The Rail This Week

Seth Davis hosts AMA on X ahead of WSOP Paradise.

Dig into the comments to see what he has to say. He answers everything from what his daily routine looks like to how much action he sells.

Do you remember all the stalling and tanking during the 2025 WSOP?

In this video, Poker Bounty looks back at the 2025 WSOP and the controversies that surrounded it. Ike Haxton led the charge with a single decision that took six minutes, while Will Kassouf ended things with what is being called an epic meltdown. Organizers stood by and watched as play crawled to a halt.

Daniel Negreanu did not hide his frustration.

“It wasn’t just slow play—it was an abuse of power.”

Where do you draw the line when it comes to making jokes vs responsible gambling language?

Personally, I think Jess makes a good point, and honestly, I think the language around using your rent to play poker is extremely damaging. This messaging does not help people play responsibly, joke or not.

Our love of poker notwithstanding there are many people out there whose lives are ruined through gambling addiction. And it’s no joking matter.

Fashionably late is the new poker strategy.

Pulling mystery bounties is the new power move, according to WPTGlobal Ambassador Dara O’Kearney. If you want to be in the mix for those big payouts, just late-register and hope you cover someone with a bigger stack than yours. Apparently, the real secret is showing up late and stacking up fast.

O’Kearney gives his top 10 tips for mastering this format over on PokerOrg.

The up and down swings of playing poker can be wild.

Kevin Martin has lost $77,000 this fall — but he isn’t losing hope that he can turn things around.

I, for one, couldn’t imagine losing $77,000 in just a couple of months! Absolute madness. But KMart remains positive he can turn his fortunes around, just like he did in 2021.

Bob Mather has some thoughts on how to make poker on TV more exciting.

His take is actually well worth the read, and I tend to agree. Mather thinks televised poker needs to show the turn and river cards on every hand, even the folds. And honestly, he has a point.

There’s such a high barrier to entry when following commentary if you know nothing about the game.

nb. Game of Gold was a great example (imo) of televised poker getting it right.

Which online poker sites hold the most prestige?

Vanessa Kade and Matt Berkey get into it over on X. What’s nice to see is BetRivers Poker jumping into the comments.

It’s the season of giving… as long as you make a deposit first.

Because nothing says holiday spirit like incentivized deposits and a daily login grind. According to Ivan in our latest pokerfuse piece, WPT Global is giving out gifts based on how much you deposit.

Because nothing screams Christmas like a $25 million cash dump.

GGPoker is apparently allergic to subtlety, giving away $25 million in December. Because nothing says 'holiday spirit’ like a million-dollar Flipout to end the year.

Get all the details over in our article.

Three poker tours take centre stage in December. David Lappin breaks it down.

December is turning into a battleground for live poker’s biggest brands. EPT Prague has changed dates slightly, making it theoretically possible to hit both their event and the WPT World Championship at The Wynn in Las Vegas.

'Competition is healthy and poker operators have to battle, but they shouldn’t do so in a manner that willfully hurts the industry.’

When poker isn’t hard enough, some pros pick up a spellbook instead.

According to PokerOrg, there is a curious overlap between professional poker and competitive Magic: The Gathering. The site highlights players like Bryn Kenney, who tops poker’s all-time money list, and notes that many poker stars got their start in the world of Magic.

The article explains that Magic: The Gathering is a different beast, with players summoning creatures and casting spells rather than betting chips. PokerOrg interviewed Kenney about the appeal of Magic and how its strategic depth compares to poker.

Loving these APT Championship pictures.

They are SO good! Not sure who the photographer is, but these are excellent!

Sam Greenwood’s take on whether the poker boom is ever likely to come back. Spoiler: he doesn’t think so.

Punt Of The Day features a frank discussion on why another poker boom isn’t likely. The game has shifted from wild gambles to dry, technical play, leaving casual players and big dreamers on the sidelines.

Plenty of ways to win your way to big PokerStars events this month.

PokerNews breaks down what’s on the table with PokerStars’ Power Path this month, including Gold, Silver, and Bronze Passes for major live and online events. With EPT Prague on the horizon, it’s a solid time to check your ticket options.

Poker bots aren’t the only ones getting called out lately.

Chad and Connor over on the PokerNews podcast take on the latest AI drama in poker, picking apart the recent WSOP documentary controversy and that article by Sara O’Connor.

Big pots and bigger decisions on a quiet weekday stream.

Bally Poker Live captures a tense hand at Commerce in Los Angeles, where over $30,000 is on the line. The stakes are high, the decisions tougher, and the drama plays out in real time for the stream audience.

Tune in to the latest video of Kevin Martin during his Sunday poker grind.

The Kmart Poker Sunday video deals up another session dream-chasing, streamed for the world to see. The stakes are high, but the hopes are higher—just another Sunday at the virtual felt.

Buckle up.

The Triton Poker Series starts this week, with the live stream running from December 4 to 11. As we won’t be in WSOP Paradise, we will definitely be tuning in to some of the high-stakes action.

Chasing the perfect shot.

Pokerati profiles Jess Beck, a photographer who swapped Nebraska sunsets for the bright lights and chaos of the poker world. His inventive approach and fearless attitude are turning poker photography into something far more theatrical.

Swedish police raid poker club and they are not messing.

A detailed article on PokerNews covers the police raid of a long-running Stockholm poker club, where nearly 100 players were ordered to the floor. The Swedish Poker Association is pushing back, suggesting the police response may have been more forceful than official accounts let on.

There’s a lot of free money up for grabs at GGPoker this month.

GGPoker is running a $25 million giveaway this December, with daily gift boxes and a $1 million Flipout tournament to close the year. All players are welcome, as long as you log in and qualify.