Best Ben Strivens Podcasts (2025)

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341. Griffin Benger & Sam Greenwood talk Big Game on Tour + SCOOP 2025 1:39:51

Play Pause

6d ago1:39:51

1:39:51

Following the Season 2 premiere of the 'Big Game on Tour', Griffin Benger joins the gang to share his thoughts on the first episode and talk about his experience playing on the show. Sam Greenwood makes a guest appearance for a 'Hand of the Century of the Day' x 'Punt of the Day' crossover, analysing a hand Griffin played against the Loose Cannon. …

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340. SCOOP 2025 with Kelvin Kerber & Howard Swains 1:32:34

14d ago1:32:34

1:32:34

Finally, Joe gets the opportunity to talk to James and Caitlin about his adventures in Tokyo at the Japan Open Poker Tour, including his second-place finish in a PLO tournament. Brazilian pro Kelvin Kerber makes a guest appearance to analyse a couple of Joe's hands in 'Hand of the Century of the Day'. Kelvin also talks about being a captain in this…

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339. Jamil Wakil on controversial EPT Monte-Carlo hand, plus €1k champ Jon Kyte & SCOOP with Howard Swains 1:35:25

21d ago1:35:25

1:35:25

The gang are back after a four-week break. James, Joe and Caitlin have been on the road all that time, so have three events to recap: the Irish Open, the PokerStars Open Philadelphia and EPT Monte-Carlo. They speak to Jon Kyte, who won the record-breaking €1k Open in Monaco, and Jamil Wakil, who was eliminated from the #EPTMonteCarlo Main Event fin…

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338. Sunday Million Anniversary recap, plus Dublin, Philly & Monaco preview with Arlie Shaban 1:30:30

2M ago1:30:30

1:30:30

With the guys on the road for the next four weeks, there's a lot to get to in this episode. James and Joe talk about playing a £1k tournament at The Hippodrome and hosting the 'Big Game on Tour Uncut' streams, and recap this year's #SundayMillionAnniversary. There's also a lot of events to preview, including the Irish Open and the first European Po…

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337. Big Game with Alan Keating, plus Blood Game with Jeffe Boats 1:30:05

2M ago1:30:05

1:30:05

James and Joe are in an actual studio, as they prepare for 'Big Game on Tour Uncut'. On Friday and Saturday (April 4th and 5th), they're streaming all 150 hands from the first session of 'BGOT' Season 1, ahead of the Season 2 premiere later this spring. The enigmatic Alan Keating - one of the stars of both seasons - will be making a guest appearanc…

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336. Beth Hall & Faraz Jaka, plus Sam Grafton 1:49:50

2M ago1:49:50

1:49:50

Sam Grafton joins James and Joe for a special announcement (which will be of particular interest to fans of 'The Big Game'). And then, poker boot camp is in session! Ahead of the Sunday Million Anniversary - which James is planning to play - the guys hear from actor and poker player Beth Hall and her coach Faraz Jaka. How has Faraz helped Beth's ga…

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335. Alexandra Loveless, Josh Kasen & Seth 'Sethy Poker' Moeller 1:38:34

3M ago1:38:34

1:38:34

After recapping the first ever PokerStars Open, and their two-day live stream covering the Campione Main Event, James and Joe meet some of the poker stars of the future. They speak to three influencers making their mark in the community as content creators: Alexandra Loveless, Josh Kasen and Seth Moeller. As well as talking about their respective b…

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334. PokerStars Open Campione update with Luca Pagano, plus Fintan Hand 1:13:09

3M ago1:13:09

1:13:09

The first ever PokerStars Open is underway in Campione. James and Joe check in with their man on the ground, EPT legend Luca Pagano, ahead of this weekend's live streams (March 15th and 16th on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels). The guys also recap their four nights in Las Vegas celebrating James's 50th birthday, and Joe talks about his s…

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333. Co-host Caitlin Comeskey, plus Danny Maxwell 1:37:52

3M ago1:37:52

1:37:52

Welcome to the #PITE Post Oscars Party! Yes, the Academy Awards are in the books. And Caitlin is back. So, time for James, Joe, Ms Comeskey and their special guest - Global Poker Award winning photographer Danny Maxwell - to discuss the top films of recent months, including this year's Best Picture winner. Plus, they break down the Mike Matusow doc…

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332. Global Poker Award winners, including Cherish Andrews, plus PokerOrg's Chris Land 1:33:21

3M ago1:33:21

1:33:21

And the winner is… James and Joe run through some of the key names who scooped Global Poker Awards in Vegas at the weekend. Hear from some of the winners and a few highlights from the show (courtesy of PokerGo). Plus, the guys talk to GPI Female Player of the Year Cherish Andrews. They also check in with PokerOrg's Chris Land to find out what happe…

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331. David Docherty, David Lappin & Cedric Billot (Associate Director, PokerStars Live Events) 1:38:34

4M ago1:38:34

1:38:34

There's less than a month to go before a new series of European live events begins in Campione. So, what do poker players make of the PokerStars Open? What are their thoughts on the PokerStars Live League? Two circuit regulars - David Docherty and David Lappin - share their honest opinions, while Cedric Billot, Associate Director, PokerStars Live E…

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330. Co-host Caitlin Comeskey, plus Irish Open owner Paul O'Reilly 1:21:56

4M ago1:21:56

1:21:56

James and Joe are joined by guest co-host Caitlin Comeskey: multi-award nominated content creator and up-and-coming streamer. There's a summary of the week's poker news headlines, including the death of 'Miami' John Cernuto, the announcement of the new PokerStars Live League and an update on the Irish Open, as event owner Paul O'Reilly reveals what…

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329. Jason Koon 1:37:43

4M ago1:37:43

1:37:43

Meet Jason Koon. He's a high stakes crusher with $60m in live earnings and one of the newest members of Team PokerStars Pro. In an extended interview, Jason talks to James and Joe about his start in poker and his journey towards playing the biggest buy-in tournaments in the world. Plus, he gives his take on AI and RTA software and the controversy s…

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328. Co-host Spraggy, plus YouTuber Spencer Owen 1:38:42

4M ago1:38:42

1:38:42

Welcome to 2025. Part 2. The duo becomes a trio, as James and Joe partner with Benjamin 'Spraggy' Spragg to present this week's episode. They talk about Spraggy's trip to Brazil to play high stakes Hold'em against Neymar, the New Year Series on PokerStars, and celebrate Spraggy hitting 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. On a related note, the guys are…

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327. Global Poker Awards with Eric Danis & Abby Merk, plus Nick Walsh 1:19:09

4M ago1:19:09

1:19:09

Welcome to 2025! The Global Poker Award nominations are out, so GPI President Eric Danis joins James and Joe to run through this year's shortlist , which includes recognition for Joe, #PITE and #TheBigGameOnTour. Plus, the guys speak to double nominee Abby Merk, who's up for Rising Star in Content Creation and Best Short-Form Video. There's also po…

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326. EPT Prague champion Pedro Marques 1:20:34

6M ago1:20:34

1:20:34

In the final episode of the year, James and Joe recap their trip to #EPTPrague and speak to Main Event champion Pedro Marques. Joe also talks through some hands from his deep run in the €550 Cup. The guys discuss their poker highlights of 2024 and look ahead to a new series of PokerStars live events in 2025. Finally, film-maker and EPT producer Har…

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325. EPT Prague preview with Nick Walsh 1:00:41

6M ago1:00:41

1:00:41

James has been continuing to travel around Texas playing poker, including firing multiple bullets in a tournament at The Lodge in Austin, while Joe was at home for Thanksgiving, watching a lot of movies and TV shows. Both will soon be heading to the Czech Republic for #EPTPrague. The guys preview the Main Event and their five days of live coverage …

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324. UKIPT Nottingham, BSOP Millions & Women's Winter Festival with Kerryjane Craigie 1:13:12

6M ago1:13:12

1:13:12

Since leaving Las Vegas, it's been a busy two weeks for our hosts. James braved the snow and ice at #UKIPTNottingham, while Joe flew to Sao Paulo for the #BSOPMillions. Then, the two were reunited (briefly) for a meet-up game in Houston, Texas. With all this travelling, they missed the Women's Winter Festival in London. But the PokerStars Ambassado…

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323. Las Vegas recap featuring NAPT Main Event champion Nick Marchington 52:01

7M ago52:01

52:01

With #NAPTLasVegas in the books, James and Joe recap their two weeks at Resorts World, from casting Loose Cannons and filming a new season of The Big Game on Tour to performing comedy (Joe), singing karaoke (James) and playing slots (both). There's also a chance to hear from Nick Marchington, the winner of the NAPT Main Event. Meanwhile, Joshua Sch…

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322. Las Vegas preview with Big Game on Tour Loose Cannon Lily Newhouse 1:13:55

7M ago1:13:55

1:13:55

It's that time of year again. James and Joe are heading to Vegas for The North American Poker Tour. They run through everything happening at #NAPTLasVegas, including the qualifying tournaments and auditions leading up to the filming of a new season of the Big Game on Tour. They're joined by Lily Newhouse, who knows what it takes to become a Loose C…

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321. EPT Cyprus finalist Anton Wigg 1:08:52

7M ago1:08:52

1:08:52

James and Joe summarise their trip to #EPTCyprus and talk to Main Event finalist Anton Wigg, the Swedish pro who won a European Poker Tour title in 2010 and has now made deep runs in Cyprus in back-to-back years. The podcast hosts also reveal their travel plans for the next few weeks, which include trips to #NAPTLasVegas, #BSOPMillions and #UKIPTNo…

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320. EPT Cyprus preview with 'Wistern' 53:24

8M ago53:24

53:24

James and Joe are heading to Cyprus for the penultimate leg of the 2024 European Poker Tour. Team Pro Lasse Lagd Lauritsen, better known as 'Wistern', is already there, so joins the guys to preview #EPTCyprus, ahead of six days of live streaming on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels. This week's show also details an upcoming change to #Powe…

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319. Five-time WCOOP 2024 champ Parker 'tonkaaaa' Talbot + Howard Swains 1:06:00

8M ago1:06:00

1:06:00

With the 2024 World Championship of Online Poker now in the books, James and Joe get a full summary of the series from their #WCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains. Plus, they talk to PokerStars Ambassador Parker 'tonkaaaa' Talbot, who won five titles during WCOOP, including two championship trophies. (He's also tested on his knowledge of the chimpanze…

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318. Sebastian 'peace&loove' Huber + WCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains 1:10:21

8M ago1:10:21

1:10:21

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 th…

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317. Dead Money star Emile Hirsch + WCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains 1:12:57

9M ago1:12:57

1:12:57

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, #WCO…

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316. EPT Barcelona Super High Roller champ Kayhan Mokri + WCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains 1:25:57

9M ago1:25:57

1:25:57

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. P…

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315. The EPT at 20 with John Duthie 1:08:50

9M ago1:08:50

1:08:50

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 n…

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314. WSOP 2024 Main Event champion Jonathan Tamayo 1:24:42

10M ago1:24:42

1:24:42

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 …

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313. Summer recap, plus Big Game on Tour Loose Cannon Nikki Limo 1:36:35

10M ago1:36:35

1:36:35

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 PokerStar…

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312. Kenny Hallaert 58:45

11M ago58:45

58:45

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 …

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311. Gutshot Straight with Rob Perez 54:28

11M ago54:28

54:28

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! …

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310. SCOOP 2024 with Lex Veldhuis and Howard Swains 1:14:17

1y ago1:14:17

1:14:17

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 …

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309. WSOP 2024 preview with reigning Main Event champ Daniel Weinman + SCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains 1:13:52

1y ago1:13:52

1:13:52

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 …

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308. The Big Game on Tour with Jennifer Tilly + SCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains 1:30:41

1y ago1:30:41

1:30:41

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…

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307. EPT Monte-Carlo finalist Rania Nasreddine + SCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains 1:25:27

1y ago1:25:27

1:25:27

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 Ho…

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306. EPT Monte-Carlo preview with Wolfgang Poker 52:55

1y ago52:55

52:55

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 …

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305. Lexy Gavin-Mather 1:07:16

1y ago1:07:16

1:07:16

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…

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304. Sunday Million Anniversary recap, plus news update from Jon Sofen (Senior US Editor, PokerNews) 1:14:04

1y ago1:14:04

1:14:04

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 Americ…

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303. Irish Open 2024 champion Tero Laurila 52:42

1y ago52:42

52:42

James and Joe are back from Dublin – and Stapes has recovered from a nasty stomach bug – so they recap the last few days of the #IrishOpen in the company of Main Event champion Tero Laurila: the first ever Irish Open winner from Finland. He talks about his 20-year poker career and what it means to him to win such a historic title. Meanwhile, Swedis…

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302. At the Irish Open with Felix Schneiders, Paul O'Reilly, David Lappin and Dara O'Kearney 1:17:19

1y ago1:17:19

1:17:19

It's a special edition of the podcast recorded on location at the #IrishOpen in Dublin on Day 1A of the Main Event. James and Joe have had the chance to play a couple of tournaments, and Joe scored big in one of them. Felix Schneiders from Team Pro streamed the final table on Twitch, so joins the guys to discuss Joe's journey to (near) victory. Eve…

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301. Patrick Marber 1:04:58

1y ago1:04:58

1:04:58

It's the #PITE300 after-party, as James and Joe recap what happened behind-the-scenes in the run up to their live show in London, and what happened at the poker tables afterwards. Patrick Marber's name came up a couple of times at The Hippodrome, and the actor-writer-director is the guest on this week's episode. Patrick talks about playing in the '…

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300. Live at The Hippodrome with Victoria Coren Mitchell, Jake Johnson, Nico Leonard and others 1:22:49

1y ago1:22:49

1:22:49

To celebrate their third centenary, James and Joe returned to The Hippodrome Casino in London on Wednesday 13th March 2024 to record the podcast on stage in front of an audience of fans. This special live show opens with a five-minute stand-up set from Stapes, followed by a Poker Movie Monday, as the guys revisit 'Win It All' with the Netflix film'…

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299. Global Poker Award winners Marle Spragg and Francine Watson (Associate Director, Creative and Content, PokerStars) 1:21:13

1y ago1:21:13

1:21:13

With one week to go until their live show at The Hippodrome in London, James and Joe preview #PITE300 and celebrate the success of a couple of their friends at last month's #GlobalPokerAwards. They're joined by Marle Spragg – winner of Best X/Twitter Personality – and Francine Watson, Associate Director, Creative and Content at PokerStars. Francine…

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298. EPT Paris champion Barny Boatman, plus Global Poker Awards winners 1:38:06

1+ y ago1:38:06

1:38:06

Following a big weekend, which saw UK poker legend Barny Boatman take down the #EPTParis Main Event and the PokerStars live stream production team triumph at the #GlobalPokerAwards, James and Joe look back on a successful start to the European Poker Tour's 2024 season and highlight some of the key winners at the GPI's awards ceremony in Vegas. Plea…

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297. EPT 2024 preview with Prague champ Padraig O'Neill 1:09:10

1+ y ago1:09:10

1:09:10

There's less than a month to go until #PITE300: James and Joe's live show at The Hippodrome in London. Listen to this episode to find out how to secure your seats and hear a few headline details about the event. Meanwhile, with #EPTParis getting underway, the guys look ahead to the 2024 European Poker Tour season, and speak to the most recent EPT c…

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296. All aboard The Good Ship Murder with Jonathan Little 1:22:36

1+ y ago1:22:36

1:22:36

James and Joe are reeling from what might be the worst poker scene ever filmed (and that's saying something), having watched 'The Good Ship Murder'. They review the poker-themed episode of this British TV series and ask poker pro and coach Jonathan Little to analyse the Hold'em hands. Jonathan also talks about his success in last week's PokerGO Cup…

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295. News round-up, including PokerStars Rewards changes with Ashley Chase and Chris Straghalis 1:25:45

1+ y ago1:25:45

1:25:45

Welcome to #PITE 2024! On their first podcast of the year, James and Joe recap some of the big poker headlines of the last six weeks. From the good – the Global Poker Award nominations – to the bad – accusations of super users and bots on other sites. As far as PokerStars is concerned, the Sunday Million 18th Anniversary has been announced and the …

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294. EPT Prague preview with Jasper Meijer van Putten + Elliot Roe on A-Game Poker 1:26:47

1+ y ago1:26:47

1:26:47

In their final episode of 2023, James and Joe look ahead to the last European Poker Tour event of the year: #EPTPrague. They run through the live streaming schedule (six days of coverage on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels) and catch up with 2016 Main Event champion Jasper Meijer van Putten. The second guest of the week is mindset coach E…

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293. The Truth Detective with Alex O'Brien 1:09:29

1+ y ago1:09:29

1:09:29

James and Joe are still recovering from Vegas (and a large Thanksgiving meal), but have had a bit of time to relax, watch movies…and read a book! Yes, on this week's podcast, they delve into 'The Truth Detective' by Alex O'Brien. Alex is a science writer and poker enthusiast. She talks about the idea behind her book, subtitled 'A Poker Player's Gui…

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292. Las Vegas Grand Prix with P1's Tom Bellingham 1:24:19

1+ y ago1:24:19

1:24:19

Welcome to the Vegas afterparty! James and Joe have finally left the poker capital of the world (after 18 days) and recap what happened in the last week of their trip, in the run up to, and during the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The guys are joined by a Formula 1 expert – Tom Bellingham from the P1 podcast – to recap the race and talk about his Grand Tau…