PokerNews Podcast

In the 953rd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is at the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Prague, where he is joined by special guest cohost Shaun Deeb, who talked about losing to quads twice when heads up for a gold bracelet.
He then talks about his passion for the Player of the Year race, responds to Nick Palma's poor sportsmanship comments, and shares his thoughts on the controversial Maurice Hawkins and the WSOP Circuit. Deeb also talks about whether or not he'd encourage his children to play poker, playing the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, coaching Hellmuth's sons, and why he thinks he'll ultimately surpass Phil Hellmuth atop the all-time bracelet list.
Finally, Deeb opens up about turning 40 and becoming eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame. Does he think he should get in? Deeb has never been one to shy away from sharing his thoughts, and that proved true in this in-depth interview from the 2026 WSOP Europe.
A new PokerNews Podcast drops every day this week at approximately 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!
Time Stamps
00:00 Welcome to the show 01:50 Losing to quads… twice! 05:31 Going for WSOP Player of the Year 06:08 How does Prague compare to Rozvadov? 07:40 Responding to Nick Palma's comments 09:57 Allen Kessler prop bet 11:44 Thoughts on Maurice Hawkins 16:13 Deeb for Poker Hall of Fame 19:30 Would you encourage your kids to play poker? 24:04 What was your go-to game as a kid? 27:16 Will you get more bracelets than Hellmuth? 28:41 National Heads-Up Poker Championship 29:30 Playing action Kevin Pollak

In the 952nd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is at the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Prague where he is joined by special guest cohost Annette Obrestad, who is famously the youngest-ever gold bracelet winner and has made a long-awaited return to the felt after nearly a decade away from the game. 
The Norwegian pro, who stunned the poker world by winning the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event at just 18, spoke candidly about her decision to step away, citing burnout and a desire to explore life beyond poker. Now back at WSOP Europe, Obrestad says she's rediscovered her competitive spark and is eager to test herself once again against elite fields. 
During her time away, she focused on a variety of creative pursuits and personal interests, including a YouTube makeup channel and competitive Scrabble, giving her a fresh perspective that she believes will benefit her game as she re-enters the spotlight.
A new PokerNews Podcast drops every day this week at approximately 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!
Time Stamps
*Time    Topic*
00:00 | Welcome to the show
01:14 | Annette Back at WSOPE
03:39 | Where Has Annette Been?
05:43 | Competitive Scrabble
08:03 | Makeup YouTuber
13:28 | 2007 World Series of Poker Europe

In the 951st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is at the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Prague where he is joined by special guest cohost Nick "Nicky P" Palma, who is fresh off a big online Sunday where he took down two major tournaments. Plus, he's debuted a new vlog at the WSOPE, talks about his online bracelet win from last fall, and shares his candid thoughts on Shaun Deeb and Maurice Hawkins.
If you're not familiar with Nicky P, here's your chance to get a genuine look at the poker pro from the Bronx.
Plus, the duo recap the bracelet winners thus far, including Corel Theuma and Anca Eggenberger, talk about Shaun Deeb's two runner-up finishes after losing to quads in both, and the current 2026 WSOP Player of the Year standings. The man on top might not be who you expect.
Plus, Etay made a final table, the Main Event set a record, and Nicky P played a viral hand on stream after flopping a set of jacks. See the hand and hear from the man himself as to what he was thinking and why he ultimately decided to do what he did.
Time Stamps
*Time    Topic*
00:00 | Welcome to the show
00:13 | Nick Palma joins the show
01:20 | Corel Theuma claims the first bracelet
2:17 | Shaun Deeb loses heads-up twice
05:06 | Deeb for Poker Hall of Fame
08:15 | Current Player of the Year standings
08:50 | Other bracelet winners
10:19 | Etay makes Ladies Event final table
11:40 | Difference between old & new WSOPE 
13:00 | Main Event update
13:47 | Nick's bracelet win
17:51 | Nicky P's viral poker hand
21:23 | Nick's new poker vlog
24:00 | Thoughts on Maurice Hawkins
26:30 | What's coming up?

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 documentary, The Battle for Texas Poker. Here's your chance to see the trailer!
From there, the crew discusses the viral preflop pocket kings fold by Kristen Foxen, Paul Phua & Ben Tollerene winning Triton titles, and the WSOP is back on ESPN! Plus, Garrett Adelstein announced that he is releasing a poker book diving into the infamous J4 hand against Robbi Jade Lew on Hustler Casino Live (HCL), among other things. 
Finally, Chino Rheem found more PokerGO Tour success, Brandon Wilson's heater continued, and big plans are in store next week for the PokerNews Podcast at the WSOP Europe.
A new PokerNews Podcast drops every Thursday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!
Time Stamps
*Time    Topic*
00:00 | Welcome to the show
02:21 | Interview w/ Ryan Crow
04:00 | State of Texas poker
09:44 | WSOP Circuit at TCH
10:38 | Battle for Texas Poker documentary
13:23 | Documentary trailer
17:50 | Kristen Foxen folds pocket kings preflop
22:30 | Ben Tollerene wins Triton title
22:48 | Garrett Adelstein to release poker book
25:39 | WSOP is back on ESPN
29:00 | Paul Phua victorious at Triton Jeju
29:15 | Brandon Wilson on a heater
31:11 | Chino Rheem wins PGT PLO Series
34:26 | Podcast plans for WSOP Europe

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 outcome, and why Thursday, April 9, is an important date to remember.
A new PokerNews Podcast drops every Thursday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!
Time Stamps
*Time    Topic*
00:00 | Welcome to the show
01:05 | Why is April 9 important?
02:40 | Doug committed to players
03:58 | WSOP Circuit at Texas Card House still on
04:36 | Chad is more optimistic for a positive outcome
07:15 | Doug addressed raid theories
09:45 | Support for The Lodge
12:38 | Illegal Gambling & Money Laundering
15:05 | Government invested
17:42 | Potential positive outcomes
20:55 | We don't know how long a resolution will take