In the 895th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is joined by Mike Holtz and four-time bracelet winner Jeff Madsen to dive into the world of the ultra-rich at the World Series of Poker. Which billionaires have participated in the WSOP over the years? How much money has the WSOP actually awarded? And who are the wealthiest players at the tables today?

After introducing the topics, Chad, Mike, and Jeff take a deep dive into WSOP statistics to determine just how many billions the World Series of Poker has awarded to players over the last five decades.

They also take a closer look at some of the most ultra-wealthy poker players and face off in a special WSOP Billionaire trivia challenge to see who knows the most about poker’s richest.

In the second half of the episode, Chad sits down with two prominent voices in the high-stakes scene to further peel back the curtain on poker’s elite.

First up is author Michael Craig, best known for writing The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time. The 2006 book explores the legendary high-stakes battle between billionaire Andy Beal and a syndicate of top pros at the time including Phil Ivey, Jen Harman, and Howard Lederer.

Craig’s book is widely regarded as one of the best poker books of all time — if you haven’t checked it out, you can find more information below.

Learn More About Craig's Famous Book

Next, Chad connects with veteran Dutch high-stakes player Wouter Beumers, better known under his online alias 'MMAsherdog'. Beumers has crushed the top online stakes for years and regularly offers insights into the high-stakes grind through his X account.

To close out the show, Beumers shares some incredible stories and personal reflections from his time battling at the top of the online and live poker world.

A new PokerNews Podcast will drop twice a week during the 2025 WSOP every Thursday and Sunday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!

Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show — tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Chad Holloway on X.

The podcast is sponsored by the #1 free-to-play WSOP app. Remember to use the bonus code "POKERNEWS" if you download and play for an extra 1,000,000 in chips!

Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here! You can also find us on Spotify as well as our new page on SoundCloud!

In the 894th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, is joined by Mike Holtz, Christina Gollins, and Joey Ingram to draft their favorite teams for the 2025 World Series of Poker.

Each of the four hosts can pick seven players and one alternate player who will score points throughout the 2025 WSOP. The hosts need to follow several rules, such as drafting at least one female poker player, and one poker vlogger/creator, as well as adding an alternate that they can swap in for any of their seven players.

The rules of this draft are simple:

Only live bracelets count for points.

Who are the 'blue chip', slam dunk, first-round pick players in this draft? And who is picked lower than they should? Find out in this episode what Chad, Mike, Christina, and Joey's favorite WSOP teams for the series are. This draft follows a very simple concept that can be recreated at home if you're interested in adding a little extra sweat during the series!

If you're interesting in upping the ante a bit and adding a bit more complexity to your WSOP fantasy, check out our dedicated $25K Fantasy Draft blog on PokerNews to learn more about this widely popular draft format hosted by Daniel Negreanu and David "ODB" Baker.

Inside Daniel Negreanu's $25K WSOP Fantasy Draft

Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here! You can also find us on Spotify as well as our new page on SoundCloud!

In the 893rd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Kyna England celebrate Jeff Madsen's 40th birthday before talking about two poker players who murdered their parents. Recently in Texas, Benjamin Frakes, 39, was taken into custody at Doghouse Poker Club in Cypress, a town 25 miles northwest of Downtown Houston. He was charged with capital murder for allegedly shooting his parents.

The tragic situation was reminiscent of poker player Ernie Scherer, who was convicted in 2011 of killing his parents in an elaborate plot to collect an inheritance. It's a true crime story that's been featured on 48 Hours but often overlooked by the poker world, that is, until the crew takes a look back in history and shares details of the horrific crime.

Chad then offers a behind-the-scenes look at Daniel Negreanu's 25K Fantasy Draft, including an interview with the man himself, before recapping recent tournament winners from the Triton Montenegro, including Jesse Lonis, Jason Koon, and Aleksa Pavicevic. Other stories covered include the return of the PokerStars Big Game and a preview of the Bar Poker Open coming to the Golden Nugget Las Vegas from June 8-13.

The podcast is sponsored by the #1 free-to-play WSOP app. Remember to use the bonus code "POKERNEWS" if you download and play for an extra 1,000,000 in chips!

A new [I]PokerNews[/I] Podcast will drop twice a week during the 2025 WSOP every Thursday and Sunday 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
01:02 | Celebrating Jeff Madsen’s 40th birthday!
03:06 | Texas poker player accused of murdering parents
05:02 | Reminiscent of poker player Ernie Scherer
08:49 | How would Kyna fare in a women’s prison?
11:24 | Daniel Negreanu’s 25K Fantasy Draft
15:05 | Sponsor – WSOP Free-to-Play App
15:50 | The Return of PokerStars Big Game
20:16 | Recent Tournament Winners Presented By WPT Global
20:31 | Jesse Lonis wins Triton Montenegro Main Event
21:23 | Jason Koon Wins 11th Triton Title
22:24 | Aleksa Pavicevic wins Triton $200K Invitational
24:13 | Bar Poker Open coming to Las Vegas from June 8-13
27:21 | What’s Coming Up on the PokerNews Podcast?