PokerNews Podcast

In the 950th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are back to talk about the latest in the poker world starting with an exclusive interview as Texas Card House (TCH) CEO Ryan Crow talks about the tate of Texas poker, TCH's perspective on the raid at Doug Polk's The Lodge, and whether or not the planned World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit will continue as planned. Plus, Crow shares details on a new, multi-episode ...

In the 949th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow do an emergency show to react to the long-awaited video by Doug Polk in which he discusses the raid on his Texas card club, The Lodge. Find out what the large shareholder had to say, his timeline of events, and where things currently stand. Plus, what did Doug think about the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) theory, some reasons players should remain optimistic for a positive ...

In the 948th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are back to discuss a new theory involving what might be the real reason behind authorities investigating The Lodge in Texas. It focuses more on the financial side of things, specifically the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) as opposed to actual poker and alcohol. Could it be the real reason for the raid? Plus, an update from The Lodge in which they made an unfortunate announcement ...

In the 947th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are back to discuss headlines from the poker world that didn't include The Lodge in Texas. Foremost among them was celebrity Kylie Jenner, working with Vanity Fair to make a viral poker video. Was it a good thing for poker? The crew also discusses the upcoming closure of the Resorts World Poker Room and some of their favorite (and worst) memories, Arden Cho at the ...

In the 946th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow shoot a show devoted to examining the recently-released affidavit against The Lodge in Texas, which was raided by authorities last Tuesday. What were the details of the warrant? Find out here. Plus, Doug Polk recently issued a new statement and is committed to making sure players are taken care of. But what do the details of the affidavit mean for the future of The Lodge ...

In the 945th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow shoot a show devoted to the latest updates following The Lodge in Texas being raided by authorities. A lot has happened since the raid last Tuesday at Doug Polk's famed card room, which recently issued a new statement. While we have some answers, there are still plenty of unanswered questions, given that the club remains closed and no formal charges have been filed. It remains ...

In the 944th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Connor Richards react in real-time to breaking news -- that The Lodge in Texas was being raided by authorities. It was an unexpected development at Doug Polk's famed card room that you can read more about here. From there, the trio updates you on the cheating poker dealer from Texas that was highlighted in Episode 940. See new surveillance footage obtained by PokerNews that clearly shows exactly ...

In the 943rd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are joined by TJ Reid at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas. The quartet talks about the viral and vulnerable tweet sent by famed vlogger Brad Owen, who was open about burnout and how he's currently feeling within the poker space. It's an intimate look at a part of the game that's not often talked about. They then discuss the perfect 300 bowling game of ...

In the 942nd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are joined by Jeff Platt at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas. The quartet talks about Platt's new role with the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and what all that entails. Find out what all you can expect from the 2026 WSOP as the former cohost of the PokerNews Podcast talks about being a face of the brand, live viewer experience, storytelling, the Poker Hall ...

In the 941st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are joined by James Hartigan at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas. The quartet previews upcoming PokerStars live events, including the European Poker Tour (EPT) Paris, where the Spin & Go Championship will take place. There's also the PokerStars Open Philadelphia and the 2026 Irish Poker Open, which, according to Hartigan, is more than just a poker tournament; it's a whole experience. Find out information ...

In the 940th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are back to break down the video of a poker dealer caught cheating in a Texas card room. See surveillance footage of what happened and how he was caught! The trio then discusses Michael Mizrachi & Chino Rheem's $100K No Smoking/Drinking prop bet, Alex Foxen making his Hustler Casino Live (HCL) debut, and results from the PokerGO Tour (PGT) Mixed Games Series, which included big ...

In the 939th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are back for a special episode to discuss the release of the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) schedule! Running from May 26 through July 15, the 2026 WSOP consists of 100 gold bracelet events and, for the first time ever, will be immediately followed by a WSOP Circuit stop. Find out what's new on the schedule, what is missing, and what changes are in ...

In the 938th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are joined by Connor Richards at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas to talk about poker pro Jared Bleznick revealing that he's buried by a bad investment into a massive amount of Labubu! Connor then shares details on covering the federal trial of Tom Goldstein in person in Maryland and what it was like to win the recent Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) event. Speaking ...

In the 936th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are all in Las Vegas at Level 9 Studio to talk about a pair of big hands from the Super High Roller Cash Game on PokerGO. One saw Sameh Elamawy lay down the second nuts to Justin Gavri, and the other was Andrew Robl five-bet bluffing smack into the pocket aces of Eric Wasserson, which led to a discussion on Robl and his chances of ...

In the 936th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are all in Las Vegas at Level 9 Studio to talk about the viral $2.4 million poker hand played between Antonio Esfandiari and Alan Keating. The hand, part of Super High Roller Cash Game on PokerGO, blew up fast and had the whole poker world talking. From there, the crew talks about the Daniel "Jungleman" Cates vs. sports bettor "Elf" boxing match, looks at a ...

In the 935th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow talk about Linda "Granny" Hammons, an 88-year-old who discovered her favorite slot machines had been removed, so she decided to play her first-ever poker tournament. It took place at the Beau Rivage Million Dollar Heater down in Mississippi, and she did quite well while capturing the hearts of the poker community. Bill Phillips from the Gulf Coast Poker event caught up with her in a ...

In the 934th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow talk about the two players who made it all the way to heads-up play and then agreed to play winner take all for the prize money. It was a wild story that saw one player walk away with a five-figure payday and the other leave empty-handed. The trio then discusses WPT Global's controversial signing of Ren Lin as an ambassador, which led to a discussion ...

In the 933rd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow kick off Season 17 with some poker predictions for 2026. Will the Big Beautiful Bill's gambling tax situation be resolved or lead to big ramifications in the industry? Will Phil Hellmuth win his 18th gold bracelet? Would the World Series of Poker (WSOP) ever raise the buy-in for the Main Event? The triumvirate also covers recent stories, including poker players Galen Hall and Jason Somerville ...

In the 932nd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz recap the top 10 stories of 2025 according to PokerNews. They include: - Cheating Technology Fears Rise - Trump's Tax Bill Detrimental to Poker Industry - Benny Glaser's Summer for the Ages - Twelve Months That Might Change Women's Poker Forever - Attorney Tom Goldstein Indicted Over Million-Dollar Poker Games - Ossi Ketola's Record-Shattering Heads-Up Poker Matches - Return of Poker Villains - Millionaire Maker Controversy at ...

In the 931st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz bring Christmas cheer to the poker world! The duo discusses the brutal slowroll from Eric Wasserson against Benny Glaser deep in the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise Super Main Event, bracelet winners from the Bahamas, and their thoughts on Ren Lin being allowed back to play without even missing a single stop during his "indefinite" suspension. From there, it's over to Las Vegas to recap ...