While James was off sick, Joe turned 48 and moved house. He also failed to keep his promise to take a break from Hold'em, and has continued to run horribly. (He seems intent on sharing his pain, telling bad beat stories to anyone who'll listen!) Fortunately, he did find time to read 'The Only Way To Play It', a new poker-themed novel by Peter Alson. Peter is the guest on this week's show, talking about his career as a writer and poker player, his latest book, and his previous works, including 'Take Me to the River' (about the 2005 WSOP) and 'One of a Kind' (a biography of Stu Unger, co-authored by Nolan Dalla). Finally, Cameron Kight from the USA competes for #PokerInTheEars merch in 'Superfan vs Stapes', answering questions about music of the 2010s. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast.

Episode 194 – 16/10/2020 – The Only Way To Play It with Peter Alson

Every week, the hosts of PokerStars TV (James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton) bring you a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like being two regular folks on the international poker circuit. Told from the perspective of a cranky British dad (Hartigan) and an undateable American bachelor (Stapes), Poker in the Ears is a mostly uncensored take on the world of professional poker. The hosts also regularly call in favours, in the form of guest spots from their big-shot celebrity poker-playing friends. And they routinely hold on-air competitions, providing chances for listeners to join them on tour.

James is celebrating a deep run and a $5k score in the #SundayMillionAnniversary. He and Joe also celebrate the champion 'CrossBreed17', having streamed the final table and the winning moment on the PokerStars Twitch channel. They guys are then joined by Jon Sofen, Senior US Editor at PokerNews, to discuss the latest poker stories from North America, including the WPT Voyage, controversy surrounding the WSOP Tournament of Champions, and a win for Robbi Jade Lew. Finally, Josh Rawlings from the UK hopes to continue his streak of winning Power Passes from #PITE, as he competes against Joe in a quiz about the movie 'Poor Things'. Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord). Check out video highlights from #PITE300 on James's YouTube channel (youtube.com/@James_Hartigan).

304. Sunday Million Anniversary recap, plus news update from Jon Sofen (Senior US Editor, PokerNews)

James and Joe are back from Dublin – and Stapes has recovered from a nasty stomach bug – so they recap the last few days of the #IrishOpen in the company of Main Event champion Tero Laurila: the first ever Irish Open winner from Finland. He talks about his 20-year poker career and what it means to him to win such a historic title. Meanwhile, Swedish listener Robin Berg tries to secure a victory of his own in 'Superfan vs Stapes', answering questions about 'Captain America: Civil War'. Please follow/subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

303. Irish Open 2024 champion Tero Laurila

It's a special edition of the podcast recorded on location at the #IrishOpen in Dublin on Day 1A of the Main Event. James and Joe have had the chance to play a couple of tournaments, and Joe scored big in one of them. Felix Schneiders from Team Pro streamed the final table on Twitch, so joins the guys to discuss Joe's journey to (near) victory. Event owner Paul O'Reilly then sits down to talk about the history and legacy of the Irish Open and why he believes it's become such a popular festival. Finally, pros David Lappin and Dara O'Kearney – hosts of the award-winning 'Chip Race' podcast – reveal what this iconic event means to them. Expect to hear from both David and Dara on the Irish Open Main Event live stream, broadcasting on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels: Friday 29th March – Monday 1st April. Please follow/subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

302. At the Irish Open with Felix Schneiders, Paul O'Reilly, David Lappin and Dara O'Kearney

It's the #PITE300 after-party, as James and Joe recap what happened behind-the-scenes in the run up to their live show in London, and what happened at the poker tables afterwards. Patrick Marber's name came up a couple of times at The Hippodrome, and the actor-writer-director is the guest on this week's episode. Patrick talks about playing in the 'Archway Game' with Vicky Coren and the Boatman brothers, writing the award-winning play 'Dealer's Choice' – revealing that one of the characters is based on Barny Boatman – and discusses some of his characters from the classic comedy series 'The Day Today'. Meanwhile, James relives his experience playing, streaming, and cashing the #SundayMillion for the very first time, and Jude Arrowsmith from the UK picks science as his specialist subject in 'Superfan vs Stapes', competing for a Bronze #PowerPass. Please follow/subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

301. Patrick Marber

To celebrate their third centenary, James and Joe returned to The Hippodrome Casino in London on Wednesday 13th March 2024 to record the podcast on stage in front of an audience of fans. This special live show opens with a five-minute stand-up set from Stapes, followed by a Poker Movie Monday, as the guys revisit 'Win It All' with the Netflix film's star and co-writer Jake Johnson. #PITE300 then focusses on the upcoming #IrishOpen with Fintan Hand and Benjamin Spragg from Team Pro, plus The Club podcast's Rory Jennings, Adam McKola and Laurence Bury. After introducing the newest PokerStars Ambassador, Barny Boatman, there's the chance for everyone to play one of Joe's stupid games, plus time for James to get excited nerding out over poker players' watches with YouTube star Nico Leonard. Finally, our hosts are joined on stage by writer, TV presenter and two-time European Poker Tour champion Victoria Coren Mitchell. Please follow/subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

Episode 194 – 16/10/2020 – The Only Way To Play It with Peter Alson

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