PokerNews is not offering live coverage of this PokerStars EPT event, but we will be keeping readers informed with updates on chip counts and core event statistics, including entries and prize pool. Scroll down to see more.
In the 961st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are back for a special episode to discuss the recent Grand Jury verdict regarding The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock, Texas. Spoiler Alert: It was good news for Doug Polk and company as potential charges were dismissed, and seized funds and equipment will be returned. Not only that, the cardroom has plans to reopen as soon as possible.
It was the best case outcome considering the situation, and the poker world, including co-owners Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme, celebrated en masse. There are still a lot of lingering questions as to what may come next, but the crew dives into it all in this episode.
Find out all about those stories and more in this week's episode of the PokerNews Podcast! Oh, and be sure to check out the audio version of the PokerNews Podcast that is available on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
PokerStars has rolled out a major update to its Power Path qualification system, introducing a brand-new $530 Bronze Power Pass as part of a restructure designed to smooth out progression between buy-in levels.
The changes, which came into effect on April 27, leave the upper echelons of Power Path unchanged with the $10,300 Gold Pass and $2,500 Silver Pass both remaining in place, while the main adjustments come further down the ladder, where PokerStars has reshaped its Bronze tier and added a new entry point for lower-stakes players.
In the movie Rocky IV, Russian boxer Ivan Drago is trained to be a powerful, emotionless fighting machine, showing no mercy towards his opponents. Aleksandr Shevliakov did his best impersonation of his fictional compatriot last year at the final table of the PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte-Carlo Main Event held at Sporting Monte-Carlo.
Shevliakov, barely cracking a smile or displaying any hint of the pressure of the moment, seized the chip lead early and powered through the rest of the final table on his way to hoisting the Golden Shard trophy and taking home the €1,000,000 first prize after defeating Ukrainian amateur Khossein Kokhestani heads-up and conquering the 1,195-player field.
| Place | Player | Country | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleksandr Shevliakov | Russia | €1,000,000 |
| 2 | Khossein Kokhestani | Ukraine | €615,000 |
| 3 | Boris Angelov | Bulgaria | €439,200 |
| 4 | Enrico Coppola | Italy | €337,900 |
| 5 | Mariusz Golinski | Poland | €259,900 |
| 6 | Jamil Wakil | Canada | €199,750 |
| 7 | Miguel Capriles | Venezuela | €153,600 |
| 8 | Leon Zeaiter | Germany | €118,150 |
PokerStars is turning 25, and they aren't blowing out the candles quietly. The online poker giant has announced a month-long Anniversary Series running from May 10 to June 3, 2026, boasting a staggering $50 million in total guarantees.
The festival serves as a dual celebration, also marking the 15th anniversary of the Sunday Storm, one of the most iconic low-stakes tournaments in poker history.
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