PokerStars Blog, Online Poker, Live Poker News & Updates
Harvey Castro outlasted a 1,648-player field at The Lodge in Austin to win the WPT Prime Lodge Championship, earning $225,020 and a spot in December’s WPT finale. A controversial fold at the WSOP Europe PLO Championship bubble sparked plenty of tension while splitting opinions among players and fans. Phil Ivey has 11 bracelet wins, with Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Erik Seidel (10) the only players with double-digit WSOP bracelet wins. In 2024, the WSOP Main Event saw a record 10,112 players. However, from 2017 entries in the Main Event increased year-on-year, with the 8,569 players in the 2019 WSOP Main Event the second-highest ever, just short of the record of 8,773 set in 2006.
In truth, it’s tough to separate the top three sites for satellites. Some sites run freeroll satellites, while other formats include a more traditional MTT that simply awards tickets rather than cash prizes. They’re essentially lower-buy-in qualifiers to a main featured tournament.
Not only that but even though the state is small, there are plenty of nearby card rooms in neighboring states, which makes Delaware a great place to live for poker players. If a venue is able to offer table games, chances are they’re able to offer live poker if they so choose. Addabbo, who isn’t a poker player himself, said online gambling could bring in millions in revenue and pointed to an upcoming “multi-billion dollar deficit” in New York’s 2026 and 2027 budgets. While they all help, disciplined bankroll management is absolutely essential, and poor financial decisions in poker is often the downfall of even some of the best tournament players. Below, we outline our top five tips and strategies for online poker tournaments.
He topped a field of 6,550 players to win after battling it out at the final table at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino. It remains one of the largest and most popular poker events in the world, attracting recreational players and poker pros alike. In May 2013, PokerNews released the MyStack App, a mobile application for iPhone and Android that links poker players to the PokerNews live feed. WPT Global is running satellites for IPT Dublin and the Battle of Malta, both running in October, giving players a chance to win valuable live tournament seats from the comfort of their home. Check out the best three poker training sites that teach PLO, offering learning materials for everyone, from beginners to advanced players. Play resumed Monday with 14 players remaining, but after a little over two hours of play, that field had been trimmed to the final table of nine, with Molenaar rising to the chip lead with 61 big blinds.
Countless poker players lost their sponsorships, including Prahlad Friedman, Maria Ho and heavy metal guitarist Scott Ian of the band Anthrax. Overnight, thousands of US poker players were suddenly out of work. More than a decade later, the impacts of Black Friday are still felt by poker players worldwide.
Everyone on the team at that time really was committed to putting on the best event they could and doing so in a way that revered the brand. The meat of my career was live updates, so I hold a soft spot for those because that remains the best way to really embrace the game itself and break down a hand. I think this was a time where there was a very narrow idea of what women in poker could really do.
“Together, we’ve built a strong and responsible sports wagering experience, and this next phase reinforces our commitment to our tribal partners and to delivering a differentiated, localized digital gaming experience for Mainers.” The company announced this week that it secured long-term agreements with those tribal groups for a potential online gaming launch in 2026. Yes, All major sites, have full-function mobile poker apps for iOS and Android devices. These games are great for beginners learning the rules or anyone wanting low-pressure practice.
This version will feature a $2M championship event from Nov. 5-10, a big piece of almost $4M in total guarantees across the series. The shockwaves of yesterday’s decision by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) to revoke the e-gaming license of Full Tilt Poker continue to be felt across the poker world. Beginning on September 10, PokerStars will be offering a massive 110-event schedule that covers virtually every discipline that is available in the world of poker. Han Feng has been eliminated from the World Series of Poker Main Event final table in fifth place after a dramatic river card ended his run, earning $2,250,000 for his finish, PokerNews reported.
Brazil Looks Likely to Continue Disallowing Retail Gambling
The best poker sites for real money are PokerStars and GGPoker. Aligning both of these factors will help you come to a decision and find the best online poker site for you! Determining which online poker site is the best is highly subjective, and will largely depend on each individual’s preferences. These operators offer superior protection for your funds and data than unregulated or offshore platforms, which carry higher risks for players. Wherever you play, it’s essential to choose licensed, regulated sites that comply with local laws and responsible gaming standards. Whether online poker is legal depends entirely on the laws of your country or region, or in the case of the United States, the state in which you reside.
Micheal O’Neill and Hyunkyou Park share their paths to WPT success and why NagaWorld at Cambodia remains their favorite poker stop in Asia. Shinichiro Kano leads the final 47 in the record APT Incheon Main Event, while the Zodiac Classic draws 403 entries and Yingjie Chen wins. Shapiro, who made national headlines earlier this month after an arson attack at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion that caused him and his family to evacuate, said he generally supported personal freedoms like gambling and added that he thought joining MSIGA could encourage other states to follow suit. While a firm launch date has not been set, industry experts anticipate that the first legal poker hands could be dealt later in 2026 or early 2027. “And while I have concerns about the impacts of gambling on public health, I believe that this new form of gambling should be regulated. Governor Janet Mills, who had previously expressed reservations about the expansion of gambling, opted neither to sign nor veto the bill.
States such as Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey are fully regulated and legal for online poker. To excel at poker and become a successful player, one of the things that you will need to pay close attention to is bankroll management. Some of the poker tournaments award huge cash prizes to the winners. Poker fans will do anything to win big cash prizes, including entering top poker tournaments. Video gaming and poker were once dismissed as the pastimes of wastrels and no-goods, but the glitz of these activities is shared by well over 700 million people globally.
The poker room originally closed in July 2024 due to renovations in the high-limit Caesars Palace Las Vegas reopened their poker room earlier this week in its previous location with a few upgrades. Caesars Entertainment’s flagship property on the Las Vegas strip, Caesars Palace is fully open for poker again. We also update the bonuses so potential customers know which sites offer the best deals. For the first time, a 100% deposit match up to $1,000 is available to everyone on the PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel platform. The action kicks off with a massive $50,000 GTD Sunday Million No Sweat Mega, serving as a prime opportunity to win your way into the flagship Sunday Million event on April 12.
In his seven-minute interview with Eskandani, who played a pivotal role in increasing the popularity of poker during the Poker Boom, the Democratic governor described joining MSIGA after a years-long fight as “common sense.” Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. Chat about topics such as position play, bankroll management and table selection.
Most people think skill, good fortune and perfect strategy are the keys to online poker tournament success. You can play perfect poker and lose 100 tournaments in a row. Signing up and finding the tournaments is simple, and once you’ve done that it’s all about getting used to the gameplay, staying disciplined and nailing the strategy. Head to the tournament lobby and use filters to narrow down events by buy-in, format, game type, or start time.
Alaska hasn’t passed any sort of legislation that is pro-poker, and there’s no reason to expect a bill to be brought forth near to hand, although stranger things have happened. The answer to this question is no, at least not at this time. Live poker is a little trickier, but that’s not to say legislative attempts don’t happen.
Our recommendations reflect all of the offers on the table and leave the choices to the players. In addition, we constantly review the top sites for other lucrative promotions and offers that can benefit players. These rewards speak to the value that sites place on their players, what those customers really mean to them.
Who Is Arden Cho? From KPop Demon Hunters to Pro Poker Player
PokerScout is your go-to source for poker news, poker odds calculators, and poker traffic stats. He hired Maurice Suh of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher of Los Angeles to press a civil suit filed by a group of poker… Read more » Among the notable individual results reported by PokerNews, Adel Kabbani… Read more » The series drew 28,595 entries excluding satellites and carried more than $16 million in guarantees. There was a day when poker sponsorships were handed out like coupons for…
According to state law, the game is deemed illegal and that isn’t going to change any time soon. Gambling in general is not a priority of the hardcore Christian conservative movement, which is active in Georgia, As such, poker is not legal in any form in Georgia, and is considered a misdemeanor to engage in unregulated gambling. Online poker and live poker are both legal in Connecticut, but there are some issues with it so don’t get ahead of yourself just yet. Arkansas has never been a state with politicians who will push forward much in the way of pro-gambling legislation, especially when it comes to poker.
Just ask Philip Hilm, who started as the 2007 Main Event final table chip leader and ended up being the first out. The 2026 WSOP Main Event final table runs Monday through Wednesday. At the end of the day, depending on how I do, I want to play the big, staged events, like the WPT Championship at the Wynn. And compared to the no-limit games, we’re always joking around.
Additionally, some players would check-raise their best kings, which makes it a little more likely they have weaker pairs instead of top pair. But next time, if I make a deep run, I will make sure that I’m the only player left with the chips. You have a much higher share of recreational players and also a lot of top pros in the field. It’s also very interesting to play in the sense that the field is a little bit different than a usual main event.
WSOP.com is another notable site, offering players a chance to compete for a coveted WSOP Online bracelet. GGPoker also boast an extensive online poker tournament schedule. Therefore, a two-table Sit and Go can classify as an MTT, but for the most part MTTs are usually tournaments that include large field sizes in the hundreds or sometimes even the thousands.
The sites below are trusted by players around the world for their strong reputations, reliable software, and steady game traffic. Do you live in a US state or location without legal and regulated online poker sites in operation? This guide breaks down the most trusted real money poker rooms for players in the US, Canada, the UK, and all around the world.
- In short, while regulation has moved forward, the U.S. poker map in 2025 is still uneven, and the pressure is on lawmakers to create greater consistency.
- Unfortunately, for those who live outside the continental United States, there isn’t much optimism that online poker or live poker will become legal in the near future.
- Integrating PokerStars into that ecosystem creates immediate cross-sell opportunities, funneling sports bettors and casino players into poker.
- The sites listed on this page score highly across all of these areas.
- Yes, but we recommend that you start with community card game types such as Texas hold’em poker first as they are easy to learn and get into.
- PokerStars remains fully operational and player funds remain secure during the transition.
THMC London is back for 2025, featuring bigger guarantees, trophy events, and a Cape Town package for the Main Event champion. Chad Eveslage backed up his reputation by taking down one of the biggest freerolls in poker, the $1,000,000 PGT Championship, for a $500,000 reward. Andrew Lichtenberger started the 2026 PokerGO Tour right where he left off, winning the opening www.pokernewsdaily.com event and setting the pace for the season. Shaun Deeb took home his ninth World Series of Poker bracelet after coming out with flying colors from the $1,500 8-Game Mix, moving close to an all-time WSOP record. Did you know about our poker forum?
What happens if I check?
From low-stakes freerolls to WCOOP or WSOP Online bracelet events, tournaments offer all skill levels a shot at big rewards. Ever wonder who is the best poker player in the world? CardPlayer.com is the world’s oldest and most well-respected poker magazine and online gambling guide. The Passamaquoddy Tribe partners with DraftKings for sports betting, but other operators could potentially reach a deal for online casino operations, and potentially poker.
Other states like Wisconsin, California, and Florida, just to name a few, are allowed to offer poker via compacts between state and tribal gaming interests. Some states – such as Hawaii, Utah, and Wyoming – have long resisted both poker and other forms of gaming due to factors such as religion and politics, which have influenced their state laws. Yes, live poker is legal in the United States in 2026, though it does vary from state to state. PokerNews’ interactive map not only shows you where you can play legal poker in the US but also poker legislation for various states. Virginia’s Sen. Mami Locke and Delegate Marcus Simon introduced an online gaming bills that have since been pushed back to 2026. Last year, PokerStars sponsored the $1m GTD Maryland State Poker Championships, with Ben Gazzola taking home $110,578 after defeating a 245-player field.
You can still access all the same features and games that the old PokerStars had, the main difference is just that you now have to have a FanDuel account to play on PokerStars. This was arguably the biggest, single change the operator has undergone since its inception, but it was a significant one for players. Choosing where to play poker online can be overwhelming, especially with so many options available these days.
But as improbable as it might seem sometimes, things have improved a lot. Players berated dealers and staff, sometimes escalating to physical assault. Which means that a safe and welcoming environment is the soil that poker needs to thrive and grow.
By the end of Bellagio Cup, my boss Jeff Holsey offered me a full-time role, but only if I promised not to drop out of school to take it. So, by the end of my first summer, I picked up an extra gig working for the WPT as a tournament reporter for Bellagio Cup. It wasn’t I was an amazing writer or that I had some elite level of poker acumen. In the meantime, I was quietly developing a very unique skill set virtually no one else had.
