April 29, 2026

Matt Marinelli, who goes by ILuvAvrilLavigne91 online, is not buying the whole “poker is dead” narrative.

In a recent live Q&A on Making $10 Million in Poker, Marinelli discussed his ongoing quest to reach an eye-watering $10 million in poker winnings. He’s already banked over $3 million online, which means he is either very skilled or just incredibly committed to the grind.

He fielded questions from viewers about his journey, reflected on the current state of poker, and promoted his ongoing journal on Run It Once. According to Marinelli, “There is still plenty of money to be made if you are willing to study and adapt.”

“Poker is not dead. It’s just evolved.”

For those interested in his approach or looking for a little motivation, the video also offers a discount code for training at Run It Once. Poker might have changed, but for Marinelli, the game is far from over.

Today

Players are banking big bucks in FanDuel Poker’s Ignite Series.

Last night, PokerStars on FanDuel saw two players picking up some serious cash after taking down two marquee events.

Ignite Series continues for the rest of the week, with more big guarantees to come, so don’t miss your opportunity to get in the mix.

The next Mixed Game Festival by Cardplayer Lifestyle has been officially announced.

All fans of fixed games have an extra reason to look forward to this summer, as the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival is coming back to Las Vegas!

Running May 31 – June 4, the Festival takes place at the Bellagio, offering around-the-clock small stakes cash game action and plenty of added value, including seats fpr the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship.

Check out the full statement from the Lodge Card Club in light of recent developments.

The Lodge Card Club came out with an official statement on their X channel, confirming that the Grand Jury declined to indict, confirming that the raid and the investigation did not support charges of criminal conduct.

The club expresses its gratitude to everyone in the poker community who extended their support during tumultuous times, confirming that the reopening date will be announced in the near future, alongside the details about pending payouts and updated procedures.

Brad Owen is back with some high stakes action from the Bellagio.

Check out a new vlog from Brad Owen and enjoy some high stakes action, big pots, and Brad’s hand-by-hand commentary as he takes us through every significant moment of the session.

PokerStars is closing out 2026 in style as EPT Prague confirmed to return.

EPT Prague is officially back, running December 2–13 at the Hilton Prague. After last year’s Main Event pulled in 1,200+ entries and a €5.9M prize pool, expectations are sky high for another massive turnout.

Also on the schedule: the debut of PokerStars Open Aix-en-Provence, set for November 2–8 at Pasino Grand Partouche.

Both stops will contribute to the 2026 PokerStars Live League, where players can rack up points for a shot at thousands in LIVE buy-ins.

Watch the latest episode of The Lock-In 🔒 with Felix Schneiders.

In this episode, hosts David Lappin and Dara O’Kearney cover ALOT. It’s well worth your time!

Greg Shahade’s Jeopardy debut was more than just a win, it was total domination.

Greg’s sister, poker pro and PokerStars ambassador Jen Shahade, points out how Greg managed to snag two daily doubles in quick succession, jumping his score from $7,600 to $22,200 and putting the game out of Ding’s reach.

There is a lesson in all this. The difference between knowing something and being able to retrieve it under pressure is real, and it is what separates a Jeopardy winner from the rest. Greg’s slow recall had some viewers confused, but as the piece says, “you may 'know’ the right opening move, but be slow to retrieve it under time pressure.”

Dynasty Builder from PokerStars on FanDuel. All you need to know. ⬇️

PokerStars joining forces with FanDuel has brought a new rewards scheme called Dynasty Builder.

The program splits players into two camps: the casuals get 'Thrill Missions’ for easy rewards like tickets and avatars, while the regulars can grind through tougher missions for more value.

The idea is to keep the old PokerStars crowd satisfied while luring in FanDuel’s sports and casino players.

Garrett Adelstein on the response to his memoir (so far).

I think he might have a best-seller on his hands!

Maurice Hawkins on the PokerNews podcast. UNCUT.

Haven’t watched the whole thing yet, but expect 🍿+ 🔥.

Josh Arieh on his unpopular Maurice Hawkins take.

Sentiments are divided in the comments!

Amazing result for the Lodge card club.

Wow! According to Doug Polk, all charges against the Lodge have been dropped. What an absolute U-turn. Hope they can rebuild and reopen!

Yesterday

Brad Owen confirms Lodge will be reopening soon.

Following on Doug Polk’s announcement, Brad Owen chimed in with a short post on X, sharing his excitement and confirming that Texas’ largest poker club will be reopening soon.

More big guarantees are on the menu tonight in FanDuel Poker’s Ignite Series.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with firing up an online tournament session on a Tuesday evening, whether you’re serious about poker or just looking to unwind.

And, if you’re playing from New Jersey, Michigan, or Pennsylvania, FanDuel Poker is the place to be as Ignite Series continues tonight, with a few more valuable events, including the $35 Super Tuesday with $35,000 guaranteed.

All charges against the Lodge have been dropped!

There is a huge development in the Lodge case. Doug Polk has just announced that all charges against him, his partners, and the club have been dropped.

This means that the seized equipment and funds will be returned in the near future, and the Lodge should be reopening in the next few weeks.

This is great news for everyone involved as well as the future of poker in Texas!

PokerStars turns 25! Well that makes us feel old.

To celebrate they are laying on thee big bucks with a massive Anniversary Series, kicking off on May 10.

Story time with Lance Bradley ☕️.

And we are into it!

Alberta is set to open its doors to online gambling operators on July 13, but the fate of online poker is still up in the air.

More than 30 operators might be interested, but many are focused on online casino games, not poker.

One key scenario: Alberta could launch with a ring-fenced model, limiting online poker to just players within the province. This would be a blow to players used to larger, international pools, with smaller prizes and less action.

How Gman went from a millionaire to losing it all when he was in his early 20s.

I know he’s promoting his upcoming book, but these clips are great. And honestly, I want to read that memoir when it comes out.

IFKYK. Looking at you ClubWPT Gold.

No extra prizes to be paid out from third parties, at this year’s WSOP.

Jeopardy isn’t really a thing from where I am from.

But I believe this is a BIG deal.

😱Amazing if true!

Poker legend and RHOBH Jen Tilly might be headed to The White Lotus Season 4! 😱

Set the reminders.

Maurice Hawkins to appear on the PokerNews pod, 8am PST. 🍿

Phil Hellmuth puts his name to Octopi Poker.

What with the BetRivers Poker sponsorship deal and his Under Armour merch, how will there be space for him to rep another brand?

PokerStars on FanDuel are rolling out their new joint venture in the US. The rewards program is designed for everyone from diehard grinders to casual dabblers.

The Dynasty Builder features two types of missions: Thrill Missions for casuals and Grind Missions for the more dedicated.

Thrill Missions are recurring and easy, offering tournament tickets and cosmetic perks, while Grind Missions cater to the more serious players.

Everything you need to know in our article.

Viktor Blom remains an unstoppable force.

According to PokerOrg, Blom ran up a 5 figure deposit into $1.7 million in winnings. Holy f-ing s balls!

Freeroll ticket giveaway to 888poker XL Spring Series.

Love the fact Aaron was meant to save them as a stream-giveaway but couldn’t be arsed!

Kevmath does the WSOP rules and regs heavy lifting, so we don’t have to.

He outlines 3 notable changes for the upcoming WSOP 2026. Give them a read if you plan to be in Vegas this year.

April 27

Michael Mizrachi and Joe Hachem are the headlines on Day 2 of the Aussie Millions Opening Event.

Mizrachi has bagged a healthy 730,000 chips, which puts him eighth in the standings. Hachem is still in but will need to get creative with his 146,000 stack.

The prize pool is now an impressive A$2,787,200, and plenty of big names are still in contention as play resumes. According to PokerNews, the bubble is expected to burst early, so expect drama.

Rampage opens up about his negative experiences in private high-stakes games.

Private games are great in many ways, as they are usually way softer than any game you’ll find in a public casino and the overall atmosphere is more relaxed. However, for all of their positive aspects, they also come with certain (serious) downsides.

Perhaps the biggest risk is that winners don’t get paid in full (or at all), which is something Rampage experienced first-hand. He stayed silent for a long time, hoping that his debtors would come through, but he’s now decided to break the silence and reveal their names (and amounts owed) to the world.

Another great value tournament is on tonight at FanDuel Poker.

The weekend may be over, but Ignite Series continues on {PokerStars on FanDuel). Today’s top pick is $100 Nightly Stars, offering a big guarantee of $50,000.

DNegs is back with another online session.

Check out Daniel Negreanu’s latest video, featuring his run in some high-stakes tournaments on GGPoker, his trademark colorful commentary, and emotions that come through.

Negreanu was never the one to hide his feelings when playing poker, especially when doing it online, where his opponents can’t see his reactions, which adds an extra layer of entertainment to his streams and videos.

PokerOrg dives into the idea that 'resilience’ is the secret sauce for long-term poker survival.

According to the article, resilience is not some innate gift, but a skill that you build up over thousands of hands, like calluses after a long grind. When tilt hits, the best pros rely on emotional regulation, not wishful thinking.

The article points out that “the more time you spend in the 'trench reality’ of the game, the better your brain becomes at 'navigating tilt’.” Experience matters, and the highs and lows eventually teach your brain to handle the stress. They warn that if your resilience is low, you will start to see 'performance blocks’ like the 'illusion of control'—where you blame your skill for your losses, conveniently forgetting about variance.

Want to understand the “strategic nuances” of WSOP Express?

Barry Carter and Dara O’Kearney have got you covered! These guys know what they are talking about. Go give them your email and get their great advice. They are satellite experts.

Maurice Hawkins is filing for bankruptcy to get rid of his debts.

The latest PokerNews Podcast focuses on Maurice Hawkins, the man who’s known at the record holder for the number of WSOP Circuit rings won, but who isn’t exactly looked upon favorably by the poker world.

Despite having won large amounts, especially over the last couple of years, Hawkins owes money, and his biggest outstanding debt (that we know about for certain) is to Randy Garcia. Garcia is owed over $100k and he’s partnered up with a poker-playing lawyer to reclaim his money.

However, the plot thickens, as Maurice Hawkins has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which would get him out of most of his personal debts.

The PokerNews Podcast team does a great job breaking things down and chatting with Rogen K. Chhabra, the lawyer helping Garcia get his money back.

Lex Veldhuis, according to his latest session, really believes in the power of game theory and strategic adjustments.

He spends this video dissecting his Day 2 tournament run, focusing on the math, the risk management, and trying to make all the right moves.

But as the video shows, sometimes all that analysis is just background noise for a simple truth in poker: things can go off the rails, fast. Veldhuis puts it plainly:

'No matter how much you prepare, sometimes the cards just have other plans.’

He invites viewers to think about the bigger lessons, like adapting on the fly and not letting variance tilt your whole session. Still, the main message seems to be that even the professionals are just along for the ride sometimes.

PokerStars is celebrating 25 years with a huge online series this May.

PokerStars is marking its 25th anniversary with a special online anniversary series in May, offering a massive $50 million in prize money. The series runs from May 10 to June 3, 2026, replacing the original SCOOP time slot, and features 461 tournaments in total, with buy-ins ranging from $5.50 to $15,000.

When it comes to celebrating milestones, PokerStars certainly knows how to do it in style.

If you won’t be at EPT Monte Carlo but want to follow along with the action, PokerStars has you covered.

The PokerStars YouTube channel will have live stream coverage of the Main Event, the One Drop, and Super High Roller events.

WPT Wynn Poker trophy theft.

Apparently, poker trophies are now collectibles for those who didn’t win them. PokerNews covers the saga of Esther Taylor’s WPT Wynn trophy, which managed to get listed on eBay without her knowledge.

Some Triton high roller action featuring Alex Foxen and Mike Watson.

Give it a watch. That ending 😱

The Ignite Series on PokerStars FanDuel is making headlines for its ambitious $5 million guaranteed prize pool.

As Anuj reports for pokerfuse, the series has awarded close to $1.8 million and drawn over 19,000 entries, but overlays have exceeded $400,000 so far—meaning nearly a quarter of the prize money has been paid by the operator.

Ivan dives into the latest debt drama between David Peters, who has nearly $50 million in live tournament cashes, and Dylan Linde, who went public about a $23,000 debt Peters owed him.

The amount originated from Peters not paying in full for a tournament stake he bought. Peters admitted to the debt and apologized, blaming poor communication and promising to pay it off.

PokerStars on FanDuel is now the clear leader in US online poker.

The big change? PokerStars shifted all their players to FanDuel’s platform, connecting Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania player pools for the first time. That has pushed their average cash game traffic to almost 300, outpacing WSOP Online and BetMGM Poker.

The KO Series is underway over on PartyPoker.

Jaime Staples has all the details on the online series that is now running.

If you love a good degen story this one is for you.

Jake Cody puts all his tournament winnings on one spin of the roulette wheel. Madness.

WSOP 2026 tournament rules released.

Per Kevmath, there is additional ways to pay this year. MoonPay has entered the chat.

Credit card fees are outlined, but are expected to be waived. Here’s hoping.

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