The countdown to the 2025 WSOP is on. 100 bracelets. All the poker players. And PokerOrg will be on the floor from start to finish.
Ryan Depaulo admits he makes +EV vlogs and is -EV at poker and gambling, though he did win a WSOP online bracelet while playing in his car in a New Jersey Whole Foods parking lot.
Ryan stars in and produces a (hopefully) weekly new YouTube show called Degenerate News, sponsored by CoinPoker.
What are you looking most forward to at this summer’s WSOP?
I'm looking forward to fewer Europeans because they are tariffed now, right? (laughs)
I don't know why people think there will be fewer Euros at the WSOP this year, but it'd be nice if less of them came.
Why is that?
They just tank so long at the tables. They are not fun to play with.
How many events will you play?
I don't know. My wife is pregnant. She’s due at the end of August, but there's been complications with it. She just had surgery recently, and everything should be okay now.
She's 23 weeks now. It's been a bit of a sweat after years of trying and IVF. So, that said, all my sh*t is up in the air. I will be in Vegas, but I’ll be ready to come home if needed. Hopefully, the baby makes the run to the end of the series. I'm taking it as it goes.
Ryan Depaulo's biggest live tournament cash came in the WSOP Colossus in 2019, when he made the final table.What is your favorite event?
I love the No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw 7-Max. I've cashed for the last three years in a row.
My first time playing it was three years ago. I got 58th in 2022, 46th in 2023, and 37th last year. I'll probably win it this year. I also love the shootout event.
What’s going to be the big story at the series this year?
I would say the main storyline would be that 'Ryan Depaulo wins seven bracelets', which is unprecedented in the history of the game. I think that's most likely the biggest story.
Could happen. I love your new off-the-wall YouTube show, Degenerate News. It’s very funny and irreverent.
Thanks, it's been fun. CoinPoker has been the primary supporter of the show. I'm happy to work with them and am an ambassador. Please sign up; my code is 'RDP'.
My new YouTube show differs from the vlogs I've done in the past. I also have a standup comedian, Nik Cartwright, who is helping me write it.
How often will you post a new show?
I definitely want to commit to doing it weekly. I just want to make ridiculous jokes, screw around, and try to be funny. It's been a new challenge that I’m excited about.
You were fired from ACR. Can you share with us how that all went down?
My first thought is that I’m still a little hurt because I still love Nagy and everyone there. I want to tell Nagy. ‘You fired your best ambassador for not a good enough reason.’
But I did f**k up. I take accountability for that. I did a play money ad in a vlog, and I think Phil felt personally hurt by it. I didn't handle it right. Even though I thought I technically was okay to do it, whatever. I f**ked up. I've learned from it.
A patched-up Depaulo in his ACR Poker days.Back to the WSOP. What changes would you suggest to make it a more positive experience for the players?
Please WSOP, just do anything to make us not feel exploited. Sure, anyone going to the WSOP knows that it's an amazing experience, and they put on a great series, but you definitely feel abused as a customer much of the time.
For example, on day two of the Colossus event payout, it's so tilting that it takes two hours after you bust to cash out. I don't know if there's anything they could do, but it leaves a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths.
I also feel awful for recreational players who don't know that tournament players don't tip anymore. They're taking more out of the prize pool, and you're not expected to tip.
The thought of some guy who binks for $11,000 makes me sad. He thinks he's expected to give back a $1,200 tip. That's one good thing the Euros have brought to us, even though I hate them. We've all tipped less and less in tournaments, and the WSOP charges more now, which is a better model.
Phil Hellmuth says he’s not going to play the Main Event as it's turned into an endurance contest. Do you think the event is too long for most players?
I think Phil’s points are legitimate, but it's a balance of keeping the recreational players happy since they can only take a certain amount of time off from their work to play.
Also, it's just insane to expect to be mentally sharp for that many hours. It is really, really tough.
My one request is that everybody needs to f**king play faster. Look at your f**king cards before the action is on you! But as far as Phil, I do think he's bluffing: I think he's going to play the Main.
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