Pokerfuse Podcast

Mike and Nick interview Jon Kaplowitz, the CEO and co-founder of Clubs Poker, the the hottest new US social online poker room where players can redeem their winnings at the poker tables for real money prizes. From the backstory to how to get started playing on Clubs Poker, the guys get the info straight from the source. They also discuss the player experience on the app, the games and features available, the road ahead and more.

Mike and Nick discuss the recent blockbuster news the the World Series of Poker brand is being sold to the owners of GGPoker for $500M.From the impact the deal will have to WSOP Online in the US and GGPoker in the international online poker markets to what changes (if any) can be expected at the live WSOP festival in Las Vegas, the guys break down every aspect of the deal and use their industry experience to try to answer all of your questions.

Mike and Nick talk everything WSOP Online during this year's World Series of Poker.From the new shared liquidity pool based in Michigan and shared with players in Nevada and New Jersey to the new online poker software and its features and bugs, you'll get all the details.Of course, the WSOP Online bracelet events and Online Championships Series are also on the agenda, so no matter what state you are in, you won't want to miss this comprehensive look at the new WSOP Online.

Mike and Nick talk with former Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas about efforts to #GrowPApoker and expand online poker to more parts of the US.From what can players do to help bring shared liquidity to Pennsylvania to grassroots activism to bring online poker to more states, John Pappas draws on his experience as PPA Executive Director to share tips and advice for growing poker in the US.

Mike and Nick interview Alex Scott, President WPT Global. Ecology Management is a vital component of managing an online poker room and Alex Scott takes listeners behind the curtain of the most technologically advanced online poker platform to understand what Ecology Management is, why it's important, and how it benefits both high volume and recreational poker players.

PokerStars' Director of Online Poker Experience, Chris Straghalis, joins Nick and Mike to discuss the importance of big prize pool tournaments in online poker, the future of new poker variants and tournament formats at PokerStars, the recent introduction of video chat at Home Game tables, and PokerStars' approach to game integrity and rewards and much more!

Nick and Mike are back to talk with at BetMGM's Head of Poker, Luke Staudenmaier. After hearing about how Luke got started in online poker and his path to Head of Poker at one of the biggest online poker operators in the US, the discussion turns to the recent launch of BetMGM in the newly regulated online poker market in Ontario, the success of the first live BetMGM poker event in Las Vegas, and Luke shares his thoughts on the future of the online poker market in the US.

On this special edition of the Pokerfuse Podcast, former Managing director of MPN, Alex Scott, joins Mike to discuss some of the current trends in online poker including the use of real names at the tables and rise in popularity of phased tournaments.Other topics on the table include the evolution of online poker rewards systems, bots, third-party software policies and more.

On this special edition of the Pokerfuse Podcast, Mike sits down with the Head of the GGPoker Network, Jean-Christophe Antoine.In addition to reviewing the recent success of the WSOP Super Circuit Series, Mike and JC also discuss the breaking news that GGPoker will be hosting WSOP Online Bracelet Events this summer.The discussion that follows touches on the things that make the GGPoker software stand out from its competition and JC's insights and opinions on the greater online poker industry.

On this special edition of the Pokerfuse Podcast, Mike sits down with former Head of Corporate Communications and Global Poker Marketing for PokerStars, Eric Hollreiser.Eric shares his thoughts on his proudest moments with the company and then he reflects back on what is viewed by many as the lowest point for the company, how it handled the removal of the Supernova Elite program.The conversation then shift to the future of online poker as Eric shares his opinions on innovation in poker, the evolution of brand ambassadors in poker, the potential lasting impact of the current global pandemic on the game and much more.

Online poker had its biggest weekend of the year with the biggest Sunday Majors all surpassing their guarantees. Nick and Mike provide perspective around the big numbers from the weekend.With the cancellation of all live poker events, some operators are even home game organizers are moving their poker games online. Find out where you can play or host your next game.Traffic at the cash game tables have reached a level not seen in years. The guys provide historical context around the numbers.

The coronavirus has caused the cancellation of all live poker for the foreseeable future. Nick and Mike bring you the latest and discuss possible alternatives for the World Series of Poker.With so many people staying at home, online poker is booming. Operators are chipping in to convert some live events to online, and they are raising guarantees for those that now have some unexpected time on their hands.PokerStars has released yet another poker variant. The guys tell you about the rules and discuss the potential for the game to catch on.

The poker world is not immune to the coronavirus as poker operators cancel a slew of live events. Nick and Mike run down which upcoming events have been cancelled so far and speculate on the fate of some of the bigger events happening later in the year.The full year financial reports for the parent companies of PokerStars and partypoker are out, the guys bring you the top line figures and discuss what might impact online poker's success in 2020.The Global Poker Awards were handed out last week in Las Vegas, and members of Team pokerfuse were in attendance. Find out what the guys thought of the event as they highlight some of the notable awards.

The poker world is not immune to the coronavirus as poker operators cancel a slew of live events. Nick and Mike run down which upcoming events have been cancelled so far and speculate on the fate of some of the bigger events happening later in the year.The full year financial reports for the parent companies of PokerStars and partypoker are out, the guys bring you the top line figures and discuss what might impact online poker's success in 2020.The Global Poker Awards were handed out last week in Las Vegas, and members of Team pokerfuse were in attendance. Find out what the guys thought of the event as they highlight some of the notable awards.

Unibet Poker is celebrating its 6th birthday. Nick and Mike take a look what makes Unibet special and what players on the platform can expect in the future. PokerStars has begun offering direct satellites into the 2020 PSPC, the guys tell you how you can qualify for those satellites and breakdown the number of Platinum Passes given away so far. And finally, PokerStars has gone live with its new side bet feature. The guys breakdown how this new feature works and opine on the likelihood of its success.

Online poker operators have been upgrading their software. Nick and Mike take you through some of the new features and games that have become available. The World Series of Poker has announced their online bracelet events for this summer. The guys discuss the new emphasis on the online game by the WSOP and add meaningful perspective to top line items. And finally, Run It Once Poker has turned 1 year old. The guys look back at its first year and forward to year 2 to tell you what to expect from the upstart online poker room.

There has been a lot of news about major live poker tournaments scheduled for 2020, Nick and Mike are back to tell you about what to expect from the partypoker Millions events and the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC). Also this week, a court ruling in New York could pose a threat to proposed online poker legislation in the state and PokerStars is trialing a controversial poker game in Spain.

There is more movement with online poker sponsored pros, Nick and Mike discuss the news and implications. The big three Sunday tournaments all failed to meet their guarantees this past week, the guys look at the extra value created for players and talk about the possible link to the Super Bowl. And, partypoker has released another batch of changes to its online poker software. Find out was is new and what is still in the pipeline.

PokerStars is getting ready to roll out a new lobby design, they have brought back the Hold'em/Omaha hybrid game Fusion and we may also see 6 Card Omaha at PokerStars in the near future. Nick and Mike also discuss the recent arrest of PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg, and they break down the new Sunday Major online poker tournament, GG Masters.

PokerStars is rolling out a new feature called Side Bets and Nick and Mike discuss the details. Then the guys talk about some of the new bills that have been introduced in the US that could legalize online poker in those states, and they wrap things up with news of the latest online poker tournament series and the trend towards freezeouts in both live and online poker tournaments.

January is typically a time that we see a lot of movement with regard to sponsored online poker pros. Nick and Mike discuss this year's announcements including the departure of Jason Somerville from PokerStars. On the US online poker front, Michigan has legalized online poker, the Wire Act case had some developments over the holiday period and is partypoker preparing to launch in Nevada?

On this special edition of the pod, Nick and Mike sit down with Alex Scott, Managing Director of Poker for Microgaming. With the network preparing to close down, Alex and the guys get into the reasons why behind the decision and a bunch of other interesting topics including why online poker operators run live poker events, what it's like to lead the development of a next-gen online poker platform, the truth about hand histories and anonymous tables, what it was like to work at Full Tilt Poker pre and post Black Friday, and much more.

Sunday online poker tournaments with big guarantees are popular with players, Nick and Mike discuss the recent performance of the PokerStars Half-Price Sunday Million, the partypoker Million and the partypoker MILLIONS Online as well as highlight the upcoming Winter Series.The US online poker market is heating. The guys cover the recent success of PokerStars PA, what that means for online poker in New Jersey and the status of online poker legislation in Michigan.

Several online poker sites are tweaking the structures and payouts of their lottery-style sit and go offerings. Nick and Mike cover all the latest changes and discuss the implications.PokerStars PA has been live for a month. The guys take a look at how online poker has been received in Pennsylvania, compare its performance to other regulated markets and check in on the state’s first online poker tournament series, PACOOP.And finally, find out which two online poker rooms are set to join the partypoker network.

Nick and Mike take us through the big stories in online poker this week. Partypoker has a new mobile client out, and it brings a new portrait design to the Spins table. It also adds a curious new social currency called Diamonds - will it be a hit?Run it Once has gone back to the drawing board with its rewards program. In response to customer feedback, the online poker upstart has added in a more traditional rewards program, called Legends, that returns cashback directly to players accounts each week. Will it be enough to finally start building consistent liquidity at the tables?And PokerStars has run not one, but two rare cash game promotions in the last few weeks, which has seemingly had a big impact on the online poker giant's cash game traffic--enough to number 1 spot in the global traffic rankings.

Deep Water Hold'em and Tempest Hold'em are the newest games to hit PokerStars, Nick and Mike tell you how they are played and discuss what sets them apart. Red Star Poker becomes the first MPN skin to announce its new home, the guys talk about what options they had and who might be next to move on before the network closes. Then Samantha is back to talk about Daniel Negreanu signing with GGPoker.

Power Up is on its way out at PokerStars, but we have uncovered some new games that are on their way, Nick and Mike discuss what they are and how they might be different from standard Texas Hold'em. The guys also talk about updates to the Wire Act case and the announcement of PACOOP. Samantha then joins to pod to talk listeners through the ever-changing landscape of poker ambassadors at PokerStars.

Nick and Mike take you through the headlines in the world of online poker this week. The partypoker Million experienced technical issues, but the operator went above and beyond to make things right for affected players, the Pennsylvania online poker market is finally open with PokerStars becoming the first to spread legal, regulated real money online poker in the state, and the Q3 financial results for the parent companies of some of the major online poker operators are out.

Nick and Mike go over all the latest news about online MTTs, including the latest announcement that partypoker is launching a weekly guaranteed $1 million tournament. We then compare and contrast the early performance of Pennsylvania online casinos with those in New Jersey. And then pokerfuse's own Samantha Bevington sits in on a discussion about Women in Poker that touches on her interview with Daiva Byrne, the clothing debacle at Battle of Malta and more!

After a brief hiatus, the pokerfuse pair are back to discuss the latest in online poker. In this week's episode, Nick and Mike chew through the latest PokerStars reveals, including Stealth anonymous tables and spin and Go Flash. They then take a look at the latest in United States markets, and the overall slowdown in New Jersey investment. Finally, they look at interesting new developments out of Winamax, who recently explored building an internal HUD and launched a new Monopoly-themed promotion.

In the pokerfuse podcast this week, Nick and Mike once again bring you three top stories from the world of online poker. To kick off the show, the surprise announcement of the closure of MPN is discussed. The pair talk about the reasons behind the closure, the future of poker at Microgaming, implications for the industry, impact to players, and who the main beneficiaries may be. In the second segment, Mike brings us the latest from Pennsylvania, where casinos and sports are live but poker remains pending. Still, we have more teaser information on what a PokerStars launch might look like, with a behind-the-curtains look at a potential launch MTT schedule.And finally, Nick brings us the latest in PokerStars' ramp up to the PSPC, with new details on the global Moneymaker tour, the companion French tour, and the MEGAPATH online satellites.

This week on the pokerfuse podcast Nick and Mike discuss the recent announcement that the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure will not return to The Bahamas in 2020. Run It Once Poker expects to have Sit & Gos by the end of the year, the guys share their thoughts about the site. And to wrap things up, with poker bots making headlines--including a recent report from Morgan Stanley-- the guys add their perspective on the topic.

In this week's episode of the pokerfuse podcast, Nick and Mike take a look at major software client updates from PokerStars, partypoker, WPN and MPN; the pair reveal some exclusive details about PokerStars' planned online poker launch in Pennsylvania; and they dig into the numbers from 888's latest financial results.

Back from Barcelona, Mike and Nick dive back into the top online poker news of the week. The show kicks off with the pair discussing the motivations and potential PR pitfalls of Phil Galfond's authorization to play and stream on the real money online room that he founded. Following on from last week's PSPC announcement, the pokerfuse duo then discuss the high level investment in Spain both live and online. In the finally segment, the pair take a look at the first marketing ramp up for partypoker's upcoming MILLIONS Online poker tournament, with its audacious $20 million guarantee.

The Pokerfuse Podcast comes to you live from sunny Barcelona, Spain where Nick and Mike talk about the return of the PokerStars Players NL Hold'em Championship in 2020.The highly successful PSPC is coming back in 2020 and the guys discuss what information they have about the tournament and Platinum Passes. They also compare the original that took place in The Bahamas in January with the newly announced event that takes place next August.The beginning of the fall online poker tournament series is upon us and the guys talk about what the top operators are offering and the massive prize pools that are being guaranteed. GGNetwork has a new feature that provides players with custom bet sizing options at the table. Find out all the details and what this means for online poker.

The pokerfuse pair are back after their summer break to bring you the latest in online poker news. Nick and Mike kick off the episode with a rundown of all the latest news from PokerStars, including the deployment of All-in Cashout, hints of a new tournament format called Swap Hold'em, and the surprise decision to limit the number of cash game tables to four.We then switch to US news, with Mike bringing you up to speed with all the latest from the regulated markets, with the DOJ's continual latest appeal in the Wire Act court case, developments in Pennsylvania, and hopes of future states regulated.In the final segment, Nick breaks down partypoker's latest monthly update in their battle against bots, and what July's increase in account closure could mean.

Nick and Mike discuss the new online poker world record set at Americas Cardroom, the move by partypoker to use players' real names at the tables, the big money up for grabs this fall in the major online poker tournament series, and a new feature on the GGNetwork called Bubble Protection. Also, tune in to the outro for a special announcement about upcoming episodes.

Nick and Mike review some of the record breaking numbers and interesting facts from the 50th Anniversary World Series of Poker. The conversation then shifts to the WSOP.com online bracelet events and the trends that became apparent this year. In other news, the guys talk about the launch of online casino games in Pennsylvania, when online poker might be expected, and The Stars Group makes a deal for market access to New York in land-based sports betting and when/if online gaming becomes regulated in the state.

The guys discuss the participation of the WSOP Main Event and look at some of the remaining 106 players. Nick and Mike then preview the upcoming igaming launch in Pennsylvania.Talk then shifts to the new features being rolled out at partypoker and those pending at PokerStars. The pod wraps up with interesting developments in the regulated markets of Portugal and Sweden that touch some of the biggest online poker companies in the world.

Nick and Mike update you on all the latest from the world of poker, starting with some interesting stats coming from the World Series of Poker, plus details from the partypoker MILLIONS Las Vegas. The pair then take us through the thicket of regulatory news from Europe, with 888 finally approved for shared liquidity in Portugal, and operators readying for regulated online gaming in Switzerland.Finally, we touch on a small update from Run it Once Poker, and how it continues the conversation of the role of hand histories and third party tools in online poker.

On this week's pod, Nick and Mike discuss the changes at partypoker with analysis of the interview of partypoker's Tom Waters and Rob Yong and a recap of the information that has come out since. Pennsylvania is set to open its online poker market in 2 weeks time, and the guys discuss what they know about which online poker rooms will be ready at launch. Live poker in Sochi, Russia has become a priority for all of the major online poker operators and the guys discuss why.

In our second special edition on the pokerfuse podcast, your hosts Mike Gentile and Nick Jones sit down with Tom Waters, Head of Poker at partypoker, and Rob Yong, partypoker partner, to discuss the latest ecology changes at the online poker room. Topics discussed in this wide-reaching interview include:- The end of HUDs at partypoker.- The reasons for ending hand histories saved to the hard drive.- Rob's new #fairplay concept.- How the operator will police the game in a post-hand history world.- The planned use of moving to real names instead of screen names.- Other ecology changes coming up at partypoker.- Plans for its live poker tour and the synergy with online.

The news in the US about online poker keeps getting better. Nick and Mike bring you the latest developments surrounding the Wire Act and interstate liquidity sharing. The guys also discuss the latest round of updates to the Run It Once software and the news out of Europe about legislation that affects online poker in Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Nick and Mike are back at discussing the start of the World Series of Poker, the evolving situation with US shared liquidity for online poker, the changing landscape of PokerStars ambassadors including the departure of Daniel Negreanu, and recent overlays in the world of online poker tournaments.

David Sklansky joins the Pokerfuse Podcast for its first Special Edition episode to discuss his new book The Theory of Poker Applied to No-Limit. In addition, Sklansky speculates on poker might help keep a person's brain healthy, the future of No Limit Hold'em and rules changes that could make it more difficult for artificial intelligence to be used in online poker.

Nick and Mike discuss the potential of partypoker launching online poker in Nevada, they then take listeners through a slew of recent upgrades rolled out by various online poker operators including some cool innovative features, and they wrap up the topics of the week talking about the mainstream media coverage of poker staking that appeared on CNBC.

With Mike OOO galavanting in Las Vegas, the pair still take time out of their busy schedule to bring you all the latest from the world of online poker: The latest in online poker tournaments from PokerStars, partypoker and GG Network, with some on-air breaking news; getting a handle on the first quarter financial results from The Stars Group; and the latest wave of bot account closures from partypoker and the issues with banning hand histories and HUDs.

In this week's episode, Nick and Mike waste no time in diving into an in-depth discussion on Wednesday's big news on The Stars Group's partnership with FOX Sports, what it means for US sports betting, and any ramifications to online poker. Mike then provides a brief update on the latest on the regulatory front, and then the pair finish up with a discussion on partypoker's ambitious MILLIONS Online plan for next December, and their last-minute Las Vegas announcement.

Nick and Mike kick off the show by discussing things they won't discuss on this episode. The guys update listeners on potential paths forward for shared liquidity in the US and the status of the upcoming WSOP online events. The conversation then shifts to more new games on PokerStars and things wrap up with news of the latest on the poker-streamer front.

Back after another week's unplanned break, Mike and Nick talk the planned ban of HUDs on partypoker, PokerStars' new Aurora game engine and the operator's ramp-up to 200 billion hands. Mike then takes us through the latest from Pennsylvania, and they wrap up on the latest on the bot issue at WPN.

In the show's first 1 hour+ episode, Nick and Mike discuss the reason for taking a week off, the huge Spring Online Poker Series season, the announcement of partypoker MILLIONS Online, the Global Poker Awards, Bots and Seating Scripts, UFC Spins, PokerStars VR and more!