Welcome back, Poker Fam. The WSOP Circuit is rolling through 2026 with serious momentum, and Choctaw Durant is hosting 18 ring events including a $1,700 Main Event with a $1 million guarantee running January 7-19. This is one of the Circuit's most popular stops, and with Matthew Higgins' recent 9th ring win still fresh in everyone's mind, the competition is going to be fierce.

This week, we're diving into why Choctaw matters, what Maria Konnikova says Poker can teach you about life decisions and emotional control, how Nevada casinos just posted their strongest November in years, five reasons to be excited about Poker in 2026, and Alex Fitzgerald's guide to spotting and beating local regs.

Also Today: We're breaking down how to exploit intoxicated players—because that drunk player at your table isn't your enemy, they're your ATM. Stop bluffing them, start value betting bigger, and learn why being social at the table is your biggest edge against players who came to gamble, not fold.

This week's Poker landscape features the Circuit's return to one of its most beloved stops, life lessons from a bracelet winner and author, Nevada's gaming industry showing strength, reasons to get excited about the year ahead, and practical strategy for beating the regs in your local game.

1. Choctaw Durant Hosts WSOP Circuit With $1M Guaranteed Main Event — The WSOP Circuit returns to one of its most popular stops as Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma hosts 18 ring events from January 7-19, headlined by a $1,700 Main Event boasting a $1 million guarantee.

The Main Event runs two Day 1 flights (Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17, both at 11 AM local time), giving players multiple shots at what could be a massive six-figure score. Choctaw last hosted the Circuit in October 2025 when Circuit crusher Matthew Higgins won his 9th ring in the Main Event for $218,436—his largest career WSOP score.

The series kicks off with the $500 Monster Stack ($100K guarantee) on Wednesday, January 7, while the $500 Gargantuan (also $100K guarantee) offers two Day 1 flights on Friday, January 16. Every ring winner receives a $5,000 package to attend the WSOP Circuit Championship at either WSOP Europe 2026 in Prague (March 31-April 12 at King's Casino) or WSOP Paradise 2026, including Championship entry and free hotel accommodations.

The series also marks Choctaw's adoption of WSOP+, the mobile app that's now the only way to register for Circuit events, view schedules, and receive live updates. Poker.org returns as official media partner, providing live updates on the Main Event through their Instant Live Feed and social media.

Source: WSOP

2. Maria Konnikova: What Poker Can Teach You in 2026 — PokerStars ambassador and bestselling author Maria Konnikova, fresh off her first WSOP bracelet and $1 million in lifetime tournament earnings, breaks down how Poker skills translate to better decision-making, emotional control, long-term thinking, and staying flexible in an ever-changing world.

On daily decisions: "Poker gives you this really good rubric for how to think through any choice—whether it's 'What are we having for dinner?' or 'Should I quit this job?'—by helping you evaluate risks, read probabilities correctly, and incorporate probabilistic thinking."

On emotional control: "If you're a successful Poker player, you've learned to recognize tilt in yourself. Being able to see those signs and take a step back is such a crucial life lesson. You also become more attuned to reading those signs in other people, so situations that might have escalated won't escalate now."

On long-term thinking: "Too many people, especially in politics, are skinning and not realizing it's not a zero-sum game. Everything from petty vendettas to climate change—it's just such short-sighted thinking. Losing a pot is okay. You don't have to fight for every single one. It just means you're playing a smarter game."

On staying flexible: "The game's gonna keep evolving. People who think Poker is solved just don't understand the game. What gives me my edge is my psychology training, not studying with a solver. Poker is always going to be a game of people, and the people who survive are the ones who understand how to marry math and psychology—and not be too locked into one specific way of doing things."

Source: Poker.org

3. Poker in 2026: Five Reasons to Be Very Excited — As 2026 kicks off, here's what has the Poker community buzzing:

The Aussie Millions returns after a six-year hiatus (April 24-May 10 at Crown Casino Melbourne), bringing back one of the world's most beloved live events with its AU$10,600 Main Event and 18 days of action.

Netflix is dropping an eight-part Poker drama executive produced by Martin Scorsese with Rounders co-writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien handling writing duties and Maria Konnikova involved as consultant—potentially the highest-profile Poker content ever produced.

The 2026 WSOP will be free-to-watch as PokerGO's streaming deal ends, opening the Main Event to massive new audiences who've been locked behind paywalls since 2017. PokerStars is moving SCOOP earlier (March 1-25) so it doesn't bleed into the WSOP, followed immediately by the Irish Poker Open celebrating its 46th year as the circuit's most fun event and 2025's Best Stand-Alone Festival.

Finally, the WSOP Super Main Event could push toward an $80 million guarantee after smashing its $60 million target in 2025 with a $72.3 million prize pool, with $100 million firmly in the WSOP's sights for the near future.

Source: Poker.org

4. Five Ways to Spot and Beat Local Regs — Alex Fitzgerald breaks down the exploitable patterns that local regulars display, giving you the blueprint to identify and profit from players who show up to your game every week.

Watch for the "I'm tilted but won't admit it" regular who starts playing more hands after losing a pot but claims they're fine—exploit them by value betting thinner and calling down lighter when they're steaming. The "tight is right" fossil who only plays premiums can be exploited through relentless aggression and stealing their blinds constantly while folding when they finally wake up with a hand.

Identify the "showoff" regular who makes elaborate plays to prove they're smart but overcomplicates spots—play straightforward against them and let them blow themselves up trying to be fancy. The "results-oriented" regular who judges every decision by outcome rather than process will tilt when their "good plays" lose, making them predictable targets after bad beats.

Finally, the "home game hero" who crushes their soft weekly game but struggles against real competition shows patterns like overvaluing top pair and not adjusting to tougher opponents—simply play solid fundamentals and they'll donate chips trying to bully you like they do at their home game.

Source: Card Player

5. Nevada Casino Revenue Up 2.4% in November, Regional Markets Driving Growth — Nevada's 441 licensed casinos generated $1.348 billion in gaming revenue for November 2025, representing a 2.39% increase year-over-year and marking the second consecutive month of percentage growth heading into 2026.

Clark County led with $1.187 billion (up 2.04%), though the Las Vegas Strip itself dipped slightly to $784.3 million (down 0.56%). The real story is regional strength: Downtown Las Vegas surged 10.32% to $87.2 million, the Boulder Strip exploded 20% to $79.5 million, and Laughlin jumped 11.6% to $38 million. Washoe County (Reno/Sparks) generated $80.9 million, up 6.39%, with Reno specifically posting $55.6 million (up 7.1%).

Slots drove the increase with win up 7.7% statewide on a 6.8% hold percentage, while table games declined 6.2% on 13.9% hold as baccarat fell 6%. Sports betting provided balance with gaming win up 7.9% year-over-year on strong football results. For the fiscal year running July 1, 2025 through November 30, 2025, gaming win has increased 2.83% overall, signaling sustained industry health despite a 5.2% drop in Las Vegas visitor volumes during November.

Source: Card Player

The drunk player at your table isn't your enemy—they're your ATM.

Most casinos serve free cocktails, which means as the night goes on, you're going to face more intoxicated players. And while every Poker book tells you to "adjust to your opponent," most players have no idea how to actually exploit someone who's had a few too many.

Here's what you need to understand: drunk players didn't come to fold.

They came to have fun, tell stories, and gamble. They're often on vacation or just want something exciting to talk about tomorrow. That completely changes how you should play against them.

The biggest mistake I see? Players trying to bluff intoxicated opponents off hands.

Stop it. Just stop.

Drunk players will call you down with middle pair, bottom pair, and sometimes just ace-high because "I had to see what you had." Your sophisticated triple-barrel bluff into their 8-7 on a K-Q-3-2-9 board? They're calling. Every single time.

But here's where it gets interesting: drunk players are extremely exploitable in ways most players never consider.

First, they overvalue everything. Middle pairs become monsters. Suited connectors become can't-fold hands. If you have top pair or better, don't get cute—bet big and get value. They're not paying attention to your bet sizing patterns, so when you actually have a hand, size up aggressively. They'll call anyway.

Second, and this is crucial: you can talk your way into getting them to call or fold if you're friendly with them.

There's a saying in sports: "Don't wake up your competitor." If someone's accepting losing, don't piss them off or they'll start playing harder. Same concept applies here. Be social. Have fun with them. Poker is a social game, and if you're sitting there with sunglasses and headphones refusing to engage, you're missing opportunities to influence their decisions in 50/50 spots.

I've literally talked drunk players into calls and folds by being friendly and creating a connection. "Oh man, if I were you I'd definitely call here"—suddenly they're calling. "This board is so scary, I don't blame you if you fold"—suddenly they're folding. You're planting seeds.

Third, be willing to play for stacks more often than usual.

In my book, I break down the complete strategy for playing against intoxicated players, including specific hand examples, bet-sizing adjustments, and how to read when they're actually strong versus just gambling. But the core principle is simple: stop bluffing, start value betting bigger, and understand that higher variance equals higher profits against players who refuse to fold.

One final thought: these sessions might feel swingy and frustrating when you lose to garbage hands. You will get rivered by 6-4 offsuit. You will watch them hit their two-outer. That's fine. Over the long term, you'll win... a lot.

The players crushing your local $2/$5 game aren't making fancy plays against drunk opponents—they're value betting relentlessly and letting the math take care of the rest.

Check out this wild Hustler Casino Live match where a pro's payback shove crushes the new kid in a bounty bonanza.

Would you snap-call that monster?

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The WSOP Circuit is off to a roaring start with Choctaw's $1M guaranteed Main Event, and Maria Konnikova reminded us that Poker teaches life lessons far beyond the felt—from better decision-making to emotional control to thinking long-term.

There are five massive reasons to be excited about 2026 (from the Aussie Millions return to a Scorsese-produced Netflix series), if you're struggling against local regs Alex Fitzgerald just handed you the playbook, and Nevada's casinos are showing sustained strength heading into the new year.

The lesson? Whether you're chasing Circuit rings, improving your mental game, or just trying to beat the regulars at your local card room, 2026 is setting up to be a year where preparation meets opportunity.

Keep grinding, keep learning, and remember that every session is a chance to get better.

What's your biggest leak when playing against recreational players? Are you bluffing too much against calling stations, missing value bets because you're scared of coolers, or sitting there with headphones refusing to engage socially? Reply to this email and tell me. I read them all!

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Talk soon,
Lexy Gavin-Mather