'Poker needs to get back to telling stories' - Jeremy Ausmus

Posted on: May 23, 2026 15:40 PDT

The countdown to the 2026 WSOP starts here. 100 bracelets. The world's best players. And PokerOrg will be on the floor from start to finish.

Jeremy Ausmus is one of the most respected high-stakes grinders in poker. He has captured six WSOP gold bracelets, numerous PokerGO Tour titles and is always a player to watch for the WSOP Player of the Year award.

How do you prepare for being away from your family at the WSOP each summer?

I've taken almost a month off, playing less and focusing more on my vlog. I’ve also been catching up on some study and doing some coaching, which helps keep me sharp.

And you're going to miss the start of the WSOP?

We usually take a trip after the summer, but this year we're trying something different. We’re going to Japan when the kids get out of school this week. It means I’ll be missing the start of the WSOP, which I've never done. We'll see, maybe it will be lucky.

Jeremy Ausmus made seven final tables at the 2024 WSOP series, tying Phil Hellmuth's single series record.

Jeremy Ausmus made seven final tables at the 2024 WSOP series, tying Phil Hellmuth's record.

Jeremy Ausmus’ new obsession

What’s been the most exciting thing that’s happened for you since last summer?

I went to Barcelona and won a tournament, which was fun. But the most exciting development has been working on my vlog, which represents a new direction and motivation for me.

Have you enjoyed creating the vlogs?

I've immersed myself in solvers for six to eight years, and I've played poker professionally for 22 years. Shifting between these roles requires a different mindset, which I've found refreshing. The vlog has been fun!

With poker, as you put in more and more work, the increments of improvement are smaller and smaller, right? So, the returns you get are less and less and less the better you get. The vlog is just a different direction for me, and it keeps me motivated.

What kind of feedback have you received so far?

The feedback has been amazing. I can't believe all the great comments I get and all the people supporting me and the vlog.

Working on it challenges me to grow in different areas and exercise different brain muscles. Now I'm trying to grow the audience beyond the hardcore poker people, which is challenging.

You’re going to come back from your trip to Japan and go straight into the WSOP grind. How do you adjust your sleep patterns?

I know that I will be really out of it when I first jump into the WSOP. As I've gotten older, jet lag really affects me. I've got some tricks I didn't use last time after returning from Jeju.

What works for you?

It’s just getting sunlight within a few minutes of waking up. That's what all the biohackers talk about now. It's the most important thing you can do for your health in general – sunlight in your eyes. That's especially true if you're resetting your circadian rhythm.

Will Shaun Deeb win back-to-back WSOP Player of the Year titles this year?

Katerina Lukina

SPECIAL OFFERS

Poker coverage has lost the storylines

You received the highest player bid in the $25K Fantasy last year. Will you be going at it hard this year to score points for a team?

It's fun as a competition thing, but there's also the WSOP Player of the Year race. Last year, my schedule was ridiculous. It was just too much. This year, I just can't see how I'm even going to be competitive in the POY unless I make seven or eight final tables.

We all know Shaun Deeb wants to win back-to-back POY titles.

No one grinds harder than Shaun. The style he plays, he's going to bust or build a stack. This year for the fantasy draft, Shaun should go for the most money.

It's really hard to go full pedal-to-the-metal all summer long and just play everything. Maybe I'll do that again, but I don't think I will this year. But I will say this – if I get in the WSOP POY race this summer, that will change things.

What impact do you think the ESPN and WSOP partnership will have on the series this year?

I'm not super dialed into the Main Event coming back on ESPN. I heard some friends talking about how the recent coverage had lost the narratives.

As of late, it’s focused on poker strategies and topics such as this hand range against that hand range. It didn't used to be like that.

What changes would you like to see?

It used to be the story of a guy who won his local tournament, earned a seat in the Main Event, and suddenly found himself on poker’s biggest stage. You wanted to follow the journey.

The coverage was much more of a narrative-driven event to watch. If poker wants to reach a wider audience, I think it needs to get back to that.