pokerfuse online poker news

People are reacting strongly to what could be online poker’s biggest merger ever.

Yesterday, PokerStars confirmed its merger with US sportsbook giant and sister brand, FanDuel. The merger will apply to the US and Ontario markets, with the transition expected to take place soon.

As part of the change, PokerStars’ three US states will be combined into a single shared network. A brand-new poker client will also be introduced under the name “PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel,” while the existing PokerStars software will be retired in the US and Ontario.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the standout responses to the PokerStars x FanDuel merger.

By Anuj share:

More from week starting march 02

March 07

It was a week of bad beat jackpots.

Last week, three bad beat jackpots were won in three separate poker rooms across North America. The biggest one hit in Canada, where unlucky lucky players got to share over CAD $920,000 at Playground. This was the largest Omaha bad beat jackpot in history.
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Don’t forget, The Big Game returns tomorrow!

The first episode of the new segment of The Big Game on Tour is coming out tomorrow on the PokerStars YouTube channel. Don’t forget to tune in – it should be a good one!
By Ivan share:

What are your thoughts on straddles in poker tournaments?

PokerGO Tour is trying something new, allowing straddles in tournaments for the first time ever. It’s an interesting concept that the poker community seems to have a wide range of opinions on. Do you think straddles make sense in a tournament format?
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March 06

Faraz Jaka sharing some quick tournament tips.

Do you sometimes have a feeling you’re bleeding away chips in a tournament without really knowing where or how? Check out this list of 16 reasons, brought to you by one of the most experienced tournament players out there.
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SiGMA Poker Tour to return in Brazil this April.

Summits of iGaming Malta (SiGMA) is bringing the poker action back to Brazil, as the SiGMA Poker Tour (SPT) Brazil stop runs from April 3 to 6.

After debuting in 2025 with two stops—Brazil and Malta—each boasting €250,000 in guarantees, SPT is expanding in 2026. The Brazil stop kicks things off with a R$1 million guarantee, followed by Manila in June with PHP 20 million guaranteed, and a third stop in Mexico, yet to be scheduled, offering 2.5 million MXN in prizes.

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PokerStars Ontario is bringing the heat with a Bounty Builder Series ahead of the FanDuel merger.

As anticipation builds around the upcoming FanDuel–PokerStars merger, PokerStars has announced a new tournament series for players in Ontario.

The Bounty Builder Series will run from March 13 to 23, featuring a total of C$750,000 in guaranteed prize pools.

Interestingly, the series could end up being the last major tournament festival on PokerStars Ontario before the impending FanDuel x PokerStars integration takes place, which could happen in the coming weeks.

For now, though, the announcement appears limited to Ontario. No similar Bounty Builder Series has been scheduled for players in the United States.

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EAPT Cyprus will still run despite Middle East flight disruptions.

Amid the ongoing Middle East crisis and resulting flight disruptions, at least two live poker festivals have already been cancelled or postponed.

However, GGPoker has confirmed that its sponsored EAPT Cyprus stop will proceed as planned. The festival is scheduled to run from March 8–15.

While the event is currently moving forward, GGPoker emphasized that player safety remains its top priority. The operator added that it is closely monitoring developments in the region and will provide updates if the situation changes.

For now, though, EAPT Cyprus is still on.

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The World Series of Poker is looking for guest commentators for WSOP Europe.

It looks like this year’s World Series of Poker Europe, which takes place in Prague for the very first time, will have a quality coverage. The WSOP reaching out to the community to fill in some guest commentator spots is another confirmation of this.
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New PokerNews Podcast tackles some of the hottest topics of the week.

A new PokerNews Podcast is out, tackling some of the hottest topics of the week, including Brad Owen’s heartfelt tweet that got the community talking, recently-concluded EPT Paris, new sponsorship deals for Dara O’Kearney and David Lappin, and more.
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March 05

Sometimes a second chance comes with a golden surprise.

WSOP just shared a fun twist for the upcoming WSOP Europe festival.

Players who re-enter the €5,300 Main Event will get a shot at redemption with the Golden Egg Hunt. If they draw a Golden Egg on the tournament floor, they instantly win their buy-in back.

There will be 10 eggs added at the start of each Day 1 flight, with any unclaimed eggs carrying over. In total, that’s over €150K in added value up for grabs.

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Get behind the scenes of the Irish Poker Open.

PokerStars has released a cool short documentary, offering some insights into what goes on behind the scenes at the Irish Open and how much work is required to set everything up and ensure the festival runs smoothly.

No spoilers here, but it’s a lot!

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Michael 'The Grinder’ Mizrachi is officially on the Aussie Millions team.

The 2026 Aussie Millions is quickly approaching, and the 2025 WSOP Main Event winner, Poker Hall of Famer, and one of the best-known names in the industry is picking up ambassadorial duties for the event.

Michael 'The Grinder’ Mizrachi is joining the Aussie Millions family as an ambassador, looking to help restore the event’s glory and prestige. This used to be one of the marquee festivals on the poker calendar and we are looking forward to its big comeback!

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Check out Doug Polk’s run in the Gold Million tournament.

Doug Polk live-streamed his run in ClubWPT Gold’s Gold Million tournament and he’s condensed that stream into a highlight video featuring the most exciting moments.

Be warned, there isn’t much high level poker happening here, but Polk’s commentary alone makes it worth watching. Plus, it could give you some idea about the quality of play on the site.

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March 04

The pain is back for YouTube poker streamers.

It’s been a little while since we’ve heard from one of poker streamers about YouTube issues, but it seems the algorithm is back in force, causing problems and interruptions.

These things usually come in bunches, so Spraggy’s complaint might just be the first of many to come.

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Another WSOP Europe Ladies Championship ticket is up for grabs.

Like the previous giveaways, this one is exclusively for ladies.

Maureen Bloechlinger, one of poker’s most active advocates for increasing women’s participation in the game, is offering a €1,000 ticket to the WSOP Europe Ladies Championship.

To enter, simply post on the Master Giveaway thread in the Globetrotting Poker Women Facebook Group to qualify for the draw. The contest closes on March 7 at 1 PM CET. Follow Maureen on Instagram for more details.

As a reminder, this year marks the debut of the Ladies Championship at WSOP Europe Prague, taking place on April 4 and open exclusively to female players.

The winner will receive a gold bracelet featuring a custom gemstone design.

Confirmed players include Leo Margets, Vanessa Kade, Shiina Okamoto, Xuan Liu, Kitty Kuo, and Andrijana “Lijapoker” Gligoric.

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Yet another live poker tour has been impacted by the ongoing Middle East conflict.

WPT Prime Cyprus, which was scheduled to run from May 5–9, will no longer take place as planned. On Tuesday, WPT announced via its X account that the event has been postponed and will be rescheduled “at a later date.”

This marks the second live poker event to be affected by the crisis. Robbie Strazynski’s Mixed Game Festival XIII has also been cancelled. The festival had been set to begin on March 8 at Resorts World, Las Vegas.

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Andrijana “Lijapoker” Gligoric is giving away a WSOP Europe Ladies Championship ticket.

Ladies, this one’s for you.

A €1,000 ticket to the WSOP Europe Ladies Championship is up for grabs, with GGPoker ambassador Andrijana “Lijapoker” Gligoric joining other female players who are offering seats to the event.

If you’re interested in playing, you can find the details on how to enter through her latest Instagram post.

This year marks the debut of the Ladies Championship at WSOP Europe Prague. The event takes place on April 4 and is open exclusively to female players.

The winner will receive a gold bracelet featuring a custom gemstone design.

Confirmed players include Leo Margets, Vanessa Kade, Shiina Okamoto, Xuan Liu, Kitty Kuo and Andrijana “Lijapoker” Gligoric.

By Anuj share:

The Big Game is coming back this Sunday!

Third and final segment of Season 2 of The Big Game on Tour will start airing this Sunday on the PokerStars YouTube channel.

It looks like an extremely fun lineup, featuring Phil Hellmuth, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio 'The Magician’ Esfandiari, and Nick Wright, so we are in for a real treat.

Luke Wakelin will be occupying the Loose Cannon seat, trying to make a profit over 150 hands and make his own poker dream come true.

By Ivan share:

Well, that’s disappointing…

Following the extremely successful Gold Million event, ClubWTP Gold made a joking announcement “Gold Billion next…”

The World Poker Tour took time to put out a full-scale press release to clear the air, explaining that there will be no ten-figure guarantee event in the near future. Which we already knew, but why not maintain the suspense for a few more days at least?

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March 03

Don’t expect WSOP online bracelet news just yet, at least according to Kevmath.

If you follow the right people, you usually hear things early.

According to Kevin Mathers, the go-to source for all things WSOP-related, the online bracelet schedule is expected to be announced in early May.

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Sometimes the right thing doesn’t need the spotlight.

There are plenty of good companies in this industry and we just don’t always hear about the things they do behind the scenes.

Recently, BetRivers Poker invited @Lelepokerr to play alongside Phil Hellmuth in honor of her dad’s memory. It wasn’t loud or overproduced. It was thoughtful.

Gestures like that matter.

Credit where it’s due! BetRivers went above and beyond.

By Anuj share:

A new era for US and Ontario poker just began.

We called it. And now it’s official.

PokerStars is merging with FanDuel in the US and Ontario.

What does it actually mean for players, competition, promos, and the future of the industry?

Here’s the breakdown 🧵👇

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Catching up with The Magician.

Antonio Esfandiari used to be everywhere – all the tournaments, high stakes poker games, you name it. Then, he seemingly disappeared for a little while, focusing on his family.

Now, The Magician is back, and he is just as entertaining to watch as we remember from his “glory days.” Poker.org caught up with Esfandiari to talk about his comeback, new and old opponents, and what comes next.

By Ivan share:

Mixed reactions coming in for the new CoinPoker software and fresh rake and rakeback structure.

Yesterday was a big day for CoinPoker, as the operator launched its new software and kicked off a promo promising 100% rakeback for the entire month.

This morning, reactions are pouring in from the players, and it’s a mixed bag. The new software looks better, but some regs don’t seem thrilled about the functionality, and there is also talk about potential security risks.

Rake has been increased as well at lower stakes, but the rewards program has been revamped, so the operator is presenting it as a net positive for the players, but not everyone agrees on that particular point.

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March 02

New poker vlog from Brad Owen is here.

Brad Owen is back with another vlog, featuring exciting action and big pots from Talking Stick Casino. This is the first time that Owen was given a permission to film here, so check it out.
By Ivan share:

The Gold Million has crushed its guarantee.

Wow. The Gold Million on ClubWPT Gold (CWG) absolutely smashed expectations.

With a 218 buy-in and a guaranteed 1,000,000 Gold Chips (equivalent to $1M USD), it was already one of the biggest tournaments ever hosted on the platform. And despite running just a single flight, after weeks of qualifiers, the turnout was massive.

The final numbers? A staggering 11,392 entries, generating a total prize pool of 2,278,400 Gold Chips.

By all accounts, this looks to be the largest tournament ever held on CWG.

And of course, the operator couldn’t resist having a little fun on social, cheekily tweeting:

“Up next: Gold Billion.”

By Anuj share:

SCOOP kicks off on PokerStars with $3.6 million awarded on Day 1.

The prestigious Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) got underway last Sunday on PokerStars, generating more than $3.6 million in prize money across 18 SCOOP events right out of the gate.

A few tournaments saw overlays, including the iconic Sunday Million with its traditional $215 buy-in. The event drew 4,780 entries, resulting in an overlay of more than $40,000.

SCOOP action resumes today with Day 2 play as the series continues to build momentum.

By Anuj share:

WSOP Europe teases Golden Egg re-entry promo for €10M Main Event.

The World Series of Poker is already building buzz for this year’s WSOP Europe festival in Prague, teasing a new promotion tied to the Main Event.

WSOP isn’t letting this year’s WSOP Europe fly under the radar. Players who re-enter the Main Event will get a shot at redemption through a special “Golden Egg” promotion. Draw a Golden Egg and they instantly win your buy-in back, what WSOP is calling a “Golden Re-Entry.”

More details are expected to be announced soon.

The WSOP Europe Main Event runs April 3–10 at King’s Casino Prague and will feature a €10 million guarantee, the largest ever for a tournament held in Europe.

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Mixed Game Festival XIII has been cancelled due to the ongoing Middle East crisis.

Oh no. The ongoing Middle East crisis is impacting the poker community as well.

Robbie Strazynski has announced that Mixed Game Festival XIII, which was scheduled to take place this month at Resorts World Las Vegas, has been cancelled.

It’s a hard and personal decision. Robbie lives in Israel, where flights have been cancelled, making it impossible for him to travel and properly host the event.

The good news? Mixed Game Festival XIV is still set to go ahead from May 31 to June 11 at Bellagio Las Vegas this summer.

Wishing Robbie and everyone affected safety during this challenging time.

By Anuj share:

What an insane hero call.

It’s not every day that we see river calls with ten-high, but it looks like Kudinov woke up that day with the decision he won’t be pushed around.
By Ivan share:

888poker brings out rakeless Sunday Main Events throughout March.

Great news for all tournament players: during the month of March, 888poker won’t be taking any rake for their Sunday Mystery Bounty Main Events. All the money paid by the players is going straight into the prize pool!
By Ivan share:
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