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HCL Producer Ryan Feldman Takes an 888Ride around LA

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October 10, 2024 · 5 minutes

Ryan Feldman 888ride

The latest episode of 888Ride saw David Tuchman take a spin around Los Angeles and take Ryan Feldman, the producer of Hustler Casino Live, for a ride to his workplace.

One of the biggest media personalities in the poker world opened up to 888poker about his career path, his beginnings in poker, and his ascent to the top of the poker live-streaming industry.

Ryan talked about his humble beginnings in poker, but also the passion and belief he had that eventually made him and his show the success they are.

You can check out the full 45-minute interview in the video below, or keep on reading and find out more about what Ryan Feldman shared with Tuck in further text.

Failed NBA Hopes Take Feldman Down a Different Path

Coming up, Ryan Feldman dreamed of becoming an NBA star, a dream he shared with some of his friends he would regularly play basketball with in high school.

Yet, when he failed to make the high school basketball teams, he became acutely aware he didn’t have what it takes to become a professional basketball player, which came as a big disappointment.

Yet, Ryan knew he could succeed in other areas, so he started dreaming of a career in sports broadcasting, which eventually landed him in a CNB internship as a sports researcher.

Following the end of that internship, Ryan pursued a job, and applied for anything he could find in major sports media, including a sports researcher job at ESPN.

With some help, the job ended up materializing for him at the age of 26, and he became a researcher for one of the biggest sports media in the world, working out of Connecticut.

Moving to Connecticut and starting the ESPN job eventually led Feldman to poker, a story he revealed in some detail during the first half of the lengthy interview.  

Ryan Finds Poker & Falls in Love with the Game

The time spent in Connecticut was special for Ryan in many ways, including the fact it was where he took his first steps into the world of poker.

While in Connecticut, he was friends with the likes of Brian Altman, Dave Stefansky, Nick Palma, and even Alex Foxen, all of whom were in the early stages of their poker careers.

Ryan also started playing cards at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos, but without a proper course or the discipline needed to succeed, he kept on losing it all and going broke at the tables.

Yet, the job of a sports researcher was not enough for Ryan, who became more and more interested in poker and less interested in doing an office job.

The NBA off-season was also killing him, so he decided that after the end of the season he would leave the job and pursue a career as a professional poker player.

His parents were supportive of the decision, but the early going was rough, as lack of proper bankroll and skillset led to financial troubles just a few months into the journey.

A second place in an online tournament at ACR gave Ryan a chance to recover, and the first opportunity to become a poker content producer quickly came around.

Feldman Joins Live at the Bike

Just as he was starting to get serious about poker, Ryan was hit with a golden opportunity. Live at the Bike, the biggest poker stream at the time, was looking for a new producer!

Determined to get the job, he reached out to the owners and was given a chance to impress by hosting a couple of games for the show.

The two games saw Ryan bring in an exciting cast of characters and create a spectacle, which eventually allowed him to land the job and become the Live at the Bike producer.

As many in the poker world know, Feldman managed to grow the show quite a bit over his time there, but a falling out with some of the owners and a difference of opinion led to him wanting to leave.

After exploring some opportunities, Feldman eventually left the show and joined up with Nick Vertucci to start a poker show of their own.

Hustler Casino Live Is Born

Today, Hustler Casino Live is the biggest poker show in the world. A few years ago, it was just an idea that existed in Ryan Feldman’s head.

In August 2021, following the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ryan and Nick finally started their own show in partnership with the Hustler Casino, and it was a hit right off the bat.

Within months, the show had the likes of Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan join some of the games, while the “Creator’s Game” with Mister Beast, Ninja, Alexandra Botez, Alan Keating, and Phil Hellmuth proved to be a massive success. Ryan became a superstar, with thousands of fans enjoying Hustler Casino Live on a daily basis and the show turning into the biggest soap opera poker had ever experienced.

Feldman Opens Up on Scandals and Hard Times

Over the years, Hustler Casino Live had its share of scandals to deal with, not the least of which was the J4 scandal involving Robbi Jade Lew and Garrett Adelstein.

Asked about the hand, Feldman once again said he does not believe Lew cheated, although some of the things she said made no sense to him whatsoever.

Yet, he also made it known that he and Adelstein are not on good terms anymore despite their earlier friendship and that those bridges have probably been burnt forever.

High Stakes Poker

Unfortunately for the poker fans seeing the interview, it was released by 888poker just days before his partner Nick Vertucci got incriminated in a major sexual harassment scandal that eventually saw him leave the show after just a couple of days of social media drama.

As things stand, Hustler Casino Live will be moving forward without Nick Vertucci, while Ryan Feldman will continue to spearhead one of the biggest projects in the poker world and one of the best shows you can watch regularly on YouTube at absolutely no cost.

Article by
Ivan played poker professionally for over five years but finally decided to merge his passion for writing with poker and became one of the leading writers in this industry. You can connect with Ivan via his LinkedIn profile and follow him on Twitter.

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