After discussing Phil Hellmuth’s behaviour at the World Series of Poker, James and Joe launch into a poker movie double bill. One great. One…not so great. They revisit ‘California Split’ (first reviewed on Episode 156) in the company of the film’s writer, Joseph Walsh. Then, it’s all aboard the ‘Money Plane’, easily one of the worst gambling-themed motion pictures ever made. But it gets a fair amount of airtime (pun intended), as it’s the subject of this week’s Superfan quiz, with Brian Fahy from Ireland hoping to win a couple of #SundayMillion tickets. Please join the #PITE community at psta.rs/Discord, and don’t forget to subscribe.

Poker in the Ears

Episode 227 – 14/10/2021 – California Split with Joseph Walsh + Money Plane

As the World Series of Poker gets underway in Las Vegas, James and Joe are joined by #WSOP legend Norman Chad: long-time TV presenter and part-time stud player. Norm talks about being involved with the WSOP for nearly two decades, how the poker world has changed in that time, and his experience playing the $25k HORSE event at this year's series. There's more reminiscing on the podcast, as the boys tell some behind-the-scenes stories from an EPT of yesteryear. Plus, judgement is passed on a player who doesn't know the difference between trips and a set in 'Can I Get a Ruling?' and 'Ted Lasso' fan Leo O'Rourke competes for a #SundayMillion ticket in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please join the #PITE community at psta.rs/Discord, and don't forget to subscribe.

Episode 226 – 07/10/2021 – Norman Chad

Joe has been dropping Paul Schrader's name for the better part of two years now. Finally, the writer-director of 'The Card Counter' makes an appearance on the #PITE podcast. As James says on the show, Paul is one of the filmmakers who transformed American cinema in the 1970s, writing the screenplays for Martin Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver' and 'Raging Bull', before going on to direct 'American Gigolo' and 'Cat People'. Paul talks about his latest film, and why he wanted the protagonist to be a card player. He also discusses working with Joe on making the Hold'em scenes authentic, his own experiences playing poker, the music in his movies, and his memories of filming 'Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters' and the 'Exorcist' prequel. 'Mishima' is actually this week's Superfan subject, with Marius Vitas from London hoping to win #SundayMillion tickets and PokerStars merch. Join the conversation at psta.rs/Discord, and please don't forget to subscribe.

Episode 225 – 30/09/2021 – Paul Schrader

James and Joe run through some recent developments in the poker world, including the sighting of an EPT champion at the US Open Tennis final and the signing of Benjamin 'bencb789' Rolle to the Team Pro roster. Ben is the guest on this week's podcast, and talks about his career as a player and coach, what makes a good poker teacher (and student), and how he tried and failed to become a PokerStars ambassador several years ago! Following their interview with Ben, the boys respond to a question on Discord, and go behind-the-scenes on the recent #WCOOP streams, revealing how they prepare for a broadcast and what happens in the minutes/hours leading up to the stream going live. Finally, Doyle Brunson's classic poker strategy book 'Super/System' is the subject of this week's Superfan quiz, with Demetrios Lambros from Atlanta, Georgia competing for prizes. You can apply to be on the show by joining the #PITE community at psta.rs/Discord. Also, please subscribe.

Episode 224 – 23/09/2021 – Benjamin 'bencb789' Rolle

With #WCOOP2021 now in the rear view mirror, James and Joe enlist Howard Swains from the PokerStars Blog to provide a full recap of the series, summarise the headline stats and highlight a few incredible achievements. There's also the chance to hear from two members of Team Pro, as Benjamin 'Spraggy' Spragg and Parker 'tonkaaaa' Talbot celebrate their WCOOP wins. Elsewhere, Joe talks about attending various screenings of 'The Card Counter' and handling social media reaction to the movie. Finally, Aaron Knapp from southern California picks 'Mallrats' as his specialist subject in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please join the #PITE community at psta.rs/Discord, and don't forget to subscribe.

Episode 223 – 17/09/2021 – WCOOP 2021 champs 'Spraggy' and 'tonkaaaa' + Howard Swains

Featuring the adventures of Joe Stapleton: Hollywood Poker Consultant! He travelled to Colorado for the Telluride Film Festival and is now in Philadelphia for a special screening of #TheCardCounter for PokerStars PA players. Meanwhile, as #WCOOP2021 heads towards its final weekend – and James and Joe prepare to host live coverage of the Hold'em and Omaha Main Events – Howard Swains discusses key moments from the series so far, including long-overdue success for online legend Chris Moorman and a record-breaking performance by Brazilian players. Plus, hear the guys interview two recent World Championship of Online Poker trophy winners: Jerry 'Perrymejsen' Odeen and Bruno 'great dant' Volkmann. Finally, Kieran Scully from the UK puts his geographical knowledge to use in this week's 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please join the #PITE community at psta.rs/Discord, and don't forget to subscribe.

Episode 222 – 10/09/2021 – WCOOP 2021 champs 'Perrymejsen' and 'great dant' + Howard Swains

The podcast agenda continues to be dominated by #WCOOP2021, with the PokerStars Blog's Howard Swains providing the latest headlines and stats. But there's also a WORLD EXCLUSIVE on this week's show, as James and Joe talk to Mr and Mrs Spragg – aka: Spraggy and Marle – about the poker wedding of the century of the year. Plus, Joe has an update on 'The Card Counter' (and his ludicrous travel schedule!), and, in 'Superfan vs Stapes', Niall McLachlan tries to earn himself a $109 WCOOP ticket answering questions about the movie 'Sin City'. Please join the #PITE community at psta.rs/Discord, and don't forget to subscribe.

Episode 221 – 03/09/2021 – Mr and Mrs Spragg + WCOOP 2021 with Howard Swains

James and Joe are fully immersed in #WCOOP2021, streaming three nights a week on Twitch and YouTube and following the headlines on the PokerStars Blog. The boys are joined by their WCOOP Correspondent Howard Swains to pore over the latest facts and figures and celebrate the multiple successes of Patrick Leonard and the country of Brazil! There are also interviews with two WCOOP champions: Pedro 'pvigar' Garagnani and Jonathan 'Proudflop' Proudfoot. Plus, "shout outs” to the #PITE Discord community (join the conversation: psta.rs/Discord) and a nail-biting, 'Jarhead'-themed edition of 'Superfan vs Stapes', with Luke Maskell from the UK hoping to win a WCOOP ticket. Please don't forget to rate the podcast and subscribe.

Episode 220 – 27/08/2021 – WCOOP 2021 champs 'pvigar' and 'Proudflop' + Howard Swains

The podcast is back, and is now on Discord! Join the conversation: psta.rs/Discord. During the summer months, Joe travelled to Foxwoods for a live poker session and battled Nate Silver at the online tables. Now, the boys are focussed on #WCOOP2021. The 20th edition of the World Championship of Online Poker starts on Sunday 22nd August, with live cards-up coverage on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels. James and Joe run through the schedule and talk to streamer Mason 'pyefacepoker' Pye (founder and leader of the Mixed Games Movement) about his broadcasts of non-Hold'em events. In a new segment called 'Can I Get a Ruling?', judgement is passed on the validity of the 7-2 game. And, in 'Superfan vs Stapes', Ben File demonstrates his knowledge of the UK poker legend Devilfish as he competes for a $109 WCOOP ticket. Please don't forget to like and subscribe. #PITE

Episode 219 – 19/08/2021 – Mason 'pyefacepoker' Pye

For their last episode of the 'season', Joe provides James with a detailed report of his trip to the RunGood Poker Series in San Diego, including his deep run in the Main Event. Plus, the boys reflect on their recent #PokerStarsRetro streams covering LAPT tournaments from 2009 and 2010, respond to a few tweets from regular listeners – inviting you to send in your questions, comments, guest suggestions and Superfan applications – and give Dan Fox from Ireland the chance to win THREE #SundayMillion tickets, as he goes head-to-head against Joe in a quiz about the 1966 masterpiece 'The Battle of Algiers'. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to #PITE. The podcast returns in mid-August.

Episode 218 – 17/06/2021 – Season Finale

This week, James and Joe are joined by comedy writer/producer and poker fan Kim Caramele. Kim got her break writing sketches for her sister on the TV series 'Inside Amy Schumer'. She also worked with Amy on the movies 'Trainwreck' and 'Snatched', is a regular at the Hold'em tables at Foxwoods, and enjoys trolling Joe in their online home game! Right now, Joe is in San Diego for a tournament series (expect a plethora of bad beat stories on next week's podcast), so hasn't had time for watch a single episode of 'Top Boy' – which means Mark Hindry from the UK stands a strong chance of winning a #SundayMillion ticket in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to #PITE.

Episode 217 – 10/06/2021 – Kim Caramele

For their latest poker movie special, James and Joe discuss the 1968 Western '5 Card Stud', starring Dean Martin and Robert Mitchum. They're joined for a spoiler-filled review of the film by Penelope Bartlett, Director of Programming at the Criterion Channel. Penny is a big poker fan who plays in an online home game with Joe, and included '5 Card Stud' in a season of gambling-related classics. The film is also the subject of this week's Superfan quiz, with David Westerveld from Toronto competing for a #SundayMillion ticket and some PokerStars merch. Elsewhere, Joe has an update on another poker-themed movie ('The Card Counter') and recounts a few hand histories from a live tournament he recently played in LA. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast. #PITE

Episode 216 – 03/06/2021 – 5 Card Stud with Penelope Bartlett

Joe is back from Mexico, where he got to hang out with some of the poker industry's finest at the wedding of former WSOP finalist Garry Gates. However, he did miss out on an exciting instalment of #PokerStarsRetro, featuring a young, interestingly coiffured Dominik Nitsche. This week, the boys are joined on the podcast by Parker 'tonkaaaa' Talbot, who talks about his journey from playing high stakes SNGs to becoming of the biggest poker streamers on Twitch, before deciding to "retire” as a caster to focus on his game, and then returning to content creation and signing with PokerStars. He's also quizzed on his knowledge of Tonka trucks! Finally, Darrel Plant from Oregon picks the Martin Scorsese movie 'After Hours' as his specialist subject in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to #PITE.

Episode 215 – 27/05/2021 – Parker 'tonkaaaa' Talbot

Joe has declared that, because of this episode, #PITE is now part of the MCU! The boys are joined by Ryan Firpo, the American film-maker who directed the poker documentary 'Bet, Raise, Fold' (2013) and made a series of mini docs about members of Team PokerStars Online (including 'The Teacher', featuring Felix Schneiders). Ryan is now working in Hollywood, and has co-written the screenplay for 'The Eternals', part of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directed by Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao. So, for this week's show, James and Joe get to talk about two of their favourite subjects: poker and Marvel movies. Meanwhile, Martin Villasenor from California decides to re-live news events of 2020 (why?!?) in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast.

Episode 214 – 20/05/2021 – Ryan Firpo

James and Joe present the latest instalment of the #PITE book club, as they review the poker-themed novel 'We Run Bad' (available in physical, digital and audio form). They're joined by the book's author John Curry – possibly the most cynical man on the planet – whose personal experiences inspired the novel's dark narrative. 'We Run Bad' is also the subject of this week's Superfan quiz, with Jon Delano from the USA competing for some PokerStars merch. Plus, Joe gets excited about ice creams and baseball commentary, and the boys find themselves 'Running AMOQ' once again. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast.

Episode 213 - 13/05/2021 - We Run Bad with John Curry

Every week, the hosts of PokerStars TV (James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton) bring you a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like being two regular folks on the international poker circuit. Told from the perspective of a cranky British dad (Hartigan) and an undateable American bachelor (Stapes), Poker in the Ears is a mostly uncensored take on the world of professional poker. The hosts also regularly call in favours, in the form of guest spots from their big-shot celebrity poker-playing friends. And they routinely hold on-air competitions, providing chances for listeners to join them on tour.

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Poker in the Ears

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