Life Outside Poker is a podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.
In the 33rd episode, Connor talks with comedian and poker commentator Joe Stapleton about growing up in Albany, New York, first seeing Rounders while visiting a college campus, working at MADtv, getting his start in the poker industry and his favorite memories from PokerStars The Big Game.
Stapleton also talked about his friendship with late comedian Norm Macdonald, the European Poker Tour (EPT), doing commentary at the 2025 WSOP and making the "worst mistake I ever made in my entire life" by attempting to make a documentary about a stand-up comedy tour.
This interview was filmed at the 2025 WSOP at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Joe Stapleton by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.
Be sure to follow Joe Stapleton and Connor Richards on X.
Learn More About Life Outside Poker!
Timestamps
| TIME | TOPIC |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Intro |
| 0:23 | Meeting Joe at RunGood Poker Series |
| 2:00 | Growing up in Albany, New York |
| 3:53 | Seeing Rounders & getting into poker |
| 7:10 | Early comedy influences |
| 12:48 | Moving to Los Angeles & MADtv |
| 16:33 | Comedian stories |
| 19:45 | First poker job interning at Card Player Magazine |
| 21:29 | PokerRoad |
| 25:41 | UIGEA & Black Friday |
| 27:04 | European Poker Tour |
| 31:42 | Favorite Big Game moments |
| 34:48 | Phil Hellmuth & Daniel Negreanu |
| 37:00 | PokerStars & EPT |
| 39:18 | Broadcasting & commentary |
| 41:54 | WSOP |
| 44:12 | Trapped comic book |
| 50:39 | Consulting on The Card Counter |
| 54:02 | Stand-Up Documentary Tour |
| 57:27 | Norm MacDonald |
| 1:01:09 | Steve Albini |
| 1:04:38 | Book recommendation |
| 1:06:12 | Advice for younger self |
| 1:07:38 | Favorite life lesson from poker |
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