Good or Bad? Our Poker Predictions for 2026; Will the WSOP Raise the Main Event Buy-in?

<p>In the 933rd episode of the <em>PokerNews Podcast</em>, <strong>Chad Holloway</strong>, <strong>Mike Holtz</strong>, and <strong>Ben Ludlow</strong> kick off Season 17 with some <strong>poker predictions for 2026</strong>. Will the Big Beautiful Bill's gambling tax situation be resolved or lead to big ramifications in the industry? Will <strong>Phil Hellmuth</strong> win his 18th gold bracelet? Would the World Series of Poker (WSOP) ever raise the buy-in for the Main Event?</p> <p>The triumvirate also covers recent stories, including poker players <strong>Galen Hall</strong> and <strong>Jason Somerville</strong> winning big in the Circa Survivor content, arbitration ending between <strong>Maurice Hawkins</strong> and <strong>Denise Pratt</strong>, and <strong>Lex Veldhuis</strong> returning to the streaming streets, albeit not as a PokerStars Ambassador. Similarly, <strong>Caitlin Comeskey</strong>'s ambassadorship with PokerStars US came to an end, and got the crew asking, "Is there still value in poker ambassadors?"</p> <p>You'll also see a short interview of Poker Hall of Famer <strong>Erik Seidel</strong> chatting with <strong>Rep. Dina Titus</strong> about the aforementioned tax bill, hear about <strong>Jeremy Becker</strong> and <strong>Matthew Wantman</strong> winning titles at the Venetian, and another book giveaway for a copy of <strong>Jonathan Little</strong>'s <em><strong>The Complete Poker Workout</strong></em>.</p> <p>A new <em>PokerNews Podcast</em> drops every Thursday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/@pokernewsdotcom">subscribe to our YouTube channel</a> so you do not miss an episode!</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Time Stamps</strong></span><br /> *Time    Topic*<br /> 00:00 | Welcome to the show<br /> 01:40 | Poker players win big in Circa's Survivor contest<br /> 08:20 | Maurice Hawkins arbitration ends<br /> 21:56 | Lex Veldhuis is back!<br /> 26:07 | What are the value of "Poker Ambassadors" nowadays?<br /> 30:00 | Poker predictions for 2026<br /> 30:42 | Video: Erik Seidel chats w/ Rep. Dina Titus<br /> 38:29 | Trivia – Venezuela's all-time money list<br /> 40:03 | Is late reg and unlimited reentries a problem?<br /> 47:45 | Could WSOP Main Event be $15,000?<br /> 49:50 | Hellmuth will win bracelet No. 16 in 2026<br /> 50:30 | Recent Tournament Winners presented by 888poker<br /> 51:18 | Jeremy Becker claims title at Venetian<br /> 51:35 | Matthew Wantman kicks off New Year with win<br /> 51:46 | Preston Dean wins RoughRider Poker Tour title<br /> 52:10 | Jonathan Little book giveaway<br /> 54:13 | Disc golf with TJ Reid</p>