Poker In The Ears

Featuring the adventures of Joe Stapleton: Hollywood Poker Consultant! He travelled to Colorado for the Telluride Film Festival and is now in Philadelphia for a special screening of #TheCardCounter for PokerStars PA players. Meanwhile, as #WCOOP2021 heads towards its final weekend – and James and Joe prepare to host live coverage of the Hold'em and Omaha Main Events – Howard Swains discusses key moments from the series so far, including long-overdue success for online legend Chris Moorman and a record-breaking performance by Brazilian players. Plus, hear the guys interview two recent World Championship of Online Poker trophy winners: Jerry 'Perrymejsen' Odeen and Bruno 'great dant' Volkmann. Finally, Kieran Scully from the UK puts his geographical knowledge to use in this week's 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please join the #PITE community at psta.rs/Discord, and don't forget to subscribe.

The podcast agenda continues to be dominated by #WCOOP2021, with the PokerStars Blog's Howard Swains providing the latest headlines and stats. But there's also a WORLD EXCLUSIVE on this week's show, as James and Joe talk to Mr and Mrs Spragg – aka: Spraggy and Marle – about the poker wedding of the century of the year. Plus, Joe has an update on 'The Card Counter' (and his ludicrous travel schedule!), and, in 'Superfan vs Stapes', Niall McLachlan tries to earn himself a $109 WCOOP ticket answering questions about the movie 'Sin City'. Please join the #PITE community at psta.rs/Discord, and don't forget to subscribe.

James and Joe are fully immersed in #WCOOP2021, streaming three nights a week on Twitch and YouTube and following the headlines on the PokerStars Blog. The boys are joined by their WCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains to pore over the latest facts and figures and celebrate the multiple successes of Patrick Leonard and the country of Brazil! There are also interviews with two WCOOP champions: Pedro 'pvigar' Garagnani and Jonathan 'Proudflop' Proudfoot. Plus, "shout outs” to the #PITE Discord community (join the conversation: psta.rs/Discord) and a nail-biting, 'Jarhead'-themed edition of 'Superfan vs Stapes', with Luke Maskell from the UK hoping to win a WCOOP ticket. Please don't forget to rate the podcast and subscribe.

The podcast is back, and is now on Discord! Join the conversation: psta.rs/Discord. During the summer months, Joe travelled to Foxwoods for a live poker session and battled Nate Silver at the online tables. Now, the boys are focussed on #WCOOP2021. The 20th edition of the World Championship of Online Poker starts on Sunday 22nd August, with live cards-up coverage on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels. James and Joe run through the schedule and talk to streamer Mason 'pyefacepoker' Pye (founder and leader of the Mixed Games Movement) about his broadcasts of non-Hold'em events. In a new segment called 'Can I Get a Ruling?', judgement is passed on the validity of the 7-2 game. And, in 'Superfan vs Stapes', Ben File demonstrates his knowledge of the UK poker legend Devilfish as he competes for a $109 WCOOP ticket. Please don't forget to like and subscribe. #PITE

For their last episode of the 'season', Joe provides James with a detailed report of his trip to the RunGood Poker Series in San Diego, including his deep run in the Main Event. Plus, the boys reflect on their recent #PokerStarsRetro streams covering LAPT tournaments from 2009 and 2010, respond to a few tweets from regular listeners – inviting you to send in your questions, comments, guest suggestions and Superfan applications – and give Dan Fox from Ireland the chance to win THREE #SundayMillion tickets, as he goes head-to-head against Joe in a quiz about the 1966 masterpiece 'The Battle of Algiers'. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to #PITE. The podcast returns in mid-August.

This week, James and Joe are joined by comedy writer/producer and poker fan Kim Caramele. Kim got her break writing sketches for her sister on the TV series 'Inside Amy Schumer'. She also worked with Amy on the movies 'Trainwreck' and 'Snatched', is a regular at the Hold'em tables at Foxwoods, and enjoys trolling Joe in their online home game! Right now, Joe is in San Diego for a tournament series (expect a plethora of bad beat stories on next week's podcast), so hasn't had time for watch a single episode of 'Top Boy' – which means Mark Hindry from the UK stands a strong chance of winning a #SundayMillion ticket in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to #PITE.

For their latest poker movie special, James and Joe discuss the 1968 Western '5 Card Stud', starring Dean Martin and Robert Mitchum. They're joined for a spoiler-filled review of the film by Penelope Bartlett, Director of Programming at the Criterion Channel. Penny is a big poker fan who plays in an online home game with Joe, and included '5 Card Stud' in a season of gambling-related classics. The film is also the subject of this week's Superfan quiz, with David Westerveld from Toronto competing for a #SundayMillion ticket and some PokerStars merch. Elsewhere, Joe has an update on another poker-themed movie ('The Card Counter') and recounts a few hand histories from a live tournament he recently played in LA. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast. #PITE

Joe is back from Mexico, where he got to hang out with some of the poker industry's finest at the wedding of former WSOP finalist Garry Gates. However, he did miss out on an exciting instalment of #PokerStarsRetro, featuring a young, interestingly coiffured Dominik Nitsche. This week, the boys are joined on the podcast by Parker 'tonkaaaa' Talbot, who talks about his journey from playing high stakes SNGs to becoming of the biggest poker streamers on Twitch, before deciding to "retire” as a caster to focus on his game, and then returning to content creation and signing with PokerStars. He's also quizzed on his knowledge of Tonka trucks! Finally, Darrel Plant from Oregon picks the Martin Scorsese movie 'After Hours' as his specialist subject in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to #PITE.

Joe has declared that, because of this episode, #PITE is now part of the MCU! The boys are joined by Ryan Firpo, the American film-maker who directed the poker documentary 'Bet, Raise, Fold' (2013) and made a series of mini docs about members of Team PokerStars Online (including 'The Teacher', featuring Felix Schneiders). Ryan is now working in Hollywood, and has co-written the screenplay for 'The Eternals', part of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directed by Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao. So, for this week's show, James and Joe get to talk about two of their favourite subjects: poker and Marvel movies. Meanwhile, Martin Villasenor from California decides to re-live news events of 2020 (why?!?) in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast.

James and Joe present the latest instalment of the #PITE book club, as they review the poker-themed novel 'We Run Bad' (available in physical, digital and audio form). They're joined by the book's author John Curry – possibly the most cynical man on the planet – whose personal experiences inspired the novel's dark narrative. 'We Run Bad' is also the subject of this week's Superfan quiz, with Jon Delano from the USA competing for some PokerStars merch. Plus, Joe gets excited about ice creams and baseball commentary, and the boys find themselves 'Running AMOQ' once again. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast.

James and Joe are back with their first post-SCOOP podcast. Yes, after 306 tournaments, 18 live streams and a controversial end to the Player of the Series contest, it's time for an event recap. And who better to join the boys for this week's show than Fintan 'easywithaces' Hand, who won his second Spring Championship of Online Poker title during #SCOOP2021. Fintan talks about his bittersweet victory, his near-miss 48 hours later, and his stupid decision to attempt eating an inedible quantity of cheap chocolate! Elsewhere, James and Joe discuss being jabbed, and recap some of the movies they've watched in the last few days (warning: James gets on his soap box for a totally unnecessary and utterly skippable rant about the James Bond film 'Moonraker'). Finally, Kevin Pryor from New Jersey competes for prizes in 'Superfan vs Stapes', answering questions about the 80s comedy 'Stripes'. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to #PITE.

James and Joe present the #SCOOP2021 preview show, as they look ahead to three-and-a-half weeks of the Spring Championship of Online Poker, and 20 streams on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels, including live cards-up coverage of the $25k Super High Roller and the $10k PLO and No Limit Hold’em Main Events. They’re joined by someone who’s going to be playing most tournaments on the schedule: British pro Andy ‘BowieEffect’ Wilson. Andy talks about discovering online poker on Twitch, his first ever win (wearing a David Bowie T-shirt), and the work he puts in between sessions to remain competitive at the higher stakes. Finally, after ‘Running AMOQ’, the boys give Owain Jones from Wales the chance to win a #SundayMillion ticket and some Stars swag in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. The topic of the quiz? ‘From Dusk Til Dawn’. Please don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast. #PITE will be back, after SCOOP, in early May.

A lot of poker’s been played in the last seven days, so there’s plenty to discuss on this week’s show. Both James and Joe took part in the #CommentatorShowdown (streamed live last week, and now available to watch on the PokerStars YouTube channel), and share their favourite moments and a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Meanwhile, Joe entered a live (!) poker tournament in LA, so expect a couple of hand histories / bad beat stories. But, more importantly, the #SundayMillion 15th Anniversary played to its conclusion on Tuesday. The guys streamed the action live, and saw Vanessa ‘Niffller’ Kade best a field of nearly 70,000 to win more than $1.5m. She joins James and Joe to celebrate her success, and talk about the experience of crushing one of the biggest online MTTs of all time, and the amazing response from the poker community following her victory. The boys also find themselves ‘Running AMOQ’ again, and Isaac Kiener from the USA picks the band Phish as his specialist subject in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. Please

In addition to their own live streams and TV shows, James and Joe reflect on some of the other poker content being produced right now, specifically the YouTube series ‘POKERithm’, created and hosted by WPT champion and WSOP bracelet winner Matt Waxman. Matt joins the boys to discuss the format (team duplicate poker), his experiences producing the show, and his desire for the European Poker Tour to return so he can win an EPT Main Event and complete the Triple Crown. Elsewhere, the boys find themselves ‘Running AMOQ’, as they answer one question posed by a loyal listener (using the hashtag #PITE). And they give Alex Dobbins from the UK the opportunity to win a #SundayMillion ticket in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’, with the Netflix documentary series ‘Night Stalker’ the subject of this week’s quiz. Please don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast.

The boys are done with another #SundayMillion (Joe has some words of wisdom for Spraggy, following THAT fold) and their special #MICOOP broadcast with Andrew Neeme. They’re also one episode into the new series of #PokerStarsRetro streams, and share their impressions of the early days of the #APPT. This week’s guest is UK comedian and Twitch streamer Rhys James, who talks to James and Joe about his early success on the stand-up circuit, his online home game with other comics, and his quest to win enough at poker to pay for a new sofa (and other household furniture and appliances). Finally, Haisam Abouzaid from Las Vegas competes for PokerStars merch in this week’s ‘Superfan vs Stapes’, answering questions about the 1997 movie ‘Face/Off’. Please don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast. #PITE

James and Joe have a lot going on right now. In addition to their #SundayMillion streams every Monday, they’re hosting #PokerStarsRetro on Thursday afternoons, they’re back on TV in the USA (new episodes of the #PSPC air every Friday at 11pm ET on FS1) and they’re planning a special broadcast of the #MICOOP Main Event final table on Tuesday 9th March. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t able to find time to watch ‘Danny’s Game’, possibly the worst poker movie ever made. It was Lance Bradley – President and Editor in Chief of PocketFives – who put the film on their radar, so they invite Lance onto the show for a deep dive into this cinematic disaster. It’s also the subject of this week’s Superfan quiz, as Guillaume Labelle from Canada competes for a Sunday Million 15th Anniversary ticket. Please don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast. #PITE

Joe is back – and sounding better than ever! To James’s horror, he describes, in graphic detail, the surgical procedure on his vocal chords, and gives a lightning-fast summary of everything he’s watched while in recovery. Meanwhile, James recaps the two #SundayMillion final tables that Joe missed, and teases the first edition of #PokerStarsRetro (live every Thursday, starting 4th March, at 15:00 GMT on Twitch and YouTube). This week’s guest is Twitch streamer Craig ‘onscreen’ Shannon, who talks about his journey from gamer, to professional ‘Counter-Strike’ player, to content creator and occasional poker player. Craig’s had some decent MTT scores, live and online, and has recently starting playing/streaming PokerStars VR. Finally, ‘girafganger7’ returns to the podcast: high stakes pro Bert Stevens is this week’s Superfan, hoping to beat Joe in a ridiculously difficult quiz about ‘The Godfather’ (Parts I and II). Please don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe to #PokerInTheEars.

It’s a pop culture special on this week’s podcast, as James and Joe discuss some of the movies and TV shows they’ve watched in recent months – with the assistance of an EPT champion! Special guest reviewer Niall Farrell reveals that he’s played very little poker in the last 12 months, spending most of his time being a dad and streaming anything and everything. There are SPOILERS left, right and centre, as the trio break down the Season 2 finale of ‘The Mandalorian’ and talk about the first few episodes of ‘WandaVision’, before moving onto ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and Pixar’s ‘Soul’. They finish with a critique of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’, which James actually failed to watch because he was too engrossed in ‘The Morning Show’. Finally, the 2007 adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Persuasion’ is the topic of ‘Superfan vs Stapes’, as Lisa Scott Gordon from the UK competes for a #SundayMillion ticket. With Joe out of action for the next two weeks, #PokerInTheEars is taking a brief hiatus. Expect our next episode at the en

James and Joe present, ‘The Chris Moneymaker Tribute Hour’! As Chris’s 17-year partnership with PokerStars comes to an end, he reflects on the last two decades and his role as poker’s best-known ambassador: from winning the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2003, to travelling the globe with fellow WSOP champions Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem, to the birth of the Moneymaker Tour. There’s also one last chance for Chris to play his least favourite game: ‘Is That Your Real Name?’ And, talking of games, Jon Bartlett from Canada competes for a #SundayMillion ticket and a #PokerInTheEars T-shirt in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’, answering questions about ‘The Larry Sanders Show’. Please don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe.

In the first episode of 2021, Joe talks openly and honestly about the ongoing issues with his voice and his need for surgery – and his demand that people don’t send him messages of sympathy! On a more positive note, he reveals that he’s been running well in box breaks (and explains what a “box break” is for James’s benefit). The primary focus of this week’s podcast is the #BlowoutSeries, as the boys look back at their series of live streams covering the High Rollers and Big Blowouts. They talk to Brian ‘True Geordie’ Davis, the YouTube star who played and streamed a few tournaments during the series. Having been coached by Charlie Carrel, the former deep sea diver discusses shooting a short poker film (‘The Showdown’) and reveals his plan to create more Hold’em content in the coming months. Finally, #PokerInTheEars listener Michael Peters picks 90s Grunge as his specialist subject in ‘Superfan vs Stapes’. Please don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe.