button in SafariNEW Poker Dealer Rating System Divides Players | PokerNews Podcast #964
In the 964th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz are once again joined by Jeff Madsen, who reflects on the 20th anniversary of his 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year win. The trio also discusses the new dealer rating system announced by the WSOP, and whether or not it'll be a net positive for the game.
They also discuss the new rule put in place to combat third-party WSOP influence, like what happened with the Milly Maker last year. But could it have unintended consequences when it comes to staking, swapping, and the $25K Fanatasy Draft? Speaking of controversial things, there was a brouhaha when Matt Savage announced that headphones would be a topic discussed at this year's Tournament Directors Association (TDA) Summit. That led to Nick Palma and Victoria Livschitz getting into it.
Plus, hear about winners from the Aussie Millions and European Poker Tour (WPT) Monte Carlo, and Joe "Stapes" Stapleton leaving his gig at the EPT after many successful years.
Find out all about those stories and more in this week's episode of the PokerNews Podcast! Oh, and be sure to check out the audio version of the PokerNews Podcast that is available on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
Time Stamps
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | Welcome to the show |
| 00:35 | 2026 WSOP |
| 01:00 | New Dealer Ranking System |
| 06:40 | Worrisome WSOP Rule? |
| 15:12 | Remembering Doyle Brunson |
| 16:00 | TDA Summit |
| 16:30 | Headphones Ban? |
| 21:30 | 20th Anniversary of Jeff Madsen’s POY |
| 24:05 | PokerNews MyPlayers |
| 24:47 | Aussie Millions |
| 28:46 | EPT Monte Carlo |
| 29:35 | Stapes departs EPT |
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.
Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here! You can also find us on Spotify as well as our new page on SoundCloud!
