Does Deeb's Win Put Him Over the Top? Matt Savage Guest Stars

In the 982nd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are joined by Matt Savage at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas.

There, they talk about Shaun Deeb's recent bracelet win and whether or not that will be enough to put him over the edge for the Poker Hall of Fame. It certainly was enough to put him back on top of the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year standings. Speaking of the Poker Hall of Fame, Savage shares whether he feels snubbed for not making the list of nominees and who he thinks has the best shot of getting in.

From there, the crew turns its attention to the Tournament Directors Association (TDA) Summit XII, which recently wrapped up at PokerGO Studio. Savage shares a little history about the TDA, his big takeaways, and then Chad shares a highlight video catching up with some of the bigger tournament directors in the game to get their thoughts on this year's summit.

Finally, the crew thanks sponsor Think Jerky, which you can order here.

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
00:22 | Matt Savage joins the show
01:00 | Shaun Deeb bracelet win
02:15 | Deeb's winner interview
03:57 | WSOP POY update
05:05 | Poker Hall of Fame
06:27 | Savage has come close before
11:57 | Who do you like for Poker Hall of Fame?
14:30 | TDA Summit XII
21:07 | Highlights from the TDA Summit
24:00 | One topic to consider in the future