The Chip Race Only European Podcast Nominated for Global Poker Award
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The GPI Global Poker Awards ceremony is just around the corner on April 5 and will be broadcast live from the PokerGo studio in Las Vegas. While in years past these awards were separated into American and European, this year they have been merged, resulting in U.S. and European nominees listed side-by-side in many categories.
One such category is Poker Podcast of the Year, where just one non-American show is represented.
Global Poker Awards Poker Podcast Nominations:
- LFG Podcast (Chad Holloway, Jamie Kerstetter)
- PokerCentral Podcast (Brent Hanks, Remko Rinkema)
- PokerNews Podcast (Sarah Herring, [Removed:139])
- The Chip Race Poker Podcast (David Lappin, Dara O’Kearney)
- The Fives: A PocketFives.com Podcast (Lance Bradley, Donnie Peters)
Sitting alongside our very own PokerNews Podcast hosted by Sarah Herring and [Removed:139] and the LFG Podcast hosted by Jamie Kerstetter and Chad Holloway, is The Chip Race podcast produced and hosted by Ireland's Dara O'Kearney and David Lappin.
The Chip Race, now in its 8th season, released 25 episodes in 2018, featuring big names such as Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Jennifer Tilly, Sam Greenwood, Phillipp Gruissem, Ludovic Geillich, Parker Talbot, Molly Bloom, Jack Sinclair, Niall Farrell and Maria Ho.
The Chip Race Podcast Content
The eclectic, bold and professionally-produced Ireland-based show caters to a wide poker audience, and the hosts make sure of that.
"Don’t get me wrong, it’s been absolutely huge to have all those A-listers but I’d like to think the show is about more than that," Lappin shared with PokerNews. "Dara and I are constantly on the lookout for interesting stories and compelling subject matter. We also put a lot of effort into getting the balance right across all the different poker demographics. Not to mention Dara’s strategy segment which is always a free poker lesson of the highest caliber."
O’Kearney returns the compliment to Lappin while also giving shoutouts to the many others that have helped make the show a success.
"We put a lot of effort into getting the balance right across all the different poker demographics."
"David not only hosts but he also cuts all the segments and I think his polished edits are a distinguishing feature of the show," said O'Kearney. "I’d also like to pay tribute to everyone who works with us - Daiva Byrne, Willie Elliott, Ian Simpson, Tom Stanton, and Daragh Davey. There are actually so many others to thank; the people who help publicize the show, all our great guests and of course the audience for tuning in."
Lappin and O'Kearney are active in the poker world whether playing online or attending a plethora of live events. It takes more than that to make a successful podcast releasing new shows on average of about twice a month.
"Dara and I like to stay on the pulse of what’s going on in the wider poker world," said Lappin. "Sometimes that’s big decisions being made at an industry level, sometimes that’s reacting to changes in the poker culture, sometimes that’s a twitter spat. We do our best to cover it all."
Growth and Goals
The show has grown in leaps and bounds since its first episode four years ago. This hasn't happened by accident.
"Growth for us has been two-fold," Lappin said. "There is a grassroots word of mouth that has spread and expanded our base organically. There is also the deliberate efforts we have made to get publicity. We don’t conscientiously try to grow our numbers through the content. We just try to make a show that we feel is representative, gives some love and attention to all demographics, asks the right questions and digs a bit deeper. However, after the show is made and out there, we will do everything we can to expand the audience."
"We just try to make a show that we feel is representative, gives some love and attention to all demographics, asks the right questions and digs a bit deeper."
Lappin shared this year has been huge for The Chip Race and expects the show to continue to grow with the help of solid content and through other mediums including writing blogs and O'Kearney's new book Poker Satellite Strategy.
"The main goal is to just keep making a podcast that we would want to tune in to," Lappin said. "This year has already been huge. The show has picked up a lot of new listeners thanks to some really strong episodes with Mike Sexton, Krissy Bicknell, Bryn Kenney, Eli Elezra, and Girafganger and we will finish the season next week with Phil Galfond."
Besides the podcast, the host duo have other content channels that contribute to building their audience.
"I think it’s also helped that Dara and I have continued to reach people through our blogs. A couple of opinion pieces we wrote at the start of the year really struck a chord with the poker public and I think that had a knock on effect to the podcast.
"Our YouTube channel has started to catch fire so hopefully, that continues. That’s where we put our strategy content, brilliantly animated by Willie Elliot. Dara has just released his brilliant book ‘Poker Satellite Strategy’ with Barry Carter which I presume is going to sell loads. Maybe we will work on a book together too. It’s something we’ve talked about in the past so who knows."
On GPA Nomination
Lappin already feels The Chip Race has won an award as the only European podcast nominated.
"America is still the biggest consumer of poker media so it’s understandable that American shows dominate the list," said Lappin. "I think this means we won European Podcast of the year, right? Where do we go to collect that prize?”
"I think this means we won European Podcast of the year, right?"
Lappin and O'Kearney both listen to other poker podcasts, including many that weren't nominated for a Global Poker Award. Lappin feels that the field is strong while giving a special shoutout to the hosts of the LFG Podcast, Chad Holloway and Jamie Kerstetter.
“I listen to most of the poker podcasts but usually dip in every second or third episode. Dara has his particular favorites that he listens to each week - Thinking Poker, Poker on the Mind, and maybe one or two others. I think it’s a really strong category. I particularly love what Jamie and Chad are doing, shining a light on the mid-stakes in the U.S.”
Just being included on the illustrious list is a big win in and of itself, but winning Podcast of the Year at the Global Poker Awards would surely be a milestone accomplishment for the growing Irish poker podcast.
To find out who gets the nod next Friday, watch live for free at PokerGO, or check out our Global Poker Awards show recap here at PokerNews following the event.
