Poker Player KICKED OUT At WSOP; Largest Pot in High Stakes Poker History!

In the 978th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas to talk about the Brazilian poker player kicked out of a 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) event for smoking and putting tournament chips in his jacket pocket.

They also examine the largest pot in High Stakes Poker history, discuss Ethan "Rampage" Yau's cash game heater, and offer updated thoughts on Martin Kabrhel. From there, it's a look at recent gold bracelet winners, including Calvin Anderson, Joey Couden, Zachary Gruneberg, Marco Johnson, and Joao Simao. Plus, lots of talk about Santhosh Suvarna and Shaun Deeb.

Finally, the crew thanks sponsors Think Jerky, which you can order here, and FanDuel Poker, which is sponsoring this year's Maryland State Poker Championship. Oh, and don't forget to enter our latest giveaway for autographed books!

A new PokerNews Podcast drops three times a week during the 2026 WSOP! You can expect a new episode every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 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*
00:00 | Welcome to the show
01:52 | Smoking player kicked out
06:03 | Largest Pot in HSP History
12:08 | Rampage on a Rampage
20:00 | Thoughts on Martin Kabrhel
23:00 | Calvin Anderson wins 2 bracelets
25:20 | Joey Couden beats Shaun Deeb
28:24 | Marco Johnson claims bracelet
29:30 | Chino Rheem doesn't have a bracelet
31:24 | Zachary Gruneberg wins third bracelet
32:30 | Joao Simao wins $50K PLO High Roller
33:07 | Think Jerky
34:10 | Maryland State Poker Championship
35:30 | Book giveaway