The countdown to the 2026 WSOP starts here. 100 bracelets. The world's best 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, self-professed poker nerd at the WSOP each year.
Being the official answer man for the WSOP, how do you prepare for the six-week grind?
I review the structure and prepare for questions I might be asked during the series. I ask the WSOP staff to ask me questions, which also helps me prepare.
People will ask me stuff on X that I don’t know the answer to right away. I’ll do my own research. Then I can answer questions more quickly, instead of looking completely stumped.
Your X account answers a lot of questions, but people still seek you out in person.
It’s definitely a goal of mine to direct people to my X account first – it can get kind of annoying answering the same questions over and over. There’s a lot of helpful stuff there if you scroll through it, but I do put out a lot of posts, and they get lost in the shuffle at times.
Where else do you direct people to look for answers?
Most answers can be found on the WSOP website, which will soon have an updated FAQ section. Since most basic information remains consistent each year, players will generally find the answers are the same as in previous events.
What’s the best part of working for the WSOP each year?
It’s the excitement of the Main Event. Last year, a lot was going on – Will Kassouf getting banned and, of course, Grinder’s epic run.
Poker's super nerd
What impact do you think ESPN’s return will have?
It’s very positive. ESPN helped create the poker boom, and I think it's definitely going to help the Main Event's numbers this year. Let’s see if we break 10,000 again.
Do you have a favorite event that you're looking forward to playing in?
The one event I'm definitely looking forward to is the $1,500 Super Turbo. I play that pretty much every year because it's a one-day tournament.
What's the most exciting thing that's happened to you since last summer?
I went to Taiwan for the Asian Poker Tour championship. It was my first time in Asia, and while the poker didn't turn out great for me, I had fun.
The APT does a great job with their events. They had a $10k main event and a $5M guarantee. They crushed the guarantee and have already announced this year's schedule.
You’ve been affectionately called the super nerd of the WSOP. What’s your reaction when you hear that?
I am a nerd. I'm a poker nerd. I’ve been discussing the game on poker forums since the late nineties, including on TwoPlusTwo. I'm definitely not the best poker player out there. Customer service is the big thing for me. It’s my role in poker to be as helpful as possible.
I can't teach you to play poker. But I'm doing my niche in poker, and a lot of people think I do it very well. And I’ll keep doing it as long as people want me to.
Kevin Mathers: The quickfire round
Follow Kevin Mathers on X for WSOP updates – and more.
The 2026 WSOP starts on May 26 and runs through August 5, when the Main Event champion will be crowned.
