Kim Lund, Founder & CEO of Aftermath Interactive, shared an interesting take on LinkedIn:
Poker deserves its Queen’s Gambit moment. An argument can be made that what Queen’s Gambit did for chess, Rounders did for poker. But that movie is 20+ years old. Since then, the world of poker has yielded a vein of narrative gold just waiting to be mined. How should do? How should it be done? Is it too late?
Our colleague Ivan asked a very similar question in his op‑ed last year — Makings of the Ultimate Poker Movie: Can Poker Have Its Queen’s Gambit? — exploring whether poker could find a modern breakout narrative the way Queen’s Gambit did for chess.
Read Ivan’s piece on Pokerati.
More from week starting february 09
February 14
Finding the sweet spot with your raises.
Alex Fitzgerald shares some thoughts on how to go about sizing your raises so that you don’t end up playing against the entire table. You should try and get yourself in spots where you’re up against one or two players, giving yourself multiple ways to win.
The Chip Race podcast opening a new chapter.
Having recently parted ways with WPT Global, Dara O’Kearney and David Lappin are ready for a new chapter, this time around relying primarily on the people who enjoy listening to their Chip Race podcast.
Get ready for the exclusive behind the scenes access, which may or may not be more than what you’ve bargained for!
Doug Polk breaks down the biggest poker stories of the week.
In case you need to catch up with some of the biggest happenings in the poker world over the last few days, Doug Polk comes to the rescue.
His latest video covers a few of the most interesting stories, including developments in Tom Goldstein’s trial, players looking for Mike Postle to get what they’re owed, Phil Hellmuth’s possible appearance at the Hustler Live Million Dollar game, and more.
Nik Airball living up to his name.
Just in case you’ve forgotten why they call him 'Airball,’ here’s a fun hand to remind you. Nik goes for a crazy three-barrel bluff against none other than Rampage. What would you do in this spot against a player of Nik’s reputation?
February 13
When is the right time to bet small?
The latest Upswing Poker Level-Up Podcast brings some tips on when betting small is your best choice in a hand.
You don’t always have to go heavy with your bets. When your range absolutely smashes the board or the stack-to-pot ratio is low to begin with, smaller bets can actually produce better results.
If you’re looking to mix up your strategy, this 10-minute video is well worth watching.
WSOP 2026 schedule drops Monday, February 16.
Here we go. GGPoker just dropped a hype teaser to build the anticipation, and now we’re all counting down to Monday! The full WSOP 2026 schedule is going live next week on February 16.
Niall Farrell added to PartyPoker Tour roster.
Not many people may be aware, but PartyPoker revealed at the end of 2025 that it has a dedicated roster team representing the PartyPoker Tour.
The team already features a strong lineup, including Barry Carter, Sam Acheampong, Joe Beevers, Natalie Bromley, and Glenn Brown. Now, they’ve added even more firepower with the signing of Scottish poker pro and Triple Crown winner, Niall Farrell.
And in true Barry Carter fashion, he welcomed Niall to the team with yet another humorous post, keeping the announcement light-hearted while celebrating a serious addition to the roster.
Interesting… NJ may ban gambling push notifications.
I for one am all for responsible gaming tools, and this sounds like a good idea.
According to PokerNews, all eyes were on the second tournament appearance of 2026 for Daniel Negreanu at the $100,000 Super High Roller Bowl Mixed Games.
After a fourth-place finish in the PGT Championship, expectations were high, but Day 1’s spotlight landed on Benny Glaser, who dominated the feature table and eliminated Bryn Kenney in the first knockout of the day.
The Mike Postle drama that just won’t quit.
The latest is a War-and-Peace style post from Todd Witteles. Make of it what you will. 🍿
Hollywood’s latest bet is on Benny Binion thanks to Rocky Balboa.
This one sounds fun!
Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions is moving from the boxing ring to the poker table, teaming up with Cole Hauser and MGM Television to adapt Doug J. Swanson’s Blood Aces. Hauser will star as Benny Binion, the Texas outlaw who helped invent the World Series of Poker and built Las Vegas as we know it.
Meanwhile, Netflix is prepping its own Vegas series with Martin Scorsese and the Rounders writing team, with PokerStars pro Maria Konnikova also involved.
The fight for the Fair Bet act.
Rep. Dina Titus sat down with PokerNews to discuss her latest legislative push: restoring gambling loss deductions to their full value. Right now, gamblers can only deduct 90 percent of their losses, but according to Titus, that’s unfair for players who already face a loss.
We couldn’t agree more.
February 12
A mini lesson on bet sizing from Jonathan Little.
Flopping a top pair is great and all, but many players struggle to size their bets correctly, where they are getting value, but not setting their chips on fire.
Jonathan Little breaks down one common scenario, explaining each street and every decision along the way. This logic applies to many top-pair spots in tournaments, when playing around 50 big blinds effective.
GGPoker teases February 13 – What’s the big reveal?
GGPoker just dropped a cryptic post on X: “Be Ready Feb 13,” and it’s a Friday the 13th! 🤯
Could it be a spooky surprise, or are we in for something big like the WSOP 2026 schedule reveal? Maybe a new tournament series, promo, new partnership, or something totally unexpected? Whatever it is, we’re ready for it!
Doug’s doing an AMA for poker content creators.
Plenty of poker players do AMAs, and Doug Polk is doing one today focused on aspiring poker content creators.
If you’re building (or thinking about building) poker content, it’s a good chance to ask direct questions about the process.
Head over to X and ask him anything related to that topic.
Well, PokerStars has a point here.
After a two-year break, EPT Paris is set to make its return from February 18 to March 1. And PokerStars has rightly pointed out why it’s the most eagerly awaited event. The record-breaking debut and even bigger turnout expected in 2024, the stunning and iconic Palais des Congrès—previously home to events like the Eurovision Song Contest and UEFA Euro 2016 and the Spin & Go Championship making a return, and of course, the fact that it’s taking place in one of the most iconic cities in the world.
Give it a read and see why EPT Paris is the tournament everyone’s talking about.
888poker is rolling out its Sale Week again.
The gist: 21 regular weekly tournaments are getting their buy-ins cut by half, but the guaranteed prize pools are sticking around. The promo runs from February 9 to 16, so you have a week to take advantage.
Turns out maths is the real MVP.
Spraggy breaks down multiple tournament runs, focusing on the real backbone of success: mathematical probability and game theory.
There is a lot of talk about adjusting strategy on the fly, with every decision dissected for its logic and potential payoff.
“Our focus is on the game theory, mathematical probability, and the strategic adjustments needed to compete at a professional level.”
We don’t often post things ACR related, cos you know, unregulated site and all.
But, for those you play on it, there is now a dedicated support channel on X created to help with account, cashier and game play issues.
You can still catch this webinar on YouTube.
Barry Carter and Dara O’Kearney are giving out great free advice on how to win your way to the Irish Open.
It is a must watch for anyone looking to strategize.
Nik Airball is stirring the pot again, this time targeting tournament legends Alex and Kristen Foxen.
According to PokerNews, Airball posted on X, “Tourney players all suck, this is free money if I ever seen it!”
He’ll get to back up that claim on Hustler Casino Live, facing Alex in a $25/$50/$100 cash game Thursday, and Kristen at $100/$200 on Friday.
The Foxens aren’t just any tournament pros. Alex has over $54 million in live cashes and two WSOP bracelets. Kristen boasts five GPI Female Player of the Year awards and four bracelets. Their combined résumé reads like a Poker Hall of Fame ballot, but their livestreamed cash game experience is limited.
Poker fans can even put money on the line via Polymarket, betting on who will win more between Airball and Kristen.
California calls time on cardroom blackjack.
California has decided that cardrooms’ blackjack-style games are done for, tightening rules to shut down any game that looks, sounds, or feels like blackjack. The new regulations go into effect April 1, and operators say it could mean curtains for many cardrooms and plenty of lost jobs.
'Any game of blackjack shall not be approved for play.’
For cardrooms, it’s a big blow. For tribal casinos, it’s another win in a long-running rivalry. PokerOrg reports that the fallout could be far-reaching, with thousands of jobs and millions in revenue at risk.
Love this from Jeremy Ausmus.
It is definitely worth 3 minutes of your time.
WSOP Europe is heading to Prague and they have decided it is time for the Ladies Championship to cross the Atlantic
The €1,000 event is scheduled for April 4, right in the thick of the festival and is the first time in WSOP E history that the event has run.
The Ladies Championship is always one of the most spirited and competitive environments of the summer in Las Vegas, and we are thrilled to bring that same energy and prestige to the heart of Europe.
February 11
Daniel Negreanu is all set for the $100k Super High Roller Bowl Mixed Games.
The action kicks of on Thursday, and it will be one of the biggest non-Hold’em tournaments to take place this year. DNegs will be in the mix, going against some of the best in the game. We have exciting few days ahead, especially if you love mixed games!
Better late than never!
Corey Eyring’s latest vlog is here, featuring his exploits at the 2025 WSOP Paradise, including a shot at the Super Main Event. Yes, the series concluded almost two months ago, but it’s a fun video nonetheless, so check it out.
A new poker documentary has landed! And it has nothing to do with the WSOP.
I’ll be honest. I haven’t heard of the No Filter Poker tour before, and I’m sure that says more about me than about the reach of Mounir Tajiou, whom the documentary is focused on. He and the Mizrachis, that is.
I haven’t watched the entire doc yet, but it’s definitely next up on my list.
Brazil. That’s the only correct answer.
I’m not even checking the options. Just look at the results from WSOP Online bracelet series on GGPoker, or SCOOP and WCOOP on PokerStars. The consistency, the volume, the depth of runs, Brazil is always at the top.
If we’re talking about the general poker population, the everyday grinders, the online regulars, no country comes close to Brazil right now. The numbers, the results all back it up.
Sure, if the debate is strictly live poker, the USA probably has the edge and will take the gold medal, probably Canada second.
But if we include just online results, Brazil has to be at the top along with the USA (too bad, USA is segregated from the rest of the world).
Ahh, I see the options now. I’m going with Team Canada 🇨🇦 😅
Loads of top tier guests heading the Chip Race Podcast this week.
Guests include high stakes poker pro Alexandros Theologis, along with Irish Open host Phil ‘The Tower’ Heald.
Irish Open ambassador Chris Dowling breaks down a bluff from last year’s Mediterranean Poker Party and Turlough McHugh stops by to discuss his contributions to Dara and Barry’s new book, Simplify Poker.
This episode is guest sponsored by the Irish Poker Open which takes place in March over in Dublin.
Has Phil Hellmuth seen the WSOP 2026 schedule already?
According to socials he has. Although the rest of the poker community waits with baited breath.
WSOP Toronto should be coming this fall.
We have it on good authority that the WSOP Toronto stop will still take place this year, but that it will happen in the second half of the year rather than spring.
February 10
Living the life, Nacho-style.
Nacho Barbero got in some hot water about a year ago, when he was accused of using RTA software. However, it seems he’s landed on his feet, with a new sponsorship deal and continuing to live his life the only way he knows how: playing poker, gambling, and always looking for something new to be excited about.
Bankroll management is always a relevant topic in poker.
The game of poker may change and evolve, but how one manages their bankroll will always be one of the key success-defining aspects of their careers in the long run. Jonathan Little shares some useful thoughts on the topic, including a table overview for cash games based on your expected win rate.
WSOP 2026 full schedule release hits a delay.
Uh oh… seems like there’s a delay in the WSOP 2026 full schedule release. We were hoping for it this week, but Kevin Mathers, the go-to source for all things WSOP, doesn’t think it will be released this week. Our own sources confirm there’s a delay.
Fingers crossed for a release next week!
So many trophies.
This might be an old post, but damn… Patrick “padspoker” Leonard’s trophy collection is unreal. SCOOP, WCOOP, bracelets, the man just stacks hardware.
And speaking of trophies, we’ve already talked about the BetRivers Poker Spring Championship Series, but it’s worth another look. All 88 events come with an exclusive BetRivers trophy for the winner, plus one more for the Player of the Series leaderboard champ.
And according to Weisman, the money stolen has still not been recovered.
I have never been to Atlantis, but it seems from the comments that this might be a more common problem there than we think.
How much has Seth Davies, Sam Greenwood and Jeremy Ausmus lost to which hands?
Run it Once Training has the answers.
High-stakes rerun: Triton Poker Series cash game invitational goes big.
The Triton Poker Series rerun showcases the kind of cash game where the smallest blind is a thousand dollars and the buy-in is half a million.
Players are seated with $500K in front of them, playing No-Limit Hold 'Em with $1K, $2K, and $5K blinds, all under the watchful commentary of Ali Nejad and Randy “Nanonoko” Lew.
Big names make it to Goldstein’s “Secret Poker Ledger”.
Tom Goldstein’s poker game has shifted from the felt to the courtroom, with his “secret poker ledger” now at the center of a federal trial. This ledger, which lists some of the biggest names in poker and business, was introduced as evidence by prosecutors who allege Goldstein committed tax fraud and lied to mortgage lenders.
Some notable entries include Dan “Jungleman” Cates, billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya, real estate mogul Bob Safai, and WSOP bracelet winner Tony Gregg. According to PokerNews, the ledger was never shared with Goldstein’s accountant, which became a key point in the trial.
The trial continues in Maryland, with more high-profile names and details emerging as the case unfolds.
BetRivers Poker is rolling out its second Championship-branded series this February.
The BetRivers Spring Championship offers 44 events at two buy-in levels each, for a total of 88 tournaments and $515,350 in guaranteed prize money. Buy-ins start at just $5 and go up to $500, with most events priced under $100.
Apparently Hellmuth has made $20 million from PrizePicks investments.
In his latest brag-post, Phil Hellmuth takes PrizePicks founder Adam Wexler out for a $50K shopping spree and admits to making $20M in a recent investment with the company.
Is it just me, or do all these posts about Hellmuth’s investments, portfolio, and money leave you feeling grossed out as well?
Loving this breakdown of profit from Robin Poker.
Lukas outlines all of his profit since he started playing poker professionally in 2020.
I found it super refreshing to see his profit broken out like this. It somehow makes the streams feel more real. Or is that just me?
An interesting take on solvers, AI, and future of the game.
Benjamin 'bencb’ Rolle shares his views on the role of AI and solvers in poker, and, unlike many, he’s not worried about the future of the game.
While all the tools make it easier to play well, they’re not a magic wand. Players need to put in the work to actually unlock their full potential, and it’s not as easy as clicking a few buttons.
'Bencb’ believes that many people (wrongly) see solvers and AI as shortcuts, and that approach creates more “suckers” than good players, and there is definitely some truth to his arguments.
February 09
Rampage Poker in tournament action.
The latest vlog from Rampage features his exploits during the last year’s WPT World Championship at the Wynn. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual cash game action, but whatever the format, one thing you can be certain of even before watching is that chips were flying all over the place.
It is Rampage, after all!
A record overlay.
And yep… the record’s broken. 🤯
GGMasters Anniversary Edition ($10M GTD) posts a $1.79M overlay — the largest ever seen online.
10,041 in the final flight. 59,480 entries total.
Of course Phil Hellmuth was at the Super Bowl.
And of course his timeline is full of all the schmoozing he got up to in one of suites.
Is GGPoker about to shatter the biggest overlay record ever?
Well, well, well… 👀 GGPoker’s GGMasters Anniversary is currently sitting on a $2.6M overlay at the time of writing and it has a real shot at becoming the largest overlay in online poker history.
For context, the current record belongs to India’s PokerBaazi GOAT, which overlaid by $1.4M, while PokerStars’ The Big Blowout comes in second after missing its $5M guarantee by $1.23M.
With roughly 2 hours of late registration still open, GGMasters needs about $1.2M more in buy-ins, roughly 8,700 entries, just to avoid rewriting the record books, which feels like a very tall task.
This is the 7th and final flight of the $150 buy-in event carrying a massive $10M guarantee. It required 72,464 total entries to break even and has drawn just over 53,000 so far.
In a couple of hours, we’ll know exactly how historic this one turns out to be. 🍿
Latest vlog from Brad Owen has landed.
Welcome to episode 365. Settle in as Owen takes us through the highs and lows of his latest adventures the poker table.
Hellmuth eyes million dollar cash game.
Phil Hellmuth, the self-proclaimed greatest tournament player ever, might finally step into the lion’s den of high-stakes cash games.
PokerNews reports that he is likely to play in the upcoming Million Dollar Game at Hustler Casino Live, an event where the buy-in alone is enough to make even seasoned pros sweat.
The game’s lineup is still a mystery, but regulars like Nik Airball and Alan Keating are expected.
Sponsorship package pulled before it even begins.
Thomas Clack, the 2025 National Poker League Player of the Year, has lost his Grosvenor Poker sponsorship after being suspended by the iPoker Network. His violation? Having a GTO solver open while playing an online tournament. According to Clack, he was just using it to check his play after hands, not to cheat.
“I wasn’t trying to use it to cheat. I was just studying with GTO out whilst I was playing. After a hand had been played, I looked it up to see if I played it well. I wasn’t using it to affect my play, but I had it open, which was silly.”
Grosvenor confirmed the decision, stating Clack no longer met the criteria for the £40,000 sponsored pro package. Any remaining prizes will be paid out in due course.
Alex Foxen is making 2026 look easy.
According to PokerNews, he picked up his second live win of the year at the MSPT Poker Bowl X, taking down a $1,600 event for $165,235.
With 740 players in the field and a $1 million guarantee, Foxen outlasted some notable names, including WSOP bracelet winner Nick Palma and 2024 WSOP Main Event final tablist Joe Serock.
Poker tips from Chris Moneymaker.
Thanks to PokerOrg, we have some insight and advice on poker tells from none other than everyone’s favorite everyman.
WSOP Online is rolling out two major tournament series this February, and players in New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Michigan are invited.
The WSOP Online Circuit Series runs February 11 to 22, featuring 12 events with $1.5 million in guarantees and a dozen gold rings. If that’s not enough, the WSOP Winter Online Championships kicks off on February 15, offering another $1.8 million in prize pools and a special championship belt for the Main Event winner.
The Poker Express, the latest promo from 888poker, aims to keep you logging in each day for a chance to win $300,000 in prizes.
The promo is running for three months and features a variety of freerolls, including daily $500 Chiptrack Freerolls, a $3,000 Skyline Transit Freeroll every Sunday, and a big $20,000 Majestic Freeroll each month.
