🏈 Also into Sports Betting? You’re Covered.

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On March 13th, the PokerStars Rewards program will be retired, with all unopened chests and progress bar totals paid out to players in cash. As the transition begins, there are several key dates for current PokerStars players to keep in mind. Fast forward less than a year, and players in the Keystone state will soon be able to compete on the new platform alongside players from New Jersey and Michigan.

Its schedule includes massive series like SCOOP and WCOOP, alongside daily events at every buy-in. 888poker has a friendly, low-pressure environment with plenty of freerolls and beginner-specific tables. Bet365 Poker offers a clean, reliable platform backed by one of the most trusted names in online gaming. If your goal is to win your way into live poker’s biggest stages, WPT Global makes that path straightforward and fun. PartyPoker, a legendary poker site with an impeccable reputation since the early 2000s, blends trusted longevity with a focus on fair, recreational-friendly play.

When reviewing poker sites, the PokerNews team looks at several factors that matter most to new players. A good beginner-friendly poker room should also provide free-play tables, freeroll tournaments, and helpful educational resources to help you improve your skills while building confidence at the tables. GG Poker is a newer operator in the industry, but has made strong innovations with its offering, and sites like WSOP do exceptionally well at actively bridging the gap between live and online poker.

Today, CardPlayer.com is the best poker and gambling information portal for free poker and casino content, offering online poker site and casino reviews and exclusive online gambling bonus deals. Both run nonstop cash games and the biggest tournaments online. For US players, WSOP.com is the best site for official WSOP-branded tournaments and satellites. Yes, online poker is safe when you play on trusted, licensed sites ONLY.

The company didn’t specifically outline a plan for poker in announcing the agreements. The legislation allows poker operators to share liquidity with other states. The company operates a shared poker platform in Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. You can still enjoy free-play platforms such as the WSOP Social Poker App. The sites listed on this page score highly across all of these areas. All of the poker rooms we recommend are fully licensed by trusted regulators like the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, or state regulators in the US.

You are also beholden to your client to deliver a product they want. However, since the media has largely moved in-house or to a model in which the outlet is a contractor of the casino or tour, you only get one version of the story. On the flip side, I think poker tours consolidating media in house or to official contractors has really killed the rest of poker content.

The world’s largest online poker room (smaller, but still the largest)… Read more » Chengyu Liao, an Istanbul-based non-professional who said he flew to North Cyprus specifically for the weekend to play poker, won the $7,500 High Roller at the 2026 NOIR Poker Series at Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, taking home $300,000 in first-place prize money, according to PokerNews. Up to three sites per operator A bill has been filed in Virginia that would legalize poker, along with other forms of internet gaming, in the state. While the uninitiated might think of poker as just “playing cards,” for many it is a game of warfare that demands strategic thinking.

Nevada is one of the few states in the US that allows for legal, regulated online poker. If sports betting, with a far bigger market than online poker, can’t get any traction, there’s zero hope for online poker at the moment. Mississippi became one of the first states to jump on board the sports betting train, and it would seem online poker would be a natural fit.

Minnesota does sport a modest casino and poker culture with 23 brick and mortar casinos, many of which accept patrons who are 18 and over, although some are for ages 21 and up. Since PokerStars led the way, many other operators entered the multi-state compact and began sharing player pools across states, the latest being the addition of BetRivers Poker in June 2025. On January 1, 2023, PokerStars became the first operator to link their Michigan player pool with another state. Most of Massachusetts’ gaming sphere might be new, but it’s showing rapid progression with its land-based casinos and sports betting. Maryland is another state that has expanded land-based gambling offerings with six casinos. The Bluegrass State has taken an even tougher stance against online gaming.

🏈 Also into Sports Betting? You’re Covered.

Regulated poker rooms support only trusted deposit and withdrawal methods, including PayPal, Visa, Skrill, Neteller, and even crypto on some international platforms. To protect your bankroll, avoid risking more than 1–2% of it on any single tournament. It’s also worth analyzing how others are adjusting, to see if you can exploit their overly aggressive or passive play. If you are the one with a huge stack, now’s your time to apply maximum pressure! Think about the playability of each hand on the latter streets.

It’s a great place to learn, practice, and build a bankroll while enjoying relaxed, social games. The games are soft, the layout is clear, and freerolls run constantly. Multi-tabling is seamless, the PokerStars mobile app is excellent, and the competition ranges from fun home-game style tables to pro-heavy. You can jump into cash games from as little as $0.01/$0.02, or chase six-figure prizes every weekend. Read on to find what the best poker sites are in your region, or click below to quickly navigate you the relevant section for you. Use our online tools and play responsibly.

I think the very first one I played in I got second and won maybe $80. When did you first fall in love with poker? I was already very proud of him a long time before this moment. Because if you can tell someone else what the winning play is, but then can’t make that play when you’re in the chair, what’s the point of all that studying? Then play how you’ve trained yourself to play. One that a lot of people would argue for from their desk or couch, but could never actually make in real time.

You have to constantly keep that all in mind and adjust your game accordingly. There’s not any other tournament that even comes close to the atmosphere and the structure of the tournament. Hopefully it’s not once in a lifetime. It had no negative effect on my play. But then again, if you look at the big pots that I played, the training that I had was a little bit irrelevant when it comes to those spots. I do that kind of work, but it’s not the main part of my game.

Some will likely never offer online www.pokernewsdaily.com poker, while others may very well may launch operations in the years to come. That leaves the state of online poker in the other 44 states up in the air. As of 2026, only six states have legalized and regulated online poker in Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan. For example, most states will grant a gaming license, which in turn will dictate what games can be offered.

According to state law, the game is deemed illegal and that isn’t going to change any time soon. Gambling in general is not a priority of the hardcore Christian conservative movement, which is active in Georgia, As such, poker is not legal in any form in Georgia, and is considered a misdemeanor to engage in unregulated gambling. Online poker and live poker are both legal in Connecticut, but there are some issues with it so don’t get ahead of yourself just yet. Arkansas has never been a state with politicians who will push forward much in the way of pro-gambling legislation, especially when it comes to poker.

Not only that but even though the state is small, there are plenty of nearby card rooms in neighboring states, which makes Delaware a great place to live for poker players. If a venue is able to offer table games, chances are they’re able to offer live poker if they so choose. Addabbo, who isn’t a poker player himself, said online gambling could bring in millions in revenue and pointed to an upcoming “multi-billion dollar deficit” in New York’s 2026 and 2027 budgets. While they all help, disciplined bankroll management is absolutely essential, and poor financial decisions in poker is often the downfall of even some of the best tournament players. Below, we outline our top five tips and strategies for online poker tournaments.

For me, that’s more fun than playing poker. Your experience playing on TV tables and handling the pressure on the way to winning three WSOP bracelets has to be an advantage for you. I had to really tighten up and pick my spots and sort of navigate my way into the final table. But the number of big blinds, stack sizes, and positions at the table dictate how you have to play.

Online poker in North America is about to look very different. Operators such as WSOP Online, BetMGM, and BetRivers Poker will now face a reinvigorated rival backed by one of the most powerful brands in US gaming. Nevada remains off the table, given FanDuel’s withdrawal from that market, but elsewhere the potential for expansion is clear. For the poker vertical, that influx of recreational traffic could dramatically reshape liquidity and prize pool dynamics. The promotional video further hints at the return of larger marquee events. One of the most significant outcomes of the merger is the migration to an entirely new poker client and mobile app.

Mystery Bounty Poker Tournaments

• That being said, the mixed poker community is special.
• In Des Moines, Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino have been home to a solid card room since 2004, and there are popular poker rooms on the western and eastern parts of the state, along with up north near the Minnesota border.
• With affordable buy-ins designed to attract players of all skill levels, the series offers plenty of chances to build a bankroll and compete for a prestigious MicroMillions title.
• The casino’s security kicked everybody out of the poker room and said that we cannot play.
• These rewards speak to the value that sites place on their players, what those customers really mean to them.

After a year and a half of silence, Lederer spoke to PokerNews in a lengthy interview published as the seven-part series The Lederer Files in 2012. Bonuses, promotions, availability, legal status, payment methods, and operator terms may change at any time. Online poker will likely never be fully legal in the United States as a whole.

She also has a credible record as a competitive live poker tournament player, despite not being a professional poker player. New York, Indiana, and Massachusetts are making new pushes to legalize online poker, while Wyoming’s bill explicitly supports player pooling from the start. Right now, Pennsylvania is set to become the latest state to offer multi-state online poker, with player pooling likely by April 2025.

PM Albanese vows to introduce Australia’s strongest gambling regulations yet

And a player with a commanding chip lead at the final table will always start as the favorite. I have so many people genuinely rooting for me, whether they’re poker players or friends from home. Many players would check-raise sets and two pair there to get more money in with their hand and to protect their hand. I can say with 99% certainty that I put in the fewest hours of preparation going into the final table of any player. I’m truly touched by all the support I received, both online and live, especially after I made the final table.

Yeah, Bucky (Shawn Buchanan) got me on the cold showers before I headed down to play. But before, at my table, not only was I the shortest stack, I had the monster stack to my left. Our table had the top five stacks, and the other table had the six shortest stacks. I imagine you were keeping a close eye on what was happening at the other table.

However, many others including BetMGM and Borgata offer a great option to start playing online poker in New Jersey. This means that the state has set forth some rules regarding who can and cannot play online poker, as well as how it will be controlled and monitored. MGM National Harbor was the latest casino to open its doors in December 2016 and has the most table games in the state, whereas Live!

Elsewhere at the SHRPO series, statistical anomalies were on tap as three different players won four events in the series. However, since I play mainly high-stakes tournaments in the US, most of the players I’m familiar with are also high-stakes regulars. The tables are livelier; they’re more willing to chase draws and take gambles, and their fundamentals are still a bit weaker compared to US players.

“People told me that they observed his kindness and compassion towards other players as they exited. The difference between players who win and the very biggest winners. They will get you closer to the right answer in the real games you are actually playing. Then I decided to get into a very thin call-down spot against the one other player at the table who could actually play ball. Against those players, you need a river plan before you call the turn.

Number of hands played heads-up after 57 were played at the rest of the final table While it took 38 hands to go from eight players to seven, it took only 16 more to reach heads-up play, setting up a memorable battle and a fitting conclusion. Molenaar peeked down at kh,kd in the big blind, covering both players. It didn’t take long to reach the money from there, with the bubble bursting on just the second hand of the final table. The players who dive in really take it very seriously and want to contribute to the team. He played with such heart the whole final table.

And I think that poker is all about paying attention.” “The artist paid attention to some strange detail in our lives and summed it up. As he walked through the sea of tables during the WSOP Main Event, Smit found himself in a room filled with observers, many of whom were masters.

For discussion on more general non-strategy poker topics, check out the General Poker forum. There are even threads that allow you to ask poker experts, such as Ryan Laplante, specific strategy questions. The Poker News forum threads help you keep up to date with the latest changes and updates in the poker world.

One unique aspect of the bills is that operators would be allowed a second, separately branded online poker platform in addition to their main casino site. Senator Gary Pretlow has reintroduced Senate Bill 2614, aiming to legalize online poker as part of a broader online casino package. But the final hurdle’s been cleared, and Pennsylvania’s nearly 13 million residents will have access to a much larger US online poker scene. NFL Hall of Famer Richard Seymour claimed his first WSOP Circuit gold ring, winning $106,577 after defeating 234 players in a High Roller event in North Carolina. Three poker pros remain in contention for the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year title with just 20 players left in the $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. The 2026 WSOP Main Event is down to its final two players, with Lucas Jumalon holding the chip lead over Finland’s Lauri Saaskilahti in the race for $10 million

The best poker sites for real money are PokerStars and GGPoker. Aligning both of these factors will help you come to a decision and find the best online poker site for you! Determining which online poker site is the best is highly subjective, and will largely depend on each individual’s preferences. These operators offer superior protection for your funds and data than unregulated or offshore platforms, which carry higher risks for players. Wherever you play, it’s essential to choose licensed, regulated sites that comply with local laws and responsible gaming standards. Whether online poker is legal depends entirely on the laws of your country or region, or in the case of the United States, the state in which you reside.