Poker Cheat DQ’ed from Tournament, Tom Dwan Update & Hawk Tuah Girl Returns

In the 890th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Kyna England talk about admitted poker cheat Ali Imsirovic being DQ'ed mid-tournament from an event in Florida. Was it the right thing to do? It was a highly debated development, and the crew dove headfirst into the drama by discussing a poker black list, what bestbet Jacksonville could've done differently, and if poker pariahs could even be welcomed back to the game.

They then give an update on Tom Dwan, whose recent social media posts really concerned the poker community, and then Connor Richards headed to PokerGO Studio to chat with the controversial Haliey “Hawk Tuah Girl” Welch and others at the Celebrity Poker Tour (CPT) Game Night VI.

From there, it's highlights from the Hustler Casino Live (HCL) Million Dollar Game III, such as old-school player Erick Lindgren satelliting his way in, Texas Mike's wild ride, and an interview with Steve! Oh, and we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about that epic hand between Alan Keating and Peter. 

Mike then talks about making a final table at the Venetian and playing with Batman at a recent Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) event, Brad Gafford and John Juanda both won tournaments, and poker media veteran Paul Oresteen talks about his new Substack, which you can subscribe to here.

Finally, PokerStars North America has introduced a dozen new "Throwables" and the PokerNews Podcast crew not only shares their favorites, but they also offer fans of the show an opportunity to win some just by either listening to or watching the podcast.

The podcast is sponsored by the #1 free-to-play WSOP app. Remember to use the bonus code "POKERNEWS" if you download and play for an extra 1,000,000 in chips!

A new PokerNews Podcast will drop weekly every Thursday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!

Time Stamps
*Time | Topic*
00:21 | Welcome Kyna England & Mike Holtz
01:01 | Admitted poker cheat Ali Imisorvic DQ’ed from poker tournament
02:47 | Second time this has happened
03:28 | Should poker have a black list?
09:11 | Is there a gray area when it comes to cheating in poker?
14:01 | Is Ali Imsirovic being made an example of?
15:56 | Update on Tom Dwan
19:10 | Haliey “Hawk Tuah Girl” Welch plays Celebrity Poker Tour event
20:38 | Highlights from CPT Game Night VI
22:31 | Sponsor: WSOP Free-to-Play App
23:00 | Hustler Casino Live (HCL) Million Dollar Game III
23:15 | Erick Lindgren wins satellite into MDG
25:40 | Texas Mike’s up-and-down ride
27:00 | Steve & Tom Goldstein
27:21 | Interview w/ Steve at HCL
29:57 | Alan Keating & Peter battle it out
30:33 | Peter picks off Keating’s bluff
32:27 | Alan Keating big winner with $1.9 million
33:41 | Biggest winners from all three Million Dollar Games
34:08 | Sponsor – WPT Global
34:40 | Mike makes final table at Venetian
36:15 | Mike & Batman play CSOP event supporting Critical Care Comics
37:20 | Matt Savage wins CSOP title
37:34 | George Wolfe wins RunGood Jacksonville Main Event for $92,817
37:45 | Brad Gafford Wins MSPT Season 16 Sycuan Main Event
39:20 | Graham Keith takes down PokerNews Championship at Malta Poker Festival
39:40 | John Juanda Wins Second Tournament of 2025 at APT Taipei
41:11 | New Substacks on the Block – Paul Oresteen
42:26 | PokerStars introduces new Throwables
43:57 | Win a PokerStars Throwable by listening to the PokerNews Podcast