All the WSOP drama 🍿

Are curses really a thing?

An interesting discussion on the WSOP Countdown show, and highly relevant to poker. Is Shaun Deeb doomed now for the rest of the series?

Britney gets removed from HCL’s WSOP live stream.

She was there one moment and gone the next. Apparently, the decision came from casino compliance, due to additional checks on her background and where the money came from.

This year, the WSOP has introduced much stricter rules for players wanting to use cash, with some players having difficulties buying into tournaments using good old cash. This latest decision is in line with this new policy, which has generally not been received well by the players.

Apparently, Allen Kessler was right…

Aleen had a bet with Kevmath that the tournament wouldn’t play down to 10%, claiming that he just didn’t see how it was possible. Kevin decided to take him up, putting up $100 and an apology video on the line.

Most people were backing Kevmath to win this bet – after all, he is the go-to guy for all things WSOP. But somehow, Allen got this one right. Apology vid from Mathers incoming.

Remembering the good old days…

I don’t think anybody will be getting any food vouchers, and, also, with LV prices these days, what does $15 even get you. A bun-less hot dog?

Is the WSOP doing too much 'gatekeeping’ with their content?

After being blocked by the WSOP on X, PokerFlops posted a long explanation as to what transpired and how the World Series is gatekeeping its content, not allowing others to use it to create short clips that help spread the word and reach new audiences.

It’s a tough one. On one hand, some of their arguments hold water, but it’s also not hard to understand why the WSOP would have an issue with their content used without consent to drive traffic to other sites or accounts.

Is it good for poker as a whole? Probably. But the World Series of Poker also has to worry about the brand and the image, and they don’t have much control over it when others are using and packaging the content the way they see fit.

One thing is certain – there is a bigger discussion to be had here, but things tend to move a bit slow in the poker world, so we don’t expect any major shifts in thinking in the near future.

The never-ending argument about reentries continues.

It is a bit of a doozy for sure, but it’s Texas Mike. He loves to gamble, and I don’t think amateurs should have a problem with it. Yes, it may lead to some early exits, but it also provides opportunities to build a huge stack early on.

It all evens out, and you just need to manage your bankroll accordingly.

“Deserve is a really bad word, because Im rich, I’m famous, I have everything.”

An astute take from The Poker Brat.

When a $10,000 free roll just isn’t worth the hassle.

In a move that surprised just about everyone, Allen Kessler declined a free shot at $10,000, courtesy of ClubWPT Gold, by refusing to play Matt Savage heads-up in Las Vegas.

Kessler’s thriftiness is well known, though this time it seems he just preferred the grind at the World Series of Poker to a flashy freeroll.

Did Phil Hellmuth really leave this behind?

Utterly gross if true.

Phil Hellmuth reached his 76th WSOP final table, but fell short of walking away with bracelet number 18.

Nonetheless, SEVENTY-SIX final tables. That’s one hell of a stat!

A Main Event champ shares his thoughts on the live stream WSOP commentary.

It’s really hard to make everyone happy when it comes to poker commentary. How do you make it fun and entertaining for casual viewers but also high-level enough for the more serious audience.

Martin Jacobson, the 2014 WSOP Main Event winner, chimed in on the discussion, offering an idea that might work. But let’s be honest, people would still complain.

Check out Daniel Negreanu’s latest WSOP vlog.

It’s Day 7 of the 2026 World Series of Poker for DNegs and he heads out to play in Day 2 of the $25k Heads-Up Championship.

The tournament is down to 16 players, playing down to final four. You may already know how this one ended, but you get Negreanu’s perspective on things, so it’s definitely worth a watch.

Alan Keating, known for his high-stakes cash game exploits, registered for his first 2026 WSOP event but apparently had better things to do after a big win elsewhere.

According to PokerNews, Keating paid the $25,000 entry for the heads-up championship but never showed up to play his first round against Piotr Krupa.

His chips were blinded off until Keating called in to concede the match, handing Krupa a free pass to round two. Keating had reportedly won over $1 million at The Lodge Card Club earlier in the week, so the WSOP buy-in was likely just a small dent in his week.

PokerOrg followed the action as the $1 million bounty in the $550 Mystery Millions event hung tantalizingly out of reach.

The pros and recs alike watched as the $250K bounties were snapped up early, but the main prize lingered. By late afternoon, the odds for the million were spiking and the tension was obvious.

Andrew Shelton, a player with a modest tournament record, stepped up to the chest with just $21,961 in lifetime cashes. He only fired once, and that was all it took.

“I never thought I’d win this much money. It’s f**ing wild. I don’t know what to think or say.”

As for what comes next? Shelton was clear: “Oh no, I’m f**ing partying,” he told PokerOrg.

Take a bow, Shaun Deeb.

It’s a baller move, and we are into it!

Here’s how bounties break down in the first Mystery Millions event of the 2026 WSOP.

One player who paid $550 to play in this tournament will pull an envelope containing $1,000,000. There are two envelopes with a quarter of a million each, and four containing a hundred grand. How crazy is that?

Alan Keating was no-show for his $25k Heads-Up Championship match.

The poker-loving millionaire did not show up to play in his first match on Day 1b, which worked out well for his opponent, who got through to the second round with zero effort.

Alan later explained that he missed the match because he was taking about 30 friends to the Sphere that night and couldn’t make it in time for the tournament, and, apparently, he couldn’t unregister either, so it’s basically free $25k added to the prize pool.

We don’t see this every day, but it is the World Series of Poker, so expect the unexpected.

Jang Wang stops Jesse Lonis inches away from his first bracelet this summer.

Lonis came into the final table of Event #5 as a big chip leader, and it was, by all accounts, his tournament to win. But, as it happens so often, Jesse ran out of steam when it mattered the most and couldn’t close the deal.

After a tough final table battle, Yang Wang managed to defeat Lonis in the final skirmish, denying him what would be Jesse’s third WSOP bracelet. For Wang, it’s his first piece of jewelry.

Entries in the Mini Mystery Millions are off the charts.

After just four starting flights, there are over 10,000 entries in the Event #1 – Mini Mystery Millions, so this one is looking like a record-breaker.

There are two more Day 1 flights on the docket today, so let’s see how far it can go.

Check out DNeg’s latest WSOP vlog.

In his new WSOP vlog, Negreanu talks about the $25k Heads-Up Championship, breaks down some interesting hands, and more.

Just so there is no confusion…

You’d think it’s kind of common knowledge, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it again. You really shouldn’t be carrying your tournament chips around, especially inside the spaces that are not covered by the surveillance.

Want to bet against Rampage this summer? He’s open for action once more.

It’s like the pain of tournament poker isn’t enough for Rampage, so he’s adding an extra layer to it by inviting people to fade his action. All the details are in his X post, so, if you’re interested, hit the man up.

And good luck, Ethan!

The new WSOP streaming setup looks lit!

Things are happening over in Las Vegas. The World Series of Poker started its live streams last night with the $25k HU event coverage, and it will continue throughout summer.

This is the best setup we’ve ever seen for the summer series, so it looks like we are in for a real treat over the next seven weeks!

Doug Polk is here for some WSOP action.

Immediately after the big live stream at the Lodge, Polk hopped on a plane and headed over to Las Vegas to join the 2026 World Series of Poker madness.

He hopped into the $25k Heads Up event, which is no surprise, seeing HU is Doug’s specialty. The question is, will he hang around and try his hand at winning some bracelets this year, or will it be straight back to Austin?

For those of us not in Vegas, we are living for posts like this.

👏

WSOP Day 3, DNegs vlog is here, which features some huge news.

The couple have been candid about their journey to parenthood in the past (cf. The Mania Podcast) and have now revealed that they are expecting a baby this November! Huge congrats.

Kyna has a point when it comes to all the WSOP add ons.

For the biggest poker stage in the world, it seems there is a way to go before it runs in a way that makes sense for most people.

The shit show that is WSOP parking continues.

And speaking from the comforts of home, I am into it.

Phil Hellmuth is already getting hate from other players at this year’s WSOP.

One hour in and Hellmuth is already on the receiving end of players vitriol.

Texas Mike is making his Player of the Year attempt, and he’ll be taking no prisoners.

He’s off to a good start in the very first event, delivering some river bad beats. It’s a long summer ahead, so there’ll be plenty of those on both sides, but this man is not afraid to put in the grind when he sets his mind to it.

Here’s some WSOP numbers for all stats lovers.

The 2026 World Series of Poker has just started, so there aren’t that many interesting numbers to talk about, but here’s a quick breakdown of the first day brought to you by Tim Duckworth.

Phil Hellmuth is in the house!

The Poker Brat has taken his seat at the tables, starting another World Series of Poker journey. There is no player who likes collecting bracelets more than Phil, so let’s see if he can increase his running count this summer and put some more distance between him and the rest of the pack.

What does Shaun Deeb’s WSOP planning look like?

One of the best tournament players around talks about how he plans his WSOP schedule, shares his thoughts on $25k Fantasy Draft picks, and more.

When it comes to the WSOP dealer rating system,

I am keeping 🤐.

And so it begins.

The WSOP drama and controversies will be rolling in on the daily now.

WSOP Day 1 and the drama has already started.

Martin Kabrhel, the ultra-talkative, polarizing Czech pro who some players can’t stand and others find hilarious, wasted no time generating buzz. In one early incident, Kabrhel briefly got up/moved away from his hand while standing and talking, prompting tablemates (including Matt Salsberg) to call the floor and argue the hand should be dead.

The floor apparently ruled in Kabrhel’s favor, or at least didn’t kill the hand, which immediately sparked debate online. PokerNews posted a video of the moment, asking whether the hand should’ve been ruled dead.