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Mark Patrickson
Professional Poker Journalist
Mark Patrickson is a poker journalist and semi-professional player with over 20 years at the tables and more than a decade of experience writing about the game. At VIP-Grinders, he covers poker news, live tournament reporting, strategy, and industry trends, bringing a player’s perspective that comes from thousands of hours of actual play across MTTs, Sit & Gos, and cash games up to 100NL 6-max No Limit Hold’em.
Before joining VIP-Grinders, Mark built a substantial body of published work across well-known poker platforms. He served as an Expert at PokerVIP, where he produced 194 strategy articles and was listed as a professional coach. He also contributed news and high-stakes reporting to HighStakesDB, one of the go-to sources for tracking high-stakes online poker action. He has been a freelance poker and iGaming writer since 2015, working across multiple publications.
What makes Mark’s writing different from typical poker journalism is his direct playing experience. He has spent years grinding cash games and tournaments across major online networks, giving him a practical understanding of concepts like rakeback value, game selection, table dynamics, and bankroll management that goes beyond theory. When he writes about a poker room’s traffic, rake structure, or software, he is drawing on first-hand experience as a regular player.
Based in Southeast Asia, Mark is also a chess and motorsport enthusiast.
Areas of expertise: Poker News, Live Tournament Reporting, Cash Game & MTT Strategy, Poker Room Reviews, Industry Analysis, High-Stakes Poker Coverage
Latest Articles by Mark Patrickson:
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- Online Poker News
- Live Poker News
- Poker News
ACR Poker’s $10M Dual Venoms and High Five Series Stack April Schedule
ACR Poker loads April with a $10M Dual Venom and 50-event High Five Series starting April 12.
Lodge Card Club: What Happens April 9 and What’s Next for Texas Poker
April 9 is the first deadline that forces the state’s hand in the Lodge investigation.
PokerStars US Shuts Down April 1: What Every Player Needs to Know
PokerStars US goes dark tomorrow as the FanDuel migration reshapes American online poker.
WSOP Signs Multi-Year ESPN Deal as Main Event Returns to Primetime
ESPN will broadcast the WSOP Main Event live for the first time since 2020, with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions handling coverage.
Punnat Punsri Claims Sixth Triton Title With $504,000 PLO/NLH Mix Win in Jeju
Only Jason Koon has more Triton titles after Punsri closed out a volatile seven-player final table in Jeju.
GGPoker $80M Bounty Hunters Series: Full Schedule, Key Events, and How to Play (April 5–28)
The largest guaranteed bounty series in online poker history kicks off April 5 with $80,000,000 across progressive and mystery bounty events.
Paul Phua Wins $3.2M at Triton Poker 10th Anniversary Special in Jeju
Triton co-founder Paul Phua takes down the $150K 10th Anniversary Special for $3.2 million.
Patrick Leonard Becomes All-Time SCOOP Title Leader as CoinPoker Ambassadors Dominate 2026 Series
CoinPoker’s Patrick Leonard broke the all-time SCOOP title record while teammate bencb reached the Main Event final table.
WPT Global Launches $275K Weekly Mystery Millions with $27,500 Top Bounty
WPT Global’s permanent weekly flagship offers a 1,000x bounty multiplier from a $26 buy-in.
Alan Goasdoue Wins $1,700 WSOP Super Circuit Main Event for $2.2M on GGPoker
Goasdoue turns 22 big blinds into $2.2M in GGPoker’s biggest online event of the year.
Lodge Card Club Shuts Doors and Lays Off All Staff After DA Ruling
The DA’s ruling on the Lodge’s business model has forced a full shutdown and mass layoffs.
CoinPoker Announces 2026 Heads-Up Cash Game World Championship
Two formats, two Rolexes, and a 2,000-hand final: CoinPoker rewrites its flagship competition from scratch.