Doug Polk Sells Upswing Poker to ClubWPT Gold Doug Polk has announced the sale of Upswing Poker to sweepstakes operator ClubWPT gold for an undisclosed fee.

Aftermore than nine years of operating the leading training site with his friend Ryan Fee, Polk will be handing over the keys of Upswing Poker to its new owner, while promising a bright future for the outfit. A Decade of Upswing Poker It was all the way back in 2016 that Doug Polk was encouraged to consider starting a poker training site by Ryan Fee. The training space has previously been dominated by classic sites Card Runners and Deucescracked, but their massive, over-sized libraries left novice players scrambling around, wondering where to start.

A Spotlight on Nuisance Players in Live Poker TV poker has always provided us with polarising characters but has some of the more recent nuisance behaviour gone too far? Are we risking harm to the game if nothing is done?

Will Kassouf Good, old fashioned live poker is supposed to be a blend of strategy and psychological warfare. It’s not supposed to be over-the-top trash TV. When the show becomes more about player behaviour than the actual poker, we should know that change is needed. What we witnessed during the WSOP 2025 exceeded anything we have seen before. Maybe the cameras amplify disruptive tactics, focusing the viewer’s attention on the negative, but the level of sheer annoyance indicated on social media was at a greater height than in previous years.

The 2025 World Series of Poker in Numbers This summer’s World Series of Poker saw players fork out a total of $529million in buy-ins but how much of that went in rake? The answer — a healthy $47million!

2025 WSOP Main Event (Courtesy of WSOP) Nearly one quarter of a million entries graced the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas this summer as GGPoker took over the running of the WSOP for the very first time. The result was a slew of records broken, including almost everything money related. There were 100 bracelet events this year, one up on last year’s 99 gold bracelets awarded, and that produced and extra 17,361 in total entries over last year’s figure.

The Taxman Takes $9million from Main Event Final Table Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi may well have won the $10million top prize but he will only get to keep $6million of it as the taxman takes his bite!

(Courtesy of WSOP/Rachel Kay Winter) “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” said Benjamin Franklin (allegedly!) and for Michael Mizrachi, the 100,000 $100 bills bearing Franklin’s image he won this week won’t all be his to keep. Every year, Russ Fox of Clayton Financial and Tax of Las Vegas, gives us the breakdown of just how much the winner and his fellow final tablists have to give up to the taxman.

Standard of WSOP Dealers Called Out after Bizarre Hand One of the strangest hands of the summer has led to calls to improve the standard of dealers at the WSOP. A mucked card used to flop a set sparked the debate.

(Photo courtesy of WSOP/Spenser Sembrat) With tens of thousands of players all desperate to play the WSOP, it’s no easy job catering for them, and that of course includes attracting enough good dealers to service the 100-bracelet summer shindig. Nevertheless, some basic standards need to be met and it seems that we are quite far from achieving that, if recent evidence is anything to go by! Poker vlogger Lexy Gavin-Mather found herself in trouble when her pocket 7s were at risk against pocket 10s.

$1million Chip Dumping Allegations Mar WSOP Victory Jesse Yaginuma pulled back a 10-1 chip deficit to land WSOP gold and a $1milllion bonus but has sparked claims of a chip dumping deal.

Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll (courtesy of WSOP) The grand finale to Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker saw both heads-up players – Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll – lock up $1million payouts, with $250k and the bracelet still to play for. Yaginuma, however, was in line to pick up a ClubWPT Gold promotional bonus of another $1million, having qualified by bagging one of the sweepstakes-style online site’s Gold Rush tickets.

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.

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.

$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.

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.