Actor Neil Patrick Harris Takes Brutal Cooler in WPT Celebrity Poker Tournament

The final hand wasn’t very funny to comedic actor Neil Patrick Harris in Monday’s WPT x Daniel Arsham Celebrity Invitational. Harris ran into a cooler in the six-player celebrity sit-n-go against actress Arden Cho with five players remaining. The winner, entrepreneur Adam Weitsman, won a blue Porsche sculpture designed by Daniel Arsham, who played in the poker game and was the first to bust. Arsham is a world-renowned contemporary artist out of New York, and he designed the World Poker Tour (WPT) Champions Club trophies for the current season.

Dan Smith Bags Chip Lead w/ 6 Left in WPT Big One for One Drop

There’s going to be a seven-figure money bubble on Wednesday at the final table of the Big One for One Drop, a $1 million buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) event that is one day away from making one wealthy person much wealthier. Although Phil Ivey didn’t make it to Day 2 after busting late on Day 1, the 14 players who returned to Wynn Las Vegas for the second of three days of play were among the best in the world.

Ben Jacobs Leads WPT World Championship Final 16; Moorman, Lichtenberger & Sepiol Alive

The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas started with 3,835 entrants, but after Day 5 action on Tuesday, just 16 players remain in contention for the title and $5,678,000 first-place prize. The man best positioned to make a run at it is Ben Jacobs, who finished as chip leader with 46,400,000 (77 bb). Not too far behind are Maxime Chilaud (38,200,000 64 bb) and Artur Martirosian (36,200,000 60 bb), while Carl Shaw (29,000,000 47 bb) and Daniel Sepiol (27,900,000 47 bb) round out the top five.

Calvin Anderson Wins WPT Prime Championship for $1,386,280

A millionaire was made on Tuesday at Wynn Las Vegas in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Prime Championship final table, and that individual was Calvin Anderson, who defeated Aaron Pinson heads-up for the trophy. The $1,100 buy-in tournament had a $5 million guarantee, but the prize pool hit $10,196,640 with 10,512 entrants, nearly double last year’s turnout when Stephen Song won it for $712,650. Song’s payout in 2022 barely would have beat third place money this year.

888poker Unveils Massive $10,000 Daily Prize Pool Boost on BLAST Leaderboards

888poker is amping up the excitement with a substantial boost to the BLAST Leaderboards prize pool, now soaring to an impressive $10,000, available exclusively on the platfrom from December 20-26, 2023! Engage in daily poker showdowns as players vie for the top spot on the leaderboards, where the stakes have been raised even higher with a daily prize pool of $10,000. Participating in the BLAST Leaderboards allows players to snag additional rewards by showcasing their skills in short-handed Sit & Go tournaments and securing a prominent position on the leaderboard.

Gamble, Weng & Coleman Win at WPT World Championship Festival; Leah Claims 2nd Trophy

The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas may be shining a light on both the $10,000 WPT World Championship and $1,000,000 WPT Big One for One Drop, but recently there was a slew of side events that crowned some big-name winners. We previously recapped winners such as George Tomescu winning the $1,600 Mystery Bounty for $564,202, David Larson taking down the $1,100 Seniors NLH for $141,386, and Mike Leah emerging victorious in the $2,200 8-Game for $78,841.

2023 WPT World Championship Hands of the Week: WSOP Champ Felted By Hall of Famer

The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas is nearing the end of the $10,000 WPT World Championship, and PokerNews has been on-site for the duration. During that time we kept an eye on the live updates being provided by our friends on the WPT Live Reporting team. They captured a number of interesting and game-changing hands, which are highlighted below in the latest edition of “Hands of the Week.

Lucky Chewy Catches Fire to Lead Stacked WPT World Championship Final Table

The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas started with 3,835 entrants, and on Tuesday just 16 players returned for Day 6 action. By the end of the night, the final table of six was established. The players in the best spot to make a run at the $5,678,000 first-place prize is Andrew Lucky Chewy Lichtenberger, who bagged a big chip lead with 148,200,000 (124 bb). While he has a WPT Alpha8 title on his poker rsum, Lichtenberger is looking to claim his first WPT Main Tour title.

Mikita Badziakouski Ships $1 Million Buy-In WPT Big One for One Drop ($7.1 Million)

Mikita Badziakouski became $7,114,500 richer on Wednesday by winning a thrilling World Poker Tour (WPT) Big One for One Drop final table, defeating Mario Mosboeck heads-up to close it out. Six players returned to Wynn Las Vegas for one final session Day 3 but only four would go home with money. Two others left the casino with nothing but memories of the $1 million they spent to enter the tournament.

PokerStars and Paddy Power Share Schedule for 2024 Irish Poker Open

After a groundbreaking Irish Poker Open in 2023 that shattered records, poker enthusiasts worldwide are gearing up for another thrilling edition set to unfold from March 25 to April 1, 2024. The festival promises eight days of intense poker action, both on and off the felt, as players converge on the vibrant Irish capital to partake in Europe’s oldest poker tournament. Hosted at the prestigious Royal Dublin Society in Ballsbridge, Dublin, the Main Event boasts a jaw-dropping 1 million guaranteed prize pool.

Kick Off Your 2024 Poker Grind at the Galway Poker Festival

It’s time to mark your calendars and kick off the new year in style with the Irish Poker Tour! The Galway Poker Festival promises an exhilarating week of intense poker action at The Galmont Hotel in Galway. With a festival guarantee of 500,000, including an additional 25,000 in added value by Paddy Power Poker, the stakes are higher than ever. Main Event: Galway Poker Cup The highlight of the festival is the Galway Poker Cup Main Event, boasting an impressive 300,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Dan Sepiol Wins WPT World Championship ($5.3 Million) w/ Brilliant Final Table Performance

One of the largest tournaments in poker history, the $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship, came to its conclusion with Dan Sepiol finishing off Georgios Sotiropoulos to close it out for the $5,282,954 first place prize via a heads-up ICM chop. Day 7 the final table began a bit after 4 p.m. PT Thursday afternoon from inside Wynn Las Vegas. A World Poker Tour (WPT) Champions Club spot and millions of dollars were at stake between the final six players from the 3,835 entrants who sought a piece of that juicy $40 million guaranteed prize pool.

Andrew Robl is Tearing Up Live Cash Game Streams; Up $3.156M in 2023

It is usually poker tournament players that find themselves in the headlines after helping themselves to a bumper score, capturing a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, or lifting a coveted trophy aloft. Cash game players often fly under the radar, going about their business in a quiet yet deadly efficient way. Andrew Robl is one such cash game superstar, a player who is in profit to the tune of $3,156,100 in televised cash games, according to Highroll Poker Tracker.

Ren Lin Wins $50k WPT Alpha8 for $1,045,781; Jason Koon Runner-Up

Ren Lin had already proved to be a skilled poker player before entering the $50,000 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Alpha8 tournament. But now he can add the first seven-figure cash to his The Hendon Mob resume. The Chinese pro defeated a field of 69 players at Wynn Las Vegas on Thursday for a $1,045,781 score. He beat the great Jason Koon heads-up at the end, along with a star-studded field full of some of the best players in the world.

Daniel Lowery Caps Off Career Year With WPT Seniors Win Just Weeks After His 50th

Seniors tournaments got a lot more difficult when Daniel Lowery turned 50 on November 25, and it didnt take long before he stacked the age-restricted field for yet another poker accolade in his hard-charging career. By winning the WPT $10,000 Seniors NLH High Roller just weeks after his 50th birthday, Lowery likely became one of the youngest players to ever win an over-50 event. He defeated another familiar face on the scene, Judy Bielan, an accomplished player in her own right with well over $500K in tournament earnings and a long list of cashes on the WSOP Circuit and throughout Florida in 2023.

Top Stories of 2023, #10: High-Stakes Player Allegedly Cheated Private Game Out of Millions

2023 was not the year of poker cheating scandals that 2022 proved to be with multiple high-stakes pros being accused of cheating and the infamous Garrett-Robbi hand on Hustler Casino Live. However, the year ended with a scandal involving private games, marked cards and millions of dollars. Earlier this month, HCL regulars Nikhil “Nik Airball” Arcot and Wesley Fei accused Tony Mars (who has also appeared on HCL) of cheating a Southern California private game out of millions, allegations that Mars later denied.

Remembering Those Poker Players and Personalities Who Passed Away in 2023

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 2023, that entails remembering those players who passed on. Heres a look at some of those we lost over the past year. Las Vegas Poker Player & ARIA Regular Hank Yang Passes Away Hank Yang, a Las Vegas poker player who frequented the Aria poker room, passed away in January.

Top Stories of 2023, #9: WPT Becomes a True Challenger in US Live Poker Space

The World Poker Tour (WPT) entered 2023 on a high note having successfully executed the first-ever WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in December 2022. That event would go on to win Event of the Year at the Global Poker Awards, while the Wynns Ray Pulford nabbed Tournament Director of the Year due in no small part to executing that tournament. The WPT joining forces with Wynn Las Vegas, which is largely viewed as the best place to play poker in Las Vegas, proved to be a powerful alliance.

Top Stories of 2023, #8: The Return of the PokerStars NAPT

Twelve years is a long time in any industry, let alone in poker. But after more than a decade, 2023 saw the return of the North American Poker Tour (NAPT). Announced by PokerStars in August this year it marked the triumphant return of the PokerStars live brand to the United States. Sure there had been Road to PSPC in 2019, and the PokerStars Summer Series held in Philadelphia earlier this year, but the NAPT felt like much more of a statement.

MSPT & WSOP Champion Found Zip-Tied, Allegedly Held Captive For 35 Days

A Michigan poker player and four-time World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Ring winner was allegedly kidnapped and held captive for more than a month as part of a two-year extortion scheme that federal investigators are apparently looking into. According to local news reports on Dec. 21, George Janssen of Bad Axe, Michigan was found on a rural road in Meade Township bloodied and with his hands zip-tied after flagging down a passerby.

Top Stories of 2023, #7: Hustler Casino Live Continues to Dominate

For the third straight year, Hustler Casino Live dominated the poker live-streaming game, and yet again, it wasn’t even close. There are many great live-streams in poker these days, including one hosted at The Lodge Card Club, co-owned by a few high-profile pros Doug Polk, Andrew Neeme, and Brad Owen. That show has consistently hosted action-packed games and entertaining players. As such, The Lodge’s YouTube channel has over 155,000 subscribers and gets excellent viewership.

Sean Perry Eliminated From $9.3 Million Circa Survivor Contest After Refusing Chop

Sean Perry is out of the Circa Survivor football contest after the Denver Broncos lost 26-23 on a last-minute field goal by the New England Patriots. The high-stakes poker player had refused to chop the $9.3 million prize when 13 contestants remained. Of the ten entries that were left in the contest for Week 16, six picked the Broncos, while the remaining four players split their choices among the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, and Green Bay Packers.

Top Stories of 2023, #6: Industry Steps Up Efforts to Thwart Cheaters

In 2022, cheating scandals in poker online and live were getting out of hand. Allegations against high-profile players such as Bryn Kenney, Jake Schindler, and Ali Imsirovic rocked the poker world. And we certainly can’t forget about the J4 incident on Hustler Casino Live. As such, poker operators and pros who want to play in a fair game have taken a strong stance against cheating this past year. Online sites such as PokerStars and GGPoker have helped lead the charge against real-time assistance (RTA) use and collusion.

Top Stories of 2023, #5: Game of Gold Impact And Success

Few things came as bigger surprise this year than the monumental success of Game of Gold. For twelve episodes some of the biggest names and personalities in poker competed in a series of team challenges. Along the way, some were eliminated while others earned gold coins. In the final episode, the gold coins of the remaining players were converted into chips for one last six player tournament with a top prize of $456,000.