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.
Jeff Platt is a broadcaster, PokerGO sideline reporter, and one of the friendly faces of the WSOP throughout the series. He's also the most recent addition to the PokerOrg Player Advistory Board.
Many top players refer to Jeff as the Grim Reaper and joke that a quick interview with him on the floor is enough to see you eliminated shortly after. PokerOrg’s research on this matter remains inconclusive.
Follow Jeff on X/Twitter, if you dare.
'You're stuck with seeing me every day'
What are you looking forward to this summer at the WSOP?
For me, it always revolves around the World Series of Poker Main Event. This is the greatest poker tournament in the world. To be even a small part of that still means the world to me. But the rest of the World Series is fantastic as well.
Will you get time off from your PokerGo interview and stream duties to play some events?
My plan right now is to play five to six events. I have commentary planned for the preliminary bracelet events and some sideline reporting for a couple of the high rollers.
I’ll probably fire off the Millionaire Maker, the $5K 6 Max, one of the $800 events. If I'm not playing, I’m working; if I'm not working, I’m playing. You're stuck with seeing me every day there.
Are you tired of the long-running Grim Reaper joke?
I'm not personally tired of it, but I imagine that people, in general, would get tired of it. It’s as if you watched a show night after night, and it was the same joke over and over again.
But I'm still cool with it because that means you're aware of our broadcasts. It's fine with me.
'He's just terrible at poker'
A few pros take credit for its inception, you know.
Yes, Chris Moneymaker takes credit for it. Shaun Deeb and Josh Arieh. We know Moneymaker bustouts are purely because he's just terrible at poker. I don't think it has anything to do with any sideline reporter.
Are you prepared for the daily grind of six weeks of WSOP?
I’ve been researching the WSOP and getting ready to go, especially in those on-the-fly moments, so I have some knowledge stored in mind for the interviews.
Then, I’ve been doing my best to get in great shape going into the summer. I want to feel good. I prioritize sleep, health, and overall fitness. I worked with my guy TJ over the last year. He's been a tremendous help to me. I’ve worked on establishing a solid daily routine to get me there.
What do you enjoy most about your roaming interviews during the series?
I like trying to be the go-between between the audience and these high rollers. I would want to ask Jason Koon why he three-bet bluffed with the A-5o there, but most of the audience probably doesn't care.
I'm trying to think about what the majority of our audience would want to know from these great players. I do so knowing the content isn't for me; it's for everybody watching. I love that kind of responsibility.
Is this PokerGO’s last year running the production schedule for the WSOP, since we know GGPoker took over the reins?
To the best of my knowledge, this is PokerGO's last year in the current contract to run the production. Anything beyond that is above my pay grade.
'A great reputation for me to have'
Are you tired of being called the ‘nicest guy’ in poker?
Whether it's true or not, it's an excellent reputation to have, right? I'd like to think that it's true. I'm appreciative of people referring to me as that.
It also helps because I can attack and troll people, and they're like, ‘He probably doesn't mean it. He's such a nice guy.’
It’s a great reputation for me to have at the poker table. But I would like to think that it genuinely does hold true.
What changes would you like to see the WSOP make?
I would tell them to design an app and call it WSOP+. I used this app at The Bahamas Paradise events. It just makes the entire process of registration so much more efficient. Imagine showing up at the WSOP with no lines, even when waiting for a seat.
Do we want some better food options? Yeah, of course. Is it perhaps a bit more challenging to put those options in place at the Horseshoe or Paris? It definitely sounds like it.
I would love for Caesars to look at that little strip between Paris and the Horseshoe and create a space with healthier options. That'd be great.
Who would it be if you had to swap 5% with any player in the series? Don’t say, Brent Hanks.
Come on, Brent would be very low on the list. Let's go with my friend Maria Ho because she plays that fine line between GTO and exploitative play. She's well-studied and works on her game. She’s also familiar with many different types of opponents, and that strategy works out well.
Who would be your first pick for your team for the PokerOrg Fantasy Freeroll coming up soon? You could win a $10K Main Event package.
Brent and I have a team in the $25K Fantasy draft, Team Splash Sports. We're very excited about that.
We do have a strategy going into it. You just have to focus on finding the sweet spot for your pick and team. Without revealing too much, I would pick Shannon Shorr.
Who’s flying under the radar this summer?
We're still due for that big Andrew Moreno bump into the stratosphere. I know he's had big wins across all the tours. I think he could have a massive series.
