This Week

Taylor Caby, CardRunners founder, joins Table 1 podcast.

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.

PokerNews talks about that Kylie Jenner poker video.

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

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.’

All hail Will Jaffe.

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

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.

Andrew Neeme gives a different perspective on the Lodge situation.

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

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

Online casinos coming in New York?

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

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

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

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

PokerNews round up on the Lodge Card Club raid.

Mariano is back in action.

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).

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.

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.

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?

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.

March brings 888poker’s Knockout Games—and a packed schedule.

888poker is reviving its Knockout Games in March, and Ivan covers the basics.

The series runs from March 20 to 24 and includes 28 tournaments to suit every bankroll. Buy-ins start at $5.50, while the headline $160 Main Event offers a $200,000 guarantee and features a Mystery Bounty format.

Doug Polk breaks his silence.

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?

Vamos! PartyPoker Seville starts this week 🇪🇸.

PokerStars Open Philadelphia starts today!

DNegs and Hellmuth fans of the new Triton Tempo.

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.