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?

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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.

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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.

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

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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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The champ took home $193,725.

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

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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.”

PartyPoker’s 25th Anniversary Wheel lets players spin for cash, tickets, and Party Dollars.

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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Leaderboard champions will be announced every Thursday at midnight.

Punk icon Fat Mike made the final table of the $1,100 WPT Rolling Thunder Seniors event.

Who knew the Poker Brat played GTO?

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.

Bruno Furth had the most points of the series but lost on a technicality.

Qualify for Battle of Malta and play for a $100K bonus with WPT Global.

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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James "Matt" Lushin was found dead in his Indianapolis home.

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Paul Phua wins the Triton Poker $150,000 No-Limit Hold’em 10th Anniversary Special for $3,226,000.

“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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The champion took home a WSOP Circuit ring and a career-best $2,234,319.

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Michael Linster rarely gets to play poker anymore, and made the most of a rare opportunity.

Travis Hartshorn cracked kings and aces in the PokerStars Philly Open Main Event.

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Travis Hartshorn cracked kings and aces in the PokerStars Philly Open Main Event.

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.”

Leonard wins twice in one night to become SCOOP’s all-time leader with 15 titles.

The DPS brings €2M+ guaranteed across eight PLO events from April 15–22, 2026.

Were undercover agents really able to gain access to The Lodge without membership?

David Lappin discusses the Irish Open, record qualifiers, and his new PokerStars role.

Paddy Power Poker is hosting a €100 satellite with 25 GTD Irish Open seats.

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

Play in up to $20,000 worth of Elite Freerolls each weekend.

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...

William Hill seeks to recover millions after a "Jackpot Drop" glitch inflated accounts

The Founders Table is open to everyone, but you must apply to get the benefits.

Mackenzie Dern hints at shock title Defense opponent during Celebrity Poker Tour appearance.

The Scotsman bagged his first trophy since 2023.

Sports bettor Jordan Ludwick had a viral bustout in a PokerStars Main Event.

Other stories include Resorts World Poker Room closing, PokerGO Cup Winners & the Oscars!

VA lawmakers fail to reconcile iGaming bills, halting plans for legal online casino growth

Gaoyang Yang netted £16,745 after a four-handed deal.

Leonardo Nascimento banked a $715,096 prize for his victory.

The third leg of the 2026 GUKPT heads to The Victoria in London.

Triton Tempo’s new poker clock has Negreanu and Hellmuth calling it a game changer.

Rob Gronkowski finally turned the tables on The Magician

Analyzing Benjamin "Spraggy" Spragg’s tough river fold at a PokerStars final table

Aaron Johnson defeated former PokerNews reporter Mo Nuwwarah in heads-up play.

The Reserve celebrates five years with a $1M GTD tournament this April and PokerNews will report

Remembering Valter Farina, Italy’s first WSOP bracelet winner, who has died at 72.

In another emergency episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad, Ben and Mike discuss the latest updates from the situation at The Lodge! Warrant Details $1.35M in "Suspicious" Deposits.

Find out what exactly the 22-page warrant said that led to the raid at The Lodge in Texas.

Win big this March Madness with BetRivers Poker freerolls, bonus bets & prizes!

But first, some kudos, which go to WSOP organizers, particularly CEO Ty Stewart, Vice President Jack Effel and their teams who have done a fantastic job with the Series, especially the Main Event. These two men ensured a smooth transition took place after NSUS, the owners of GGPoker, bought the WSOP from Caesars in 2024.

I also thought they handled the trials and tribulations that came along with dealing with losing basically a whole year because of the Pandemic well. The hybrid solution to the Main Event may not have been ideal and definitely deserves the dreaded asterisk next to the results, but it’s in the books.

On top of this, they had to coordinate a move from the Rio to the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas on the Strip.

And while the WSOP introduced a new leaderboard with $1 million in prizes going to the top 100 players for this season, there might be room to give flowers for some of the players who earned it playing in Las Vegas this summer. The following categories may be a good start:

Best Young Player, Best Senior, Best Super Senior, Best Woman, most final tables, most cashes, and the Treetop prize, given to the player who mounted the biggest comeback.

These performance-based accolades would come with a trophy and maybe a silk jacket, and, ideally, a ticket to an upcoming WSOP event. These awards would give the WSOP a simple PR win and the media an easy story to generate more eyes on the brand.

Sponsors could be lined-up to put their name on the things, which would generate more publicity as, say, Red Bull honors the player who managed to come back with a chip and a chair.

These awards would put the focus on the summer series in Las Vegas, which the new Player of the Year leaderboard moves to change.

New leaderboard for 2026

The new Player of the Year leaderboard reflects changes to what the WSOP defines as a season –Players will start earning points when new season starts March 31, at WSOP Europe.

They’ll then continue the quest for WSOP Player of the Year at the Summer series of 100 events that runs May 26 to July 15. The final series that counts toward the Player of the Year race takes place Dec. 1-18 during WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.

The top 100 players will earn at least a $2,500 WSOP Circuit ticket.

The player who winds-up with the most points wins the title of WSOP Player of the Year and a $100,000 Paradise Package. Second and third place finishers also get that buy-in package. Players who finish fourth through 15th win a $30,000 Super Main Event package; 16th through 50th gets a $5,000 Circuit package, with the rest winning a $2,500 package.

WSOP Circuit events do not count towards the race, and neither does online bracelet events.

This is a wonderful way to award the regulars and grinders who populate the fields at WSOP events around the world. Still, there’s room to celebrate those who make the WSOP so great: The competitors.

Shaun Deeb warms up for the 2026 WSOP by taking down the $400 Six-Max for a second ring.

TABC affidavit alleges money laundering and illegal gambling at Doug Polk’s Lodge Card Club

TABC affidavit alleges money laundering and illegal gambling at Doug Polk’s Lodge Card Club

Poker Dream 21 heads to Genting Highlands with a MYR 5M ($1.25M) guaranteed Main Event.

Jokura put on a dominant display at the $100K Mystery Bounty Main Event final table.

888poker's KO Games runs from March 20-24

Aces, kings, queens cooler rocks Wynn Millions $1,100 final table with $114,836 for first.

Aaron Overton rallied from near elimination to win RGPS Graton $1,100 Main Event.

Polk denied any knowledge of money laundering and is committed to paying players.

Zhao Wenjie wins second-ever Triton ONE Main Event after deal with Jon Vallinas in Jeju.

McDonald had $502,472 in lifetime tournament earnings dating back to 2012.

Cho voices the lead character in the hit animated movie.

The Lodge recently issued a statement offering some answers. Find out what it said here.

Bertoli outlasted 1,351 opponents on his way to the CEP Barcelona Main Event title.

Claim 133 Free Spins at GGVegas this St. Patrick’s Day - available across all slot games.

Join the Road to Las Vegas! Win a 7-night VIP luxury trip at Planet Hollywood this June

The PartyPoker Tour returns to sunny Spain for the first time since 2022, with Leg 2 of the 2026 season kicking off in Seville on Monday, running from March 16th to 22nd. Casino Admiral in the beautiful Andalucían capital will play host to a...

Latta outlasted a field of 495 entries to claim his first RGPS ring.

Martin outlasted 252 opponents to secure his first live poker tournament victory.

OlyBet Showdown Tallinn launches April 10–19 with 40+ events and a €1,100 Main Event.

Oliver Simon, despite being the short-stack among the final four, was declared the winner

Andrew Lichtenberger won the the final event of the 2026 PokerGO Cup.

The Lodge also said it cannot reopen during an ongoing investigation.

Check out the latest Grosvenor Casino National Poker League standings.

Sean Winter wins PokerGO Cup Event #9 for $210,000 after comeback vs Benjamin Grise.

Matt Lushin, the victim, had over $500,000 in poker tournament cashes.

Even if you despise Doug Polk, you shouldn't celebrate the legal action.

A tricky SCOOP final table hand shows how ICM pressure can turn AKo into a fold.

A tricky SCOOP final table hand shows how ICM pressure can turn AKo into a fold.

Five $1 million Spin & Gold jackpots hit on GGPoker.

Filipp Khavin now leads the 2026 PokerGO Cup leaderboard.

The Daily King channeled his inner Eric Wasserson at the PokerGO Cup.

Tourism is down in Las Vegas.

His two wins puts him on top of the series leaderboard and in line to win the green jacket and a $50,000 buy-in bonus.

Wilson won his third PGT title by taking down the $5,100 No-limit Hold’em event that produced 104 runners. He won $112,720. The top 15 players were paid. Qinghai Pan, Jesse Lonis, Jeremy Becker, Michael Brinkenhoff, Chino Rheem, Brandon Hamlet, John Hennigan, and Sean Winter all cashed, but did not make the final table.

Here’s how they finished:

Then, a few days later, Wilson added another $210,000 by winning all the chips in $10,100 contest two days later. The win not only put him on the top of the series leaderboard, but moved him into third place on the yearly tracker.

The tournament attracted 70 entrants, paying the top 10. Shannon Shoor, who made the final table in the first event that Wilson won, was the runner-up.

“This whole year has been great,” Wilson told PGT afterward. “I had a couple of scores in the earlier series, and I always keep coming back. I love these events.”

He’s not just blowing smoke. Wilson has now won $5.8 million on the PGT. He’s cashed 55 times and made 35 final tables. According to The Hendon Mob, Wilson has cashed more than $12 million in tourneys.

Here’s how the final table shook out:

And here’s the 2026 PokerGO Cup Leaderboard (March 12):

Learn how you can receive free tournament tickets from WPT Global every day.

The $525 Mystery Millions event awarded more than $2M to the final four players.

Five days remain before the $600K guaranteed Live! Poker Classic kicks off in Maryland.

Tony Gregg won PokerGO Cup Event #7 after defeating Darren Elias heads-up following an ICM chop.

Could you 'keep up' with this poker instructor?

The largest poker room in Texas is in deep trouble.

Episode 944 of the PokerNews Podcast had Chad, Connor and Mike discuss the recent huge news about The Lodge card room being raided, a cheating poker dealer exposed, Fedor Holz's retirement and more!

Other stories include an update on the cheating Texas poker dealer & PokerGO Cup winners.

Things are still a bit confusing.

Solver analysis reveals the best strategy for attacking limpers in poker tournaments.

BetRivers ambassador Phil Hellmuth meets fans and plays cash at Delaware Park Casino.

WPT Global launches new welcome offer with cashback, tickets and casino rewards.

Brock Wilson won his second title of the series in Event #6: $10,000 NLH.

Polk gave a heated response to criticism from Tom Dwan.

The series catered to a combined 19,895 entries and awarded $655,544.58 in prize money.

Download the full 2026 Irish Open Players guide

It's the second WPT event that has been postponed in March.

Berk crushed it at the final table.

The victory represents the biggest score of Hammann’s poker career.

Curtis Meeks is accused of providing cheating technology in the NBA poker scandal.

Check out the full schedule for the 6 Gold Card stop.

The room is co-owned by Brad Owen and Doug Polk.

The room is co-owned by Brad Owen and Doug Polk.

PokerStars' SCOOP is one of the richest online poker series in history...

"The Great Dane" owned up to his poker losses.

The schedule features 28 tournaments and a €1,390 Main Event

The Dane left 903 opponents in their wake, banking $9,482.

Day 1a chip leader Bryan Ducharme rode the momentum to win the BPO Florida Championship.

The CPT 2026 Season Premiere Championship will take place on March 19 in Las Vegas.

Holz is moving on from the game that made him wealthy.

Holz is moving on from the game that made him wealthy.

SnapShove was originally founded by poker pro Max Silver

Endrit Geci banked £76,710 for his GUKPT Manchester Main Event victory.

Spanne wins Wynn Millions Championship as Gumz scores $101K and Leng leads $1M GTD.

Others in the game included Randy “3Coin” Sadler, Kelly Minkin, and Jennifer Tilly.

Mukul Pahuja has been a regular at Borgata Casino Resort for two decades.

It was his second RGPS ring of the festival.

In episode 943 of the PokerNews Podcast Chad is joined by Ben, Mike and special guest T.J Reid! They discuss Brad Owen's recent heartfelt tweet, Ryan Riess' perfect game and all the results and news from EPT Paris and the world of poker!

The WSOP brought Gene Bellar out from San Diego to do the honorary "Shuffle up and deal."

Rob Gronkowski is clearly a bit new to poker.

Vince Burgio won a bracelet and made the Main Event final table at the 1994 WSOP.

Meet the women behind our global events, digital design, and content strategy

An insane heater for Mr. Dirty Diaper.

It was a crazy week of poker in North America.

It's just another addition to the trophy case for the accomplished pro.

Mr. Dirty Diaper got the job done in the PokerNews PowerStack event.

Mr. Dirty Diaper got the job done in the PokerNews PowerStack event.

PokerGO Cup Event #4 introduces live tournament straddles in a $5K NLH test run.

A federal judge set the date after all 31 people charged by prosecutors appeared for a status hearing at a courthouse in Brooklyn on Tuesday. Billups and Jones are being accused of being the honey to lure unsuspecting players to high-stakes poker games at an apartment in Manhattan.

But what the players didn’t know was that the game was compromised in ways that would make Inspector Gadget blush. The Feds say members of the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime families worked together in the scheme that ran at least since 2021, stealing about $7 million from unsuspecting players.

“As alleged, members and associates of organized crime families fixed illegal poker games as part of a highly sophisticated and lucrative fraud scheme to cheat victims out of millions of dollars and conspired with others to perpetrate their frauds,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Well-known former NBA players and former professional athletes, acted as ‘Face Cards’ to lure unsuspecting victims to high-stakes poker games, where they were then at the mercy of concealed technology, including rigged shuffling machines and specially designed contacts lenses and sunglasses to read the backs of playing cards, which ensured that the victims would lose big.  Today’s indictment and arrests sounds the final buzzer for these cheaters.”

Prosecutors say game organizers used high-tech tools to fleece the players, including a poker table with a built-in x-ray machine that could read the cards face-down on the table, chip trays with cameras, old fashioned signaling between confederates, marked cards that could be read using special contact lenses, and rigged shuffle machines that were hacked to set the deck in any order.

Doug Polk, one of the owners of The Lodge Card Club in Texas and popular content creator, spoke to Wired about being aware of how shuffle machines can be hacked.

“If there’s a camera that knows the cards, there is always some kind of underlying threat,” Polk said. “Customers are gonna be essentially at the mercy of the person setting up the machine. If you’re showing up in a private game and there’s a shuffler, I would say you should run for the hills.”

Billups faces charges of money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy for his alleged role. Since his arrest, Billups has been put on administration leave as head coach of the Portland Trailblazers.

Prosecutors told the judge on Tuesday that they are in talks with a dozen of the defendants for plea offers, and at least nine other defendants are talking about pleading guilty, according to ESPN. It’s not know if Billups is among those people.

During the hearings, prosecutors say they have more than 100,000 pages of financial records and telephone records and over 800 pages of surveillance photographs to support their case.

Check out a packed March of poker festivals at King's Resort, Rozvadov...

Justin Saliba beats James Carroll after ICM deal to win PokerGO Cup Event #3 ($96,400).

What was he thinking?

A huge series is heading to Dallas.

The Hendon Mob and GPI are handing out big awards.

Others in the game included Randy “3Coin” Sadler, Texas Mike, and Jennifer Tilly.

Don't miss your chance to win 3x $200 Main Event & 5x $20 Main Event tickets.

The Hendon Mob and GPI are handing out big awards.

Kavin was on close to zero sleep after flying in to play

The online poker site told its players that it will soon be integrated with FanDuel and that the move will allow players in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Michigan to all play under one virtual roof. Both sites are owned by Flutter Entertainment. It took control of FanDuel in 2025 and PokerStars in 2019.

“PokerStars is joining forces with FanDuel to bring together two of the biggest names in gaming under one powerful platform,” the company wrote on its website. “This move merges player liquidity for bigger prize pools, larger guarantees, and more exciting competition in the United States.”

Players who don’t already have a FanDuel account will have to create one. It also means the end of the current poker client, which will be retired sometime in early 2026 when the full re-launch takes place.

The site teased what they promised as the “best-in-class experience, powered by cutting-edge UX and the same, secure platform you can trust on a brand-new poker app and client.”

The transition begins March 13, when the PokerStars Rewards program is retired. All unopened chests and progress bar totals will be paid out to players in cash. And on April 1, PokerStars Casino Progressive Jackpots will be removed, and any progressive contributions will be distributed back to participating players.

That also means that players will be playing without any sort of player bonuses for the rest of the year. But PokerStars also announced a bonus to both new and returning poker players: 500 Bonus Spins and up to $1,000 back in casino bonuses.

Putting all their players under one roof in the United States — called shared liquidity in the industry — will allow PokerStars to guarantee bigger prize pools and hold larger series. It also will allow the site to spread more satellites to its live events on the North American Poker Tour.

Once the integration is complete, it will give casino and slots players already on FanDuel access to the tables at PokerStars. One eWallet will be used across the site.

FanDuel is available in 23 states and Washington D.C., but only a few of them allow online poker to be spread. Flutter, of course, wants that to change, and this move will put PokerStars in a great position if more states sign on to online poker.

“As fierce advocates of regulated poker, we hope to expand to more states in the coming months and years,” the site reads.

Legalization of online poker in the U.S. has been a slog, so poker players could use all the fierce advocates it could get.

TJ Reid joins as a special cohost of the latest PokerNews Podcast.

ukabukas8149 goes from third place last week to champion in 888poker’s $100K RakeLESS event.

Kavin was on close to zero sleep after flying in to play

As PokerStars joins FanDuel, we look at the potential for expansion into new U.S. states

It was the Utah native's first time in the PokerGO Studio.

One of those people is Robbie Strazynski, a resident of Israel who also publishes Card Player Lifestyle. He is also a mixed-game fanatic who is the man behind the Mixed Game Festival, a low-stakes high-fun series that was schedule to undergo its 13th version next weekend at Resorts World Las Vegas.

But because military action caused the cancellation of most flights in the region, and the fact that he and his family have been forced to sleep in his bomb shelter for the past few days, Strazynski decided to cancel the series.

“But even if I could somehow manage to find a way out of Israel and make it to Las Vegas, the bottom line is that it would just be wrong to leave my family under these circumstances,” he wrote in a post he hated to make.

“I don’t think I’ve ever hated having to write and publish an article more than this one. I have very unfortunately had to make the decision to cancel Mixed Game Festival XIII.

For those who don’t know, I live in Israel. As of this writing, our skies are closed “indefinitely” due to the ongoing situation in this part of the world. British Airways cancelled my ticket almost immediately. Even our national carrier, El Al, which always flies (even during wartime), is not currently allowing people to purchase new tickets as it focuses its operations and resources on bringing citizens stranded abroad home to their families.”

To make things a little worse for Strazynski and those who already booked their trips to Las Vegas, this was the first time the Mixed Game Festival stretched longer than a week. The tournaments, cash games, book signings and pizza parties were scheduled to take place in two blocks: March 8-12 and March 15-19.

Strazynski, who did a fantastic job as the host of CardChat’s podcast, apologized to the community of mixed games fanatics who were planning on flying in, as well as the staff of Resorts World and the event’s sponsors.

“I feel horrible towards you guys, the players. So many of you made travel arrangements, booked hotels, took time off from work, and had other plans in place.

I feel horrible towards the Resorts World poker room staff. We’ve held eight past Mixed Game Festival there, and they’ve always been so wonderful and accommodating.

I feel horrible towards our sponsors. When sponsorships for anything in the poker industry are increasingly difficult to come by, you guys nonetheless stepped up and offered your full-throated support.

I’m so sorry, everyone.”

So are we, sir. Be safe.

The player qualified for the event on WPT Global.

The player qualified for the event on WPT Global.

It was the Utah native's first time in the PokerGO Studio.

It was the Utah native's first time in the PokerGO Studio.

Joseph Spanne wins the $3,500 Wynn Millions Championship for $397,319 top prize.

The war in Iran is taking its toll on poker.

There's no denying he's a deserving candidate..

The nwe platform will bring shared liquidity and a unified wallet to North American players

It's never been easier to get yourself to a major Winamax event.

Wynn Millions Championship down to 44; McKeehen, Serock, and Land score big wins this week.

You win some, you lose some.

The series is run by an Israeli.

Aaron Barone explains why playing out of position is so tough and how to adjust your ranges.

Which 'Irish Poker Legend' has joined Paddy Power Poker as new ambassador?

The festival runs March 14–22 with 30+ events, led by the €1,100 Main Event

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

Neymar Jr dominates SCOOP 2026 opening night, leading one event and making another final table

Hamid Izadi won the RGPS Passport Reno $800 Main Event and his first RGPS ring.

This is what's called a heater.

The list includes Madison Beer, Nelly and Steve Aoki.

He had all the chips when the final table began.

The list includes Madison Beer, Nelly and Steve Aoki.

Phil Galfond & Phil Hellmuth share their thoughts on the promotion's extension.

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

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

Abreu bagged a massive chip lead as seven players reach the EPT Paris Final Table

PokerNews launches its new freerolls on 888 poker

How WPT Global’s RIP program has paid out over $100k to players reporting poker cheaters

Spragg talks balancing a newborn with the hunt for an elusive first SCOOP win

Perfect your blind-versus-blind game with the help of BBZ Poker.

Hellmuth played as loose as possible during a BetRivers Poker stream.

Jessica Teusl, Mitch Garshofsky and Felix Schneiders are also in contention.

2026 WSOP Circuit will run alongside the World Series of Poker with a Summer Circuit in Vegas.

A takeover of the Las Vegas casino giant could be in the works.

The popular vlogger made a massive purchase

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

No, Riess didn’t join the regulars in one of its daily poker tournaments. That’s not what he, Jesse Lonis and Dan Sepiol do on Monday nights in Las Vegas. It’s their bowling league night.

“All right, here’s the scoop,” said Lonis in a video he posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter. “If Ryan Riess bowls a 300, I lose $5,000..

According to the Detroit News, the poker players joined a bowling league this year, and when they started, Riess and Lonis made a small (for them) side bet: The first man to bowl a perfect game of 300 would win $5,000.

That’s small potatoes to both Riess, who won $8 million at the WSOP in 2013, and Lonis, who currently sits with $27.4 million in tourney cashes, according to the Hendon Mob.

Riess, who brought a 198 average into the Monday’s match, said the first nine strikes were easy. It wasn’t until Lonis and friends pulled out their cell phones to start recording the 35-year-old WSOP champ’s last three throws.

“I got nervous on my second ball in the 10th,” Riess told The Detroit News. “I was pretty fine before that.”

With one ball to go, Lonis was begging for the Riess to leave one pin standing. “I’m in a bad spot here. Oh my God. It’s like Ryan Riess is wearing a Detroit Lions jersey right now,” Lonis said, referring to the jersey he wore when he won the Main Event.

And as the last of the 10 pins fell, Riess pumped his fist while the other bowling at South Pointe cheered.

The $5,000 is $2,000 less than what Riess won for finishing eighth in a $3,300 event at the WSOP Circuit in Las Vegas in January. He also won $28,000 in the $3,500 World Poker Tour Lucky Hearts Poker Open that month.

Lonis had a career-defining 2025 where he found his way to the top of nearly every Player of the Year list. He already has five cashes in 2026, and started the year with a $125,000 cash for a third-place finish in a $10,100 event on the PokerGO Tour.

Bowling a 300 game is certainly a rare event, though it happens a few times a day across the country. Better lanes, equipment, and an understanding of the game turned something that only happened about 500 times a year in the 1960s, to around 11,500 a year now.

Still, the odds are extremely low. We”ll let the experts at tenpindoctors.com explain: “According to the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), more than 50 million sanctioned games are bowled annually in the United States alone. Yet, despite the frequency of bowling, the probability of a bowler achieving a 300 in any given game is incredibly low. The odds of rolling a 300 in a sanctioned league are roughly 1 in 11,500.”

The odds are probably higher for Riess, whose 198 average tells us the boy could roll. And now he gets to add a 300 ring commemorating his first 300 game. Congrats Ryan.

Click here to watch the video of Riess knocking them down.

Big jackpots in A.C.

While Old Man Winter nailed the East Coast with a pile of snow and hurricane like winds last weekend, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City experienced their own sort of blizzard — a Blizzard of Jackpots.

One of them was a guest from Long Island New York, who turned a $50 bet on a Dragon Link Panda Magic slot machine into $1,362,883. The unnamed patron played 25 lines at $2 a pop.

And in the same weekend, another lucky guest, this one from Wayne, New Jersey, won $1,043,287 playing Three Card Poker. The casino didn’t say how much he originally bet, but he won the Royal Flush progressive jackpot with a $5 bonus bet.

They also didn’t want their name released. Congrats to both of these players!

Half-milly won at Thunder Valley Casino

One spin on a penny slot machine at Thunder Valley Casino Resort was worth more than a half a million dollars on Monday.

The guest turned a spin of $3.75 into $546,789.07 while playing the Dollar Storm Mega Grand Link-Wild Ninja slot machine, according to the casino. Can’t forget that seven cents.

“Our guest clearly didn’t bring the Sunday Scaries into Monday,” said Thunder Valley General Manager Dawn Clayton. “Turning a penny spin into a jackpot is a pretty great way to start the week.”

For sure!

The California casino is home to 3,500 slot machines, 80 tables games, and poker room. A 17-story, 408-room hotel gives guests to stay on campus, while 11 restaurants give them places to dine.

Mohegan Sun home to six-figure win

Meanwhile, earlier this month in Connecticut, a player turned a $17.50 bet into a $113,167.77 jackpot playing a game called Big Hot Flaming Pots Tasty Treasures and Delicious Delights.

The game, which, according to MassLive, features a chef with “yummy, spicy, and upsized” pots he cooks in, paid out the jackpot to the unknown player Feb. 6.

Big Hot Flaming Pots Tasty Treasures is a game that was introduced in 2024. It features a 3×5 playing grid with 243 ways to win, with a Hold & Spin mechanic, a chef wild symbol, and three pot bonuses (Yummy, Upsized, Spicy), that fit within the hibachi theme.

Made Light and Wonder, it’s won of their many Asian-themed machines that also find their way online.

And now I’m hungry for Chinese food.

Magnificent Power Leprechaun is the latest title added to the PokerStars Casino Slotlist

BetRivers streamer Kyle Andrew gave away his biggest win of the night.

The PokerStars CEP is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

There are plenty of ways to win tournament packages on WPT Global.

On episode 942 of the PokerNews Podcast Chad, Ben and Mike are joined by special guest Jeff Platt! Jeff discusses his new role in the WSOP, some of the changes we can expect to see at this years WSOP and how this year might be the most viewed WSOP of all time!

Welcome to episode 14 of the MSPT Podcast presented by PokerNews! This week, Chad and Kyna discuss the results from the MSPT Ohio Poker Championship, Chad's cooler, and a hand with Howard!

Poker players can win a seat into the $1 million buy-in games.

A jury found Goldstein guilty of 12 of 16 counts after a six-week trial in the US District Court for the District of Maryland.

It took them two days to convict him of one count of tax evasion, four of eight counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, four counts of willful failure to timely pay taxes, and three counts of false statements on loan applications.

The jury heard testimony from poker pro and coach Andrew Robl, actor and high-stakes poker player Tobie McGuire, who retained Goldstein to help him recover a massive poker debt from billionaire baker Andy Beal, American billionaire Alec Gores, who testified he lost $26.4 million against the lawyer in 2016, and D-lister Rick Solomon, who won about $5 million from Goldstein.

Goldstein ran a firm that specialized in cases that found their way in front of the Supreme Court. He also owned and wrote for the SCOTUSblog, a popular portal to Supreme Court news.

Described as the “smartest man in the room” by prosecuting attorneys, the case exposed Goldstein as a party animal with a taste for expensive and fast cars, beautiful women with price tags attached, living it up with celebrities, and high-stakes poker.

Goldstein told a New York Times Magazine reporter that he’s won more than $88 million in heads-up matches, clearing $12 million, as 75% went to his coaches and backers.

Of that, $51 million came against heads-up matches with Beal, who stars in the non-fiction book “The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time.”

In it, Michael Craig tells about a series of matches Beal played against a group of poker players who pooled their money in order to play stakes high enough for Beal’s liking. The group, called “The Corporation,” included Todd Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Gus Hansen, David Grey, Ted Forrest and Phil Ivey.

After losing $15 million to them, Beal supposedly quit poker. That obviously wasn’t this case. In the New York Times Magazine piece, Goldstein said brought four women to Beal, who he called a “inveterate womanizer,” to help get him back on the poker hook.

Despite crushing Beal, he’s said he was down more than $10 million in card games because he doesn’t have the discipline or patience to win playing in a ring game against multiple people. From the article:

“Playing ring poker against a bunch of people requires enormous discipline, enormous patience, and those are just not things in poker that I have. If you’re playing against eight people, just mathematically, the odds that somebody has a hand that’s better than yours are quite high. If you’re playing against one person, you don’t have to be nearly as patient. What’s rewarded is being very aggressive. So heads-up, in essence, is built for me.”

Robl, who testified he backed Goldstein in heads-up matches, said he wouldn’t back him in ring games because he wasn’t good enough.

The loan application charge is the most severe in terms of sentencing: 30 years for each charge. He’ll most likely spend some time in jail, but it probably won’t be for as long as the guidelines suggest when he is sentenced later this year.

Goldstein was previously deemed a flight risk for his overseas ties.

Former PokerNews Podcast cohost Jeff Platt returns to the show for a special WSOP episode!

Check out the latest winners at King's Resort.

Winamax Pro Mustapha Kanit talks EPT Paris, WSOP prep, and his 2026 "go with the flow" plan

Stretch Network discusses the importance of offering mobile poker.

Watch 888poker’s StreamTeam weekly on Twitch & YouTube for tournament & cash games action.

Officials are continuing efforts to bring a major poker festival back to Thailand.

PokerNews will be on-site to live report the $1,200 Main Event.

Goldstein faced 16 counts of tax and mortgage fraud.

The stop is situated just across the border from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Goldstein faced 16 counts of tax and mortgage fraud.

Goldstein faced 16 counts of tax and mortgage fraud.

The three-time Super Bowl champ and 2002 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee took down the $2,200 high roller event and its $106,577 that was generated by 234 entries.

Bradley Butcher was the runner-up ($71,039), an unknown player finished third ($48,676), Johnny Bromberg finished fourth ($34,162), Maxwell Young finished fifth ($24,571), Tanupat Punjarojanakul finished sixth ($18,124), Donovan Dean finished seventh ($13,717), Charlie Dawson finished eight ($10,661), and Christopher Hill rounded out the final table ($8,514).

This is the second-highest cash for Seymour, who is a well-know as a poker aficionado. His top cash came in 2018 in the $25,000 high roller event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure when he finished third for $376,360, and he made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the $25,000 National Heads-Up Poker Championship just last year, winning $75,000.

The cash in Cherokee pushed his tournament cashes near the $1 million mark.

“Once you’re done playing football you still have a competitive drive,” he said in a 2019 interview with Yahoo Sports. “Poker is an outlet for me where I have a competitive drive, you have to be very cerebral. It requires a lot like it did for me in football – I have to be patient, I have to know how to pick my spots, pay attention to guys’ tendencies. It was just a natural progression after leaving sports at a high level.”

And when says he performed at a high level in the NFL, he’s not blowing smoke. Drafted as the sixth overall pick in 2001, Seymour sealed the edge on New England’s for eight seasons, where he won three Super Bowls. He’s a seven-time Pro-Bowl and a three-time first team All-Pro.

Seymour also authored one of my favorite plays in NFL history in his later years as a Raider when he was ejected from a game for socking Ben Roethlisberger in the mush and sending the him to the turf.

The $2,200 high-roller closed the series at Harrah’s Cherokee that started Feb. 12. The WSOP Circuit is currently running at Horseshoe Baltimore until March 2. The first flights of the $1,700 buy-in Main Event begins tomorrow (Feb. 26).

Tomorrow is also the start two WSOP Circuit series, one at Horseshoe Hammond which runs until March 9, and one overseas at the Grand Casino Gamprin in Liechtenstein. Click here for the full schedule.

Nicholas Seward defeated Gregory Brown for his first WPT title.

The rules, approved earlier this month, will effectively ban blackjack in the more than 70 cardrooms in California.

This is something the 63 Indian Tribes, who operate 86 casinos around California, have been pushing for years and will give them a monopoly on the popular table game.

Essentially, California law does not allow cardrooms to operate games where the casino serves as a “bank.” The cardrooms work around this law by contracting with third-party companies that provide “player-dealers” to run their versions of blackjack.

The OAL, a wing of the state’s Department of Justice, decided that was illegal, and changed the rules for clarification, despite the decades that the games have been spread.

The new regulations will go into effect April 1, but the cardrooms have until May 31, to submit plans for compliance to the state.

The new regulations were approved despite the concerns expressed not only from the cardrooms and their employees who are facing layoffs, but from the cities and towns that are home to them. The state received 1,764 public comments about the changes, and people spoke at two public hearings that took place last May.

Tasha Cerda, the City of Gardena’s mayor, was one of those commentators. Her Southern California town is the home to The Hustler Casino and The Lady Luck Casino, and she wanted to make it clear how eliminating blackjack at the cardrooms will dent state and local economies.

Citing studies, she wrote that the cardrooms generate $2.48 billion annually, employs a total of 28,107, and generates more than $124 million in annual fees to state local and state government agencies. That last figure does not take account of the payroll taxes paid by these employees.

“The foregoing data demonstrates the enormity of the card club industry’s beneficial impact on the state’s economy,” Cerda wrote. “Thus, the City of Gardena requests the Bureau to consider the impact of its proposed regulation on card room revenues and jobs as well as revenues paid to state and local governments by pursuing alternative regulations that achieve the Bureau’s legitimate purpose and that remove the adverse impacts to the existing revenues and jobs created by California card rooms.

Representatives of the cardrooms claim that about 40% of revenue will be lost by banning blackjack. There is no way that this change will not cause people to lose their jobs.

Many of these cardrooms, like The Hustler, have a healthy poker scene. Poker rooms in a lot of these places cannot exist without the revenue generated by blackjack simply because poker doesn’t generate enough of a profit.

Players in California should be prepared for possible card and poker room closures as the fall-out from this decision begins to affect the state’s poker and gaming economy this year.

Howard Hankin played a big hand in the MSPT Club Championship, and we caught it on camera!

After a "whirlwind" month, Lappin will represent PokerStars at events like the EPT and PokerStars Open

Win a share of €200 in the PokerNews Paddy Power Freeroll every month. Top three spots paid!

Chess GM Ottomar Ladva wins the EPT Paris €100K Super High Roller for €970,920.

Thinking of starting a bankroll challenge? 888poker's Nick Eastwood shares his advice.

Poker pro Ryan Riess bowled a perfect game in Las Vegas.

RGPS Passport Season heads to Tunica March 10-15 with a $200K guaranteed Main Event.

"Big Sey" added another ring to his jewelry case.

And Dzivielevski capped his fantastic week with a victory in the most expensive event of the series, the Super High Roller Bowl: $100k Mixed Games event, adding another $1.3 million to the $745,350 he already banked in the previous three tourneys.

So in the last four tourneys of this series, Dzivielevski went winner, runner-up, runner-up, and winner. Roar.

The $2,045,350 he took from those four events accounts for about 15% of his lifetime tournament earnings of more than $11,728,000.

The Super High Roller Bowl: $100k Mixed Games event attracted 38 entrants, nine more than last year’s version. The top seven made the money. Last year’s winner, Chad Eveslage, came as close as possible to defending his title, but fell to Dzivielevski in second place.

Nick Schulman made the money by finishing in seventh. He was followed out the door by Jared Bleznick, Tobias Leknes, Robert Wells, and Benny Glaser before play got to heads-up where Dzivielevski secured his second PGT title, not only in his career, but in the week. He now has $6,150,586 in career PGT earnings. 

His performance in the Mixed Game series pushed Dzivielevski to the top of the PGT leaderboard for the year.

2026 Super High Roller Bowl: $100k Mixed Games Results

PGT Leaderboard Top 10 

The next PGT series, the PGT Cup, runs March 1-15. Like all the series, the player who accumulates the most PGT points throughout the series will be crowned the PGT PLO Series champion and receive the PokerGO Cup and a $25,000 PGT Passport.

Dzivielevski’s 2026 PGT Mixed Games Results

2026 PGT Mixed Games Leaderboard

From February 19-22, the Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) hosted the $1,110 buy-in, $1,000,000 GTD MSPT Club Championship at Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tournament attracted 1,785 runners over a trio of starting flights...

$180 million will be won during the GGPoker WSOP Super Circuit.

PokerNews has learned Beal was Goldstein's previously unnamed opponent.

Only nine players remain in the €300K Spin & Go Championship Live at EPT Paris 2026

It features a $200,000 guaranteed prize and payouts for the top 10 finishers

"blufinbaldy" banked a $9,799 score for their victory.

There was $12,000 awarded across the cash game leaderboards.

Welcome to episode 940 of the PokerNews Podcast. Chad is joined by Mike and Ben to discuss the recent cheating scandal involving a dealer in Texas, the WSOP Main Event champion's recent huge prop bet, the Foxen's return to HCL, and all the results from around the world of poker.

Barely anyone plays this once proud tournament anymore.

Big week of poker in Las Vegas.

PokerNews has obtained exclusive footage showing continued dealer cheating in Texas.

Mark Johnston continued his impressive form in Dublin-based tournaments.

Horatiu Cont received a career-best £56,700 for his impressive victory.

81 qualifiers head to EPT Paris for the €300K Spin & Go Championship Live.

The local bartender was playing his first ever RGPS series at Jamul Casino Resort.

Bellande played in the biggest games at Aria in Las Vegas on Dwan's dime.

Everything truly is bigger in Texas.

Dvoress wins the €25K Warm Up in Paris for €286,040 as the 2026 EPT season kicks off

Also hear about the PokerStars Open Philadelphia and the Spin & Go Championship.

Jurojin data shows online poker in 2025 is defined by multitabling, tools, and efficiency.

Polk defeated Negreanu by $1.2 million five years ago.

The wild hand took place in Thursday's $25/$50 ante cash game.

Complete challenges and play in freerolls with prize pools of up to $1,000.

PokerStars Pro Sebastian Huber discusses why an earlier SCOOP is a game-changer for players

PokerNews will be live reporting the Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship at PBKC

Penttinen topped a 1,033 entry field following a three-way deal.

Peach outlasted 317 opponents as he marched on to victory.

The hand took place heads-up at the $10,300 GGMillion$ final table.

Poker Palace closed for remodeling in late 2025.

RGPS hits Graton with $300K GTD Main Event, $200K GTD PowerStack, and 12 rings up for grabs.

BetRivers Poker players can compete for $12,000 in cash prizes.

RGPS Passport Season Heads to Borgata Atlantic City for 19 ring events of 11 days.

Other stories include big Mixed Games wins by Brian Rst & Yuri Dzivielevski.

Phil Ivey attended last year's CSOP award ceremony in Las Vegas.

A wild hand took place at the LAPC Main Event final table.

Benjamin Rolle has some solid advice for poker content creators.

Hellmuth won the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event in 2012.

Starting next month, 200 to 300 new hires will eventually join the 5,200 employees of the resort by 2027.

It’s all part of a $370 million expansion that includes the Salt Seafood & Raw Bar, as well as a The Grand Expo, a new convention center. The hotel and bar will open June 29, with the center scheduled for a Labor Day ribbon cutting ceremony. This will more than double the casino resorts event spaces.

It’s been a busy year for the resort’s owners, Oneida Indian Nation, who also owns Point Place Casino about 23 miles east of Turning Stone.

In November, the tribe completed a $50 million expansion that brought a new hotel, restaurant and group event space to Point Place Casino in Bridgeport.

The Oneida Indian Nation also got into the marijuana game by opening a 3,800 square-foot cannabis dispensary in September in Verona, the hometown of Turning Stone.

The project at Turning Stone was expected to be finished in early 2027, but is way ahead of schedule.

Renovations for Atlantic City Casinos

Two Atlantic City casinos are spiffing-up their properties.

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City announced it will undergo a $50 million renovation project this year. The project will upgrade 700 rooms, 60 suites, and eight penthouses in the hotel’s North Tower, officials said Monday.

Two new restaurants will also be added: Sitar, an East-Indian joint with boardwalk views and the trendy Federal Donuts and Chicken from Philadelphia, which will open this spring.

And the Tropicana Atlantic City opened its newly renovated Solana Tower two weeks ago.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to finally welcome guests to the new Solana Tower,” said Gregg Klein, the casino’s senior vice president and general manager. “After reimagining every detail, we’re thrilled to share a space where guests can relax, explore and enjoy a fresh, modern Atlantic City experience.”

The Caesars Entertainment-owned casino updated 598 rooms in the tower, turning them into rooms that were described this way by Joe Giunta, Tropicana SVP & General Manager.

“Bright, breezy and brimming with character – these room enhancements blend playful coastal charm with a nod to vintage Atlantic City. The new rooms offer a vibrant, welcoming escape that’s as fun as it is approachable.”

Horseshoe is the place to be for a free Main Event entry.

You've got 400 opportunities to become a SCOOP champion on PokerStars.

Grab 50 free PokerNews MTT tickets for a chance to win entry to the SCOOP 2026 Main Event.

The RGPS Passport Season heads to St. Louis headlined by $800 Main Event with a 500k GTD.

Jury deliberations could begin as early as Wednesday.

Players voiced excitement about free live streams and mid-stakes events.

The cut-price $100K Mystery Bounty Main Event drew in a 1,996-strong crowd.

Juan Pardo outlasted 367 opponents in the $1,050 SCOOP Warm-Up Main Event.

Negreanu's schedule offers a good mix of events.

The three-month series of 100 events that takes place at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos in Las Vegas starts May 26, with the $550 Mini Mystery Millions, and officially ends whenever the Main Event is finished.

The last official event of the series, a $1,000 buy-in super turbo, begins on July 15. But the Main Event, which Day 1s start on July 2, will run until at least July 13.

When will it end is also a mystery. According to the announcement: “As always, the centerpiece of the summer is the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship, better known as the ‘Main Event’, which begins on Thursday, July 2.

Play will proceed until the final table is reached on July 13, with specifics on the Main Event final table play dates and broadcast coverage to be announced at a later date.”

So, it looks like the final table will be delayed for broadcast. Will it be delayed all the way to November, like the WSOP did for a few years in the mid-aughts, or will the delay be less significant in order to get it front of a larger audience? The WSOP just doesn’t know yet.

Fans will be able to keep up with the storylines of the WSOP through a daily stream that will be broadcast live on WSOP’s YouTube channel starting May 26 to the end of the Main Event. The announcement also hinted at a “new and improved TV set in Paris Las Vegas and feature some of the game’s most recognizable commentators.”

“Our favorite time of year is around the corner, and we cannot wait to once again welcome the poker world back to the Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas,” said Jack Effel, Senior Vice President of Poker Operations at Caesars Entertainment. “This summer’s World Series of Poker promises more action and more opportunities to play your favorite events than ever before, from the first ‘Shuffle Up and Deal!’ to the crowning of the Main Event champion.”

Of the 100 events, 31 have buy-ins of $10,000 or more. That includes six $25,000 high rollers, four $50,000 events, two $100,000 buy-ins, and the $250,000 Super High Roller that starts on June 13.

The $50,000 Players Championship, always a highlight of the series, starts June 21.

GGPoker, whose parent NSUS Group, bought the WSOP brand in 2024, will spread thousands of satellites into WSOP events on its international platform, while people playing on WSOP.com in the United States where it’s allowed, will have significantly less options.

“GGPoker’s WSOP Express satellites allow enthusiasts all over the world to follow in the footsteps of their heroes. Whether you are an international player qualifying via GGPoker or a domestic U.S. player winning your seat via WSOP Online, we want to see you taking your shot at the gold in 2026!” said Daniel Negreanu, GGPoker Global Ambassador and seven-time WSOP bracelet winner.

Like last year, WSOP officials are encouraging players to download and utilize the WSOP+ app, which allows them to skip the registration lines, as well as follow the tournaments in details through their phones.

The 2026 WSOP Schedule

In a special episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad is joined by Mike and Ben to discuss the release of the 2026 WSOP schedule! New events, a free live stream, and a delayed Main Event final table are all up for discussion.

The 2026 WSOP sees a big shake up to the $10,000 Main Event

The WSOP 2026 Main Event may see a significant format change this summer...

Find out what's new to the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) schedule!

The 2026 WSOP sees a big shake up to the $10,000 Main Event

Start your WSOP journey for $0.50. Climb 4 steps to win packages to Vegas or the Bahamas

Ramón Fernández takes home €60,000 for his latest victory.

Among those to claim Gold Cards were Russell Kube, Ed Tancredi & Alex Nechiporuk.

The Hippodrome celebrates 20 million visitors since 2012

Marius Czech banked a £160,862 score for his impressive victory.

The final table was quite the grind.

"The Grinder" thinks he's the favorite.

Welcome to the second episode of BetRivers TableTalk presented by PokerNews! On this episode Chad Holloway and Keith Becker are joined by head of poker Jason Senti and discuss Phil Hellmuth's time with celebrities, his new condo and everything else happening in the world of BetRivers Poker.

Hellmuth talks business, supporting women, and the next big poker boom

Gus Hansen, Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu all fell on Day 2.

Get the schedule for next month's PokerGO Cup.

Get the schedule for next month's PokerGO Cup.

"KDog Poker" spun it up quickly, only to make a costly mistake.

A white collar lawyer explained Goldstein's risky decision to testify.

The tournament crusher tested his cash game credentials.

On Friday, Feb. 27, from 6-7:30 p.m., there will be an Evening Keynote & Reception.

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

Will there be more influence from GGPoker for the 2026 WSOP?

He won his first PGT Cup for earning enough points to become the series champion, joining Dan Zack (2023), Max Hoffman (2024), and Chino Rheem (2023, 2025) as a PGT Mixed Games champion.

Going into the last three events, Dzivielevski, a Brazilian pro, had yet to cash in the series. That changed in Event #5, the 15,200 Big Bet Mix that attracted 53 entrants, which he won for $262,350. It was his first PGT title.

A day later, he would make another deep run in the $15,200 Dealer’s Choice event that brought in 57 entrants. This time, he’d fall to Qinghai Pan, who earned enough points in the series to finish second to Dzivielevski. The runner-up finish was good for $171,000.

Dzivielevski did the same thing in the series final, the $25,300 10-Game Championship that brought in a record-breaking 64 entrants, finishing second to Brian Rast for another $312,000. The last two cashes pushed Dzivielevski’s lifetime earning over the $10 million mark.

Dzivielevski’s 2026 PGT Mixed Games Results

2026 PGT Mixed Games Leaderboard

2026 PGT Mixed Games Results

The next series for PGT fans starts Feb 28, with satellites into PokerGO Cup events, which run until March 14. After that, it’s the PGT PLO Series at the Venetian March 18-29.

Lukas Robinson breaks down an interesting hand.

The WPT Asia Series runs from February 15 through to March 15.

The guarantee has doubled to €1M for this year's edition

Pansier picked up a $1,125,000 prize

Play the €700 European Deepstack OnLive Day 1 on WPT Global before Dublin finals.

What Makes Final Table Different? 888poker's Best Tips for Playing on the Bubble in Poker Tournaments Adjust Your Strategy 888poker Unveils 2026 Streaming Schedule With New Weekly Shows Pay Attention to the Situation How Does...

Negreanu played Day 1 of the $100,000 Super High Roller Bowl Mixed Games.

Hellmuth claims to be an advisor for 35 companies.

The stop at Potawatomi Casino features 11 Gold Card Events. See the full schedule here.

Connor Richards joins the show to discuss covering the federal trial of Tom Goldstein.

------------------------ 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] ------------------------- Welcome to the official PokerNews YouTube channel - Poker. 24/7, 365. Here you can expect to find all things poker including, podcasts, strategy, news, videos and live tournament coverage from across the globe. We are dedicated to continuously providing you with the latest poker news and entertainment, to ensure you are always kept up to date. Our content features live poker and live poker events, including coverage from the World Series of Poker, PokerStars Live events, WSOP and EPT events as well as all the latest poker news. PokerNews interviews top high-stakes poker players and professional poker players like Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Mike Matusow, Dan Cates, Tony G and many more. PokerNews also provides the best poker strategy guide, how to play poker, how to play Texas holdem, and how to play poker for free videos. 18+ BeGambleAware.org ------------------------- #PokerNews #poker

Welcome to the 13th episode of the MSPT Podcast! In this episode, Kyna and Chad talk about the Diamond Championship at Talking Stick Resort and how they fared. There are interviews with Michelle McGinna and Dustin Skarra, a round-up of Team Jones vs Team Stiner, and discuss Alex Foxen winning his second MSPT title!

Rast has built momentum ahead of the $100,000 Super High Roller Bowl Mixed Games

Check out all 48 champions from the completed PokerStars SCOOP Warm-Up so far.

Can Airball back up his mouth?

The embattled lawyer testified about his interest in poker.

The embattled lawyer testified about his interest in poker.

The world’s largest online poker site celebrated the sixth anniversary of its GGMasters by guaranteeing a $10 million prize pool for the unbelievably low buy-in of $150.

With only seven starting flights, players knew from the start that an overlay was possible, and as registration closed on Monday, it came 12,984 entries — $1,791,760 — short.

Being a freezeout with no rebuys is one of the reasons it didn’t reach the 8,700 entry mark needed, although players could enter multiple flights if they didn’t make it to Day 2.

Of the $150 buy-in, $12 went to GGPoker with the rest going to the prize pool. The $713,000 in tournament fees still meant GGPoker had to put up more than $1 million to meet the $10 million guarantee.

Before this week, the 2024 PokerBaazi GOAT overlay of $1.4 million and the 2020 PokerStars Big Blowout’s overlay of $1.2 million were the two largest overlays in online poker history.

Players in the United States who play in one of the few states that regulate online poker can only salivate at the huge guarantees GGPoker, PokerStars and others are able to generate by operating in global markets.

The largest overlays in poker history happened at the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open ($2.5 million) and at the 2023 World Poker Tour Championship ($2.4 million).

Top 5 Biggest Overlays in Poker History

The MSPT Diamond Championship at Arizona's Talking Stick Casino was a massive success!

Kings of Tallinn awards €1.26m across 23 events as Main Event starts

The PartyPoker Tour leaves the United Kingdom for the first time.

The PartyPoker Tour leaves the United Kingdom for the first time.

Garcia topped a 98-entry field in Cyprus

The WSOP Circuit heads to Liechtenstein with 12 ring events and a CHF 1M guaranteed Main Event.

The RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) Passport Season is set to stop in Reno for nine ring events.

What's the most times you've entered a poker tournament?

PULSE is the world's first Modular Poker Rail System.

Hallaert reveals 2026 PokerStars event updates and a redesigned Live League formula

The £888 buy-in Main Event carries a £250,000 guarantee on its prize pool.

A GTO Wizard breakdown of a key hand from the 2015 WSOP Main Event final table.

The WPT's run in Cambodia was a huge success.

RunGood Poker Series and Passport Season Returns to Jamul Casino San Diego Feb. 17–22. The RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) Passport Season is set to return to Jamul Casino in San Diego, California, from Feb. 17–22, 2026, bringing a full...

Hart played for stacks with pocket kings.

Goldstein's 2016 poker opponents included "Jungleman" and Chamath Palihapitiya.

Gary Lucci had $626,808 in lifetime tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob.

The stop features six Gold Card events. Check out the full schedule here.

The $10M GGMasters records the largest online poker overlay ever

Enter our social media competition to take part.

Artur Vyborov picked up a career-best score of $450K

At least £700,000 will be won during the 2026 GUKPT Manchester festival.

The high-stakes crusher won his first MSPT title since 2018.

Schulman just keeps on winning.

There are a ton of juicy events on the schedule.

Patrik Antonius made an interesting but costly play at the final table.

Hellmuth has floated the idea of playing.

2013 WSOP Main Event champ Ryan Riess and musician "Fat Mike" Burkett will be there!

A record-breaking WSOPC Marrakech with monster prizepools and attendances...

Discover what tilt is and how to avoid it at the poker tables.

Thomas Clack was supposed to be sponsored pro for Grosvenor Poker in 2026.

Twenty-one tournaments are having their buy-ins slashed during the 888poker Sale Week.

OlyBet’s 2026 live poker calendar features major festivals across Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius.

The high-stakes pro testified on Day 13 of Goldstein's federal tax trial.

Other stories include JRB's big win, WPT POY, and Mike 'Timex' McDonald a chess champion.

Chino Rheem opened 2026 by winning a PGT Mixed Games H.O.R.S.E title after a heads-up deal.

The story was told in a 2008 episode of the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

Hawkins is now three rings ahead of Ari Engel for the most in history.

The last two wins came within the week at Horseshoe Tunica, starting with the $400 Mini Main Event which brought in 625 entries. Who knows how many bullets Hawkins fired — he always brings a bandolier full of buy-ins to WSOP Circuit events — but it was money well spent, leading to a $35,146 payday and his 22nd ring.

He added another $10,473 by winning the last event of the series in Mississippi, and he did it on his 46th birthday. That event had 127 entries. He celebrated his record-extending win by taking his kids to Disney World.

He also won an entry into the $10,000 WSOP Main Event for earning the most points during the series. He cashed nine times, won two events, and also booked a fourth-place finish.

Hawkins has $6.8 million in tournament winnings with $4.5 million of that coming in WSOP events. He’s made 92 final tables, but there is one thing missing from his hardware collection, and that’s a WSOP bracelet. He’s finished ninth in two bracelet events.

Hawkins immediate goal is to be the first player to win 25 WSOP Circuit rings.

Maurice Hawkins’ WSOP Circuit Record

Welcome to episode 937 of the PokerNews Podcast hosted by Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow. This week, the trio discusses the slew of crazy hands that took place during the Super High Roller cash game on PokerGO, Mike "Timex" McDonald winning a national chess championship, Jean-Robert Bellande's biggest ever cash, and more!

Other stories include JRB's big win, WPT POY, and Mike 'Timex' McDonald a chess champion.

PokerNews is on-site in Maryland to cover Day 13 of the federal trial.

PokerNews is on-site in Maryland to cover Day 13 of the federal trial.

PokerNews is on-site in Maryland to cover Day 13 of the federal trial.

Over $300,000 in prizes are guaranteed on the 888poker Poker Express.

Over $300,000 in prizes are guaranteed on the 888poker Poker Express.

Tom Dwan revisits the thinking behind one of his most famous High Stakes Poker bluffs.

The win helped Eibinger climb out of a $550K hole.

The event in Cambodia was massive.

A sick bad beat jackpot hit at Hustler Casino in Los Angeles.

PokerNews is on-site in Maryland to cover Week 4 of the Goldstein trial.

PokerNews is on-site in Maryland to cover Week 4 of the Goldstein trial.

Enter Rakeroom’s giveaway for a free all-inclusive poker trip to Bratislava.

PokerNews is on-site in Maryland to cover Week 4 of the Goldstein trial.

Mario Navarro and Jamie Dwan both won $1,050 High Roller events.

GTO Wizard announces major upgrade with multiway preflop solving for up to nine players...

The hand is never over until the final card is dealt.

PokerGO also released previous seasons of the show.

It's a super busy month at King's Resort

Ren Lin wins two APT Jeju Classic 2026 High Rollers in the space of a couple of days.

"Billy_Slater" won $13,449 for their victory.

WPT Global runs two exclusive freerolls on Feb 8 with $30K in prizes and easy deposit qualification.

The 2026 PGT season got underway inside the PokerGO Studio with the six-event PGT Kickoff.

"Timex" doesn't seem to ever lose at anything.

Kim won the event in Arizona after turning down a four-handed deal.

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

Danny McDonagh returns as tournament director as the Aussie Millions makes its 2026 comeback.

Jose Garcia topped a 1,018-entry field to win the RGPS Passport Austin Main Event.

Players can play their way to the 888poker LIVE Glasgow Main Event for free at 888poker.

Sudunagunta went from zero to hero in the PartyPoker Tour Sheffield Main Event.

Kulev banked $384,150 after topping the 207 entry field.

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

The fight ended in a bit of controversy.

The Double Glitch, Double the Comeback promotion runs through Feb. 11.

JRB is back.

Castro made four WPT final tables in 2025.

PokerNews launches its new freerolls on 888 poker

Welcome to episode 936 of the PokerNews Podcast, where Chad, Mike, and Ben discuss all the news worth talking about from the world of poker. This week, the trio tackles Dan "Jungleman" Cates recent foray into the boxing ring, the controversial hand on High Stakes Poker, the $2.4m pot between Alan Keating and Antonio Esfandiari, and more!

The decision should enthuse poker players.

Is Rampage improving at tournaments?

Sklansky was in custody in the Las Vegas Detention Center.

Sklansky was in custody in the Las Vegas Detention Center.

The 2026 UKPL Luton Main Event boasts a £150,000 guarantee for a £560 buy-in.

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

Look back at King’s Resort’s biggest winners as the WSOP Europe era in Rozvadov comes to a close.

GGPoker launches new Ocean Rewards with better cashback, tier protection, & new currencies.

It wasn't Robl's night in the PokerGO Studio.

Casino industry in Nebraska grows

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission says casino revenue in its state should continue to rise as more facilities open and current casinos expand.

“We have seen so much growth since 2022 that every year we have either opened a new facility or opened different phases,” said Casey Ricketts, the executive director of the commission. “So you’re just going to continue to see our numbers grow that way.”

The first casino opened in Nebraska just in 2022. By 2024, $145 million was generated, which tripled the amount from 2023.

In 2025, Nebraska’s five casinos in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Columbus and Ogallala brought in $261 million.

The WarHorse locations in Omaha and Lincoln are responsible for $177 million of that. The Omaha casino is the crown jewel of the system.

“We had over a million customers just through the doors of this facility,” Lynne McNally, the head of government relations for WarHorse, told KOLN news. “I think people are just becoming more accustomed to having casinos in the state.”

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission collects a 20% tax on those profits, and 70% of that goes to the state’s property tax relief fund. In 2025, casino revenue contributed more than $36 million to that fund.

WarHorse Omaha, opened in 2024, is doing so well, that it expanded its facilities less than a year after opening.

Hollywood Casino in Bangor now a laugh factory

Hollywood Casino in Bangor, Maine, is getting into the funny business.

The casino, along with Maine comedians Adam Hatch and Ian Stewart, are hosting a six-week introductory course on the art of standup comedy. According to WABI, “they’ll be covering everything from writing a joke, how to handle certain situations during a live set, and finding your unique presence on stage.”

The casino is doing this on their property in order to try to grow the entertainment community of Bangor.

“Our goal is to make Hollywood Casino the epicenter of entertainment in Bangor, and comedy is a huge part of that,” said Alton Buzzell, Director of Marketing at Hollywood Casino. 

The course will take place every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Lancaster room until March.

No casinos for South Carolina

A bill that would allow a casino to open in South Carolina will not move forward after facing pushback from its Governor and the state’s powerful religious lobbyists.

The bill died in session, and according to the Charleston’s newspaper, the Post and Courier, “forward movement seems like a long shot this year. Gaming opponents, particularly religious groups, have lodged a full-court press against legalized gaming, flooding the statehouse earlier this year in an effort to poise Republican members against the bill.”

While it’s not completely dead, one of the bill’s sponsors cautioned optimism.

“There’s a pathway that it could be successful at the end of the day,” said House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister. “We could get it back out of Ways and Means. But I don’t see that pathway right now based on the current circumstances.”

The 38-year-old player from New York won his eighth PoikerGO Tour title in the first event of the first series of the 2026 season, appropriately called the Kickoff. The $5,100 event attracted 135 entries, making it the second-largest event with that buy-in the PGT history.

He won $162,000. Lichtenberger, who also goes by his online poker name “LuckyChewy,” won the same event last year. He also nearly went back-to-back in PGT to start 2026 after finishing second in the PGT $1 Million Championship freeroll to Chad Eveslage. He won $200,000 in that event, missing $500,000 by one spot.

LuckyChew had to get lucky at the final table in order to win his eighth by cracking Ethan Yau’s pocket aces with pocket kings soon after the final table started. Yau would finish fifth.

The win put Lichtenberger in a seven-way tie in with Jeremy Ausmus, Chris Brewer, Chino Rheem, Michael Addamo, Sean Perry, and Justin Bonomo for fourth-most PGT titles. Sam Soverel has the most with 13, followed by Alex Foxen and Stephen Chidwick with 12. Daniel Negreanu sits alone in fourth with 11.

2026 PGT Kickoff Event #1: $5,100 No-Limit Hold’em Results

Brian Battistone wins first PGT title

Brian Battistone pushed his lifetime tournament winnings up and over the $1 million mark by winning his first PGT title in the second event of the Kickoff, a $5,100 affair that attracted 151 entrants.

The $173,600 is his third-largest tournament cash, just $400 behind his score for finishing 14th in last month’s $10,400 World Poker Tour Championship.

His largest cash was for $304,920 for winning the $25,000 high-roller event on the WPT Voyage in 2024.

He beat Dan Smith heads-up at the PokerGO Studios at the Aria in Las Vegas.

From Omaha, Neb., Battistone scored dozens of four and five-figure tournament cashes over the last five years or so. Working out of his home-base of Las Vegas, he might be a name to watch in 2026.

2026 PGT Kickoff Event #2: $5,100 No-Limit Hold’em Results

Other stories include Jungleman's boxing match, Jeff Platt with WSOP, and more!