Poker in the Ears

It's (pretty much) all about #WCOOP this week. As the 2024 World Championship of Online Poker heads into its final weekend, James and Joe preview their Main Event coverage on the PokerStars Twitch channel and get an update from the man in the know, WCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains. Plus, they talk to the captain of the team currently sitting at the top of the WCOOP League, Sebastian 'peace&loove' Huber. Finally, there's a Bronze #PowerPass on the line, as Cory Cauvier from Nova Scotia takes on Joe at Moto GP trivia in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and join the #PITE community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

There's a new poker movie for James and Joe to sink their teeth into. They review 'Dead Money', which stars Emile Hirsch as a professional player who endures a dramatic 24 hours at the tables in a series of private games. Emile joins the guys to discuss the film and how he rediscovered his love of poker while preparing for the role. Meanwhile, #WCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains is on hand with the latest stories from the 2024 World Championship of Online Poker. And London-based listener Connor Slack tries to win a Bronze #PowerPass answering questions about The Masters in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and join the #PITE community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

What happened on and off the felt at #EPTBarcelona? James and Joe recap the European Poker Tour's 20th anniversary celebrations with two-time Super High Roller winner Kayhan Mokri. And, with the 2024 World Championship of Online Poker now running on PokerStars, they get the early headlines and series stats from #WCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains. Plus, Miles Miller from the USA picks 'Money Heist' as his specialist subject in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and join the #PITE community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

James and Joe celebrate the 20th anniversary of the European Poker Tour with its founder John Duthie. In an extended interview, John talks about his journey into the television industry, discovering poker in the 1980s, winning the first ever Poker Million, and seeing an opportunity to launch the EPT when the World Poker Tour didn't live up to its name. He also discusses some of the darker chapters in his life, and the business decisions he made that ultimately led to him losing control of the tour. Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and join the #PITE community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord). Next episode: Friday September 13th. Meanwhile, watch the #EPTBarcelona live stream on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels: September 1st–8th.

James and Joe conclude their recap of the biggest poker stories of the summer by talking to this year's World Series of Poker Main Event champion Jonathan Tamayo. Obviously, 'laptop-gate' is a major point of discussion. Jonathan also talks about his journey into poker, how he and his coaches approached the WSOP final table, and exclusively reveals how he's spending his $10m winnings! The guys also look ahead to #EPT20 – the 20th anniversary of the European Poker Tour – and run through some of the onsite activities taking place at #EPTBarcelona, and the live streaming schedule. Finally, there's a Bronze #PowerPass up for grabs, as Daniel Maylin-Petrou answers questions about the TV show 'Suits' in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and join the #PITE community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord). A reminder: you can watch James and Joe discussing Bond films on Sunday August 25th at 20:00 BST (youtube.com/@James_Hartigan).

James and Joe are back from their extended summer break and have a LOT to discuss. Joe's comedy tour, James's multiple trips to Vegas during the WSOP, UKIPT Malaga, a charity poker tournament in Hollywood, Destination RunGood at Thunder Valley, UKIPT London. And more! Plus, with new episodes of 'The Big Game on Tour' still dropping on the PokerStars YouTube channel every week, the guys talk to the first Loose Cannon Nikki Limo about her experience on the show and ask what advice she'd offer players considering auditioning for the new season. Finally, David Baer from Minnesota tries to win #PITE merch answering questions about the movie 'Annihilation' in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

For their second summer special, James and Joe talk to the newest PokerStars ambassador: Belgian poker pro, former WSOP finalist and tournament director Kenny Hallaert. Kenny started his poker journey as an online grinder nearly 20 years ago. He's since organised and run live events in his home country, has worked as a floor person for the EPT, is a member of the Tournament Director's Association, and is well known for compiling a comprehensive list of all tournaments running in Las Vegas during the summer months. Also on this episode, James recounts a hand history (aka: bad beat) from the first weekend of the World Series of Poker. And, with 'The Big Game on Tour' returning to TV screens on Friday July 26th, the guys recap the key hands and stories from the first table. Next podcast: August 15th. In the meantime, please follow/subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

For their first summer special, James and Joe present a Poker Movie Monday (on a Wednesday). And the motion picture they're reviewing might be one of the worst they've ever seen. The harsh reality is that most films featuring poker are pretty bad and nearly all films featuring Steven Seagal are atrocious. So, imagine a poker movie starring Seagal! That's 'Gutshot Straight'. The guys are joined by Rob Perez (aka: WorldWideWob) to analyse and dissect this direct-to-video "thriller” from 2014. It's also the subject of the Superfan quiz, as Logan Hunt tries to win a couple of Power Passes. Next summer special: July 24th. In the meantime, please follow/subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

With the 2024 Spring Championship of Online Poker in the books, James and Joe recap the series with their #SCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains, summarising the headline stats and biggest stories of the last three weeks. Plus, the guys talk to Lex Veldhuis, who won his first SCOOP trophy this year and triumphed in the inaugural SCOOP League. Lex also discusses the swings he experienced on The Big Game on Tour (new episodes every Saturday on the PokerStars YouTube channel) and the upcoming Lex Live event in Spain. Finally, EPT Barcelona is the topic of the Superfan quiz, as Cornel Puscau competes for a #PowerPass. Next episode: June 26th. In the meantime, please follow/subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

Players from every continent will be heading to Las Vegas in the coming days for the 2024 World Series of Poker. James and Joe look ahead to this year's #WSOP and discuss when they'll be there and what they're planning to do and play. Plus, they talk to the man who won the 2023 Main Event bracelet – and $12.1m – Daniel Weinman. Meanwhile, ahead of Main Event Sunday in the Spring Championship of Online Poker, the guys get an update from #SCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains. Also on this week's show, the #PITE community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord) review Episode 2 of The Big Game on Tour, James reveals why and how he's going to give away prizes at ESPT/UKIPT Malaga, and Dutch barbershop singer Mickey Gijzen competes for PokerStars merch in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please follow/subscribe to the podcast.

The Big Game on Tour is finally here, with new shows broadcast every Friday on FS1 in the USA and uploaded to the PokerStars YouTube channel the following day. James and Joe recap the first episode with the star of the show: Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Tilly. They also talk about Joe's premiere party and discuss James's experience playing in a #WSOPC event at The Commerce. #SCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains drops by with the latest stories and stats from the Spring Championship of Online Poker, and Andy Wallace from the UK returns to the podcast to answer questions about the Big Game in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please follow/subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

James and Joe are back from Monaco. They start the show paying tribute to Steve Albini, the two-time WSOP bracelet winner and legendary music producer who died this week at the age of 61. The guys then look back at #EPTMonteCarlo, with some behind-the-scenes stories and an interview with Main Event finalist Rania Nasreddine. #SCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains returns to the podcast to provide the early headlines from the 2024 Spring Championship of Online Poker, while Maureen Bloechlinger from Switzerland takes on Joe at poker trivia in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Finally, there are details of when and where you can see the #BigGameOnTour. Please follow/subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

James and Joe are about to head to the PokerStars European Poker Tour Presented by Monte-Carlo Casino. They look ahead to seven days of live streaming (April 28th – May 4th) on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels, plus a second edition of the #MysteryCashChallenge. Among the players taking part in this cash game at #EPTMonteCarlo is YouTube star Alexander Seibt, aka: Wolfgang Poker. He joins the guys, just minutes after arriving in Monaco, to talk about his expectations for the game and reflect on the incredible success of his recent videos, one of which has received more than 100m views! Finally, Arpi Toth chooses the TV show 'Nathan for You' as his specialist subject in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please follow/subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

In a change to our advertised programming, James and Joe are joined by poker player, coach, content creator, author, and commentator Lexy Gavin-Mather. In an extended interview, Lexy talks about her start in poker, her years as an online grinder, her first foray into live poker at the PCA, finding love on the circuit, and diversifying into coaching and writing. Meanwhile, a former member of the #PITE production team, Viviana Pazmino, volunteers for 'Superfan vs Stapes'. And Joe is NOT happy about her chosen specialist subject. Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord). Also, make sure you subscribe to James's YouTube channel (youtube.com/@James_Hartigan) and heed Joe's edict: positive feedback only!

James is celebrating a deep run and a $5k score in the #SundayMillionAnniversary. He and Joe also celebrate the champion 'CrossBreed17', having streamed the final table and the winning moment on the PokerStars Twitch channel. They guys are then joined by Jon Sofen, Senior US Editor at PokerNews, to discuss the latest poker stories from North America, including the WPT Voyage, controversy surrounding the WSOP Tournament of Champions, and a win for Robbi Jade Lew. Finally, Josh Rawlings from the UK hopes to continue his streak of winning Power Passes from #PITE, as he competes against Joe in a quiz about the movie 'Poor Things'. Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord). Check out video highlights from #PITE300 on James's YouTube channel (youtube.com/@James_Hartigan).