Washington, D.C. moves toward legalizing online poker as new bill is introduced.

Big move coming out of Washington, D.C. — a new bill is on the table that would legalize iGaming, including online poker, while also cracking down on dual-currency sweepstakes models.

Even more interesting? It also opens the door for D.C. to join multi-state online poker compacts, which could mean a much bigger player pool down the line. Earlier this year, Maine legalized iGaming, including online poker. Could D.C. be the next?

That said, nothing is guaranteed here. The U.S. rollout of online poker has been extremely slow, and even with progress in places like Maine, D.C. is still very much a “wait and see” situation.

Is it the next surprise market… or just another long-shot proposal to watch?

Poker pro and chess champ Jen Shahade writes new piece in Time magazine.

From pitch to poker table, Neymar’s luck runs thin.

Neymar Jr. had a weekend that would test anyone’s patience. Fresh off a soccer victory with Santos, he logged on to PokerStars hoping for another win.

The $5,200 Titans Event brought him to a tough final table, but the bubble burst on him in sixth place, leaving him just outside the money and short of a $15K score.

FanDuel Poker coming to more states?

PokerStars US confirms on socials they hope to launch in more states 🇺🇸.

Our ⛳️ will be that PokerStars + FanDuel will next launch in West Virginia. And possibly Connecticut.

Source: @anuj2212 (IYKYK 🥷)

WSOP Paradise heads to new location in 2026.

Welcome to the poker community ladies and gentleman.

“Inexcusable and disastrous error” says Jef Platt on the WSOP E live stream faux par.

Platt who now works for the World Series of Poker has some choice words on the lack of delay on the Main Event live stream.

Honestly, it’s hard to believe mistakes like this can still happen. 😱

Players liking the new FanDuel + PokerStars experience.

If true, this is a massive error from the WSOP Europe organizers.

Aaron Barone’s MTT prop bet is almost here.

No charges, no clarity, and definitely no payout for The Lodge.

The Lodge Card Club in Texas just got a break: no criminal charges filed as the 30-day deadline hit, according to PokerNews. Still, the state is hanging onto more than $2 million seized in the March raid.

PokerNews says the court document now focuses solely on alleged illegal gambling, dropping the money laundering angle altogether.

The future of the club remains uncertain. Texas law is murky about poker rooms like The Lodge, with some arguing the law allows clubs that don’t collect rake, while others remain skeptical. The standard for conviction is high, as PokerNews points out, and many similar clubs keep operating without trouble.

PokerNews reports a tough day for two of poker’s most notable women at the WSOP Europe Main Event.

Shiina Okamoto, fresh off back-to-back Ladies Championship wins, found herself on the wrong side of a nightmare cooler: her pocket aces were crushed by Vasileios Panagiotidis’ quad jacks. Okamoto, who never saw the disaster coming, was eliminated in 37th for €40,000.

Annette Obrestad, making a much-anticipated return 19 years after her 2007 Main Event triumph, saw her pocket twos come up short against Sondre Stormyr. She finished 34th, also banking €40,000.

Thinking Sideways, the new book from Jen Shahade, is here!

The story of Austrian player reads like every online poker player’s wild fantasy.

Starting with just $10, he battled through three satellite stages and then survived a 210-player high roller field packed with some of the best in the world.

His previous GGPoker earnings barely cracked $55k, but this time, he entered the final table as the short stack and ended up with $411,843 and a $10k WSOP Paradise package.

Not a bad ROI for a Tuesday night.

The WPT Global security announcement in full below.

To continuously ensure fairness and a healthy competitive environment, the WPT® Global platform has deployed advanced big data analytics and neural network-based risk control systems to monitor all gameplay 24/7 in real time.
This system is capable of simultaneously analyzing over one million live hand histories per minute. Through multidimensional data analysis and behavioral modeling, it effectively prevents and detects violations including, but not limited to, hand sharing, AI-assisted play, abnormal collaboration, and other unfair practices—fully safeguarding every player’s right to fair play and account security.
At the same time, WPT® Global encourages all players to actively participate in platform supervision. If you encounter any suspected violations, please report them through official channels.
All reports will be thoroughly investigated, and:
• Verified violating accounts will be frozen and handled in accordance with platform rules
• Frozen funds related to violating accounts will be returned to affected players according to our policy
• Players who submit verified reports will receive rewards
• Lists of banned accounts will be regularly published
WPT® Global remains committed to the principles of fairness, integrity, and transparency, and is dedicated to providing a secure, trustworthy, and professional poker environment for players worldwide.
Thank you to every player for your continued support and vigilance.
WPT® Global Security & Risk Control Team

Not everyone happy with the WSOP Online 2026 schedule.

Birger Larsen found out the hard way that the only thing tougher than surviving a PLO championship is surviving the tournament director’s patience.

Absolute perfection.

When poker trash talk gets a little too real: some Negreanu x Mizrachi nostalgia.

When Daniel Negreanu and Michael Mizrachi first crossed paths, things got heated. On Season 4 of NBC’s National Heads-Up Poker Championship back in 2008, they shared how an online game almost escalated into a real-life confrontation.

Mizrachi recalled, “I’d just knocked him out of a game. I got lucky in the hand, but I was just goofing around. And then it got serious.”

Negreanu added that there was talk of flying to Vegas to settle things, but it never came to blows.

Instead, their rivalry played out at the poker table, where Mizrachi eventually took the win. According to PokerNews, it was all just part of the game, and the two are friendly now.

Help PokerNews curate their 'best poker vloggers’ list.

Sam Greenwood’s take on that hand between Robl and Gavri.

The high stakes action over on PokerGO rarely disappoints. Everyone is talking about the hand between Andrew Robl and Justin Gavri. Now we have Sam Greenwood’s take.

Dig in below.

WSOP Europe is not playing.

Garrett Adelstein sharing some high stake stories.

Hendon mob PSA.

Tom Goldstein is still fighting to stay out of jail as he awaits sentencing for tax and mortgage fraud, but prosecutors are turning up the heat.

According to PokerNews, they argue Goldstein is a flight risk, pointing to his connections to wealthy gamblers, his failing marriage, and his open desire to play Andy Beal for tens of millions.

Goldstein, meanwhile, calls these claims “deplorable and unfounded” and is asking to move out of his home with his spouse and custodian, Amy Howe.

Prosecutors, not mincing words, say he “has not yet accepted reality” that “he is a criminal destined for prison.”

Goldstein’s legal team continues to push for a new trial, arguing the jury convicted on insufficient evidence.

Another prop bet in the making!

Aaron Barone is looking to spice things up and get some extra motivation for his online grind with a 24-hour prop bet, with the aim of playing 150 tournaments in that period.

The bet is apparently still in its early stages, so if you’re someone who likes to get involved with this sort of stuff, shoot him a message with what you think fair odds would be.

A few years ago, this version of the US online poker market didn’t exist.

Well, it really is pretty remarkable.

Some of the biggest iGaming brands in the US are now offering online poker—and that’s with legalization in only a handful of states. A few years ago, this likely would’ve required federal legalization to even seem plausible.

Yet here we are.

DraftKings is in the mix with Electric Poker (essentially Spin & Go). It’s a limited format for now, but it shows intent—and there’s always the possibility they expand into formats like All-In or Fold down the line.

BetRivers Poker is already live in four states and set to launch in a fifth (New Jersey), quietly building one of the broader footprints in the market.

And now FanDuel has entered the space using PokerStars branding, launching in three states with potential to expand into West Virginia and possibly Connecticut.

Current footprint:

DraftKings: PA, MI, NJ
FanDuel: PA, MI, NJ
BetRivers: PA, MI, WV, DE (soon NJ)
BetMGM: PA, MI, NJ
WSOP: PA, MI, NJ, NV

One of PokerStars’ earliest team members, Chris Straghalis, has retired after nearly two decades with the company.

Joining in 2004 as employee #41, Strag, as he’s known in the poker community, held roles across Affiliates, Online Marketing, Poker Innovation & Projects, and eventually became Director of Poker Product and Director of Online Poker Experience.

He was behind numerous projects, but personally, I’ll always remember him as the mind behind Power Up, my favorite game on PokerStars.

In his LinkedIn farewell, he shared that he’ll start his next chapter by playing at the ongoing Irish Poker Open.

What an incredible journey, few employees have had such a long and influential run at PokerStars. Wishing Strag the very best in his next adventures!

It seems that GGPoker ambassador Kev Martin has a reality livestream up his sleeve.

As we all wait with bated breath for Game of Gold season 2, it looks like Kmart is taking matters into his own hands.

In his latest post on X, Martin calls for a “wildcard player” to enter a poker reality livestream.

What we know from the application form:

📌 Hosted by Kevin Martin.

❌ Applications close April 8, 2026.

🌎 All travel expenses covered.

💰 No buy-in, 100% free to participate.

🎥 Filming takes place May 18–25, 2026.

Poker streams keep vanishing.

Triton Poker’s live streams from Jeju have been pulled from YouTube, and it’s not the first time poker content has been caught in the crosshairs of YouTube’s policies.

According to Barry Carter at PokerStrategy, the removal comes with no clear explanation or chance for the operators to respond. The streams, which regularly attract over 100,000 viewers, are now only available on Triton Plus, Twitch, and Kick.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Hustler Casino Live faced a similar suspension last September, and even the popular streamer Spraggy got hit with a false strike mid-stream recently.

As Carter notes, poker channels have little recourse against YouTube’s algorithm and automated bans.

Phenom takes a hit, but says user wallets are untouched.

Phenom Poker confirmed a security breach that took their site offline earlier this week.

According to CEO Matt Valeo, the attackers compromised a team member’s computer and made off with $94,267 from the site’s token liquidity pool.

The company insists that no player funds were affected, since individual balances are stored outside Phenom’s control.

“Although this event is frustrating… I’m personally glad to see the system working – players were able to control and withdraw their funds even while our app was offline.”

Phenom plans to restore the stolen liquidity and switch to an in-game currency called CHIP to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Cash games resume April 4, but tournaments will have to wait a little longer. All MTTs that were running during the outage will be paid out based on ICM.

Negreanu says ESPN’s WSOP return will bring the hype.

Daniel Negreanu is pleased about the World Series of Poker returning to ESPN after a few years away.

He believes that the network’s storytelling and production, driven by Omaha Productions, will make the Main Event more engaging for viewers.

“I really think that you’re going to see a major upgrade across the board in terms of what you’re seeing.”

So, if you missed poker as a TV spectacle, ESPN is betting you’ll tune in this summer.

PartyPoker appoints yet another prominent player as its ambassador.

PartyPoker Tour has expanded its ambassador roster once again, this time bringing in Barny Boatman, founding member of the Hendon Mob and former PokerStars Team Pro, as its 10th ambassador, with the appointment made earlier this week.

He now joins the likes of Joe Beevers, Barry Carter, Sam Acheampong, Glenn Brown, Natalie Bromley, Rebecca Hardisty, Daniel Garcia, Niall Farrell, Barbara Jimenez, and the Staple brothers as part of the growing lineup.

Adding a bit of April 1st humor, he sarcastically tweeted about the “end of my long and happy association with Party Poker,” saying he “very much enjoyed” his time and “wished it could continue,” before blaming “exciting new project” clashes, a classic tongue-in-cheek bluff that landed well.

Nice touch. Well played!

Terrance Reid tries to clear up WSOP Europe misinformation around their 'staffing fees’.

Who named this PokerStarsUSonFanDuel thing?

Ok so… PokerStars has integrated with FanDuel with a new poker platform. Big win for US poker!

Also… Ben’s reaction is perfect: who names their account PokerStarsUSonFanDuel?

My tongue is broken just thinking about it. 😅

You’ve got to hand it to Doug Polk.

Mike Matusow not a fan of the Doug Polk Lodge video.

Follow GGPoker today to get the code for WSOP freeroll tickets.

Jen Shahade shone light on historic abuse within chess, and comes out victorious.

This is monumental. Jen bravely took a stand against the US Chess Federation for their role in the abuse she and other women faced within the organization, and has emerged victorious.

Not only has the lawsuit she raised against the Federation been “resolved,” she is now the first-ever US Chess Ambassador. We are so proud of her.

Shahade’s comments below are featured in The Guardian article published last month.

“It’s upsetting to see how there’s still lots of abuse against women. But I’m tremendously proud of bringing this to light in chess. It’s my biggest achievement because, as in so many other cultures, there’s a long and embedded history of abuse.”

Below is a collection of mainstream articles that highlight what Jen brought to light and how it has reshaped the world of chess for women in the game.

There’s nothing like winning at your own party.

If anyone knows Paul Phua it’s Rob Yong.

Poker pro and RHOBH Jennifer Tilly turned another year older while filming Episode 17 of Hellmuth’s Home Game, but the poker gods weren’t handing out gifts.

The $25/$50 cash game sponsored by BetRivers Poker featured a star-studded table, yet it was Dan “Jungleman” Cates who walked away with the biggest pot—not the birthday girl.

According to PokerNews, the highlight came when Tilly tried to press her pocket eights, only to watch Cates make two pair on the river and claim a $19,225 pot.

WSOP Main Event final table set for August 3 to 5.

Should the WSOP be aired on YouTube instead of ESPN?

Señor Tilt vs Kylie Jenner. The mash-up we didn’t know we needed.

The infographic you didn’t know you needed.

Just a reminder on this Founders Table offer from PokerStars USA.

Foxen climbs, Tollerene conquers. PokerOrg breaks down the Triton Main Event.

Kristen Foxen set a new personal best by finishing fourth at the $100K Triton Jeju Main Event, bagging $1.45M and padding her already impressive lead atop the Women’s All-Time Money List.

Even so, the tournament headlines belonged to Ben Tollerene, who steamrolled his way to a fourth Triton title and a Main Event double.

Foxen’s run included a much-discussed preflop fold with pocket kings, a hand PokerOrg calls “a rare misstep” in her career.

A collection of comments on that Krissy Foxen fold.

Jesse Lonis showing some love for the WSOP x ESPN deal.