Table Of Contents The Commerce Casino in California is hosting will host more than a month of tournament action with the 2025 LA Poker Classic running Jan. 10-March 2. The series will culminate with the $10,000 buy-in LAPC Main Event beginning Feb. 22, which PokerNews will be on-site to live report. Big Guarantees in Los Angeles Action in southern California will kick off with a $400 buy-in opening event that features a massive six starting flights and a $250,000 guaranteed prize pool.

What better way to welcome in 2025 than by heading to warmer climes and playing poker for big money? The Merit Poker Western Series gives you the opportunity to do both because the festival, held in Northern Cyprus, boasts over $4.5 million in combined guaranteed prize pools, including a $1,500,000 guaranteed Main Event. The Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino in Kyrenia, North Cyprus, is where hundreds of poker players will descend between January 14-26 for the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series.

Table Of Contents The New Year Series is nearing its conclusion, and Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav seems determined to finish strongly. Zerjav was one of 539 entrants in the $530 No-Limit Hold’em Progressive Knockout Sunday Warm-Up and was the last man standing after 12 hours of play. Dozens of household names navigated to the top 63 places where the regular prize pool was distributed. They included Benjamin “BC1989RF” Chalot, Audrius “Stakelis24” Stakelis, Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph, Andrey “ThePateychuk” Pateychuk, and final table bubble boy Timothy “1BigAceHole” Ulmer.

Popular vlogger Mariano Grandoli disclosed some stunning 2024 poker results in his latest YouTube video. The poker player had a “down” year compared to 2023, however, but there’s a reason for that — he played far less poker. Still, the vlogger won about 10 times as much as the average American while “working” about one-tenth the hours. Grandoli, like his fellow vlogger Ethan “WPT123” Yau, has become a regular and fan favorite on Hustler Casino Live where he’s competed in some of the biggest livestreamed games in the US.

Table Of Contents Just weeks after winning his sixth World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, Nick Schulman continued his winter hot streak by taking down a $10,100 High Roller tournament at PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas for $283,050. Fittingly enough, it brings Schulman his sixth PokerGO Tour (PGT) title. The event, which drew 111 entrants, kicked off the PGT Last Chance series running through Jan. 9. Schulman, who is just as comfortable on the PokerGO felt as he is in the commentary booth, defeated Brazil’s Joao Simao in heads-up play and navigated a final table that included Victoria Livschitz (3rd - $127,650), Bryce Yockey (4th - $99,900) and Aram Zobian (7th - $44,400).

Table Of Contents Liv Boeree is donating more than a half a million of her historic score at World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise to fight factory farming, the science communicator and former poker pro revealed today. Boeree, who in December finished fourth in the first-ever $25,000 buy-in Super Main Event for $2.8 million — the largest tournament score ever by a woman — wrote on X that she was “giving $560,000 away to pigs” and shared why it is a cause she is passionate about.

The legend of “Peter,” a loose cannon who loves to gamble, grew on Thursday during Hustler Casino Live’s first poker stream of 2025. Peter lost a bunch quickly in the $100/$100 ($100 big blind ante) game that often played even bigger. But he found a strategy to get some of it back in no time — just go all in. How to Get Unstuck in Poker Peter began the show by getting it all in with pocket aces on the flop in a $40,000 pot, but would lose to “Adi’s” king-high flush on the turn.

Table Of Contents Dusk Till Dawn has again partnered with online poker giant GGPoker to bring the UK Poker Championships (UKPC) to the home of British poker. The Nottingham-based venue will be full to bursting between January 18 and 27 as poker players from far and wide descend on Dusk Till Dawn to compete in several tournaments, including a £500,000 guaranteed Main Event. The £230 No-Limit Hold’em UKPC Opener raises the curtain on the 2025 UKPC on January 18.

Table Of Contents While millions of people worldwide were celebrating the start of 2025, Andras “probirs” Nemeth was busy working his way to yet another major online poker tournament victory. Nemeth was one of 149 entrants in the $2,025 No-Limit Hold’em New Year Special, part of the PokerStars New Year Series. A day later, he was the last man standing and the recipient of $62,970. Three New Year Special events began on January 1, each with buy-ins related to 2025.

Table Of Contents The Irish Poker Tour is the latest operator to share its plans for 2025, announcing the first six stops of the year, which will take players through late June. Regulars on the tour will be delighted to learn that the tour returns to some popular haunts while also heading to a brand new destination in 2025. The tour’s partnership with Paddy Power continues, meaning players can win their way into Irish Poker Tour events online at Paddy Power Poker, and enjoy the benefits of Paddy Power’s generosity through special promotions, including last longer competitions and added money to prize pools and leaderboards.

When it comes to star power, the poker world hasn’t attracted many players more famous than actor and comedian Jason Alexander, who is most recognized as George from one of TV’s greatest comedies – Seinfeld. Alexander has been known to venture into the poker world when he’s not busy with his career. He’s competed in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event several times and is a spokesman for the free-to-play WSOP App.

Table Of Contents The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) launched in December 2009, and since then they’ve consistently broken records across the United States. By the end of the month, they’ll hit another major milestone by crossing the $200,000,000 mark in prize money awarded! As 2024 came to a close, another big story occurred on the MSPT when Umut Ozturkwon the Season 15 (2024) Player of the Year title. In the process, he successfully defended the same title from Season 14 (2023) and became the first-ever two-time POY winner on the MSPT.

Table Of Contents The 2025 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) explodes into action on January 8 when the first of 12 scheduled stops shuffles up and deals at the Grosvenor G Casino in Coventry. If the 2024 edition of GUKPT Coventry is anything to base judgment on, the 2025 version should be nothing short of huge. Traditionally, the GUKPT heads to Coventry during the UK Open and the record-breaking Goliath festivals.

Table Of Contents In December, 888poker lifted the lid on the schedule for its live event offerings in 2025, and the first of those stops is almost upon us. The Gran Via Casino in Madrid is finalizing preparations for the 2025 888poker LIVE Madrid festival. The venue will be packed to the rafters from January 12 through January 19 as poker players from far and wide attempt to get 2025 off to the best of starts by becoming an 888poker LIVE champion.

Table Of Contents PokerNews’ biggest story of 2024 is one that we still know little about and have yet to see the ramifications of. Earlier this year, a leading investment group of GGPokerbought the iconic World Series of Poker brand for half a billion dollars, marking the end of an era that began with Greg Raymer’s 2004 Main Event victory in Binion’s Horseshoe and ushering in a new period spearheaded by one of the fastest growing online poker brands.

Table Of Contents Every sport has its legends—icons who define the game and inspire generations. In soccer, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo reign supreme. Michael Jordan and LeBron James tower above the rest on the basketball court. On the gridiron, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are synonymous with greatness. In poker, two names shine just as brightly: Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu. They’re the faces of the game—the players who captivate both seasoned pros and home game heroes.

The Venetian Las Vegas, which earlier this year debuted its new 50-table, 14,000 square foot poker room (the largest on the Las Vegas Strip), just wrapped up its latest DeepStack Extravagana IV, which ran from November 27 through December 24. Through 62 events, the festival catered to a combined 9,895 entries and awarded $4,289,045 in prize money (not including satellites). They also forked over $14,850 in overlays. One big winner from the series was Jonathan Dimmig, who took down Event #30: $600 PLO Bounty for $4,941.

Table Of Contents We learned in 2024 that not only are bots still a problem at online poker sites, especially the unregulated ones, but they’re becoming an even bigger problem than in the past. Online poker is a great platform for learning how to play poker, playing poker for a living, or playing recreationally. But players should be aware that bots and real-time assistance (RTA) use aren’t just going to magically disappear.

Table Of Contents The New Year is not only an opportunity for poker players to look ahead, perhaps setting new resolutions and goals, but also a chance to look back at the year gone by. In 2024, that entails remembering those poker players, industry members, and personalities who unfortunately passed on. Here’s a look at some of those we lost over the past year. Founding Tiltboy Member Perry Friedman Passes Away Perry Friedman, one of the most colorful characters during the “Poker Boom,” passed away in January from pancreatic cancer at the age of 55.

Phil Nagy, ACR Poker’s head boss, reportedly told Scott Ball to “sue me” over a financial dispute, and that’s exactly what occurred just before Christmas. The poker pro filed a lawsuit in a San Diego Superior Court on Dec. 23 over a breach of contract against Nagy, ACR (formerly Americas Cardroom), International Processing Services, and Foozle Ventures. Ball’s talent agency, End Game Talent, LLC, was hired by ACR to arrange streamers to promote the poker site, many of whom reported they were never paid, including Ludwig Ahgren.

Table Of Contents Throughout the history of modern poker, women have shattered expectations, dominated tables, and built legacies. From Annette Obrestad conquering online games as a teenager to Vanessa Selbst reaching world number one in 2014, women have played pivotal roles in poker’s evolution. Names like Maria Ho, Liv Boeree, and Gaelle Baumann highlight the depth of female talent that has enriched the game. In 2024, no name shone brighter than Kristen Foxen.

Detroit police suspect poker pro Craig Bergeron shot and killed a man in his 30s Monday night and then fled the scene in a white SUV. The alleged killer, 34, was apprehended and arrested Tuesday evening. He was booked in the Wayne County Jail and will likely face a murder charge. Brief Details About Poker Player’s Alleged Crime Bergeron, according to a press release from the Detroit Police Department, is suspected to have fatally shot Tommy “Mike” Ireland, 37, on Detroit’s east side.

Table Of Contents Since the inception of the World Poker Tour World Championships (WPTWC) in 2022, the WPT has consistently ensured that each edition of its flagship festival offers something extraordinary to promote the game and give back to the community that has made the WPT one of the most recognizable brands in all of poker. The inaugural WPTWC set a new standard by featuring a $15 million guarantee on its $10,400 WPT World Championship—the largest guaranteed prize pool in live poker history at the time.

Table Of Contents The Vamos Poker Tour and Faded Spade, the playing card company, are partnering up for 2025. Under the terms of a new deal, Faded Spade will be providing the tour with decks to be shuffled up and dealt at each of the VPT’s European stops next year. As of now, the VPT has announced three stops — one in Milan, one in Bucharest, and one in Cyprus — with plans for further stops in Slovakia, Malta, Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Table Of Contents It was only February this year, but one of the big stories from early 2024 was Shaun Deeb’s bold $1 million prop bet with hedge fund manager Bill Perkins. Just under 12 months earlier, the five-time WSOP bracelet winner wagered $100,000 against Perkins that he could reduce his body fat to 17% by the start of the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP). With 10:1 odds, Deeb stood to win $1 million if successful.

Table Of Contents The Seminole Hardrock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood Florida and the Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) is hosting a charity tournament and social on January 16, 2025. The event will be an unusual mixed event, combining poker with blackjack. The event is called the All In for St. Jude Social and all proceeds from the tournament and social will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — a specialist hospital in Memphis, Tennessee that focuses on research and treatment of cancers in children.

Table Of Contents In what was one of the most electrifying nights of poker action streamed in 2024, the July Hustler Casino Live special celebrity game delivered some of the biggest cash game moments, including massive slowrolls to huge bluffs. But amid the chaos, one hand in particular stood out: a remarkable showdown between soccer legend Neymar and fan-favorite poker player Alan Keating. The PokerStars ambassador Neymar found himself deep in a wild pot with Keating, where the action escalated to jaw-dropping levels.

Table Of Contents The story of the summer at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was that of Scott Seiver winning three gold bracelets, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished in Las Vegas since Jeff Lisandro did it back in 2009 (Note: George Danzer won three bracelets enroute to becoming 2014 POY but one of them was at WSOP Asia-Pacific). Seiver’s summer performance was so good that it not only earned him 2024 WSOP Player of the Year Honors, despite strong competition from both Michael Rocco and Jeremy Ausmus but also the honor of being PokerNews’ No.

Table Of Contents The Sheraton Hotel and Casino in San Jose, Costa Rica, is the venue for the 2025 Costa Rica Poker Festival, an exciting way to kick off your live poker endeavors in the New Year. The Costa Rica Poker Festival runs from January 27 to February 3, promising an action-packed tournament schedule against a luxurious backdrop and with plenty of off-the-felt activities to help you relax away from the tables.

Table Of Contents It’s the season for giving and both PokerNews and PokerStars are giving you the chance to win a share of almost $2,500 worth of added tickets, including a seat in the massive $1,050 buy-in, $1 million guaranteed New Year Series Main Event. We have four PokerNews-exclusive tournaments running online at PokerStars between December 26 and January 9 that have $109 and $1,050 tickets added to their prize pools.

If given the option the pay off a $5,000 poker debt or have talented UFC fighter Chris Weidman choke you out, which do you choose? One poker player faced that exact scenario — pain or pay. The latter was chosen, and the mixed martial artist (MMA) posted a video of it on his Instagram page. “He Lost in poker last night. It was either pay 5k or get choked unconscious! What do you do?

Table Of Contents Everyone loves a poker underdog story, which is one reason for the popularity of the PokerStars Big Game. The PokerStars Big Game pitted a rank amateur, known as the Loose Cannon, against five professional players and poker celebrities over 150 hands of high-stakes No-Limit Hold’em. PokerStars staked the loose cannon with $100,000, with the amateur player keeping all winnings in excess of this initial amount. The highest-earning loose cannon at the end of each season won a North American Poker Tour (NAPT) passport worth $50,000.

Table Of Contents Kerryjane Craigie, a PokerStars Ambassador and Director of Poker at the Hippodrome Casino, has been busy navigating a whirlwind of poker events. But the highlight of her recent journey was the Women’s Winter Festival, a groundbreaking collaboration between The Hippodrome Casino and PokerStars. Focused on creating a welcoming, inclusive, and joy-filled environment, the festival showcased the very best of what poker can offer. In this blog, Craigie reflects on the festival’s success, the importance of positivity in poker, and her mission to celebrate the game’s unique sense of community.

Table Of Contents High Roller and Super High Roller poker tournaments are nothing new; they appear on the schedules of almost every major live tour. However, when you think about Super High Roller events, one name immediately springs to mind: the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series. Triton Poker ran its first event in 2016, a single HK$490,000 No-Limit Hold’em tournament in Manila. The series has since gone from strength to strength, adding more stops and events each year, culminating in an incredible 2024 that saw the world’s best players head to four destinations and battle it out across 47 events.

Table Of Contents A champion has been crowned in the $10,400 buy-in World Poker Tour World Championship (WPTWC) on Saturday, and his name is Scott Stewart. The newest member of the WPT Champions Club defeated Rob Sherwood heads-up to win $2,563,900, while the runner-up secured $2,200,000. It took almost no time on Day 6 for fireworks to ensue at the final table. Two players busted in the first two orbits, and another went out moments later.

Table Of Contents The World Poker Tour World Championship final table got underway on Saturday afternoon, with six players vying for a massive $3.1 million top prize and the honor of having their names engraved on the prestigious Mike Sexton Cup. The action, livestreamed on the WPT’s YouTube channel, exploded right out of the gate with three all-ins in the first orbit, setting the stage for one of the most exciting FTs of the year.

Daniel Negreanu gave his opinion on how to improve the game of poker, which includes banning face masks and sunglasses among other changes. The Poker Hall of Famer just completed a World Series of Poker Paradise (WSOPP) series that sums up his 2024 tournament performance — up and down. He reached two final tables and cashed in the $50 million guaranteed WSOPP Super Main Event (170th place), but lost money due to striking out in the $500,000 buy-in Triton Million Invitational.

Antonio Esfandiari made his presence felt in a long-awaited return to Hustler Casino Live Friday night. “The Magician,” who is now more focused on raising a family than playing poker, hadn’t appeared on the show since April 2022. It took little time for the poker legend to spin up his stack in the $100/$200 with a $200 big blind ante no-limit hold’em cash game. But despite winning almost $300,000, he was on the losing end of the biggest hand of the six-hour session.

Table Of Contents The 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise is in the books, and over the course of the series 15 gold bracelets were awarded. The PokerNews Live Reporting Team was on site throughout providing live updates, and during that time they caught some interesting and game-changing hands. Here’s a look at five hands of particular interest. Hellmuth Bricks Combo Draw In Event #5: $25,000 Dealers Choice Championship, it was Level 12 on Day 2 in a game of Omaha Hi-Lo when reporter Connor Richards wrote a big hand.

Table Of Contents The third annual $10,400 buy-in World Poker Tour World Championship (WPTWC) reached its final table, and six players still have a shot at the $3,138,900 first place prize. One of those players — Chris Moorman — made the final day in this same event a year ago. Edward Pak bagged the chip lead at 66,200,000, with Moorman in second place (60,800,000). Play will resume at 4 p.m. on Saturday from Wynn Las Vegas.