As announced on this week's show, MJ will be retiring as full-time Pokercast host after the July 15th show.

I can't thank Mike enough for teaching me lots about broadcasting (even though I seem to have retained very little) and being the anchor of a show so many seem to enjoy. His legacy as the show's founder will live on long after we're all done with this stuff.

It's going to be strange to not look across the desk and see him with the headset on every Tuesday night, but I will be continuing on with the show.

The plan as of now is to bring in some co-hosts for the first couple months to see who can put up with me the best and take it from there. Some of the people that might make an appearance are Marco Valerio, Jeff Walsh, Robbie Davies and Phil Galfond (just for fun, he obviously isn't a long term solution due to playing nosebleed poker as much as possible).

As a consumer of podcasts, I much prefer shows where the hosts are in the same room. This isn't to discount the possibility of continuing the Pokercast with someone remotely, but if everything were equal someone located in Vancouver would be preferable.

Use this thread for:

1. Funny MJ moments/isms/mispronunciations
2. Suggestions for a co-host

My favorite MJ moment by far is Jeffery Pollack's first appearance ('05 maybe?). JP was the new "commissioner" of the WSOP and MJ lead into a question about the title with words to the effect of "Many of us in Canada are leery of anyone calling himself "commissioner" due to the terrible job that Gary Bettman has done in that title with the NHL."

Pollack: "Gary is my brother"

Adam has to take headset off cause he's in tears.

Please replay the Gary is my brother moment

Very sad to hear this and I will miss hearing Mike's voice. Anything we can do to change his mind?

I'm not going to make a suggestion for a replacement host as that's something best left to you Adam. Finding someone you can work with on a regular basis is best. I would suggest, however, that it not be a high profile professional player. I'm just not sure that such a person can be a good host on a week to week basis without doing a lot of self promotion that would become tiring. And the new host's voice should not be as ...naturally loud... as MJs.

As for a local host vs remote host debate again that would be your preference. If you can work with someone on the show remotely, my pet peve about podcasts recorded that way is the audio is normally poor as its a recorded Skype call from one host's machine or the other. The shows with remote hosts that I do like the audio on are those that record their calls on each end as an mp3 (or similar) then do some mixing to bring the recordings together and publish that. Yes, its more work for your producer and might add some more time between recording and publishing but if you're going to go down that road, its the better way to do it.

The important thing in this is for you, Adam, to find someone you can work with.

Will the funny MJ moments be used to help select audio for a highlight section on his final show?

Was in the kitchen looking for a big knife today, I can never pronounce the word "macheté" the same way since that episode.

Congrats on retiring MJ, it will not be easy to find a replacement - hard to have the dynamic the two of you have for sure!! Thanks for the years of entertainment and so many laughs, online and live!!

layover

I heard a rumor that MJ was taking a position as head of PR for the Chicago Blackhawks. Can you confirm this? (Off the record of course).

MJ, thanks for making the Pokercast what it is today, you will be missed. Wishing you continued success in your future projects.

Early replacement candidates:

- Annie Duke
- Matt Marafioti
- MJ's wife
- Kathy Liebert
- Justin Bieber

Wow... I'm only part way through this week's episode and haven't reached that part yet... stunned and bummed. You guys were/are a great duo with excellent chemistry. I haven't missed a show in years and meeting you two in person at the Vancouver Stars event last year was like meeting celebrities. (Not good looking movie star celebrities, but you know what I mean eh?) Adam, you told me then that Mike did most of the research for the show and that it would go on as long as he was into it. Personally I'm really glad you're going to carry the torch. Transition and change is hard but just like the move to Pokercast 2.0 with the new intro, etc. People will quickly adjust. We'll certainly miss MJ's deep rich baritone (seriously, he's just like Barry White), but I'm really really happy you'll carry on. This show is so much part of my weekly ritual I'd be lost without it.

Anyway, that was a bunch of random disconnected rambling. Ultimately, I just want to say good luck to MJ and even better luck to you Adam. You have my support and continued listenership. I know you'll make it a great thing.

I haven't gotten to this week's EP yet, but WAT?!?!?! I'm bummed to hear this. You guys always put out a good show. I've been listening since the Rounders days and always appreciated that you are obviously good friends and coworkers who are not afraid to stand behind your opinions. There will really be no way to replace MJ. Though, the show will be much shorter without MJ's insanely long guest intro's

+1 on replaying the Pollack MJ foot in mouth bit.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Not saying MJ is a clown but those are are some big shoes to fill. It would be like Penn saying to Teller 'good luck mate I'm leaving the show but try and keep the theater filled [as an indirect WSOP themed example]

is this his way of not paying out on his bets?

Favorite moments- his never ending grudge held against Yuri whoever that knocked him out of the WSOP ME forever ago.

MJ you will be missed

I think you should get Yuri in to take over from him, maybe then he will change his mind.

Allen Kessler ?

This is bad news. I've enjoyed listening to both of you guys since the bigpoker.ca days. I still keep expecting you to tell us to keep it tuned to the Team 1040.

MJ needs to make a semi-annual appearance as a guest host on the pokercast going forward kind of like Terrence has.

looool! Final show should be MJ cutting down Yuri with a MACHETE

Been listening to the show for years and only just hammered into my long term memory which one of you was Mike and which was Adam - Mike is squeaky voice Adam is relatively sonorous. Mike is right wing Adam is not right wing (that took forever cos Mike doesn't sound like a right wing guy should sound to me, he sounds nice, acht well.) Mike does not take kids to One Direction concerts, Adam does (as often as possible). Gutted it was all for naught.

As poker podcast double acts go Mike was one half of the best, and as podcast double acts go, Mike was one half of one of the best. Acht well. Man with squeaky voice leaves big shoes to fill. All the best Fiedel.

Sorry to hear you are leaving the show Mike. I've listened to the show since the start and have always enjoyed it. I think you guys put on a great show and the show won't be the same without you.

=( =( Best of luck MJ!

Ali Nejad was all ready to do it until Adam butchered his name. Back to the drawing board now.

Congrats on the bracelet!!