August 1, 2026

What are some silent costs that professional poker players have to deal with?

Jeremy Ausmus breaks down some hidden costs that professional players have to deal with and how these influence their bottom lines.

August 01

We have some crazy numbers from this year’s Goliath event!

With all Day 1s in the book, we have official numbers for the 2026 Goliath tournament.

All said and done, there were 10,455 entries, resulting in a prize pool of over £2.2 million. The eventual winner will take home £365,500, provided there is no deal at the final table.

Every single player at the 2026 WSOP Main Event final table has different things to worry about.

With the Main Event final table only few days away, Will Shillibier of PokerNews took it upon himself to take a deep dive into the situation and identify the single biggest challenge every player will have to face once those cards are in the air.

Daniel Negreanu playing a high-stakes golf match.

We are used to seeing Kid Poker playing poker tournaments of the high stakes variety, but how does he handle the pressure on a different kind of green?

Jonathan Little brings five tips to beat small stakes cash games.

If you’re playing $1/$2 or $2/$5, you should definitely check out this article. Inside, Jonathan Little explains five adjustments you should make to increase your win rate.

WPT Shooting Star event is getting closer.

Right now, the organizers are filling in the roster of stars who’ll take on the role of bounties in one of the most popular WPT events.

We have an update on $5,000 stolen inside a casino.

A player had $5,000 stolen from him in a major Las Vegas casino, and it was all caught on camera. Casino assisted with retrieving the money but it looks like the person who stole the money will not face any legal consequences.

You can pick your path to the upcoming Sunday Million Anniversary event on PokerStars.

Day 1s are running already, and it’s going to be one of the biggest online tournaments of the year. While the direct buy-in is $109, you can build your way up from just a few cents, and it’s definitely worth to take a few shots at it.

This is your opportunity to win a 2027 WSOP Main Event seat for free.

Can you beat the average Poker IQ score of this year’s Main Event finalists on the new WSOP Academy app? If you can, you’ll receive a free month of WSOP Premium+ and have a shot at a free seat in the 2027 WSOP Main Event, so might as well give it a go.

Watch the full final table stream of the $100k King Poker Cup Charity Super High Roller.

The tournament, which was eventually won by Brynn Kenney to put his lifetime winnings over $90 million, attracted some of the best poker players alive. In the end, it was Kenney vs. Lonis for the title, and you can enjoy all the action as it happened, hand by hand.

Here’s an interesting breakdown of how WSOP Main Event final table players should adjust their strategies based on the ICM.

Mike Brady took the time to crunch some numbers and came up with some tips for each player making this year’s WSOP Main Event final table based on their stack size, table position, and ICM considerations.

WSOP Final Table ICM: What Each Player Should Do is Insane

The WSOP Las Vegas Main Event final table is officially set, and the stack sizes and seating assignments give us plenty of clues about how the action could unfold. In this breakdown, Lucid Poker uses ICM analysis to look at the key dynamics at the table: which players can apply the most pressure, who needs to play more carefully, and how each player’s strategy should change based on their stack and position. Lucid Poker offers players interactive drills, instant feedback, and challenges that feel like playing real poker. It's the same tool Doug Polk used to prepare for his heads-up challenge versus Daniel Negreanu (but it's been upgraded massively since then). Sign up for free at https://lucidpoker.com/ to get: ✔️ Unlimited preflop ranges ✔️ Study up to 5 postflop solves per day ✔️ 20x leaderboard drills per day ✔️ Unlimited play in the Preflop GTO Trainer ✔️ The Daily Cardle quiz Get started now at https://lucidpoker.com/

Carlos Chadha takes down the Borgata Summer Poker Open Championship.

The last man standing in the 565-strong field, Chadha picked up $242,385 for his efforts to bring his lifetime tournament winnings to over $3.5 million.

It was quite a summer for Kid Poker!

Daniel Negreanu had his best World Series of Poker in a long time, and he has so much more to look forward to in the months to come.

WSOP Circuit event in Estonia draws in quite a crowd.

Olympic Park Casino in Tallinn, Estonia, is hosting an international stop of the WSOP Circuit, and the Main Event drew close to 1,000 entries, completely smashing its previous attendance record.

What a great turn card for Mariano!

Is there a better feeling than turning a set in a multi-way pot? Yes, there is, and that’s when your opponent decides this is the right time to start bluffing!

WSOP makes things right – Online Circuit winners will receive $5,000 Paradise packages.

After some confusion and complaints from players, the World Series of Poker made an official announcement that Online Circuit winners will be receiving a $5,000 invitation package to the WSOP Paradise.

July 31

Players have a fair point in WSOP Paradise package dispute.

The debate over WSOP’s decision to exclude Online Circuit ring winners from the $5,000 Paradise package continues, with players arguing that any exclusion should have been clearly stated in the promotion. Here’s what happened 👇

Doug Polk breaks down the Matt Stout x Daliman fight.

The routine home poker game escalated into a physical altercation between Matt Stout and Daliman. The footage has already drawn plenty of attention on poker twitter.

Why is the WSOP making this so hard.

🫣

The WCOOP Boot Camp is set to run from August 2 to 17, giving players access to 65 tournaments and $6.5 million in total guarantees.

Buy-ins for the Boot Camp start at just $2.20, with online satellites as low as $0.55. The event lineup features everything from NLH to niche mixed games, so there’s something for every player looking for a little pre-WCOOP action.

👀 Spraggy’s brother seen with a GGPoker patch.

Also, did you know that Dan Spragg is a ghost hunter? No, neither did we.

High stakes poker pro, Garrett Adelstein shows love for Jen Shahade’s new book Thinking Sideways.

It’s high praise indeed from Gman who also has his own book coming out soon— which we feel will be a very different read.

WSOP multiple bracelet winner Shiina Okamoto answering the question; “As a poker player, what is the “ideal self” you’d like to become?”

I hope that poker can become something akin to a sport, and that a culture spreads where general companies sponsor poker players. If that happens, I believe more people could stably pursue professional careers without relying solely on the highly variable income and expenses unique to poker. However, unlike typical sports, I also think there are hurdles, such as the difficulty of real-time spectating.
The admiration of thinking, “Sports players are so cool,” is the root of this idea.

Daniel Negreanu on WSOP Main Event shot clock u-turn.

Shaun Deeb jumps into the comments and makes a very good point!

This post from Pads has not aged well.

Like we said earlier, it seems the WSOP T&Cs changed regarding circuit winners getting WSOP Paradise packages, and none of us noticed.

Patrick Leonard 🫡 (@padspoker)

Sweet4U (@TTVSweet4U)

Not all WSOP circuit winners receive WSOP Paradise packages.

Apparently, only live circuit winners will get a package — it does not apply to online winners.

This is a departure from previous years and seems to have passed US ALL by.

Why were these changes not communicated?

WSOP u-turns on shot clocks ahead of the start of the Main Event final table.

It seems the operator listened to the people and the people won.

Nightly Stars get a makeover on PokerStars on FanDuel.

They have boosted starting stacks to 10,000 chips, bumped up guarantees to $25,000 on peak nights, and stretched out late registration to the 400/800 level. The goal is more value and a better playing experience, not just more tournaments.

The operator is also adding new blind levels for deeper early play, responding to what it says is player feedback. For those with lighter wallets, mini Nightly events stick around with low buy-ins and their own guarantees.

July 30

Do you know Faraz Jaka’s poker story?

Jaka may be one of the most recognized pros on the tournament circuit today, but his journey was far from smooth sailing to the top.

Don’t forget about Hustler Casino Live’s five-year anniversary.

One of the most popular live poker streams is celebrating its fifth anniversary this Monday, August 3, and there will be a special game running to commemorate the occasion.

That’s an interesting piece of poker history.

Men entering women’s poker tournament is nothing new, but the organizers have largely found ways to discourage this. While they may not be legally allowed to restrict anyone from playing based on their gender, there is nothing stopping them from offering a huge discount for female players in ladies events, which is how the WSOP does things these days.

How to approach studying GTO poker the right way?

Phil Galfond is back with another insightful article. In this one, he talks about how “one size doesn’t fit all” when it comes to learning the GTO strategy and how different players may need different learning processes for the best results.

It looks like Jungle is on the path of justice again.

Although the post is somewhat vague, it’s safe to assume Cates is about to out some players who either owe him some money or have been involved in cheating of some sort. Jungleman has been on a bit of a crusade lately, so let’s see what names he drops next.

Four $1,000,000 Spin & Go Jackpots awarded in July.

July was an extremely lucky month for fans of lottery-style sit and gos. GGPoker hosted two Spin & Gold tournaments with $1,000,000 jackpots, while PokerStars did the same with its Spin & Gos.

Bryn Kenney becomes the first player to go over $90M in live tournament winnings.

With his latest victory in Jeju, Bryn has not only solidify his place as the number one on poker’s All Time Money List, but he’s also set another all-time record, becoming the first player in game’s history to accumulate over $90,000,000 in live tournament winnings.

Want to know who where the highest female earners at WSOP 2026?

BetMGM Poker has got you. ♀

Some excellent poker advice from Barstool Nate.

It’s honestly hard to disagree with any of his recommendations here.

Respect to Jon Van Fleet on his sobriety journey.

It’s such a hard road, but being this self-aware is so admirable! You got this! 💙

Kris Burchfield perfectly summarizing everything that’s wrong with social media, and poker 'Twitter’ specifically.

Caitlin Comeskey does not deserve any of the vitriol she has been getting over the last couple of days.

🔥Jamie Dwan is having the run of his life.

Less than a month after winning his first WSOP bracelet (Event #90: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em for $2,276,691) he takes down The Goliath Super High Roller. AMAZING SCENES.

July 29

Maurice Hawkins goes from filing for bankruptcy to having the best run of his life.

It was just recently that Hawkins was on the PokerNews Podcast talking about filing for bankruptcy. Then, he had a super hot summer, winning heaps of money, and it looks like all his financial troubles are in the past.

It’s a polarizing take from Alex Fitzgerald.

I usually love his strategy tips, but this situation is a bit more complicated. Some amateurs don’t really care about getting better, they just want to play the way they think is right, and a poker room isn’t a classroom.

Some players I know have been making exact same mistakes for decades now, and these are very fundamental mistakes that are easy to fix, yet they don’t want to hear about it, because that’s “how they’ve always played.”

And I think that’s perfectly fine.

It’s Wet Wednesday tonight on Hustler Casino Live.

Tune in for some live cash game action, featuring some of the HCL regulars, plenty of big pots, and commentary from one and only David Tuchman.

Daniel Negreanu v Thomas Boivin in the Super High Roller Bowl.

Love to see it!

Poker wisdom from a 100 year old player.

Ivor Ward. What an absolute legend.

Enter the thread and comments at your own peril.

Such a wild and sad story on all fronts.

The WSOP Main Event final table is coming, but the audience is still MIA.

ESPN is bringing back live WSOP coverage for the first time since 2020, but according to Card Player’s Tim Fiorvanti, the audience numbers are nothing to write home about. The first two edited episodes on ESPN2 drew just 173,000 and 186,000 viewers, and the live finale is still a week away.

The broadcast is produced by Omaha Productions, Peyton Manning’s media company, but even with that star power viewers aren’t exactly flocking to poker on TV. During the daily live streams on ESPN Plus, some poker fans reportedly struggled to actually find the coverage, since WSOP wasn’t always listed under ESPN’s ‘featured’ streams.

“ESPN’s return into the poker space, however, has unfortunately struggled to find its audience.”

The second set of highlight episodes aired July 28, with the final table live from August 3 to 5. Maybe more people will tune in for the big finish.

Not everyone is happy with the WSOP x ESPN scheduling.

TBF, Dan has a very good point.

The Rampage v Allen Kessler drama breakdown, from Doug Polk.

We’ve already shared this, but in case you missed it, it’s a great overview of all the beef between the pair.

The Will Kassouf WSOP interview we have all been waiting for, since the meltdown of 2025.

🍿🍿🍿

Per the YouTube description:

Jon Orlando sits down with poker pro Will Kassouf to discuss his WSOP controversy, his unique table talk, and the journey that made him one of poker’s most talked-about players. Whether you love him or hate him, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Sign. Me. Up.

Doyle Brunson appreciation post.

A lovely segment on the ESPN WSOP Main Event coverage.

WSOP Main Event 16th place finisher, Brock Wilson, breaks down his play.

Relive each of his decisions as he breaks down the biggest hands from his run!

🚨 WSOP 2026 MAIN EVENT final table starting times on ESPN! 🚨

The WSOP Main Event final table coverage will start AT A DIFFERENT TIME on each day. I know. But we have more specifics.

All on ESPN.

When	Time	Notes
August 3	5pm PST	One hour delay.
August 4	4pm PST
August 5	6pm PST	Depending on the preceding baseball game run time, the broadcast may begin earlier as the WSOP coverage will directly follow the game.

July 28

Tune in for some brrrreaking news from Doug Polk.

In his latest vlog, Polk covers some of the hottest poker topics, including Thomas Goldstein’s sentencing, a Twitter beef between Rampage and Allen Kessler, Jared Greiner robbery, and more.

More WSOP action coming tonight on ESPN.

A couple of new Main Event episodes are airing on ESPN tonight, so if you’re looking for some WSOP content to help you bridge that gap between now and the final table, these should do the trick.

Jeremy Ausmus shares his experience at the 2026 WSOP Main Event.

The new vlog from Jeremy Ausmus gives you a behind-the-scenes look into how a serious professional prepares for and approaches the largest tournament of the year.

In case you’re interested, here’s a full transcript from the IRS hearing regarding the 90% gambling loss deduction limit.

Filming was unfortunately not allowed, so this is the next best thing to get you up to speed regarding all the testimonies from the recent IRS hearing that addressed a variety of problems with the new 90% threshold on gambling loss deductions.

It’s funny because it’s true…

This may be a bit of an exaggeration, but, like any other industry out there, the poker space often jumps on the trends’ wagon. You see this all the time in the Fantasy Premier League, too, where a player with realistically bad underlying data will find his way into a bunch of teams after they score an (accidental) brace.

GGPoker seems determined to make this August one for the books.

The site is giving away $18 million in extra prizes for the WSOP Online bracelet series, running from August 17 to September 30. The value isn’t just for the final tables; millions are being distributed through exclusive Freerolls and Flipouts for everyone who joins in.

Crispin Rovere getting heat over his CoinPoker video, which we may add, was excellent.

Crispin was shining a light on how CoinPoker operates in the margins, noting their ambassador roster, how big names are putting themselves behind this circumspect brand — and some in the poker community are not happy that he did.

We stand with Crispin 100% on this.

Rec Poker Chats brings in Barry Carter this week, and the conversation covers everything from his writing career to what it takes to keep a poker training site running.

Carter talks candidly about the challenges of speaking to different audiences and adapting as tech changes the poker landscape.

There is also a lighter side: Barry gets blindsided near the end in a way that the hosts clearly enjoyed more than he did. As always, they open with a quick-fire speed round and wrap up by raffling off a prize in support of a local food bank.

After the WSOP Main Event is won, what is the extra EV that player can expect?

Rob Kuhn and PokerStrategy gets into it.

PokerStrategy.com (@enPokerStrategy)

News: How much extra EV does a Main Event champion get?

On top of the $10 million first prize, how much extra money can this year's WSOP champion expect to make from unique opportunities and endorsement deals?

Gal Yifrach, the 2025 PokerStars NAPT Main Event winner, was arrested at Los Angeles airport on federal charges, as reported by PokerStrategy.

The Israeli pro, known for his appearances on streamed cash games, was indicted in 2022 but had managed to keep playing poker and winning big until ICE officers took him into custody this week.

The indictment alleges Yifrach ran an illegal gambling business and laundered money by cycling cash from an illegal casino into legitimate ventures like real estate.

Should he be convicted, Yifrach faces a prison sentence of up to 25 years, as well as fines that could rise to $750,000.

The story seems far from over, as Yifrach now faces a trial that could see the end of his poker career, at least for the foreseeable future.

The New Yorker cartoonist turns his hand to capturing WSOP moments.

We haven’t logged in to PokerOrg to see all the impressions, but this one of Martin Kabhrel is amazing!

Rampage’s ode to Las Vegas.

No mention of Allen Kessler in this one.

Josh Arieh is super compelling; I loved this interview with Remko.

Arieh is exceptionally candid about the choices that he has made in the past and what drives him to do better each day—an excellent watch.

The PokerNews Podcast is going live this weekend!

To mark its 1000th episode, the boys are taking the podcast live in Vegas. It even looks like you can attend if you are in the area.

“Hard work pays off”: says Caitlin Comeskey. And she proved just that at this summer’s WSOP.

Check out her interview on the Poker Edge podcast. It’s well worth a listen.

July 27

Get ready for the Mutli-State Summer Series on BetRivers Poker.

Running August 2 – 16, the series brings $450,000 in guaranteed prizes and 96 Championship events divided into two buy-in brackets. Join the action on BetRivers Poker and fight for your share of the main prize pool as well as $10,000 up for grabs across two leaderboards.

Daniel Negreanu talks about his 2026 WSOP run and plans for the rest of the year.

DNegs had a pretty good summer in Las Vegas, but there is more work to be done this year. He is still determined to go after the Player of the Year title and ready to go hard at the WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.

Mary Galvin wins Goliath Ladies Event.

The tournament attracted 149 entries, generating the prize pool of £34,290. The event saw a four-way chop, but, when the dust settled, it was Mary Galvin holding the trophy.

Tune in for Max Pain Monday on Hustler Casino Live.

It may not be the super high stakes like on the weekends, but it’s usually a lot of fun to watch for at least a couple of hours.

Mario Boos will proudly wear the Winamax patch ahead of his WSOP Main Event appearance next week.

“On Monday, August 3, all of French poker will be behind Mario Boos in the final of the WSOP Main Event. For the occasion, he will do us the honor of wearing the Winamax logo!”

WCOOP 2026 returns from September 6 to 30 for its 25th edition.

The dates for PokerStars’ WCOOP 2026 have been revealed, with the landmark 25th edition of the series set to run from September 6 to 30. Before the main festival begins, the traditional WCOOP Boot Camp will take place from August 2 to 17, giving players a chance to prepare for the biggest online poker series of the year. The Boot Camp features 130 tournaments and more than $6.5 million in guaranteed prize pools.

Is case you forget, Lucas Jumalon has more chips than five of his WSOP Main Event final table opponents…

COMBINED.

In case you missed it, here is what Daniel Negreanu has to say to the WSOP Main Event finalists.

Only nine players remain. Action resumes on August 3. We cannot wait.

“If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to play the WSOP Main Event, this series is for you.”

Relive GGpoker’s Kevin Martin’s run at the WSOP Main Event. I think we can all remember how it ended. 👀

This is so cool!

Read Xuan Liu’s rise to the top; it all starting with a chess board back in her childhood home of Toronto.

From micro-stack to mountain: Jumalon’s WSOP chip conquest.

Lucas Jumalon’s run at the 2026 WSOP Main Event is straight out of poker fantasyland. According to PokerNews, he bagged barely enough chips to survive Day 1b, sitting on just 7,400. By Day 2, he was back in the game with 146,000, and then he never looked back.

Jumalon’s turning point came on Day 5 with a lucky jack against ace-king, keeping his tournament life alive. He went on to build his stack with a set of tens against Stavila and then picked off players like Musa and Cermeno to amass 194 million chips.

Let’s just say when the final table resumes, everyone else is staring up at a mountain of chips—and it’s all Jumalon’s.

According to PokerNews, Robert Jen has become the go-to statistician for all things WSOP, tracking every hand and every oddball record since the 1970s.

This year, he highlights Perry Green making a final table at 90, the oldest ever to do so in an open event. Thirteen years passed since Green’s last final table, which was also in an Omaha variant.

Negreanu, meanwhile, cemented his legend by surpassing $25 million in WSOP earnings before summer even started. Nick Schulman joined the eight-bracelet club and tied the record for four straight years with a bracelet. Adrian Mateos, still just 31, became the youngest with six bracelets, beating Phil Ivey’s pace by a year.

So much more in the article!

After more than two decades navigating the swings of professional poker, Jeremy Ausmus breaks down four mindset lessons that go well beyond the game.

According to Ausmus, the real value of poker is learning to pause before reacting emotionally, avoiding self-blame for bad outcomes when you made the right call, dealing with uncertainty, and knowing when to cut your losses.

It’s a stellar line up for The Chip Race’s 200th episode. 🔪🩸

Jennifer Tilly returns as a guest along with Jamie Dwan and Daniel Weinman.

High stakes poker never disappoints when Patrick Antonius is involved.

According to the video, he hit a flush on the river and then opted for a massive overbet, putting Keir Sullivan and his trips in a rough spot.

As the commentators noted, this is the kind of spot that separates the professionals from the rest:

“This is the kind of decision you don’t want to face for your stack.”

The hand played out live from Bally’s at the Commerce in Los Angeles, with the stream highlighting just how tense these moments can get.

A poker face only gets you so far in court.

Tom Goldstein’s story reads more like a movie script than a legal brief. As reported by PokerStrategy, the former lawyer to the stars landed a six-year sentence in federal prison for tax evasion. Goldstein’s downfall was his involvement in high-stakes poker games with celebrities and billionaires, where millions of dollars changed hands and his 'secret ledger’ failed to keep things straight.

During the trial, even Tobey Maguire was called to testify about Goldstein’s role as a go-between in a $7.8 million debt chase. The jury didn’t buy Goldstein’s claims that he intended to pay his taxes, and the muddiness of his poker finances sealed his fate.

'Once a high-flying lawyer to the stars, Tom Goldstein’s record in poker games himself was mixed to say the least.’

Now, Goldstein faces six years behind bars, a cautionary tale for anyone who thinks private games with the rich and famous are outside the reach of the IRS.

Pattern recognition is apparently what separates the poker pros from the rest of us, at least according to PokerRailbird.

The article says that great live poker players are constantly watching for betting patterns, tells, and psychological quirks, using nothing but their own eyes and memory.

Unlike online play, you do not get a handy display of stats or a database of prior hands. As PokerRailbird puts it, “Players must rely on their own awareness.” Live games are full of players with exploitable habits, and most of them do not bother to hide it.

The article breaks down how live players can exploit these patterns to make better decisions and bigger profits. If you want to get ahead in live poker, it is time to start paying attention to more than just your own cards.

Gambling with your losses: IRS edition.

Gamblers, tax professionals, and industry advocates gathered for an open IRS hearing to discuss the fallout from the new 90 percent gambling loss deduction cap, part of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill.

The consensus was clear: the cap creates 'phantom income,’ taxing players on money they never actually pocketed.

“The gambling industry is looking to face a decline in numbers because of the fear set in for many gamblers because of the 90 percent rule.”

Congresswoman Dina Titus highlighted just how much the gaming sector contributes to the economy, while others noted last year’s banner revenues are threatened by the new tax policy. The industry, as reported by PokerNews, is worried legal gambling could take a hit—ironically, because of an IRS ruling supposedly designed to help.

Thankfully PokerNews rounds up the Kessler / Rampage beef, so I can stop scrolling socials.

Rampage also called Alan Kessler a “see-you-next-tuesday” which really spiced things up 🍿.

Did you know the WSOP is locked in to being hosted in Las Vegas for the next 20 years?

No, neither did we. We also couldn’t imagine it anywhere other than Vegas.

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