Ontario Poker News
Regulation updates, operator launches, and market developments for Ontario's legal poker rooms.
Latest Ontario Poker News
US 'Phantom' Gambling Tax Debated at IRS Hearing on Friday; Canada's Non-Taxable-Windfall Treatment for Recreational Poker Positions Ontario as a Plausible Migration Destination
Ten of twelve invited pros testified at Friday's IRS hearing on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) 90% gambling-loss cap that took effect January 2026. Rep. Dina Titus called it 'phantom income' that will 'inevitably drive players towards offshore and unregulated markets.' Sara O'Connor: 'punishes volume and honesty.' PLO Professor Joshua Thatcher: 'encourages more illegal behavior.' Katie Stone reminded panel she left US after 2011 Black Friday. Canadian counter-framework: Fournier-Giguere v. Canada (2025 FCA 112, SCC leave denied June 2026) confirms recreational poker winnings are non-taxable windfalls; professional winnings taxed as business income under 'carrying on a business' test. A break-even US pro pays 10% of gross under OBBBA; the same Canadian professional pays $0. Ontario has the deepest regulated peer-to-peer market in Canada (6 rooms: GGPoker, PokerStars, 888poker, BetMGM, PartyPoker, Bwin). Historical precedent: Isaac Haxton, Somerville, Jungleman lived in Canada post-Black Friday. Analysis piece; not personal tax advice.
Stan Cho Resigns as Ontario's Tourism, Culture and Gaming Minister After $16,203 Hotel Expense Controversy; Doug Downey Takes Portfolio on Interim Basis
Ontario's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Stan Cho resigned Friday effective immediately after billing $16,203 in Toronto hotel expenses (5.9 km from Queen's Park) via the "special circumstances" rule between 2023-24 and 2025-26. Attorney General Doug Downey (MPP Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte) takes the portfolio on an interim basis. This is the second change of gaming ministerial leadership in fourteen months. Cho was ministerial sponsor of iGaming Ontario, oversaw AGCO advertising standards review and Ontario-Alberta shared liquidity dialogue. Ford: expenses "totally unacceptable," every penny to be repaid. 20 PC MPPs collectively billed ~$120,000 (Grewal $27K+, Tangri $19K+, Williams $15K+). Government will eliminate the "special circumstances" rule. Marit Stiles: resignation "offers no explanation." Impact on Ontario poker: AGCO Standards timing may slip 4-8 weeks; ON-AB shared liquidity MOU sign-off in political flux; no legislative reboot of Bill 107 expected. Six regulated ON rooms unchanged operationally. Interim minister expected 4-8 weeks until permanent appointment, likely before fall session Sept 8.
Alberta Four Days In: Not One Peer-to-Peer Poker Room Is Live, GGPoker Never Registered, and All Roads Point to Ontario Shared Liquidity
Alberta's competitive iGaming market opened July 13 with 50+ registered operators and 22 approved consumer sites, but not a single regulated peer-to-peer poker room went live. GGPoker never registered with the AGLC and appears to have ceased serving the province. PokerStars, 888poker and PartyPoker all remain accessible via international dot-com sites during a three-month transition window that closes October 13, 2026. AGLC on international pooling: "No determination has been made"; policy dependent on "detailed evaluation of legal authority, regulatory oversight, operational controls and player-protection requirements." Alberta's five million residents make ring-fenced pools economically thin. The Ontario Court of Appeal decision affirming that international pooling can be lawful when games are "conducted and managed" by the province is being read closely. Three scenarios now on the table: ON-AB MOU with immediate shared liquidity; Canada-only shared liquidity; or purely ring-fenced provincial pools. Ontario's ring-fenced framework unchanged in the near term but shared-liquidity outlook has moved from theoretical to imminent.
Toronto's Victor Li Cashes Sixth in Event #99 for US$123,846 on the Final Day of the 2026 WSOP; Rabinowitz Denies Hellmuth an 18th Bracelet
Toronto entrepreneur Victor Li, founder of the downtown VClub private poker room, Onova consultancy and PokerOS training app, finishes 6th in WSOP Event #99 for US$123,846, his largest career live cash and above his October 2025 WSOPC Deerfoot runner-up of C$208,615. Full FT payouts: Darren Rabinowitz $695,256 (2nd bracelet), Hellmuth $464,286, Palma $326,136, Stewart $232,570, Pupillo $168,402, Li $123,846, Kingstone $92,527, Belcher $70,245. Hellmuth entered FT with 10M chip lead, expanded it after Norvock/Belcher/Kingstone eliminations, but lost heads-up in 90 minutes when Rabinowitz staged three-bet shove comeback. Event #100 winner: She Wong (US) $216,286 over Ryuta Nakai after 45-min HU battle, first career bracelet. Canadian 2026 bracelet ledger: 4 (Foxen x2, Alcindor, Negreanu 8th). Li targeting Canada Hendon Mob top 100 with cumulative US$600K approx after this cash. Main Event final table taped Aug 3-5 on ESPN.
From Hockey Rinks to Horseshoe: Greg Mueller's Path to the Main Event Final 9; David Peters Wins Fifth Bracelet on WSOP Closing Day
Vancouver's Greg Mueller , ex-pro hockey player, three-time WSOP bracelet holder , returns to Main Event final 9 Aug 3 on 48.5M chips (4th). Bracelet history corrected: 2009 World Championship of Limit Hold'em + 2009 $1,500 Shootout + 2019 $10K H.O.R.S.E. Championship (not the events we listed yesterday). Full 8-day chip trajectory: 200K → 1.124M (Day 3) → 4.415M (Day 5) → 10M (Day 6) → 13.2M (Day 7) → 48.5M (Day 8). Day 8 key hands: eliminated Romain Lewis (AA vs KK); doubled through Hammoud (JJ vs 99); QQ held vs Gagliano AK. Quote: "Am I dreaming here?" Rail from White Rock/Vancouver expected. David Peters wins Event #94 $10K 6-Handed for $1,001,391 , his 5th bracelet , after 75-min FT restart today. Event #100 $1K Super Turbo fires as final event. 2026 Canadian bracelet tally: 4 (Foxen $25K HR, Foxen $1K Super Turbo, Alcindor Big O, Negreanu $100K PLO HR). Includes correction of Mueller's bracelet events.
Two Canadians Punch Tickets to WSOP Main Event Final Table: Hammoud Second in Chips on 79 Million, Mueller Fourth on 48.5 Million; Jumalon Leads on 194 Million
First time in 7 years two Canadians have shared a Main Event final table. Final 9 (Aug 3-5 on ESPN, US$1M+ each locked): 1. Lucas Jumalon (US, 22, 35% of chips) 194,000,000; **2. Rami Hammoud (Canada, Playground/Kahnawake, $292K career) 79,000,000**; 3. Jamie Shaevel (US) 56,000,000; **4. Greg Mueller (Vancouver, 3x bracelet) 48,500,000**; 5. Michael Gagliano (US) 46,500,000; 6. Mario Boos (France) 44,000,000; 7. Lauri Saaskilahti (Finland) 37,500,000; 8. Han Feng (US) 25,000,000; 9. Evagoras Evagorou (Cyprus, WSOP first from Cyprus) 22,500,000. Malcolm Trayner (Aussie Millions champ) busted 10th $750K on final-table bubble (JJ vs Jumalon AJs, board with two jacks). Notable busts Day 8: Shaun Deeb 15th $410,475 (2nd POY chase ends); Hossein Ensan (2019 champ) 18th $325K (modern-era back-to-back bid over); Todd Brunson 20th $325K (50 yrs after Doyle's title); Tyler Gaston 12th $510K. Fixed payouts 1st $10M, 2nd $6M, 3rd $3.75M, 4th $2.75M, 5th $2.25M, 6th $1.75M, 7th $1.5M, 8th $1.25M, 9th $1M. Play resumes Aug 3 3pm PT/6pm ET on ESPN. Article delayed to Tue evening due to sandbox outage.
WSOP Main Event Final Table Build Day: Two Canadians in the Final 21 as Rami Hammoud Bags 41,500,000 for Second Overall; Greg Mueller Also Alive; Trayner Leads at 63,200,000
Final 21 return today for Day 8, plays down to nine survivors (each locks up $1M+). Malcolm Trayner (Australia, Aussie Millions champ) leads on 63.2M (105BB). **Rami Hammoud (Canada, Playground Poker circuit) 2nd on 41.5M**; Jumalon 40.8M; Evagorou (CY) 38.2M; Givens 31.7M; Deeb 31.3M; Ensan (DE, 2019 champ) 29.7M; Clack (UK) 27.5M; Galiana (ES) 27.2M; Boos (FR) 24.3M. Also alive: Todd Brunson (7.8M) 50 yrs after Doyle's title; **Greg Mueller (Vancouver, 3x bracelet) 13.2M**. Zhao Liu busted 21st for $325K. Blake Barousse 31st (into Hammoud's 2-pair). Tyler Gaston 36th. Sharma (Toronto) OUT somewhere between Day 6 and Day 7; exact position/cash pending. Shot clock introduced Day 7 (20s preflop, 30s postflop, 6x30s timebanks). Payouts: 1st $10M, 2nd $6M, 3rd $3.75M, 9th $1M, 18th-21st $325K. Day 8 blinds 300K/600K/600K ante. ESPN+ feature-table stream 3pm ET. Final Table Aug 3-5. Includes correction to Day 5 recap (Day 6 was Saturday not Sunday; no rest day).
WSOP Sunday: Toronto's Dhiraj Sharma Returns to Main Event Day 6 Second in Chips as Jamie Dwan Wins the $50,000 High Roller; Negreanu and Foxen Cash
Day 6 fires Sun Jul 12 11am PT with 174 players; Sharma (Toronto) sits 2nd on 9.84M (164BB) behind Zhao Liu 10.15M. Event #90 $50K High Roller wrapped Sat: Jamie Dwan (UK) wins first bracelet for US$2,276,691 after 5-to-1 heads-up comeback vs Daniel Rezaei ($1,517,782); Bryn Kenney 3rd $1,041,908; Vaitiekunas 4th $731,733; Schusteritsch 5th $526,030; Margolin 6th $387,298; Smiljkovic 7th $292,221; Daniel Negreanu 8th $226,086; Kristen Foxen 9th (~$186K projected); Erik Seidel 11th $146,295; Chris Brewer 13th $122,526. Field 202 entries, pool $9,595,000. Canadian 2026 combined: Foxen ~$2.2M (6th bracelet + Super Turbo + ME cash + HR cash), Negreanu ~$2.5M (PLO HR bracelet #9 + $50K HR cash), Alex Foxen ~$650K (bracelet #44 + ME cash). Ensan last past champ in ME (3.45M). ESPN feature-table coverage begins Sun 6pm ET.
WSOP Main Event Day 5: Dhiraj Sharma of Toronto Bags 9,840,000 for Second Overall as 174 Survivors Head to Day 6
Sharma (Toronto) closed Day 5 second overall on 9,840,000 (164BB), trailing only Zhao Liu's 10,150,000. 174 remain from 9,208 entries; every survivor guaranteed at least US$57,500. Top 10: Zhao Liu 10.15M, Sharma 9.84M, Xingyu Liu 9.04M, Sannier (FR) 8.68M, Joshi (UK) 8.385M, Boos (FR) 7.85M, Manjares 7.76M, Gaston 7.055M, Trayner (AU) 6.74M, Song (KR) 6.565M. Mizrachi's back-to-back bid ends 241st for $50K. Alex Foxen 263rd $50K; Greg Raymer 279th; Ryan Riess 282nd; Josh Arieh 198th $57.5K; Sergio Aido 202nd; Artur Martirosian 211th; Tony Dunst 215th; Chidwick 394th $40K. Ensan last past champion (3.45M). Deeb 4.305M chases second POY (Mateos leads on $5.056M). Six-figure payouts start top 80. Rest day Sat Jul 11; Day 6 fires Sun Jul 12 11am PT with 30K/60K/60K blinds. Includes correction: earlier Day 4 recap incorrectly listed Mizrachi and Alex Foxen among Day 4 eliminations.
WSOP Main Event Day 4: Moneymaker Bubbles on Aces; Kristen Foxen Cashes for US$25,000; Omar Lakhdari Leads 533 Survivors
Bubble burst 15 minutes into Day 4: Chris Moneymaker (2003 champ) called Antonio Vargas's AA all-in with J-9 on 8-7-7-7-8 board and became 1,383rd finisher (three-way with Stoyan Madanzhiev, Zhaken Seitbekov; flipped for WSOP Paradise seat, Seitbekov won). Kristen Foxen (Ottawa) cashes her first Main Event: 734th for US$25,000. Set-over-set-over-aces cooler: Moore JJ (315K all-in) vs Farah Galfond 99 (461K all-in) vs Jordan Griff AA on J-9-3-6-3 board; Galfond 722nd $25K, Griff 734th $25K. Also busted Day 4: Michael Mizrachi (defending champ, back-to-back bid ends), Sasha Liu (Day 3 chip leader), Alex Foxen (POY front-runner). Overnight leaders: Omar Lakhdari 4,175,000; Jianwei Lin 4,150,000; Eric Bunch 4,145,000. 533 remain from 1,389. Day 5 fires Fri Jul 10 11am PT with blinds 12K/24K/24K.
WSOP Main Event Day 3: Sasha Liu Leads 1,389 Into a Thursday-Morning Money Bubble; Alex Foxen Holds 839,000 in Player-of-the-Year Chase
Day 3 closes 1,389 remaining, just 7 spots from the money. Sasha Liu overnight leader on 2,364,000 (295bb) after a Cinderella climb from Day 2 late reg. Zamani 1,963,000; Khachatryan 1,745,000; Gill 1,604,000; Zizka (CZ) 1,576,000; Kleinbeck (DE) 1,558,000. Alex Foxen 839,000 (2nd on POY behind Naoya Kihara). Mizrachi cools to 615,000 after runner-runner Royal draw hit Marshall Daigle's flopped quads (still says he's going back-to-back). Hellmuth busts Main Event before dinner but alive in $10K 2-7 Lowball with 620K. Past champs alive: Ensan 1,280,000, Cynn 927,000, Riess 573,000, Blumstein 438,000, Hachem 353,000, Moneymaker 221,000. Deeb 960K. Kristen Foxen and other Canadians' Day 3 status not confirmed. Bubble expected hand-for-hand from Level 1 Thursday 11am PT.
WSOP Main Event Day 3 Fires with 3,294 Survivors as Kristen Foxen Carries the Canadian Torch and Daniel Negreanu Busts on AQ Versus AK
Day 3 gets underway Wed 2pm ET/11am PT with all 3,294 remaining players combined. Fixed US$10M first prize; 1,382 finishers cash for min US$15K. Rossitto 770.5K, Fenster 747K, Schumacher (DE) 738K, Foxen 493.5K top-25 stack. Kristen Foxen (Ottawa) alive at 143,000 (corrects earlier reporting); husband Alex 493,500. Toronto's Matt Salsberg still in; Sharma 623,500 stays 7th. Daniel Negreanu busted Day 2D: doubled twice through Harris (Q vs 6 crack; AK vs JJ flop-an-ace) then ran AQ into Rabinowitz's AK. Phil Ivey, Bryn Kenney, Nick Schulman, Liv Boeree, Gus Hansen also out. Past champs alive: Cynn 403K, Riess 395K, Ensan 236.6K, Moneymaker 221K, Hachem 135K, McKeehen 102.5K, Blumstein 21.8K. Mizrachi 202.5K chases repeat. Money bubble expected late Level 5.
WSOP Main Event 2026 Locks Field at 9,208 Entries, Fourth-Largest in History; Canadian Dhiraj Sharma Sits Seventh on the Day 2D Leaderboard
The 2026 Main Event field officially closed at 9,208 entries for a US$85,634,400 pool after Day 2D late reg added 820 entries. Fourth-largest all-time (behind 2024, 2023, 2025), ahead of 2006's 8,773. Fixed US$10M first prize; 1,382 finishers cash for at least US$15K min. Michael Rossitto 770,500 leads Day 2D from Jeff Fenster 747K and Yannick Schumacher (Germany) 738K. Canada's Dhiraj Sharma bags 623,500 for 7th on Day 2D leaderboard; Alex Foxen 493.5K top-25 stack. Combined 3,294 survivors return for Day 3 Wed 11am PT. Money bubble expected late Level 5.
WSOP Main Event Day 2D: Registration Closes as Field Surges Past 8,600 and Prize Pool Crosses US$80 Million; Toronto's Matt Salsberg Leads Canadian Survivors
Late reg for the 2026 Main Event officially closed Tuesday afternoon at Horseshoe. Cumulative field surged past 8,609 entries (Day 2ABC close); prize pool crossed US$80,063,700 with projections settling between 8,800 and 9,000 entries and US$82M to US$84M pool. Fernandez (Argentina) still leads on 754,000; Vieth 730K; Astrauskas 646.5K. Sasha Liu spun 60K to 597,600 as Day 2ABC late-reg hero. Mizrachi bags 202,500 chasing 4th back-to-back winner. Toronto's Matt Salsberg (205,999 Day 1C bag) largest confirmed Canadian; Freddy Deeb 267,800; Toronto's Vincenzo Abate 1.8M in $600 Ultra Stack Day 1B. Day 3 combined Wed Jul 8 11am PT.
WSOP 2026 Main Event Day 2ABC: Argentina's Gaspar Fernandez Leads on 754,000 Chips; Mizrachi Spins Short Stack 73,000 to 202,500; Field Passes 8,389 Entries and US$78M Prize Pool
Fernandez (Argentina) leads Day 2ABC 754,000 (302bb); Vieth 730K; Astrauskas (Lithuania) 646.5K; Banducci 630K; Mulders (Netherlands) 629.5K; Riera (Spain) 592K; Gannon 589.5K; Ordet 584K; Fujita (Japan) 551.5K; Patricio (Brazil) 543.5K. Mizrachi 73K to 202,500 chasing 4th back-to-back Main Event after Brunson (76-77) Ungar (80-81) Chan (87-88). 2,468 to 1,260 Day 2ABC cut. 312 Day 2 late-reg additions; cumulative 8,389 entries US$78,017,700 prize pool. Day 2D fires Tue 11am, late reg closes L8 3:15pm PT. Day 3 combined Wed 11am. Vincenzo Abate (Canada) 9th $600 Ultra Stack Day 1B at 1.8M. Greg Raymer (2004 champ) 291K.
WSOP 2026 Main Event Field Passes 7,210 Entries After Day 1D Draws 3,827; US$67.45M Prize Pool on Pace for Fourth-Largest Main Event Ever; Day 2ABC Begins Monday
Day 1D drew 3,827 entries, taking cumulative field to 7,210 total entries and US$67,452,900 prize pool. Fourth-largest Main Event in history projected behind 2024 (10,112), 2023 (10,043), 2025 (9,735). Day 2ABC begins Mon 11am local, Ryuta Nakai holds overall chip lead 323K. Late reg through L2 Day 2ABC Mon / Day 2D Tue. First prize projected US$11-12M. Money bubble ~1,050-1,100 cashers Day 3 Wed. Kevin Martin Day 1B survived; Salsberg 205,500 Day 1C for Canada. Foxen/Negreanu/Dvoress Day 1D fires unconfirmed at published time. Final table Jul 15-18.
WSOP 2026 Main Event Day 1C: Bulgaria's Yulian Bogdanov Leads 1,573-Entry Flight on 315,000 Chips; Canadian Bracelet Winner Matt Salsberg Bags 205,500 as Day 1D Fires Sunday
Bogdanov (Bulgaria) leads Day 1C at 315,000; Astrauskas (Lithuania) 296,700; Brandt 292,800; Gangan 291,600; Arnwine 280,600; Fernandez (Spain) 279,000; Freddy Deeb 267,800; Simon Wilson 264,000; Sama 256,500; Vieth 255,000. Matt Salsberg (Toronto, 2013 8-Game Mix bracelet) bags 205,500 for Canadian flag. Notable Day 1C survivors: Brian Hastings 178,100, Chino Rheem 171,300, Josh Arieh 158,200, Moorman 148,600, Rast 119,100, Ian Matakis 118,700, Jessica Teusl 116,300. Annette Obrestad returns after 5-year hiatus. 1,573 entries / 1,166 through. Cumulative 3,383 entries / 2,468 survivors through 1A+1B+1C. Day 1D fires 2pm ET Sunday (Foxen, Negreanu, Dvoress, Greenwood, Watson, Livingston expected).
WSOP 2026 Main Event Day 1B: Konstantin Held Leads 1,038-Entry Flight on 724,500 Chips; Mizrachi Barely Survives at 73,200 as Day 1C Fires Saturday
Konstantin Held (Germany) leads Day 1B at 724,500; Freedman (USA) 649,000; Wenzhi Fei (China) 639,000; Pariente (France) 420,000; Rockenbach (Brazil) 286,900. Mizrachi barely survives at 73,200 (avg 82,000). Kevin Martin (Toronto) entered Day 1B. 1,038 entries, 759 through, 279 busted. Cumulative through 1A+1B: 1,810 entries, 1,302 survivors. Notable bustouts: Mike Matusow, Jean-Robert Bellande, Brad Owen, Galen Hall. Pique 86,700, Raymer 122,300, Esfandiari 34,300 survive. Day 1C fires 2pm ET Saturday.
WSOP 2026 Main Event Opens: Nakai Leads Day 1A on 323,000 Chips From 771 Entries; Mizrachi Defends Title in Day 1B Alongside Kevin Martin and the Canadian Contingent; Shaun Deeb Won Ninth Bracelet in $1,500 8-Game Mixed Wednesday
Ryuta Nakai (Japan) leads WSOP Main Event Day 1A at 323,000 from 771 entries, 543 through. Pansovoi 300,300 / Sly (Australia) 254,500 / Yaker 240,000 / Rothschild (France) 230,400. Mizrachi arrived Day 1B chasing 4th player ever to win back-to-back Main Events (Brunson, Ungar, Chan). Canadian direct entries: Negreanu, Foxen, Dvoress, Sam Greenwood, Mike Watson, Kevin Martin (Toronto, Big Brother 2013 winner), Alex Livingston. Deeb won 9th bracelet in $1,500 8-Game Mixed Jul 1 for US$181,625 (AhKcKh3s vs Dean Joe's AcTh6s5s). Toronto's Devon Sampson, Jaswinder Lally, and Negreanu (32nd US$5,170) all cashed 8-Game Mixed.
Matthew Higgins Wins WSOP Mystery Millions for First Bracelet and US$1,000,000 From 22,811-Entry Field; Shaun Deeb Leads $1,500 8-Game Mixed Day 2 Chasing Ninth Bracelet With Sampson and Negreanu Alive
Matthew Higgins (USA, 9 WSOP Circuit rings) wins Event #63 Mystery Millions for first bracelet and US$1M (~US$2M with top mystery bounty envelope). Panka 2nd US$640K, Lombardozzi (France) 3rd US$490K, Hall (UK) 4th US$375K. 22,811 entries, US$16,919,343 regular pool. Event #74 8-Game Mixed Day 2: Shaun Deeb (8x bracelet) leads 3.09M chasing 9th one day after Mizrachi's milestone. Sampson (Toronto) and Negreanu (Toronto) among 13 returning Day 3. Winner US$181,625. Wednesday bracelet day.
Mizrachi Wins Ninth WSOP Bracelet in $10K PLO Championship for US$1,350,203; Rivers Jack-High Straight to Crack Tumboli's Aces; Defending Main Event Champion Enters July 2 Opener
Michael Mizrachi wins WSOP Event #70 $10K PLO Championship for US$1,350,203 (9th career bracelet), becoming 8th player ever to nine bracelets and tying Glaser/Johnny Moss for 6th all-time. Final hand: Tumboli's AAh63ds vs Mizrachi JsT76ds on Js8s8h-4c-9s; jack-high straight rivers the bracelet. Tumboli 2nd US$900,088; Hahn 3rd US$627,832; Zamani 4th US$445,080. Mizrachi exceeds US$30.6M career earnings, moves into 20th all-time. Defending Main Event champion enters Thursday July 2 Day 1A. Toronto's Engel 10th US$80,636 confirmed. 8-Game Mixed Day 2: Sampson and Negreanu both bagged Day 3.
Toronto's Ari Engel Cashes 10th in WSOP $10K PLO Championship for US$80,636; Mizrachi Heads to Bracelet Day With 80% of Chips and 161 Big Blinds Ahead of Three-Handed Restart
Toronto's four-time bracelet winner Ari Engel cashes 10th in WSOP Event #70 $10K PLO Championship for US$80,636 in a double-knockout with Joshua Barney (11th $80,636) on the final-table bubble. Mizrachi bags 40,225,000 chips (161bb) ahead of Monday 3:15pm PT three-handed restart against Tumboli 5.5M and Hahn 4.45M; first prize US$1,350,203. A win would tie Mizrachi with Glaser and Johnny Moss at 9 bracelets. Lonis 7th US$321,876; Zamani 4th US$445,080. Mystery Millions Day 2 bagged: ODB Baker 75.8M, Joey Weissman 47.5M, Thomas Hall 38.5M, Ren Lin 28.6M, Panka 21.7M, Nedelcu 18.8M. 8-Game Mixed Day 2: Sampson and Negreanu still alive.
Two Canadians in the Top Four of WSOP $1,500 8-Game Mixed Day 1; Skye Chen Wins Ladies Championship; Mizrachi Takes 78 Big Blind Lead Into PLO Final Table
Devon Sampson (Toronto) 2nd at 515,000 and Daniel Negreanu (Toronto) 4th at 378,500 in Event #74 $1,500 8-Game Mixed Day 1. Pedro Barossi (Brazil) leads 554,000. 147 of 766 entries to Day 2. Skye Chen wins Event #68 Ladies for US$194,630, first bracelet in her first-ever tournament. Mizrachi takes 78bb lead into PLO Championship final table chasing ninth bracelet. Mystery Millions Day 2 plays, Mini Main Event Day 1A bags Travis Taylor at 3.285M. Negreanu, Dvoress bust PLO Day 3 outside money.
Mystery Millions Hits 22,811 Entries to Become Largest $1,000 WSOP Event Ever and Fourth-Largest WSOP Tournament in History; Ladies Championship Down to Final Six; Mizrachi Leads PLO Day 2 Cut
Event #63 Mystery Millions closes registration at 22,811 entries, beating 2024's 18,372 to become the largest-ever $1K WSOP event and 4th-largest WSOP tournament ever. Prize pool US$20,073,680 (US$13.23M regular + US$6.84M bounty including guaranteed US$1M envelope). 1,236 return Day 2; Portugal's Alfredo Sousa leads 10.4M, Workman 10.1M. Ladies final 6: Emily Spencer 10.29M nearly third of chips; Skye Chen 5.45M, Lisa Teebagy 5.36M, Victoria Ailloud France 3.895M, Aubrey Williams 2.66M, Caitlin Comeskey 1.78M. Japan three-peat dies: Kimura 26th, Morita 31st, Matsumoto 42nd. PLO Day 2: Mizrachi 5.655M lead, 126 to Day 3; Negreanu, Glaser, Arieh, Dvoress survive.
WSOP Super Circuit Montreal Releases Full 18-Event Schedule: CA$14M Pool, CA$10M Main Event Guarantee; Atchison Wins Stud Hi-Lo; Ladies Down to Final Six
Full 18-event schedule released for the 2026 WSOP Super Circuit Montreal at Playground Poker Club in Kahnawake, Quebec, Aug 26 to Sep 12. CA$14,000,000 total guarantee; CA$5,000 Super Circuit Main Event with CA$10,000,000 guarantee runs Sep 3-11; GGPoker Ontario online qualifier path live. Plus Day 33: Atchison wins Event #69 Stud Hi-Lo for US$159,276; Ladies Championship cut to final 6 led by Emily Spencer 10.29M; Mizrachi leads Event #70 PLO Day 2 with 37 of 836; Negreanu 83rd survives; Mystery Millions Day 2 starts at 1pm.
Monaco Brothers Take Bronze in WSOP Tag Team for US$88,058; Jixin Zhou Carries Canadian Hopes Into Ladies Championship Day 3; Hall-of-Famer Mizrachi Leads $10,000 PLO Day 1
Toronto-based brothers Joseph and Gabriel Monaco finish 3rd in Event #66 $1,000 Tag Team for US$88,058 split (Drumond/Lessa win for Brazil, US$184,769). Toronto's Jixin Zhou bags 885K chips, 10th into Day 3 of Event #68 Ladies Championship (48 of record 1,475). Mizrachi leads Event #70 $10K PLO Day 1 with 946K chips ahead of Joseph Liberta 716K. Negreanu busts Event #69 Stud Hi-Lo 63rd for US$3,167. Mystery Millions Day 1d adds 4,719 entries for 11,783 cumulative. Foxen presumed out of Ladies.
Koji Fujimoto Beats Brunson, Schulman and Baxter for $10,000 2-7 Triple Draw Championship Title and US$392,478; Todd Brunson's 21-Year Wait for Second WSOP Bracelet Continues; Event #68 Ladies Championship Sets Record 1,475-Entry Field
Koji Fujimoto wins Event #67 $10K 2-7 Triple Draw Championship for first bracelet and US$392,478, largest Japanese-flag score of the 2026 series. Todd Brunson (son of Doyle, 10x bracelet winner) finishes 5th for $83,442; his 21-year wait for a 2nd career bracelet continues. Nick Schulman 3rd US$181,054; Billy Baxter 7th US$46,610; Naoya Kihara 9th US$28,856. Ladies Championship Event #68 draws record 1,475 entries (beats 2024 mark of 1,409); 338 to Day 2. Erika Weinstein leads 595K, Maria Konnikova 9th at 225,500, Kristen Foxen still alive at 620K. Negreanu busts Event #67 Day 2 outside money.
WSOP Mystery Millions Draws Record 23,706 Entries Across Four Day-1 Flights, On Pace to Break Open-Event Field Record; Ciro Gonzalez Wins Event #65 Freezeout for US$449,067; Quebec's Frederic Normand Cashes 483rd as Lone Canadian Finish
Event #63 Mystery Millions cumulative 23,706 entries (1A 2,244, 1B 6,903, 1C 8,859 largest single Day-1 in WSOP history, 1D 6,012) on pace to break the 2024 inaugural-edition open-event record of 18,372. Jason Jung leads at 1,343,000. Projected US$2.9M first-place prize. Ciro Gonzalez wins Event #65 $1,500 Freezeout for US$449,067 (first WSOP bracelet, 2,617 entries, first five-figure score on his Hendon Mob, beat Kyle Lin heads-up). Quebec's Frederic Normand cashes 483rd for US$3,030, his pocket tens unable to improve vs A-K. Lance Montgomery leads Event #67 $10K 2-7 Championship Day 1 (Negreanu, Brunson, Laplante in bag list). Kristen Foxen Day 2 of Ladies Championship.
Benny Glaser Joins Johnny Moss at Nine WSOP Bracelets With $50,000 Poker Players Championship Title; Phil Ivey Third, 12-Bracelet History Bid Falls Short; Eelis Pärssinen Wins Event #64 for Second 2026 Bracelet, Daniel Negreanu Cashes Seventh for US$152,954
England's Benny Glaser wins $50K PPC for US$1,343,764 and his 9th career WSOP gold bracelet, matching Johnny Moss with only Hellmuth, Ivey, Brunson, Seidel and Chan ahead. Decisive hand fell in Omaha Hi-Lo 8 vs Josh Arieh (2nd, US$895,837). Phil Ivey eliminated 3rd in 2-7 Triple Draw for US$600,698; his 12-bracelet history bid reset to 2027. Chip Reese Trophy delivered with first-ever miniature keepsake. Eelis Pärssinen wins Event #64 $25K PLO/NLH Mixed for US$1,172,296 and 2nd 2026 bracelet (most decorated Finnish player ever) in the first all-Finnish WSOP heads-up in history vs Juha Helppi. Daniel Negreanu cashes 7th in Event #64 for US$152,954. Lionel Barracano wins Event #61 Super Seniors for US$226,540. Canadian summer notable cashes surge past US$3M.
Poker Hall of Fame Names Eight 2026 Finalists Including PokerStars Founder Isai Scheinberg; Josh Reichard Wins Event #62 for US$555,198; Phil Ivey Plays for Twelfth Bracelet at $50,000 Poker Players Championship
2026 Poker Hall of Fame ballot names Scheinberg, Jason Koon, Justin Bonomo, Isaac Haxton, Shaun Deeb (8 bracelets, 2-time POY), Scott Seiver (7), Chris Moorman (record 60 WCOOP/SCOOP titles) and Mike Matusow (4). Five first-time finalists is a record class. Inductees announced from WSOP Main Event final table on ESPN Aug 3-5. Scheinberg, Canadian-based PokerStars founder, gets first finalist nod since eligibility began; induction would carry direct Ontario implications for the AGCO-regulated PokerStars/FanDuel Poker brand. Josh Reichard wins Event #62 $2,500 NLH for US$555,198 (first bracelet, 1,609 entries). Event #60 PPC final 6 plays into Thursday evening: Glaser 8.61M leads, Ivey 5.135M chases 12th bracelet.
Phil Ivey Returns to $50,000 Poker Players Championship Final Table Chasing 12th WSOP Bracelet; Joseph Liberta Wins Millionaire Maker for US$1.25 Million; Hellmuth and Livingston Fall Short of Final Six
Ivey sits second at 5,135,000 chips inside the new WSOP Thunderdome chasing only the second 12-bracelet career in WSOP history; Benny Glaser leads at 8,610,000 with a shot at his 9th bracelet; Maxx Coleman 5,565,000, Josh Arieh 5,265,000, Kristopher Tong 5,180,000, Paul Volpe 2,725,000. Champion takes US$1,343,764 and the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy. Joseph Liberta wins Event #50 Millionaire Maker for US$1,250,000; Monroig 2nd US$1,000,000; Gafford 3rd US$750,000. Phil Hellmuth eliminated short of final table, Halifax's Alex Livingston also eliminated. Harry Rubin wins Event #57 $1,000 PLO for US$390,300.
Alex Livingston Carries Canada Into Final 15 of $50,000 Poker Players Championship; Benny Glaser Leads, Phil Ivey Lurks for Twelfth Bracelet, Phil Hellmuth on Fumes
Halifax pro Alex Livingston bags 2,530,000 chips to enter Day 5 of Event #60 $50K Poker Players Championship 7th in chips, the lone Canadian still alive in any open WSOP bracelet event. Eight-time bracelet winner Benny Glaser leads at 4,705,000; Phil Ivey 6th and chasing only the second 12-bracelet career in WSOP history; Phil Hellmuth 14th on a 545,000 short stack. Champion takes US$1,343,764 and the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy. Millionaire Maker final 9 set with Michael Monroig leading 73.9M; Prashanth Nataraj wins Salute to Warriors for $208,800.
WSOP Millionaire Maker Down to Final Five With $1.25-Million Top Prize at Stake; Nico LaPolla Leads Into Day 5 as Dylan Weisman Takes Poker Players Championship Day 3 Lead
Event #50 plays its Day 5 title night at Paris Las Vegas with LaPolla bagging 18,200,000 chips against Ami Alibay's 14,125,000; Christian Roberts, Guilherme Torres and Jakub Pasieczny round out the final five for US$1.25M against a US$15.6M prize pool. Dylan Weisman tops $50K Poker Players Championship Day 3 with 36 players left from 108 entries; Halifax's Alex Livingston still in field. Mystery Millions Day 1A draws 2,244 entries; Milan Dekic and Michelle Chin take Tuesday-night bracelets.
Daniel Negreanu Eliminated From $50,000 Poker Players Championship Before Late Registration Closes; Halifax's Alex Livingston Carries Canada Into Day 3 With Top-Ten Stack
Toronto-born seven-time bracelet winner falls in Seven Card Stud 8-or-Better to American Justin Kalas in the WSOP's most prestigious mixed-game championship. Halifax pro Alex Livingston bags 1,060,000 to enter Day 3 ninth in chips against Kristopher Tong's 2,428,000 leader stack. Phil Hellmuth returns from COVID and triples to 900,000. Bo Chen takes 13,300,000 into Millionaire Maker Day 4 with 62 alive and Frederic Normand eliminated. Michelle Chin wins Event #58 $1,500 2-7 Triple Draw for her first bracelet. Mystery Millions Event #63 opens at the Horseshoe.
Joao Simao Wins WSOP Event #55 $50,000 PLO High Roller for US$1,368,700, Fourth Career Bracelet; Millionaire Maker Down to 62, Mystery Millions Opens Tuesday
Simao defeats 110-entry field to claim fourth bracelet and surpass US$20 million in career earnings, cementing status as Brazil's all-time leading money winner; Aditya Suvarna 2nd US$912,420, Sam Cowen 3rd US$628,510. Millionaire Maker Day 4 plays down from 62 with Rob Kuhn leading 11,769-entry field, projected US$1.25 million top prize. Mystery Millions Event #63 opens Tuesday at Horseshoe Las Vegas. Canadian summer tally holds at three bracelets and US$2,395,570 in gold.
Calvin Anderson Wins Seventh WSOP Bracelet in $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship; Canada's Gianluca Cedolia Cashes Fifth in Inaugural Five Card PLO
Anderson takes Event #54 H.O.R.S.E. Championship for US$413,580, his 2nd bracelet of 2026 just 9 days after his Razz Championship win, ties him with Sexton/Cunningham/Forrest at 10th on all-time list. Zachary Gruneberg wins inaugural Five Card PLO (Event #53, 1,319 entries) for US$271,552; Canada's Cedolia 5th for US$66,610. Kristen Foxen still alive in Millionaire Maker Day 3 at 104,500 chips.
WSOP Millionaire Maker Draws 11,769 Entries for US$15.6M Prize Pool as 1,489 Advance to Day 3; Anton Wins Mystery Bounty
Event #50 $1,500 Millionaire Maker draws 11,769 entries across four flights (Day 1A 1,752 / 1B 2,370 / 1C 3,121 / 1D 4,526). US$15,623,347 prize pool, projected US$1.23M top prize. Argentina's Hugo Jimenez leads Day 3 at 2,220,000 (111 BB); Trishelle Cannatella tied 3rd at 1,780,000. Event #51 Mystery Bounty closed for American Alex Anton at US$678,300; no Canadian on the final table.
Joey Couden Denies Shaun Deeb a Ninth Bracelet in WSOP $3,000 Nine Game Mix; Canada's Thomas Taylor Cashes Fourth
Record 472 entries, US$1,260,240 prize pool. Couden overturns Deeb's almost 5:1 heads-up lead across four hours for his third WSOP bracelet (US$254,470). Deeb's 17th heads-up battle, 3rd heads-up loss of the 2026 series. Medicine Hat, Alberta's Thomas Taylor cashes 4th for US$76,510, his second consecutive top-four finish in a WSOP Nine-Game Mix bracelet event.
Eelis Pärssinen Wins WSOP $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller for US$2,161,056 and Second Career Bracelet
Final hand: both players had aces. Pärssinen's A♥A♣ 6♢2♣ made aces full of tens on a 10♥-5♥-2♥-J♠-10♠ board. Levon Khachatryan (US) banked US$1,440,680 for second. 451 entries, US$10,598,500 prize pool. Pärssinen's second WSOP bracelet (first was 2021 $5K NLH/PLO Mix); fifth lifetime WSOP appearance. Closes the week-long Negreanu (26th) and Foxen (7th) coverage arc.
Marco Johnson Wins WSOP $2,500 NLH Freezeout for Third Bracelet over Chino Rheem; Canadian Elliot Smith Cashes Seventh
Event #49, 1,561 entries, US$3,473,225 prize pool. Johnson beats Rheem heads-up A-5 vs A-4, flopping a straight on 4-2-5, for US$513,885 and his first NLH bracelet. Rheem's 9th WSOP final without a victory. Canada's Elliot Smith (45th-ranked Canadian by live earnings) finishes 7th for US$75,390, his largest WSOP cash in two years. Faraz Jaka 4th, Kenzo Ishida 3rd.
Eelis Pärssinen Storms to WSOP $25K PLO Final Five Chip Lead; Foxen Out 7th, Negreanu Settles for 26th
Finland's Pärssinen bags 35,225,000 chips (88 BB), more than the next four stacks combined, after rivering a set-and-flush double against Foxen's aces. Foxen's back-to-back bracelet bid ends in 7th for US$267,993; Negreanu's deepest live PLO run closes at 26th for US$69,531 min cash. Day 4 plays Friday 2pm Vegas / 5pm ET on PokerGO. First place US$2,161,056. 451 entries, US$10.6M prize pool.
Foxen Eliminates Negreanu from WSOP $25K PLO as Anderson Wins Sixth Bracelet in Razz Championship
Toronto's Negreanu busts on Day 3 of Event #47 at the hands of Alex Foxen, locking US$69,531 min cash. Foxen, already chip leader from Day 2 with 6,820,000, looks for a second 2026 bracelet at Friday's final five. One room over, Calvin Anderson wins Event #48 Razz Championship for US$357,026 and his sixth bracelet, the most-decorated Razz player in WSOP history.
Negreanu Survives WSOP $25K PLO Day 2 with 995,000 Chips, Locks US$69,531 as Foxen Leads Day 3
31 of 329 remain in Event #47. Toronto's Negreanu bags 16th of 31 at 20 big blinds, his first WSOP cash of 2026 and deepest PLO run of his career. Alex Foxen leads with 6,820,000 (136 BB) just three days after winning Event #44, in pursuit of a second 2026 bracelet. Day 3 plays down to 5 starting noon Las Vegas time; final-day broadcast Friday June 19.
Daniel Negreanu Bags Top 10 in WSOP $25,000 PLO High Roller, Targets First Omaha Bracelet
Event #47, 329 entries, US$7.7 million prize pool. Toronto's Negreanu bags 789,000 chips and 197 big blinds in 7th place overall heading into Day 2 at noon Las Vegas time, behind leader Youness Barakat at 1,675,000. An eighth bracelet would draw him level with Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel and Men Nguyen, and would be his first WSOP bracelet in a pure Pot-Limit Omaha event.
Alex Foxen Wins WSOP $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty for US$594,246, Lifting Foxen Household Tally to Ten
Event #44, 466 entries, fourth career bracelet. Heads-up over Yixi Tang ($396,145) with king-high paired on the turn. Combined with St. Catharines, Ontario-born Kristen's June 7 win in Event #19, the Foxens become the most-decorated couple in WSOP history at ten bracelets. Bolton's Orlando Moretti banks career-best $64,992 in Event #43.
Spain's Adrian Mateos Wins the WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller for US$4,334,411 and a Sixth Career Bracelet, Cracking Bryn Kenney's Top Pair With Doyle Brunson's T-2 in the Heads-Up Cap
Mateos 31, sixth bracelet, largest single first-place cash of 2026 schedule. Final hand: T-2 vs T-9 top pair on K-x-x board, river paired the deuce. Kenney $2.78M, Einhorn 3rd $1.86M, Ivey 8th $553K. Daniel Negreanu (Canada) busted Day 2 in 35th outside the money after Day 1 fourth in chips.
Bryn Kenney Leads the WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller Final Nine With a US$4.3-Million First Prize on the Line, Phil Ivey Carries the Short Stack Into Monday Bracelet Day
Kenney bags 19,350,000 chips chasing his third bracelet at the marquee event of the 2026 series. Ivey at 2.75M / 22BB on the short stack. US$13.72M prize pool, US$4,334,411 first prize is the largest single cash of the schedule. No Canadian in the field, structural Ontario pipeline gap framed.
GGPoker Ontario's 2026 microFestival Opens Sunday With a 15-Day, 153-Event Slate at C$2.50 to C$25 Buy-Ins, the First Major Provincial Series Since the FanDuel and Playtech Launches
15 days, 51 event blocks, 153 tournaments. micro Ontario MILLION$ at C$5 today (C$15K guarantee). C$100K Mystery Bounty MILLION$ Main Event Final closes June 28. Ring-fenced from the parallel global microFestival (June 21-Jul 5, US$10M).
Hall-of-Famer Nick Schulman's Eighth Bracelet Denies Calgary's Clayton Mozdzen the First Canadian H.O.R.S.E. Gold; Mixed-Game Regular Banks a Career-Best US$122,206 Runner-Up Cash
Mozdzen carried the chip lead into bracelet day and went into heads-up with a roughly 2-to-1 lead. A seventh-street Stud cooler reeled the chips back to Schulman, whose eighth career bracelet is his first since 2025 Poker Hall of Fame induction. Canadian bracelet tally holds at 3, Canadian cash count lifts to US$2,517,776.
Calgary's Clayton Mozdzen Carries a 26-Big-Bet Chip Lead Into the WSOP $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. Bracelet Day, Setting Up a Fourth Canadian Gold Bid as Negreanu Busts the $100,000 High Roller
Mozdzen bags 3,105,000 chips and a 750,000-chip cushion over Ryan Caskey. Nick Schulman, seven-time bracelet winner, sits fifth in chasing pack. US$183,366 first prize. First Canadian H.O.R.S.E. bracelet on the published archive on the line. Negreanu busts the $100K.
Playtech Confirms Its iPoker Platform Powers Ontario's New PokerStars on FanDuel Product, Marking the British Supplier's First North American Foothold and Redrawing the Provincial Tech-Stack Map
London-listed supplier confirms iPoker powers FanDuel across MI/NJ/PA/ON. FanDuel is Playtech's first North American poker licensee. Ontario becomes a four-platform regulated market, with the Stars brand running on a competitor's engine.
Daniel Negreanu Doubles in WSOP $100,000 High Roller as Clayton Mozdzen Sits Second in $1,500 H.O.R.S.E., Setting Up Two Canadian Day 17 Bracelet Bids
Negreanu bagged 1,190,000 chips on a Ren Lin-led Day 1. Mozdzen sits 383,000 behind Switzerland's Daniel Makowsky. Two Canadian Day 17 bids in two structurally different events, three days after the Normand-Foxen-Alcindor cluster.
WSOP Activates Solana Crypto Buy-Ins in Las Vegas Today, Throwing Ontario's Registrar Standard 5.69 and Its Crypto-Free Path Into Sharper Relief
First-of-its-kind WSOP-Solana-MoonPay partnership opens a Las Vegas-only crypto rail. AGCO Standard 5.69 keeps the regulated Ontario operator base CAD-only. The Ontario qualifier path to the August Super Circuit Canada remains untouched.
Montreal's Christopher Alcindor Wins WSOP $1,500 Big O for US$387,110 and the Third Canadian Bracelet in Three Days
Cash-game grinder closes Normand-Foxen-Alcindor three-in-three streak, the fastest 72-hour Canadian bracelet pace in modern WSOP history. Combined Canadian payout US$2,395,570 across the cluster. First Big O bracelet for a Canadian player on record.
GGPoker Opens Ontario-Only Path to August's WSOP Super Circuit Canada and Its Record C$10-Million Main Event Guarantee
Three-stage qualifier system exclusive to Ontario players (C$5 / C$50 / C$500) feeds the C$5,000 Main Event at Playground Poker Club in Kahnawake, August 24 to September 9. Largest tournament guarantee in Canadian poker history; first WSOP Super Circuit ever in North America.
Kristen Foxen Wins WSOP $25,000 High Roller for Sixth Bracelet and US$1,773,083, Completing Fastest Canadian Back-to-Back Bracelet Conversion in Modern Series History
Foxen defeated Galen Hall heads-up on a final hand of A♦A♥ vs A♣4♦ for the largest live cash of her career, presented by husband Alex Foxen. First woman to win an open-field WSOP bracelet since 2021. Combined Canadian bracelet-day payout: US$2,008,460 within 24 hours.
Kristen Foxen Seated for WSOP $25,000 High Roller Final 6 Tonight, Chasing Sixth Bracelet Hours After Normand's Canadian-First
Foxen returns to Horseshoe and Paris at 3:30 p.m. Vegas in seat 3 with 9,325,000 chips, third of 6. Galen Hall leads at 16,050,000. Top prize US$1,773,083. A bracelet would mark fastest back-to-back Canadian bracelet conversion of the modern WSOP era.
Frederic Normand Wins WSOP $1,500 PLO Hi-Lo for First Canadian Bracelet of 2026 Series in a Game He Had Never Played Competitively
Normand went wire-to-wire on Day 3 to take US$235,377 from a 1,093-entry field, denying Josh Arieh his 8th bracelet and beating Michael Rodrigues heads-up on a single hand with a completed straight. First Canadian bracelet of the 2026 WSOP.
Frederic Normand Leads WSOP $1,500 PLO Hi-Lo Final 13 in Bid for First Canadian Bracelet of 2026; Two More Canadians Cash Dealers Choice
Normand bagged the Day 2 chip lead of Event #21 with the $235,377 top prize still to play for. Luteng Li third for $72,042 and Clayton Mozdzen fifth for $34,588 in Event #20 Dealers Choice as Jeff Madsen claimed his fifth bracelet.
Turning Stone Confirms October WSOP Circuit Stop, the Closest Live World Series Event to Ontario Players
Verona, NY casino confirms second 2026 WSOP-C for October 15 to 26 with US$1.3M in guarantees, 18 gold rings, US$1M Main Event across three Day 1 flights. March 2026 event drew 15,276 entries, US$5.8M and players from three Canadian provinces. Roughly four hours from Toronto.
Hellmuth Among Final 13 for 18th WSOP Bracelet as Negreanu Busts $10K 2-7 Lowball; Cole Gauthier Cashes Sixth in PLO Deepstack
Hellmuth bagged 620,000 chips eleventh of the final 13 in Event #17, five eliminations from his record-extending 18th bracelet. Toronto's Daniel Negreanu busted Day 2 on a Per Hildebrand snowdraw. Quebec's Cole Gauthier finished sixth in Event #15 $600 PLO Deepstack for US$33,771.
Negreanu Joint Second at WSOP $10K 2-7 Lowball, Tara Dunn Leads PLO Deepstack as Canadians Surge to Day 8 Chip Leads
Toronto's Daniel Negreanu bagged 311,000 chips for joint-second at the $10K No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship and Canada's Tara Dunn leads the 117-player Day 2 field of the $600 Deepstack PLO event with 1,995,000, producing two simultaneous Canadian chip leader positions at the WSOP.
Ontario Poker Market Resets Today as FanDuel Launches and GGPoker Counters With $14-Million June Campaign
FanDuel Poker Ontario goes live today on Playtech's iPoker software, ending the 27-day outage that began with the PokerStars Ontario closure on May 7. GGPoker counters with a $14-million June promotional package and a province-only microFestival running June 14 to 29.
Bulgaria's Danchev Wins WSOP $25K Heads-Up Championship for US$800,000
Dimitar Danchev defeated Russia's Nikita Kuznetsov in the Monday-night final at Horseshoe Las Vegas for his second WSOP bracelet, closing out a 128-entry bracket in which Toronto's Daniel Negreanu had been the Day 2 chip leader.
Ontario Online Poker Revenue Falls 24 Per Cent in April as iGaming Market Hits Record $405-Million
iGaming Ontario's April 2026 monthly report records record total revenue of $405.4-million across the regulated market while peer-to-peer poker contracts to $5.3-million NAGGR on $128-million in cash wagers, down 24 and 30 per cent month-over-month respectively.
Negreanu Out of WSOP $25K Heads-Up After Surrendering 10-to-1 Chip Lead to Biao Ding
Toronto's Daniel Negreanu was eliminated from the WSOP Heads-Up Championship Round of 16 on Sunday night, blew a 10-to-1 chip lead, cashed for US$60,000, and immediately re-entered the $10K GGMillion$ High Roller.
Behind FanDuel's Ontario Push: Toronto Tempo, the June 3 Poker Launch, and the No-Bonus Brand Bet
Flutter's April 28 WNBA Toronto Tempo deal and its June 3 Ontario poker relaunch read together as a single brand-led acquisition strategy in a province that bans bonus advertising. Synthesis analysis.
Negreanu Sweeps Day 1a of WSOP $25,000 Heads-Up Championship; Eight Advance to Sunday
Toronto's Daniel Negreanu won all three matches on Day 1a of Event #7 on Friday, beating former champion Darius Samual in his opener. He is one of eight through to Sunday's 16-player Day 2 and is playing for an eighth career WSOP bracelet.
Mississauga's Daniel Dvoress Makes Triton Poker History With Three Titles in Montenegro
The Toronto-area pro won the Golden Decade opener, the C$100K PLO Main Event, and the closing PLO Turbo Bounty Quattro for US$3.234 million, becoming the first player in Triton's ten-year history to take three titles at a single festival.
FanDuel Poker Ontario Launches June 3, Ending 27-Day Outage and Replacing PokerStars Software
Tuesday's launch reopens the regulated Ontario poker market under the FanDuel brand on Playtech's iPoker software. Sunday Million is not part of the launch; Sunday Dynasty and Sunday Shield carry C$100,000 GTD launch weekend.
British Columbia Stands Up Independent Gambling Regulator on Ontario-Style Model
The Independent Gambling Control Office took effect on April 13. Fees are modelled on Ontario's framework. BC has not yet opened to private online operators, but the structural pieces are now in place.
Cho Considers New iGaming Ad Rules as 2022 Auditor General Recommendations Return to Queen's Park
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Stan Cho says he is 'very seriously' weighing additional iGaming ad measures. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts' adoption-of-recommendations motion returned to the House Thursday.
Daniel Ghionoiu Wins WSOP Circuit Playground May 2026 Main Event for C$370,001
Local player defeats a 1,022-entry field at Kahnawake to take his first WSOPC ring. Eight of the nine final-table seats were Canadian. Franco Tucci collects his second WSOPC ring of 2026 in the Colossus.
Lottery Coalition Chief Says Canadians Confused on Legal iGaming as Ontario's Ad-Ban Bill Falls
Molly Cormier, new executive director of the Canadian Lottery Coalition, says regulated-market advertising has left Canadians confused. Bill 107, the Ontario Liberal ad-ban bill, fell at second reading on May 13.
Ontario's iGaming Channelization Rate Climbs to 91 Per Cent; the Poker Caveat
A new Ipsos study commissioned by AGCO and iGaming Ontario puts the regulated-market share at 91.1 per cent, up 7.4 points in a year. Why poker remains the outlier inside that headline figure.
Alberta's New iGaming Chief Says Liquidity Pact With Ontario Is in the Works
At SBC Summit Canada, AiGC CEO Dan Keene confirmed a memorandum of understanding with Ontario on shared player pools is being actively negotiated. Poker, he said, is especially dependent on liquidity.
WSOP 2026 Opens in Las Vegas; Ontario Funnelled Through a Single Online Door
The 57th World Series of Poker begins Tuesday with 100 bracelet events across 51 days. For players physically located in Ontario, the regulated online road to the Strip starts and ends at GGPoker.
How GGPoker Became the Default Ontario Poker Brand of 2026
Five forces tipped the Ontario poker market: the PokerStars shutdown, the immediate beneficiary effect, BetGuard's structural moat, the Alberta absence, and the WSOP Circuit Playground qualifier route.
Casino Niagara Spring Main Event Opens Tuesday at C$1,000
May 19-21 in Niagara Falls. C$1,000 No Limit Hold'em with a 30,000 starting stack and 30-minute levels. The first major live Ontario tournament since BetGuard launched.
BetGuard Goes Live: Ontario Players Get One-Click Self-Exclusion Across All Regulated Sites
iGaming Ontario's centralised self-exclusion programme launched May 14, covering all 44 iGO operators, 76 regulated sites and OLG's PROLINE. Terms of six months, one year, five years or custom.
Alberta Applicant List Reveals Who Plans to Cross the Liquidity Bridge
Alberta's first published iGaming applicant list confirms BetMGM, Entain and Flutter Entertainment are in. GGPoker, the Ontario online poker market leader, is the most notable absentee.
GGPoker Ontario Hits Two-Year High as PokerStars Stays Offline
With the PokerStars Ontario platform dark since May 7, GGPoker Ontario set its highest Sunday tournament entry count in two years on May 10. 888poker Ontario also reported a smaller bump.
AGCO Fines Two Suppliers C$80,000 in First Major Supply-Chain Crackdown of 2026
Relax Gaming and Arrise Solutions each fined C$40,000 for letting their slot games appear on unregulated websites accessible to Ontario players. The action signals a sharper supply-chain phase of regulator enforcement.
WSOP Circuit Returns to Playground Saturday with C$2.2M Main Event
Eighteen gold-ring events run May 10 to 25 at Playground Kahnawake; GGPoker Ontario is the only online qualifier route for players physically located in the province.
PokerStars Ontario Goes Dark on May 7, New Accounts Required for FanDuel Launch
Legacy platform shuts down Thursday; existing accounts will not migrate; cashouts required by June 4.
PokerStars Ontario Retires Jackpots Today, but FanDuel Client Stays Behind the Wall
The PokerStars on FanDuel platform went live across three US states on April 1. Five weeks on, Ontario has no launch date.
Alberta Confirms July 13 iGaming Launch, 20 Operators Paid to Enter
Canada's second regulated online gaming market opens in ten weeks, with 32 providers registered and shared liquidity with Ontario within reach.
Ontario Online Poker Posts Record C$6.9M Month as Wagers Hit New High
March 2026 set fresh all-time highs for revenue and wagers, ending a near two-year plateau for the peer-to-peer poker line.
GG Ontario Festival to Guarantee Record C$8 Million as Global Series Opens Saturday
Three buy-in tiers, C$100,000 in leaderboard money, and the largest spring online series ever staged in regulated Ontario.
PokerStars Ontario's Migration to FanDuel Begins May 5, but the Player Pool Will Not Move
Ontario's first hard date in the Flutter consolidation is six days away. Ring-fencing keeps the province out of the new tri-state liquidity pool.
Three Ontario iGaming Exits in Three Months, but Poker Operators Hold Their Ground
Casumo's withdrawal closes April 30. The casino vertical is consolidating; every Ontario poker brand has stayed put.
Three Spring Online Series Open This Weekend, None Reach Ontario
PokerStars, GGPoker and 888poker open festivals worth more than US$304 million combined. Ring-fencing keeps Ontario players outside the global pool.
Ontario's BetGuard System Will Centralize iGaming Self-Exclusion Across the Province
Single registry replaces site-by-site lists, enforced across all 50-plus licensed operators with on-ramps to OLG and brick-and-mortar venues.
Alberta Wins Right to Intervene as Supreme Court Prepares to Hear Ontario Poker Liquidity Case
Quebec joined the appellants on April 2. Ruling will determine if Ontario can pool poker liquidity internationally.
Ontario Bill 107 Would Ban All iGaming Advertising, Target 50 Licensed Operators
C$1M fines, licence revocation for repeat offenders. Debate set for mid-May.
GGPoker Announces $1.25M GG Cash Game Festival to Run Alongside $300M World Festival
May 4 to June 7: $250K in weekly leaderboard prizes across three stake tiers.
Kristen Foxen Falls in USPO $25K Finale as Coleman Delivers Bad Beat for $420K
Canadian star banks $264K for 2nd. Wilson captures Golden Eagle.
The Foxen Family Sweeps the U.S. Poker Open: Alex Wins Event #7 After Kristen's Victory
Combined $408K for poker's premier couple. 18 PGT titles between them.
GGPoker Announces Record $300M World Festival, Largest Online Poker Series Ever
375 events, May 3 to June 9, buy-ins from $3 to $10K. Ontario schedule expected.
iGaming Ontario Unveils BetGuard, Province-Wide Self-Exclusion Platform Launching in May
Players will be able to opt out of all 48 licensed operators through a single centralized process.
Kristen Foxen Defeats Ausmus to Win U.S. Poker Open Event #4 for $198,000
Canadian claims fifth PGT title, flopping set of sixes in the final hand.
Kristen Foxen Reaches U.S. Poker Open Final Table After Career-Best Triton Run
Canada's all-time female earner sits third in chips in the $10K NLH, chasing $198K.
Ontario Tightens iGaming Standards as Centralized Self-Exclusion Program Nears Launch
AGCO revises standards ahead of province-wide self-exclusion system. February wagers hit C$8.73B.
