JokerStars Scammer Banned from Club for RFID Cheating JokerStars Poker Room in Houston Texas has uncovered a brazen cheating scam involving RFID cards and a hidden card reader.

(pic courtesy of JokerStars Poker Room FB) No, not the slang name for online giants PokerStars, but rather a poker club in Houston, Texas – JokerStars Poker Room – which has uncovered a cheating scam involving RFID cards and a hidden card reader. The bare-faced attempt to cheat a highstakes poker knight at the social poker venue was revealed by PokerNews this week, when three players – former club employee Carlito, and two of his guests, Marcelo and Ivan – were caught on camera following a security review.

Chaos Erupts Near WSOP Venues as Gunman Opens Fire on Las Vegas Strip Two people have been shot dead after a gunman opened fire near the Bellagio fountains on the Las Vegas Strip last night.

Police officers were patrolling in the area on Las Vegas Boulevard at around 10:40 p.m. local time and rushed to the scene upon hearing gunfire. A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department statement said: “On June 8, 2025, at approximately 10.40pm, LVMPD officers were on routine patrol in the 3600 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard when they heard gunfire coming from the west side of the street. “The officers immediately ran toward the area where the gunfire was heard and located two individuals suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

Phil Hellmuth Lets Fans Decide – Play or Boycott 2025 WSOP Main Event? Phil Hellmuth has put it to his fans to decide whether he plays the 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event or goes ahead with his one-man boycott.

Phil Hellmuth has put it to his fans to decide whether he plays the 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event or goes ahead with his one-man boycott. Phil Hellmuth – Photo Credit: Hayley Hochstetler The Poker Brat owns a record 17 WSOP gold bracelets and has played in every main event since, but he recently announced that the gruelling format was too much for him now and he would be giving this year’s edition a miss.

Daniel Negreanu Reveals Tough Schedule for 2025 WSOP GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu has revealed his most ambitious WSOP schedule yet for the 2025 series which kicks off in two months.

GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu has revealed his most ambitious WSOP schedule yet for the 2025 series which kicks off in two months. Daniel Negreanu – Photo Credit: Spenser SembratThe Canadian poker legend is now 50-years-old but still more determined than ever to win that eighth gold bracelet. My potential WSOP 2025 Schedule: 53 events with two days off potentially Main Event on July 4th possibly for the first time All the high stakes NLH, PLO, and Mixed

Alleged Angleshooter Alexander Shevliakov responds to Accusations The player accused of angle-shooting at last weeks EPT has responded claiming there were “no angles no tricks just an unfortunate sequence in a high-pressure spot.”

The player at the centre of the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event angle-shooting controversy has responded this week, claiming there were “no angles, no tricks, just an unfortunate sequence in a high-pressure spot.” Hi, my name is Alexander Shevliakov, and this is my message regarding the AKs hand against Jamil Wakil. I held off posting this immediately because I wanted to speak privately with Jamil first and give him the full version.

Tom Dwan Sectioned in London with Mental Health Issues Tom Dwan has the poker community worried after apparently being sectioned in a mental health hospital in London.

Tom Dwan has the poker community worried after apparently being sectioned in a mental health hospital in London. Dwan has tweeted multiple bizarre posts over the past few days. Dwan began to post about UK and US government yesterday, mentioning or tagging the likes of US president and vice-president Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, along with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Secretary of State for Home Department, Yvette Cooper.

Is Maurice Hawkins the WSOPC’s biggest winner AND biggest loser? Maurice Hawkins bagged a record-tying 19th WSOP Circuit ring last night in Tunica Mississippi but was immediately called out yet again for his unpaid debts.

Maurice Hawkins bagged a record-tying 19th WSOP Circuit ring last night in Tunica, Mississippi, but was immediately called out yet again for his unpaid debts. Maurice Hawkins (courtesy of WSOP) Hawkins’ scoop of the $400 NHL Monster Stack at Horseshoe Tunica casino tied him for most WSOPC wins ever — joining Ari Engel on 19 Circuit rings. However, the Fort Lauderdale-based pro was soon called out for a long-standing debt to a former backer.

$12million per year to play Super High Rollers Claims Daniel Negreanu It costs a whopping $12million to play the world’s biggest buy-in events says Daniel Negreanu. Only three players cleared that number in winnings last year.

It costs a whopping $12million to play a years’ worth of the poker world’s biggest buy-in events says Daniel Negreanu. According to Negreanu, only three players cleared that number in winnings last year. Daniel Negreanu (courtesy of PGT) The GGPoker ambassador outlined the changes over the years, stating: “You need to cash for $12 million+ to turn a profit if you play all the Triton, WSOP, and other high rollers.”

Will Trump’s Tariffs Hurt the 2025 World Series of Poker? Could Donald Trump’s tariffs send shockwaves through the 2025 World Series of Poker disrupting players and costs in a ripple effect?

There can’t be many people on this planet who haven’t been following the news about the U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the rest of the world. Jobs, savings, pensions, etc, have all been at the forefront of many people’s minds, understandably. But how will this affect our own industry? It’s a situation in flux, right now, but with the 2025 World Series of Poker on the horizon we could see some unexpected outcomes over the summer.

Eric Persson Defeats Doug Polk in “Code Doug” Challenge Finale Doug Polk has failed to save face by beating his nemesis Eric Persson in a heads-up match to end his “Code Doug” Challenge after coming close to ending up in the red for his overall result.

Doug Polk has failed to save face by beating his nemesis Eric Persson in a heads-up match to end his “Code Doug” Challenge after coming close to ending up in the red for his overall result. After a rollercoaster of a month where the Upswing Poker founder set out to win $100,000 to give away, Polk found himself in the hole for tens of thousands, wondering if he was going to end up with egg on his face.

Matt Berkey’s Only Friends Podcast to End After three years and 700 episodes Matt Berkey’s Only Friends podcast has unexpectedly lost its home and will likely shut down at the end of April.

After three years and 700 episodes, Matt Berkey’s Only Friends podcast has unexpectedly lost its home and will likely shut down at the end of April. Earlier this week, fans tuned in to hear all about the return of Nik Airball to Hustler Casino Live, and instead got the bad news that Berkey’s landlord had given 30 days notice for them to exit the premises. Matt Berkey has been a polarising figure for some in the poker community, but you can’t knock the effort that he has put in to show up every day — yes really, every day — to generate discussion about the most pressing matters in poker.

Doug Polk Back in Profit After 143 Hours of Streaming Upswing Poker found Doug Polk is finally back in profit in his $100K in a month challenge following a disastrous start. After a total of 143 hours of streaming Polk is up a grand total of $521 up for an hourly rate of $3.64.

Upswing Poker found Doug Polk is finally back in profit in his $100K in a month challengefollowing a disastrous start. After a total of 143 hours of streaming, Polk is up a grand total of $521 up for an hourly rate of $3.64. There were plenty of doubters when he announced his lofty goals last month, staging: “I’m setting out to win $100,000 in one month on the new online poker site Club WPT Gold.

Nik Airball to Make Long-Awaited Return to Hustler Casino Live After a low-key ban of one year Nik Airball will once again be gracing the stage of the Hustler Casino Live set tomorrow night.

After a low-key ban of one year, Nik Airball will once again be gracing the stage of the Hustler Casino Live set tomorrow night. Nik AirballIn October of last year, Airball did make a return to the show, but that was at the Onyx Club Merit Cyprus. Tomorrow night, though, it will be for real in Los Angeles. All the Makings of a Classic Show So what do we have in store for tomorrow night?

Bankroll Challenge Woes for Doug Polk and Rampage Poker Doug Polk and Ethan “Rampage” Yau suffer Bankroll Challenge setbacks in pursuit of 6- and 7-figure goals.

It has been a tough old time recently for the ever-popular ‘Bankroll Challenges’ with both Doug Polk and Ethan “Rampage” Yau suffering setbacks in pursuit of 6- and 7-figure goals. Bankroll challenges have been part and parcel of poker for at least two decades now, players looking to turn next to nothing into a significant something, cheered on by their fans on social media. Back in 2006, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson took 18 months to go from literally zero playing online freerolls to his $10,000 target.

Highstakes Colluder Jinlong Hu Cashes Twice at Triton Series A known cheater has cashed twice at the ongoing Triton Poker stop in Jeju. Chinese pro Jinlong Hu was recently issued a formal warning for collusion

A known cheater has cashed twice at the ongoing Triton Poker stop in Jeju. Chinese pro Jinlong Hu was recently issued a formal warning for collusion at the U Series of Poker in Vietnam. Jinlong Hu Collusion Hu has cashed twice in the past week at Triton Jeju in South Korea, picking up more than $100,000 in prizemoney. However, a 2plus2 forum poster was quick to point out that just two months ago Hu and another Chinese player had their heads-up battle halted for collusion.

Poker player Mark Toulouse Cashes after Dying During Tournament Canadian poker player Mark “Doc” Toulouse died in Dallas mid-tournament this week. Mark was already in the money when he suffered a suspected heart attack.

Canadian poker player Mark “Doc” Toulouse died in Dallas mid-tournament this week. The popular 73-year-old player was already in the money when he was rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack. His stack was later blinded out for a 26th spot finish. Mark “Doc” Toulouse (courtesy of WPT) The sad and unusual news was originally broken by Todd Witteles, who initially wrote on his Poker Fraud Alert site: “I am getting a report that Mark “Doc” Toulouse, a popular player in the Texas poker scene, passed away during a tournament at Texas Card House Dallas.

Chamath Palihapitiya Plans to Revolutionise High Stakes Tournament Poker Social Capital founder Chamath Palihapitiya has announced plans to launch a new high-stakes tournament series that revolutionises the landscape.

Former Facebook executive and Social Capital founder Chamath Palihapitiya has announced plans to launch a new high-stakes tournament series that revolutionises the landscape. Chamath PalihapitiyaThe billionaire entrepreneur has long been known to enjoy the occasional flurry into the world of high-stakes poker, but now it looks like he wants to start cleaning up the scene from all of the little annoyances which have crept into the game over the last two decades.

Crazy Table-flipping incident disrupts WSOPC Main Event The WSOP Circuit Cherokee Main Event was disrupted after a man overturned multiple poker tables sending chips and cards flying before he was tackled to the floor.

The WSOP Circuit Cherokee Main Event was disrupted after a man overturned multiple poker tables, sending chips and cards flying before he was tackled to the floor. Tournament directors biggest nightmare! pic.twitter.com/CEMG8scQVv — Matt Savage (@SavagePoker) February 23, 2025 The Incident The chaotic scenes unfolded while players were on break during the $1700 buy-in ME at Harrah’s Cherokee casino in North Carolina. A man, believed to NOT be a player in the event, took “a running start” before “crab-scuttling” under three tables, flipping them all before being stopped.

GGPoker Ambassador Kevin Martin Strikes Digital Gold in a “Sock Drawer” In a tale that feels like a modern-day treasure hunt GGPoker brand ambassador Kevin Martin recently uncovered a windfall of $35000 worth of Bitcoin.

In a tale that feels like a modern-day treasure hunt, GGPoker brand ambassador Kevin Martin recently uncovered a windfall of $35,000 worth of Bitcoin in his “sock drawer.” GGPoker Ambassador Kevin Martin – Photo Credit: Hayley HochstetlerThe reality TV star turned poker player seems to be on a roll of good luck right now. Because you see, Martin was already celebrating a nice find before a sharp-eyed follower on X prompted him to rediscover the long-forgotten Bitcoin stash.

Phil Hellmuth to Skip 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event Phil Hellmuth has announced that he no longer has the stamina to compete in the WSOP Main Event and will be skipping the tournament this year.

Phil Hellmuth has announced that he no longer has the stamina to compete in the WSOP Main Event and will be skipping the tournament this year. At the age of 60 — not that advanced compared to many players — Hellmuth says he just can’t cope with the long days and is calling for changes to be made as the current format “disproportionately affects older players.” I am not playing the @WSOP Main Event.

Poker Cheat Ali Imsirovic Booted from Texas Poker Club Before Playing a Single Hand Ali Imsirovic has once again found himself persona non grata after attempting to register to a $1500 buy-in poker tournament at Champions Club Texas.

Ali Imsirovic has once again found himself persona non grata after attempting to register to a $1,500 buy-in poker tournament at Champions Club Texas. The Bosnian high-stakes reg arrived at the poker room to join a Day 1 starting flight for the Champions Club Winter Poker Open Main Event. However, within minutes it seems, he was ejected from the premises and told he wasn’t welcome to return. Imsirovic apparently exited the Houston property without any fuss, no doubt mulling over the cheating scandal he was central to back in 2022.

Tom Goldstein Out of Jail After Arrest on Bail Conditions Violation Tom Goldstein is out of jail following a hearing where he convinced a judge that there is reasonable doubt he did not make the alleged crypto transactions.

Tom Goldstein is out of jail following a hearing where he convinced a judge that there is reasonable doubt he did not make the alleged crypto transactions. The poker playing lawyer strongly denied that he owned any of the crypto accounts that were used to send and receive millions of dollars during last week. Tom Goldstein During the latest hearing, he convinced Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan that there was sufficient doubt over the allegations made by prosecutors.

Tom Goldstein’s Crypto Gamble Lands Him Behind Bars Poker playing lawyer Tom Goldstein is in jail after his pre-trial bail was revoked following the discovery of two undeclared cryptocurrency accounts.

Poker playing lawyer Tom Goldstein is in jail after his pre-trial bail was revoked following the discovery of two undeclared cryptocurrency accounts. Tom Goldstein – Photo Credit: Danny MaxwellGoldstein previously pleaded not guilty to 22 charges related to tax evasion and was awaiting trial, apparently confident that the case would be found to have been a misunderstanding. But the rails have come off of his defence following the discovery of millions of dollars worth of crypto transactions, violating his bail conditions.

Tournament legend “Miami” John Cernuto Passes Away at 81 Legendary poker pro Miami John Cernuto has died aged 81 of colon cancer. Cernuto passed away at home in Las Vegas with his family by his side.

John Cernuto, known as “Miami John” and the record holder of tournament cashes has died aged 81 of colon cancer. Cernuto passed away at home in Las Vegas with his family by his side. News that the 3-time WSOP bracelet winner had entered hospice care at home broke earlier this week, long-time friend actor James Woods taking to Twitter with the news. Miami John’s son has asked me to speak to his friends in the poker community about his condition.