Poker In The Ears

Plenty of poker action to recap this week. James played in the #LondonSeries at The Hippodrome, while Joe recently spent an evening grinding the Sundays on PokerStars. And both entered the $5k #PokerInTheEars freeroll. So, expect a few hand histories, plus some mediocre analysis of less than optimal play! Ahead of their review of the “classic” poker movie ‘Lucky You’, the boys talk to Barry Greenstein, who had a small role in the film, and worked (briefly) on the production as a poker consultant. Barry also provides an overview of the current LA cash game scene, and explains how he became the ‘King of Play Money Poker’. Finally, Gareth Morgan from Wales competes against Joe in a ‘Walking Dead’-themed edition of ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. Please don’t forget to subscribe, and rate the show.

James and Joe are still on a high after their big night at The Hippodrome. They tell some behind-the-scenes stories from last week’s live show, and recap the poker tournament that followed. They also run through some #WCOOP and #PSFDublin results. This week’s guest is seven-time Snooker World Champion Stephen Hendry, who was at the Dublin Festival, and is planning to play more tournaments in the coming months. James has details of the London Series this weekend (6th-8th October), and the ‘Road to Bahamas’ promotion now running on PokerStars. Plus, maths student Christopher Wathen tries to out-‘Archer’ Joe in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. Next week, the boys will be re-watching two of the worst films ever made, and recording a special ‘Bad Poker Movies’ episode. If you’d like to try winning a $109 PCA satellite ticket by answering questions about ‘Lucky You’ (2007) and/or ‘Deal’ (2008), please hit us up: #PokerInTheEars

For their 100th episode, James and Joe recorded the podcast on stage at The Hippodrome in London’s West End on Tuesday 26th September, in front of an audience of fans. This special edition of the show features… a “tight five” (short stand-up set) from Stapes; the latest poker news, including behind-the-scenes tales about the new PokerStars Winning Moments videos; ‘Adventures in Online Poker’, recounting Joe’s #WCOOP odyssey; a preview of #PSFDublin; a Q&A with Jake Cody and Chris Moneymaker from Team Pro; a recap of the Hippodrome tournament James and Joe played at the weekend; “Happy 100th Anniversary” messages from some former podcast guests; the password for the $5k ‘Poker in the Ears’ freeroll taking place on Sunday 1st October; special guest star Dexter Fletcher, discussing his career in movies, as both an actor and director, and his love of poker; plus the ultimate edition of ‘Superfan vs Stapes’, as Joe Lipscomb (aka: Skuff) enlists the help of other members of the audience to win a bag of poker goodie

There’s less than a week to go until ‘Poker in the Ears LIVE’, which means the boys are starting to get the jitters. They kick off Episode 99 – aka: ‘The Flake’ – with their thoughts on the latest TV dramas and smartphone models, before delving into the world of #WCOOP with Mike Leah. Mike, known online as ‘goleafsgoeh’, remains a contender for Player of the Series, and talks about his approach to WCOOP and his attitude towards poker in general. James and Joe discuss the ‘Poker Masters’ event in Las Vegas, and the subsequent Twitter spat between Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth. They also preview Episode 100, with a rundown of what’s happening when at The Hippodrome, and who fans can expect to see on the night. Finally, Georgina James from London is tested on her knowledge of the EPT 13 Barcelona final table in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. #PokerInTheEars

After Joe recounts tales from his most recent stand-up gig, and a sinister encounter at a one-year-old’s birthday party, he and James take a look at the latest headlines from #WCOOP. They also talk to Andre Akkari from Team PokerStars Pro about his recent trip to the BSOP in Foz do Iguaçu, his deep run in the #PSCBarcelona Main Event, and his celebrity status in his home country of Brazil. Plus, Xander Morgan from Birmingham tests his knowledge of ‘The Simpsons’ in this week’s edition of ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. If you’d like to come on the podcast as a Superfan, if you’d like to suggest a future guest, or have anything to say about the show, please tweet at us! #PokerInTheEars

James and Joe have returned from their first ever trip to King’s Casino for the first ever #SundayMillionLive. They recap the event, and their dramatic road trip from Prague to Rozvadov. They also celebrate the now legendary 24/7 buffet at King’s, and speak to German poker player Philipp Salewski, who bested a record-breaking field of 5,045 to win the Sunday Million Live trophy. Elkana Itskovitch from Israel also joins the boys on-air, competing for a Chop Pot hoodie and a mini chip set in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. The subject of this week’s quiz? The EPT 9 Grand Final. If you’d like to appear on the show, please let us know: #PokerInTheEars.

James, Joe and Matt are back from Barcelona. They recap the highs and lows of the PokerStars Championship Main Event, including the final word on THAT hand, and a review of the bizarre, but entertaining final table. The boys are joined on the show by Sebastian Sorensson – the now legendary #ScarfGuy – who qualified for #PSCBarcelona in a €215 satellite, and bested a field of 1,682 to take down his second ever live tournament! There’s a preview of #SundayMillionLive (streaming on #PokerStarsTV on the 3rd and 4th September), and a brief edition of ‘Adventures in Online Poker’, as Matt discusses the pros and cons of casting on Twitch with a really bad cold. Henry Kilpatrick from Australia tests his knowledge of the 1994 movie ‘Maverick’ in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. And, talking of on-air contests, the winner of the #PSCPrague National Championship package is revealed. #PokerInTheEars

The boys are in Barcelona for the PokerStars Championship. They run through the highlights of their trip so far, including the awesome player party, featuring Zedd. This week’s guests are the newest members of Team PokerStars Pro Online, Fintan Hand and Benjamin Spragg. They talk about their respective poker journeys, and reveal how they came together to form the popular Twitch double act Fintan & Spraggy. James, Joe and Matt are also joined on location by Marius Sebu, the Norwegian student who qualified for the #PSCBarcelona Main Event for just $1, and cashed out for more than €10,000! He takes on Joe at video game trivia in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. This is the audio version of #PokerInTheEars first broadcast on #PokerStarsTV.

James, Joe and Matt look ahead to what’s in store for them in Barcelona, including a rundown of the #PokerStarsTV schedule, and details of some special Sunday Million Live satellites for live stream viewers. They catch up with Team Pro’s Jeff Gross, who’s on his way to Spain to play the #PSCBarcelona Main Event before taking to the high seas for StreamBoat 2! The boys make a BIG announcement about their upcoming 100th episode, and then launch into a retrospective review of classic poker movie ‘The Cincinnati Kid’. That film is the subject of this week’s on-air contest, as student Henry Hartigan (no relation) takes on Joe in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. #PokerInTheEars

The boys are back from their summer break! James, Joe and Matt celebrate the return of the PCA, and confirm what’s in store for players heading to the Bahamas in January 2018. There’s a look back at this year’s World Series of Poker, and an interview with Main Event champion Scott Blumstein. Matt talks about some of his recent Twitch streams in ‘Adventures in Online Poker’, and Dave Haney from Great Falls, Montana celebrates his 45th birthday by taking on Joe at ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ trivia in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. Please let us know if you’d like to appear on the podcast – especially if you want to be next week’s ‘Cincinnati Kid’ Superfan. #PokerInTheEars

As far as James and Matt are concerned, the podcast isn’t on summer break until next week. But Joe’s clearly had enough already, and has vanished on vacation seven days early! Yes, Uncle Daddy is absent from the show, leaving his work wife and work abusive stepdad to hold down the fort. Luckily, they have Daniel Negreanu to keep them company, as he makes his annual guest appearance. Daniel discusses his Vegas vlogs, celebrates his string of cashes at the World Series of Poker, and offers his two cents on a few WSOP controversies, including THAT angle shoot and the ongoing debate about dodgy decks of cards. In ‘Adventures in Online Poker’, Matt talks about teaching his Twitch viewers to play Badugi and 2-7 Triple Draw better than he can. And, with Joe AWOL, we present the first ever edition of ‘Superfan vs James Hartigan’, as Jack McCurdy competes for a #PSCBarcelona satellite ticket in a ‘Top Gun’-themed quiz. #PokerInTheEars returns on Thursday 10th August 2017.

There’s a Hollywood A-lister on this week’s podcast, as Joe catches up with Kevin Hart on the set of a film shoot in LA. In this exclusive interview, Kevin talks about his book, his mission to make poker fun again, his rivalry with Usain Bolt, and reveals when we’ll next see him on the tournament circuit. The rest of the show is dedicated to the 2006 James Bond movie ‘Casino Royale’, as the boys take a retrospective look at Daniel Craig’s first outing as 007. Obviously, the film’s numerous poker scenes come under the microscope, and James explains why the infamous four-way all-in is not the most egregious hand in the movie. Finally, with one of our loyal listeners letting us down at the last minute, Matt is forced to go head-to-head against Joe in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. #PokerInTheEars

Joe starts the show with a few anecdotes from his recent trip to Wales, before the focus turns to poker news, and some early results from the WSOP. This week’s guest is Brad Willis from the PokerStars Blog, a veteran of the World Series of Poker. Brad talks about his early days covering live tournaments and the growth of the Blog, and recounts some fantastic Vegas stories. The rest of the podcast is dedicated to the Oscar-winning 1973 classic ‘The Sting’. Matt has just seen the movie for the first time, and shares his thoughts, while Joe explains why it’s one of his favourite films of all time. And James has compiled a ‘Sting’-themed quiz so that Jason Anderson from Munich (via New Zealand) can compete for a €109 #PSCBarcelona satellite ticket in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. #PokerInTheEars

James, Joe and Matt look back at #PSCSochi, and celebrate/commiserate with Chris Moneymaker on his 15th place finish in the Main Event. Chris is also forced to play yet another round of his least favourite game, ‘Is That Your Real Name?’ Joe reveals the result of his #SCOOP2017 competition, Matt tries, and fails to recount a hand from a recent charity tournament, and James appeals for a listener to take part in next week’s podcast, when the boys will be discussing the classic Paul Newman-Robert Redford movie ‘The Sting’. There’s a €109 #PSCBarcelona satellite ticket up for grabs, so why not apply to be the “Sting Superfan” on Episode 90? (Tag your tweets #PokerInTheEars) And, talking of Superfans, Joao Matteus from Brazil turns the clock back to 2015, and answers questions about a “classic” episode of the podcast in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’.

The boys summarise the last week of #SCOOP2017, including Joe’s trip to Canada to play the second phase of Event #01. They also reveal details of the recently announced Sunday Million Live, and look ahead to five days of live streaming on #PokerStarsTV from #PSCSochi. But the biggest news of the week concerns Kevin Martin from Team PokerStars Pro Online: he’s won the Canadian version of ‘Big Brother’! In an exclusive interview with #PokerInTheEars, Kevin tells James, Joe and Matt about his experience on the TV show, his relief at being a free man again, and how much he’s looking forward to returning to the online tables and streaming on Twitch. In ‘Adventures in Online Poker’, Matt recaps his recent Razz-themed antics. And James Wearn from the UK is tested on his knowledge of ‘Bones’ in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’.

There’s a lot of poker news to cover this week, including the announcement that PokerStars live events are returning to 15% payouts, a couple of stories from mainstream news publications (one of which massively tilted James), and the big winners from #SCOOP2017. Jason Mercier joins the boys to discuss his trip to Toronto to play and stream the $25k High Roller. He also talks about the prospect of becoming a dad, and offers some interesting insights into Jason Somerville’s daily routine and repetitive diet! In ‘Adventures in Online Poker’, Matt reveals his new role as a PokerSchoolOnline tutor, and recaps the first edition of ‘Monday Nights with Matt’ on Twitch. And Sean Gunnells from Las Vegas proudly demonstrates his knowledge of ‘Trailer Park Boys’ in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. #PokerInTheEars

The boys recap #PSCMonteCarlo with Maria Ho, who joined the #PokerStarsTV team in Monaco as a presenter on the #PSCCashChallenge TV series, and inspired last week’s awkward phone conversation between Joe and his mother. Also… there are some early results from #SCOOP2017, James balks at the idea of eating $1,000 of McDonald’s food, Matt reveals that lightning DOES strike twice, and Joe explains why his hotel room smelled like “Godzilla had died in there.” Plus, Greg Thomlinson causes the quizmaster and scorekeeper to tear their hair out during a painful, but hilarious edition of ‘Superfan vs Stapes’! #PokerInTheEars

The boys are in Monaco for the PokerStars Championship Presented by Monte-Carlo Casino. They talk about everything going on behind-the-scenes at #PSCMonteCarlo, and James teases a few details of the #PSCCashChallenge (the new cash game TV series due to air in early 2018). Fatima Moreira de Melo is this week’s guest, discussing tennis, parties and friction massages. Plus, there are some ‘Adventures in Online Poker’, as Joe and Matt recount their #SCOOP2017 experiences. Finally, Richard Neilson, the so-called “dealer behind the curtain,” competes for a Chop Pot hoodie in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. This is the audio version of the video podcast first broadcast on #PokerStarsTV.

James, Joe and Matt are about to travel to the French Riviera for a week of TV production and webcasting. Before they go, the boys bring you the #PSCMonteCarlo Preview Show, with a full rundown of the streams they’ll be hosting (at PokerStars.tv/live), and details of the new PokerStars Championship Cash Challenge TV series being filmed at the event. Plus, there’s news of the freerolls – including the return of the popular Bounty Bonus tournaments – that #PokerStarsTV viewers can play while watching the action from Monaco. Finally, Joe is forced to answer questions about one of his least favourite TV shows, ‘Entourage’, as #PokerInTheEars listener Sam Warren tries to win prizes in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’.

James, Joe and Matt are back from their Easter break, and kick off the podcast with a few of your tweets, before launching into their #PSCMacau recap (just because they didn’t go to Macau doesn’t mean the boys are ignoring the event). They’re joined by Elliot Smith, who took down the PokerStars Championship Main Event, after an epic, TEN-HOUR heads-up battle! James, Joe and Matt also review the new Netflix movie ‘Win It All’, and reach the conclusion that they might be the only people in the poker community who actually like it (please feel free to share your thoughts: #PokerInTheEars). Finally, Luke Payne is tested on his knowledge of the original ‘RoboCop’ as he competes for a $27 ticket and an ‘Everyone Loves a Chop Pot’ hoodie in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’.