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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chris Moneymaker Claims Mike Postle ACR allegations “10000000% false” Chris Moneymaker has called allegations that ACR pros were told not to publicly support infamous cheat Mike Postle “comical” and “10000000 false”

Chris Moneymaker has stepped up to refute allegations that Americas CardRoom pros were told not to publicly support infamous cheat Mike Postle. Moneymaker called the claims “comical” and “10,000,000 false”. Chris Moneymaker Postle was at the centre of arguably the biggest live cheating scandal of the century, perhaps ever, when he was suspected of using hidden technology during Stones Gambling Hall livestreamed cash games in 2019. His biggest, almost only, supporter throughout a lengthy poker community-led investigation (and subsequent claims, counterclaims and lawsuits) was a former employer of Postle, Evert Caldwell.

Record Bad Beat Jackpot Hits at Lodge Card Club A $289376 state record bad beat jackpot has been hit at The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock Texas.

A $289,376 state record bad beat jackpot has been hit at The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock, Texas. The rules for NL Hold’em are that both players must use both hole cards and lose with quads tens or better. But this hand took place at a PLO table with stakes of $2/$5/$10 where the rules are even tougher to meet. Not only must the losing player hit a straight flush that gets beat, but the best hand must have been made on the flop.

Daniel Negreanu Described as “cruel” and “a monster” after Gaza Joke Daniel Negreanu’s latest outrageous post on Twitter about running a highstakes poker series called “Gaza Gazillions” in Palestine has incensed fellow players.

Daniel Negreanu’s latest outrageous post on Twitter about running a highstakes poker series called “Gaza Gazillions” in Palestine has incensed fellow players. Daniel Negreanu (courtesy of PokerGO) Irish pro and long-standing critic of Negreanu, David K Lappin was quick to highlight Negreanu’s “cruelty”… Cruel, but totally on brand from a man who delights in callousness and the deaths of tens of thousands and the suffering of millions. No shame. pic.twitter.com/yHlG3r1iFk

Tony G Reveals $300 Million Net Worth in Dubai Interview Tony G reveals his $300 million net worth in a new Dubai interview. Discover how he made his massive fortune through crypto and Sol Strategies.

Poker player Tony G has revealed that his net worth now exceeds $300 million in an impromptu interview in the rich man’s paradise of Dubai. The poker legend was approached by the presenter of the School of Hard Knocks YouTube channel as he exited his Rolls-Royce. As is usual, the presenter asks the obviously rich person a series of quickfire questions about how they made their wealth. Tony G was more than happy to engage with the young man and revealed quite a bit that isn’t commonly known in the poker community.

ACR and Pads Poker Declare Nacho Barbero Innocent of RTA Both Americas Cardroom and Patrick Leonard have found Nacho Barbero “not guilty” of using RTA-help during a recent online tournament.

Both Americas Cardroom and Patrick Leonard have found Nacho Barbero “not guilty” of using RTA-help during a recent online tournament. Nacho plays more like a malfunctioned bot than a gto guy checking hands. I remember the old bots who would be programmed to fold to min 3bs and you could min 3b them from the bb and get 60% folds 🙂 https://t.co/omQeYGLNIMpic.twitter.com/o2QdZHv40x — Patrick Leonard 🫡 (@padspoker) February 3, 2025

Tom Goldstein Pleads Not Guilty Banned from Playing Poker! High-flying lawyer Tom Goldstein has pleaded not guilty to 22 counts related to tax evasion and is banned from playing poker while he awaits trial.

High-flying lawyer Tom Goldstein has pleaded not guilty to 22 counts related to tax evasion and is banned from playing poker while he awaits trial. Dan Bilzerian’s buddy was in a federal court on Monday to continue insisting that he is innocent of tax evasion. Goldstein entered a plea of not guilty as previously indicated by his legal team, and also signed a legally binding agreement not to gamble in any fashion in the run up to his trial date.

Leon Tsoukernik in Incredible Recovery after Overdose Coma Leon Tsoukernik has recovered from his recent life-threatening overdose coma. “Im absolutely fine I feel fantastic” he told Czech media this week.

Leon Tsoukernik, the highstakes player and former King’s Casino owner, has recovered incredibly quickly from his recent life-threatening coma following a suspected drug overdose. “I’m absolutely fine, I feel fantastic,” he told Czech media this week. (courtesy of Leon Tsoukernik) The 51-year-old Czech, a larger-than-life character known for his “Loose Leon” tag as a nosebleed-stakes PLO player, was rushed to hospital just two weeks ago. Tsoukernik was suspected to have been administered an overdose of Propofol, the drug that ended pop star Michael Jackson’s life.

Gal Yifrach Indicted Again for Continuing Illegal Gambling Operation Gal Yifrach is up against a superseding indictment following claims by federal investigators that he continued his activities for more than one year after the first indictment.

Gal Yifrach is up against a superseding indictment following claims by federal investigators that he continued his activities for more than one year after the first indictment. The second indictment was filed by a grand jury in the United States District Court Eastern District of California on January 16, 2025, with two key additions from the original. Gal Yifrach Gal Yifrach Facing Serious Prison Time All the way back in March 2022, Gal Yifrach, a WSOP bracelet winner, hit the poker headlines after being indicted for running an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Dan Bilzerian Spills the Beans on Indicted Lawyer Dan Bilzerian has given his take on his relationship with indicted lawyer Tom Golstein revealing that the pair played in high-stakes private games together.

Dan Bilzerian has given his take on his relationship with indicted lawyer Tom Golstein, revealing that the pair played in high-stakes private games together. Dan BilzerianDan Bilzerian’s back story to his own poker career is that he made his fortune by playing against ultra-wealthy opponents in some of these games. What we didn’t know, until very recently, is that Tom Goldstein was another regular participant at the same tables, as revealed in Bilzerian’s book The Setup.