The poker community received sad news this week when word surfaced that Jason “Clozer” Kapoor, a well-known player from both the Michigan poker community and the Midwest circuit, ended his own life at 29 years old. Born December21, 1994, Kapoor left home when he was just 14 years old and worked 70 hours a week at a Dunkin Donuts during his teenage years. He began selling cars before eventually turning to poker full-time in 2019.

In the middle of August, it was revealed that poker player Robbi Jade Lew was cast on a new reality TV show on the USA Network – The Anonymous, a competition in which the players compete to potentially win up to $100,000. While Lew proved to be a threat on the show, even winning the first challenge, her time was cut short as she was eliminated from the competition in this past Monday night’s episode.

The World Series of Poker Circuit Playground Main Event has wrapped up after five thrilling days in the bustling Playground. The massive field of 1,503 players was ultimately conquered by James Pillon, who triumphed after nearly nine hours of intense action on the final day. “I finally won one of these,” Pillon said afterwards. “I play here a lot and have been close so many times. If I lost this one, I don’t know what I would’ve done.

The European Poker Tour (EPT) has long been a proving ground for poker’s elite, where strategy, skill, and a bit of luck collide to crown champions on the grandest stages. As the tour progressed from Season 11, it witnessed the emergence of new talents and unforgettable moments. Each season brought its own set of heroes and stories, shaping the legacy of the EPT and solidifying its place as one of the most prestigious circuits in the world of professional poker.

This past weekend, the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) was at Ameristar East Chicago for an $1,100 Main Event, a tournament that attracted 861 entries and was won by well-known poker grinder Angela Jordison, who took down a career-high $161,513 prize. The win surpassed her previous high of $151,544 for finishing third in the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #18: $1,000 NLH Freezeout. “This has just really been on my bucket list,” Jordison told MSPT officials after the win.

Former Hustler Casino Live regular Nik Airball made his first appearance on Season 13 of High Stakes Poker Monday night, and he made sure his presence was quickly felt. The polarizing poker player battled in a $431,000 pot against Stanley Tang’s pocket aces, while Andrew Robl continued to get owned by Sameh Elamawy, a financial industry executive who has brought much of the action during the current season. The above players were joined in Episode 6 by Jennifer Tilly, Brandon Steven, Humboldt Mike, and Justin Gavri.

The €5,200 8-Game is a relatively new addition to PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) stops. It usually attracts small, but strong, fields, and this time at EPT Barcelona it was no different. A total of 18 entries showed up at Casino Barcelona to create a prize pool of €87,300. Eventually, David Dongwoo Ko took home the title, his first-ever PokerStars trophy, and €37,550 for his efforts. He defeated Triple Crown winner Mike Watson heads up well into the Mediterranean night, with the tournament being closed out at 1:30 a.

After nearly 18 hours of play a winner has emerged from a field of 178 in Event #13: $3,300 High Roller here at the 2024 World Series of Poker Playground. When the dust had settled Demosthenes Kiriopoulos was the last player standing, last defeating Samuel Roussy-Majeau in heads-up play to take home his first circuit ring and the $140,000 winner’s payout. Kiriopoulos started the day with a middling stack. He picked up momentum part way through the day to become one of the bigger stacks in the field.

The PokerStars Estrellas Poker Tour (ESPT) €2,200 High Roller has concluded here at the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona hosted at Casino Barcelona. Germany’s Berthold Winz was the last player standing from the 26 hopefuls who made it to the final day, last defeating Ronald Steinmetz in a brief heads up duel to take home the trophy and top prize of €600,000. Winz achieved both his second EPT trophy and career-best score with today’s victory.

The 20th anniversary of the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona saw the ever-historic €100,000 EPT Super High Roller conclude in electric fashion as Kayhan Mokri emerged the victor for the second year in a row. Amongst the crowds of Casino Barcelona, Mokri repeated his own legacy, lifting another EPT Super High Roller Trophy on Spanish soil, this time to the tune of €1,372,420, nearly doubling the first-place prize money he claimed 12 months ago.

After four Day 1 flights with 499 entrants, 63 players advanced to Day 2 of the $1,100 Event #2 at the 2024 Pennsylvania State Poker Championship, hosted at Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia. Sponsored by PokerStars, the event generated a prize pool of $479,040, culminating in a four-way deal to determine the winners. Final Table Payouts Place Name Country Prize 1 Jonas Wexler United States *$58,555 2 Kevin Roche United States *$59,763 3 Jose Waybright United States *$57,546 4 William Chisholm United States *$55,206 5 Christopher Csik United States $22,480 6 Julian Penza United States $18,740 7 Ryan Tillmann United States $15,600 8 Keith Crowder United States $12,490 9 Joseph Iannacone United States $9,380 Wexler Gets the NAPT Gold Pass After the chop, Jonas Wexler emerged as the chip leader, securing a prize of $58,780.

The Grosvenor Casino Westgate in Leeds was awash with poker players from far and wide from August 27 through to September 1 because the 888poker UK Poker League (UKPL) was in town. Seven events took place, including the £560 buy-in Main Event, which drew in 289 entrants and saw £137,270 distributed. The top 46 finishers in the Main Event saw a return on their investment. Such luminaries as Callum Gordon, Robert Boon, serial crusher Matthew Davenport, Michael Howard, and Thomas Clack reached the money places but fell short of a final table appearance.

On Saturday night, 80 celebrities packed the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas for the Celebrity Poker Tour (CPT) Invitational IV, which was won for $20,000 by Stephen Matt Morrow, better known as high-stakes slot icon Vegas Matt. Vegas Matt actually started the night at the feature table alongside the likes of 8-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard, Blac Chyna, Steiny, Ethan Klein, and arguably the “celebrity” everyone was most excited to see, Haliey Welch, known as the “Hawk Tuah Girl” thanks to a viral video earlier this year.

For hours on end, Martin Zamani bet, raised and re-raised at every opportunity on Day 4 of the €1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event at 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona, a strategy that saw the high-stakes American pro winning nearly every pot and establishing a dominant final table chip lead. But it was France’s Sylvain Berthelot who ended up winning his first major poker title and €499,224 as Zamani lost momentum to fall in third place.

On Saturday night, 80 celebrities packed the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas for the Celebrity Poker Tour (CPT) Invitational IV, which offered up a $50,000 prize pool. After six hours of play, Stephen Matt Morrow, better known as high-stakes slot icon Vegas Matt, came out on top of the invite-only event to win a $20,000 top prize. In the process, he defeated chess grandmaster Qiyu ‘Nemo’ Zhou in heads-up play to deny her a second CPT title.

This week, Global Poker will kick off its much-anticipated Bounty Series VI, which will run September 2-15. The sixth edition of the popular series will culminate in GC200,000,000 and SC20,000 Mystery BountyFreeroll Finales on September 15th. It the first big series since Global Poker announced their expanded partnership with Olympian Michael Phelps. There are multiple chances for players to qualify for their spot in the Bounty Series VI Mystery Bounty Freeroll Finales.

The €5,300 buy-in PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona Main Event kicked off Sunday at Casino Barcelona, and there was a bit of history in play at the start of the major poker tournament. John Duthie, the poker legend responsible for creating what has become one of the premier poker tours in the world, took his seat for the Day 1a session. The first player to have ever won an event on the tour built by Duthie, Alexander Stevic, is also competing in the Main Event.

Anders Bjorkheim from Norway is the winner of the 2024 Coolbet Open Tallinn €550 Main Event at the Chesterfield Poker Club in the capital of Estonia. It was the seventh edition of the live poker event by the local gaming company and the marquee tournament on the schedule drew a field of 504 entries across two starting days. The €244,440 prize pool was split among the top 62 finishers, most of which were hailing from several Scandinavian countries.

Another champion has been crowned here at PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona, after Brazilian Diego Beirigo emerged triumphant in the €550 PokerStars Estrellas Cup. Beirigo takes home the trophy and first-place prize of €155,840, after defeating Jacob Witt heads-up, Beirigo finishing the battle by making a magnificent river hero call with fourth pair. The victory marks Beirigo’s second six-figure score after his runner-up finish in the 2019 Brazilian Series of Poker Millions Main Event.

Thanks to the PokerStars World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP) and the GGPoker WSOP Online bracelet series, tournament grinders are spoiled for choice during September and October. An unexpected operator has thrown its hat into the ring, the skins on the iPoker Network. The Elite Series XL Autumn Edition takes place across all sites on the iPoker Network, including bet 365, Betfair Poker, Grosvenor Poker, and Paddy Power Poker. A bustling schedule of 496 tournaments runs from September 1 through October 1, with combined guarantees worth €7.

Is momentum a real thing in poker (or any game/sport)? Seth Davies is sure hoping so coming off a $3.2 million score for winning the Super High Roller Bowl Cyprus on Aug. 25. The high-stakes grinder had little time to celebrate the big win. He’s already back in action at the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona €100,000 EPT Super High Roller, which kicked off on Saturday at Casino Barcelona.

As the European Poker Tour celebrates its 20th anniversary, the sun-soaked Mediterranean seafront at EPT Barcelona was the perfect backdrop for the camaraderie and glamour of the PokerStars Silver Pass Meet-Up, where the festivities reached new heights. Power Path winners were treated to first-class food, drinks, and entertainment at the luxurious Sofitel. To top it off, soccer legend Gerard Piqué hosted a prize giveaway, with one lucky player walking away with the highly coveted Gold Power Pass.

There’s perhaps no player in the world who could win a trophy as casually as Jean-Noel Thorel. He strolled to a first-place finish in the €30,000 Super High Roller Warm-Up event at the Casino Barcelona, running as part of the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT). Thorel came out on top against a field of 54 entries to take home the lion’s share of the €1,577,070 prize pool. The veteran French player entered the final table among the chip leaders and only went up from there.

The curtain has fallen after 10 hours of play in Event #10: $300 Ladies Event at the 2024 World Series of Poker Circuit Playground. The newly crowned victor was Sheila Vanderwoude who bested Brigitte Korak heads-up to take home her first World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) ring and the top prize of $6,555. Vanderwoude entered the final table as a middling stack. Her path to victory was a rollercoaster as she moved from chip leader to at-risk small stack throughout the final table.

On Saturday night, 80 celebrities will gather at PokerGO Studio on the Las Vegas Strip for the Celebrity Poker Tour (CPT) Invitational IV. Among those that’ll be profiled at the feature table are basketball players Dwight Howard, an 8-time NBA All-Star, and Kendrick Perkins, Vegas Matt, Blac Chyna, and Haliey Welch, known as the “Hawk Tuah Girl” for her performance in a viral video earlier this year. Likewise, renowned French magician Xavier Mortimer, who has appeared on shows like Penn & Teller: Fool Us and America’s Got Talent, will not only be competing but is also expected to entertain those in attendance and at home.

The Commerce Casino in California just kicked off a new three-week festival, The Commerce Casino Hold’em Series that features $1,000,000 in guarantees. The series, which began August 30 and will run through September 22, features 19 numbered events including the $300 buy-in, $120K GTD Event #1: NLH 50K Starting Stack that features six starting flights. Other tournaments on the schedule include a $600 buy-in, $200K GTD M?stery Bounty; the $600 buy-in, $250K GTD XL Bounty NLH; and several $250 buy-in, $10K GTD NLH Deepstack events.

Texas Card House had quite a day on Wednesday, seeing as the Lone Star State poker brand won a legal battle against the city of Dallas and had a stellar opening night at its new Austin location. PokerNews reached out to the card room’s CEO, Ryan Crow, who was ecstatic on multiple fronts. The poker club hosted its grand opening at a new location in Austin on Aug. 28, and the large poker club was packed.

The 2024 Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT) World Championship Of Amateur Poker (WCOAP) wrapped up at Dusk Till Dawn over the weekend, and what an incredible festival it was. Twenty-two events crowned their worthy champions, each now claiming to be the best amateur player in that format. The biggest winner of the 2024 WCOAP was Nick Bowyer, who forever gets to call himself the 2024 Amateur Poker World Champion after he won the £210 WCOAP Main Event.

The first €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em tournament of the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona drew many high-roller poker stars to Casino Barcelona. After the last card was dealt and the final chip exchanged, Byron Kaverman emerged victorious, claiming the trophy and a €381,060 prize for his efforts. Just two days prior, Kaverman had finished second in the €12,300 Cuatro Knockout, earning €119,400. This time, he went all the way, defeating Markkos Ladev in heads-up play.

An eighth circuit ring winner was crowned at the 2024 World Series of Poker Circuit Playground. After eight intense hours of play, Event #8: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em concluded with Gaetano Di Maria emerging as the last player standing from the 40 who began Day 2. Di Maria claimed the top prize of $50,000 and secured his first WSOPC ring. “I’m feeling spectacular, like a dream come true… I came in second at Verona in their circuit.

Wynn Las Vegas is widely considered one of the best and most luxurious properties in Sin City, and the same can be said of its poker room. When asked their favorite place to play poker in Las Vegas, many players will answer the Wynn, and that’s due to several factors including not only the amenities and games they offer players but the fact that they listen and care about their clientele.

With stunning architecture, rich cultural history and millions of annual visitors, it’s no surprise that Barcelona is one of the top tourist attractions in the world. It’s also no surprise that the European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona festival is the biggest EPT stop of them all, drawing thousands of players and generating millions tens of millions in prize money. And while EPT Barcelona is mainly about the poker, its prime location at Casino Barcelona puts it within minutes of some of the city’s top attractions.

Event #6: $800 Mystery Bounty has wrapped up at the World Series of Poker Circuit Playground. In the end Bharat Shetty was the final player remaining, last defeating David Burnard in heads-up to take home his first WSOPC ring and the top prize of $20,000. Shetty also claimed twelve bounties en route to victory, adding $8,500 to his winnings. Runner-up Burnard was the lucky player who claimed the largest mystery bounty prize of $50,000.

OlyBet has a long history of running excellent poker festivals in the Baltics, particularly in Estonia, the home of the Kings of Tallinn series. Traditionally, Latvian poker players have had to travel to compete in an OlyBet festival, but that is no longer the case because the OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Bounty festival is heading to the Latvian capital from September 14. The OlyBet Showdown Riga, Voodoo Bounty festival, marks the first time the Showdown poker series has taken place in Latvia, and Chris Larson, Group Poker Director at Olybet, cannot wait to get the show on the road.

Every poker tournament grinder is tingling with anticipation at the prospect of competing in the PokerStars 2024 World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP) throughout September. The 23rd installment of PokerStars’ flagship series runs from September 8 through October 2, bringing with it $80 million in guaranteed prize pools. PokerStars needs to get the European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona festival out of the way before it turns its attention to WCOOP, but the online poker giant is already adding value for players with eight freeroll tournaments running from September 1-8, with a total of $20,000 worth of WCOOP tickets waiting to be won.

The Eurasian Poker Tour (EAPT) is making its first-ever stop in Georgia, bringing its prestigious series to the beautiful city of Batumi, a renowned Black Sea resort with a rich history spanning two and a half thousand years. Known as the entertainment capital of Georgia, Batumi is set to host the poker festival from September 7-15, 2024. Festival Features $350k in Guarantees This exciting EAPT Georgia festival offers poker players the chance to compete for a share of a guaranteed prize pool exceeding $350,000.