San Jose

San José – October 16, 2026 -- Brazilian poker player Gabriel "kingqueensuited" Tavares took home $204,657 by winning Americas Cardroom's Sunday Banana two weeks in a row, on Oct. 4 and Oct. 11. He has also reached Day 2 of the $5 Million GTD NLH Venom PKO.

Two Sunday Banana titles pay $96,336 and $108,321

The Oct. 4 Sunday Banana, a $1,050 buy-in event, drew 436 entries and built a $436,000 prize pool. Tavares won $96,336. A week later, he finished first among 502 entries competing for $502,000, earning $108,321.

"Consistency is very important," Tavares said in an Americas Cardroom interview. He credited discipline at the second final table, where he held a medium stack against much shorter opponents.

San José – October 12, 2026 -- Costa Ricans living in Toronto, Medellín and other cities abroad can look forward to Costa Rican-style dinners, piñata experiences, traditional mascaradas and stand-up comedy, as beer brand Imperial launches a cultural platform called Es de Ticos.

Events target communities that stay connected to home

The platform aims to recognize the traditions, experiences and expressions that make up Costa Rican identity. Imperial will stage the activities in cities with Costa Rican communities that keep an active link to their home country, creating spaces to reconnect with familiar customs.

San Jose – – October 12, 2026 -- Four Marini SkinSolutions products, including a salmon-derived PDRN face serum and a physical tinted SPF 45, have won 2026 Skin Anarchy "Top Picks Beauty Awards."

The awards cover skin care, makeup, hair care, and fragrance, and recognize scientific efficacy, excellence, and innovation.

A PDRN serum wins the longevity innovation award

Marini Reboot® PDRN Face Serum took the "Top Pick: Innovation Award for Longevity." It combines concentrated salmon-derived PDRN with rejuvenating technologies in a single serum. The source cites multiple independent studies showing improved skin quality, reduced visible signs of aging, less redness, more hydration, and better barrier function. It has also been shown to be a safe and effective adjunct to microneedling, for daily recovery and post-procedure support.

San Jose – October 12, 2026 -- Poker fans can watch eight-hour live streams on the official Americas Cardroom Kick channel on October 11, 15 and 18, as the $6.5 million guaranteed Dual Venom PKOs continue. Viewers can join the chat during each broadcast.

Three Americas Cardroom Pros take the first-flight streams

Jon Pardy is scheduled for Sunday, October 11, when Day 1C starts at 1:05 p.m. ET. Ana Marquez follows on Thursday, October 15, for Day 1D, and Drew Gonzalez streams Sunday, October 18, for Day 1E.

Two tournaments share a $2,650 buy-in

Day 1C covers both the $5 Million GTD No-Limit Hold'em Venom PKO and the $1.5 Million GTD Pot-Limit Omaha Venom PKO. Each event has a $2,650 buy-in and five starting flights. Both use the Progressive Knockout format, which awards bounty prizes from Day 1.

San José, Costa Rica – October 02, 2026 -- Costa Rica has launched a free digital platform called "Discover Costa Rica," an interactive map letting students, teachers, researchers, and tourists explore the country's geography, oceans, and culture online.

The platform maps national parks, volcanoes, and ocean territory

Developed by the Country Brand essential COSTA RICA with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, the University of Costa Rica's Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology (CIMAR-UCR), and the UCR School of Geography, the tool covers national parks, islands, waterfalls, and volcanoes alongside ecosystems, protected areas, and biodiversity data. It is available in both Spanish and English.

San José, Costa Rica – October 02, 2026 -- Americas Cardroom has released a software update introducing Progressive Mystery Bounty tournaments, a Wild emoji collection, expanded Staking Tickets and broader mobile-table support.

Players choose between Mild and Wild emoji reactions

The Emoji Gallery now offers two collections: Mild (PG) and Wild (R). The Wild set adds more aggressive reactions and throwables, with each player's own setting controlling only what appears on their own screen. Emojis can be turned off entirely through Settings > Playing Experience > Gameplay.

Progressive Mystery Bounty spans multiple tournament days

The new format locks bounty play during Day 1. Once opening flights conclude, the bounty pool is randomly distributed among players advancing to Day 2. From that point, eliminating an opponent pays half of their bounty immediately, while the other half is added to the eliminator's own bounty.

Las Vegas – September 25, 2026 -- ULTRALOQ has launched a new smart lock collection that lets homeowners choose between hands-free entry using ultra-wideband sensing or tap-to-unlock digital keys stored in Apple Wallet or Samsung Wallet.

The lineup includes three models: Bolt Mission ($299.99 MSRP), Bolt Pro ($269.99 MSRP), and Latch 5 Pro ($249.99 MSRP). The collection is available now through ULTRALOQ's website and Amazon, with sales starting on The Home Depot's site in October.

Bolt Mission uses radar and UWB to detect true arrival, not just nearby phones

Billed as the industry's first UWB-enabled smart lock, Bolt Mission combines Bluetooth Low Energy discovery, UWB ranging, and radar-based presence sensing to distinguish someone approaching the door from someone simply moving inside the home. Users keep their phone in a pocket or bag while the Xthings Home app runs in the background, with no PIN entry or separate hub required.

San Jose, Costa Rica – September 22, 2026 -- Americas Cardroom's OSS XL tournament series posted another high-payout Sunday on September 20, with three Main Events still in progress as the series heads toward its close.

The $630 High Roller drew over 1,200 entries

OSS XL #215 pulled in 1,204 entries, building a $722,400 prize pool well above its $600,000 guarantee. Following a final-table deal, player slippy12 took first place for $119,923, while a6amKa4ePBb finished runner-up for $114,033.

Two smaller events also beat their guarantees

High Roller #213H generated $299,400 from 499 entries against a $250,000 guarantee, with G26 winning $59,536 after a deal. Mini Phil's Thrill #219 topped its $250,000 guarantee, reaching $260,000 from 104 entries; Infliponcio took the win for $58,500.

Seattle – September 18, 2026 -- Renters across the United States are paying $1,066 less per month than typical home buyers, according to Zillow's latest Rental Market Report, with the gap holding in all 50 largest U.S. metros.

Typical rent sits at $1,948 versus a $3,014 mortgage payment

The Zillow Observed Rent Index puts typical U.S. rent at $1,948 a month, while the typical new home buyer's monthly payment -- including taxes and insurance -- totals $3,014. That works out to $12,792 a year in savings for renters, a gap Zillow says has widened as mortgage costs rose $140 over the past six months, more than four times the $32 increase in typical rent over the same period.

San Jose, Costa Rica -- September 11, 2026 -- Americas Cardroom's Online Super Series XL generated $7,216,985 in prize pools and drew 62,847 entries during its opening four days, not counting entries from tournament flights.

From Sept. 6-9, 93 tournaments ran, completing the numbered schedule through OSS XL #70. Thirty-three of those events exceeded their guarantees by a combined $217,170.

The High Roller event delivered the series' largest prize pool so far

OSS XL #13, a $630 buy-in High Roller, drew 1,118 entries and turned its $600,000 guarantee into a $670,800 payout. Player BADGERING took first place for $130,210.

The $2,650 OSS XL #16 also surpassed its target, pulling in 203 entries for a $507,500 prize pool against a $500,000 guarantee. Following a final-table deal, NewYorkMidgets was listed as the official winner for $95,312, with KevinParCoeur taking $93,875 for second and Olivander1 earning $87,459 for third.