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The State Of Poker In Texas: An Interview with Texas Card House (TCH) CEO Ryan Crow

Release Date: 04/02/2026

VERDICT: The Lodge Card Club - HUGE For Texas Poker

PokerNews Podcast

In the 961st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are back for a special episode to discuss the recent Grand Jury verdict regarding The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock, Texas. Spoiler Alert: It was good news for Doug Polk and company as potential charges were dismissed, and seized funds and equipment will be returned. Not only that, the cardroom has plans to reopen as soon as possible. It was the best case outcome considering the situation, and the poker world, including co-owners Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme, celebrated en masse. There are still a lot of...

UNCUT: Maurice Hawkins FIRES BACK Over Bankruptcy Controversy

PokerNews Podcast

In the 960th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz are joined by Maurice Hawkins, who finally took them up on their long-standing offer to come on the show and share his side of the story. Maurice discusses his recent Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing, his dealings with Randy Garcia, and why he feels unjustly targeted. The 24-time WSOP Circuit ring winner also touches upon the situation with Denise Pratt, his backing situation with Cody Stanford, family obligations, and much more. Things became heated at times over the course of the 40-minute uncut interview, but it marks...

Maurice Hawkins Files Bankruptcy; Dodging $115K Poker Debt?

PokerNews Podcast

In the 959th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz get together to discuss the recent bankruptcy filing of Maurice Hawkins. Is it to absolve himself from a six-figure poker debt due to Randy Garcia? According to a Voluntary Petition for Individuals Filing for Bankruptcy (Case 26-15116-EPK) obtained by PokerNews, Hawkins, through his attorney Michael A. Kaufman, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Thursday, April 23 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. The filing came less than three weeks after Hawkins won the WSOP Circuit Elgin...

Etay's STOLEN WPT Wynn Poker Trophy Listed For Sale?

PokerNews Podcast

In the 958th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are back to talk about a poker mystery. How did Esther Taylor's 2022 WPT Wynn trophy end up on eBay without her knowledge? Chad actually brought it to her attention, and after some investigating, there are more questions than answers. Was the trophy stolen? Hear from Etay herself as she shares what she thinks happened. From there, they talk about WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas, which included Jared Bleznick (AKA Blez) meeting WWE superstar The Miz and discussing a $1.5 million sports card. From there,...

WSOP Circuit Manager TJ Reid Reveals All

PokerNews Podcast

In the 957th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas to sit down with TJ Reid, the recently-appointed Manager of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit. Reid talks about his vision for the WSOP Circuit, upcoming plans, and how he'll help foster a better overall player experience. He offers a unique perspective as a player himself; in fact, he finished fourth in the WSOP Paradise $25K Super Main Event last December for $3,000,000. Speaking of which, Reid talks about that whole experience, including having a front-row...

Wrapping Up WSOP Europe 2026 With Martin Kabrhel & Dan 'Jungleman' Cates

PokerNews Podcast

In the 956th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway hosts his final show from the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Prague, where he is joined by special guests Martin Kabrhel, Lexy Gavin-Mather, Dan "Jungleman" Cates, and Landon Tice. Find out what they all had to say about the 2026 WSOP Europe and more. Plus, "Jungleman" doesn't shy away from calling out scammers and sharing his thoughts on Maurice Hawkins! Finally, Calum Grant conducts a winner interview with the 2026 WSOP Main Event winner Marius Kudzmanas. A new PokerNews Podcast drops every day this week at...

No Charges Yet But Authorities Still Plan to Keep $2,000,000 Seized from The Lodge

PokerNews Podcast

In the 955th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is joined by Mike Holtz and Ben Ludlow for a special episode devoted to the latest update in The Lodge saga. The popular poker room near Austin, Texas, was raided back on March 10, and authorities had a 30-day window, until April 9, to file for civil asset forfeiture. Despite not yet filing any criminal charges, authorities did file a document with the 480th Judicial District Court in Williamson County that explained why the state is holding on to over $2 million in assets. The future of The Lodge Card Club is uncertain now that the...

Enraged Player Disqualified from WSOP Europe + Special Co-Host Josh Arieh

PokerNews Podcast

In the 954th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is at the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Prague, where he is joined by special guest cohost Josh Arieh, the 2021 WSOP Player of the Year. Together, they discuss the enraged player who was disqualified deep in the €5,300 PLO European Championship, players who were upset on the bubble of that tournament when a chip leader gave the short-stacked big blind a walk, and recent bracelet winners such as Ole Schemion, Mike Leah, and Pedro Faustino. Arieh then talks about his deep run in the WSOP Europe Main Event, which ended...

Shaun Deeb Fired Up for POY & Fires Back at Critics

PokerNews Podcast

In the 953rd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is at the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Prague, where he is joined by special guest cohost Shaun Deeb, who talked about losing to quads twice when heads up for a gold bracelet. He then talks about his passion for the Player of the Year race, responds to Nick Palma's poor sportsmanship comments, and shares his thoughts on the controversial Maurice Hawkins and the WSOP Circuit. Deeb also talks about whether or not he'd encourage his children to play poker, playing the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, coaching...

Youngest Bracelet Winner Annette Obrestad Returns to WSOP Europe 19 Years After Historic Win

PokerNews Podcast

In the 952nd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is at the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Prague where he is joined by special guest cohost Annette Obrestad, who is famously the youngest-ever gold bracelet winner and has made a long-awaited return to the felt after nearly a decade away from the game. The Norwegian pro, who stunned the poker world by winning the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event at just 18, spoke candidly about her decision to step away, citing burnout and a desire to explore life beyond poker. Now back at WSOP Europe, Obrestad says she’s...

More Episodes

In the 950th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are back to talk about the latest in the poker world starting with an exclusive interview as Texas Card House (TCH) CEO Ryan Crow talks about the tate of Texas poker, TCH's perspective on the raid at Doug Polk's The Lodge, and whether or not the planned World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit will continue as planned. Plus, Crow shares details on a new, multi-episode documentary, The Battle for Texas Poker. Here's your chance to see the trailer!

From there, the crew discusses the viral preflop pocket kings fold by Kristen Foxen, Paul Phua & Ben Tollerene winning Triton titles, and the WSOP is back on ESPN! Plus, Garrett Adelstein announced that he is releasing a poker book diving into the infamous J4 hand against Robbi Jade Lew on Hustler Casino Live (HCL), among other things.

Finally, Chino Rheem found more PokerGO Tour success, Brandon Wilson's heater continued, and big plans are in store next week for the PokerNews Podcast at the WSOP Europe.

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

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