Poker Players Testify Against the Many Negatives of the Gambling Tax Deduction Cap

Online Poker News & Industry Updates

A lot of players torch money because they are worried about being exploited by people who are not actually exploiting them. There are some players who are trying to put together an aggressive game, but they do not really have the guts to triple-barrel bluff. Sometimes I’ll be playing live, and I’ll have a really nice lady at the table. The atmosphere will be electric, and you can expect some big names to come check out the final table of the greatest poker tournament in the world. I also want to give a shoutout to Mario Boos, the only player at the final table I shared the felt with (Day 6 feature table).

Going into the final table, Lucas Jumalon has to be the favorite. He’s super solid, and I’m not surprised at all that he made it to the final table. Greg Mueller is the player I’m closest to, and I know how strong a player he is. Similar to Jumalon, I was a massive chip leader going into the 2006 final table.

As a tournament reporter, I was so behind the scenes and so low on the ladder that I did not feel that pressure. A lot of people would say poker was pretty nasty with misogyny during that period. I would get great stories or tips of hands we missed or a suggestion to stick around because there is a maniac at the table. But, as someone who walked by the media room a half dozen times this summer and never saw a soul inside it, I doubt people would grasp just how many people were in there.

In 2026, the U.S. poker finally has a chance to go mainstream instead of being stuck in a patchwork forever. On the other end, the UK’s Gambling Commission (UKGC) sets the gold standard with unified, player-first rules. Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina are talking about taxes and player safety. With U.S. states enforcing strict KYC rules, platforms rely on advanced verification providers to prevent underage play and comply with AML directives.

• Kansas offers state lottery and pari-mutuel wagering options, but it is a long way from offering online poker.
• That put an end to an end to any live poker in Idaho outside of the illegal, unregulated underground games.
• The problem is that the other players who are willing to re-enter eventually sense that you are not going to stack off.
• When it comes to live poker, however, that is legal in the Land of Lincoln at all land-based casinos.

The folks at BetOnline Poker are delivering a week of PKO Bounty tournaments later this month during the Catch-22 Bounty Series. Mizrachi outlasted a 9,735-player field to take down the event and claim the $10 million prize along with his eighth career The Daily Gems are popular tournaments that as the names suggests run daily at 888poker. The $1,000,000 Bounty Hunter Poker Series runs at BetOnline Poker until November 9 with dozens of tournaments and seven figures worth of prize money available to be won. If you’re a fan of bounty poker tournaments then BetOnline Poker is the place for you in early November. While considering an online poker site, there are some primary areas that matter to most of our readers.

That’s why we strongly recommend using only licensed and regulated poker operators, no matter where in the world you’re playing. Mix in freerolls, satellites and low-stakes games to help bolster your bankroll and stay in action without going broke. All it takes is to lose a few tournaments that are higher buy-ins than usual, and you could burn through your entire bankroll. Once you reach the final table, every chip and position counts.

Analysts say the U.S. could tap billions in new revenue and tax money if more states join. Regulators are finally pushing for basics like 2FA, age checks, and KYC. Offshore sites are a gamble in themselves. In short, while regulation has moved forward, the U.S. poker map in 2025 is still uneven, and the pressure is on lawmakers to create greater consistency. Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware were first, Michigan jumped in 2022, and Pennsylvania finally joined this April, creating the biggest regulated pool the U.S. has ever seen. Each has its own rules, strict licensing, geolocation controls, and responsible gaming protocols.

The bill also includes online casino games and pari-mutuel wagering, meaning it covers a broad range of online gambling options. Unlike New York’s proposal, this bill explicitly includes a provision for player pooling with other states, making it a much more promising prospect for online poker. Joe McKeehen won the $5,300 SHRPO Championship for $462,600, while three players made poker history by winning four events each at the 2026 festival.

Poker Players Testify Against the Many Negatives of the Gambling Tax Deduction Cap

The poker room originally closed in July 2024 due to renovations in the high-limit Caesars Palace Las Vegas reopened their poker room earlier this week in its previous location with a few upgrades. Caesars Entertainment’s flagship property on the Las Vegas strip, Caesars Palace is fully open for poker again. We also update the bonuses so potential customers know which sites offer the best deals. For the first time, a 100% deposit match up to $1,000 is available to everyone on the PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel platform. The action kicks off with a massive $50,000 GTD Sunday Million No Sweat Mega, serving as a prime opportunity to win your way into the flagship Sunday Million event on April 12.

The series begins with KO Games #01 – Daily Gems – Mystery Bounty, an $11 buy-in event with $11,000 guaranteed. Yes, but we recommend that you start with community card game types such as Texas hold’em poker first as they are easy to learn and get into. Each operator in a legal online gambling state has to abide by a set of regulations to remain fully licensed. We present you with the latest poker state law information and gambling regulations in each state. I like to think of it as the amount that I invest in a game of poker. In every annual poker event, huge prize pools are won by the winners.

Best Online Poker Sites for Beginners

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For some reason, neither was inducted in the first year in a long time when there was an opportunity to induct more than one player. The GGPoker pro believes the game plays directly into the post-flop instincts he’s spent a lifetime developing. It took just over three hours of play to knock out the first seven players, but McKeehen and Greufe were very deep, so finding a winner lasted even longer than that. McKeehen outlasted a wild final table that included Loni Hui, Darren Rabinowitz, Jose Nadal, Eddie Pak, and eventual runner-up David Greufe.

Charismatic poker professional Matt Marafioti has died after jumping from the 28th floor in New Jersey The player was deeply troubled in the final weeks leading up to the tragedy and professed his love for his one-year-old son on social media Marafioti was caught in a custodial battle for his son and was saddened by … Black Friday provided an opportunity for state-regulated online poker sites after several rulings that the Interstate Wire Act of 1961 did not apply to online poker. While a few online poker executives served jail time, most got away with financial penalties and what many considered to be a slap on the wrist. The complaint further alleged that between April 2007 and April 2011, Bitar, Lederer, Ferguson and Furst lined their own pockets with approximately $443 million in players’ money. In September 2011, six months after Black Friday, it was revealed that Full Tilt Poker had paid out tens of millions to its executives using player funds and did not have the money to pay back players.

Handling Winning Streaks: How to Stay Grounded When You’re Crushing the Game

BetRivers Poker is clean, intuitive Run It Once–built software makes learning and playing easy, while the low rake and soft player pools create a welcoming environment for new players. These include software quality, game variety, player traffic, mobile compatibility, deposit and withdrawal options, customer support, and overall value. If you’re new to online poker, choosing the right site can make a huge difference to your experience. Backed by Phil Galfond and Phil Hellmuth, it delivers a smooth and player-focused experience with strong software and fair rake.

But after legalizing sports betting in 2022, New York could be one of the next states to legalize online poker. New York State lawmakers have been attempting to legalize online poker since 2014 but have never had any success in doing so. This means that players can compete against other players from certain states in a shared-liquidity pool. They became the third state to legalize online poker and remain one of the largest online poker markets in the United States. Despite that, the idea of online poker in New Hampshire seems more of a hope than a reality.

Every major site provides tools to help you stay in control, including deposit limits, time reminders, and self-exclusion options. Not every poker room is available in every country, and the experience can differ significantly depending on where you’re based. Below is a table fully outlining the different methods available to contact each operator.

But in real poker lessons, I do not find that leading with those concepts produces better results for most of my clients. I use them when I study on my own so I can become a better poker coach. If there are easier spots at the table, you do not always need to take the thinnest possible edge against the toughest opponent.

And there was only one tournament where I did a rebuy. That tournament ended up hitting the guarantee on its own and reached $1,100,000. The final decision was to reschedule that first flight as two turbo flights. The cement truck accident threw a wrench into the plan, causing the event to lose 25% of its starting flights. This $1,000,000 event already had an aggressive guarantee. The casino ended up being shut down for about seven and a half hours.

By the end of Bellagio Cup, my boss Jeff Holsey offered me a full-time role, but only if I promised not to drop out of school to take it. So, by the end of my first summer, I picked up an extra gig working for the WPT as a tournament reporter for Bellagio Cup. It wasn’t I was an amazing writer or that I had some elite level of poker acumen. In the meantime, I was quietly developing a very unique skill set virtually no one else had.

In particular, the site offers up to 40% rakeback on cash games, which can make a real difference to your PnL in the long run. It offers some of the biggest global player pools, cutting-edge software, and advanced tools. The skill level is noticeably higher, the software is sharper and the tournament schedule is extensive enough to offer enough high-buy-in tournaments around the clock. Known for its polished software, deep player pools, and advanced multi-tabling features, it offers a professional experience ideal for grinders. What we like most about GG’s cash games is the seemingly endless promotions, challenges and leaderboards they run. I believe their offering is as extensive as it gets, and particularly love the number of satellites that Stars runs at all different stakes, not just the major tournaments.

The problem is that the other players who are willing to re-enter eventually sense that you are not going to stack off. The instincts that make a great gag cartoonist – paying attention to tiny details of human behavior – are the same that make great poker players. In the end, Smit learned that poker players and artists weren’t that different in the application of their artistry. Guy Richards Smit didn’t travel from NYC to Las Vegas this summer as a poker player for the love of the game, or to compete at the WSOP. Because the player I was looking at on my phone was my client, Mihai Niste – a longtime online winner. Sometimes the best decision is to preserve your stack and keep attacking the players who are making obvious mistakes.

Today, we continue that tradition with fresh daily updates, breaking news, tournament coverage, player stories, and expert insights that keep you connected to the fast-moving poker world. The two poker superstars each guaranteed $1 million from their own pockets if PokerStars and Full Tilt didn’t pay back players, and… Read more » From breaking down the best and worst poker hands, to strategies for playing tournaments, our team of experts will break down the best cases for you. In 2026, you’ll find even more events and useful information, with reports from best poker tournaments from around the world (including the WPT, EPT and WSOP), monthly freerolls and even better exclusive poker sign-up offers. Additionally, on April 1st, PokerStars Casino Progressive Jackpots will be removed, and any progressive contributions will be distributed back to participating players.

Online gambling is regulated in Malta by the Malta Gaming Authority. MicroMillions 2026 is designed for those with modest bankrolls and big poker dreams. Build the infrastructure now, so when the whistle blows, you’re already at the table. Our turnkey poker solutions are built with regulatory frameworks in mind, embedding AML monitoring, KYC checks, age verification, and reporting dashboards directly into the platform. For operators, the pivot to a regulated poker environment isn’t just about meeting requirements once legislation arrives — it’s about being ready in advance. Together, these examples show that when it’s done right, regulation can move beyond legality to legitimacy, cementing poker’s place as mainstream digital entertainment.

By now, you hopefully know what online poker tournaments are, how they work and the best sites to play on. Below, we explain all the different types of online poker tournaments you can play, say how they work and give you the best sites to play for each. You can also find poker player profiles, casino game rules, tournament poker results, reviews of the best online casinos and sports betting platforms, strategy articles, poker magazines, poker tools, and poker training resources. Maine online poker players will likely be playing at WSOP Online if Caesars Entertainment secures 75% of the online gaming licenses available in the state. Yes, most top poker sites offer play money tables or freeroll tournaments, so you can practice without risking real cash. SCOOP, WCOOP and several other online poker festivals have become a staple of the yearly calendar for many players – it’s truly the place to be for tournament players.

Borgata is the online version of the popular Borgata live poker room in Atlantic City, home to some of the biggest tournaments in the country. It runs steady tournament schedules and cash games suited to all bankrolls, with smooth multi-table play and fast payments. The site focuses on tournaments and freerolls that make it easy for players to move up through satellites, with simple navigation and fast-paced formats. The 888poker welcome bonus gives new players an easy way to start, with tournament tickets distributed over several days. It’s one of the best poker sites for players who want to build up a bankroll without making a massive deposit. 888poker is one of the most accessible poker sites in the world, built for new and casual players, but also a great platform for the pros.

2023 APT Taipei Main Event champion Punnat Punsri will join the Day 3 field from the Natural8 ‘Onlive’ flight with 492,000. Haohui Ma had an eventful couple of levels, starting with a dramatic double-up when he got his pocket kings in against Tomoya Kojima’s aces and drilled a two-outer on the river. There were a couple of spots where if he had called, the tournament would have been over.

Cash game and MTT data used in any articles, reports, charts or elsewhere is provided by SharkScope Analytics unless specified otherwise. The tournament took place at LES A Casino in Jeju and attracted 71 entries. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please visit begambleaware.com (Great Britain) to find help.

The online poker site – or “sweepstakes” site as they would call it… Read more » And while we’ve become one of the most comprehensive guides to online poker, our main mission remains the same as it was when we started. A classic poker game that does not involve a flop and is often played as a limit game. Omaha poker is an action game often played as a pot-limit or fixed-limit game PokerStars remains fully operational and player funds remain secure during the transition.

Some poker operators require players to download the site, but many are available to play in a browser. What was once a singular global industry is now broken down into various markets, each with separate laws and regulations for online poker sites. Reviews for online poker sites are important because they tell the whole story. Traffic dictates the variety of games that will be available, the stakes offered, and the tournaments listed. A poker site may offer several deposit options, but those credit cards and e-wallets don’t always process funds going back to the players. By most accounts, certain poker rooms (Ignition, Bovada) are preferred destinations for US players.

There’s also plenty of juicy cash game action for players at all bankroll and skill levels. Its tournaments are well-structured, with a mix of progressive knockouts, daily guarantees, and satellites to popular live events like the PartyPoker MILLIONS. Because it attracts players from across 888’s casino and sportsbook, the action is never-ending.