This Week

Lappin left out in the cold.

Dara signs with PaddyPower. But the real ☕️ is over on their Patreon.

Jean-Robert Bellande reveals his first poker backer—surprise, it was Tom Dwan.

JRB recently shared a surprising tidbit on YoH Viral’s podcast: his first poker backer was none other than Tom Dwan, who was just 22 years old at the time.

JRB was already a fixture on the high-stakes poker scene and an ambassador for Aria, but it was the young online legend “durrrr” who staked him around 2009.

There’s usually only one reason I go to Luton, the airport. But seems like the 888 live stop is another good reason to go.

Apparently, 888poker underestimated how much Luton loves a good poker tournament. They had to cancel an entire event because too many people showed up.

$180 million. Let that sink in.

GGPoker has revealed the full schedule for the WSOP Super Circuit, running from March 1–31, and the numbers are massive.

A staggering $180 million guaranteed is on the line, a huge $80 million increase on last year’s edition.

There are 18 WSOP Circuit rings up for grabs, headlined by a $15 million guaranteed Super Circuit Main Event, the largest guarantee ever offered outside of the WSOP Online Main Event.

The Brat is coming back to Europe.

We knew it was coming and now it’s official.

Phil “The Brat” Hellmuth has been confirmed for World Series of Poker Europe 2026.

Hellmuth won his 13th bracelet at WSOP Europe in Cannes back in 2012, adding another milestone to one of the most decorated careers in poker history. Now the question is: can he make another deep run on European soil?

With WSOP Europe heading to Prague, all eyes will be on whether “The Brat” can capture bracelet number 18 and extend his legendary record.

SCOOP bootcamp running over on Run It Once Training.

This week, it’s all about how to master PKOs. Definitely worth checking out if you plan on playing SCOOP this year.

Revamped WSOP payout calculator now available.

You can access the calculator via the WSOP website. Thanks to Kevmath for the info!

Barry Carter on PStrat with his take on the FanDuel/PokerStars report.

We’re simple folk. You link to us, we link to you. And friend of the fuse Barry C did this nice summary and writeup of our exclusive report last week on this FanDuel/PokerStars tie-up.

Everyone is wondering what Dara O’Kearney is about to reveal.

It’s been almost 24 hours since Dara O’Kearney teased, “Big announcement coming tomorrow. I predict it will shock a lot of people.”

Now the suspense is real. What could it be?

A new sponsorship deal for the Chip Race Podcast, maybe? What if PokerStars steps in as a sponsor and signs them up? That would definitely turn some heads.

Or… what if it’s something completely different and genuinely shocking?

Guess we’ll find out soon.

Did you know Combonator has a new home?

We recently moved Combonator from its dedicated webpage to pokerfuse. Free as always, and soon we’re going to provide a way to get a premium subscription (previously $45 RRP!) for free. The software hasn’t been updated in a long time, but it’s still just as good as it ever was, and provides features that no other tool does. The new revamped page embeds all our videos to explain how best to use the tool.

Going out on a limb here, but we’re guessing something new from CoinPoker is coming,

what with the engagement from other CP ambassadors/promoters ITT. And that date is the second of March, in case any Americans were wondering why Ben was telling you to put a date from 20 days ago into your diary.

Half a million reasons to stay inside this spring.

BetRivers Poker is rolling out its Spring Championship Series, as covered by Ivan at pokerfuse. The series started yesterday and runs through to March 8, featuring 88 events and more than $500,000 in guaranteed prizes.

Spin & Go Championship Live is back for its third edition, this time at Le Palais des Congres in Paris as part of the 2026 PokerStars EPT.

The event is strictly invitational, with 81 online and live qualifiers battling it out in a series of three-handed tables for a share of more than 300,000 euros. No buy-ins, no re-entries, just pure elimination down to a final table of three.

Viewers can watch all the action live on PokerStars TV, with coverage available in six languages.

“It really is shameful…”

888 sponsored pro Ian Simpson weighs in on the Ren Lin ghosting scandal.

Pokerati’s breaks down the infamous hand between Garrett Adelstein and Robbi Jade Lew, calling it “one of the most re-told hands of all time.”

The hand, played on Hustler Casino Live in September 2022, started as a typical high-stakes affair but ended with the poker world hotly debating who was wrong and who was right for months afterwards.

WPT Global shuffles Canadian accounts over to Nexa Poker, but nobody knows why.

A segment of WPT Global’s Canadian customers found themselves on the receiving end of a surprise email this week: their accounts are being moved to Nexa Poker, a new, invite-only room that looks like exactly like WPT Global.

Not all WPT Global accounts are affected. The WPT Global X account and Discord moderators are still active, and anyone concerned has been told to contact referral@wptglobal.com.

PokerNews Podcast brings James Hartigan into the mix to preview what’s ahead for PokerStars, particularly focusing on EPT Paris and the Irish Poker Open.

According to Hartigan, Paris is shaping up to be a major event, with plenty of action both on and off the felt.

The episode also covers the Spin & Go Championship, PokerStars Open in Philly, and a lighter moment involving a lip-synch battle with Caitlin Comeskey.

$180 million guaranteed.

Absolute scenes.

“Its not the November Nine.”

Daniel Negreanu sheds more light on the upcoming WSOP 2026 changes.

Special online tutorial from Caitlin Comeskey for all the poker ladies out there.

This promises to be excellent, discussing tilt, trolls and when to clap back at your opponent.

It runs in Feb 25 at 9pm EST.

What David Lappin really thinks of ghosting.

The article draws on philosophy to frame the idea of 'ghosting’ in online poker, referencing Gilbert Ryle’s critique of mind-body dualism. In poker, though, the 'ghost’ isn’t a philosophical concept, it’s just someone else making your decisions for you.

Read it in full below.

Less time in line, more time at the tables.

WSOP Europe 2026 is getting a digital facelift, and the WSOP+ app is leading the charge. According to WSOP, players can now register for tournaments, add or withdraw funds, and track chip stacks in real time, all from their phones.

Players need to download the app through the Apple App Store or Google Play, then create a profile before heading to Prague. One requirement that hasn’t gone digital yet: completing in-person verification once you arrive.

Check out the article for all the finer points.