Online Poker in 2025
Dec 12, 2025 Online Poker News
The biggest story for online poker in December 2025 was the CoinPoker cash game world championships. The final winner was a player going by the name of Biluzin. Even more impressive, was Owen Messere aka PRODIGY defending his CoinPoker High Stakes Cash Game World Championship Leaderboard win with a 3rd place finish.
It’s the most competitive field in high stakes online poker. The game is 50-100 No Limit Hold’em 6 max. The buy in is $10,000 with ante and non ante games available. Coinpoker rewards top 5 places with cash and a rolex. Very generous of Coinpoker, but these players are here for one thing, and that is the prestige as the current best online high stakes cash game player.
This pool is unbelievably talented. Hats off to the players for putting the money on the line and battling it out.
If you want to view interactively how the CoinPoker High Stakes Cash Game World Championship 2025 played out, check out Patrick Howard from Mobius Poker Website’s interactive leaderboard at View CGWC 2025 Tracker. This was so well mapped out and really shows you how high stakes online players go through poker downswings and upswings. As you can see on this tracker, Prodigy showed up with an 18+ buy-in day. Online high stakes poker is still alive as Prodigy wins 180k in a single day vs the best online poker players in the world.
CoinPoker rakeback is 33% and it’s paid out every Monday. If you don’t have an account on CoinPoker, sign up with us and compete in our additional VIP leaderboard for the top online poker deal going into 2026!
New CoinFlipEdge Additions
We added a new partner in QQpoker and have only positive things to say so far. Their online poker games are soft with some of the lowest rake offered by any poker site. Their payments are always fast and their customer support is top tier in the industry. Sign up with us and earn 40% rakeback as well as compete in our monthly leaderboards starting in January.
Clubs Poker Leaderboard
In April of 2025 , we began running our first leaderboard which was a top rakeback deal for legal USA online poker players. Our leaderboard significantly increased traffic while rewarding our players with the highest rakeback in USA online poker. We highly recommend Clubs Poker as the best USA only and legal online poker site in 2025. If you’ve never had a poker account on Clubs Poker , you can sign up with us to compete in our poker cash game leaderboards on top of the best rakeback deal!
2025 Poker Highlights
2025 delivered massive developments across online poker, USA online poker, live events, legislation, and scandals. Players chasing the best online poker rakeback deals saw new opportunities, while regulatory shifts impacted sweepstakes models. High-profile wins and controversies kept the community buzzing. Below is a detailed look at the year's defining moments for poker rakeback hunters and enthusiasts alike.
California Sweepstakes Poker Ban Takes Effect
California implemented its ban on dual-currency sweepstakes gaming on January 1, 2026, following Governor Gavin Newsom's signing of AB 831. This law closed the loophole that allowed sites to offer real-money prizes through Sweeps Coins models.
Clubs Poker exited the California market on December 29, 2025, deactivating accounts and requiring final redemptions by that date. Many players lost access to one of the top legal USA online poker options overnight.
ClubWPT Gold attempted to stay by rebranding as a poker training platform and introducing restrictive rules for California residents. Players now face a nine-day monthly window for normal play and redemptions. The first nine login days with at least one hand played allow full access. Outside those days, players can win Chips but cannot redeem them immediately. They must wait and potentially play through requirements in future windows.
Low-volume players see little change, but grinders and tournament winners face hurdles cashing big scores quickly. This "limited and occasional" approach aims to comply with the law's language, though long-term viability remains uncertain.
The ban impacts USA online poker grinders in California, reducing options. Players elsewhere continue enjoying strong deals through CoinFlipEdge partnerships. Contact us if you are looking for the most profitable online poker and rakeback deals.
Gambling Tax Changes Impact Players
A controversial provision in federal legislation altered gambling tax rules. The rules are still somewhat unclear. We suspect this will have to be taken to a court ruling. It looks like losses now deduct only up to 90 percent of winnings, down from 100 percent. This raises effective taxes for professional grinders and frequent recreational players, even on breakeven years.
Example: Win $100,000 but lose $100,000? Now taxed on $10,000 phantom income. The change was added last minute by by Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), He is a member of the church of latter day saints. Despite alcohol being against his religion, Mike Crapo was convicted of a DUI in Virginia in 2013. Apparently his congressional salary isn’t enough for him to pay for a ride.
Bipartisan bills in Congress seek reversal, leading the charge is Dina Titus .
Nevada representatives lead efforts to restore full deductions, citing harm to tourism and regulated markets. Poker pro Erik Seidel express optimism for 2026 fixes. Until then, accurate tracking becomes crucial for poker tax optimization.
Michael Mizrachi Dominates WSOP Main Event
Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi etched his name deeper into poker history with a commanding 2025 WSOP Main Event victory. Overcoming a field of 9,735 entrants, he claimed $10 million and the bracelet in just 79 hands at the final table.
Mizrachi entered with momentum from his record fourth Poker Players Championship win earlier in the series. His Main Event run included winning clutch flips and fearless aggression. The win triggered immediate Poker Hall of Fame induction, bypassing standard processes in recognition of his achievements.
Final table payouts highlighted massive prizes: second place earned $6 million, down to ninth at $1 million. Mizrachi's performance reminded the community that you don’t have to be a solver savant to make millions playing poker.
Benny Glaser's Triple Bracelet Summer
Mixed-game specialist Benny Glaser delivered one of the most impressive WSOP runs in 2025, shipping three bracelets. Victories came in Dealers Choice, Mixed Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, and Mixed Triple Draw Lowball against deep fields.
NBA Stars Implicated in Poker Cheating Scandal
Private high stakes games drew scrutiny when federal indictments targeted rigged poker sessions involving NBA figures. Chauncey Billups and Gilbert Arenas faced allegations of luring victims into cheated games using advanced technology like rigged shufflers and chip analyzers.
Prosecutors described sophisticated operations across multiple cities. Victims reportedly lost millions. The scandal exposed risks in unregulated private games and damaged reputations of involved athletes.
Poker pro Matt Berkey had declined invitations years earlier, suspecting irregularities. The case underscores the importance of transparent, regulated environments for serious players seeking fair poker games. We recommend staying away from private high stakes poker games. Stick to casinos or online poker.
Looking Ahead to 2026 Online Poker Rakeback
With regulatory pressure on sweepstakes models and tax challenges, players prioritize sites offering maximum online poker rakeback. CoinFlipEdge partnerships deliver industry leading deals across top platforms.
QQpoker's soft games and low rake make it a great option for NL ante players. Clubs Poker leads legal USA online poker in rewards with exclusive leaderboards boosting effective rakeback.
Grinders maximize value by signing through affiliates. Contact CoinFlipEdge today for personalized recommendations and the highest available online poker rakeback deals entering 2026.