Conflict of Interest Behind Hustler Casino Live’s Boss 2016 Main Event Exit

Summary:

• Hustler Casino Live’s co-owner Ryan Feldman has revealed why he was kicked out of the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2016.
• Feldman explained he was booted from the event because of a conflict of interest tied to his ESPN employment.
• It was the first time that he made the story public.

Co-owner and founder of iconic US poker livestream Hustler Casino Live (HCL), Ryan Feldman, has finally explained the reason behind his forced exit from the 2016 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.  

As a guest on PokerNews’ Life Outside Poker podcast, Feldman touched on a number of topics, including his departure from ESPN to start a poker stream, his involvement in sports journalism and what it was like to interview star athletes, how HCL was founded, and how he came up with ideas to assemble some of the most entertaining lineups in the history of poker.

Conflict of Interest 

Speaking to host Connor Richards, Feldman explained it was a conflict of interest that stemmed from his employment at ESPN that forced him to leave the Main Event eight years ago.

He offered details that he had never revealed before, including what he was told on Day 3 of the world championship event that features a $10,000 buy-in. 

You either have to withdraw from the tournament or you might lose your job

he was informed via a “text or email from somebody from ESPN”.

Feldman continued

Because of the ESPN contract, anyone who worked at ESPN or even Disney or any of their like spouses or direct family members could not play any WSOP. So I was like ‘What is it, like that’s crazy, just because the Main Event is on ESPN I can’t play the colossus? That makes no sense’.

Eventually, his disqualification from the Main Event led to what he described as a “brutal start” to his new poker career following his departure from ESPN. 

The interview was filmed at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas during the 2024 WSOP in July. The Life Outside Poker podcast can be streamed on major platforms and the full interview is available on YouTube. 

The producer and organizer is also an occasional host as well as a passionate poker player with roughly $170,000 in live tournament earnings.