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.
Kevin Mathers is the Poker Information Manager for the GPI and The Hendon Mob and the most sought-after and popular in-the-know poker brain at the WSOP each year.
PokerOrg tracked down KevMath, as he's known, to get an exclusive inside look at how information flows to the players, from the launch of the summer series to its exciting conclusion.
'It's going to be a very crucial first year for GGPoker'
What are you looking forward to most at this year's WSOP?
Many players are asking about the WSOP+ app, which will be unfamiliar to those who haven't played at WSOP Paradise in the past two years
Many people are looking forward to how things will progress with the new owners of the WSOP, GGPoker, during their initial year. How's GGPoker going to handle things? Will it be a vast improvement over previous years at the WSOP? I get all those questions. I know there's a lot of competition in Vegas each summer. It's going to be a very crucial first year for GG.
Tell us a little about your evolution into your current position and responsibilities at the WSOP series.
I've been tangentially involved in poker since the late 90s. You may remember the rec.gambling.poker newsgroup. That was before Two Plus Two, which became the main hub for poker discussion online.
I started posting more in the forums and developed as the go-to for information provided in a relatively timely manner. In 2010, I went to the WSOP for the first time for the November 9 final table.
In early 2016, I emailed Seth Polanski and Jack Effel, suggesting I take over the role of writing the WSOP tweets during the summer. Every year since then, of course, except for 2020, most of the WSOP tweets each summer have come from me.
That’s cool. That’s a great story of hustle and being in the right place at the right time.
Thanks. This year, they want me to promote more of what’s on the WSOP+ app. There will be more information there than on the Twitter account. I believe there will be an update about what’s going on at the WSOP every 10 minutes or so.
You’ve earned a rare kind of universal respect on X — how do you manage that?
This past week was tough at times, with the discussion and questions about using PayPal.
I sometimes can't understand it. I mean the stuff going on with PayPal... I'm just providing a message. They're not some fly-by-night company. The WSOP has used PayPal's deposits and withdrawals for several years.
I get snarky with some of these questions repeatedly because it's just a general frustration, but I have a relatively long fuse. When I'm on the WSOP X account this summer or WSOP+, I will definitely be much less snarky because I represent a multibillion-dollar company. It's not going to do them or me any good if I just decide to act like an asshole.
'I never flipped over a table or anything'
You are seen as the fount of all knowledge regarding the WSOP. Is that a heavy crown to bear at times?
Yes, it is at times. It's not like I have all this WSOP information hidden away somewhere. All the information I provide is readily available. The problem is that some people don't want to look, don't know where to look, or don't care to look for it. They'll just come to me instead.
I'm just trying to help people. Sometimes it works very well, sometimes it doesn't.
Are players currently banned online at GGPoker also banned at the live WSOP events?
I don't know. I don’t have access to the list myself. I assume you must have a WSOP+ account tied to GG.
I'm sure we all know certain players who have been banned online at GG or who have been rumored to be banned. Whether we see them playing live this year or not would probably be a very strong hint of their status.
What's the most unpopular change you've seen across the WSOP in the last few years?
People wish more events were freezeouts; that would be one example, because the number of freezeouts has slightly decreased over the years.
Another issue is the length of late registration, especially in higher buy-in events. People have eight levels of late registration in most events. Some players feel that people max late reg and just sit and get a min cash. Does that strategy work sometimes? Sure, it does.
It would be better if they reduced late registration by 25%, instead of eight levels going to six, and had registration end at the start of play.
Will you be there this summer and play an event or two?
Yes, that’s my plan. I will be in Vegas from May 22 until I fly back home on July 21. I will play at least one bracelet event. I usually play the $1,500 super turbo bounty, as that is the event I have my one WSOP cash in.
I used to drink a beer every level in the daily deep stacks back in the day, but I can't do that anymore, unfortunately. I think my high was 17 beers, for the record. I was a bit tipsy, but I wasn't drunk. I was more of a happy drunk, not an angry drunk. I never flipped over a table or anything.
Will Phil Hellmuth play in the Main Event?
I agree with the popular opinion that he will play. I'm sure he’s thinking of what outfit he will wear for the grand entrance.
The Main Event is definitely a very taxing event, but Phil’s showing up a day after everyone else has started. You know, I'm not the healthiest person myself. But if you have to get into that mindset for someone to win eight figures, it seems like Phil would be very dedicated to being the best person he can be when that event rolls around.
Follow Kevin Mathers on X and find out more about the WSOP+ app.
Feature image courtesy of Caroline Darcourt/Winamax
