If conservative pundit Tim Pool ever wants to leave the world of political commentary, he has a solid backup option. The host of the TimCast podcast with over 2.7 million YouTube subscribers says he is a profitable poker player and wins as much as $100-$150 an hour playing in low-stakes cash games.
Pool, who is recognizable by his trademark black beanie and grey plaid flanel, first appeared on the poker scene last year, but he’s been a serious poker player for longer than that. PokerNews caught up with him at the 2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open in Maryland, where he spoke about playing poker “20 hours a week” since the COVID pandemic.
“About six or seven years ago, I started playing consistently,” Pool said.
Brutal Cooler Ends Tim Pool’s WSOP Main Event
“I Was Doing Pretty Well”
Pool’s poker background goes back to his childhood, when he would play Five Card Draw with friends.
“I’ve been playing poker since I was a little kid,” he said. “I think to a certain extent most people have been playing since they were little kids.”
Years later, Pool discovered and took a liking to Texas Hold’em, eventually playing online with play money on the Play WSOP app. It wasn’t until the COVID pandemic that Pool, like many people stuck at home and in need of leisure, started taking his hobby seriously.
“Around 2020 I started playing around 20 hours a week,” said Pool, who is mainly a cash game player. “So since then, I’ve played about 20 hours a week, consistently.”
Pool added, “I play a lot. I watch tons of poker online, I used to study quite a bit. I think I’m slightly better than average, but doesn’t everybody? So who knows. Maybe I’m just wasting money.”
But if Pool’s poker results from last month are any indication, he isn’t wasting money.
“I usually just play like a $1/$2 or $1/$3. I think for the month of July, I was tracking about 50 big blinds an hour. On low stakes. I was doing pretty well.”
Playing High-Stakes Cash in Vegas
Last year, Pool started popping up at major poker festivals. He’s played in several streamed World Poker Tour (WPT) cash games, and this summer tried his luck at the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
After winning “a couple grand” in some $5/$10 Las Vegas cash games this summer, Pool decided to play the $10,000 Main Event. He made Day 2 of poker biggest event, but was eliminated outside of the money when he ran ace-king into pocket aces.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have called his jam,” he said in reflection.
Tournaments haven’t been much kinder to Pool in Maryland. He said he busted shortly outside of the money in the $500 Opener at the Potomac Summer Poker Open at MGM National Harbor with ace-jack against pocket nines. He flopped a jack but lost the hand as his opponent rivered a set.
It was deja vu a few days later in the $3,000 Main Event as he got all in with ace-five against pocket kings, momentarily taking the lead with a flopped two pair before a king on the river sent him to a nearby cash game table.
A True Poker Player
Pool is a polarizing figure in the world of political commentary and has been criticized by opponents on both sides of the aisle.
But all of that seems to fade more than Pool’s well-worn flanel when he’s at the poker table. The podcaster is friendly and takes bad beats in good spirits, happy to engage with his opponents and discuss the particulars of certain hands and spots.
Pool is currently grinding in Day 1b of the $750,000 guaranteed Main Event. He said he expects to turn up at more tournament stops in the future, including the upcoming WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.
And for those who were curious, the political commentator spends his tournament breaks just like other poker players: pounding away on the video poker and blackjack machines.
Follow PokerNews’ Coverage of the Potomac Summer Poker Open
Connor Richards
Senior Editor U.S.