PA Poker News July Update: Mike Lavin Bringing $1M Back to Pennsylvania; BetRivers Rakeback Revolution
Hi! I'm Keith Becker, PokerNews Ambassador and Pennsylvania native, here with a PA poker update for June 2025. It's an exciting time in America for the game we all know and love, and I'm excited to be bringing you state highlights every month.
What are the big issues and stories on everyone's minds? Let’s get into it.
It's gonna be a quick one this week!
We've got the opposite of a perfect storm ... a perfect drizzle? Perfect nap weather? I don't know, but it's because right now, all eyes are on the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP), which just kicked off in Las Vegas. PokerNews is THE HUB to visit for everything WSOP this year, as they are the official live reporting partner for the series. And let me tell you, there is some awesome new coverage this year, including a revamped MyPlayer experience where you can follow specific players and get prioritized chip counts and updates for them in series MTTs.
If you're watching this and are gonna be heading to the WSOP, I'll be out there from June 29th to July 12th. Shoot me a DM on socials and let me know if you will be too.
Live Poker in PA
The biggest story this month? No contest: Mike Lavin, PA poker super reg and certified volume beast, just went nuclear.
- He locked up his second WSOP bracelet — already huge.
- But wait— he also scored a $1 million ClubWPT Gold prize, thanks to holding a Gold Rush ticket.
- Talk about heat: Lavin absolutely sunrunned this final table. But don’t get it twisted—this guy puts in serious work, live and online.
- Mike, if you’re watching: congrats, man. Unbelievable story… now kindly stay out of my $20 ABI.
The Aria BetMGM Poker Championship kicks off June 30th, and PA grinders have been satelliting in all month. I’ve already spotted some familiar Pennsylvania usernames in the lobby—respect to those putting in the work.
This video might be going live while the Championship’s underway, but if you're heading out to Vegas for it, I’ll be out there too from July 1st through the 13th. Let’s connect.
Online Poker in PA
Big moves from BetRivers Poker this month. The site had a successful multi-state poker launch, combining pools and adding Michigan, West Virginia, and Delaware to their existing offering in Pennsylvania.
They've got a great welcome bonus of a 100% deposit match up to $1,000, plus promos for every play style, including:
- SNG Rapid Reload
- MTT Early Bird Bonuses
- Cash Game Happy Hours & Leaderboards
Add in their Rakeback Revolution rewards program and tournament guarantees that keep trending up—BetRivers is stepping into the spotlight.
For those still holding out hope— no, we haven’t seen any movement from PokerStars PA joining the multi-state pool yet. No official updates, and timelines remain a mystery. Meanwhile, PokerStars made an eyebrow-raising move by streaming WSOP coverage through some kind of new partnership with PokerGO. If you're confused about who’s covering what this year, you’re not alone.
On the online front, PokerStars USA has shifted focus to promoting the NAPT.
- In June, they gave away one NAPT Gold Pass via the Red Spade Sunday tourney
- And awarded two Women's Event packages
- Expect more promo tie-ins as we get closer to year-end.
Pennsylvania players have been battling it out across the shared WSOP online pool — competing with folks from NJ, MI, and NV. Some events are culminating in live final tables, bridging online and live play. And the action’s not over yet — 12 more bracelet events are scheduled through July. So if you’re hunting hardware, now’s the time.
Remaining 2025 WSOP Online Bracelet Schedule
| Date | Time (PST) | Buy-In | Event | Live Final Table |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1 | 3:30 p.m. | $777 | Event #19: NLH Lucky 7's | No |
| July 3 | 3:30 p.m. | $555 | Event #20: PLO Mystery Bounty 6-Max $500K GTD | No |
| July 5 | 3:30 p.m. | $600 | Event #21: NLH Online Deepstack Championship | No |
| July 6 | 4:30 p.m. | $1,000 | Event #22: NLH Mystery Bounty Championship $1.5M GTD | No |
| July 6 | 6:30 p.m. | $400 | Event #23: NLH Colossus Multi-Flight Day 2 (Day 1s start July 3) | No |
| July 7 | 3:30 p.m. | $1,000 | Event #24: NLH 6-Max Online Championship | No |
| July 8 | 3:30 p.m. | $1,000 | Event #25: NLH Championship | No |
| July 9 | 3:30 p.m. | $5,300 | Event #26: NLH High Roller Championship | Yes |
| July 11 | 3:30 p.m. | $1,000 | Event #27: PLO 6-Max Championship | No |
| July 13 | 3:30 p.m. | $400 | Event #28: NLH Mystery Bounty 6-Max $500K GTD | No |
| July 13 | 4:30 p.m. | $3,200 | Event #29: NLH High Roller 6-Max | Yes |
| July 15 | 3:30 p.m. | $500 | Event #30: NLH Summer Saver | No |
Poker is surging in America, and I'm thrilled to be your ambassador here in Pennsylvania. For more information, check out our PokerNews Pennsylvania page here, and be sure to follow me on socials to stay in the know. I’ll be back next month with another update!
Keith Becker is an American poker player based out of Pennsylvania. A former member of PokerStars Team Pro Online, Becker is now a PokerNews Ambassador and Streamer. Becker has been streaming poker on Twitch since Day 1 of regulated poker in Pennsylvania and has led a grassroots movement for PA to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement.
*Lead image courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services.
