Darius Studdard’s poker career really took off when he joined a study group first discussed in our interview with Sundiata Devore. We discuss effective and efficient studying, hustle culture (with the help of Gloria Jackson), shot taking, home games, and … Read more…
Daniel Levine is a long-time Texas poker player, with experience in both the current card rooms and the underground games that preceded them. He’s also got experience with stuttering, debt, campus activism, and hip hop, making him an incredibly insightful … Read more…
Charlie Wilmoth made the financially responsible decision to leave a career as a musician and baseball writer and begin a career as a professional poker player. He documents this journey with remarkable candor on his Third Man Walking podcast, and … Read more…
Sundiata DeVore is a serious student of poker. In early 2023, all that studying paid off with a (nearly) seven-figure score, and he hasn’t slowed down since. In this interview, he shares his journey with Carlos and Andrew, including the … Read more…
Mickey Wang may be married to a professional poker player, but her personal poker education got a jumpstart when she became general manager of the Barrel Social Club in southern Kentucky. Carlos and Andrew talk to her about how what … Read more…
Jesse Fullen loves poker, and he loves sharing it with new people. That’s made him a great community and social media manager. He’s a great storyteller as well, and he shares some favorities with us about poker legends like Doyle … Read more…
Carlota Gonzalez is a rock radio personality with a deep background in poker. She believes all serious poker players should experience dealing as well and has dealt herself at the WSOP. We talk to her about her own poker experiences, … Read more…
Lupe Soto has been a passionate poker player and promoter of women’s events for 25+ years. She shares her deep experience with Carlos and Andrew and also discusses her charitable with Poker Gives. Poker Gives distributes goods from 7-10pm on … Read more…
Boxing lawyer Lamont Jones wrote The Gist of Bid Whist because he believes card games connect people and that the rich story of Bid Whist deserves to be widely known. He shares the game’s fascinating history with Carlos and Andrew, … Read more…
Dim the lights! Jeff Platt is on the show to talk poker and broadcasting with Carlos and Andrew. Why broadcasting? Why poker? What makes for a great poker broadcast? A great interview? Is Jeff Platt the nicest guy in poker? … Read more…
Caitlyn Arnwine and LoriAnn Persinger return to the show to help us brainstorm solutions to the problems of representation and unequal opportunity in the poker world. In the introduction, Andrew and Carlos console themselves over their runner-up finish at the … Read more…
From (semi) professional paintball to house party home games to high stakes LA cash, Fausto Valdez’s path to poker has been unique. He’s formed some strong opinions along the way: about pre-flop raise sizes, the politics of private games, how … Read more…
Isaac “Ike” Haxton returns to the podcast after eleven years, joining Carlos and Andrew for a conversation about studying, staying on top, the limitations of solvers, why he still masks in public spaces, and more. Isaac first appeared on Episode … Read more…
Jorbs AKA Stephen Flavall is a storyteller and strategy games streamer. His current focus is Slay the Spire, but once upon a time he was a professional poker player. He shares that journey with Carlos and Andrew, plus insights into … Read more…
Pamela Balzano’s older brother got her into poker, but while he was a professional player, her first interest was in content creation. After launching successful Spanish language YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok channels, she is now a serious player as … Read more…
Math professor and poker author Ducan Palamourdas returns for another wide-ranging conversation about game theory, finding edges, local metagames, how strategies evolve, and much more. Duncan first appeared on Episode 349 of the Thinking Poker Podcast. Why Alex Beats Bobbie … Read more…
Matt Matros is a professional poker player and writer whose works include both fiction and poker books. With Carlos and Andrew, he discusses concepts from his new book, 23 No-Limit Hold ‘Em Hands From 2023, and an interesting pot he … Read more…
2023 was a banner year for the Thinking Poker Podcast, and we’re counting down our favorite interviews and best strategy content. Helping us out is Chad McVean, who may well have consumed more hours of poker podcasts this year than … Read more…
K.L. Cleeton returns to the show to discuss the highs and lows of his last few years, including memorable WSOP trips and getting stranded by a hotel that couldn’t accommodate his hospital bed. K.L. has previously appeared on Episode 224 … Read more…
Dad, data engineer, and poker player Chad Gardner talks about (not) making time for poker and how, as an amateur, he prepared to compete in Day 3 of WPT Jacksonville. Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible … Read more…
Former Thinking Poker host Nate Meyvis returns to the show after a hiatus to discuss how poker strategy has changed in the last few years. Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription … Read more…
Justin Moyer is a poker player, musician, and Pulitzer-prize winning journalist with the Washington Post. Among other topics, he covers poker, gambling, and casinos for the Post and has interviewed both Carlos and Andrew for articles. His post-dance-punk band, Light … Read more…
Ed Miller, author of classic poker books like The Course and frequent Thinking Poker guest, has a new book out tomorrow called Interception: The Secrets of Modern Sports Betting. It’s all about how modern sports books operate and how to … Read more…
Pure strategy this week, as Carlos and Andrew review a bunch of tricky decisions from Andrew’s recent final table finish in the $109 Warm Up on ACR. Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a … Read more…
Kimberly Willingham is the Executive Director of the Boston Debate League, a non-profit organization Andrew founded in 2005. She talks to Andrew and Carlos about how the organization has grown and changed, the value of debate in urban public schools, … Read more…
WSOP/WPT/PokerGo presenter Kara Scott shares the person behind the famous face, from her youth living out of a camper in rural Alberta to her experiences as a Muay Thai competitor to her current life as a fiercely compassionate voice in … Read more…
Bert Stevens AKA girafganger7 is one of the most successful MTT players on the internet. He’s also intimately familiar with some of the biggest cheating scandals of recent years, as a victim of the multi-accounting on GG Poker and an … Read more…
The poker world is ripe for parody, and with formal training as an actress and Groundlings comedian, Caitlin Comeskey is the woman for the job. Her costume-changing skits are a hit on Twitter, and now she and fellow comedian Niki … Read more…
Shelby Wells is a long-time poker fan who got the chance of a lifetime when she won a Twitter contest for a seat in the 2022 Main Event. She made Day 6, ultimately winning $73K and a lot of clout … Read more…
No one on Earth has played more live poker tournaments than Ari Engel. He’s a force to be reckoned with live and online, in every game under the sun. More impressively, he’s funny and humble and has great taste in … Read more…
Poker superfan Jay Kelly tried to hook Gloria Jackson up with Carlos more than a year ago, when the two women first met. She joins Andrew, Carlos, and Gloria to help tell the story of her and Gloria’s friendship and … Read more…
Carlos and Andrew answer a slew of strategy questions from the Patron: running it twice, folding a full house, playing short stacked in the Big Blind, and much more! Links to Strategy Questions https://i.gyazo.com/a7c40326f662b4b0cafc39516aa5d362.png william https://i.gyazo.com/8099523d5edc1cb20730948a42e85a20.png michael https://i.gyazo.com/821e71e62841ad6eafd388d7827b3905.png eric https://i.gyazo.com/ea38d02a4a2e9b29de4fcd5a49df3394.png … Read more…
Joel Dias-Porter is a true renaissance man, capable of mastering a metaphor, programming a computer, hedging a parlay, spinning a record, and bluffing your face off. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss pre-Boom Atlantic City poker, whether poker is a … Read more…
High stakes cash pro and prolific content creator Saulo Costa talks big data, population reads, exploits, and more in this wide-ranging, mind-expanding conversation. Plus a little Marvel Snap strategy in the intro. Saulo’s YouTube channel Five Tips to Study Poker … Read more…
Dayanna Ciabaton finished second in the recent Women’s Event at the Seminole Hard Rock. The first place winner was a man. Dayanna, Caitlyn Cobb, and Gloria Jackson join Andrew and Carlos to discuss the need for women’s events and the … Read more…
Ebony Kenney has been playing serious poker longer than Andrew or Carlos, but she only recently started serious studying. That didn’t keep her from making three final tables at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series, including a $1.7 million … Read more…
EPT Paris runner-up Peter Jörgne joins Carlos and Andrew to talk about entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and holding his own against seasoned professionals at the highest stakes. Plus, Carlos and Andrew discuss out-of-position c-betting. OOP C-Betting Playing as the IP Cold Caller … Read more…
From PC gaming to pool to competitive skydiving to poker, Lara Eisenberg has always crushed the competition. And she does it all while still working as a radiologist! Carlos and Andrew pry from her a few of the secrets to … Read more…
Poker cashier Jesse Segall joins Carlos and Andrew to discuss his experience in the Wynn $10K, why dedicated poker cashiers are valuable, and much more. Plus Andrew explains how to play a big stack at the final table. New! ICM-Focused Tournament … Read more…
Matt Glassman discusses his prize-winning poker essay and how he prepared to take on the best players in the world in the PSPC $25K. Plus a bonus interview with Tommy Angelo discussing his new article How to Meditate While You … Read more…
Not many people have worked harder than Gloria Jackson to get a poker career off the ground. She left school with only an 8th grade education to take care of her family, but later went back to get a GED … Read more…
Carlos and Andrew present and reflect on clips from the first four hundred episodes of Thinking Poker, with an emphasis on memorable characters and early predictions. Episode 2: Tommy Angelo Episode 6: Gareth Chantler Episode 10: Leo Wolpert Episode 21: … Read more…
In the second half of this epic interview, Justin Arnwine speaks with Carlos and Andrew about merit, representation, and gatekeeping; riding poker’s emotional rollercoaster, recovering from frustration; and why high stakes games attract too much attention. Be sure to listen … Read more…
In the first installment of this epic, four-hour interview Justin Arnwine discusses his poker career, his Hello Kitty wardrobe, and the influence of his mother, a civil rights activist and attorney. Justin’s Hello Kitty Everything music video Barbara Arnwine in … Read more…
Once homeless, Caitlyn Cobb now grinds ApeStyles videos and recently shipped over $170K for her second-place finish in the Potomac Winter Poker Open. She shares her extraordinary poker journey with Carlos and Andrew, plus the hassles of staying in shelters, … Read more…
Sam Grafton joins Carlos and Andrew to discuss moving up to the nosebleeds, staying competitive with the best players in the world, the politics of the super high roller circuit, and of course some literature recommendations: Deborah Levy Jorge Amado … Read more…
Jamie Kerstetter joins Carlos and Andrew to talk WPT, WSOP, commentating, and the politics of high stakes cash game streams. Plus Andrew offers an overview of turn strategy. Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win … Read more…
Poker lover LoriAnn Persinger won a social media contest that earned her an entry into the $10K WPT World Championship, ultimately finishing 30th for $119,000! She speaks to Carlos and Andrew about the experience plus her long love affair with … Read more…
Poker theorist Tom “tombos21” Boshoff joins Andrew and Carlos to geek out about everything from how solvers work to when ICM becomes a factor in tournaments (it’s sooner than you think!), balancing ICM and stack dynamics in PKOs, and so … Read more…
Computer scientist and poker player Ben Kushigian talks to Carlos and Andrew about the limitations of poker solvers, what we don’t know we don’t know about them, how they could be improved, the potential for open source solutions, and more. … Read more…
Andrew and Carlos recap their year, starting with poker highlights and then branching out into their favorite music, shows, podcasts, and more. Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard … Read more…
Carlos and Andrew give rapid fire (by Thinking Poker standards) answers to questions from the Thinking Poker Daily patreon.
Strategy links –
Carlos talks about playing on a livestreamed cash game at Best Bet Jacksonville. He and Andrew follow up on the discussion of big opening sizes from Episode 388 and review a hand where Andrew defended his big blind poorly off … Read more…
In this long lost episode from 2014, Andrew and Nate Meyvis review a hand from a live $1/$2 cash game before talking with semi-professional poker player, entrepreneur, and DeucesCracked coach Andrew Seidman about a myriad of topics, including his book Easy … Read more…
Andrew and Carlos announce a new sponsorship from GTO Wizard! They also discuss responding to unconventional raise sizes, why tournament players are always downswinging, and more. Now you can support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to … Read more…
Coach and high stakes heads up pro turned MTT player Kevin Rabichow joins Carlos and Andrew to discuss the evolution of the heads up arena, efficient studying, and his new course The Game Plan. Support the podcast and hear daily … Read more…
Original hosts Andrew Brokos and Nate Meyvis and frequent guest turned current host Carlos Welch look back on ten years of the Thinking Poker Podcast. How has poker changed? How has the podcast changed? How has the podcast changed poker? … Read more…
Josh Nixon was a student in the Boston Debate League when Andrew was the director. In the years since then, Josh been a serious Magic: The Gathering player, taken an interest in poker, and become a Program Director for the BDL. … Read more…
Jeopardy! champion Alex Jacob got his start in poker alongside Thinking Poker host emeritus Nate Meyvis, who also joins Andrew and Carlos for this conversation about poker, trivia, Jeopardy! strategy, and more. This week only, take 25% off Andrew and … Read more…
Angela Jordison and Jacki Burkhart have one of the sweetest friendships in poker. Fresh off deep runs in the WSOP Main Event, they join Carlos and Andrew to talk about how friendship helps you navigate the pressures of high stakes … Read more…
MSPT Player of the Year Kyna England joins Carlos and Andrew to discuss learning poker, cultivating a network of poker friends, having fun at the table, savoring the weirdness, transitioning out of the corporate world, and a tricky spot with … Read more…
Musician, poker player, and pizza entrepeneur Sean Lango says goodbye after many years as the show’s audio engineer. We discuss his recent poker exploits, his new business venture, and some tournament strategy from The Commerce. Sean first appeared on Episode 49, … Read more…
Carlos catches Andrew and the audience up on all he’s been up to: living in Vegas, not playing the WSOP, researching how to erect a headstone on your own, and more. In the strategy segment, they discuss conservative play and … Read more…
Matt Matros is a professional poker player and writer whose works include both fiction and poker books. With Carlos and Andrew, he discusses concepts from his new book, The Poker Brain, in the context of a hand he and Andrew … Read more…
Ben Saxton joins Andrew and Carlos to discuss why poker rooms feel a little too normal, why Andrew will not be at the WSOP, what we’ve all been watching and reading, and more. Ben previously appeared on Episode 281 and … Read more…
Former poker pro Fergal Nealon joins Carlos and Andrew to talk about the Irish poker scene, Irish folklore, and Rapid Response Ukraine, a humanitarian organization working directly with volunteers in Poland and Ukraine to deliver medical supplies to the Head … Read more…