Top 5 Must-Listen Podcast Episodes Featuring Poker Legends

Many sponsored poker players have become household names thanks to their poker skills at the felt, but over the last decade, appearing on podcasts has kept poker legends in the public consciousness. Listening to favorite players speak about the game we all love is fascinating. Many iconic names share anecdotes from poker’s colorful past, while passing on their experiences at the modern-day felt too.

Here are five of the best recent podcasts featuring legends of the felt:

• Jonathan Little on the Table 1 Podcast
• Jennifer Tilly is Locked In on The Chip Race
• Phil Hellmuth on The Tim Ferriss Show
• Daniel Negreanu on DAT Poker Podcast
• Doyle Brunson Tells Poker Stories with CardPlayer

5. Jonathan Little on the Table 1 Podcast

PokerGO Cup winner, poker coach extraordinaire and bestselling poker author Jonathan Little has had huge success in poker and his chat with Art Parmann and Little’s fellow high stakes crusher Justin Young on the Table 1 Podcast was an incredible listen. From discussing Little’s humble beginnings and amazing work ethic when he was young to his latter-day scores in some nosebleed events, this is a Little story that feels way bigger.

Little is extremely candid here, drinking red wine from his PokerGO Cup – literally! – as he tackles hearty subjects such as online poker trolls, managing a live poker bankroll and how to break into the game if you’re a live player in terms of networking with other players. Some of his takes are so hot the hosts almost need asbestos gloves and he faces the Twitter/X drama head-on, as well as discussing how he became a successful poker author and coach, a ‘side hustle’ that has turned into a lucrative and highly satisfying business.

Young and Parmann are great hosts and while the show is almost 80 minutes long, you’d never know it. The antics race through books, business, the elusive poker/life balance and how one of the game’s most humble heroes deals with the dreaded poker ‘ego’ that all players must conquer in order to win.

Insightful, inspiring and downright hilarious at times, it’s an unmissable slice of poker life on a podcast episode from February 2024:

4. Jennifer Tilly is Locked In on The Chip Race

Winning a Global Poker Award for Best Poker Podcast in both 2018 and 2023, The Chip Race is a superb show hosted by Unibet Poker professionals David Lappin and Dara O’Kearney. Also nominated in 2021 and 2022, The Chip Race’s offshoot podcast The Lock In features some of the biggest names in the game over more long-form discussions that take on the hilarious and hard-hitting subjects alike.

This classic episode from 2022 featured the super-talented Hollywood movie actress and High Stakes Poker legend Jennifer Tilly. Discussing the impact of COVID-19 on poker and wider society, there’s a terrific blend of hi-jinks and hyperbole from all three as Tilly – the better half of Phil Laak – discusses subjects like near-death experiences, spectral beings and what its really like to play in nosebleed games as a film actress and absolute crusher.

Tilly is a poker author too, so the trio touch on her piece in the short story collection He Played for His Wife & Other Stories, as well as talking about some of the biggest players she’s taken on at the felt herself. Tilly is a superb guest and both Lappin and O’Kearney master the art of letting the talent speak and nudging along with intelligent, well-researched questions at just the right time.

At 85 minutes, there are Hollywood movies that are almost the same length, but few as entertaining.

3. Phil Hellmuth on The Tim Ferriss Show

Originally broadcast in 2017, Phil Hellmuth’s hour-long appearance on The Tim Ferriss Show is a revelation. The Poker Brat is a walking, talking headline maker at the slowest of times but here he is on rude form. Discussing coping mechanisms at the felt and away from it, Hellmuth is devastatingly honest about people like Vince Vaughn, Daniel Negreanu and himself (!) while exploring topics close to his heart.

Hellmuth is not the record-holder of WSOP bracelets for nothing and he goes into great detail about his victory in the 1989 WSOP Main Event as he defeated the legendary Johnny Chan. Hellmuth’s candour about what he was really thinking at pivotal points in poker history make for fascinating listening and while this is a show that you could enjoy while going for a run or doing household chores, it’s too involving at times to be anything other than a complete focus.

With the Poker Brat dishing the dirt on his marriage, his wins – and losses! – at the poker felt and the industry as a whole, it’s addictive stuff from the master of the controversial one liner.

2. Daniel Negreanu on DAT Poker Podcast

There is no-one in poker quite like Danie Negreanu. Often known by his moniker ‘Kid Poker’ the Canadian seven-time WSOP bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer digs deep on this recent foray into the world of poker.

Having been a PokerStars Team Pro and now a GGPoker Global Ambassador, Negreanu is the perfect person to discuss the seismic news that broke when the poker brand he represents bought out the World Series of Poker. Talking about the integration of GGPoker’s online software into the WSOP structure is fascinating and when Kid Poker speaks about the changes WSOP players can expect from future series, people listen.

As well as talking about topical subjects such as those, Negreanu also touches on Allen ‘Chainsaw’ Kessler’s incredible $1m plus win on the slot machines, poker commentators and the tantalising possibility of their being a Rounders 2 movie.

Does Kid Poker want there to be a return to action for Matt Damon and Ed Norton? You bet he does and he’s got an idea about exactly how the makers can ensure that it happens.

Check out the exclusive podcast episode right here.

1. Doyle Brunson Tells Poker Stories with CardPlayer

There is one poker player whose words will live on forever, and that person is Doyle ‘Texas Dolly’ Brunson. The 10-time WSOP champion won back-to-back world championships in 1976 and 1977 and ‘The Godfather of Poker’, who passed in 2023, was perhaps the most influential player in the game’s history. Present in the formative years of the game’s development, Brunson is a legend who will live on forever through his words.

Exploring topics such as the accident that ended his hopes of playing professional basketball in the NBA, Brunson’s life story is one that will constantly leave you stunned over the course of just under an hour. The Texan Christian, who battled ill health early in his life, survived well into his eighties and was a regular in high stakes cash game Bobby’s Room at The Bellagio for almost 30 years.

As well as discussing his phenomenal poker career, he also dives into difficult topics such as players dying at the same table as him, names his top five poker players, talks million-dollar prop bets and even tells listeners who he thinks should play him in the movie of his life.

If you love poker, you’ll treasure this priceless hour of Doyle Brunson’s thoughts as ‘Texas Dolly’ talks through a life in poker that is unrivalled by anyone in the game.

Conclusion

In a world where poker and podcasts continue to merge, each episode offers unique insights and stories from the felt, shared by some of the game’s most iconic players. Whether it’s poker legends like Doyle Brunson or modern stars like Daniel Negreanu, these episodes capture the essence of the game and the personalities behind it. Now, we want to hear from you! What podcast episodes featuring poker players have you loved? Drop your recommendations in the comments and let us know which ones you think are a must-listen for poker fans.