Casino news, rather than poker. But the odds are so astounding I just had to share.
At Holland Casino Valkenburg, a blackjack player managed to split a pair of tens 25 times in a single hand. PokerNews reports that the odds of this happening sit somewhere around one in 20 trillion, so it is not the kind of thing you see every week.
More from this week
Today
Phil Hellmuth’s WSOP Main Event entrance outfit confirmed?
Sounds like he going for the ever enigmatic, Superman.
Rampage losing more money in the month of May than most of us make in years.
High stakes poker is insane. The money is just in a different sphere to us normies.
In the featured WSOP $10K GGMillions hand, Ricky Landais was all-in against Bobby James when the dealer accidentally spread four cards on the flop.
Cue the floor staff, who had to sort out the mess while both players waited to see if their tournament life was about to end on a technicality.
Behind the chips: Lex Veldhuis’ analytic approach.
Lex, a familiar face in the poker world, sits down for an in-depth breakdown of his biggest win of 2026.
He makes it clear this isn’t just about flashy hands or lucky river cards. Instead, the focus is on strategic decision-making, calculated risk, and the mathematical side of tournament play.
A hand worth more than most cars.
Big pots and bigger egos collided as Antonio Esfandiari and Barry Greenstein locked horns over a nearly $600,000 hand. Years later, Esfandiari reflects on the moment with the kind of nostalgia usually reserved for old family photos.
Even the legends like to keep us guessing.
Isildur1, known for his fearless style, managed to fold the best hand in a big spot. Not exactly the highlight reel he wanted, but at least Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi was there to break it down and make us all feel a little better about our own mistakes.
Solid words of wisdom from Jonathan.
The creeper is truly horrifying.
Next time I go for the pound and hold firm. 👊 As if you try and shake someone’s hand who is Gen Z, they look as if you just shat on their shoe. I have learnt this the hard way.
PokerStars Ontario: The waiting game continues.
PokerStars has once again postponed the launch of its new Ontario platform.
The migration, initially promised for early May, then rescheduled for June 3, now has no confirmed date.
The operator has stayed vague on the reasons, citing possible technical or regulatory hurdles, but nothing concrete.
More 📸 this time from WSOP Event 19: $25,000 No Limit Holdem High Roller.
Big names included Winamax’s Adrian Mateos, PokerStars Ambassador Jason Koon, Dylan Weisman, ACR’s Chance Kornuth, Jesse Lonis, Joao Simao, Nicky P, Faraz Jaka, Martin Kabrhel, and Stephen Chidwick.
📸 WSOP / Lennart Hennig.
WSOP Countdown debate a good point here.
If your cards are already shown on the live stream is there really a good reason as to why you shouldn’t show you hand IRL?
Some excellent pictures from WSOP Event 20, $1500 Dealers Choice.
Some huge names turned out for Event 20, including Gus Hansen, Todd Brunson, Nick Schulman, Josh Arieh, Caitlin Comeskey and WSOP 2025 Main Event winner Michael Mizrachi.
Props also go to Amir Nematinia — who I didn’t know — but it would be crime not to share his picture with his tash looking so good.
📸 Lennart Hennig/ WSOP
LuckyChewy is the ultimate conspiracy theorist according to Joe Stapleton.
He has apparently also been visited by aliens.
Audio version of Beneath the Cards being recorded by Gman himself.
This book by Garrett Adelstein will definitely spill all the tea about his illustrious poker career.
Is the WSOP doing too much 'gatekeeping’ with their content?
After being blocked by the WSOP on X, PokerFlops posted a long explanation as to what transpired and how the World Series is gatekeeping its content, not allowing others to use it to create short clips that help spread the word and reach new audiences.
It’s a tough one. On one hand, some of their arguments hold water, but it’s also not hard to understand why the WSOP would have an issue with their content used without consent to drive traffic to other sites or accounts.
Is it good for poker as a whole? Probably. But the World Series of Poker also has to worry about the brand and the image, and they don’t have much control over it when others are using and packaging the content the way they see fit.
One thing is certain – there is a bigger discussion to be had here, but things tend to move a bit slow in the poker world, so we don’t expect any major shifts in thinking in the near future.
Ren, Tony, Tonny.
Lin has some aliases, that’s for sure.
The Ari & Jo Show: WSOP Day 8, $1,500 Mixed Omaha Hi Lo Day 2 action.
This is actually a great 2 min taster of their day. I’m into it.
Trigger warning: Flutter in court this week over customer who killed himself due to debt accrued from free bet incentives.
With all the good and fun news we cover, I think it’s also important to shine a light on the bad—especially when it comes to responsible gambling and holding those in power to account.
If Flutter loses the court case, it will be a landmark ruling in the UK, showing for the first time that a betting firm had a duty of care to customers with signs of problem gambling.
Sometimes I feel like because of the vlogging Daniel does, when I see him in spots like this, he is a caricature of himself in someways. Anyone else?
People either love or hate dogs being allowed at the poker tables.
And so the debate during this year’s WSOP begins.
Is it better to leave zero stars or 1 star if you aren’t happy with the WSOP dealers?
No one really seems to know.
Are PKO’s the perfect poker format?
People like Barry Carter and Dara O’Kearney probably think so — but now we have another take.
Remember, Jen Shahade has a new book out, and everyone who has read it loves it.
Thinking Sideways is on my TBR and honestly I need to prioritize it.
Reading this book will take you on a journey of thinking. Not just thinking in straight lines, but thinking sideways. The idea is that if you want to solve a problem, you should approach it from every possible angle. When the direct approach stalls or fails, there may be a side alley you can try.
Jen Harman WSOP updates.
Love to see her back at the series, even if she didn’t proceed past Day 2 of the $10K No Limit Deuce.
Is this Martin Kabrhel’s “NOTLIKE THAT” of the WSOP?
It’s the first video I’ve seen of him saying it, but then I limit my Kabrehl content intake, so 🤷♀️.
Day 3 of the $10k GGMillion$ High Roller streaming tonight.
Tune in to follow the action live as players are inching closer to the final table. The day starts with just over 30 left in the field, and there is over $1,000,000 for the winner.
Phil Hellmuth is back in the mix, playing some 2-7 No Limit.
Chasing after more bracelets, to add to his collection Phil has joined the action in the $10 2-7 No Limit. It may not be his bread-and-butter game, but Hellmuth has had some very good results in this event, coming close to winning it twice, so we wouldn’t bet against him.
An interesting discussion on the latest WSOP Countdown show about which player has likely fired the biggest number of reentries in a $10k event. There are definitely some usual suspects for this infamous record.
Can Tara Dunn go all the way?
With just over 100 players left and a big stack of chips to work with, Tara Dunn is in a great spot to make the final table and go after that bracelet. But it is PLO, so, who knows…
The never-ending argument about reentries continues.
It is a bit of a doozy for sure, but it’s Texas Mike. He loves to gamble, and I don’t think amateurs should have a problem with it. Yes, it may lead to some early exits, but it also provides opportunities to build a huge stack early on.
It all evens out, and you just need to manage your bankroll accordingly.
Daniel Negreanu’s 2026 WSOP adventure continues.
It’s a new day and a whole new WSOP vlog from one of the game’s best. His day starts with some action from the $10k High Roller, where Negreanu has some chips to work with. But, as we all know, poker tournaments can be very fickle.
Who is more well known, Phil Ivey or Daniel Negreanu?
The WSOP may be underway but there are still online packages to be won.
Check out our article, which digs into all the online routes that are still open.
Day 7 at the 2026 WSOP saw the bracelet count jump from six to ten, with four new champions crowned according to PokerNews.
Philip Chun took down the $550 Mini Mystery Millions for $400,000, while Scott Clements added to his trophy case by winning the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship. Clements now has four WSOP bracelets to his name.
WSOP footage vanished from PokerGO.
Pokerati reports that PokerGO has pulled all of its old WSOP footage after a rights transfer to ESPN, leaving diehard fans with empty playlists.
For years, PokerGO was the place to binge-watch everything from vintage Main Event episodes to niche mixed games finals, but that library is now gone.
“PokeGO held that entire library safely tucked away behind its paywall until just days ago, including Main Event episodes going back to the 1970s, live-stream Main Event footage from the more recent years, and hundreds of final tables played across different poker formats.”
The article highlights how this isn’t just a nostalgia hit; many players used these videos to study poker strategy and learn from past champions. With ESPN now holding the keys, it’s unclear when or if these historic moments will be accessible again.
The latest WSOP Countdown episode is all about who’s firing the most bullets in the $10K events.
The panel opens with Dimitar Danchev’s win in the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship, but quickly pivots to the GG Millions, where names like Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Kristen Foxen are still in the hunt.
Norman Chad, never one to miss a rant, sounds off about late registration. He seems especially unamused this time around. The crew also throws out some predictions for the GG Millions, but most of the drama is reserved for a highlight from the Mini Mystery Millions and the usual dose of poker social media.
The final day of the $25,000 NLH Heads Up Championship at the WSOP brought together four hopefuls, all two victories away from poker glory.
Dimitar Danchev came out on top, pocketing $800,000 and a gold bracelet. Nikita Kuznetcov finished second for $528,000, while Ryuta Nakai and William Alex Foxen both took home $300,000.
$5K Pot’s latest upload chronicles Mike Matusow’s run in the 2026 WSOP $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event.
The vlog gives viewers a front-row seat to the swings of tournament play, from clutch pots to the inevitable cooler. According to Matusow, the field was full of “wannabe PLO wizards” but he still found ways to navigate the chaos.
In the video, Matusow reflects on his table draws and offers a few pointed remarks about the tournament structure. He adds:
'You can’t win them all, but you can definitely talk about losing most of them.’
The latest PokerNews Podcast takes a look at that viral Phil Ivey hand everyone is talking about from this year’s WSOP.
Chad Holloway and Ben break down how Ivey somehow survived, with everyone else at the table scratching their heads. If you missed Alan Keating’s $25K heads-up match, don’t worry, so did he—turns out he didn’t show up at all.
Jeremy Ausmus also got denied a vlogger pass, sparking some debate about who gets to tell the poker world’s stories. Daniel Negreanu, never far from the headlines, took a bad beat, and there’s even time to celebrate the Mini Mystery’s million-dollar winner.
Which World Series of Poker predictions will come true this year? PokerNews enlists a historian to help.
Will more than 400 women play the Main Event? Will an American finally dominate a final table again? The odds, it seems, are as murky as ever.
There are plenty of questions floating around: will the GGPoker $215 Mystery Millions break its own entry record? Could someone win three bracelets, or will we be stuck counting the same old faces?
PokerNews digs in as to which predictions may come true this year.
The NL Monster Stack starts today and Kevmath has some important reminders.
If anyone has your back during the WSOP, you know it starts and ends with Kevmath.
There’s a new backpack thats been designed just for poker players.
OK, I’m intrigued. But seems like it’s free shipping in the 🇺🇸 only.
Organizers recently unveiled their so-called “mothership,” a massive, 25,000-square-foot production stage with 12 poker tables. All featured tables will be on the stage throughout the summer. It also hosts the WSOP Countdown, the pre-game stream with Jeff Platt, Joe Stapleton, and Norman Chad.
Here’s of our picks from the pics of the ribbon-cutting ceremony held a couple of days ago. (It’s also a great excuse to demo The Rail’s new gallery feature!)
Images courtesy of WSOP.
Daniel Negreanu goes all-in right after this power nap at the WSOP.
Honestly, I wish I could function as well after a daytime nap.
New training video from poker pro Seth Davies has dropped on Run It Once Training.
If you are an Elite member of Run It Once, you can watch the full-length video—but here’s a taster.
PSA from Brian Hastings re: ClubWPT Gold satellites.
TBF the fine print on these things is so easy to misinterpret. Always worth double checking.
Who else is a fan of the WSOP Countdown pre-show?
I don’t love it, but I also don’t hate it. You?
Director of Poker at BetMGM joins the Uncapped Poker Podcast for an in-depth chat.
But the gauntlet has been laid down for WSOP Online. Will they bite?
I wonder if when Jeff Platt took his new WSOP job, he thought his feed would be 50% parking chat?
The high jinx continues.
Honestly, I really dislike the WSOP commentary at the moment.
I don’t think anyone should be sacked, but I think it’s going to make for a looooong summer if the WSOP doesn’t mix things up.
50 poker players headed to Phil Galfond’s house as part of BTG Summit.
As he’s a multi-millionaire, I’m sure he’s got the space.
Tune in for Day 2 action of the $10k GGMillion$ High Roller.
Streaming tonight on YouTube is the second day of the $10,000 WSOP GGMillion$ High Roller, and there are some big names in the field, so it should be a good one.
It’s a big day over at the Bellagio as Day 3 of MGFXIV gets underway.
In addition to heaps of low stakes mixed game action, one lucky player will also win a seat to the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship. So, if you’re not busy playing at the WSOP and are itching to play some non-Hold’em variations without breaking the bank, today is a good day to head over to the Bellagio.
It’s Kevmath’s day off, so, instead of reporting about poker, he decided to cross to the dark side.
It’s pretty much what we all do on our day off in Vegas. After watching and experiencing all the action, you’re just itching to get your hands on some chips and battle it out.
Best of luck & take it down!
Chance Kornuth is looking for a deep run.
After bagging a big stack yesterday, he returns today to continue his journey in the $10k GGMillion$ High Roller, but the bracelet is still quite a bit away.
Take limping at your tables personally?
According to Alex Fitzgerald, when there is a whole lot of limping happening at the table, you must do something about it and change things around. Could be a good reminder for low stakes tournament action, where these things still happen.
What does the lucky $1M bounty winner has to say?
This man turned his $550 tournament entry into a $1,000,000 mystery bounty, and he says he’s done for the summer. I mean, who can blame him?
There is some mixed game action around the corner in Manchester, too.
Although it looks like everyone who loves poker is in Las Vegas right now, the fact of the matter is that many players couldn’t make it to the WSOP for one reason or another.
This is particularly tough for mixed-game lovers, as there are so few non-Hold’em options available outside of Sin City. The good news is that the PartyPoker Manchester tour is featuring a rather colorful selection of mixed game events at very affordable buy-ins.
Daniel Negreanu after that brutal WSOP bust.
His vlog drops soon! ☕️
The Phil Ivey meme heard round the world.
It’s a good one!
Want to know about gambling tax implications in the US during the WSOP?
When a $10,000 free roll just isn’t worth the hassle.
In a move that surprised just about everyone, Allen Kessler declined a free shot at $10,000, courtesy of ClubWPT Gold, by refusing to play Matt Savage heads-up in Las Vegas.
Kessler’s thriftiness is well known, though this time it seems he just preferred the grind at the World Series of Poker to a flashy freeroll.
Lappin makes a good point we hadn’t considered when it comes to the WSOP streams.
What do you think about red being the dominant color? I’m firmly with David on this one.
So that means GGPoker Ontario has one day left of dominating the market.
Jennifer Harman, Poker Hall of Famer and two-time bracelet winner, is making her return to the World Series of Poker this summer.
After years spent crushing the cash games at Aria and Bellagio, Harman is looking to add a third bracelet to her collection, her first since the early days of the poker boom.
She told PokerNews during a break in the $10K Omaha Hi-Lo event:
“You know, I’m in a really positive place right now. So, you know, I feel good about it.”
Harman is considering playing more tournaments than usual, chasing the thrill she remembers from the 2000s poker TV heyday.
Of course, no Harman story would be complete without a nod to her infamous slowroll incident on TV in 2005—a moment that still gets airtime years later.
GGPoker is handing out a staggering $14 million in promotional rewards this June.
One highlight is the 'Go for Gold’ promo which kicks off June 12.
Play Spin & Gold tournaments, collect a set of five different stamps by hitting certain multipliers, and you get to spin a wheel for a chance at up to $10,000. The million-dollar prize pool for this promo lasts until it is all claimed.
What do you make of the WSOP Countdown show and subsequent sketches?
Honestly, I’m on the fence about whether I think things like this are cringe, or if they’re good and I’m just not the target audience.
How is it 23 years ago since Chris Moneymaker’s Main Event win?
I ask this question way too regularly: what is time?
It’s the final day of the $25k Heads-Up Championship.
Tune in for the conclusion of the $25,000 WSOP Heads-Up Championship and see who of the four remaining players will walk away with the bracelet.
Check out Brad Owen trying his hand at some mixed games.
For something completely different, in his latest vlog, Brad Owen joins a mixed game TORSE tournament and makes it all the way to the final table, facing some pretty experienced players. Can he go all the way, though?
A Main Event champ shares his thoughts on the live stream WSOP commentary.
It’s really hard to make everyone happy when it comes to poker commentary. How do you make it fun and entertaining for casual viewers but also high-level enough for the more serious audience.
Martin Jacobson, the 2014 WSOP Main Event winner, chimed in on the discussion, offering an idea that might work. But let’s be honest, people would still complain.
There are some still some geolocation issues with the WSOP Online app.
Just something to be aware of – the WSOP Online app is still glitching on occasion, booting players out due to problematic geolocation system. Apparently, the best thing to do is close down and reopen the app as quickly as you can.
Here’s your free map to Water Coolers at the World Series of Poker.
Kevin Mathers is the go-to man for all WSOP info, big and small, and one of his latest post brings you information about where you can find water coolers in and around the tournament area.
It’s important to stay hydrated while grinding or working all sorts of poker media jobs, so it’s useful info to have.
It’s Day 7 of the 2026 World Series of Poker for DNegs and he heads out to play in Day 2 of the $25k Heads-Up Championship.
The tournament is down to 16 players, playing down to final four. You may already know how this one ended, but you get Negreanu’s perspective on things, so it’s definitely worth a watch.
Ivan covers Andy Taylor’s rollercoaster as the Loose Cannon on The Big Game on Tour.
Things looked promising, with Taylor up over $20,000 after two sessions and aiming for a $50k target. But as Ivan writes, “things often don’t go to plan in poker,” and the final hand of the session proved it.
PokerNews dives into the chaos of Texas poker rooms, starting with the latest raid in Houston.
They also discuss the return of Shawn Sheikhan, fresh out of prison, and the debut of the new WSOP main stage arena. New WSOP merchandise gets a look, as does a PokerNews podcast giveaway and updates on the MyPlayers platform.
The episode rounds out with Daniel Negreanu’s baby announcement, a recap of the first WSOP bracelet winner of the year, and a preview of high-stakes action at The Lodge.
The latest episode of WSOP Countdown rounds up the biggest stories from the 2026 World Series of Poker, focusing on everything from app nickname drama to the $25K Heads-Up Championship.
They also revisit classic trash talk moments, putting the likes of Matusow and Kassouf back in the spotlight. The show hits a high note when Norman Chad goes on a tirade about Alan Keating, who apparently won big in Austin but then skipped his match.
Poker may be about the cards, but the Countdown crew makes it clear: the real action is still in the chatter.
Leo Margets: a look back at her 2025 WSOP Main Event run.
The latest episode of Inside the Mind of a Pro drops viewers into the thick of Day 8, with Margets sitting on 30 big blinds and sizing up the final 24.
The show bills itself as the ultimate look into poker’s elite tournaments, and this year the stakes couldn’t be higher. According to the description, “Team Winamax is giving it everything they’ve got to bring you an even more spectacular show this year.”
For those who prefer their poker in Spanish, the original audio plus English subtitles is an option, just in case AI dubbing isn’t your thing. The series also has plenty of classic episodes if you want to binge-watch the highs and lows of the circuit.
Sixteen hopefuls sat down at the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship tables on Day 2, but only four made it out the other side.
The matches are described as increasingly brutal, with every small error magnified under the tournament’s intense spotlight. Here are the highlights.
The quartet advancing to the quarterfinals includes William Foxen, Dimitar Danchev, Nikita Kuznetcov, and Ryuta Nakai. For those keeping score at home, that’s a lot of talent and even more pressure. The semifinals are looming, and the stakes are only getting higher.
If you are hoping to win a trip to the 2026 WSOP, Anuj breaks down the latest twists in how poker sites are getting players to Las Vegas.
GGPoker, always a major player, has ditched its old Road to Vegas promotion in favor of a step-based WSOP Express route, inspired by PokerStars’ Power Path.
Players can qualify starting at just 50 cents, but unlike previous years, the prize is mainly the $10,000 Main Event buy-in. You’ll need to arrange your own transport and accommodation.
Other operators, including Winamax, PMU Poker, Paddy Power, and Sky Poker, are also offering routes to the Main Event, but the days of the all-expenses-paid poker dream trip seem to be fading. As Anuj puts it, the Vegas trip is now more of a solo mission.
Your Lance Bradley substack recommendation.
Bradley is on the ground over at the WSOP and his content is worth checking out.
Summer Poker Calendar available now as an app.
Benefits of using the app over the website per Gags30.
Still no logins required, no subscriptions, 100% free
Track your results! If you added an event to My Schedule, it will automatically roll into 'pending’ in Results. Tap that you played it and select if you cashed and it will be added to Results
Add events that were not on the calendar
Local storage will hold My Schedule, while still allow you to browse any schedules you’ve been linked to.
All filters will remembered the next time you open the app. Set filters and they’re there the next time you want to browse tournaments
If you already made a schedule on web you can import it using your schedule URL
Alan Keating, known for his high-stakes cash game exploits, registered for his first 2026 WSOP event but apparently had better things to do after a big win elsewhere.
According to PokerNews, Keating paid the $25,000 entry for the heads-up championship but never showed up to play his first round against Piotr Krupa.
His chips were blinded off until Keating called in to concede the match, handing Krupa a free pass to round two. Keating had reportedly won over $1 million at The Lodge Card Club earlier in the week, so the WSOP buy-in was likely just a small dent in his week.
PokerOrg followed the action as the $1 million bounty in the $550 Mystery Millions event hung tantalizingly out of reach.
The pros and recs alike watched as the $250K bounties were snapped up early, but the main prize lingered. By late afternoon, the odds for the million were spiking and the tension was obvious.
Andrew Shelton, a player with a modest tournament record, stepped up to the chest with just $21,961 in lifetime cashes. He only fired once, and that was all it took.
“I never thought I’d win this much money. It’s f**ing wild. I don’t know what to think or say.”
As for what comes next? Shelton was clear: “Oh no, I’m f**ing partying,” he told PokerOrg.
The semifinals and the final of the $25K Heads-Up Championship play out today.
And it’s going to get a lot of people tuning in.
Jeff Platt’s WSOP job description has been uncovered.
Remember, not all heroes wear capes!
Watch: Day 4 WSOP vlog from DNegs.
Negreanu’s vlogs are some of the best around. They’re a daily watch for us during the WSOP, especially since we can’t be there ourselves.
In case you missed the WSOP “mothership” reveal, we have it here.
After a month-long hiatus, PokerStars coming back to Ontario—but this time, it’s wearing a FanDuel hat.
Players will get to try out Playtech’s iPoker software with games returning on June 3.
BetRivers Poker says April was their best month on record.
According to Poker Industry PRO estimates, BetRivers pulled in $737k across its four operational states, a milestone for the operator.
The company only entered the US regulated market in late 2024, starting in Pennsylvania with a very low-key approach. Now, after expanding to more states and connecting player pools, BetRivers is holding a monopoly in Delaware and West Virginia.