In the buzzing heart of the PokerStars European Poker Tour in Prague, laughter spills across the poker room as content creator and football pundit Adam McKola settles into conversation between tournaments. Known for his wit, loyalty to Manchester United, and energy on YouTube, McKola is equally at home in front of a microphone or a stack of chips. “We did start together,” he says of his beginnings with fellow creator Rory Jennings. “The first time I played poker was with some friends like many years ago now, and I didn’t really have a clue, but that was a one-off.”

His true introduction came when the two worked on a poker-centered show. “When myself and Rory worked on a show with a few friends, which was sponsored by PokerStars, I remember just really getting the bug for it,” he recalls. “Playing those sit and gos with everyone, and then obviously being invited out to live tournaments by Stars. I think our first ever live tournament was in Dublin… and from there, I just really loved playing poker.”

For McKola, poker offered a perfect counterpoint to the intensity of his day job dissecting football. “It was a nice escape from our day-to-day, I say, work in quotation marks, of talking about football and making videos around that kind of thing,” he laughs. “So to then kind of jump into the poker world was real fun, and PokerStars are the best people to do it with as well. Going around the world playing poker is my favorite thing to do now.”

The Showdown and the Spark

McKola’s poker story began with True Geordie’s YouTube series *The Showdown*—a competitive home game that transformed casual friends into poker converts. “True Geordie, who’s a massive YouTuber in the UK, started a show with PokerStars called The Showdown,” he explains. “It was just about six friends playing poker together, one winner every week, and the winner walked away with a big prize and all the money was just up top.”

From those simple games came a real curiosity about the deeper strategy. “That’s when I realized like we all have the similar experience in poker, and that’s when I started trying to pick up a little bit more, learning a little bit more, watching a lot more streams and videos,” he says. “When you watch people like Spraggy and Fintan, and you’re listening to them go through their hands… you pick up so much.”

What impressed McKola most was the openness of the community. “In that room over there are some of the greatest players to play the game… If you see them on a break and you ask them a question, they all want to help you,” he says. “No one’s secretive with what they know, they’re always happy to help, and I find that a big thing.”

Poker as Sport

For McKola, poker sits somewhere between intellect and instinct. “Poker is obviously classified as gambling, and it has to be,” he says. “But for me, it’s closer to being a sport, maybe along the lines of chess. Everyone’s making calculated decisions… and it’s just the highs and lows as well, the emotions of it all. I suppose you can compare it to football in that the highs feel so much better because you have those lows sometimes.”

Even the physical experience matters. “I prefer to play live,” he says. “I prefer to feel my cards and feel my chips and, you know, feel people around the table and think about what they’re doing and what they’re thinking.” That sensory connection anchors him in the moment. “It’s the technical side and the tactical side, but also the emotional side of it, that’s so good.”

Learning by Doing — and Sometimes Losing

The journey from home games to tournaments wasn’t simple, but McKola thrives on the learning curve. “At the start I wasn’t really aware of everything,” he admits. “Because I wasn’t really aware of some of the faces or even some of the decision-making behind your percentages and your maths… I think I took it a little bit easier, because I thought, okay it’s just poker, it’s easy, right?”

That attitude changed after coaching from BBZ Poker and a memorable deep run. “I was playing in Brighton in the UKIPT PokerStars event and I finished third, my best ever run, my best ever score,” he says. “Spraggy won the tournament, and Dominic Nitsche, who’s one of the best players in the world, finished second.” Then he laughs: “The day before the final, Dominic was sat to my right. I won a few pots against him, and I went to Spraggy and said, ‘That guy to my right, I keep killing him!’ And Spraggy went, ‘Do you know who that is?’ When he showed me his Hendon Mob, I was like, oh wow, now I’m scared of him.”

That awareness became part of his growth. “Yes, you respect people and you understand who they are and how good they are,” he says, “but if you’re going to play scared, there’s no point playing.”

Taking on EPT Prague

Fresh off his run in the main event, McKola reflects with trademark honesty. “I’ve played the Main Event, so past tense now, I’m out of the Main,” he laughs. “I’ve had very good runs in PokerStars Open events, UKIPT events, the 1K mains… but I found it difficult in the EPT Main Event. Maybe because the stakes are higher; you’re paying 5K, and I know if I bust, I’m not gonna enter again.”

That pressure sometimes gets in the way. “I think I was playing a little bit scared,” he says. “Last year at EPT Prague, I had my first cash in a main event, and I think that got me going a little bit. It helped me feel more confident. Now that confidence hasn’t turned into any more results this year,” he grins. “Maybe it’s that confidence that’s got me knocked out.”

Irish Roots, Favorite Stops

Looking ahead, McKola lights up about upcoming events. “We’ve obviously got Paris coming up soon. There’s a lot of Spin & Go action happening there,” he says. “The Irish Open’s coming up, which is my favorite. My favorite EPT stop’s Barcelona, but my favorite poker stop is the Irish Open. There’s nothing better than it.”

His affection runs deep. “I come from an Irish background, so I enjoy going back to Ireland,” he adds. “The crack, the vibes in the poker room, everything about it is just the best, and everything that PokerStars and Paddy Power put on at those events is incredible.”

Balancing Football, Poker, and Ambition

As a lifelong Manchester United fan, McKola’s loyalty remains unshaken. “Football will always be my biggest passion,” he says. “I’ve followed the club since I was a five- or six-year-old boy with my father. Manchester United’s always my biggest passion… but poker is my favorite hobby.”

Even when not officially representing PokerStars, he finds a way to play. “The NAPT in Las Vegas, I wasn’t scheduled to be there to do any ambassadorial roles, but I went out just to experience it because I love playing poker,” he says. “As much poker as I can play, I will play.”

That enthusiasm comes with focus. “If we’re going into 5K events, we’d be stupid not to take it seriously and study it,” he explains. “I’m geeky about Manchester United, but I’m getting geeky about poker as well.”

Admiring the Booth, Embracing Emotion

Despite being a newcomer compared to veteran commentators, McKola knows what makes great poker broadcasting. “Spraggy’s one of the best poker broadcasters out there, he’s amazing. It’s a perfect balance of being funny, being able to have a laugh, and also being intelligent about what’s going on. And James Hartigan, Stapes… all of them, they’re perfect.”

But he believes one thing is missing from modern poker scenes: emotion. “I would like to see a little bit more emotion at the table,” he says. “Not rubbing it in, but being happy for yourself. Sometimes I just want to go, ‘Yeah!’ Like shout and jump out of my seat, but it feels like it’s not the right place to do it. I’d like to see a little bit more of that… I’m gonna bring it back. I have to win a hand of poker first, though.”

Favorite Players, Favorite Games

“The best football player of all time? It’s a toss-up between Eric Cantona and David Beckham,” McKola says, smiling. “Cantona made me fall in love with football… and Beckham, when I was in school, I used to copy his hair, copy his boots. He should have won the Ballon d’Or in 1999.”

And when it comes to poker? “My favorite poker player is Spraggy,” he admits. “I watch him all the time. He was in my YouTube top five. I sent it to him like, ‘Look at this.’”

For Adam, there are many challenges ahead, but his burning passion for the game and his resolve to make it in the poker world are just the qualities one needs to face and overcome those challenges. And while it may be impossible to predict future, something tells me that this is just one of many, many interviews McKola will give over the next few years.