More from this week
Today
Mike Matusow, never one to shy away from controversy, caught a one-round penalty on Day 2 of the WSOP Main Event.
According to PokerNews, the infraction came after he exposed one of his hole cards during a heads-up pot with Steven Ross. Matusow seemed surprised, protesting, 'We’re heads up, we can do that,’ only to be quickly corrected by the table and the floor.
Matusow left the table with about 75,500 chips, roughly half the average stack, forced to watch the action from the rail. When he returned, he broke the news himself, calling the penalty 'kinda bullsh*t’ and claiming ignorance of the specific rule. Ross, his opponent in the hand, apologized: 'I had no idea, man. I’m sorry.’
Not Matusow’s first brush with WSOP penalties, but definitely one for the highlight reel.
According to PokerNews, Pokerscope is pitching itself as the essential toolkit for the WSOP, offering real-time friend tracking, live hand logging, and a way for your railbirds to follow along from the comfort of their homes.
Instead of flooding your group chat with frantic updates and blurry photos of chip stacks, you can broadcast every crucial hand and session milestone in one clean feed.
Players can use tools like a hand note converter, built-in ICM and equity calculators, and even preflop drills, all designed to help you remember your big spots and maybe even play better next time. If you have a few backers sweating your action, the app tracks buy-ins and results automatically, so there are fewer excuses when you forget who owes what.
GGPoker is making July a bit more interesting for online grinders, giving away a combined $16 million in rewards.
Half of that $13 million will come from a wide assortment of leaderboards, with every game format covered: Spin & Gold, Rush & Cash, Hold’em, PLO, Short Deck, and more. The rest gets paid out via daily flipouts and special cash bonuses.
For tournament players, there is $3 million on offer through the Bounty Hunters Series and daily leaderboards.
Negreanu wins, Kabrhel snubs, Hellmuth parades: PokerNews looks back at one of the wildest days at the WSOP so far.
Daniel Negreanu claimed his eighth bracelet and gave an interview that is probably already a meme. Martin Kabrhel picked up his sixth bracelet but refused to shake hands, proving once again that sportsmanship is optional at the highest levels. Meanwhile, Phil Hellmuth’s entrance to the Main Event made more noise than some final tables.The PokerNews Podcast brings a trio of female voices to the table to break down the 2026 WSOP.
Kyna England, Esther Taylor, and Caitlyn Comeskey join Chad Holloway for a chat that covers the Ladies Event, celebrates Kristen Foxen’s sixth bracelet, and runs through a string of notable women’s wins at the Wynn and Venetian.
Esther Taylor’s new role as BetMGM Ambassador gets a mention, as does the continued rise of women in open events. There is a sense that the panel is both celebrating progress and aware of the long road ahead.
The WSOP player of the year race continues its yo-yoing.
Alex Foxen is back on top, but everything could change.🚨Doug Polk steps back from Lodge Card Club.
Doug has been the face of the Lodge Card Club for years. The announcement comes just two months after the club reopened following the high-profile raid that happened earlier this year.
Was the stress of the raid enough to make Polk step back? He remains an investor but will have no input into the management or daily running of the club.
This is a must read: Jen Shahade’s opinion piece on the WSOP Ladies event.
I always think Jen offers level headed options so I am always interested to read her take.
Dive in below. ⬇️
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 'friend’ Jennifer Tilly progresses to Day 2 of the WSOP Main Event.
Here’s what she had to say to Jeff Platt about the tournament and what keeps her coming back year after year.This year’s WSOP Main Event turnout disappointing.
Just look at those stats from Kevmath! 👀This year’s WSOP Main Event turnout disappointing.
Just look at those stats from Kevmath! 👀The Michael Mizrachi interview you didn’t know you needed.
This Deep Cuts interview from Card Player is excellent. Who knew an interview with someone getting their hair cut could be so compelling?Hard agree with WSOP photographer Jess Beck.
Very cool chip protector from Jennifer Tilly.ClubWPT Gold continue their WSOP trolling.
Yep, feels right.Antonio Esfandiari returns to WSOP Main Event.
After a six year absence the Magician returns, but with his priorities in check.Want to watch the WSOP Main Event coverage for free?
We haven’t tried this out, but apparently there is work around.Yesterday
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Aaron Barone on max late registering the Main Event.
Some may not agree, but for a true poker fan or a young kid who fell in love with the game, this really rings true. Who wants to skip through so much of the Main Event just to gain a little bit of theoretical edge? If there is one tournament to play from the very first hand, it has to be the Main!Josh Arieh isn’t happy about stalling…
And to be honest, Merv himself probably supports this message.
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Phil Hellmuth finds himself all in on Day 2 of the Main Event.
It’s a proper cooler scenario, but this time around, The Poker Brat finds himself on the right side of variance.A good resource for those made Day 2 of the Main.
If you’re looking to run deep in the Big One, these free lessons could certainly help you achieve that goal.A couple of more nuggets of wisdom from Alex Fitzgerald.
Alex always has interesting tips that are simple, short, and effective, especially if you give them some though.
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Kassouf is back – he’s playing the Main Event and sharing his thoughts.
Last year, Kassouf had a bit of infamous exit from the Main Event. It seems he was able to iron things out, and now he’s back in the mix and ready to do his thing, although his motto this year is “less drama, more action.” Let’s see how that plays out.
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You’re playing your first Main Event, and you’re seated next to the legend!
Negreanu isn’t the opponent you want to have sitting next to you, but it’s a pretty cool experience for someone playing the Main Event for the first time. Just another reason why this tournament is different from all other tournaments out there.Garrett Adelstein talks about how he made a lot of enemies in poker.
Adelstein explains how he discovered the Commerce Casino was a gold mine and figured out a way to attract rich whales to his (much higher) game, what it looked like, and how that led to many other regulars hating him.
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Doug Polk going for it in the Main Event.
Polk came to play and build a stack. This pot went his way but, unfortunately, he couldn’t find the bag for Day 2.Are you ready for the BetMGM Poker Online Summer Classic?
BetMGM Poker is bringing an exciting online tournament series, featuring a schedule of 22 events, over $230,000 in guarantees, and buy-ins to fit every pocket.
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Seven former Main Event winners are coming back today to continue their journey.
With the first Day 2 flight starting today, the likes of Michael 'The Grinder’ Mizrachi, Phil Hellmuth, Greg Merson, Joe Cada, Greg 'Fossilman’ Raymer, and Daniel Weinman will be taking their seats as the battle to crown the 2026 Main Event champion continues.
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The total number of Main Event entries exceeds 8,000.
All the starting flights are now finished, but players can still register for both Day 2 flights, as the registration will remain open through the first two levels. The total is looking to be around 9,000, but we’ll know the exact number soon enough.Daniel Negreanu is in the Main Event.
Negreanu’s latest vlog focuses on his efforts in the Main Event, as he tries to navigate the massive field on Day 1D and come out on the other side.
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