NEW Poker Dealer Rating System Divides Players; Jeff Madsen Reflects on 20th Anniversary of 2006 WSOP POY

In the 964th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz are once again joined by Jeff Madsen, who reflects on the 20th anniversary of his 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year win. The trio also discusses the new dealer rating system announced by the WSOP, and whether or not it'll be a net positive for the game. They also discuss the new rule put in place to combat third-party WSOP influence, like what happened with the Milly Maker last year. But could it have unintended consequences when it comes to staking, swapping, and the $25K Fanatasy Draft? Speaking of controversial things, there was a brouhaha when Matt Savage announced that headphones would be a topic discussed at this year's Tournament Directors Association (TDA) Summit. That led to Nick Palma and Victoria Livschitz getting into it. Plus, hear about winners from the Aussie Millions and European Poker Tour (WPT) Monte Carlo, and Joe "Stapes" Stapleton leaving his gig at the EPT after many successful years. A new PokerNews Podcast drops every Thursday 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 00:35 | 2026 WSOP 01:00 | New Dealer Ranking System 06:40 | Worrisome WSOP Rule? 15:12 | Remembering Doyle Brunson 16:00 | TDA Summit 16:30 | Headphones Ban? 21:30 | 20th Anniversary of Jeff Madsen's POY 24:05 | PokerNews MyPlayers 24:47 | Aussie Millions 28:46 | EPT Monte Carlo 29:35 | Stapes departs EPT