The latest episode of 888poker’s ridealong interview series 888Ride features a trip with Hustler Casino Live’s Ryan Feldman.
From producer to player, organizer and on-air host, Feldman has worn many hats since the successful live poker stream launched three years ago. In his 45-minute chat with David Tuchman - view the entire video above courtesy of the 888poker YouTube channel - Feldman discusses everything from the career path that led him to his current position, to some of the more controversial hands, players and moments that have made HCL so unmissable over the past few years.
Feldman doesn’t shy away from sharing his feelings on one of the biggest controversies of the HCL era: the infamous hand from 2022 when Robbi Jade Lew called Garrett Adelstein’s shove for $129K holding nothing but jack-high (here’s a reminder of what went down).
Reflecting on Lew, Adelstein and 'the jack-four hand'
“I don’t think so,” Feldman replies when asked if he thinks Lew cheated. “Obviously we’ll never know the 100% truth, but at this point I don’t think so, and as time went on it made me believe more and more that nothing happened.
“I have some theories in my mind of what it was, or what she was thinking… I wish somebody would find an exclusive interview with her, to just say ‘What happened? Were you on drugs? Were you just trying to make a viral clip?’
“The part to me that day that was the weirdest and most questionable was just the weird kind of lies and things that she said that didn’t make sense.
”The more time goes on, I think that she’s just insane.”
The famous hand between Garrett Adelstein and Robbi Jade Lew seemed to draw the attention of the entire poker world.When it comes to Adelstein, the other player in the hand, Feldman doesn’t see a future in which he returns to the HCL game.
“Part of me, in my mind, I’m like ‘Damn, I wish we could just make up and I could get him back once in a blue moon for a special show’, but at the same time, I just can’t. The things that he said and did to burn bridges… you just can’t.
“The show is bigger than everything, it’s bigger than any one player.”
From NBA wannabe to HCL owner
Feldman’s far-reaching interview pulls back the curtain not only on the behind-the-scenes world of HCL, but also touches on many other topics, including:
- A career path that took him from aspiring basketball pro to sports commentator, ESPN researcher and key figure at Live At The Bike
- How he’s arranged high-profile games featuring the likes of Doug Polk, Mr Beast and Nik Airball
- His time as a prop player in limit hold’em games at The Bike
- The challenges involved in producing a stream that, like a soap opera, never misses an episode
He also shares a few words about his upcoming appearance on PokerGO’s High Stakes Poker, in which he faces off against the likes of Alan Keating and plays, in his words, “The most embarrassing hands I’ve ever played… I felt like I was in a boxing ring with seven Mike Tysons!”
The full interview from 888poker is available now - click above to watch.
