Oooosh, seems like Xuan Liu is out at WPT Global but they are still using her image.

The issue is, she wasn’t compensated for the use of her image, and this might put current contracts at risk. We hope the matter is resolved quickly!

PokerNews takes a microscope to a 2015 WSOP Main Event hand between Daniel Negreanu and Omri Moga, asking if Negreanu was really playing GTO before it became the standard.

Each street of the hand is broken down with input from GTO Wizard, and as it turns out, both Negreanu and Moga made moves that modern solvers approve of.

Weee! Last woman standing in GCP Tour mystery bounty tournament at 88 years of age!

What a legend!

From short stack to tequila shot.

Blake Vogdes turned the Borgata Winter Poker Open final table on its head, arriving as one of the shortest stacks and leaving with nearly half a million dollars. The key, according to PokerOrg, was a series of double-ups once play got four-handed. Vogdes took the lead, cut a deal with Jack Kwon heads-up, and claimed the trophy.

Vogdes has only been cashing tournaments since 2021, but his focus seems to be shifting. He told PokerOrg, “I’ve just been playing more live tournaments, just having fun with it. I used to play a lot online, but now I’m transitioning out of poker into doing some other things.”

The big win? Vogdes summed up his plans in five words: “I need a shot of Tequila.”

Dara O’Kearney and David Lappin didn’t see their WPT Global split coming.

As Dara told us, “We were not told about the announcement ahead of time and felt totally blindsided.” David was just as surprised, immediately erasing all signs of WPT Global from their podcasts and social media.

The drama unfolded around WPT Global’s decision to sign Ren “Tony” Lin, a player previously banned for cheating. This was, according to Lappin, a dealbreaker. “On the last episode of The Lock-In we criticized the GGPoker and the WSOP decision to allow [Lin] to play again so soon,” he told us.

The announcement was briefly pulled, giving the duo a flicker of hope, but it was reposted the next morning. The writing was on the wall and, after a final meeting, O’Kearney and Lappin began disentangling themselves from WPT Global for good.

If it’s March, it must be PokerStars in Philly.

PokerNews reports that PokerStars Open will return to Live! Casino Philadelphia this March.

The series is scheduled from March 16 to 23, with a slate of events that includes a $10,000 Women’s Event, a $50,000 PokerStars Cup, and a $500,000 guaranteed Main Event. Details on the full schedule are still under wraps, but the Main Event will look to match last year’s 1,154 entrants and $1.1 million prize pool.

GGPoker tries to win back hearts (and wallets) with a $10 million do-over.

After the abrupt cancellation of the GGMasters 5th Anniversary Freezeout in 2025 due to technical issues, GGPoker is hoping to regain players’ trust by launching the 6th Anniversary edition with a massive $10 million guarantee and a $150 buy-in.

The schedule is packed with multiple Day 1 flights and a Last Chance entry for those who want one more shot at the prize.

PokerStars wants to send you to Dublin!

PokerStars is running a new promo for the upcoming Irish Poker Open. The new Emerald Power Pass tacks on extra value for players, giving Silver Pass winners a shot at more than just the standard package.

Winners who upgrade to the Emerald Pass receive entry tickets to the Main Event, a side event, and now a €250 Mini Irish Open event. PokerStars is also covering extra cash for expenses.

The Irish Open itself is hyped as one of the most entertaining poker festivals worldwide, promising big guarantees and an even bigger crowd.

How inclined are you to play on the WPT? Be it live or online?

Terrance Reid with the poll you didn’t know you needed.

It’s go time over in Madrid for 888poker.

Their live stop is underway and the ambassadors are rolling into town.

Oooh the WSOP Europe is headed to Prague.

The 2026 WSOP Europe will feature 15 gold bracelet events and kicks off at the end of March. Looks like it’s going to be a rather special affair.

“It’s an exciting rebirth of the World Series of Poker Europe in Prague. We have a big ambition to elevate this festival to one of the very best in the world and look forward to welcoming players to a great poker city next April.”

The Asian Poker Tour wrapped up 2025 with its Championship Main Event, boasting a $5m guarantee and a $10,000 buy-in.

According to the APT, the guarantee was handily beaten and the event helped cement their reputation as a global tour. Now we look back at some of the stories from an incredible year.

APT Championship 2025 was built on belief — from our players, our partners, and the team behind the scenes. The moment belonged to everyone who took the lead with us. Now, we turn our focus to celebrating 20 years of the APT.

Next up: #APTJejuClassic2026, running from January 30 to February 8.

MSPT: shuffling through the highlights and a few 2026 predictions.

The MSPT Season 17 has kicked off, and Chad and Kyna are back to break down all the latest action. They run through the highlights from the New Year’s Poker Open and spotlight the Sycuan Casino, where side event winners get their due.

According to PokerNews, Norberto Pardo and Yaiquel Mosqueda-Perez—two players with a reputation for card marking—were recognized at The Lodge Card Club in Texas.

Poker vlogger Anthony Martino spotted the pair and tipped off the staff. After inspecting the deck, the club confirmed the cards were marked, and both players were promptly banned.

Martino recounted in his video, “We had these two Cuban players that sat in Seats 1 and Seat 6, diagonal from one another, and each of them was very consistent in which one was in Seat 1 and which one is in Seat 6.”

The duo, already banned from other card rooms, apparently stuck to their methods. But this time, Texas staff and players were ready. PokerNews confirmed both are now permanently banned from The Lodge Card Club, joining the list of places they can’t revisit.

Foxen and Eveslage cap off a not-so-average PGT season.

The PokerGO Tour wrapped up with Alex Foxen securing Player of the Year after a dominant final event win.

Chad Eveslage took down the season-ending $1,000,000 Championship, beating out 53 others to claim $500,000 and the tour’s top title.

Eveslage entered the heads-up battle with Andrew Lichtenberger holding a commanding chip lead. The win capped off a strong year for Eveslage, highlighted by his earlier $1.2 million score in the Super High Roller Bowl Mixed Games.

A poker dispute resolved, so what now?

The latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast brings closure to one of poker’s recent player disputes. Maurice Hawkins and Denise Pratt, who had been at odds, have reportedly resolved their issues.

The clip is short and to the point, focusing on the fact that both parties have settled up and are moving on.

Rest easy, poker fans. There’s one less grudge match to keep track of this week.

The PokerGO Tour Championship has assembled a final table that reads like a who’s who of tournament grinders.

Daniel Negreanu headlines, but he starts at a disadvantage, trailing the chip leaders as the action unfolds.

According to the video, Negreanu is looking to kick off 2026 with a $500,000 payday, but he’ll need to outmaneuver Chad Eveslage, Andrew Lichtenberger, Michael Wang, John Riordan, and Dream Seat Qualifier Aaron Kupin.

The stakes are high and so is the pressure. The video points out the challenge of overcoming a chip deficit in such a stacked field.

PokerOrg’s recap of High Stakes Poker Season 15’s latest episodes focuses on the new lineup led by Andrew Robl and Antonio Esfandiari.

With Kevin Hart gone, Robl wasted no time making himself the main character, pushing around chips and opponents alike.

The biggest moment came when Esfandiari, aka 'The Magician,’ found himself in a monster pot against Robl. After some pre-flop fireworks, Robl check-blinded the flop, leading to a quick-fire all in. Esfandiari couldn’t find a call with queen-high, and Robl happily showed down his monster hand to everyone’s amusement.

WPT: available in four confusing flavors.

The World Poker Tour really wants to make sure you never play poker the same way twice. With WPT, ClubWPT, WPT Global, and ClubWPT Gold all on the table, you can pick between live tournaments, subscription-based play, real money action, or even poker coaching disguised as a sweepstakes.

If you can remember which brand is which, you probably deserve a prize yourself.

A masterclass in starting the year on tilt.

Some people start the new year with a gym membership or a new diet. According to Doug Polk they started 2026 by dropping almost $200,000 on a single stream at The Lodge Live. Not exactly the motivational storyboards are made of, but certainly memorable.

The video points out that it was a “rough start to the year” and that the deck just would not cooperate. Losing nearly $200,000 in front of a live audience is not everyone’s idea of fun, but someone has to do it.

“I had a rough start to the year on a recent @TheLodgeLive stream. The deck didn’t cooperate, and I lost almost $200,000.”