I took Tuesday as a proper vacation day. Emily and I drove to Mont Tremblant, a ski resort about 45 minutes north of where we’re staying, to hike and get dinner. It was a nice drive deeper into the mountains, with the leaves already beginning to turn. Resorts aren’t really … Read full post
I’d considered taking Monday off, but I was in the mood to play and I planned to take Tuesday off, so I went ahead and played. Nothing too eventful – this was probably the most interesting pot. Don’t think I could have won more than I did. Villain probably ought … Read full post
This was the second Sunday of WCOOP. There was actually a $1050 6-max that I ended up skipping. It started several hours earlier than everything else I wanted to play, and it didn’t seem quite good enough to build my entire schedule around. Sundays are (hopefully) long days already, and … Read full post
Friday the 8th was an off day for me. I ran some errands and also went for another ride on the P’tit Train du Nord bike path. The weather was gray and intermittently rainy, as it had been since our arrival. It seemed like I had timed my ride for … Read full post
Yes, I’m behind. And there’s no Day 4 because I took Wednesday off. So here we are.
The day off (it wasn’t a proper day off, as I did do some studying, but no playing) was nice. Emily and I had brunch at a cafe in the nearby town of … Read full post
The $215 rebuy started with a bang, as I got all in on the flop on the very first hand holding KJ vs QJ on JJT, only to get rivered for a stack. Not really a big deal, it was a $215 bad beat, but it set that “every damn … Read full post
Emily and I did some extensive grocery shopping in the morning, returning in just enough time for me to squeeze in a quick workout before the start of the $1050 Progressive Knock-Out. I late registered the $215 PLO around the same time. I’m barely competent at PLO, but I do … Read full post
I’m once again in Quebec for the World Championship of Online Poker. This year, though, Emily is with me, and instead of Montreal, we’re in the Mont-Tremblant region, which is a sort of resort area in the mountains west of Quebec. We took a few days to drive up from … Read full post
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Michael Bowling and Dustin Morrill of the University of Alberta Computer Poker Research Group return to the show to discuss the results of DeepStackAI‘s heads up matches against human players including Nate and Andrew! They also introduce AIVAT, their tool … Read full post
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KL Cleeton was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, but that hasn’t kept him from playing poker both live and online. In 2017, he won a contest sponsored by Daniel Negreanu and lived his dream of playing in the WSOP Main Event, ultimately … Read full post
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Esther Taylor, better known as E-Tay, is a mixed game player who also knows how to kick ass in no-limit hold ’em tournaments. Andrew talks to her about learning new games, being a poker-playing mom, and more. Plus Carlos Welch and … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article, Head Hunting, is now appearing in 2+2 Magazine. It’s an attempt to, not solve, but build some intuition around how to value bounties in knock-out tournaments.
… Read full postThe trickiest problem of all is that you can only collect bounties if you have more chips than
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Andrew tackles the mailbox alone this week, reviewing three no-limit hands played in small stakes games.
Strategy
Hand 1
I’m in MP with 9c9d, a stack of $5.56 and raise to 15c, it folds around to the SB with a stack of … Read full post
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Benny Glaser is a mixed games specialist from the United Kingdom. With three WSOP bracelets to his name, he is finally getting some recognition as a world-class mixed games expert. We talk to him about why he chose to focus on games … Read full post
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Tommy Angelo invites Andrew and Carlos into his suite at the Rio while Nate joins by Skype to discuss Tommy’s history at the WSOP (dating back to 1987!) and some rare card-playing strategy with a man known primarily for his “mental game” … Read full post
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Carlos Welch and Andrew are rooming together in Las Vegas, and Nate joins by Skype to discuss the WSOP and Carlos’ $600 phone bill.
Timestamps
0:30 – hello and welcome
34:43 – strategy… Read full post
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Clayton Fletcher fills in for Nate Meyvis this week, and he and Andrew discuss plans and preparation for the World Series of Poker.
Clayton previously discussed his deep run in the WSOP Main Event on this show. Follow Clayton on Twitter@claytoncomic… Read full post
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Gareth Chantler, who first appeared on Episode 6, once again graces us with his presence. This time around, we discuss James Joyce, Syria, SCOOP, and, begrudgingly, a bit of Limit Hold ‘Em strategy.
Timestamps
0:30 Hello and welcome
52:44 Strategy
Links… Read full post
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Daniel Wolf AKA Clarence AKA Baby Dick is a professional poker player. Originally from Pittsburgh, he now lives and plays in Maryland. We talk to him about having fun at the table, jumping back and forth between 2/5 and 25/50 no limit, … Read full post
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Don’t bet the under! Nate and Andrew manage to review three hand histories in barely an hour. There’s a four-barrel bluff from a NLHE tournament, a turn donk bet from a NLHE cash game, and even a spread-limit Omaha 8-or-better hand!
Timestamps… Read full post
To stay competitive in poker, you must constantly be learning and improving. Of all the things I’ve learned about poker in the last few years, I don’t think any has made me as much money as learning to pay attention to and exploit live tells, the things that people say … Read full post
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Matt Bodnar is an investor, the host of The Science of Success podcast, and an avid poker player. We talk to him about his experiences in poker inform his work in investing and vice versa, and how what he’s learned from “The … Read full post
There’s a World Poker Tour Deep Stacks series running at Maryland Live right now, and last night I managed to take second in one of the prelim events, a $570 multi-flight NLHE tournament. This was despite a shaky start where a questionable (Who am I kidding? There’s no question about … Read full post
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Tommy Angelo returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, Painless Poker, as well as his writing process, his daily meditation practice, his new goals, and his sordid past.
In our strategy segment, we discuss why it matters how the … Read full post
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The Computer Poker Research Group’s Michael Johanson and Dustin Morrill discuss Andrew and Nate’s recent battle with their heads-up no-limit hold ’em AI, DeepStack.
Johanson has previously been our guest on Episode 79 and Episode 110. Before the match, we discussed … Read full post
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Patrick McKenzie, known as “patio11” on Hacker News and elsewhere, is a blogger, consultant, and all-around public intellectual on subjects related to software and business. He’s also, as it happens, an avid if occasional poker player. We talk to him about … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article, A Thin Shove, is now appearing in Two Plus Two Magazine. It covers in great detail a large pot that I briefly mentioned on Twitter, in which I won a big pot by three-betting TT and then going bet-bet-shove with an overpair after the … Read full post
Nate and I had the great privilege of participating in the premiere broadcast of a series of matches between DeepStack, a state-of-the-art heads up no-limit hold ’em Artificial Intelligence, and human professionals. We found DeepStack to be a really tough competitor that left us questioning our play in both large … Read full post
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Michael Bowling of the University of Alberta Computer Poker Research Group, who has previously appeared on Episode 79 and on Episode 110 after “essentially” solving Heads Up Limit Hold ‘Em, returns to discuss the group’s latest work creating an AI that … Read full post
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Nikolai Yakovenko, poker player and computer scientist, returns to the podcast (he first appeared on Episode 155) to talk about recent advances in Artificial Intelligence, particularly with regard to poker.
Links
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It’s all strategy this week, as Nate and Andrew review two hands in which the Hero flops a strong pair plus the nut flush draw.
Links
NYC Live Event with Just Hands Poker
Timestamps
0:30 hello
12:36 strat
Hand … Read full post
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Ronnie Bardah has been a poker pro since before “The Boom”, and though he’s perhaps most famous for his five consecutive cashes in the WSOP Main Event, he’s a Fixed Limit Hold ‘Em player first and foremost. He shares his story growing … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article, Evaluating Three-Bet Opportunities, is now appearing in the March 2017 issue of Two Plus Two Magazine. It builds on last month’s article, What Are the Best Hands to Three-Bet?, demonstrating how to apply the theory that I laid out there to actual decisions … Read full post
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Angela Bassa is the director of data science at iRobot and an occasional poker player with more than a passing interest in Libratus and its implications for artificial intelligence. In this interview, we talk about poker’s intersections with data science and artificial … Read full post
This is the “absurd” hand I referenced on Twitter yesterday. I want to be clear that I’m not posting this as an example of a hand that seems bad but I think is actually good. It was a badly played hand, I don’t have any delusions about that. I do … Read full post
In December of 2016, the Thinking Poker community raised over $8000 for the Bay Area Urban Debate League, and I’m so grateful to everyone who contributed! This hour of free poker strategy, with very special guest Matt Berkey, is part of my thanks to everyone who contributed. If you … Read full post
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Facing an Overbet on River.
Time for Some Game Theory
It’s probably impossible to find a game theoretically optimal betting strategy for me on the flop, and likewise a calling strategy for Villain, as there are more than two players … Read full post
In December of 2016, the Thinking Poker community raised over $8000 for the Bay Area Urban Debate League, and I’m so grateful to everyone who contributed! I promised a free half-hour of strategy video for every $500 we raised, and after releasing videos with Carlos Welch, Jamie Kerstetter… Read full post
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Kyle Loman plays $1/$3 no-limit for a living, but it hasn’t always been that way. Years ago, he was grinding high-stakes with a six-figure bankroll. In this revealing interview, he talks about shot-taking, staking, bad loans, and coming to terms with his … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article, “What Are the Best Hands to Three-Bet?”, is now appearing in the February 2017 edition of Two Plus Two Magazine. If you know anything about me, you know that that’s not a question I’m going to answer in just a few words! In … Read full post
Below you’ll find nearly a full hour of high-quality tournament poker strategy, a combination of hand review and general strategy talk. Best of all, one of the participants is the always-delightful Jamie Kerstetter, so you’re bound to get a few laughs as you learn. If you enjoy listening to her, … Read full post
Nate Meyvis is my guest for the latest free strategy video, and in his honor, I found a PLO8 tournament for us to review. It’s fun and informative!
We created this video as part of a year-end fundraising campaign for the Bay Area Urban Debate League. To unlock more … Read full post
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Chase Bianchi’s career as a professional poker player came in fits and starts, as we went back and forth between playing for a living and working as a dealer and supervisor. That all changed when he won a bracelet in a $1000 … Read full post
This is the second and final part of the published as part of the free strategy video that Carlos and I created as part of a year-end fundraising campaign for the Bay Area Urban Debate League. If you enjoy him here, be sure to check Carlos out on Twitch… Read full post
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Eileen Sutton discovered poker later in her life, but that only heightened her passion for the game. In this interview, Eileen beautifully describes her love affair with poker and the strange set of coincidences that resulted in her learning from the likes … Read full post
Here’s the first video published as part of my year-end fundraising campaign for the Bay Area Urban Debate League. I’m joined by the incomparable Carlos Welch, be sure to check him out on Twitch. To unlock more videos like this one and get a shot at some great prizes, … Read full post
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Jamie Kerstetter, who first joined us on Episode 136, is back to talk about the latest poker Twitter drama, her new role as ambassador for the Borgata poker room, her dog Crouton, and the Humane Society of Atlantic County.
You can … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who participated in What’s Your Play? Flush With Redraw.
I folded, and I don’t think it’s close. The short explanation is #TheyAlwaysHaveIt. Here’s a longer one:
Is This a Bluff-Catcher?
The first question to ask is whether Villain could be raising worse for value. If yes, … Read full post
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Political scientist and Congressional Research Service analyst Matt Glassman helped us put the 2016 Presidential Campaign into context a few weeks ago. Now that the election is over, we need him more than ever!
We’ve got a great strategy segment, but … Read full post
Edit: Fixed pot size on turn.
Playing $5/$10 No-Limit at Maryland Live, a game that does not participate in the Bad Beat Jackpot and other promotions. I don’t have a lot of experience with either Villain, but there’s a good chance they know who I am (a lot of people … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article, Deep Thinking, was just published in Two Plus Two Magazine. Does this sound like you?
… Read full postPlaying with a short stack can be a good way to learn: it simplifies your decisions, minimizes the magnitude of your mistakes, and helps you focus on fundamentals like
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Ryan LaPlante, who joined us on Episode 95, won his first WSOP bracelet this summer in the $565 Pot-Limit Omaha event. In this interview, he talks about his emotional victory speech, why winning matters so much to him, and the … Read full post
Sorry to say there’s no new podcast this week. However, we recorded a great interview (is there any other kind?) with Tommy Angelo this morning that we’re excited to share with you soon, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, here’s my latest strategy article for 2+2 Magazine, entitled “Why … Read full post
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Is Carlos Welch settling down? Not quite. He’s still got the van, but he’s also got himself a new routine in Las Vegas that involves more live poker than ever before! Join us as we catch up with all-time favorite guest Carlos … Read full post
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William Kassouf will be familiar to you if you’ve been watching the World Series of Poker on ESPN. His constant chatter attracted plenty of attention and controversy during the final days of the Main Event. In this interview, we discuss his background … Read full post
Somehow it took me 12 years to get around to playing a World Poker Tour event, but I played my first one over the weekend at Maryland Live. Overall it was a well-run and well-attended event and I’m glad I played.
My Day 1A table draw was quite tough, I … Read full post
Here’s an interesting pot from the $200 Rebuy 6-Max WCOOP event. You probably know that in theory, multi-street bluffing tends to involve building two ranges for each street, a “keep bluffing” range and a “give up” range, such that your bluffing frequency gets lower on each street.
In practice, though, … Read full post
Sorry but we don’t have a new podcast episode this week. That’s mostly due to my being busy with WCOOP stuff, so we should be able to get a show ready for next week.
I wanted to share a hand with you from the third event that I played, which … Read full post
I was hoping to post more hands during WCOOP, but detailed write-ups just aren’t what I’m in the mood for after a long day of playing. So, I’m going to start posting some hands without a lot of commentary.
I already posted one from the $200 Warm-Up, so here’s … Read full post
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Andrew’s busy with WCOOP, so he and Nate get straight to strategy, with a discussion of several hands from the No-Limit Omaha Eight-or-Better event.
Timestamps
0:30 Hello & Welcome
10:42 NLO8 Strategy
Hand 1
PokerStars – $300+$20|400/800 Ante 100 NL Hi/Lo (6 … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who participated in Rate Our Play: Blind Battle. I hope you benefited from thinking about this spot. Blind battles and other spots where players have very wide ranges are tricky because, if you just try to apply heuristics and experience from other situations, you’re going to … Read full post
It’s called Rate Our Play. I’m going to post a hand featuring multiple decisions points for both myself and my opponent(s). Your job will be to comment on any mistakes (or choices that surprised you in a good way) that you think either of us made. I’ll participate in the … Read full post
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Alan Boston has long been known as a sports better, but now he’s back on the east coast, making a living in the Foxwoods Poker Room. Alan tells his stories with characteristic bluntness and candor, from Stu Ungar and 1980s Las Vegas … Read full post
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Billy Sharkey’s poker career has been a roller coaster that led him to mindfulness meditation, and that helps… except when it doesn’t. In this revealing interview, Billy discusses dealing with losses, the complex politics of high stakes home games, his struggle with … Read full post
I knew that my small turn bet in the recent Rate Our Play post would be controversial, and although I had reasons for doing it, they weren’t particularly exploitive, and I hadn’t actually used GTORB to look at the EV of betting larger. It turns out that even if you … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who participated in the inaugural Rate Our Play. I’ll take the blame for the low attendance, as I haven’t been actively blogging lately. That should change once WCOOP gets underway.
DP1: Uncontroversial.
DP2: Uncontroversial at this stack depth. With deeper stacks, this is a reasonable BB … Read full post