Episode 125: Angela Jordison

Angela Jordison made headlines when she won the first three events of the Spring Poker Round-Up at Oregon’s Wildhorse Casino. Her poker accomplishments run a lot deeper than that, though. Angela is also one of the founders of the modern Oregon poker scene and a regular in what has to be one of the world’s only consistently running high-stakes PLO8 cash games.

Timestamps

:30 Hello & Welcome
4:06 Strategy
15:29 Interview

Strategy

$1/$2 Spread Limit Hold ‘Em

Hero opens for $8 UTG with A9o. MP and SB call.

Flop (~$26 in pot) A98 with two spades. SB bets $17, Hero calls, MP raises to $57, SB calls, Hero?

17 thoughts on “Episode 125: Angela Jordison”

  1. Excellent show, really enjoyed it. And I always think that if someone, after a sick run of tournament success, says something like “I wasn’t the best player in the room – I just ran really good” then it’s indicative that they are highly likely to actually be one of the best players in the room.

    • Those are words of wisdom.

      I’d also say good things about any player who runs a successful bluff in a big spot, spends a long time thinking about it, and concludes that it was a *bad* play.

  2. Great episode. My only disappointment is that you never discussed whether she played the 4th tournament, and how she busted from that and what it felt like afterwards.

    I loved the disjunction in my head throughout the epsidoe between my stereotypical image of “nightclub owner who runs a controversial leagl-ish poker room” and this family mom from Oregon. How the world turns.

    m

      • Matt-

        The fourth tourney I played was limit o8 which I have little experience at playing. I busted before the dinner break and never really got anything going. When I busted out, the room was full of players playing both live and the tournament(probably 400-500 players) . They all stood up and gave me a standing ovation and were clapping and cheering. It was one of the most touching moments I have ever experienced in poker or in life for that matter. Having the support of my peers and friends was something I will never forget. I’m very thankful for the amazing run I had!!

  3. That was a great interview and cool story with Angela. I really got the sense of sheer exhaustion and adrenalin fuelling 3 days back-to-back tournaments from scratch each time! And the part about seeking a balance between friends, family, life and poker resonates too. I can see why Angela’s story gains interest around the poker world – WP 😉

  4. Another great podcast. I did feel a little unsatisfied as I needed more info on Angela’s background. I can only make assumptions. She talked about her development in poker. What kind of study? Based on her Market trading background or through mathematical and theoretical studies. Did she have a coach? Or was it all trial and error.
    Also somehow I felt after listening she was a single parent raising 2 college aged kids on her own. If that’s true. Double amazing.
    A great regional insight to poker being played in the Pacific Northwest as well.
    This is what makes TP the best poker podcast available.

    • Thanks as always for the kind words!

      I agree that it would have been great to know more about Angela’s background. I sometimes take notes of things I’d like to ask or follow up on; whether or not I ever actually ask them is a matter of timing, total time, and where the conversation goes. In Angela’s case I had a much longer than usual list of unasked or un-followed-up-on things to talk about.

  5. Another great episode, one of my favorites. Let me be the next commenter to say, I wanted more! I host regular homegames and I’d love to hear AJ further on the game ‘from the other side’ (of players).

  6. I liked her a lot. I hope it’s ok that we call her AJ. As cool as she is, that nickname seems perfect.

    My favorite part is when she talks about having a good job (and a decent income I assume) with Morgan Stanley and leaving it to pursue her passion. In my opinion, passion is the whole meaning of life and too many people eschew it for a “good” job. Despite the money, how good can an 8+ hour a day pursuit be if you don’t love it? We only get one life.

  7. Great episode! I love PLO8, so it was cool to hear that there is a part of this world that loves to play this game live.

    I actually have some feedback for Angela and Andrew regarding the 1.5k and 3k PLO8 tourneys at the WSOP. I made my first WSOP trip last year to specifically play in those tournaments. I didn’t think I had that much of an edge, but I built my online roll playing PLO8 casually starting in 2004 from .01/.02 on UB, to playing the 1/2 and 2/4 game and playing it well enough that some of the regs didn’t want to play me heads up anymore. So I figured I’d have more of an edge (or less of a -ve edge) playing those tourneys.

    Anyway, Andrew your description of the players in the tournaments (bracelet hunters in the 3k, casual players in the 1.5k) was reversed last year, at least from the vibe I got at my tables.

    In the 1.5k, I had Ryan Lapointe (who had just finished 5th in an earlier event) and Joshua Field (looked like a pro, so sneaked a peek at this driver’s licence when he presented it to the dealer for his chips and found some hendon mob stats; I love Google), plus a third that the two of them seemed familiar with. They all played smart poker, but not smart PLO8. Seemed like NLHE players chasing a bracelet.

    In the 3k, there was no one looking like pros, at least not at the earlier stages. Just older players, likely those who play LO8 as their game. Players were more competent about the O8 aspects of the game, and generally tighter than the bracelet hunter pros were in the 1.5k. They seemed like people who could afford 3k as a discretionary entertainment expense.

    Hope the feedback helps. I’ll be back for the 3k this year, but since the 1.5k is a full 10 days later, I think I’m either going to play the 1k PLO 4 days before the PLO8, or the 1.5k PLO 4 days after the PLO8.

    We’ll see… It would be cool to meet up with anyone if our travel plans overlap.

  8. I went to Bend Oregon this last weekend and got to play at the house that Angela plays at. They did not spread PLO8 that night but did have a really healthy set of games going for a small mountain town. (pretty fishy to)

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