WILD Billionaire WSOP Stories: Ultra-Rich Poker Players Revealed

In the 895th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is joined by Mike Holtz and four-time bracelet winner Jeff Madsen to dive into the world of the ultra-rich at the World Series of Poker. Which billionaires have participated in the WSOP over the years? How much money has the WSOP actually awarded? And who are the wealthiest players at the tables today?

After introducing the topics, Chad, Mike, and Jeff take a deep dive into WSOP statistics to determine just how many billions the World Series of Poker has awarded to players over the last five decades.

They also take a closer look at some of the most ultra-wealthy poker players and face off in a special WSOP Billionaire trivia challenge to see who knows the most about poker's richest.

In the second half of the episode, Chad sits down with two prominent voices in the high-stakes scene to further peel back the curtain on poker's elite.

First up is author Michael Craig, best known for writing The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time. The 2006 book explores the legendary high-stakes battle between billionaire Andy Beal and a syndicate of top pros at the time including Phil Ivey, Jen Harman, and Howard Lederer.

Craig's book is widely regarded as one of the best poker books of all time — if you haven't checked it out, you can find more information below.

Learn More About Craig's Famous Book

Next, Chad connects with veteran Dutch high-stakes player Wouter Beumers, better known under his online alias 'MMAsherdog'. Beumers has crushed the top online stakes for years and regularly offers insights into the high-stakes grind through his X account.

To close out the show, Beumers shares some incredible stories and personal reflections from his time battling at the top of the online and live poker world.

A new PokerNews Podcast will drop twice a week during the 2025 WSOP every Thursday and Sunday 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 Mike Holtz & Jeff Madsen 02:10 How do you cover WSOP Billionaires? 04:06 Phil Hellmuth doesn't show at Wynn 05:21 How many billions has the WSOP awarded? 08:46 Jeff vs. Mike in WSOP Billionaire trivia 09:34 Jeff Madsen invests in movie 'Hitting the Nuts' 16:00 Which players are literal billionaires? 23:00 Michael Craig Interview 41:11 Wouter Beumers Interview

Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show — tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Chad Holloway on X.

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!

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