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If you’re looking for a poker vacation guide that you can use as a casual player while traveling to your favorite getaway, you’ve come to the right place. Travel, enjoy the local attractions, have fun, and play poker… all during the same vacation.

Below are some of the best places in the world to spend your next poker vacation.

Who knows? You might find success at the poker tables that can help fund your next trip!

Best Poker Vacations: Las Vegas

Las Vegas tops my personal list, due to the massive amount of poker tables that still operate on and off the Strip. Even though the poker boom isn’t what it once was, you can still find more live poker action in Las Vegas than anywhere else in the world.

In all, there are 18 poker rooms in Las Vegas including eight that are located inside venues on The Strip.

The best places to play poker in Vegas depend on which stakes you can afford, and whether there is a live tournament series being held during the time of your stay. Live tournament grinders will naturally go wherever there’s a big “poker festival” in town, but low-stakes casual players will likely stick to familiar haunts like the South Point poker room.

Places ranging from South Point, to the Wynn, and the Horseshoe Casino all offer competitive card playing every day of the year, with the capacity to spread a wide variety of games. Of course, you can always mix your poker vacation with sightseeing when you’re in Sin City. If you’ve had your fill of themed casinos and need to step out into the desert sunshine, the Hoover Dam is a commute that takes less than an hour. Guided tours can be booked in advance, too.

If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Las Vegas during a Mixed Game Festival, you can enjoy low-stakes, fixed limit games such as Razz, 7 Card Stud, Badugi, Omaha 8, and more. Buy-ins to MGF cash games and tournaments generally range from $80 into low three-figures. You can get plenty of time at the live felts with just $200 or $300 when attending one of these exclusive festivals, and meet Cardplayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski while you’re there!

Best Poker Vacations: Poker in California

Southern California card rooms have made a name for themselves in the poker world, as venues such as Commerce Casino, the Bicycle Casino (the Bike), and Hustler Casino are some of the largest in the world. They host some of the most high profile (and high stakes) action you can find at a live poker table. For its part, the Northern California poker scene is comprised of dozens of card rooms where live poker is not only present, but forms part of the main attraction.

Lots of people in the United States are choosing to travel domestically when taking a vacation, and California has it all. There’s nothing quite like the blend of nightlife, scenic locations, and poker that you’ll find each time you visit the Golden State.

If you’re a sports fan, chances are one of the many professional teams that call CA their home will be hosting a game during your visit. California has professional sports teams for NFL football, NBA and WNBA basketball, MLB baseball, NHL ice hockey, and MLS soccer.

Best Poker Vacations: Poker in Aruba

Once upon a time, Aruba was a live poker tournament destination that drew more than 1,000 international contestants to major events. While that is less common these days, you can still find plenty of poker action every month of the year when visiting this tropical getaway.

Playing poker in Aruba means that you’ll want to stay at a venue that has its own dedicated room for in-person card playing. These can be found at places like the Riu Hotel, the Holiday Inn, Xanadu, and the Hilton.

As you might expect, the rooms are relatively small (usually 3-4 tables only) and offer No Limit Texas Hold’em as their main attraction. The stakes range from $1-$3 to $2-$5 NLHE. The poker rooms generally begin operations at 7:00pm local time Sunday through Thursday and close between 3:00am-4:00am.

However, these schedule times tend to broaden on Fridays and Saturdays, which means you can generally find live poker action in Aruba starting as early as 4:00pm on the weekends. Personally, I’ve played poker (and have covered live poker tournaments) at the Hilton in Aruba — which was known as the Radisson during that time.

The white sands of Aruba beaches are something to behold, plus you can enjoy beach-side dining at any number of open bars and grills that dot the coastline. Although Aruba is owned by the Netherlands, it almost borders the South American country of Venezuela.

Despite the tales local taxi drivers might relay in terms of Venezuelan nightlife, tourists are advised to stick to attractions that are actually located on the island of Aruba. The tropical paradise offers everything from daytime water skiing to a 24-hour bar scene if you’re into dancing the night away instead of spending it at a poker table.

Best Poker Vacations: Poker in Lisbon

On the surface, Portugal may not seem like an obvious choice for your next poker vacation. But poker in Lisbon is alive and well.

The place to go is the Casino Estoril, which spreads both Texas Hold’em and Omaha on Friday nights, when it’s the busiest.

Tourism is a main staple of the Portuguese economy, so chances are you’ll find an opportunity to compete against players that aren’t necessarily “pro-level” when sitting down to play poker in Lisbon.

If you’re at the casino on any other day except Friday, the only game you’ll be able to find is Texas Hold’em, with stakes ranging from $1-$2 up to $5-$10.

Lisbon’s mild winter climate makes the seaside port destination part of any tourist’s “bucket list.” If you’d rather stay indoors, you can sample the cuisine of various restaurants located inside the casino. Menus vary, but there’s always an option for western-style food if you’re not accustomed to Asian seasoning.

Best Poker Vacations: Poker in Japan

Japan is in a category of its own when it comes to enjoying a “gaming” environment. The country’s legacy of being on the cutting edge of technology is well deserved. From Nintendo to Sony, from Konami to Capcom, Japan is a global center for gaming and digital communications.

Poker in Japan starts in the metropolis of Tokyo, reaching into the red-light district of Kabukicho — which looks more like something you’d find in a Persona video game than an actual, real life neighborhood.

However, “gambling” is illegal in Japan, so don’t expect to sit down at a poker table and wager real money. The poker and in-person gaming scenes in Japan function much like a “kids-only” venue would in the Western world.

You buy chips with real money, but can only use them to exchange for novelty prizes within a facility’s property. If you really want to cash out these “for exchange only” chips, you’ll need to find a third party that will do so… but charge a hefty commission as part of the transaction.

There are plenty of reports that underground card rooms indeed exist in Japan. However, the associated commission fees may be exorbitant. Cashing out may still be an issue if the management decides it doesn’t want to “break the law” by giving you cash for chips that you have won.

Where to go on your next poker vacation?

These aren’t the only viable poker vacation destinations, especially if you’re looking to travel outside the United States.

The Philippines, the UK, Ireland, and Brazil all hold major poker tournament festivals at select venues. You’ll want to plan ahead and make sure one of the major tournaments is currently “in town” if you’re looking for a wide variety of poker options while visiting these countries.

Other than that, it simply comes down to where you’re located, and how convenient it is to travel to your eventual destination. Your next poker vacation awaits… and you can easily split your time between traditional tourist activities and the live felts to make the most of it!

Is playing live poker something that intimidates you or is inconvenient due to travel circumstances? Would you rather practice poker alone or play poker without real money until you’re ready to take on human opponents?

While solo poker may not be for everyone, there are significant benefits that even casual players can enjoy when taking part in poker study at home — not to mention the fun involved in analyzing hands without having to depend on others.

In this article, we’ll look at various ways you can practice poker alone, at home, without any real money investment or risk.

Illustrative image, created using Grok

Top 7 Tips to Practice Poker Alone

To get started playing poker at home for free, you’ll need a few necessities:

• A poker playing surface (this can be an actual poker table or any flat surface)
• A deck of poker playing cards
• Poker chips if you want to simulate per-round bets

Once those basics are taken care of, you’re ready to get started. You can play solo poker for free and carry out individual practice tasks as follows.

Simulate Poker Dealing and Betting Rounds

While these are very basic mechanics that go hand-in-hand with any live poker game, you can learn how to deal poker (and how to place bets) on your own.

Unfamiliar with how to play Texas Hold’em?

All you have to do is shuffle your deck of 52 cards and start dealing would-be hands around the table.

Rotate around the table (starting to your left), and deal one face-down card to each player — then repeat the process until all supposed players have two face-down cards.

If you’re practicing by yourself, you can simulate betting rounds, or simply jump to the “flop” of three, face-up community cards if you just want to learn how to deal Texas Hold’em hands.

There’s one round of betting after the flop, then another after the face-up “turn” (fourth community card), then one final betting round after the face-up “river” (fifth community card).

Learning the mechanical nature of how different poker games are dealt, including all unique betting rounds, will help you gain a more profound understanding for each game.

Practice Heads-Up Play

Practicing heads-up play alone at home is a great way to study poker effectively.

If you choose to deal the cards face-up, then you can contemplate — without any time limits — how each player might act in accordance with the cards that the imaginary players receive. Crazy as this might sound, believe it or not it’s one of the ways the late, great Doyle Brunson used to study — long before we had modern day tools, apps, training sites, odds calculators, and the like.

This can be extremely helpful to learn which hands might quickly fold in games like Seven Card Stud, where players must use their face-down cards along with their own face-up door cards to make the best 5-card hand.

“Stud” games (where no drawing occurs) can be a lot of fun to play in-person if you’re lucky enough to find them. And once you practice alone for a few “make believe” hands, you’ll quickly see why folding during the “early streets” is somewhat common in these types of poker variants.

Hand History Review

While this may seem counter-intuitive for playing poker by yourself, you can always deal one of the imaginary player’s cards face-down to begin a hand. Once you’ve done so, you can play out your own face-up hand and place chips into the pot as you normally would.

Then, once you’ve gone through all the steps and betting rounds for your face-up hand, you can “rewind” to any point. This will allow you to analyze how your action might have been answered once you’ve looked at the other imaginary opponent’s hole cards.

As Poker Hall of Famer Barry Greenstein referenced in his book Ace on the River, the best possible way to play a hand is to have an accurate range for not only your own hole cards, but also those of your opponents.

So while you won’t be able to gain any information from an practice opponent’s potential betting behaviors by using this method, you will be able to get into the habit of always considering what your opponents may have when it comes time to play for real money.

Use Poker Apps When Practicing Poker by Yourself

Nowadays, the use of poker apps is essential when practicing poker alone, as you can enter hole cards and community cards on your own time — without any rush or pressure from real-life opponents.

What were the exact odds of hitting your flush on the river given all the cards that were dealt? Were you already winning/losing the hand at showdown before the final card was dealt?

You can quickly find precise online calculations that answer these questions. Card calculators are typically free to use. In fact, most of the popular poker hand calculator tools don’t even require a sign-up or registration to access.

Click and drag (or tap and drag) individual cards to enter them in the corresponding slots and the calculations will update in real time.

There are tons of free poker resources available to you at all times, even if you’re playing solo poker in the comfort of your living room or home office.

Sign Up for Poker Training Sites

Poker training sites are among the very best resources for learning how to study poker effectively. If you’re enrolled with one, you can often submit any hand history for evaluation… even if it’s the result of playing poker alone.

If you can’t get to a casino regularly, a subscription to a poker training course will ensure you have 24/7 feedback even when you’re away from the brick and mortar felts.

If you can’t find a home poker game in a pinch, there will always be poker hands for you to study online with the assistance and guidance of one or more poker instructors.

Learn Important Poker Probabilities and Odds

A player’s time is limited when playing against human opponents live or online. But this is different if you’re playing poker alone.

You won’t have to stress about time banks or grouchy, impatient opponents. Learn poker probabilities and odds that are necessary to know if you want to improve your skills on your own time.

One of the easiest concepts to pick up as a beginner is pot odds in poker, since so many of the decisions in the “Fixed Limit” format are relatively simple (when compared to “No Limit” formats) to calculate.

Is your imaginary opponent holding door cards that are four-to-a-straight in a 7 Card Stud game? Meaning that you’ll need to rely on hitting a flush on the river card to win at showdown?

If lots of bets have already been placed into the pot, then the choice to “call” a single sixth street is pretty obvious.

Before each card is dealt in a solo poker game, take the time to calculate pot odds along with the odds of hitting certain hands based on how many cards remain in the deck. You’ll thank yourself for using this “practice poker alone” time to level up your skills.

Play For Free, In Person or Online

The easiest way to entice a human opponent to join an impromptu game is to offer to play for free. There are numerous options that you can use as substitutions for chips, and the action can be started/stopped at any time without any monetary risk.

Online poker is an even better resource for finding a game when you’re tired of practicing poker by yourself. Simply join a site that’s available in your area and choose “play money” to get started — again, with no real money risk.

If your “play money” balance starts to run low, most sites will allow you to casually reload every few hours without any purchase.

In general, the action at online play money tables ends to be “looser” than real money games, which gives you more opportunities to see what your opponents had at showdown (even if you, personally, folded your hand).

Summary: Playing Solo Poker to Improve Your Skills

If you take the time to practice poker even when there are no human opponents to be found, you can reap benefits that might take many more hands to acquire if you’re playing in a real life, real money situation.

Take advantage of the fact that there are no time limits when playing solo poker. Work on studying concepts and calculations that every poker will need to know in order to win at the tables when the time comes to wager real money!

LatPoker online players can qualify now for a a VIP package into the SiGMA Poker Tour Sao Paulo Main Event to be held in early April.

Are you an online poker player who dreams of competing in a marquee live tournament at Brazil’s premiere tourist location?

Would you like to meet and network with poker’s most influential ambassadors while enjoying a five-night stay at Hilton Morumbi in Sao Paulo?

LatPoker satellites are available now! For as little as $0.15 USD, you can secure your entry into the R$1,000,000 Guaranteed Main Event at the Monte Carlo Poker Club in Sao Paulo — complete with a 24-hour food and beverage buffet for the duration of your visit!

LatPoker Satellite Details: Win a VIP Package into the SPT Brazil Main Event

You can begin your journey of climbing up the satellite ladder immediately via LatPoker qualifier events.

STEP 1

Every day at 8:00pm (GMT -3), LatPoker players can directly enter the STEP 1 SPT Brazil Main Event qualifier tournament for an extremely modest buy-in of $0.15.

These qualifiers will award plenty of entries into the STEP 2 satellite tier event. If you miss out on qualifying one night, you can simply buy-in again for the next evening’s $0.15 STEP 1 satellite.

Roughly 1-out-of-36 entrants will qualify for the next step when playing the nightly $0.15 STEP 1 event, so don’t fret if it takes you a few tries to ladder-up.

STEP 2

Once you win your entry into the STEP 2 satellite tournament, you will need to compete in the Saturday night STEP 2 qualifier that will start at 8:00pm on the evenings of March 21st and March 28th, GMT -3 time.

If you failed to qualify via one of the STEP 1 sub-satellites, don’t worry. You can buy-in directly to the Saturday night STEP 2 satellite for $5.50 USD.

The chances of gaining entry into the STEP 3 final qualifier are much better for STEP 2 when compared to STEP 1, as approximately 1-in-6 players will advance.

However, LatPoker players have only two remaining chances to enter STEP 3 via this route, as Saturday, March 29th, will be the final STEP 2 satellite event into the 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Sao Paulo Main Event.

STEP 3

The final STEP 3 satellite qualifier into the 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil Main Event will take place on Sundays at 8:00pm (GMT -3 time).

You can use the ticket you earned through the “step” system to enter into this deciding online qualifier tournament, or you can buy-in directly for the low price of $33 USD.

The final STEP 3 tournaments — to be held on Sunday, March 22nd, and Sunday, March 29th — will ultimately decide the lucky winners who will receive a VIP package entry into the April 2026 SPT Brazil Main Event in Sao Paulo.

Both STEP 3 satellite tournaments will offer a bare minimum of 3 VIP packages. You won’t want to miss out on this exclusive chance to qualify immediately for your SPT Brazil VIP experience, which offers a chance at a big win if you make the final table of the SPT Brazil Main Event.

SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil VIP Package Details (LatPoker Players)

If you are victorious in the STEP 3 satellite, you will win an exclusive SPT Brazil VIP package that’s worth over $1,000 USD, and secure your spot into the in-person main event in Sao Paulo.

The SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil VIP Package for LatPoker STEP 3 qualifier winners includes:

• Entry into the R$2,500 buy-in (R$1,000,000 GTD) Main Event at the Monte Carlo Poker Club in Sao Paulo
• Preferred access to the BiS SiGMA official welcome celebration
• One-on-one “meet and greet” access to SiGMA Poker Tour’s prestigious poker ambassadors
• Networking opportunities with influential gaming and poker business experts
• Free, 24/7 availability of food and beverages for the duration of the poker festival
• Preferred VIP attendance via Centurion FC 28 MMA fight ticket at SiGMA Transamerica Hall in Sao Paulo
• Free entry into the BiS SiGMA conference hosted by Latin American gaming elites

The five-night accommodations package includes luxurious lodging at the Hilton Morumbi from April 2nd through April 6th (Thursday through Monday). If you’re planning on attending the FC 28 MMA event on April 8th, you can verify with your VIP host to see if the package can be shifted to Friday through Tuesday.

Once the 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil Main Event has played down to 9 players, “Day 2” action will halt and resume the following day (Monday, April 6th) for a live-streamed finale.

Depending on overall turnout, the eventual Main Event winner could take home more than $25,000 of the $150,000 guaranteed prize pool. The “turbo” blind structure format of Days 1A-1D ensure that even casual poker players have a chance to survive to Day 2 and compete for a final table appearance.

You can visit the 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil webpage for full scheduling details.

Additional Freeroll Opportunities for Brazil Players (LatPoker)

LatPoker players who are physically located in Brazil can take advantage of additional freeroll opportunities to win their seat into the 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil Main Event in Sao Paulo.

The eventual freeroll winners from Brazil may opt to forego the hotel stay if they are located close enough to Sao Paulo to commute, but there will still be VIP packages available for winners who reside in the northern part of the country.

Four “Day Ones” Spread Over Two Calendar Days

There will be two “Day One” flights for the SPT Brazil 2026 Main Event on Friday, April 3rd.

There will be another two “Day One” flights on Saturday, April 4th.

Days 1A (2:00pm GMT -3 on April 3rd) and 1C (11:00am GMT -3 on April 4th, are more “pro-friendly” and offer slower tournament blind sructures.

However, Days 1B and 1D (starting at 8:00pm on April 3rd and April 4th), boast the rec-friendly “turbo” format that gives lesser-skilled players more opportunities to even their odds against highly skilled competitors.

There will be unlimited re-entries for all Day 1 participants. However, the player field will be “locked-in” at the beginning of Day 2 action and the tournament will then shift into a “freezeout” format.

Day 2 will begin at 2:00pm GMT -3 on Sunday, April 5th. The top 15% finishers will receive at least some payout for their participation in the Main Event.

Day 3 is for final table action only, and will start promptly at 2:00pm GMT -3 time at the Monte Carlo Poker Club in Sao Paulo.

More In-Person Poker Tournaments During the 2026 SPT Brazil Poker Festival

Satellite winners who receive their SPT Brazil Main Event seat through a STEP 3 victory can also choose to compete in other in-person tournaments during the SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil 2026 festival.

There will be “Poker Night” tournaments held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night, with starting times ranging from 10:00pm to 11:30pm GMT -3.

Additionally, the massively popular SiGMA Divas tournament commences on Saturday at 4:00pm GMT -3 time.

If you want more poker action, you can participate in Monday night’s “Last Chance” SPT side event that boasts a R$10,000 guarantee or opt to play in one of numerous cash games that will be spread throughout the poker festival.

2026 SPT Brazil Main Event FAQs for LatPoker Players

Here are answers to commonly asked questions for LatPoker players who win a 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil VIP package.

Does the VIP package available for STEP 3 winners include lodging, meals, drinks, and tournament entry?

Yes. If you qualify for the SPT Brazil Main Event through a STEP 3 satellite on LatPoker, you will receive a seat into the R$1,000,000 Guaranteed Main Event, a five-night stay at the Hilton Morumbi, and free food and drinks at the Monte Carlo Poker Club for the duration of the event.

How far is the commute between the Hilton Morumbi and the Monte Carlo Poker Club?

The Hilton Morumbi and Monte Carlo Poker Club are located about 1 mile (less than 2 kilometers) from one another. A taxi-commute will take about 5 minutes depending on traffic and the time of day.

Where will the 24/7 buffet be offered?

The 24/7 buffet, which includes free food and beverages, will be available inside the Monte Carlo Poker Club. The club itself is “always open,” so you can schedule your daily travel to ensure that you can consume all three of your meals (and then some). Any food and beverages from the Hilton Morumbi will need to be purchased (so plan ahead to get full value out of the MCPC free meals).

Is airfare travel included in the package?

No. If you need to book travel upon winning an SPT Main Event Brazil package, check with your VIP host directly so he or she can secure the best possible rate and time for your round-trip airfare.

Less Than Two Weeks to Qualify through LatPoker Satellites

LatPoker players have less than two weeks to qualify and win an exclusive 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil Main Event VIP package.

The good news is that the main STEP 2 and STEP 3 qualifiers are still open — for this weekend and next weekend.

Qualify now for as little as $0.15 USD and win your way into the SPT Brazil Main Event! Connect with influential ambassadors, enjoy free food and beverages 24/7, and compete for a chance at a huge payday this April!

The SiGMA Poker Tour is heading back to São Paulo this April, and entry tickets for one of Latin America’s most anticipated poker festivals are officially on sale — reserve your spot here.

From April 3rd–6th, 2026, players will gather at the prestigious Monte Carlo Poker Club for six days of high-energy tournament action, premium networking, and unforgettable entertainment.

Headlining the festival is a massive R$1,000,000 Guaranteed Main Event ($150,000 USD), positioning the 2026 SPT Brazil stop as one of the strongest value propositions on the regional poker calendar.

With accessible buy-ins, multiple Day 1 flights, and online qualification paths, the SiGMA Poker Tour continues to build serious momentum across Latin America.

Premier Poker Stop in São Paulo

The Monte Carlo Poker Club has earned its reputation as one of Brazil’s premier poker venues. Known for its professional staff, polished tournament execution, and electric atmosphere, the club provides the ideal backdrop for a flagship SPT stop.

Players traveling from abroad will enjoy seamless access to both the tournament venue and São Paulo’s vibrant city life.

The festival also integrates directly with broader SiGMA activities taking place in Brazil during the same week.

SPT Brazil isn’t just about poker. It’s about business connections, ambassador meet-and-greets, exclusive VIP events, and one-on-one networking experiences.

$150,000 USD Guaranteed Main Event

At the heart of the festival sits the 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil Main Event.

With a R$2,500 buy-in, the structure is designed to maximize early strategic play. Players will begin with a 50,000 starting stack and compete in 40-minute blind levels, with turbo flights running at 20-minute levels.

Re-entries are permitted until the start of Level 10; late registration closes at the beginning of Level 11. Multiple Day 1 flights ensure flexibility for traveling players.

Whether you prefer a standard-paced structure or a turbo format, there is a path into Day 2 that suits your schedule. Moreover, the robust structure balances competitive depth with accessibility for new poker players.

Recreational players can compete comfortably alongside seasoned professionals and have a better chance at turning a deep run into a major payday once play approaches the final table.

Major Highlights of 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil

Beyond the Main Event, the 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil schedule is packed with action.

• SPT Main Event – R$1,000,000 Guaranteed ($150,000 USD)
• Mystery Bounty Event
• ATFX Highroller Cup
• Cubeia Platinum Freeroll (Invite Only)
• Official Online Qualifiers hosted by Latbet Poker
• Latbet Poker Open Freeroll

From high-stakes exclusivity to accessible bounty formats, the lineup caters to a wide range of players.

Mystery Bounty – High Energy Action

The Mystery Bounty event takes place Sunday, April 5th, at 3:00pm.

With a R$1,500 buy-in, 20-minute levels, and unlimited re-entries, it promises fast-paced, high-adrenaline live poker action.

ATFX Highroller Cup

The ATFX Highroller Cup kicks off Friday, April 3rd, at 10:00 in the evening. This exclusive event is by invite-only, or accessible via a direct $1,000 USD buy-in.

Players will begin with a 40,000 starting stack and unlimited re-entries. The top prize includes a gold coin along with a package to SPT Manila.

The Highroller Cup is backed by ATFX, one of the major partners of 2026 SPT Brazil.

Cubeia Platinum Freeroll

Monday, April 6th at 7:00pm features the invite-only Cubeia Platinum Freeroll. This freeroll event will provide 30-minute levels, 30,000 chips to begin, a maximum of two re-entries, plus an add-on option.

Designed for partners and premium guests, this event reinforces SPT’s emphasis on exclusivity and relationship building.

SiGMA DIVAS

On Saturday, April 4th at 4:00 in the afternoon, the SiGMA DIVAS event takes center stage.

With 20-minute levels, a 25,000 starting stack, and unlimited re-entries, it provides a highly competitive environment for “divas” in attendance.

An added package to the PokerStars Women’s Championship (hotel and buy-in included) raises the stakes significantly and highlights SPT’s commitment to growing the game across all demographics.

Campeonato SiGMA Cup

Also on Saturday, April 4th, players can compete in the Campeonato SiGMA Cup — starting at 2:00pm.

This R$1,445 buy-in freezeout features 30-minute blind levels and a traditional championship structure.

2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Online Integration – Latbet Poker

2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil strengthens its online-to-live ecosystem through official qualifiers hosted by Latbet Poker, which create affordable satellite pathways into the Main Event.

The qualification ladder is structured in three steps:

Step 1: $0.15 USD buy-in (daily at 8:00pm)
Step 2: $5.50 USD buy-in or ticket from Step 1 (Saturdays at 8:00pm)
Step 3: $33 USD buy-in or ticket from Step 2 (Sundays at 8:00pm; 3 packages guaranteed)

• All times are listed as GMT -3

Players can view tournament listings here.

In addition, Latbet Poker will host an open freeroll for all Brazilian players. This ensures that anyone, regardless of bankroll, has a potential pathway into the 2026 SPT Brazil poker festival.

Affordable Satellite Opportunities

Multiple live satellites will also run at the venue.

These events provide flexible entry points for players arriving early in São Paulo, and can provide momentum to your “poker week” if you’re lucky enough to win a seat thanks to a reduced satellite buy-in.

Premium Ticket Options

Players can choose between a standard Main Event package or a full VIP experience.

The $400 USD package includes:

• Main Event buy-in ($150,000 USD GTD version package allocation)
• Access to the BiS SiGMA Official Celebration
• Complimentary entry to the BiS SiGMA Conference
• Meet and Greet access with SPT Ambassadors
• Centurion MMA fight ticket at VIP Station São Paulo
• Open bar along with food while tournament play is in progress

For those seeking an elevated experience, the $1,700 USD VIP Package enhances networking access and hospitality. It also includes a five-night stay at the 5-star Hilton Morumbi.

Both packages combine poker competition with a chance to explore the city and enjoy first class entertainment.

Networking & VIP Experiences

SPT Brazil blends competitive poker with industry networking. Players will have opportunities to attend VIP parties, private dinners, and formal gatherings with entrepreneurs, executives, affiliates, and gaming innovators.

The festival itself serves as a natural meeting ground between poker community members and the broader iGaming ecosystem.

Ambassadors & Community

The SiGMA Poker Tour is supported by a strong network of ambassadors and partners. Meet-and-Greet access gives players a chance to interact directly with recognizable figures from the poker and sports world; providing an added value opportunity away from the tables.

Poker and Beyond

Aside from fast-paced, live poker tournament action, attendees can watch MMA fight nights in-person, attend networking conferences, or opt for organized social events.

The schedule is designed to ensure there is always something happening both at and away from the live poker tables — a balance that makes the 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil stop particularly attractive to traveling players.

By entering, you are not simply reserving your spot in a top-tier poker tournament tournament, you are stepping into a week-long experience that you can customize according to which events you enter and whether you reach a final table.

2026 SPT Brazil reflects the continued growth of competitive poker in Latin America.

With a seven-figure guarantee in local currency and plenty of chances to win your seat online via satellite, the Main Event and coinciding expo are positioned for record participation.

The blend of recreational accessibility and high-level competition is deliberate, as turbo tournament formats are designed to give even amateur players a realistic shot at a big win if they reach the final table.

Secure Your Seat — SiGMA Poker Tour 2026 Brazil

Registration is now officially open for both 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil packages.

There may limited VIP availability and depending on the popularity of the online qualifiers, so early registration is strongly encouraged.

If you are looking for a festival that combines serious prize pools, meaningful networking, and unforgettable entertainment, 2026 SPT Brazil should be on your radar as a go-to destination, from April 3-6.

São Paulo will once again become a focal point of the Latin American poker scene this April. Whether you qualify online or buy in directly, this is your chance to compete on a major stage.

Advanced poker training is a topic that is routinely searched by poker players for a variety of reasons — not least of which is to improve their chances at playing poker for a profit. If you’re a player who’s seriously looking to improve his or her skills at the table (be it virtual or live), then your best bet is to probably seek out the services of one or more poker coaches.

Aside from coaching services, there are numerous training modules online that can greatly increase your competitiveness at the tables. Many of these poker training sites serve as a stepping stone for beginners who want to up their skills as soon as possible. Beyond that, dipping your toes into the mixed game waters can also provide a great training ground to boost your skills at your bread-and-butter No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha games.

Advanced Poker Training for Casual Players

In this article, we will mostly be focusing on how advanced poker training can apply to casual players in a way that increases enjoyment of one’s time playing poker. In particular, we’ll also be looking at how playing mixed games fits that bill.

While the following tips and guidelines may not necessarily be what highly skilled players are looking for in terms of eking-out those last few drops of value-based expectation against highly competent foes, they can still help when it comes to filling your home game poker nights with fun and learning.

Mixed Games Advanced Poker Strategy Tips

Mixed Games are a popular choice among fun-seeking card players. These types of games include a wide range of variants plus the added benefit of Fixed Limit formats

Despite the fact that “No Limit” has been the most popular form of poker for decades, Fixed Limit poker games offer more opportunity for players to learn without the huge swings that can be associated with the risk of going “all-in” every hand.

Memorizing Face-Up Door Cards

Since there will only be 52 total cards in any poker deck, one of the easiest ways to practice advanced poker strategy is to memorize door cards that are dealt face-up due to the rules of a specific game.

Seven Card Stud offers a chance to see as many as four cards of each player’s actual hand — which equals more than half of the cards each player will be using to make the best possible seven-card hand.

While it may seem intimidating at first to memorize door cards (and reset what you’ve memorized at the end of each hand), practice makes perfect.

If you’re uncomfortable at first recalling every single card that’s been dealt face-up, look for obvious information that can help you gauge how well your own hand may perform.

For instance, let’s say you’re four cards into a club flush and have only one card remaining to receive (the “down and dirty” final card).

If three opponents are still in the hand, you can quickly glance at their face-up door cards to see how many clubs are showing.

Of course, more face-up clubs in this case would reduce your chances of hitting your flush on the river — while fewer clubs as door cards would result in better odds for your flush to get there.

The same can be true for potential hands like “four of a kind.” If you’re holding three 9s in your own 7 Card Stud hand and you have already seen the final 9 appear as part of an opponent’s face-up door cards, then you already know you’re not making quad 9s on this particular hand.

These advanced poker tactics will help you practice memorizing door cards in a way that’s not so intimidating. You can eventually work your way up to making more critical deductions once you’re ready to do so.

To learn more about poker variants that involve face-up cards, be sure to have a look at our Mixed Games Poker Guide – Stud Games.

Table chatter

Oftentimes, a casual poker game will grant players more opportunities to make reads based off of “table chatter” than the 10-minute, ultra competitive tournament stare downs we see on the internet.

At times, you may be able to gain valuable information from an opponent just by noticing how he or she reacts during each betting round.

This may not seem like an advanced poker technique at first, but if you can draw a solid conclusion about the strength or weakness of an opponent’s hand, then the fact that you’re playing in a casual game makes no difference. It’s still valuable information that even the best pros may not be able to glean from their opponents — even during live play.

How Mixed Games Train “You”

One popular concept of advanced poker training is to improve your skill by practicing over and over. But the sheer variety available in mixed games means that the games themselves actually train “you” (if you let them).

While it may take some patience, your mind can be trained to pick up on just about every facet of advanced poker strategy that is available in more “action” games that have no limit formats.

What are the odds you’ll make your hand? What are the odds your opponents will make their hands?

Face-up cards can keep your mind extremely busy while at a live table. And, perhaps best of all, you’ll essentially never be put in a situation in which a single all-in hand could ruin your chances of making a profit or breaking even for a particular session.

Train your mind to examine all the available information carefully, and remember that fixed limit games make it less likely to make some huge “expected value” mistake.

READ MORE: The Run It Once Training Guide to Learning Mixed Games

If you really want to place an erratic variable into your mixed game, you can agree with the other players at a home game table to introduce one of the jokers into the deck, and have it act as a WILD card.

While I don’t personally recommend this, having one or two WILD cards in a fixed limit mixed game can add a LOT of extra variables into an otherwise straight-forward home game. However, note that you won’t be able to play with any jokers while sitting at a casino or formal card room poker game table.

Socializing at Live Events like the Mixed Game Festival

Although socializing at live poker events like the Mixed Game Festival may not initially seem related to an advanced poker strategy, you can get quite a bit out of enjoying yourself at the tables while playing multiple low-stakes mixed game tournaments or cash games.

You can literally rub shoulders with one or more Poker Hall of Fame players at the Mixed Game Festival when it is held in Vegas — all without having to buy-in for thousands of dollars into a single tournament or cash game.

There are even times when you can participate in trivia games or socialize among players during a pizza party.

And while there may not initially be an obvious “tangible” result that comes from talking about poker or anything else during low limit mixed games, you might be able to network in a way that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

At the Mixed Game Festival particularly, you can meet up with high profile players and even get a personalized book signing with big name authors who regularly attend the Las Vegas poker series.

While little of the above beyond poker play may directly help you as far as honing your game, when it comes to providing a memorable, fulfilling poker experience, there are few (if any) events offering what a Mixed Game Festival does ambiance-wise.

Lenient Bankroll Considerations for Mixed Games

The fixed limits and low buy-ins that are associated with the majority of Mixed Game Festival events make it much easier to socialize at and away from the tables without worrying about breaking a bankroll.

Table chatter tends to be more casual at low buy-in games such as tournaments and cash games, all while you get to enjoy the Las Vegas scene without the risk of losing five figures (or more) at high stakes.

All tournaments at the Mixed Game Festival actually have low three-figure buy-ins, and their “core product” is fixed limit mixed cash games at the $4/$8 level that are ideal for more modest bankrolls.

If you’re having bad luck or aren’t very familiar with a particular game that’s being played, the Dealer’s Choice $4/$8 fixed limit games at the Mixed Game Festival allow you to play multiple variants during a single session.

Conclusion — Advanced Poker Training in Mixed Games

If you’re looking to learn more about advanced poker training tips, you’ll have a much easier time if you focus on low stakes, fixed limit mixed games.

You can learn at your own pace, play in games with a lower bankroll relative to no limit formats, and have more opportunities to enjoy socializing while you’re playing or after the session has ended.

You may not become a millionaire playing low stakes mixed games, but you’ll enjoy more freedom to experiment with your own poker ideas at the table without the worry of losing a ton of money on a single hand.

In particular, if you’re new to mixed games and want to participate in an immersive experience, I personally recommend playing in the Mixed Game Festival, founded by Cardplayer Lifestyle’s own Robbie Strazynski. He hosts multiple festivals each year, most often at one of the famous casinos in Las Vegas.

Play low stakes cash games, test your skills in low buy-in tournaments, and enjoy the company of other poker fans who enjoy games like Seven Card Stud, Triple Draw, Omaha Hi/Lo, and many more.

Live poker tips for beginners are easy to come by, and can help you achieve two goals at once: learning how to play poker and having fun.

For new players especially, it can be intimidating to walk into a brick and mortar poker room for the first time.

The incessant sound of chips being shuffled along with an actual card room vibe will instantly “stick out” to someone who has never been in a card room atmosphere before.

But not to worry. In this guide, we’ll go over some of the most common live poker beginner tips. Hopefully by the end of this article, you’ll be ready to “get your feet wet” while having the confidence to start your live poker journey off on the right foot.

General Live Poker Rules

If this will be your first time playing poker in a live setting, you’ll want to be aware of a few general rules — some of which can vary depending on the venue.

Some card rooms offer small, intimate environments filled with locals, in which all the “regular” poker players know each other by name. Others may have dozens of tables going at once, or even be in the midst of hosting a major poker tournament.

Scanning the Poker Area for the First Time

When first walking into a live card rooms that offers poker games, take a moment to notice what is happening in front of you.

Is there a reception area for inquiring about which games are being spread? Do you see any signs of which games are being played and/or the stake levels?

Do you see any empty tables? Or tables that obviously have open seats that you can join?

It’s a good idea to plan ahead and have a general idea of your own as to which games, stake levels, and formats you want to play.

If you’re looking for a no limit Texas Hold’em game, chances are there will be at least one seat available (unless you see a crowd of players waiting near the reception area). NLHE has been the most common form of live poker spread throughout the world since online poker became hugely popular in the early 2000s.

Arrive with a Poker Buddy

You can remove a lot of the initial intimidation factor of stepping into a live poker room for the first time by choosing to have a poker buddy tag along with you.

Not only will this avoid going into a card room all alone for the first time, it will also serve the purpose of being able to ask any questions that immediately come to mind.

Overall, it’s probably best to select someone who is at least somewhat familiar with what to expect from the live poker room you’re visiting.

If you’re in a major casino, then you can probably browse around before entering the poker area to get a “feel” of the layout. However, if you’re visiting a local card room, you may be immediately thrust into the atmosphere as soon as you walk through the front door.

Have Your Poker Bankroll Ready

Once you’ve adjusted to the atmosphere of a live card room, the next step will be buying in to a game that’s either ongoing or about to start.

If you’re entering a poker room for the first time in order to play in a tournament, you’ll want to know the event’s specific buy in amount ahead of time so you can easily enter through the receptionist or cashier.

If you’re looking to play in a cash game, you’ll need to exchange money for poker chips at a cashier’s cage (or through a chip “runner”) either before you arrive at the designated table or as you take your seat.

Low Stakes and Fixed Limit Games are Best for Beginners

If this is your very first time playing live poker, my best advice is to buy in for the lowest possible stake level that’s allowed.

Typically, fixed limit games will allow you more time to adjust (as you won’t be pressured to go “all-in” on any given hand).

Depending on the card room, the minimum buy in for a low stakes, fixed limit poker game ranges from $100 to $500.

If you absolutely insist on playing NLHE (or if No Limit Texas Hold’em is the only game/format being spread), then try to find a $1/$3 low stakes table, where the minimum buy in amount is between $200 to $500.

Live Poker Etiquette for Beginners

There are more than a few guidelines concerning poker etiquette at a live table. As a true beginner at the live tables, many of these will be overlooked as long as it’s something “minor” in nature and you retain a positive attitude in terms of learning how to act.

However, some etiquette guidelines will be more strictly enforced, resulting in you begin immediately instructed on the behavior that’s expected.

Large denomination chips go in front

This poker etiquette rule is mostly for “no limit” or “pot limit” games, but it’s probably a good idea to get into a habit regardless of which game or stakes you’re playing.

Always place your largest denomination chips at the front of your stack (meaning away from you). All competing players at the table should be able to get a general idea of your total stack size with a casual glimpse. Again, this is of utmost importance during no limit and pot limit games.

If a competing player asked you to place your large denomination chips in front of your stack (for all to see), the best thing you can do is nod politely and do so. After all, you will likewise appreciate being able to gauge all opponents’ total chip stacks in no limit and pot limit games.

Keep your hands clean when eating

Dining at live poker tables is a necessary event for players who get hungry or will inevitably want to stay at a table for hours at a time.

As you can imagine, dining can be particularly “messy” when you add playing cards into the equation.

Pretty much any substance you can imagine (and then some) can potentially “mark” one or more live playing cards; everything from grease to sauce and much more.

The other players at your table — even though they are technically competitors — will not appreciate it if you’re handling playing cards with hands that are potentially stained by soft drink residue, salad dressing, or anything else associated with dining or drinking at the table.

Join “Soft Entry” Events

Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Mixed Game Festival has become a staple among poker fans who enjoy playing fixed limit games ranging from Omaha Eight to Seven Card Stud.

Perhaps best of all, you can travel to Las Vegas — or anywhere else a festival is being held — and choose between low buy in tournaments and cash games at your convenience while the Festival is running.

Soft Entry poker festivals that allow players to join in and bow out of games in accordance with how they are faring at a specific game of tournament are highly recommended for new players.

For the Mixed Game Festival specifically, there are other casual events like Meet-and-Greet gatherings and trivia contests that can further immerse you in a live poker atmosphere among a player field that is mostly attending to have fun above all else.

The low buy in tournaments and cash games that are synonymous with events like the Mixed Games Festival, which distinguishes itself from major, ultra-competitive poker festivals hosted by huge brand names in the poker realm.

Mixed games can also be highly instructive for new players.

Instead of focusing on one single discipline (such as No Limit Texas Hold’em), you can learn multiple variants of poker in a casual environment that is exclusively geared towards “Fixed Limit” betting rounds.

Teaching Sessions: Perfect for Live Poker Beginners

One of the more common features of a Mixed Game Festival is instructional sessions. Occasionally held as “Women’s Wednesdays” these learning sessions are led by individuals with a wealth of experience in the realm of live poker, including Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson and Women in Poker Hall of Famer Lupe Soto.

Especially if you’ve just got basic poker experience and want to dip your toes in the mixed game waters for the first time, instructional poker sessions are the perfect way to learn. First you’ll get primers on the various different poker games being taught, and then you’ll get to practice them at super low stakes ($1/2 fixed limit) often with no rake. What more could a poker player ask for?

Six Live Poker Tips for Beginners

Here are six live poker beginner tips that I personally recommend for new players.

Practice Prudent Bankroll Management

Bankroll management is key for any poker player, regardless of experience.

New players should set a budget before entering a live poker venue for the first time — and stick to it.

Take only an amount of money that you’re comfortable losing as an “entertainment” expense, and don’t buy in above your preset limit.

Your first-time poker experience won’t be nearly as memorable (at least not in a positive way) if you wind up losing hundreds or even thousands of dollars that you didn’t plan on risking during your first session.

Play Mixed Games and Fixed Limit Formats

You will give yourself a much better chance of gaining experience during your first live poker sessions if you stick to mixed games and/or fixed limit formats.

In “all-in” No Limit formats, you can lose 100 (or many more) Big Blinds in a single hand, and be forced to either reload or leave the table if you are not the winner at showdown.

Avoid this unfortunate circumstance by choosing low-stakes, fixed limit, game if at all possible.

Even if you’re sitting at a $3/$6 or $4/$8 game (which is the bare minimum stake level at some card rooms), you can still buy in for as little as $200 and be guaranteed not to go “busto” on a single hand as long as you maintain your $200 stack.

Pace Yourself and Don’t Be Afraid to Take a Break

Live poker tables will still be there even if/when you decide to step away from the action.

Don’t hesitate to “sit out,” stand up, or take a break altogether if you start feeling fatigued as a beginning live poker player.

It’s not uncommon for a first-time live poker player to spend hours at a single table without even realizing the passing of time, so you’ll want to pace yourself accordingly.

Make New Poker Friends

There’s a lot more room for social interaction at live poker tables compared to online internet games.

Unless you specifically wish to be by yourself for the entirety of your first-time live poker session, you should have at least a couple of opportunities to make new poker friends.

Dine Away from the Poker Tables

Many seasoned poker pros have come to think of on-site dining as second nature, as they’re very accustomed to marathon live poker sessions.

If this is one of your first times playing live poker, you might want to break up the monotony of the experience by dining inside a restaurant (if you’re playing inside a major casino) or at a separate table.

Site founder Robbie Strazynski enjoying dinner with the Pokercoaching.com guys, Jonathan Little and Justin Saliba… away from the felt!

Again, the poker tables will still be there once you finish eating, and you can dine more comfortably away from the table knowing that you don’t have to be nearly as careful in terms of unintentionally marking playing cards.

Have Fun! Enjoy Yourself!

Your first few live poker sessions at a card room or casino should be an enjoyable experience.

You don’t have to cram 16 hours of experience into a single day/evening just because it’s your first time playing.

Stay within your financial means and enjoy yourself while having fun! This will ensure that you’re on the right course to maintaining your lifelong poker journey beyond just a few sessions.

The management of 888poker has just announced the release of an all new gameplay HUD (Heads-up Display) available for every player who competes at their virtual felts. The HUD contains up to five statistics categories for Texas Hold’em games, and will appear once a player hovers over the avatar of an opponent (or their own avatar).

What is VPIP?

“Voluntarily Put in Pot” is a metric defined by the percentage of hands a player contributes chips into a pot voluntarily. A high VPIP (such as 40%) means that an opponent is playing a lot of hands.

What is PFR?

“Preflop Raise” is a statistic that shows the percentage of hands in which a player is raising preflop. A higher PFR typically signals aggressive preflop play, while a lower PFR rate points to the opposite.

What is 3Bet?

A “3Bet” is represents another step of preflop aggression. It occurs when a player re-raises the action after another player has already raised the action preflop.

The 3Bet tactic can be especially useful for players who desire to either win the entire pot before the community cards arrive by “bluffing,” or to “price out” opponents when a player possesses premium hole cards.

A very low 3Bet percentage may mean that a player is playing very “tight” during preflop action, while a very high 3Bet rate could point to a player being overly aggressive by attempting to win a lot of raised preflop pots without seeing community cards.

What is Number of Hands?

The number of hands counter that you will see when hovering over a player’s avatar while competing online at 888poker simply means that number of hands for which the categorized statistics have been calculated.

If the player’s stats are derived from thousands of hands, the VPIP, PRF, and 3Bet rates tend to be a bit more reliable.

On the other hand, if the stats only represent a very limited number of hands, the categorized statistical sections may not be very representative of a player’s true preflop tendencies.

The number of hands counter will only include hands that the player who is accessing the info has actually been dealt into for each opponent.

What are Tournament Winnings?

This statistic is only available when competing in an online poker tournament.

Basically, it shows how much a player has won on 888poker through online tournament play.

While this number DOES represent total online MTT prize winnings over the course of all hands tracked, it does NOT show a player’s actual profit (or loss) after buy-in expenditures have been considered.

See Where Your Opponents are From

Using the proprietary 888poker HUD will also reveal the country from which a player is competing from.

888poker Ambassador Ian Simpson Shares His Thoughts

We reached out to 888poker Ambassador Ian Simpson, who appears in the promo video below — and who just won the 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event, asking what aspects of the new internal HUD he thought players will like/appreciate most and which stats he thinks will help the players most with their online poker game.

“I think VPIP and 3bet are the most important stats to focus on, and will help improve players games the most If they didn’t already have a HUD,” he said. “Those two stats give a lot of insight into how tight/loose and how aggressive/passive players are. I always thought an integrated HUD is a great system for an online client to level the playing field, so I’m really happy 888poker has developed this one,” he continued.

There are plenty of online poker players out there who don’t have experience using a HUDs, so this new development in the software might come off as a little intimidating to them. So we asked Simpson what sort of advice he would impart to these players, to which he replied “The numbers can seem really daunting at first, but once you take a step back and do some reading about what they mean it isn’t so difficult.”

He went on to give an example: “Take the 3b stat for instance. This is just how often someone three bets, or re-raises pre flop. A ‘normal’ number is 9 or 10, which would indicate a healthy balance of strong hands and bluffs. If someone has a much lower number, that means they’re only 3-betting very good hands. If it is much higher than this number, your opponent is 3-betting with not just good hands, but lots of weak hands also.”

HUDs for All Players: “Evening” the Playing Field?

Granting all players access to basic Heads-up Display information could help “even” the playing field by raising the competence level of casual poker players versus pros.

In many cases, professional poker players have been using HUD info for more than a decade to view PFR, 3Bet, and VPIP information on opponents in real time through third party apps.

Making this information available by default will give less skilled players somewhat of an introduction into tendencies that can truly represent a more detailed picture of each opponent’s gameplay behavior — particularly before the flop has been dealt.

888poker HUD: A Long Time Coming?

One of the main arguments for making a default HUD available to every player at an online table is to somewhat detract from the advantage that highly skilled pros gain from their own HUD use.

From an online poker operator standpoint, this information could keep lesser skilled players “in the game” for longer periods of time while, at the same time, increasing the odds for casual players to achieve success during a specific online cash game or tournament session.

Third Party HUDs Have More Statistics

However, the third party HUD applications that some professional players have already been using typically display even more statistics, including opponents’ tendencies once the flop has been dealt in community card games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha.

What’s more, third party HUDs (whether legal or not) may actually draw from a much larger sample size for individual screen names — all the way up a player’s entire career on a particular platform which could include millions of hands.

This is one of the reasons why online poker operators routinely seek to prohibit the use of many third party HUDs, as they can grant highly skilled players an unfair advantage of having statistical information related to hands they never personally participated in.

888poker HUD can be Toggled On and Off

Players who are competing at the 888poker online tables from a small-screen mobile device (iOS or Android) may prefer less visual “clutter.”

This is why the 888poker HUD will only activate if you hover over (or tap on) a player’s avatar during gameplay.

If you do not wish to see the HUD info, you don’t have to “opt-in” or “opt-out” through a menu.

The HUD feature is toggled OFF by default but will automatically activate to the ON mode, by default, one a player’s avatar is being hovered over.

Opinion: 888poker HUD is Generally a “Good” Idea

Decreasing the learning curve for casual online poker players has been a contentious point since virtual real money poker gained mass popularity in the early 2000s.

In this author’s opinion, the introduction of a proprietary HUD — available for all players by default — coincides with the fact that the “best” poker players are no longer human.

Similar to chess, the concept and timing of poker becoming a “sport” is more viable once the case for mainstream recognition of AI’s dominance can be proven on-demand.

And once this has been recognized, statistical overlays for commentators (along with the real time use of AI for commentary teams) become more widely accepted among viewers.

Viewers can already watch poker commentators use terms such as VPIP, PFR, and 3Bet during popular live streams of competitive play.

Plus, the real time, open source chess engine Stockfish was routinely used by commentators during the 2024 FIDE chess final between Gukesh Dommaraju and Ding Liren.

Enjoy 888poker from your Mobile Device or Personal Computer

The 888poker platform is available in select jurisdictions, but can be enjoyed from the comfort of your home office (using a personal computer or MAC), or from a smart device that uses the iOS or Android operating systems.

The 888poker HUD feature is available for all users, regardless of which device or computer they are playing from.

Longtime poker tournament player Scott Stewart of California has captured a victory in the 2024 WPT World Championship Event, taking home a career high $2,563,900 for the win.

Let’s give a big congratulations to the new @WPT World Champion! Scott Stewart (@YaBoyStu) claimed the title and $2,563,900 in prize money! pic.twitter.com/OTszhdM4qy

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 22, 2024

Affectionately known as ‘YaBoyStu’ when playing online, Scott now moves into the Top 400 all-time live poker tournament cash prize winners — nearly doubling his total to $5.5 million thanks to his record setting performance in the $10,400 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event.

Rob Sherwood of England, who won his entry into the championship tournament via a $1,100 buy-in satellite, finished in second place and collected an even $2,200,000 upon making a three-way deal that included Eddie Pak (3rd place for $2,000,000).

Award winning poker pro Chris Moorman placed fourth for the second consecutive year and is now $1,150,000 richer as a result of his repeated final table appearance at Wynn Las Vegas

WPT World Championship: Other Side Events

We’ve already recapped action from the first half of the 2024 WPT World Championship, so here are results from the second half, which has just concluded.

Alaskan Adam Hendrix earned a career high live poker tournament score over the weekend. Adam received $629,000 upon outlasting the entire field (1,570 entries) in the $3,000 buy-in, $3M Guaranteed NLHE Championship event.

Congratulations Adam Hendrix on your win in the @WPT $3K NLH event on December 21st. Defeating a field of 1,570 players, Adam earned $629,000! Well done! pic.twitter.com/9Ud0h15MHb

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 22, 2024

In other high stakes poker action this past week, Travis Egbert of California won the largest cash prize of his career as well. Travis picked up a win in the $25,000 WPT Alpha 8 marquee tournament on Friday, December 19th.

Travis Egbert wins the $25K @WPT Alpha 8!

Congratulations Travis on your success over the 111 player field, winning $684,684! pic.twitter.com/xjFpI8lkCw

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 20, 2024

Travis now sits within the Top 1,000 all-time United States live tournament cash prize winners thanks to the win, according to The Hendon Mob poker database.

Elsewhere, poker coach Zak Vankeuren is now the reigning WPT Prime champion.

The @WPT Prime Championship has a new reigning champion! Congratulations Zak Vankeuren (@ZakVankeuren) on your win over the 9,670 player field, winning $1,151,959 and a seat into the 2025 WPT World Championship! pic.twitter.com/M4lOwfbB55

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 16, 2024

Zak was the recipient of exactly $1,151,959 after getting through an enormous field of 9,670 entries.

Chase Bricker found a passport into the  ClubWPT Gold $5 million Freeroll Invitational, and parlayed that into a $1.1 million winner’s circle finish.

Chase Bricker drew his lucky seat into the @ClubWPTGold $5 Million Dollar Freeroll when he arrived @WynnLasVegas and found a golden passport in the McLaren drum!

Chase capitalized on this opportunity, winning $1,114,000!

Congratulations Chase on the victory! pic.twitter.com/l5OuryYRWb

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 16, 2024

Best of all, Chase was able to claim the million dollar plus payout without having to buy-in due to the freeroll tournament’s “no entry fee” format.

More Than 30 Additional Tournaments at the 2024 WPT World Championship Festival

The past three weeks have displayed a truly amazing representation of massive, live poker tournament festivals that the World Poker Tour and Wynn Las Vegas has become accustomed to.

In all, there was easily eight figures of total prize pool earnings won by thousands of poker players from all over the world.

Below are the final results for the side events that wrapped up during the second half of the 2024 WPT World Championship in Sin City.

2024 WPT World Championship Side Event Winners (Dec 15th-22nd)

Sunday, December 15th, marked the beginning of the final week of this year’s blockbuster live poker festival held at the Wynn Poker Room in Las Vegas.

Jannick Schoeb was the last player remaining at the end of the $1,100 5-Card Pot Limit Omaha tournament, and was awarded with $69,030 as the top prize.

Jannick Schoeb earned the win along with $69,030 for his victory in the @WPT $1,100 5-Card PLO. Well done Jannick and congratulations! pic.twitter.com/wXsJM8YkwS

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 15, 2024

Tirza Sanders of Arizona had her most successful live tournament to date.

The @WPT Ladies Champion has been crowned! Congratulations Tirza Sanders on your $90,432 win over the 485 player Ladies Championship! Well done! pic.twitter.com/Td8d6BOfNh

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 16, 2024

On December 16th, Sanders climbed to the #1 spot in the 2024 WPT Ladies Championship with a victory worth over $90,000.

Mixed Games were next on the live poker tournament menu at Wynn Las Vegas.

Mir Gaskari won the @WPT $600 TORSE tournament on December 15th for $26,654. Congratulations Mir on your win over the 221 player field! pic.twitter.com/hEyDWBmOD6

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 17, 2024

Mir Gaskari made his trip from California count with a $26,654 award for besting 221 players in the $600 TORSE tournament. Notably (or perhaps not so notably?) our founder Robbie Strazynski finished in 36th place.

Scottsdale poker player Anthony Arvidson finished 1st in the ‘BIG O’ tournament.

Anthony Arvidson won the @WPT Big O tournament for $56,777. Nicely done Anthony and congratulations! pic.twitter.com/02TYKVG1Ix

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 17, 2024

Anthony’s $56,777 payday is the best of his career so far.

Canadian Patrick Quinn was victorious in the $1,100 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold’em WPT event on December 16th. The win was good for nearly $66,000.

Congratulations Patrick Quinn, winner of the $1,100 NLH @WPT Event on December 16th. Patrick earned $65,957 for the win over the 456 player field. pic.twitter.com/xpoojbSaEW

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 18, 2024

Mexican poker rounder Bernardo Crespo capped off a successful 2024 calendar year by taking first place in the $1,600 WPT Turbo Bounty event.

The $1,600 @WPT Turbo Bounty winner was Bernardo Crespo for $42,553 + $5,500 in bounties. Nicely done Bernardo and congratulations! pic.twitter.com/bOCLqC32xv

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 18, 2024

After the dust had settled, Crespo had accumulated more than $48,000 between his placement prize and bounties.

North Carolina’s Gabriel Ramos negotiated a 3-way final table deal in the $1,100 Pot Limit Omaha tournament.

Gabriel Ramos is the winner of the @WPT $1,100 PLO, topping a field of 386 entries, earning $61,000 via a 3-way deal. Congratulations Gabriel on the pic.twitter.com/eVSWmKpKSm

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 18, 2024

Gabriel picked up exactly $61,000 for his PLO win.

Nicolaos Angelou of Greece won a total of $51,383 in the December 18th Turbo Bounty event at the 2024 WPT World Championship.

Congratulations to the @WPT Turbo bounty winner, Nikolaos Angelou Konstas, good for $47,383 + $4K in bounties. Nicely done Nikolaos! pic.twitter.com/KLvsGFSDpW

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 19, 2024

Pennsylvanian Matthew Sabia was awarded with the best live poker tournament score ever in his young career on Wednesday night.

Matthew Sabia won the $3K @WPT NLH PKO for $92,056 + $69,500 in bounties for total event earnings of $161,556. Congratulations Matthew on your victory! pic.twitter.com/uuH99z8G42

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 19, 2024

The $161,556 payout was the result of Matthew’s win in the $3,000 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold’em PKO tournament inside the Wynn Las Vegas poker room.

Tamas Hartman of Florida was next to enjoy a moment as a newly crowned WPT tournament winner.

Tamas Hartman won the $600 @WPT single day event for $21,493. Congratulations Tamas! pic.twitter.com/f1oFfKdWvZ

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 19, 2024

The $600 buy-in NLHE single day tournament resulted in a $21,493 win for Tamas, and put him over the $100k mark in all-time live tournament cashes.

Nick Guagenti of Ohio received $38,963 once all was said and done in the Pot Limit Omaha Eight or Better event on Thursday.

Congratulations to the winner of the @WPT $1,100 PLO-8 Event. Nicholas Guagenti was joined by 212 players but he emerged on top, good for $38,963! Well done Nicholas! pic.twitter.com/XVylxe9vo6

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 19, 2024

Friday afternoon, Glenn Gillam beat a highly competitive field of 939 entries in the $1,100 buy-in Seniors tournament.

Congratulations Glenn Gillam on your victory in the $1,100 @WPT Seniors Championship. Glen defeated a of field of 939 players, winning $112,117. Well done Mr. Gillam! pic.twitter.com/UvlYj5UJES

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 21, 2024

Glenn added $112,117 to his poker bankroll with the victory.

Players from the United States continued to enjoy success at the 2024 WPT World Championship going into the weekend, as Jay Jesse won $43,216 at the end of another single day NLHE event.

Jay Jesse topped the 371 player field to win the @WPT $800 NLH single day event for $43,216. Nicely done Jay and congratulations! pic.twitter.com/biT8Pw12rA

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 21, 2024

Chinese high roller Ren Lin rolled to a $180,000 cashout upon winning the NLHE 6-max event early Saturday morning.

Ren Lin won the @WPT $3K 6-Max on December 20th for $180,000. Congratulations Mr. Lin on the victory! pic.twitter.com/Nm4vlH9do4

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 21, 2024

Meanwhile, it was Martin McCloskey who won the smaller, $600 buy-in 6-max tournament for $33,989.

Topping a field of 411 players, Martin McCloskey won the @WPT $600 NLH 6-Max for $33,989. Congratulations Martin on the win! pic.twitter.com/lR4t2dxYbz

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 22, 2024

Another veteran poker player who’s had massive success both online and live — Jim Collopy — found a way to earn one more six-figure score on Sunday afternoon.

James Collopy won $209,628 for his win in the $10K @WPT PLO event. Congratulations Jim on your victory! pic.twitter.com/exHq8qhqM8

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 23, 2024

Collopy entered the $10,000 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha championship and finished first for $209,628.

YouTube Poker sensation, leading vlogger, and Lodge Poker Club co-owner Brad Owen is quickly approaching $1 million in career live tournament prize money thanks to his performance over the weekend.

Last night I got my first big tournament win. After busting all of the big NL tournaments that I was looking forward to playing, including the $25k twice, I was feeling dejected. I came home. Amber sensed I was feeling down, she gave me a big hug and said, “You’ll get a win… pic.twitter.com/TrMJsaLKUa

— Brad Owen (@TheBradOwen) December 21, 2024

Brad achieved a 1st place score of $60,500 in the 2024 WPT Championship HORSE event — astonishingly in only his third ever time competing in the 5-variant poker discipline!

Saturday’s live poker tournament action concluded with Dylan Smith outlasting close to 100 opponents in the ‘Big Bet Mix’ event — collecting $29,670.

On December 21st, Dylan Smith defeated 96 players, taking home $29,670 for his win in the $1,100 @WPT Big Bet Mix. Well done Dylan and congratulations! pic.twitter.com/9OqEYDnMN4

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 23, 2024

WPT Looking Forward to 2025 Tournament Festivals

World Poker Tour CEO Adam Pliska was delighted with the success of this year’s marquee live poker tournament festival in Las Vegas.

“I would like to offer a huge thank you to all the players and Wynn staff that made the third annual WPT World Championship an event to remember,” said Pliska after a new WPT World champion was crowned.

The WPT is scheduled to make over a dozen tour stops in 2025.

Season 23 of the World Poker Tour will officially begin on February 14th, 2025, with the WPT Prime Cambodia live tournament festival.

To find out more about how you can qualify for a live WPT tournament, or to consult the Season 23 schedule, visit the official website of the World Poker Tour.

Poker players have arrived from all over the world to play in the 2024 WPT World Championship festival  in Sin City. The Wynn Las Vegas is once again hosting the World Poker Tour’s marquee live event, with more than a dozen winners already making their mark on this year’s preliminary tournaments.

As the $10K WPT World Championship event itself is now underway, we’ll be taking a look back at and recapping all of the “first half” poker action so far.

2024 WPT World Championship: First Half Recap

As Wynn Poker Room Las Vegas regulars began making the transition to the venue’s biggest poker festival of the year, Jonathan Breneman picked up a victory in the $600 buy-in Fixed Limit Omaha 8 event.

Jonathan took home $21,264 for the win after outlasting a competitive field of 161 participants.

Jonathan Breneman captured the title of the opening event of the 2024 @WPT World Championship with his win in the $600 Limit Omaha 8 event. Jonathan defeated a field of 161 players, earning $21, 264! Congratulations on the victory! pic.twitter.com/TjUdvpnvia

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 4, 2024

Two days later on December 5th, New York Jason Staalesen captured a win in the $600 buy-in HORSE event for $20,338. Jason was able to best more than 150 players to take home a coveted Wynn Poker Room Las Vegas trophy.

Congratulations Jason Staalesen on your victory in the @WPT $600 HORSE Event on December 4th. Jason defeated 154 players, winning $20,338! pic.twitter.com/6nIVcI3WR3

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 5, 2024

By Saturday, December 7th, the festival’s attention moved to No Limit Texas Hold’em. Floridian Barry Hutter took another step towards earning a Top 200 spot on the live tournament all-time money list after claiming the $1,000 NLHE Turbo event title.

The $49,342 cash award put Barry’s overall winnings to over the $7.7 million career mark.

Barry Hutter won $49,342 for his win in the @WPT $1,100 NLH Turbo. Well done Barry and congratulations! pic.twitter.com/NVhSwUlNEN

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 7, 2024

Tournament prize pools for the popular NLHE format continued to increase, with Mexican poker pro Sergio Barrios Soto adding $318,623 to his poker bankroll by winning the $800 buy-in, $1 million guaranteed tournament.

More than 3,000 players entered the field, but it was Barrios Soto who came out on top Saturday evening.

Sergio Barrios Soto is the winner of the @WPT $800 $1M guarantee! Congratulations Sergio on defeating a field of 3,006 players, good for $318,623! pic.twitter.com/hMedVx82Nk

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 8, 2024

Israeli Ran Koller made the most of playing in the $1,600 No Limit Hold’em Mystery Bounty event at the 2024 WPT World Championship. By early Monday morning, he had amassed $9,000 in total bounties to go along with his $158,027 first place prize.

Congratulations Ran Koller, winner of the $1,600 @WPT Mystery Bounty. On his way to his $158,027 victory, Ran picked up $9K in bounties for total event earnings of $167,027! pic.twitter.com/PtbHrESNFH

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 9, 2024

California’s Bradley Miller was the next poker ace to be awarded a Wynn Poker Room trophy.

His win in the $3,000 Pot Limit Omaha event represented his largest-ever live poker tournament score. The $117,780 victory prize places Bradley just shy of $500,000 career live tournament winnings.

Bradley Miller claimed $117,780 for his victory in the $3K @WPT PLO event on December 8th. Congratulations Mr. Miller! pic.twitter.com/m2OYw5519x

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 9, 2024

Chun Kit Kwan on Ontario, Canada continued his rise in the poker world on Monday as well, by winning the $1,100 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Turbo event for $41,213.

A native of Hong Kong, Kwan has now won nearly a quarter million dollars from live poker tournaments.

Congratulations Chun Kwan on your win in the @WPT $1,100 NLH Turbo. Chun topped 164 players, taking home $41,213 ! pic.twitter.com/tv1MCnMnOj

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 9, 2024

Long time poker pro and veteran online player Matt Vengrin of New York was awarded $39,553 upon winning the $1,100 Fixed Limit Omaha 8 or better event.

Matt has been on the poker scene for approximately two decades and has received more than $1.7 million from live tournament winnings to go along with his impressive online poker career.

Matthew Vengrin is the winner of the @WPT $1,100 Limit Omaha 8 Tournament. Congratulations Matt on your win for $39,553! pic.twitter.com/wMRpBVKFMM

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 10, 2024

The 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Joe McKeehen once again proved the value of longevity in the professional poker world.

Joe’s $120,943 haul for a victory in the NLHE 6-max event at the 2024 WPT World Championship festival moved him even closer to the Top 50 list of all-time live poker tournament cash prize winners at over $20.4 million.

Congratulations Joseph McKeehen on your win in the @WPT $3K NLH 6-Max. Joe earned $120,943 for the win over the 211 player field. Well done! pic.twitter.com/qOwQ0vLi68

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 10, 2024

Poker pro Caleb Furth will celebrate the holiday season $55,791 richer.

Caleb’s victory in the $1,100 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha tournament could also mean more doggie biscuits for his beloved support animal.

Santa baby, come leave a present under the tree…for me.

And not the kind Piper leaves. 🐩💩

GRATS! pic.twitter.com/y67IEnsdjl

— Table 1 Vegas (@Table1Vegas) December 11, 2024

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Frederic Moss beat a field of 200+ competitors and won $24,360 in the $600 buy-in Mix Triple Draw tournament.

Frederic Moss won the 202 player @WPT $600 Mix Triple Draw Event on December 10th for $24,360. Congratulations Mr. Moss on the victory! pic.twitter.com/1AbnfU4oVq

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 11, 2024

Two-time WSOP Circuit Ring winner Thomas Alex Taylor captured a Wynn Las Vegas trophy in the $600 buy-in NLHE Turbo tournament held on Wednesday. The win added more than $30,000 to Taylor’s live poker bankroll.

Thomas Taylor won the $600 @WPT NLH Turbo for $30,667. Congratulations Thomas on defeating the 292 player field! pic.twitter.com/pQQPtwYzCw

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 11, 2024

Record Breaking WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas

The 2024 WPT Prime Championship has attracted at huge field this year. By nearly doubling its guarantee, the $9.37 million prize pool means that the eventual winner will take home for than $1.16 million! At press time, the final table is currently being played out. Players who’ve made the final table include (in order from biggest to smallest chip stack): Kevin Calenzo, James Casement, Colin Hong, Joseph Ozimok, Malik Zaman, Zak Van Keuren, Justin Young, Ryan Stiner, and Ralph Marquez.

1D of the @WPTPrime Championship broke the record for the largest Day 1 in @WPT history @WynnLasVegas @WynnPoker! 💥

Here are the final numbers:
Buy-in: $1,100
Guarantee: $5,000,000

1A: 1,264
1B: 1,738
1C: 2,802
1D: 3,866
Total entries: 9,670
Prize Pool: $9,379,900
1st Place:… pic.twitter.com/kUPdTOBVfZ

— WPT Live Updates (@WPTlive) December 12, 2024

As we head to the second half of the 2024 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, there is still plenty of money being won in preliminary events. For instance, GGPoker pro Akshat Bakaj claimed $46,929 for his win in today’s $600 buy-in NLHE Turbo tournament.

Akshat Bakaj won the @WPT $600 NLH Turbo for $46,929. Congratulations Akshat on your victory! pic.twitter.com/GdZC24xA0g

— Wynn Poker Room (@WynnPoker) December 14, 2024

Plus, our founder Robbie Strazynski will be hopping into the $600 TORSE event tomorrow — it’s one of the top five things he was looking forward to on this trip — in search of his first ever recorded tournament cash. So, join us in wishing him good luck and rungood!

2024 WPT World Championship Prepares for Exciting Conclusion

We now shift into high gear for the remainder of the 2024 WPT Championship festival. Over the next 8+ days, we’ll see winners crowned in the ClubWPT Gold $5 million Freeroll Invitational, the $1,100 Ladies Championship — which attracted 485 entrants, and a new winner from the $10,400 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Championship Event, who will follow in the footsteps of Eliot Hudon and Dan Sepiol, winners from the previous two years.

Of course, we invite you to come back to Cardplayer Lifestyle for a full “second half” recap once the action has concluded. In the meantime, we wish all the poker players who are competing at Wynn Las Vegas the best of luck in fulfilling their live poker tournament dreams!

Resorts World Las Vegas and the World Poker Tour will host the 2024 Big Deal for One Drop celebrity charity poker tournament on Friday, November 22. The $10,000 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold’em event will be capped at 54 individual players, with rebuys and add-ons available. Notably, the event is purely charitable so it won’t be paying out any prize money. Rather, as the tournament coincides with Race Week in Sin City, the One Drop® Foundation will put up prizes that money just can’t buy, both F1 and non-F1 related.

Celebrities Galore at 2024 Big Deal for One Drop

Cirque du Soleil and One Drop founder Guy Laliberté will be in attendance to promote the One Drop initiative, and the event itself will be kicked off by Master of Ceremonies and 17-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.

The live poker action on November 22 will take place in the beautiful Allé Lounge on 66 inside the Resorts World Las Vegas complex. Race Week personalities, celebrities, and a number of select poker professionals will be on hand to compete in the charity event.

The Big Deal for One Drop will unite Formula 1 personalities, celebrities, and poker pros in an exciting tournament for prizes, unique experiences, and bragging rights.

Highlights:

• Confirmed Participants:
  • F1 legends: David Coulthard, Martin Brundle, Otmar Szafnauer, and Alex Wurz.
  • Special guests: Photographer Kim Illman and artist Paul Oz.
  • Poker stars: Antonio Esfandiari, Maria Ho, and Jeff Gross.
• Host & MC:
  • Hosted by Phil Hellmuth, 17-time WSOP bracelet winner.
• Exceptional Prizes:
  • VIP packages to Monaco, Singapore, and Montreal Grand Prix events.
  • Exclusive experiences with Steve Aoki and rare art by Paul Oz.
  • Hand-numbered Dos Caras tequila bottle valued at $10K+.

2024 Formula 1 Race Week in Las Vegas

The Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix™ will be the culminating event during Race Week, and will run through Saturday, November 23.

Belgium-Dutch professional racing driver Max Verstappen won the event last year by posting the winning time on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit — a 3.85 mile course that spans the world famous Las Vegas Strip.

Let’s gooo guys!!! 💪 Another amazing result @redbullracing 👏

Had a lot of fun out there today, great racing! 🙌 See you next year Vegas 🎲🎰 pic.twitter.com/MGxLOoOhrq

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) November 19, 2023

Big Deal for One Drop Charity Aims

Both the WPT and One Drop Foundation have become leaders in charity poker events, and have raised millions upon millions of dollars together since 2012. The two have partnered in the past to raise awareness and have a significant positive impact on issues such as climate and sustainability, while focusing on safe and sustainable water in regions worldwide that have been affected by climate change.

As of 2024, approximately 2.2 billion individuals worldwide lack safe water in their home region, according to UNICEF and the World Health Organization.

The aim of Resorts World Las Vegas, the WPT Foundation, and the One Drop Foundation is to reach their goal of assisting the living conditions of 3 million individuals globally through charity outreach that empowers fellow human beings to devise their own solutions through life-changing water projects.

“Coming off our successful Neon Future Science event for the Aoki Foundation in 2022, we are very happy to be partnering again with Resorts World for The Big Deal,” said Hermance Blum, WPT Vice President of Marketing.

Allé 66 will offer stunning views of the F1 tracks while Leon Wheeler and his team will provide a fantastic poker experience filled with unique prizes that only the One Drop Foundation and Guy Laliberté have the privilege to offer.

The WPT Foundation is honoured to support the One Drop Foundation in its endeavours to bring safe water in under privileged territories. Over the last 12 years, generous poker players and fans from around the world have contributed to raising near $50 million and we are delighted to do it again in one of the most prestigious and exciting times of year of Formula 1 in Las Vegas!” she continued.

“It gives us great pride to host an event with such a notable cause that resonates deeply in Las Vegas,” stated Resorts World Las Vegas President Peter LaVoie in a recent press release. “Our commitment to sustainability is unwavering, and we look forward to partnering with the One Drop Foundation to further this effort while having some fun during Race Week.”

“The Resorts World Poker Room is absolutely thrilled to host the Big Deal for One Drop! This isn’t just a great cause—it’s the beginning of an amazing partnership with One Drop! We can’t wait for many more incredible events in the future,” added Leon Wheeler, Director of Poker Operations at Resorts World Las Vegas.

2024 Big Deal for One Drop Start Time

The 2024 Big Deal for One Drop tournament will start at 12:00pm on Friday, November 22. The official “Shuffle up and deal” is expected to be announced on-site by Hellmuth himself.

The Allé Lounge on 66 venue inside Resorts World Las Vegas will give players an unforgettable view of Sin City’s skyline as they compete in the $10,000 buy-in NLHE charity poker event.

Players will be able to rebuy and add-on throughout the event, and while prizes have yet to be announced, the eventual winner will take home the Big Deal for One Drop championship trophy. Participants will be able to mingle with celebrities and Race Week personalities before and after the tournament, with lots of anticipated fun occurring while the poker event is taking place.

Poker fans who wish to obtain tickets to the 2024 Big Deal for One Drop charity poker event, or who wish to donate via a sponsorship, can contact La************@*****op.org.

The WPT Global poker rewards (rakeback) program has arrived for online poker players in select jurisdictions.

Between now and December 31st, players can earn up to 40% weekly rakeback just for being designated as a table starter.

Read on to find out more about how these incentives can help you build your poker bankroll while playing online at WPT Global.

WPT Global Poker Rewards Program: How It Works

To earn rakeback while playing a WPT Global cash game, you will need to be categorized as a “Table Starter” at a qualifying online table.

STEP 1: Browse the WPT Global cash game lobby and find an empty table (or one that has only one player seated)

STEP 2: Sit down and begin playing at that table.

STEP 3: As long as you are one of the first two players to begin playing, you will receive a weekly rakeback credit for all the action that subsequently takes place — for the duration of the session.

STEP 4: When you sit out or leave the table, the rakeback promotion ends.

STEP 5: Each Monday at 2:00pm CET, your account will be credited with rakeback earned during the prior week.

• This offer is currently active — it will end on December 31, 2024
• Breaks up to 5 minutes are allowed

WPT Global Poker Rewards Program: Rakeback Percentages for High, Mid, and Low Stakes

The percentage of rakeback that you will receive will depend on the specific stakes of each game you start.

HIGH LEVEL (minimum stakes)

$25/$50/$100 NLHE – 40%
$100/$200/$400 NLHE CNY – 40%
$25/$50 PLO – 40%
$200 CNY SD – 40%

MID, LOW, AND MICRO LEVEL GAMES

All games listed in the MID, LOW, or MICRO level tiers within the lobby will award 20% rakeback to Table Starters.

Terms and Conditions

This WPT Global rakeback opportunity will expire on December 31, 2024.

To become a Table Starter, you must buy-in and begin playing at a qualified online table.

The classification of tabs within the online poker client will determine whether you are playing at a HIGH LEVEL (40%) table or a MID/LOW/MICRO (20%) table.

The weekly rakeback will accumulate according to “attribution” percentages. Pace games — along with feature spend and insurance options — are excluded from this offer.

Disconnecting and subsequently sitting back in will result in the player losing his or her Table Starter status. However, the rakeback earned up to that point will still be awarded.

If you lose all your chips as a Table Starter but are able to reload and continue playing, then you will retain your status for the duration of that session.

A “session” (for rakeback accrual purposes) ends as soon as you leave the table, disconnect, or fail to reload.

WPT Global Benefits and Opportunities for Live Poker Players

Not only can you win rakeback benefits for the rest of 2024, you can also complete in WPT Global online satellites for a chance to earn a seat into a marquee World Poker Tour live event.

Throughout the year, the World Poker Tour holds online qualifiers into live poker festivals that are held around the globe.

This includes in-person events in Europe, North American, and even world-famous venues such as the Wynn Las Vegas.

To enter an online qualifier into a major live event, simply consult the categorized tabs shown in the WPT Global lobby.

Some events are sub-qualifiers (meaning you’ll need to win more than once to receive a seat), while other tournaments will award seats directly.

Typically speaking, the larger the online satellite tournament buy-in, the greater chance you will have at winning a seat.

2024 WPT World Championship: Coming This December

The 2024 WPT World Championship is scheduled to take place at the Wynn Las Vegas this December.

Those who arrive in-person can expect plenty of live tournaments, cash games, and satellite opportunities between December 14th and December 21st.

The WPT World Championship Main Event buy-in is $10,400. Here’s the full festival schedule.

Last year, the WPT flagship live tournament boasted a $40 million total prize pool along with a first place prize over $5,000,000.

At a press conference that took place during the NAPT Las Vegas festival at Resorts World, two new PokerStars ambassadors were announced. High roller Jason Koon and poker player-content creator Caitlin Comeskey will become the newest faces to represent one of the most prestigious online poker sites in the world.

PokerStars Team Pro: Jason Koon

Like many of today’s poker high rollers, Jason Koon began his for-profit poker journey by cutting his teeth at the online poker tables in the mid-2000s.

Jason started playing No Limit Texas Hold’em games on PokerStars in 2006, while in the process of obtaining his Masters degree in Business Administration and Finance from Wesleyan College.

It wasn’t long before the West Virginia native realized he could turn poker playing into a real job. His first major cash came in 2009, when he captured a victory in the PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP), taking home more than $300,000 for his efforts.

His largest poker score to date came in the Triton Poker Series during the 2018 calendar year, when he won $3.57 million in the high roller festival’s short-deck no-ante live tournament.

Koon is currently ranked #4 on The Hendon Mob‘s worldwide all-time money list, with over $58 million in career live tournament cash prizes.

His accomplishments also include a World Series of Poker bracelet, which he won in 2021 by outlasting a highly competitive field in the $25,000 buy-in NLHE heads-up event.

PokerStars Team Pro: Caitlin Comeskey

Poker pro Caitlin Comeskey burst onto the poker scene in the early 2020s by providing fresh, innovative poker content on Twitter/X.

Soon thereafter, Caitlin’s material was being widely shared and re-tweeted by popular poker personalities including Joey Ingram and Solve4Why co-founder Matt Berkey.

Her live poker achievements have so far been achieved at the Lodge Card Club near Austin, Texas, where Comeskey currently resides as a professional cash game and tournament player.

In 2022, Caitlin had dual runner-up performances in the Lodge Monthly Monster tournament. These two performances resulted in cash prizes of $60,035 (April) and $55,328 (October), according to The Hendon Mob.

Notably, Caitlin is also a Global Poker Awards winner, having taken home the trophy for Best Short Form Content Creator in 2023.

Screaming, crying, throwing up 🤮 beyond proud to announce that I’m joining @PokerStars as Ambassador. Thanks to everyone who supported me on my journey to this moment 😭🥰🤘 pic.twitter.com/ZM4amcFsUq

— Caitlin Comeskey (@CaitlinComeskey) November 7, 2024

PokerStars Legacy Achievements in Online and Live Poker

For more than two decades, the PokerStars brand has been responsible for creating many of the most innovative player experiences on the planet.

From popular WCOOP and SCOOP online tournament series to marquee live events; from mixed games like Badugi, Omaha, 7 Card Stud, and Razz to the No Limit Texas Hold’em Sunday Million — PokerStars has provided its customers with top-notch customer service along with a wide variety of online poker options since 2001.

Presence in the United States Online Poker Market

The PokerStars online poker site is currently available in the United States in three jurisdictions: New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. In the long run, having more statewide markets available for legal US online poker will increase the influence of PokerStars ambassadors while providing more opportunities for highly talented individuals to become online poker brand representatives.