Matt Berkey Revives Only Friends Podcast with Four Weekly Episodes Starting November 9
Only Friends, hosted by Matt Berkey, returns after 719 episodes and an April 2025 finale. New episodes begin November 9 at 11 a.m. PT and run four days weekly. The show previously won Best Podcast in 2023 and delivered distinctive WSOP coverage.
SCCG Take — The return demonstrates sustained demand for independent poker media despite platform restrictions on gambling content. This format supports community transparency on industry issues that affect operators and participants alike.
The Only Friends podcast is returning after signing off in April 2025 following 719 episodes. Matt Berkey and the Solve For Why crew are preparing to resume, with the first episode set for November 9 at 11 a.m. PT. The show will air Monday through Thursday, delivering four episodes per week.
The podcast launched in March 2022 and became a regular presence in poker media. Berkey was joined by a rotating cast that included Landon Tice, Conrad Simpson, Melissa Schubert, and Brian Lamanna. Topics ranged from high-stakes poker and cheating allegations to cryptocurrency, industry controversies, and current events. The show earned recognition at the 2023 Global Poker Awards, winning Best Podcast.
Production ended after the crew lost its Las Vegas studio space. YouTube policies on gambling content also factored into the timing. The final broadcast on April 25, 2025, ran four hours and featured guests including Nikki Limo, Jesse Sylvia, Jason Somerville, Ryan Depaulo, and PokerNews Podcast co-host Mike Holtz. The team thanked its audience for years of support.
Coverage of the World Series of Poker
Daily shows during the WSOP provided views into the Las Vegas scene beyond official results. The episodes addressed controversial hands, player disputes, and circulating stories while convening voices from across the community. With the return to a consistent weekday schedule, those WSOP broadcasts could resume next summer. More than 18 months have passed since the last episodes, leaving ample developments to address.
Relationship with PokerNews Podcast
Members of both programs appeared on each other's shows over the years. After the original conclusion of Only Friends, PokerNews Podcast co-host Chad Holloway stated: "Matt Berkey had a lot of nice things to say about the PokerNews Podcast, which meant a lot as we took a lot of inspiration from them over the course of the last several years. Very sad to see it end." Berkey appeared on Episode 965 of the PokerNews Podcast at the end of May 2025. The discussion covered the WSOP patch war, Charlie Carrel being banned from the United States, the return of poker at The Lodge, and other current stories.
The revival restores a platform that delivered unfiltered daily conversation to the poker audience. According to reporting by PokerNews, the earlier farewell has become a temporary pause rather than a permanent close.
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