WILD Billionaire WSOP Stories! | PokerNews Podcast #895

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 poker players 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.

00:00 Welcome to the show Mike Holtz & Jeff Madsen
02:10 How do you cover WSOP Billionaires?
04:06 Phil Hellmuth doesn’t show at Wynn
05:21 How many billions has the WSOP awarded?
08:46 Jeff vs. Mike in WSOP Billionaire trivia
09:34 Jeff Madsen invests in the movie ‘Hitting the Nuts’
16:00 Which poker players are literal billionaires?
23:00 Michael Craig Interview
41:11 Wouter Beumers Interview

In the second half of the episode, Chad sits down with two insiders from the high-stakes scene to further peel back the curtain. 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 recounts the legendary high-stakes battle between billionaire Andy Beal and a syndicate of top professionals, including Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman, and Howard Lederer. Craig’s book is widely regarded as one of the best poker books ever written.

To close out the show, 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.