The Rail Last Week

Guess who’s lying 888 edition.

Poker, but make it influencer edition.

Jeremy Becker has made a name for himself dominating the daily tournaments at Wynn, but now he’s on a bigger stage.

As PokerNews reports, Becker heads into Day 5 of the $10,400 WPT World Championship with the chip lead, having surged late to overtake Soheb Porbandarwala, who had led most of the day.

The field is down to just 16 players from the original 1,865, and the stakes have ramped up. As PokerNews notes, “Each player left in the field has a guaranteed minimum payout of $145,000, and a maximum cash of $2,528,200. Reaching the final table of six is worth at least $540,000.”

Porbandarwala, who at one point had a commanding chip lead, slipped to third after losing a crucial hand to Konstantin Held. Meanwhile, Becker, who started the day ninth in chips, made his late move to bag 24,300,000. Jeremy Brown is also in the hunt with 21,350,000. Day 5 promises some serious pay jumps and, for Becker, a shot at the biggest win of his career.

WSOP Paradise 2025 is wrapping up, and the numbers are in.

Anuj reports that the series paid out an eye-watering $201.8 million in prizes across 15 bracelet events, with an average prize pool of $13.5 million per event. The Main Event alone had a massive $72.2 million prize pool and a $10 million top prize for the winner.

Despite giving away more than ever, WSOP actually collected less in fees this year: about $12 million from the main events, compared to over $13 million last year. Anuj credits this to the inclusion of Triton events with no admin fees and a lower average buy-in overall.

'Looking at the bigger picture, however, a $200 million total prize pool is remarkable considering the schedule featured only 15 bracelet events.’

Check out Anuj’s full number crunch for all the record-breaking details.

Bernhard Binder, a 27-year-old Austrian and mostly online player, just won the biggest score of his career at the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event, taking home $10 million and his first bracelet.

According to PokerNews, this happened a bit ahead of schedule, since fellow pro Mario Mosböck had only recently tipped Binder as a breakout star for 2026.

The final table had plenty of storylines. Natasha Mercier was chasing Liv Boeree’s record for the largest-ever tournament cash by a woman, and Terrance Reid swapped his media credentials for a shot at a life-changing payday. Binder’s heads-up opponent, Jean-Noel Thorel, brought a 51-year age gap to the match, making it a true generational showdown.

“[Thorel’s] a special opponent, and playing heads-up against him is challenging because there are more unexpected things [that] happen than [with] a lot of other opponents,” Binder told PokerNews. “But yeah, it was a great challenge.”

The $60 million guarantee was smashed, with nearly 2,900 entries pushing the prize pool over $72 million. Binder’s early arrival as a poker star was just one of many twists in a record-breaking event.

The WSOP Super Main Event winner has been crowned.

Catching up with all the WSOP Paradise news that dropped over night.

Chasing $10 million in paradise.

The final table of the 2025 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event is about as eclectic as they come. According to PokerOrg, the field of 2,891 has been whittled down to eight, each guaranteed at least $1.1 million, and the winner walking away with $10 million. Jean-Noel Thorel, noted for his scientific background as much as his poker prowess, sits atop the chip counts.

Binder, an Austrian with a hot streak online, is looking to turn his recent digital success into live tournament glory. Natasha Mercier, half of poker’s original power couple, has returned to the felt after focusing on family life.

With high rollers, comeback stories, and a dash of scientific curiosity, this is one final table that promises more than just big pots.

Day 3 action of the WPT World Championship live stream is here.

The story behind Jean-Noel Thorel is amazing.

Jesse Lonis on Jesse Lonis.

Alec Torelli breaks down that Jesse Lonis hand.

Watch day 4 Paradise highlights.

Ever wanted poker advice from Phil Galfond or Hellmuth?

“A career highlight is the result of pure audacity,” according to David Lappin.

Absolute brutal scenes for Faraz Jaka.

The Super Main Event slowroll that has everyone talking.

The WSOP Super Main Event final table is set.

Jean-Noel Thorel is not your average chip leader. At 78, the French biologist dominated Day 4 of the WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event, ending with almost 40 percent of the chips after knocking out Leonard Maue in a classic aces-versus-kings battle. According to PokerNews, Thorel’s closest rival, Bernhard Binder, lost ground late but still has a healthy stack heading into the final day.

Natasha Mercier, the last woman standing, will try to better Liv Boeree’s deep run from last year. The final table also features bracelet winners Eric Wasserson and Franco Spitale, along with Belarmino De Souza, Terrance Reid, and Peter Chien.

“The day began with just 24 players returning from a record field of 2,891 entries at Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas, which created a massive $72,275,000 prize pool with a cool $10,000,000 up top.”

It’s a stacked final table, but for now, the spotlight is firmly on Thorel and his commanding lead.

How to win big at poker: avoid the parties, play your own game and focus.

Chris Moneymaker knows a thing or two about turning an amateur ticket into a multimillion-dollar win. In an interview for Pokerati, he reflects on his own experience arriving in Las Vegas as an unknown accountant, and the temptation for new players to get distracted by the lifestyle and glitz.

He suggests rookies should keep it simple:

“I don’t try to study poker and learn new concepts, new strategies. There’s a time and place to learn poker theory, but going into the tournament, you need to play your game, what you’re comfortable with.”

With amateurs again lining up for WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas, Moneymaker’s advice is to focus on the game, not the parties or goodie bags. It might not be glamorous, but it worked for him back in 2003.

WSOP has revealed its key 2026 dates and a few new twists.

The flagship Las Vegas WSOP series will happen from May 26 to July 15 at Horseshoe and Paris, while WSOP Paradise returns to the Bahamas for December. For those planning ahead, satellites for all three major bracelet events will be running online via GGPoker and WSOP Online.

The European leg is moving to Prague and will now happen from March 31 to April 12, 2026.

This marks a big shift for WSOP Europe, which has traditionally slotted in later in the year. The full Vegas tournament schedule and Main Event dates are still under wraps. According to the announcement, players should “make early travel arrangements” if they want the best rates, so maybe don’t wait for the last minute offer this time.

Only 100 days until the Irish Open returns.

Here’s the live stream of Day 3 of the WSOP Super Main Event.

Chips, champs, and a shrinking crowd.

According to PokerOrg, the WPT World Championship at Wynn saw its field shrink for the second straight year. Only 1,865 showed up for the $40 million guaranteed event, a 22 percent drop from last year. But as the article notes, “no one is complaining about the upscale accommodations at Wynn.”

Phil Ivey and Johnny 'World’ Hennigan are among the notables heading into Day 3 with big stacks, joined by a rare Triple Crown winner. Despite the smaller field, 733 players survived Day 2, with just eight more eliminations before everyone still standing makes the money.

The article points out that other tournaments, like WSOP’s Super Main Event, are drawing bigger numbers and prize pools, but the WPT still delivers a successful championship which is a fan-favorite.

The remaining 24 players of the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event return today at 1pm EST to play down to an huge final table.

Here is a sneak peak at the Super Main Event Day 3 top 10 stacks (and there are some big names in there.) It’s great to see Natasha Mercier repping the ladies and Faraz Jaka for proving the haters wrong.

Weeeee! WSOP Paradise Super Main Event prize pool now exceeds $72 million.

Where’s the most interesting place you’ve played poker?

David Lappin weighs in on the unlimited reentry debate.

The WSOP Europe schedule for 2026 is here.

According to the recent announcement, the Player of the Year race is also going global, connecting events from Europe, Las Vegas, and the Bahamas into a single, unified leaderboard with a total prize pool of $1 million.

“We are thrilled to kick off 2026 with a bold new vision for the World Series of Poker,” said Ty Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of WSOP. “By uniting our three flagship live series under a unified, $1M Player of the Year competition, we’re giving players a true global season to chase history.”

The race starts in Prague, moves through Las Vegas, and finishes in Paradise. The top 100 players will win WSOP packages or tickets, and the overall winner gets a $100,000 Paradise package—so someone’s holiday plans are sorted. Check out the new leaderboard if you want to see who’s already logging those air miles.

Want to get a simple take on the Fair bet Act?

“There will be blood.”

BetRivers has two out of three famous poker Phils signed on as ambassadors.

Who do you ask for an autograph?

The Mizrachis do Paradise.

According to the latest episode of The Grinder in Paradise, Michael Mizrachi secured a bag for Day 2 of the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event. The episode details his post-grind adventures, including a family trip to Jaws Beach and a crash course in 'how to be a shark.’

There are updates on Day 1A last longer results and plenty of footage of the Mizrachi brothers causing chaos in the Bahamas. As Michael puts it in his intro, he’s ready for another day on the felt and maybe a bit of mischief with his brothers.

'After the grind, we hit the beach… gotta teach these guys to be sharks in and out of the water.’

It’s poker, family antics, and a healthy dose of sunburn. No word yet on whether the sharks were impressed.

PokerStars sharing some great hands from EPT Prague.

Things are looking rosy over in Vegas.

Day 10 at WSOP Paradise.

“What the f**k? How am I out? I’m f**king furious right now.”

Shaun Deeb continues to fire shots at Phil Hellmuth.

Miscommunication: the most expensive hand at the table.

James Caputo found himself at the center of another WSOP controversy, and this time it was over a hand that left everyone scratching their heads. In the $25k Super Main Event, Caputo got tangled in a multi-way all-in with Ryan Depaulo and Andre Moreira. After some verbal confusion and a misinterpretation by the dealer, Caputo’s hand hit the muck, even though he insisted he never folded.

PokerNews reports that the hand took about ten minutes to resolve, with the floor manager called over to make a ruling. Caputo argued, 'I never said fold,’ while tablemate Martin Zamani backed him up. Meanwhile, Depaulo and Moreira were left to play on, as Caputo’s tournament life was decided by an apparent misunderstanding.

The incident has sparked debate among poker fans about the importance of clear communication at the table and the role of dealers in high-stakes moments.

PartyPoker Tour team members revealed.

PartyPoker has its ambassadors, the Staples brothers, as everyone knows: Jaime and Matt Staples.

But the PartyPoker Tour has its own dedicated team, and it has just unveiled a dozen players, including Barry Carter, Sam Acheampong, Joe Beevers, Asif Warris, Natalie Bromley, and Glenn Brown.

Turns out, your side hustle can be more profitable than your 9-to-5.

Poker pro Adrián Mateos up for prestigious sports award.

Loyal readers of The Rail will know we broke this last week, but now other media sites are catching up, so there’s no harm we revisit it.

He joins a roster of names like Lamine Yamal and Carlos Alcaraz, which is not the usual crowd for a high stakes poker pro. According to Mateos, this nomination is not just about him. He told Winamax:

“This nomination is great for poker. Newer generations are already seeing it for what it is: a mind sport.”

Mateos is no stranger to accolades, with five WSOP bracelets in his collection, but this is a new kind of achievement.

Clubs Poker is rolling out its 12 Days of ClubsMas event from December 14 to 25, and they’re keeping things simple.

Sit at a Sweeps Coin ring game between 9 PM and midnight, and you could be at one of three mystery tables each night where everyone wins 20 SC, just for being there.

You don’t have to win a hand, hit a jackpot, or meet complex qualifications — just show up, stay in your seat, and stay active. Three coin drops happen each night, so in total there are 36 chances to get a little holiday bonus.

California’s sweepstakes scene just got another empty chair.

Barstool Nate gets an early checkout, courtesy of his own fingers.

Day 8 and 9 vlogs from Negreanu who is still over in WSOP Paradise.

Winning by mistake: the Moneymaker way.

Did you know Chris Moneymaker’s legendary WSOP Main Event run started with the most relatable poker move of all: an accidental click?

In an interview we had completely forgotten about from years ago, Moneymaker admits he never meant to enter the satellite that changed poker history.

We found that interview and are bringing out the highlights you may have missed.

This is brilliant!

Spraggy recaps action at EPT Prague.

Everyone’s favorite Jennifer Tilly gets cornered by Jeff Platt in Paradise.

The 2025 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event was billed as the biggest single-tournament guarantee in poker history, and PokerNews reports it has officially hit the mark with room to spare.

The magic entry number of 2,400 was reached during Day 1d, with late registration still open for nearly another day. That means the final prize pool could climb even higher.

Day 1a saw 869 entries, and the momentum never slowed. As PokerNews notes, 'Players have clearly taken to the format or have simply been pulled here by the guarantee.’ Negreanu himself was among those firing multiple bullets early on.

With unlimited re-entries and a record-breaking prize pool, the only question left is just how big the payout will get. For now, it sits as the second-biggest poker tournament prize pool in history, trailing only the 2019 Triton Million.