The Chip Race
Hosted by David Lappin
An award-winning Irish poker podcast where professional players analyze high-level strategy, interview top guests, and cover industry news.
The Chip Race operates in two primary formats. 'The Lock-In' is their topical show featuring long-form interviews with high-profile players and industry figures, mixed with news and discussion between the hosts. The other format consists of shorter, focused strategy videos that dissect a single classic or recent poker hand, often using GTO (Game Theory Optimal) solvers to compare modern theory with real-world play.
“The show's authority comes from its three hosts, who are all respected, active figures in the poker world—two pro players and a premier author—allowing for a unique blend of high-level theory, practical application, and insider news. Its repeated recognition with the Global Poker Award for Best Podcast sets it apart from competitors.”
Who hosts this show
The Chip Race is a poker podcast hosted by Irish professional players and ambassadors David Lappin and Dara O'Kearney, with contributions from author Barry Carter. Sponsored by PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker, the show combines deep strategic analysis with topical interviews. It is a multiple-time winner of the GPI Global Poker Award for Best Podcast, securing the title in 2018, 2023, and 2024.
Credentials & credits
- David Lappin: Professional poker player, PokerStars Ambassador, writer, and commentator with degrees in History, Philosophy, and screenwriting.
- Dara O'Kearney: Professional poker player, former international ultra-runner, coach, and author of several best-selling poker strategy books.
- Barry Carter: Poker journalist and co-author of acclaimed strategy books including 'The Mental Game of Poker' and 'PKO Poker Strategy'.
Other ventures
- Dara O'Kearney & Barry Carter: Co-authors of a series of poker strategy books (e.g., 'GTO Poker Simplified', 'Endgame Poker Strategy').
- Dara O'Kearney & Barry Carter: Co-creators of the 'Simplify Poker' training site.
- David Lappin: Writer and columnist for poker media outlets.
- Dara O'Kearney: Poker coach and blogger.
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01Poker Legend Stu Ungar Makes the Sickest Call Of All Time Versus Mansour MatloubiMay 22, 2026 · 15 min
- 02
- 03The Irish Open 2026 (The Lock-In 113)Apr 16, 2026 · 42 min
- 04PokerStars Ambassador Jason Koon Sniffs Out A YOLO Bluff from Juan PardoApr 9, 2026 · 20 min
- 05
- 06Will Shillibier: 2025 Poker News In Review Show (The Lock-In 111)Dec 31, 2025 · 46 min
- 07
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01Poker Legend Stu Ungar Makes the Sickest Call Of All Time Versus Mansour Matloubi
A prime example of the show's strategy format, breaking down a historic hand with modern GTO solver analysis.
- 02Felix Schneiders: The Long Road To EPT Paris... (The Lock-In 114)
Showcases the 'Lock-In' interview format, with deep questions about a top player's career, mindset, and recent success.
- 03The Irish Open 2026 (The Lock-In 113)
Demonstrates the hosts' connection to the live poker circuit, combining personal tournament experiences with an event recap.
What you'll be asked on this show
Lead host David Lappin typically opens interviews with detailed, well-researched context before posing multi-part questions that cover a guest's career history, recent results, and broader industry perspectives. The co-hosts often engage in analytical side-discussions with each other, creating a layered conversation rather than a simple Q&A. The flow generally moves from personal updates to a guest's origin story, specific strategic situations, and their views on the state of the game.
The podcast alternates between long-form interview episodes ('The Lock-In') and shorter, deep-dive strategy segments. David Lappin and Dara O'Kearney, both professional players, host and provide analysis, while journalist Barry Carter typically joins for news segments. The tone is analytical and knowledgeable, but with a distinct Irish camaraderie.
Questions David Lappin keeps coming back to
4 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when David Lappin reaches for it.
industry
1- Q.01
“Is the financial barrier to entry in poker higher now, or lower because of all the available strategy content?”
This question is used to explore the evolution of the poker economy and a guest's perspective on the modern player's journey.
origin
1- Q.01
“When you started streaming, did you feel you were at the frontier of something big, or just messing around?”
The hosts ask this to understand the mindset and intentions of players who were early pioneers in poker content creation.
mindset
1- Q.01
“After your big result, does it feel like a happy ending, and has that made it harder to keep the story going?”
This question probes the psychological and narrative challenges a player faces after achieving a major career milestone.
process
1- Q.01
“What did you make of your opponent's play at the final table, and how did you navigate it?”
Aimed at eliciting specific, in-game strategic analysis from a guest about a key moment in a recent tournament.
Signature segments
- · The Lock-In (Interview/Topical Show)
- · Classic Hands (Strategy Segment)
- · GTO/Solver Analysis
- · Animated Strategy Videos
- · Simplify Poker Solver Videos
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically high-stakes professional poker players, successful online streamers, and influential industry figures like authors or tour directors. Recent guests include Sam Greenwood, Jason Koon, and Felix Schneiders.
- Felix Schneiderson The Lock-In 114
- Sam Greenwoodon The Lock-In 112
- Will Shillibieron The Lock-In 111
- Jason Koonon PokerStars Ambassador Jason Koon Sniffs Out A YOLO Bluff from Juan Pardo
- Andy Wilsonon WPT Champion Andy Wilson Plays A Wild Poker Hand In Barcelona - Do Not Try This At Home!
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show has direct sponsorships with major online poker brands PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker. The advertising is aimed squarely at a dedicated, highly-engaged audience of poker players.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch David Lappin
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People also ask
- What are the hosts' names?
- The main hosts are professional poker players David Lappin and Dara O'Kearney, with regular contributions from poker author Barry Carter.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It alternates between 'The Lock-In,' a long-form interview and news show, and shorter strategy videos that analyze specific poker hands using GTO solvers.
- Has The Chip Race won any awards?
- Yes, it won the GPI Global Poker Award for Best Podcast in 2018, 2023, and 2024, and was nominated in other years.
- Who are the hosts?
- The hosts are all established figures in the poker industry: David Lappin and Dara O'Kearney are professional players and brand ambassadors, and Barry Carter is a celebrated poker journalist and author.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, the podcast releases new episodes regularly.
- Where can I listen to The Chip Race?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and other major podcast platforms.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]The Chip Race - YouTube Channelyoutube.com
- [02]David Lappin - Hendon Mob Profilepokerdb.thehendonmob.com
- [03]Dara O'Kearney - Hendon Mob Profilepokerdb.thehendonmob.com
- [04]Barry Carter - PokerStrategy.com Biopokerstrategy.com
- [05]Dara O'Kearney - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [06]Unibet-sponsored “The Chip Race” podcast wins GPI Global Poker Awardunibetopen.com
- [07]PokerStars Unveils David Lappin as Ambassadorpokernews.com
- [08]Dara O'Kearney - Author Profilegoodreads.com
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