns both ESPN and ABC, so there’s a possibility that some of WSOP poker will end up on there.

“The World Series of Poker is a global phenomenon that transcends the gaming category, and our goal is to bring it to the widest possible audience,” said Ty Stewart, CEO of the WSOP. “Returning to ESPN – the home of our most iconic moments since 1987 – allows us to showcase the human drama of the Main Event like never before. With our new ownership’s commitment to growth, this is the perfect time to bring the ‘World Championship’ back to the biggest stage in sports.”

ESPN first covered the WSOP in 1978. It hit its stride in the lates 90s into the 2000s, and played a huge part in the explosion of poker during that time.

2026 WSOP Main Event Schedule

February casino revenue rose, offering some hope after winter poker turnout dip

The new slots room features 19 games from Aristocrat Gaming, which manufactures and distributes land-based slots and electric games around the world.

The room pops with bright colors and characters that populate some Artistocrat Gaming’s machines painted on the walls. In fact, The mummy from Mo ‘ Mummy was there to pose with guests and cheer them on as the first 250 player’s club members received one max bet spin on the Spooky Link machine it stars in.

“We are constantly striving to enhance the entertainment experience for our guests,” Mary Smith, President and CEO of Four Winds Casinos said. “The addition of the new slot room at Four Winds Hartford, featuring popular titles from Aristocrat Gaming, will add some additional excitement for players who want to try their luck on several popular games!”

Four Winds Hartford is mostly a slots casino, operating 450 of them, including progressive machines linked to casinos nationwide. It only has seven table games, but is the home of a Timbers Fast Food Deli with 74 restaurant seats and a 12-seat bar.

The machines that sit in the room are:

• Bao Zhu Zhao Fu Ignite Jade Prosperity
• Bao Zhu Zhao Fu Ignite Purple Prosperity
• Crazy Chickens
• Crazy Dragons Den
• Firecracker Fortunes Northern Star
• Firecracker Fortunes Western Horizon
• Galactic Quest For Love and Money Venus Vixens
• Inferno Link Bengal Blaze
• Spicy Fortunes Diamond Fiesta
• Spice Fortunes Pepper Fiesta
• Spooky Link Yo Yeti
• Spooky Link Mo’ Mummy
• Spooky Link Go Ghost
• The Phantom
• Whisker Wheels Triple Tricky

Located in Hartford, Michigan, the casino one of four owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. They opened its first casino, Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo in 2007. Four Winds Hartford opened in 2011, followed by Four Winds Dowagiac in 2013 and Four Winds South Bend in 2018.

Aristocrat Gaming is part of a company that has been producing gambling machines for more than 70 years. It actually employees more people (7,400) than the population of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi (6,400).

A mathematician who called himself the Wizard, Sklansky wrote books about poker and casino gambling. His “Theory of Poker” is still considered a foundation and gateway into advanced poker strategies, and is often listed by poker champions as seminal to their success.

Originally from New Jersey, Sklansky worked as an actuary after briefly attending the University of Pennsylvania before moving to Las Vegas in the early 70s where he soon established a reputation as a tough and consistent player at both the poker and blackjack tables.

How did he do it? While most players did use a rudimentary understanding of math and probabilities, Sklansky took it to another level and based his entire game on theories that could be written down and explained through equations and formulas.

He publish his first book, “Hold’em Poker,” in 1976. The first edition of “The Theory of Poker” was published in 1978 as “Winning Poker,” and it quickly become a sort of Bible for both new players and the old school grinders who knew right off the bat that the mathematician was on to something.

The version of the book with the yellow cover that most poker players know was published in 1987 and is still one of the best selling poker books. It joins almost two dozen other titles like “Small Stakes Hold’em,” “Poker and More,” and “Seven Card Stud for Advanced Players,” which he published after Doyle Brunson invited him to write the chapter on the game for “Super/System 2.”

He’s a three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, but none of those came after 1983.

Sklansky interacted with poker players as an active moderator on the Two Plus Two forums. With nearly 18,000 posts that started in 2002, he found himself defending some of his questionable behaviors toward younger women.

In 2007, Sklansky took to the forum to defend himself against accusations that he was involved with a 16-year-old run-away while he was in his 50s. He admitted that the two had lived together for eight months and were “planning to stay together indefinitely,” claiming he and everyone who met her thought she was in her mid-20s.

He also confirmed what has been an open secret around the Las Vegas poker world about the type of women he preferred.

“The girls I like have to have an odd combination of traits, smart feisty, but the opposite of feminist and somewhat malleable,” he wrote.

He misspelled “malleable.”

According to sources like Matt Berkey, and Todd Wittles, he also played a role in the tragic story of Brandi Hawbaker, a young woman who briefly became a media darling in the mid-aughts thanks to some deep runs in events, a look that oozed sexuality, and a willingness to show a lot of skin.

Sklansky is accused of threatening her with disfigurement and encouraging her to end her life before the former stripper committed suicide in 2008 at the age of 26.

He was also arrested for but not charged with domestic battery in January of this year. The last thread he started on Two Plus Two was contemplating if President Donald Trump and the GOP’s pivot on the Epstein Files “was that big of a deal.”

He died of heart failure March 23, 2026.

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Kris Mayes, Arizona Attorney General, claims Kalshi, which calls itself a prediction market, is really an illegal gambling operation. Not only that, she says it broke the law by taking bets on Arizona elections, which is illegal there.

“Kalshi may brand itself as a ‘prediction market,’ but what it’s actually doing is running an illegal gambling operation and taking bets on Arizona elections, both of which violate Arizona law,” Mayes said in a press release announcing the charges. “No company gets to decide for itself which laws to follow.”

Online sports gambling is legal and regulated in 39 states, plus D.C. Arizona is one of those states. Companies like DraftKings and FanDuel have to comply by laws in order to operate in these states. Kalshi doesn’t bother even though it says it’s available everywhere.

While Arizona is the first state to go after Kalshi with criminal charges, others have used the courts to challenge the legality of the site. That includes Nevada, which vehemently protects its regulated gambling industry, where a judge blocked the site from taking bets on sports there through a temporary restraining order. Kalshi responded by suing Nevada at a Federal level.

Its lawyers have been busy countering the cease-and-desist letters from states like Illinois, Montana and Ohio, as well as lawsuits in Maryland, New Jersey and Nevada. Arizona filed a cease-and-desist letter before Mayes filed criminal charges.

Company lawyers preemptively counter-sued Arizona last week to stop the state from shutting it down.

Kalshi, of course, is denying it broke any laws, claiming because it’s regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), states have no say concerning its legality. The company says that even though its takes bets on sports, it’s actually a Designated Contract Market (DCM), which is a financial exchange designated to trade futures, swaps, and or options on commodities, according to its website.

In 2024, Kalshi secured a win in the U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C. which ruled that the CFTC couldn’t block its election wagering under federal law. Since the ruling, the CFTC vowed it would fight for the company, claiming its has exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets.

It’s no surprise that the American Gaming Association, which counts just about every gambling company that operates in the U.S. as members, is going after Kalshi full-throttled. The AGA was successful nuking the online poker industry in 2006, and is using their connections and power to try to shut down the prediction market sites.

“They don’t want to pay the taxes, they don’t want to undergo the compliance and provide all of the consumer protections that are required by states of operators who operate legal sports betting,” Tres York, the vice president of government relations for the association, told Stateline.

The Indian Gambling Association and the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, are also weighing legal maneuvers to limit Kalshi’s impact on their gambling products.

“This is illegal gaming,” said James Siva, chairman of CNIGA. “This is both infringement on tribal gaming exclusivity in various states as well as an undermining of overall tribal sovereignty.”

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Popular poker streamer and WPT Global ambassador Fintan Hand is fronting a special promotion that will see one lucky winner head to Las Vegas to compete in the $10,000 WPT World Championship. Hand, known in the poker community as...

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