Ep. 205: Restoring the winning edge for recreational poker w/ John Caldwell from i3soft

Ep. 205: Restoring the winning edge for recreational poker w/ John Caldwell from i3soft

Author: BettingStartups.com April 7, 2026 Duration: 31:44
Ep. 205 features John Caldwell, Co-Founder of i3Soft, a gaming technology company building next-generation poker and casino products designed to improve player experience, increase liquidity, and bridge the gap between poker and casino gameplay.   Hear them discuss: John’s unconventional journey from the music industry (Atlantic Records, Stone Temple Pilots, Hootie & the Blowfish) into poker and eventually gambling tech Building PokerNews into the leading global poker media platform and later transitioning to PokerStars during the online poker boom The core problem with online poker today: long tournament times and a broken experience for recreational players The vision behind i3Soft, including AI-assisted tournament formats (“Skip It”) designed to shorten gameplay and restore balance between pros and casual players “Poker Casino” and the strategy of using poker-adjacent games to improve cross-sell from poker into casino products Challenges of selling a new category to operators, and why liquidity remains the biggest barrier in online poker The four-year product development journey, including a failed early build and eventual breakthrough to launch Funding i3Soft through a mix of self-funding, friends & family, and unconventional “drip” investment structures The current state of poker: strong live demand but ongoing struggles to translate that momentum online 2026 priorities for i3Soft, including operator adoption, scaling distribution, and expanding poker liquidity networks   SBC Americas First Pitch is back in Fort Lauderdale (June 9–11), bringing together some of the most exciting companies in real money gaming for a chance to win an exclusive prize package valued at $100,000. Applications are now open. Submit your application before April 17th using this link: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/first-pitch/   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ i3soft website ➡️ John Caldwell on Linkedin    📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

Ever wonder what it's actually like to build a company in the fast-paced and often secretive world of sports betting and online gaming? The Betting Startups Podcast pulls back the curtain, offering a rare, unfiltered look at the people trying to reinvent this multi-billion dollar industry. Instead of just analyzing markets or trends, each episode sits down with the founders and CEOs themselves-the individuals navigating complex regulations, fierce competition, and rapidly changing technology to turn an idea into a viable business. You'll hear firsthand accounts of the early struggles, the pivotal moments of securing funding or launching a product, and the unique challenges of building trust in a sector where it’s paramount. This isn't about theoretical business advice; it's a series of real stories from the trenches of entrepreneurship in one of today's most dynamic digital landscapes. Presented by BettingStartups.com, the podcast provides a genuine narrative around innovation, capturing the human ambition and strategic thinking driving the next wave of companies in fantasy sports, iGaming, and beyond. Tune in for conversations that are as much about resilience and vision as they are about the specifics of the betting industry.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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Ep. 212: Meet the First Pitch finalists competing for $100k in prizes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:22
Ep. 212 is the official First Pitch preview episode, where we will meet the 5 startups selected to present at SBC Summit Americas on June 11 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In this episode, you will hear from the five final…