The poker world is always active, and even during those weeks when not much seems to happen, stories emerge that catch the attention of the community.
Last week didn’t see too many major events play out, but we still got our share of the action. One of the world’s most popular poker vloggers, Rampage, experienced quite a beating on “Hellmuth’s Home Game” to kick things off and created a few hours of exciting poker content.
The Global Poker Awards, one of the world’s most prestigious off-the-felt events, announced it would be returning during this year’s WSOP Paradise, leaving the PokerGO Studio for the first time in its history.
Speaking of the World Series of Poker, Jared Bleznick issued an interesting challenge to Shaun Deeb, as the two legendary grinders appear set for a showdown at next year’s Series.
Finally, ClubWPT Gold announced a massive 5 million chip freeroll coming up for its American players, once again looking to set records and set itself apart from the other operators.
Global Poker Awards Are Going to Paradise
The return of the Global Poker Awards has been confirmed, with the seventh edition of the ceremony set to take place on December 4, 2026, during WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.
The event will be hosted at the Baha Mar resort, marking a significant change of scenery for an awards show that had called the PokerGO Studio at ARIA in Las Vegas home since 2019.
The announcement comes as something of a surprise, given that the Global Poker Index (GPI) and The Hendon Mob announced in November 2025 that the awards would not return in 2026,
citing the considerable time and resources required to organize the annual production. However, a new partnership with the WSOP appears to have provided the perfect opportunity to bring the ceremony back.
The seventh edition will also look considerably different from previous years, with organizers opting for a much stronger emphasis on players rather than the wider poker industry.
🌐♣️🏆 The Global Poker Awards Return for a 7th edition at WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas 📝 https://t.co/L7ZaPG9BDJ https://t.co/JSKmevV0dP
— Global Poker Index (@gpi) October 29, 2026
Just 11 trophies are expected to be presented, including Most Feared Live Tournament Player, Most Feared Cash Game Player, Best Villain, Best Table Mate and Breakout Player.
Content creators will still receive some recognition through the Best Live Streamer and Best Vlogger categories, while the prestigious GPI Poker ICON award also returns.
Fans will have their say through the Most Entertaining Player award, with nominees including Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Tilly and Alan Keating. Jeff Platt is also returning as host, promising another entertaining evening.
With the world’s biggest names already expected in the Bahamas for WSOP Paradise, the organizers will be hoping the new setting and player-focused format can breathe fresh life into one of poker’s most recognisable celebrations.
Ethan “Rampage” Yau Endures a Beating on “Hellmuth’s Home Game”
Ethan “Rampage” Yau endured a session to forget on the latest episode of Hellmuth’s Home Game, with the popular poker vlogger walking away more than $100,000 down after a series of brutal encounters against some formidable opposition.
The third episode of Season 2, filmed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, featured a 25/50 cash game with a $50 big blind ante and a lineup that included Phil Hellmuth, Dan “Jungleman” Cates, Stanley Tang, Xuan Liu and Kelly Lucas.
Yau began the episode with a healthy $50,000 stack, but things quickly unravelled. One of his first major setbacks came against Hellmuth, who got his money in with A-K against Rampage’s A-7 suited.
The pair agreed to run it twice, but Hellmuth scooped both boards, securing a $17,825 pot and doubling his stack.
The biggest blow came in a confrontation with Stanley Tang. After Kelly Lucas opened and Tang three-bet, Yau picked up pocket jacks and four-bet to $6,500.
Tang responded by moving all-in, covering Yau’s remaining $35,500. Rampage made the call, creating an enormous $84,975 pot, but Tang’s K-Q paired a queen on the flop and held to take it down.
Interestingly, the players opted to run the board just once, with the alternative runout later shown to have produced a chop.
By the end of the episode, Rampage had recorded a staggering loss of $103,050, making him easily the night’s biggest loser. Liu, meanwhile, finished as the biggest winner, booking a $42,850 profit, while Tang also enjoyed a highly profitable session.
For Yau, it was a particularly painful reminder of just how quickly fortunes can change in high-stakes cash games. The episode provided plenty of entertainment for viewers, but it was certainly one Rampage would rather forget.
Jared Bleznick Throws Down the Gauntlet
Jared Bleznick has thrown down a potentially enormous challenge to Shaun Deeb, revealing that he would be willing to wager $2 million on himself to outscore the nine-time WSOP bracelet winner during a summer of World Series of Poker action.
Speaking on the Late Reg podcast, hosted by Phil Laak and Brian Rast, Bleznick expressed confidence that he could get the better of one of poker’s most relentless tournament grinders in a competition based around WSOP Fantasy points.
“I would probably take myself over Shaun in a summer and I’d probably bet like two million dollars on it,” Bleznick explained. However, there is a slight twist to the proposal.
Rather than putting the entire amount directly against Deeb, Bleznick wants to find 20 backers willing to put up $100,000 each, creating a $2 million betting pool.
He admitted that committing to the full WSOP schedule would be a challenge, particularly given the time involved, but insisted that the motivation of such a substantial wager would be enough to get him playing.
“The Blez” has some history when it comes to taking on Deeb in WSOP Fantasy competitions. Back in 2024, after being left out of the $25K Fantasy draft, he agreed to a $1 million wager in which he backed himself against ten players selected by Deeb.
Bleznick responded with 11 cashes, including his maiden WSOP bracelet in the $50,000 High Roller, and managed to outscore nine of Deeb’s ten selections. Only Chance Kornuth finished ahead of him.
Now, Bleznick appears ready to take things a step further by targeting Deeb himself. Whether he can find the 20 investors required to make the proposed challenge happen remains to be seen, but a $2 million WSOP Fantasy sweat would certainly add another fascinating storyline to the summer series.
ClubWPT Gold Announces a $5 Million Freeroll
ClubWPT Gold has announced one of the biggest online poker promotions in its history, unveiling a $5 million guaranteed freeroll that offers players the chance to turn a free entry into a million-dollar payday.
The 5 Million GTD Free Entry Tournament begins on November 1 and will run throughout the month, with the World Poker Tour-owned platform giving every eligible player a free entry into each available starting flight.
The tournament features a staggering $1 million first-place prize, with at least two Day 1 flights running daily at 1 pm and 7 pm Pacific Time through November 28.
Players who manage to reach the top 5% of a starting flight will secure a share of that flight’s prize pool, while the top 3% will progress to Day 2, scheduled for November 29.
This November, we’re making someone a millionaire. 5M GTD. 1M to first place. 0 to enter. November 1–29 https://t.co/2v8OHykxGD
— ClubWPT Gold (@ClubWPTGold) October 30, 2026
Those fortunate enough to qualify through multiple flights will have their advancing chip stacks combined, giving regular participants an opportunity to build a sizeable stack heading into the final stage.
Although the initial entry is completely free, players will have the option of re-entering for 100 Chips if eliminated during late registration.
There is also an optional 50-Chip add-on available once per flight. Neither is required to participate, meaning players can take their shot at the enormous guarantee without spending anything.
The announcement represents another major statement from ClubWPT Gold as it continues to build its presence in the online poker market.
With a $5 million prize pool and seven figures reserved for the eventual champion, the promotion is likely to attract considerable attention throughout November. It also allows recreational players to compete for a life-changing prize without the usual tournament buy-in.
