button in SafariIs this the Worst Ruling in WSOP History? Interview w/ Patrick "Pads" Leonard | PokerNews Podcast #980
Sponsors
In the 980th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are joined by Hayden "Big Red" Hetland at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas.
The quartet discusses the latest stories from the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP), starting with the controversial "dead hand" ruling made against Patrick "Pads" Leonard. Not only will you see videos of what happened, but Chad also caught up with Pads for an exclusive interview to discuss the aftermath.
From there, it's a discussion about an X-rated card protector, the eight Poker Hall of Fame nominees, and big bracelet wins by Josh Reichard and Eelis Parssinen. Speaking of big wins, Benny Glaser got the job done in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship (PPC), giving him his ninth bracelet in 11 years! It also came just a year after he shipped an incredible three bracelets. See PokerNews' winner interview with Glaser, who was clearly emotional after the victory.
Finally, the crew thanks sponsor Think Jerky, which you can order here.
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 |
| 00:55 | Big Red joins the show |
| 02:00 | Dead hand ruling at 2026 WSOP |
| 02:24 | Videos of hand |
| 06:35 | Interview w/ Patrick Leonard |
| 12:40 | X-rated card protector |
| 16:17 | Benny Glaser wins $50K PPC |
| 20:34 | Winner interview w/ Benny Glaser |
| 25:25 | Poker Hall of Fame nominees |
| 32:16 | Josh Reichard claims first bracelet |
| 35:35 | Eelis Parssinen wins second bracelet of summer |
| 37:17 | Think Jerky |
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!
