Hey Poker Fam,

This one's important.

WSOP Europe is happening March 31-April 12 in Prague with a €10 million guaranteed Main Event—the largest guaranteed prize pool in European live Poker history and I'm helping players qualify. If you've ever wanted to play a WSOP bracelet event without flying to Vegas, this is your shot.

Also this week: the WSOP just revealed what their new vlogger program actually pays, the Main Event format is changing, and a Vegas Poker room is coming back from the dead.

Today's strategy: Small blind pre-flop play. Let's get into it...

WSOP Europe is coming to Prague March 31-April 12, and the numbers are massive: €10 million guaranteed Main Event, 15 bracelet events, and the largest guaranteed prize pool in European live Poker history.

Here's what matters: GGPoker is sending over 1,000 players to the Main Event, and you can qualify for as little as $0.50. That's not a typo.

Why this matters: Most people think WSOP bracelets require a trip to Vegas in summer heat. Wrong. WSOP Europe is during Easter holiday in Prague—15 bracelet events including a €10M Main Event, €1.5M GTD European Circuit Championship, and €5K PLO European Championship.

The qualifying path:

I genuinely believe this is the most accessible path to playing for a bracelet that exists right now. You don't need to be a high roller. You don't need to block out two months in Vegas. You need $0.50 and a GGPoker account.

The Easter timing is perfect for grinding volume!

Full schedule: 15 bracelet events from March 31-April 12 including The Opener Mystery Bounty (€1K), Colossus (€500), Ladies Championship (€910), Monster Stack (€1.5K), and the €20K Super High Roller.

Action item: If you've been waiting for the "right time" to take a shot at a WSOP bracelet, this is it. Start qualifying now.

Source: WSOP

The WSOP officially confirmed the 2026 Main Event final table is moving, and Daniel Negreanu gave Poker.org exclusive details that should calm everyone down.

His key message: "It's not a November Nine. That's not happening."

So what IS happening?

Free streams every day. No more paywalls. The WSOP is ditching PokerGO's subscription model and making the Main Event fully accessible to everyone. Negreanu says you'll get streams from Opening Day through the Main Event conclusion.

Multiple feeds running simultaneously. If two big events are happening at once, you can choose which to watch—or watch both. No more missing key moments because they happened at a featured table nobody saw.

The goal: Showcase the prestige of the bracelet and make sure historical moments don't happen at side tables.

Negreanu believes 2026 will be "maybe the best year ever" for the fan experience, whether you're playing or watching. And it's only year one of GGPoker's new format.

When's the final table? Negreanu won't say. But his comments suggest our speculation about an early August spectacular might not be far off.

Source: Poker.org

The WSOP just dropped details on their official vlogger program, and I'm part of it—along with Daniel Negreanu, Frankie C, Corey Eyring, and a growing roster including StarCraft legend SlayerS_'BoxeR'.

Here's what Wayne Chiang, WSOP's new Talent Manager, revealed about compensation:

Top tier (100K+ subscribers): Up to $30K in MTT tickets + comped hotels + view bonuses. Hit 1 million views? $5K bonus. Hit 2.5 million? $10K bonus. Masato already broke that threshold at Paradise in December.

Mid and lower tiers (5K-25K subscribers): The WSOP isn't being elitist. If your content's good, they'll work with you. Chiang says they want to "grow together with these creators."

Why this matters: This is the WSOP officially investing in content creators as part of their growth strategy—not just tolerating vlogs, but actively paying creators to produce them.

What Wayne said about me: "Lexy is fantastic. She's the complete opposite of a diva. She always asks what we need, and she loves the WSOP brand. Lexy is somebody who, day in and day out, is very easy to work with."

Appreciate that. And honestly, I believe in what the WSOP is doing. They're recognizing that Poker content creators drive eyeballs and grow the game.

The program runs for bracelet and super circuit events—Prague, Cyprus, then Vegas summer.

If you've been thinking about starting a Poker vlog, now's the time. The WSOP is looking for creators, and the barrier to entry (5K subscribers) is reachable.

Source: Poker News

The Poker Palace, which closed for renovations in October 2025, will reopen by mid-April as Club Fortune North under new ownership.

The North Las Vegas casino was popular with locals for its low-stakes tournaments (some starting at just $20 buy-ins). The renovated property will include a "revitalized Poker room" with about six tables serving $1/$2 cash games and low-stakes tournaments.

Why this matters: Vegas Poker rooms are dropping fast—Planet Hollywood just closed after barely a year—but others are fighting back. Green Valley Ranch reopened its room after closing during COVID. Now Poker Palace is coming back too.

Once it reopens, Vegas will have 20 live Poker rooms in the valley.

Source: Poker News

The small blind is probably the hardest position to play at the table—and by far the least profitable. You're guaranteed to be out of position post-flop, you've already invested dead money, and you don't close the action pre-flop.

Most players bleed chips from the small blind without realizing it. Here's how to minimize the damage.

The money you've already put in the small blind is gone. It doesn't matter. Yet players constantly convince themselves to call because "I'm already in for half a blind."

That's the sunk cost fallacy—and it's costing you money.

Your calling range should be tighter from the small blind than the big blind because the big blind can still squeeze you out of the pot. You're not closing the action.

A lot of pros use a 3-bet or fold only strategy from the small blind. No calling range at all.

This is a fine approach. But I think it's okay to implement a calling range with:

The key is being selective and not calling light just because you're "already in."

First question: Who's in the big blind?

Solid players understand they should 3-bet a polarized range from the big blind. If you just call from the SB, they'll often squeeze you out. When you 3-bet, you take that option away.

When you 3-bet from the small blind, lean towards a linear (value-heavy) range instead of polarized.

Why? You're guaranteed to be out of position post-flop. Having hands that flop well or have decent showdown value helps compensate for your positional disadvantage.

I'm not saying never 3-bet polarly from the SB. There are spots for it—especially against aggressive late position openers when you have a calling station in the big blind. In those cases, hands like A10o or J9s (with good card removal) work well as polarized 3-bets.

Against tight UTG/MP openers: 3-bet or fold. Lean linear.

Against loose CO/BTN openers + weak BB: Can call with speculative hands or add polarized 3-bets.

Against loose CO/BTN openers + strong BB: 3-bet to squeeze the BB out. Lean linear.

Your action items:

The Poker Accelerator covers advanced positional strategy including small blind play, 3-betting ranges, and how to adjust based on table dynamics.

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Would you fold this flush?

To watch some of my wild hands, Subscribe to my YouTube Channel:

YouTube Channel → https://www.youtube.com/@LexyGavinPoker

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Phil Hellmuth says he wants the November Nine format to return to the WSOP Main Event.

In a recent interview, Hellmuth argued that the months-long delay between making the final table and playing it out created massive anticipation and media buzz that's been missing since the WSOP abandoned the format.

This comes right as Negreanu confirmed the 2026 final table IS moving—just not to November. The WSOP clearly believes showcasing the Main Event in real-time with free streams beats the old delayed drama.

Hellmuth's not wrong about the November Nine generating hype. But the game has changed. In 2026, accessibility and live streams matter more than manufactured suspense.

Source: Card Player

Tom Dwan confirmed he's financially backing JRB in high-stakes cash games, adding another layer to one of Poker's most interesting backing relationships.

Dwan has a history of staking players, but publicly confirming it suggests he's confident in JRB's ability to perform at the highest levels.

Why this matters: Backing at nosebleed stakes ($200/$400+) isn't just about bankroll—it's about trust. Dwan's putting serious money behind JRB's decision-making.

Source: Poker News

New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs ruled that prediction markets—including Polymarket-style platforms—constitute illegal gambling under current law.

The decision impacts any prediction market operating in New Zealand and creates legal uncertainty for platforms offering Poker-adjacent betting products.

Why it matters: Governments worldwide are still figuring out how to regulate prediction markets, Poker, and skill-based games. New Zealand's decision shows some jurisdictions will default to calling everything "gambling" until proven otherwise.

Source: Card Player

What do you think about the free streams and removing the paywall for like coverage at the WSOP? Will you tune in? Reply to this email and tell me. I read them all!

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Talk soon,
Lexy Gavin-Mather