Preview: 2025 Poker Trends

2024 gave us many memorable poker moments, including the biggest ever freeroll, Negreanu taking down the Poker Player’s Championship after many years of just missing top spots in WSOP events, and Santhosh Suvarna taking down a million dollar pot off the back of a serious bad beat. But what will we see for 2025 poker trends? Let’s take a look.

2025 Poker Tournaments

Major poker tournaments take up the lion’s share of the press and with good reason. The prize pools are the largest on Earth.

The most recognizable is, of course, the World Series of Poker (WSOP). The 2025 WSOP kicks off at the end of May and will run through July 16^th. Last year saw prizes of $450 million at stake in 99 events, online and off. It all culminated in the No Limit Texas Hold’Em Main Event, won by Jonathan Tamayo. He took home $10M. This begs the question: how much will be on the table this year? And will we break 100 events? It seems quite likely on both accounts.

The European Poker Tour (EPT) will hit picturesque locations in Paris, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona. Main Event buy ins are currently set at €5,300 at each location. Events will be held on February 17^th (in Paris), May 4^th (for Monte Carlo), and August 24^th (in Barcelona). The biggest winner from 2024 was USA’s Stephen Song, who took home €1,290,386 for a first-place finish at EPT Barcelona. No doubt we’ll see him at these events again in 2025.

Cities from every corner of the globe will be featured in the 2025 World Poker Tour (WPT). Players can find games and events in places as diverse as Cambodia, California, Australia, and Taiwan. Main event buy ins start around $1,100 and increase from there. Last year’s, Scott Stewart took down over $2.5M in the final event as he became the Season 22 WPT World Champion. Time will tell if the crowd will once again be chanting “STU-S-A!” in 2025.

Players to Watch

Before we dive into players poised to make a run in 2025, did you know that the top two earners in American poker are both former Magic: The Gathering players? Both Justin Bonomo ($58M+ earnings) and Bryn Kenney ($57M+) got their start playing the popular tabletop “combat” card game.

Two players to watch this year ended 2024 red hot, and should be approached at tables with extreme caution: Jesse Lonis and David Coleman. They both made dozens of final tables and earned millions in tournament prizes, and are expected to continue to play lethal poker in 2025. Lonis has been playing for many years and is known to professionals. Coleman, on the other hand, had a breakout year, winning his first live tournament trophy and then shredding the competition as the months went on. Look for these two at many final tables in 2025.

As for other names that should have a good year, the Global Poker Index reveals the players that are currently peaking. The rankings are determined by performance and in the money finishes in the previous 3 years in public tourneys with over 32 players.

Atop the list as the #1 player in the world is Tony Lin, who does not yet have a WSOP bracelet, but who had a number of strong finishes at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Monte Carlo, WSOP Paradise, and 2024 PGT Last Chance event. Other players to keep an eye on in 2025 include #4 Alex Foxen (who won the Trion Main Event and took home $3.8M+), #5 Adrian Mateos (who snagged $1M+ by crushing events at the Super High Roller Bowl Series Cyprus), and #9 Artur Martirosyan (who took home over a million dollars at the Triton).

Poker Innovations and Industry Changes

Will the Poker Hall of Fame change up its “one per year” practice? Given the seeming backlog of worthy candidates, the writers of one poker outlet think so. They’ve suggested that maybe one “game builder” (think of promoters like Benny Binion) and one player could enter each year, instead of just one person. While Patrick Antonius was inducted in 2024, top players still waiting in the wings include big names like Josh Arieh and Mike Matusow.

The article also makes an interesting prediction when it comes to the next player to join the legends like Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, and Doyle Brunson in the ten-bracelet club: Scott Seiver. He’s sitting at 7, but his packed schedule and recent results make it likely he’ll see at least one more bracelet this year if not more. Of course, Daniel Negreanu is right there with him at 7, and could easily go on a tear at any time.

The WSOP has addressed the use of poker solvers on the rail (or elsewhere) during play on the heels of the actions of “Team Tamayo” at last year’s Main Event. The updated rulebook now says that “Players and spectators are not allowed to use charts, apps, or any other form of electronic assistance in the tournament room.” Violations could result in disqualification. This creates a fairer game for all, no doubt.

Speaking of the WSOP, the WSOP+ app has been launched and will likely see greater adoption as players use it to register at events and obtain seat details.

Ever played a double board PLO bomb pot? It’s Omaha with preflop betting removed and two boards dealt out. The format is a favorite side game at live events, and it’s entirely possible other outlets will begin offering it in 2025.

Lastly, folks have been predicting the rise of VR poker for a while. It is offered in some places but has yet to take off. In 2025, perhaps this will be a trend to monitor.

Quotes and News from the Pros

• Daniel Negreanu says that the reality show The Traitors is a poker player’s “dream game format” and has requested to be on the show in 2025. In other show business news for the upcoming year, Phil Hellmuth is on a show that he bills as “American Idol meets Shark Tank.”

• Alex Foxen says that the Triton is becoming the “pinnacle of the high stakes poker scene.”

• #6 player in the world, Punnat Punsri recently won the super high roller event at Poker Dream 8. He said that he got the chip lead by putting a “bad beat” on somebody. Even the pros do it, so don’t be hesitant in 2025 to make a bold bluff. Luck just may bail you out, and that’s part of the game.

• Canada’s Mike “SirWatts” Watson describes how a lot of poker comes down to “a couple of chances a year” at a big win. He also says that being a pro requires a “lot of self-control.” Stay disciplined on your goals in 2025.

Good luck this year, players. It should be one of the biggest ever at the tables. And for those who can’t make it to the big leagues, don’t forget the poker never stops at Ignition Casino – we’ve got all the game types, freerolls, tournaments – 24/7.