Pokerfuse: Online poker news and analysis in the US, UK and Beyond

As PokerStars Remains Offline in Ontario, Players Look for an Alternative

GGPoker Ontario is experiencing a significant surge in player traffic as PokerStars remains closed, without specifics on when the new platform will go live.

Latest on The Rail Updated 23 minutes ago

Legal drama, grand juries, and a May 26 poker party.

The Lodge Card Club, Texas’ largest card room, will finally reopen on May 26 after being shut down by a TABC raid in March. According to PokerNews, the raid was due to suspicions of illegal gambling and money laundering, leading to the club’s assets being seized and operations halted.

Top shareholders Doug Polk, Jake Abdalla, and Jason Levin found themselves under the spotlight, but a grand jury decision in April meant no indictments and the return of assets.

The club is set to bring back both cash games and tournaments from day one, with the first event being a $50 no-limit hold’em turbo at 10:15 a.m. Staff are being rehired and the lights are coming back on, just in time to coincide with the first day of the 2026 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Ask Chris Moorman anything over on Reddit.

Head over to Reddit over the next 48 hours to get involved with the AMA.

Love all the poker memorabilia that Chad Holloway is collecting.

PSA for anyone who might have this 2007 retro chip set.

Negreanu breaks down the real WSOP action: drafting and deals.

DNegs is dissecting last year’s WSOP Fantasy Draft and tease his upcoming package for the 2026 series. His daily WSOP vlogs are set to return, which means fans will get plenty of behind the scenes action.

Justin Bonomo had a run back in 2018 most of us can only dream of.

Vanja is asking for your favorite run by the player. Head to the comments for more.

Build your own schedule for the WSOP 2026.

Gags30 has done the hard work for you, all you need to do it populate the calendar. 🗓️

WSOP reveals that it will give $100k in bonuses to the top-performing dealers this summer.

The World Series of Poker has come out with more information about its latest dealer rating feature. There will be $100,000 in bonus cash added, spread across all 100 bracelet events.

The top three rated dealers in each event will get to split $1,000, and ratings refresh for every event, so every tournament starts with a clean slate.

Opinions are still divided within the poker community, but adding some extra cash for the hard-working folks that make the series tick certainly helps.

Curious about Allen Kessler? You need to check this out!

The crew at Table 1 Podcast came through once again with a great guest. Yes, it’s Allen Kessler, the man who’s been around poker and gambling for decades, and although people often question how good he is, he must be doing something right.

If you’re curious about the life of the man they call 'The Chainsaw,’ you’ll definitely want to tune in for some fun poker and slots stories, and much more.

What to do with a flopped top pair after getting check-raised?

This is a tricky spot that many players don’t handle that well. Jonathan Little offers some useful tips on how to navigate these situations like a pro.

Deeb recently claimed on No Gamble, No Future that Phil Hellmuth 'knows deep down’ his WSOP bracelet record is in jeopardy.

Even after losing nearly $100,000 in recent high-stakes cash games, Deeb remains undeterred.

“I always feel like me and Phil’s exact rapport, I’m the one person he can’t just bring up his accolades against and brag about all he’s done, because he knows deep down I’m going to pass him in bracelets,”

Hellmuth, who currently holds 17 bracelets, is still sitting pretty, especially after booking a $14,000 win while playing his trademark tight style. Deeb, with nine bracelets to go, is banking on time and his two WSOP Player of the Year awards to close the gap. The race is on, but Hellmuth’s lead is still safe for now.

More headlines

BetRivers Poker Ambassador Phil Hellmuth Is Hosting a Special Event at Rivers Casino

Join the action in the $250 Hellmuth Deepstack Turbo Black Chip Bounty Tournament at Rivers Casino on May 14 & have a shot at the legend!

Wed, May 06
Ontario Online Poker Just Reported One of its Largest Months in History

The poker market is up 7% so far this year — putting it in a very strong position ahead of a hopeful Alberta integration soon.

Wed, May 06
PokerStars Ontario Shutting Down Ahead of the New Platform Launch

PokerStars Ontario will be stopping its casino, poker, and betting services as of May 7 for a brief period in preparation for the launch of the new PokerStars on FanDuel platform.

Tue, May 05
Michigan Names Offshore Online Poker Rooms in Crackdown as Enforcement Steps Up

Michigan Gaming Control Board’s latest crackdown includes offshore poker sites, with WPN (ACR Poker) and Chico Poker Network skins among those targeted.

Tue, May 05
GGPoker Becomes Official Live Event Partner of Grosvenor Casinos

GGPoker and Grosvenor Casinos joined forces to bring extra value to players across the Goliath, the UK Open, The Behemoth, GUKPT, and other live poker tours played at over 35 live casino locations.

Mon, May 04
PokerStars Is Celebrating Its 25th Anniversary with a $50 Million Tournament Series

PokerStars will celebrate a quarter of a century in the poker business with special editions of its landmark events like the Sunday Storm and Sunday Million, and valuable giveaways for all Annivesary Series runners.

Sun, May 03
888poker’s XL Spring Series Returns This May With $1.5M in Guarantees

Join the action over at 888poker this May, pick from dozens of tournaments made for every buy-in, and fight for a share of $1,500,000 in guaranteed prizes.

Fri, May 01
BetRivers Poker Summer Warm-Up Series Brings $500k in Prizes This May

A major tournament series will run on BetRivers Poker for players in MI, PA, WV, and DE, offering $500k in guaranteed prizes, exclusive champions’ trophies, and thousands in extra promo value.

Thu, Apr 30