Was Adding a Poker Shot Clock to WSOP Main Event Unfair to Players?

In the 990th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are at Level 9 Studios in Las Vegas, where they are joined by special guest cohost Remko Rinkema.

The crew discusses the impromptu introduction of poker shot clocks on Day 7 of the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. It was an unexpected development implemented after a 15-minute tank by Loren Klein on Day 6, and while it was technically allowed by Rule 80, a lot of players took issue with it, such as Chris Brewer and Patrick "Pads" Leonard. However, some players came out in support of it, such as Shaun Deeb, who was still in the tournament.

Speaking of Pads, some thought he wasn't getting the airtime he deserved during his deep run in the Main Event. Was he blacklisted, or was it just bad luck? Chad then talks about live reporting on Jamie Dwan winning the $50K High Roller event over a stacked final table that included Daniel Negreanu, Bryn Kenney, and Kristen Foxen. Finally, Remko talks about PokerGO's He Brought $1,000,000 to the Biggest Poker Game of His Life video featuring Andrew "Ace" Pacheco, his new podcast, and other upcoming PokerGO plans.

Oh, and did we mention that Chad is headed to California's Thunder Valley Casino this weekend for the $400 buy-in, $250K GTD PokerNews Cup as part of the RGPS Passport Season Finale? 

A new PokerNews Podcast drops four times a week in July during the 2026 WSOP! You can expect a new episode every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 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 01:30 | Shot Clocks in WSOP Main Event 15:42 | Shaun Deeb reacts 18:54 | Patrick "Pads" Leonard 27:41 | Jamie Dwan wins $50K High Roller 32:13 | PokerGO Projects 34:52 | PokerNews Cup 36:19 | Giveaway winners