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Articles by Doug Ramirez
10th PGT Title: Ausmus Wins 2026 Poker Masters Event #7
Summary: Jeremy Ausmus took home his 10th PGT title, collecting $278,400 in Event #7 of the 2026 Poker Masters. The six-time WSOP bracelet winner defeated a field of 58 entries and made a straight with seven-five against Aram Oganyan’s trip fours. Spaniard Mateos finished fourth for $87,000. Jeremy Ausmus claimed his 10th PokerGO Tour (PGT) title after winning Event #7 of the 2026 Poker Masters, a $15,700 No-Limit Hold’em tournament that paid $278,400 to the champion.
Phil Ivey Nears Breakthrough in $50K Poker Players Championship
Summary: Phil Ivey sits in fifth place with 2.4 million chips as just 17 players remain in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Despite 11 WSOP bracelets, Ivey has never won the Poker Players Championship or the Main Event. Benny Glaser leads the field while Phil Hellmuth also remains in contention, setting up a final stretch filled with poker stars Phil Ivey is once again right where the poker world expects to see him, deep in a major WSOP event with everything still to play for.
Poker Giants To Clash As Event #28 2026 WSOP Final Table Confirmed
Summary: Daniel Negreanu, Alex Foxen, Maurice Hawkins and Josh Reichard have all reached the final table of a $600 WSOP event. Hawkins is chasing his first World Series of Poker bracelet despite holding a record 25 WSOP Circuit rings. The winner will take home $204,140 from a field of 3,332 entrants.
WSOP Returns With Expanded Free Global Coverage for 2026
Summary: WSOP Main Event is back to ESPN, with final table airing on cable for free viewing. Most 2026 bracelet events will stream free on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and X. GGPoker ownership brings expanded global coverage and new broadcast format. The World Series of Poker is going through major broadcast changes in 2026, with organizers confirming a return to ESPN for its flagship Main Event along with a significantly expanded free-streaming strategy for the rest of the festival.
Richard Bai Wins Horseshoe Hammond WSOP Circuit Main Event
Summary: Richard Bai outlasted 741 entrants to win the $1,700 WSOP Circuit Main Event, taking home $197,299. This marks Bai’s third WSOP Circuit Main Event victory, including two at Horseshoe Hammond. All 2026 WSOP Circuit ring winners at Horseshoe Hammond earned a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package. The 2026 WSOP Circuit at Horseshoe Hammond wrapped up in style, crowning USA‘s Richard Bai as the Main Event champion and celebrating a new set of ring winners.
WSOP Reveals 2026 Schedule With Major Livestream Change
Summary: The 2026 WSOP runs May 26 to July 15 with 100 bracelet events, including new and returning mixed-game formats. The event will debut free daily livestreams, giving broader access to tournaments than in previous years. Players praised stronger mid-stakes offerings and expect huge fields, possibly topping 10,000 in the Main Event. Poker players finally got the news they had been waiting for.
Keating Drags Massive $2M Pot on Hustler Casino Live
Summary: Alan Keating won one of the largest livestreamed cash-game pots ever during HCL’s 24-hour Million Dollar Marathon. His flopped full house held up against trips from Steve and Martin Kabrhel in a $2,082,000 three-way all-in. Keating finished the hand up more than $2 million, while multiple players took seven-figure hits. Alan Keating is putting on a show during the 24-hour Hustler Casino Live marathon.
Big Deal for One Drop Returns to Las Vegas
Summary: Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté will host a charity poker tournament on November 21. The event will take place during F1 week at Resorts World Las Vegas. The list of celebrity and racing stars will include Phil Hellmuth, David Coulthard, and Antonio Esfandiari. For the second year running, Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté is bringing together celebrities, racing stars, and poker enthusiasts for the Big Deal for One Drop charity poker tournament during F1 week in Las Vegas.
Andreas Kniep Wins Thunder Valley WSOPC Main Event
Summary: Germany’s Andreas Kniep captured his second WSOP Circuit ring and $185,000 at Thunder Valley. Runner-up Benjamin Primus earned $123,000, more than doubling his previous career-best. Other notable ring winners included Jarod Minghini and Frankie O’Dell. The World Series of Poker Circuit recently wrapped up its stop at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California.
David Coleman Wins Poker Masters $1M Showcase Opener
Summary: David Coleman topped 239 players in the $5,100 buy-in no-limit hold’em event during the 225 Poker Maskers series to claim $270,000. He now leads the Poker Masters Purple Jacket race, awarded to the series champion. Andrew Ostapchenko finished third, while Mitchell Halverson was runner-up for $185,000. The 2025 Poker Masters series got off to a high-stakes start in Las Vegas, and it was David Coleman who made the first big statement.
Doug Polk Busts WSOP Main Event on Brutal Aces vs. Kings Cooler
Summary: Doug Polk was eliminated late on Day 3 of the WSOP Main Event after his pocket aces were cracked by kings just shy of the money. Michael Mizrachi also suffered a big setback when his kings ran into aces at the feature table. Only 1,522 players remain, with the money bubble expected to burst early on Day 4.
bestbet StAC Tournament Ends in 15-Way Chop
Summary: A $300 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament in Florida concluded with 15 players agreeing to an even split. Controversial player David Hughes counted among the winners. Decision to split might have been triggered by gambling tax implications. A recent $300 buy-in USA poker tournament that kicked off on March 22 in Florida came to a particularly interesting and rare end with one of the largest multi-way chops ever seen in the game.
LVS, Concerned About Online Competition Amid Plan to Build $6bn Casino
LV Sands, Concerned About Online Competition Amid Plan to Build $6bn Casino October 24, 2024 Summary: Las Vegas Sands chairman and CEO Rob Goldstein is concerned about the impact of online gambling on land casinos. The CEO expressed concerns about their $6 billion investment in a casino resort on New York’s Long Island. Goldstein said they were still interested in the process.
Rio Hotel & Casino Finishes Phase One of Massive Property Renovation Project
Rio Hotel & Casino Finishes Phase One of Massive Property Renovation Project October 1, 2024 Summary: Rio Hotel & Casino has completed phase one of its multi-year property-wide renovation project. This marks an important milestone for Dreamscape Companies which started operations in 2023. The resort has new food and beverage venues, an upgraded meetings and convention space, a refreshed pool district, a new art installation, and an updated casino floor.
Bally’s Rebrands Poker Room Following Maverick Gaming Partnership
Summary: Bally’s Twin River Lincoln rebranded its poker room following its partnership with Maverick Gaming. The new room will host daily tournaments with buy-ins between $50 to $450 and cash games while creating new jobs. The partnership is pending Rhode Island regulatory approval.
Station Casinos Move Forward With Durango Resort Expansion
Station Casinos Move Forward With Durango Resort Expansion June 27, 2024 Summary: Station Casinos has presented its plans to expand the newly opened Station Casinos in the southwest Las Vegas valley. The company wants to extend the parking capacity at Durango Resort by adding 2,500 parking spaces. The new casino area would be located to the northwest of the parking garage. In December 2023, Station Casinos held the grand opening of its newest property in southwest Las Vegas valley, Durango Resort.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol Postpones July Grand Opening
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol Postpones July Grand Opening June 6, 2024 Summary: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol announced a push-back of the initial July term for the grand opening of the permanent casino and resort. Wednesday’s press release announced a late-year opening. The new timeline was preferred so guests could enjoy the fully operational casino and amenities. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Bristol had planned the grand opening of the permanent casino and resort space for July.
Play’n GO Launches Games in Michigan via DraftKings Casino Deal
Play’n GO Launches Games in Michigan via DraftKings Casino Deal May 22, 2024 Summary: Play’n GO seeks further expansion in the US. A New Jersey launch is set to come in the next few weeks. The DraftKings partnership includes commercial and technical elements. Online casino players in Michigan are in for a treat with the new partnership between DraftKings and Play’n GO.
Moneymaker Wins Triton’s Event #1: $25,000 GGMillion$ Live for $900K
Summary: Chris Moneymaker won Event #1: $25,000 GGMillion$ Live at Triton Montenegro. Moneymaker scooped up a massive win of $903,000 after besting a field of 163. This is his third-biggest career win following the 2003 WSOP Main Event. The Triton Super High Roller Series kicked off with a big-name win during the opening event.
Melanson Is the New WSOPC Playground Main Event Champion
Summary: Dustin Melanson has crushed the final table at the WSOPC Playground Main Event. The new champion won Event #8: $1,700 No Limit Hold’em Main Event, grabbing $339,770. He defeated a field of 1,660 players. Canadian poker player with a 2,515 GPI Rank, Dustin Melanson, has won Event #8: $1,700 No Limit Holdem Main Event at the World Series of Poker Circuit Playground.
Nick Yunis Drops Out of SHRPO for the Birth of His First Child
Summary: Yunish abandoned the $1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em in the middle of a heated tournament with a $500k guaranteed. Made the unexpected decision as he received news of the birth of his first child. Explained the birth of his first child was more important than poker. Holder of 44 WSOP bracelet event cashes Nick Yunis has unexpectedly renounced 509,000 in chips on Day 1 at the $1,100 Triple Stack No-Limit Hold’em held at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) in Hollywood, Florida.
Fontainebleau Las Vegas Appoints Four New Critical Execs
Fontainebleau Las Vegas Appoints Four New Critical Execs April 9, 2024 Summary: Fontainebleau Las Vegas has announced the appointment of four new executives. The new execs will join the security and marketing divisions. Three appointments are in-house promotions, including Kimberly Virtuoso, Lori Kobashigawa, and Sheila Tuzon.
North Carolina Casinos Enjoy Support from Over 1 in 2 Residents
North Carolina Casinos Enjoy Support from Over 1 in 2 Residents March 19, 2024 According to a poll contracted by NBC affiliate WRAL News in Raleigh, the people of North Carolina seem to be open to seeing Las Vegas-style casino resorts reach the US state. The public poll that was completed by a New Jersey-based nonpartisan outlet that conducts scientific polls, Survey USA, was aimed at checking the level of support shown for commercial casinos in the state.
2024 PokerStars SCOOP to Run Between May 5-29
Summary: The Spring Championship of Online Poker will start on May 5. The highly-anticipated event will run for 25 days. The SCOOP schedule has not been revealed yet. The Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) will be returning between May 5 and May 29. While the full schedule is yet to be revealed, PokerStars has announced that the 16th edition of one of the highest-anticipated online poker tournament events of the year will be covering all the bases.
Negreanu Makes Four Final Tables in PGT Mixed Games Series 2024
Summary: The PokerGO Tour series has ended with the completion of the PGT Mixed Games 2024. Alex Livingston won the $25,300 10-Game Championship. Daniel Negreanu dominated the high-stakes tables despite not winning any trophies. The freshest PokerGO Tour (PGT) series came to an end earlier in the week as the PGT Mixed Games 2024 series was finally wrapped up. The latter ran between February 28 and March 8 and comprised different mixed game events featuring buy-ins between $5,100 to $25,300.
Resorts World Casino in Queens Plans $5bn Expansion Project
Resorts World Casino in Queens Plans $5bn Expansion Project March 1, 2024 Summary: Resorts World Casino in New York City plans a $5B expansion to its Southeast Queens location. The project is part of the resort’s expansion proposal as the frontrunner for securing one of the upcoming gaming licenses. The license would help the casino expand machine-based operations and offer table games.
Luton to Host the 888poker Poker League Between March 4 - 10
Summary: The town of Luton has been selected to host the latest leg of the brand new 888poker Poker League between March 4-March 10. The March event will mark Leg 3 of the seven scheduled stops of the 888poker UKPL. There will be seven tournaments, including a £1,100 High Roller and a £560 Main Event.
Black Hawk’s Casino Market Ranks 12th with $923.2M GGR
Black Hawk’s Casino Market Ranks 12th with $923.2m GGR February 22, 2024 Summary: The small town of Black Hawk, Colorado, has shown it has one of the quickest-developing casino markets in the US. According to data from the American Gaming Association, in 2023, Black Hawk was the only market that managed to go up at least two GGR spots compared to 2022 figures. Black Hawk/Central City ranked 12th with a GGR of $923.2 million.
Mateusz Moolhuizen Emerges Victorious at the 2024 EPT Paris ME
Summary: Mateusz Moolhuizen has bagged a record-breaking top prize of $508,496 at the EPT Paris Main Event The event took place at Le Palais des Congrès and attracted 4,149 entries, another EPT Paris main event field record. The massive turnout generated a $4,292,921 prize pool paid out among the top 619 finishers.
WPT Global Giving Away $14K in Weekly Leaderboards
Summary: Two leaderboards run on WPT Global each week, awarding $14,000 in extra prizes The leaderboard prizes include satellite tickets to the WPT World Championship plus cash The site is also offering $100K in jackpot prize to any player who wins all of its three Sunday Majors WPT Global has come a long way since its launch in 2022.
Tropicana Las Vegas to Close in April Ahead of Construction of Baseball Stadium
Tropicana Las Vegas to Close in April Ahead of Construction of Baseball Stadium January 30, 2024 Summary: Tropicana Las Vegas will terminate its operations on April 2 The casino resort will be demolished to make way for the Oakland Athletics’ new $1.5B baseball stadium Bally’s is expected to build a new resort at the site Tropicana Las Vegas will officially shut its doors on April 2 to clear the way for the construction of a $1.5 billion baseball stadium which will become the new home of...
High Stakes Poker Season 12 to Deliver “Phenomenal” Action
Summary: High Stakes Poker returns for its 12th season and premieres on PokerGO on Feb. 19 The latest season features familiar faces, including Phil Laak who last appeared in Season 7 Complete episodes of High Stakes Poker are available exclusively to PokerGO subscribers High Stakes Poker is back for its 12th season this February.
PAGCOR Set to Slash Online Casino Revenue Share In A Bid To Combat Illegal Operators
PAGCOR Set to Slash Online Casino Revenue Share In A Bid To Combat Illegal Operators January 23, 2024 Summary: PAGCOR will reduce its iGaming share in March to combat illegal gambling The rate could be slashed further to as low as 30% by 2025 The agency is planning to launch its own online casino brand in the second half of 2024 The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) has announced plans to cut its share of online casino revenues to increase competitiveness within the sector and...
PokerStars Releases Full Schedule of Inaugural Carnival Series
Summary: PokerStars joins the 2024 Rio Carnival celebrations by launching the Carnival Series on Jan. 28 The festival offers $12.5 million in total guarantees spread across 150 events It is headlined by four Mystery Bounty Main Events PokerStars has kicked off the year with exciting new offerings for players. After rolling out its revamped rewards program this week, the online poker giant released the schedule of its newest tournament series, the Carnival Series.
2024 Merit Poker Western Series Will Run from Jan 14-25 In Northern Cyprus
Summary 2024 Merit Poker Western Series will take place at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino The poker tournament is expected to draw players from across Europe from Jan 14 to 25 We look at three exciting events that are a must play Live poker action across the world is beginning to pick up as we head into Jan 2024.
PokerStars Expected To Launch New Rewards Program in January 2024
Summary: New rewards program will be more transparent, more flexible, and more equal for all players The new changes will be launched first on the dot-com market on January 22, 2024 New program will address the most common player concerns regarding existing program PokerStars is kicking off 2024 in style, with the operator set to implement major changes to its rewards program.
Jin Hoon Lee Wins First Bracelet At WSOP Paradise And Check For $420,000
Summary: Jin Hoon Lee won the first event at the 2023 WSOP Paradise poker festival Lee had to get through tough competition which included Phil Hellmuth and Sam Greenwood Lee ended up winning his first WSOP bracelet and a nice cashout for $420,000 The first ever WSOP Paradise poker festival kicked-off in the Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
Grosvenor Casinos Releases Schedule For GUKPT and 25/50 Tours
Summary: Grosvenor Casinos will see 12 GUKPT stops in 2024 The first 2024 GUKPT stop will be in Jan in London 25/50 Schedule for low stakes players will feature close to 60 tournaments As we come to the final few weeks of 2023, top poker operators around the world are releasing their live tournament schedule for 2024 to give poker players the opportunity to plan their schedule way ahead of time.
South Korea Struggles to Curb Gambling Addiction as Black Market Grows
South Korea Struggles to Curb Gambling Addiction as Black Market Grows December 6, 2023 Summary: The NGCC said over two million adults in South Korea are addicted to gambling The continued increase in gambling addiction is attributed to the proliferation of illegal gambling Many of the gambling addiction cases recorded in the country are associated with online gambling Gambling addiction is getting worse in South Korea, with the numbers starting to go out of control.
PokerStars Joins Mystery Bounty Craze, Full Launch Expected Soon
Summary: PokerStars tested its first MB tournament on December 4 via its dot-com client The test tournament featured a buy-in of $1.10 and a guarantee of $100 MB tournaments could be fully rolled out in the coming days There’s good news for PokerStars players who love the popular Mystery Bounty format – the operator this week launched a public testing version of its first Mystery Bounty tournament which is expected to be followed by a full rollout.
888poker Micro Rollers To Offer $150K GTD Each Week In November
Summary: Micro Rollers feature buy-ins of between $1 and $5.50, offering $150K in total guarantees each week The schedule includes a $3.50 Main Event which comes with a $10,000 guarantee There are freerolls available as well, guaranteeing nearly 500 seats daily 888poker has launched a new tournament schedule designed for low-stakes players. Named “Micro Rollers”, the new set of tournaments offers at least $150,000 in guaranteed prizes each week in November.
British Poker Pro Wins 6 Figure Payout At PokerStars Bounty Builder Series
Summary: Andrew “stato_1” Hulme won the $215 NLHE 8-Max Sunday Million for $102,522 Hulme is having a good poker run this year as he won $ 345,000 at the 2023 WSOP Main Event The Bounty Builder Series continues on PokerStars, with the Main Events taking place in on 29 Oct Andrew Hulme is having a year both personally and professionally as a poker player.
WPT Expands International Schedule of Season XXII, 12 Stops Confirmed So Far
Summary: The initial schedule includes 12 stops running from January to June The line-up features three stops in the US and multiple international events WPT Voyage and WPT Prime Voyage will debut in 2024 The World Poker Tour (WPT) has added more stops to its 2024 schedule, with multiple events confirmed in the US, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. All in all, there are a total of 12 stops announced so far in what is expected to be another exciting, action-packed season.
PokerStars Giving Away Free Seats To NAPT Via Special Social Media Contests
Summary: The North American Poker Tour (NAPT) is returning after 12 years in Nov PokerStars is running social media promos to win free NAPT seats Complete simple contests on social media to win NAPT seats. The PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) is returning this November in Las Vegas after 12 years, and PokerStars is offering multiple opportunities to win free seats to the event.
2023 WPT Big One for One Drop Confirms Six More Players To Line-Up
Summary: Five of the six additional players have played in previous editions of the tournament They will join Phil Ivey in the $1M tournament which takes place this December at Wynn Las Vegas The tournament will be part of the WPT World Championship series More players have confirmed their participation in the $1,000,000 The Big One for One Drop which will run as part of the upcoming World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship series at Wynn Las Vegas.
Rio Which Used To Host The WSOP To Get New Operators From Oct 2
Summary: The Rio was home to the World Series of Poker for many consecutive years The WSOP moved on from Rio last year after poker players were unhappy with the decline of the Rio Rio which used to be operated by Caesars Entertainment will have a new operator from Oct 2 Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino established itself over the years for being one of the premier poker rooms in Las Vegas as the Rio was the home to the popular World Series of Poker (WSOP) for years.
Niklas Astedt And Starwins :) Win Big at 2023 PokerStars WCOOP
Summary: Astedt claimed his sixth WCOOP title after winning a high roller event “starwins :)” won the biggest payout so far at the series worth over $220K There are plenty of tournaments yet to play out, including the trio of Main Events Niklas “Lena900” Astedt has added another major online title to his name with a high roller win in the ongoing 2023 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) on PokerStars.
888poker Running Special Blast Leaderboards With Double Prizes
Summary: Blast Leaderboard prizes will be doubled on 888poker till Sep 24 Players will have the opportunity to win $10,000 every day The promotion will be open to players at different buy-ins Poker players who play at 888poker will be pleasantly surprised to know that the online poker room has come out with a cool Blast Leaderboards promotion that will offer them double the prizes.
Benny Glaser Extends COOP Record with 9th WCOOP Title
Summary: Benny Glaser has won his 9th WCOOP title this year in a Badugi 6-Max event He now has a total of 19 COOP wins, including 10 SCOOP titles BetMGM Poker is currently hosting Ontario KO Week offering C$100K in guarantees Benny Glaser from Southampton, UK has extended his record for the most Championship of Online Poker (COOP) titles after achieving yet another victory at the ongoing WCOOP series on PokerStars. The highly-accomplished poker pro moved to Canada to take part in the 2023 WCOOP.
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