Merge Up

What is Merge Up?

Ours is a niche industry, but it is a wonderful and welcoming one, and Calvin Ayre has been a huge part of the poker industry in my time, too. The name has opened doors, helped me speak to some of the biggest and best poker players from around the globe.  

Recent articles have been just important in bringing you, poker fans, the latest news, features that cut to the heart, diamond, spade and club of each issue and hopefully, entertaining you. While to some, the future of online poker is the most vital discussion point, others would like to know what it takes to quit their job and become a professional player.  

There have been many uplifting elements to writing about poker through a global pandemic, as odd as those words must feel to read and certainly are to write. From inspirational quotes to motivate players who are just joining or continue to love the game to what could help players turn pro as an alternative to more difficult careers to sustain (they do exist!), it has genuinely been a job I have treasured and I hope you have enjoyed the content that I and the incredible Calvin Ayre content team have been able to bring you during the past 18 months or so.  

About Merge Up

In a press release on Friday, Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain urged the government to “close the loophole without delay” in response to a Department for Culture, Media and Sport consultation on the matter.

The second consultation, which ran from 15 July to 9 September, followed an initial review in February.

But Entain warned the current timeline, which would enforce the ban by August 2027, was not timely enough, allowing unlicensed operators to sponsor Premier League clubs for another full season.

About Merge Up

The title went live on September 10, 2026. Rather than reinventing its engine, Blueprint is reusing a mechanic that has already worked. That signals a strategy built on iteration, not experimentation.

The central hook is the return of the pots mechanic, tied here to multi-colored fireballs. The feature first appeared in Triple Action Cash Strike, where it earned its place off the back of that title’s success.

In practice, the colored fireballs feed matching pots that shape how the Power Spins bonus plays out. Trigger the bonus game via the green fireball and the feature runs with the Expand enhancement; any green scatters that land can unlock up to three additional rows. The Collect and Multiplier variants offer alternative routes into the same bonus framework.