With the 2023 Spring Championship of Online Poker just around the corner (May 7-31), James and Joe go behind-the-scenes at PokerStars to talk to the man responsible for planning, scheduling, building and running every tournament series on the global site. Steve Clarricoats has been working at Stars since 2005, and is currently Head of Poker Operations for the Global Market. He talks about his history with the company and discusses all the factors that go into creating a daily MTT schedule and a 25-day series like #SCOOP, from formats and structures to buy-ins and guarantees. Plus, Andrew Dickinson from the UK tries to follow up his recent success at the #IrishOpen by winning a #SundayMillion ticket in a 'Se7en'-themed edition of 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please subscribe to #PITE and join the podcast community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

The guys are back from Dublin, where they worked on the live stream and played at the tables at the Irish Poker Open. Joe entered a couple of small side events, while James fired three bullets (courtesy of PokerStars) in the €1k Main Event, earning nothing more than some time at the #PokerStarsTV table and a trilogy of brutal bust-out stories, one of which gets recounted and analysed. But the main focus of the podcast is the man who WON the #IrishOpen Main Event for €365,000: Scottish pro David Docherty. He talks about his early years in poker, his recent near-miss at #EPTLondon, and his experience playing in, and taking down Europe's longest running No Limit Hold'em tournament. Plus, in keeping with the theme of the show, Irish #PITE listener Trish Howard answers questions about her home country in 'Superfan vs Stapes', with a #SundayMillion ticket on the line. Please subscribe and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

Joe has a VERY special surprise for James on this week's podcast. The guys are heading to Dublin for the 2023 #IrishOpen (well, Joe's actually already there) and look ahead to the IPO Main Event with Fintan Hand, who made the final table of the tournament in 2017 and now lives 15 minutes from the venue. They discuss what makes the Irish Poker Open such a unique, well-loved festival and preview their four days of live coverage on Twitch and YouTube (April 7-10), revealing WHO you can expect to see on #PokerStarsTV on Day 1c! The hosts also provide their "hot takes” on the poker scene in 'John Wick 4' and the ongoing grudge match between Matt Berkey and Nik Airball. Finally, Kari Alexander from Colorado is down with 'Party Down' as she competes for #PITE merch in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please subscribe and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

The Sunday Million has celebrated its 17th birthday, and James and Joe are celebrating the success stories of a couple of players. They recap their live coverage of the #SundayMillionAnniversary in the company of Nick Walsh, who faded commentary duties by making the final day of the tournament. Nick talks about his rollercoaster ride to the last two tables, and cashing out in 16th place for his biggest ever online score. Plus, the guys talk about the eventual champion, Brazil's 'RFN1986', who received the guaranteed first prize of $1m. Finally, Andre Nazar from the UK chooses the movie 'The Founder' as his specialist subject in 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please subscribe to #PITE and join the podcast community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

With so much happening in the poker world in the first quarter of the year, James and Joe have had to postpone their annual pop culture special. Now, the guys are finally able to take a deep dive into the films and TV shows they've watched in recent months. Joining them as special guest reviewer – following in the footsteps of Niall Farrell and Sam Greenwood – is high stakes legend Phil Galfond. He discusses his unique televisual tastes, and passes judgement on 'The Menu', 'Glass Onion' and 'She-Hulk'. Meanwhile, Joe has seen pretty much every film released in the last six months, while James has been watching emotionally-draining dramas and refusing to finish 'Bullet Train'. Finally, there's a sport-themed edition of 'Superfan vs Stapes' to close out the show, as Tom Taylor Hall from the UK tries to win a #SundayMillionAnniversary ticket answering questions about F1. Please subscribe to the podcast and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

Joe has just returned from ANOTHER trip to Vegas, where he was helping host a group of Red Spade Pass winners from Toronto. He talks about the experience that PokerStars provided, including VIP tickets to a couple of NBA games in LA, and a poker tutorial and tournament at Resorts World. Plus, the guys deal with some unfinished business from last week, running through all the winners in the major categories at the #GlobalPokerAwards, and speaking to the Rising Star in Content Creation, Caitlin Comeskey. James and Joe also cover a couple of other poker news headlines, before giving Marlo Nielsen (aka: LimeRickey) from Canada the chance to win a #SundayMillionAnniversary ticket in a Duran Duran-themed edition of 'Superfan vs Stapes'. Please subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

The guys are just back from Las Vegas, where James was named Best Broadcaster at the #GlobalPokerAwards, so share some stories from their trip, mostly relating to spending/losing a lot of money. They also recap their slightly-less-recent voyage to France for the first European Poker Tour event of 2023: #EPTParis. James and Joe talk to the players who finished first and second in the Main Event, Razvan Belea (@belearazvan on Instagram) and Peter Jorgne, and reflect on whether they should have queued for the steak restaurant that Matt Savage recommended. Finally, Adam Hemmings from the UK takes on Joe at general trivia in 'Superfan vs Stapes', hoping to win a #SundayMillion ticket and some PokerStars merch. Please subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord) where you can talk to the hosts and submit your Superfan application.

Lots to get through on this week's show. James and Joe recap an exciting, eventful and exhausting #PCA2023 and #PSPC, in the company of Niclas Thumm, the #PlatinumPass winner from Germany who came sixth in the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold'em Championship for more than $1m. They also talk about this year's #GlobalPokerAwards, where James, this podcast and the #PokerStarsTV live stream are in the running for trophies, and look ahead to the next big live event. Yes, even though they're still in post-Bahamas recovery mode, the guys are heading to France for the first ever #EPTParis. They run through the live streaming schedule (22nd – 26th February on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels) and provide details of the Mini EPT Paris online series. Please subscribe to #PITE and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord) where you can submit your Superfan application.

Here we go! James and Joe give away the final #PlatinumPass before the Bahamas. Find out who from the #PITE community is going to #PCA2023 to play the $25k PokerStars Players No Limit Hold'em Championship. Before that, the guys are joined by poker pro and commentator Griffin Benger to preview the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and the #PSPC. They talk about what's happening when, what's being streamed (on Twitch and YouTube) and what's being filmed for TV. Make sure you listen to the end of the show, please subscribe to the podcast and join our community on Discord (psta.rs/Discord).

An exciting show with an incredible opportunity. In their first podcast of 2023, James and Joe catch up with the 'Platinum Five': the first players to qualify for the forthcoming #PSPC. Clement, Adrian, Christoph, Danielle and Daryl came to Barcelona in August 2019 to take part in the 'Chase Your Dream' promotion. Each of them received a #PlatinumPass; all of them have been waiting three-and-a-half years for the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold'em Championship. And from the first winners…to the last. The guys reveal how YOU could get your hands on the final Platinum Pass before the Bahamas. Yes, there's an exclusive #PITE contest awarding a $30k PSPC package. Terms and conditions apply. T&Cs: https://www.pokerstars.com/poker/learn/poker-in-the-ears-podcast-platinum-pass-competition-terms-and-conditions/ OR https://pokerstarslearn.com/poker/learn/poker-in-the-ears-podcast-platinum-pass-competition-terms-and-conditions/ Discord: http://psta.rs/Discord