March 17, 2026

A new era of PokerStars is coming in the US and Ontario.

As you already know, PokerStars is about to get merged with FanDuel in North America. It will be quite a major shake-up and some big changes are coming with it.

Here’s what we know so far about FanDuel Poker:

Legacy PokerStars software will be retired in the US and Ontario
Players from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Michigan will be pooled together
New platform will include a built-in HUD (with option to turn it off + allow third-party HUDs)
Players will need to create new screen names
Separate welcome offer for poker players (available to everyone)
Mixed games are expected down the line
Zoom & Spin & Go formats will be available
New software, but with a familiar PokerStars look and feel
April 30 is the deadline to withdraw from existing PokerStars accounts
No official launch date for the merger yet

One more thing: PokerStars Rewards has already been discontinued for US players, and there’ll be no rewards until the new platform goes live.

More from week starting march 16

March 21

Taylor Caby, CardRunners founder, joins Table 1 podcast.

The latest episode of the popular Table 1 podcast features Taylor Caby, a man who built his bankroll from pretty much nothing, created CardRunners, the first actual poker training site, survived Black Friday, and then pivoted to Daily Fantasy Sports.

Allen Kessler is chasing buffalos again.

Just in case you’ve had too much actual poker content, here’s a five-minute video of Allen Kessler and Shaun Deeb trying to win some jackpots on a buffalo slot machine.

Kessler is an old hand at pressing that spin button, while Deeb’s understanding of slots is clearly lacking, but he’s got just the right person to help him in this department.

Are mixed game solvers the next big thing?

There are many solvers for No Limit Hold’em out there but now, it seems like the mixed game crowd will be getting access to these tools.

Dominik NItsche has apparently developed an equity calculator and solver for badugi and 2-7 Single and Triple Draw. Is this the next big thing in poker?

Jen Shahade picks up another tournament title.

Jennifer Shahade is having a blast at the PokerStars Open in Philadelphia, taking down a women’s event to add to her growing list of poker achievements.

March 20

PokerNews talks about that Kylie Jenner poker video.

TBH the segment was so full of innuendo I had to turn it off. But you may like what the lads have to say.

Settle in to our long read of the week coming to you via The Atlantic.

This story was doing the rounds last week with really mixed reviews. We didn’t have a chance to read at the time, and Friday afternoon now seems the perfect time to dig in.

My Year as a Degenerate Sports Gambler

Practically overnight, America made wagering on a game as frictionless as checking the weather. I was determined to understand the consequences—for my country, and for myself.

McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins)

Read more Show less

McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins)

ParyPoker Tour is leveling up in a big way this year.

After a strong debut with five UK stops last year, the tour has doubled in size for 2026, with 10 stops now confirmed. Even more exciting, four of those stops are taking place in Spain, highlighting a major expansion into the region.

The latest addition? Castellón, set to host a stop this October.

Apparently, responsible AI is just optional.

The Guardian’s latest investigation claims AI chatbots are reportedly recommending illegal online casinos to vulnerable users, and even giving advice on evading safety and addiction checks.

According to the article, some bots described responsible gambling measures as a “buzzkill” and a “real pain” — just when you think the world can’t get any bleaker. It does.

All signs point to Atlantic City: Borgata’s spring poker festival returns.

Borgata is set for another ambitious festival this spring.

The Spring Poker Open runs from April 23 to May 8, boasting over $4 million in guarantees, including a $1 million Main Event. The opening weekend features the Deepstack Kickoff, with six starting flights feeding into a $1 million prize pool.

Sweepstakes poker still going strong in Indiana.

It looks like it was a close call for sweepstakes in Indiana, as states crack down on its legality.

If this kind of story does it for you, everything you need to know below.

The smart dealer button: file this under why didn’t I think of that?

It shows the blinds and a countdown timer for the current tournament level, all synced through a phone app. This would go down a storm at my local pub poker league. Brilliant.

h/t to Porg for spotting this first and interviewing its inventor, Richard Green.

One day during a tournament, I was just looking at the dealer button, looking at the wall clock, and I just thought, ‘Why can’t we put the data from there onto that?’
The dealer button is ubiquitous; everybody’s familiar with it, everybody knows it has a purpose. I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s just see where this goes.’

Smart Connected Dealer Button for Tournament Poker.

For more details you can sign up here: https://www.buttonsqueeze.com (sorry about that dreadful URL) So this is something I've been working on for a little while - A networked connected Smart Dealer Button. #pokerlife #poker #pokertournament #arduino #iot #networking

Is the ‘smart dealer button’ the next must-have poker gadget?

Poker dealer buttons are all the same, right? PokerOrg spoke to the inventor of a new poker gadget, a smart, connected dealer button designed for tour...

All hail Will Jaffe.

I love these 'tough conversations’ too much! The bit about Yoh Viral eating salmon with lemon on an island had me dying!

Kitty Kuo on the hunt for a WSOP bracelet this year.

If you want to follow her bracelet hunt, she will be vlogging her efforts.

Wise words from one of the game’s best.

Jeremy Ausmus points out that tilt in poker can be caused even by positive developments, like “too much” run-good. Not like we haven’t heard this before, but it’s a good one to be reminded of, especially if you’ve been on the good side of variance recently.

Since there are no negative emotions connected to this type of tilt, the only way to recognize it is to actually take a moment and realistically analyze your game. And, whether you discover something worth addressing or not, going through this process can only benefit you.

March 19

Andrew Neeme gives a different perspective on the Lodge situation.

Andrew Neeme, one of the smaller Lodge co-owners, remained mostly silent over the past few days. However, with all the recent developments, he decided to provide the poker public with a different perspective on the whole situation, sharing a post from one of the dealers employed by the club.

Poker pro and chess grandmaster, Jen Shahade, with the truth bombs.

I still haven’t read her new book, Thinking Sideways, but I know I need to!

Absolute blinder by Todd Witteles on what is happening at the Lodge.

Honestly this round up is so clear and concise it might just be the best bit of reporting we have seen on the topic to date. Bravo to Todd.

March 18

Online casinos coming in New York?

Seems completely implausible to us!

2 hours a day for 7 days and 10,473 dice rolls later.

And an almost perfect distribution later = mesmerizing.

St. Paddy’s week: now with more online poker on BetRivers.

Looking for a way to justify another session of online poker during St. Patrick’s week? BetRivers Poker’s Pot of Gold promo, running March 16 to 22. The operator is dealing out $2,331 in daily prizes across cash games, SNGs, and tournaments, with 331 winners each day.

Shaun Deeb already eyeing up WSOP 2026 Player of the Year.

Deeb is renowned for his Player of the Year runs at the WSOP, and this year is no different!

Did Doug Polk inadvertently put a target on the Lodge’s back?

When you are operating in murky, grey markets and running nosebleed high-stakes games, streaming them for the world to watch may not be the best idea.

PokerNews round up on the Lodge Card Club raid.

This is an excellent and informative article on the workings of the investigation that led up to the raid on March 10. If you are interested in the Lodge story, this is a must read.

March 17

Mariano is back in action.

Check out the latest vlog from Mariano as he heads over to The Gardens Casino in California to join some $25/$50 action. This place has a special place in Mariano’s heart, as this is where he busted his first poker bankroll but, as we all know, he bounced back just fine.

More details about the Lodge situation coming out from examining the affidavit.

It looks like the Lodge serving alcohol did play at least some role in the recent development, at least according to one part of the affidavit that Chad Holloway dug up.

The issue, it seems, is that a business holding an alcohol license could not hold poker tournaments where real money is at stake.

While this may sound like a minor issue, it could give the DA a solid footing in claiming that the gambling taking place inside the club was illegal (i.e., not done fully in compliance with all relevant laws).

GGPoker’s Spin & Gold just can’t stop hitting million-dollar jackpots.

Just a few days ago, we talked about GGPoker Spin & Gold running insanely hot, with FIVE $1M jackpot hits in just four weeks.

Well… it didn’t stop there.

Right after that, TWO more $1M jackpots dropped last Sunday.

That’s now SEVEN jackpots in the last ~30 days, and NINE already this year.

For context? There were 16 total jackpot hits in all of 2025.

Spin & Gold is on an absolute heater right now.

Alexandra Botez might be a little quiet on X these days, but she’s definitely not quiet at the tables.

While streaming on ClubWPT Gold, she was deep in a 1 million GTD tournament when things went… very wrong. AQ offsuit vs AT suited and boom, she’s out.

Her reaction? Let’s just say the poker gods caught a very clear “Are you f**** kidding me?” on stream.

PokerNews thinks the Lodge raid definitely unjust.

Chad Holloway has read the Search and Seizure Warrant against the Lodge and deems it a witch hunt.

Read his precise below.

Esfandiari turns up the heat and the variance on The Big Game.

Ivan’s latest for pokerfuse takes a look at Antonio Esfandiari’s performance on The Big Game on Tour. Esfandiari was up to his old tricks, getting involved in almost every hand and putting the pressure on his opponents, particularly Phil Hellmuth, who couldn’t play his usual cautious style.

Despite losing a huge pot at the end, Esfandiari still finished with a $24,000 profit. According to Ivan, don’t expect him to slow down any time soon.

The Magician’s aggressive style may be risky, but it certainly makes for good TV.

Here is our explainer for everything happening over at the Lodge.

Trawling through the socials on this one can get a bit murky, so our explainer guide is designed to tell you what you need to know.

Jungleman is headed to Prague.

Cates has been confirmed as heading to WSOP Europe in Prague, which kicks off at the end of the month.

I wonder if this picture is a direct representation of what he plans to wear. You can always expect the outlandish when it comes to Jungleman.

Wow, what?

That is super cool. Poker player Arden Cho wins two Academy Awards thanks to her participation in Kpop Demon Hunters.

It’s all about context according to Boatman.

Why do you think?

You aim for every play you choose to make to be plus ev, Which obviously doesn’t mean you win every hand you play. If you consciously make a losing play, you are just punting.

Doug Polk breaks his silence.

Polk takes to X to update his followers on the money laundering accusations made against his card room in Texas, the Lodge.

March 16

Bart Hanson breaks down one of the strangest folds ever.

In this segment of Crush Live Poker, Bart Hanson jumps on a call with the winner of the controversial live-streamed hand that featured a player folding quads on the river.

You’ve probably seen the hand, but now you get a chance to hear from the other player and what was going through his mind when his opponent tabled four-of-a-kind and went into a deep tank before eventually sending his cards into the muck!

Latest PokerNews Podcast breaks down the Lodge situation.

Although there hasn’t been much new information about the recent raid at the Lodge Card Club in Austin, the latest PokerNews Podcast brings a good breakdown of everything that we know so far and potential implications of revealed charges.

While a lot of it is on the level of speculation right now, it sounds like the investigation could take a while (if powers to be decide so), which would be a real bad beat, not only for the Lodge employees, but poker in Texas in general.

If you have not checked your WPT Global account lately, now might be the time.

Their Tournament Ticket Super Giveaway is live, and all it takes to qualify is a deposit.

You could win up to one tournament ticket a day, with the prize pool drawn from any event that failed to meet its guarantee the previous day. Some of the most notable tickets up for grabs include the $110 Sunday Slam Mystery Bounty, $530 Thursday Crown Throne, and $530 Grand Slam PKO.

Who did it better? Chris Moneymaker or Kylie Jenner?

You can be the judge.

Chris Moneymaker (@CMONEYMAKER)

Poker Lessons from Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner shows Vanity Fair how to play cards Still haven’t subscribed to Vanity Fair on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2z6Ya9M Want to stay in the know? Subscribe to Vanity Fair Magazine and be exquisitely informed ►► http://vntyfr.com/2RuQGW2 ABOUT VANITY FAIR Arts and entertainment, business and media, politics, and world affairs—Vanity Fair’s features and exclusive videos capture the people, places, and ideas that define modern culture.

Vamos! PartyPoker Seville starts this week 🇪🇸.

As Seville is legitimately my favorite city in the world—yes, that is a hill I am prepared to die on—I’m very jealous it’s the start of PartyPoker Seville this week.

PokerStars Open Philadelphia starts today!

And famous faces will be in tow.

DNegs and Hellmuth fans of the new Triton Tempo.

Since the announcement of the new Triton Tempo clock to keep action moving, two of the highest-profile poker players on the globe are bona fide fans.

Lodge card room calls for show of solidarity in the comments.

In their lengthy post about what is happening at the Lodge, they sign off by asking for some love in the comments.

In the meantime, if The Lodge has meant something to you — as a place to play, work, or build friendships — we encourage you to share your support in the comments. Hearing from this community means more to our staff and leadership team than we can put into words.

Caitlin Comeskey leads the charge, but I can’t help but think the request is a little tone-deaf. Has the club really done nothing wrong? Is this just a witch hunt? It seems too early to tell.

Jaime Staples has a suggestion for poker content creators.

He proposes starting a new site to host videos, breaking free from the chains of YouTube.

The comments are definitely mixed, with not everyone thinking this idea can work.

← Previous Week Next Week →