I made a pretty bad fold last night. I’m more than a bit embarrassed to post it, and I’ll just ask that those of you not familiar with the sort of game/player described here hold your judgment. I promise you that this isn’t as bad as it looks.
I was … Read full post
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Joe Giron has been photographing the World Series of Poker and other major poker events for nearly ten years, and in that time he’s learned a lot about poker and the people who play it. Before that, he worked as a newspaper … Read full post
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Matt Savage, tournament director extraordinaire, talks shop about it takes to put on a great tournament series. We discuss the Tournament Directors’ Association, some of its more controversial rules, and Matt’s role as its public face and mouthpiece, as well as the … Read full post
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Suited Gapper In Position, Deep. The very first comment, from Zach, pretty much nailed it:
… Read full post[E]ven though position is important, and the stacks are deep enough to make 74s less ghastly than if we were 100BBs or shallower, there just
Sorry but there’s no new podcast this week. The show will return next Monday, April 6, with Matt Savage as the guest. In the meantime, here’s a What’s Your Play? to occupy your mind:
The game is $5/$10 with $2500 effective stacks. Hero is widely perceived as tough but a … Read full post
I recently finished reading Matthew Janda’s Applications of No-Limit Hold ‘Em and considered it one of the most helpful poker books I’ve read in some time. On a scale of 1 – 10, I give it a 9.5.
Applications is a Two Plus Two book par excellence. It’s dense, it’s … Read full post
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? KJo in the BB. I think my favorite was Carlos’ remark that, “The goal in this hand is not to go after the fish. It is to go after the shark who is going after the fish. He has made himself … Read full post
Hot off the virtual presses, my latest e-book chronicling the 2009 WSOP Main Event is now available in the Amazon Kindle Store or from www.nitcast.com.
2009 wasn’t my best year in the Main Event – in fact it was one of my worst – but understanding the agony of … Read full post
I’m excited to announce the newest and most affordable poker coaching I’ve ever offered: personalized video reviews. For just $100/hour, half the price of my usual one-on-one coaching, I’ll create a custom video of your tournament or cash game database, a hand history of a tournament or cash game session, … Read full post
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Edoardo Riario Sforza has moved up through the ranks to become a contender in some of the biggest MTTs on the Italian sites. The same ambition that helped him succeed at poker is now taking him on a 10-month backpacking trip around … Read full post
Game is 9-handed $5/$10 NLHE with deep stacks.
UTG is a typical splashy recreational player, with lots of limping and calling pre-flop followed by lots of checking and folding post-flop. He has about $800 in his stack.
HJ is the best of the competition by a long shot. He definitely … Read full post
Villain joined the game around 5PM and immediately ordered a beer and a double shot of Petron, which made me happy to have him on my immediate right. He was a typical splashy recreational player, limping into a lot of pots, sometimes folding to raises, sometimes calling and check-folding flops … Read full post
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Ben “ProfessorBen” Yu is an accomplished multi-table tournament player with three WSOP final tables to his name across a variety of games. He talks to us about ditching school to play poker, ditching poker to play Magic, and learning to play a … Read full post
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Big Draw vs Bad LAG. I hope you’ll find the results and analysis more interesting than the typical bad beat post, which if I’m being honest was part of my motivation in sharing this hand.
The reason I find it … Read full post
I’ve got two new poker strategy articles to share with you. The first is the conclusion of my analysis of the infamous Mark Newhouse bustout hand from the 2014 WSOP Main Event (the first part of the article is here):
… Read full post“[T]his looks like a textbook example of a “leveling
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Nate and Andrew discuss showing bluffs and getting value. Then Carlos and Andrew talk tournament strategy from Carlos’ recent trip to Florida, with an emphasis on dealing with overly aggressive tables.
Timestamps
0:30 – hello & welcome
3:24 – strategy: getting value … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who commented on What’s Your Play? Suited Broadway on the Turn.
Pre-flop and on the flop, I argued that Hero had the opportunity, thanks to a bet sizing tell, to get more credit than he deserved on a 3-bet/c-bet and consequently could make these plays with … Read full post
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Suited Broadway Preflop. You all came up with some really diverse suggestions, and some interesting conversation resulted. I do think that changing the game conditions and player profiles (including, as some of you astutely mentioned, those of the players still to … Read full post
The latest and greatest volume in my Thinking Poker Diaries is now available at nitcast.com or in the Amazon Kindle Store. This third volume in the series follows the same format as the first two, interspersing anecdotes from the tournament with strategy essays that discuss topics that came up … Read full post
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Dr. Michael Bowling and PhD candidate Mike Johanson from the University of Alberta Computer Poker Research Group, who first appeared on Episode 79 of the podcast, return to discuss Cepheus, their “essentially” unexploitable heads up limit hold ’em AI and its … Read full post
This is the beginning of a multi-street What’s Your Play? Unlike many of these, it’s not an actual hand I played, but it illustrates some common situations that I think a lot of people get wrong.
You’re at a 9-handed $2/$5 NLHE table with $600 effective stacks. UTG is very … Read full post
A few people asked about this pot after I bragged about it on Twitter, so here it is, pretty sure it’s the largest pot I’ve won at $5/$10 (not counting straddled pots). I’ll talk about some of the more unconventional decisions after I recount the details.
UTG opens to $40, … Read full post
I know I’m a little to the party, but for my take on Mark Newhouse’s infamous main event bustout hand, check out the latest issue of Two Plus Two Magazine:
… Read full post“Antonio Esfandiari, who was providing commentary for ESPN while the hand went down, said “He put his opponent on
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David Einhorn is the founder and president of Greenlight Capital. He’s made a name for himself in the poker world not only by competing in both of the $1,000,000 buy-in Big One For One Drop WSOP tournaments but by finishing 3rd … Read full post
Nate and I are grateful to those of you who have listened to The Thinking Poker Podcast this year, whether you’re a regular follower, a sporadic listener, or just now discovering the show. I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite episodes of the year, in case you missed … Read full post
As you may remember from his latest appearance on the podcast, Gareth Chantler is now in charge of the Full Tilt Poker Blog. He’s done a bang-up job on the content, including an interview with me and a collaboration with Carlos Welch. Nate’s first appearance there was commenting, … Read full post
Now appearing on Tournament Poker Edge is a series of videos I recorded live while playing the World Championship of Online Poker. This is the first live recording I’ve done in years and my first ever for TPE. The bulk of the footage is me playing in various Knockout events, … Read full post
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The second batch of Thinking Poker Premium Podcasts is now available, and tonight you’re getting the first episode FREE. Fresh off of a $1-$2 no-limit game, Andrew and Nate help Carlos Welch take his first steps from tourney donk to cash game … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article, “Lessons From the WSOP Main Event: Marginal Hands in Heads-Up Play“, is now appearing in Two Plus Two Magazine. It’s an analysis of some key hands from the heads up portion of the 2014 WSOP Main Event:
… Read full post“The heads-up battle between Martin Jacobson
The second e-book in the Thinking Poker Diaries series is now available at www.nitcast.com or in the Amazon Kindle Store! It follows the same format as the first book, combining a trip report from the 2007 WSOP Main Event with present-day essays considering strategy topics that come up in … Read full post
The second volume of the Thinking Poker Diaries, which will focus on the 2007 WSOP Main Event, drops on Friday. If you still haven’t read Volume One, now is your chance. Now through Sunday, it’s available for just $0.99 at www.nitcast.com!
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Dara O’Kearney went pro somewhat later in life than your average grinder, but his background in bridge, chess, backgammon, and most recently ultramarathoning made him a natural. He’s also a natural raconteur and an excellent writer. We talk about his unconventional background, … Read full post
My latest series of poker tournament training videos is now appearing on Tournament Poker Edge. This review of some key hands from a $2000 main event at Maryland Live is a rare chance to see a training video focused on a live multi-table tournament, and to see me butt … Read full post
I’m excited to announce, to those who missed the news on Twitter and the podcast, that I’ve finally published a book! It’s based on my 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event, and it’s actually the first in a series of e-books compiling updated and revised versions of my most … Read full post
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Chris Moon, a border-straddling tournament pro and Tournament Poker Edge instructor, is on the show this week talking about Detroit, economics, data science, five-betting light, and searching for a post-poker career.
Timestamps
Andrew is still grinding the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker in Montreal, so he and Nate break down a few hands he played in a PLO eight-or-better event and a 2-7 triple draw event.
This is probably the dumbest thing I’ve done all WCOOP. Villain is Pascal Lefrancois. I don’t know much about him except that he’s very good. This is just a classic example of what not to do when you have a big stack in a very soft tournament. Just flatting his … Read full post
Andrew and Nate 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 Game (Andrew’s review here), his travels, his studies, and much more.
Here is the hand … Read full post
You all are really getting the hang of this! I’m impressed by how many of you began your analysis of What’s Your Plan? Good Draw, Lots of Interest with a consideration of what you would do with a set here. Speaking of which, a few people questioned whether I’d limp … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article, A Wide Range Situation From the Main Event, is now appearing in the August 2014 issue of Two Plus Two Magazine. It references an earlier article I wrote and analyzes the last hand that I played in the 2014 WSOP Main Event:
… Read full postAlthough
I played two big pre-flop pots with KK in Las Vegas cash games, one where I ended up folding and one where I got all in against QQ. A lot of people expressed curiosity about these hands when I first tweeted them, so I figured I’d post the details here.… Read full post
On Episode #88 of the Thinking Poker Podcast Andrew Brokos andNate Meyvis break down two hands that were submitted from the audience. One is a cash game hand from an underground joint in New York with a favorable preflop rake, and the other comes from a tournament.
Nate and … Read full post
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Nate is back on the program to discuss a hand he played in the World Series of Poker Main Event, then he and Andrew talk with Mike “goleafsgoeh” Leah about mixed games, how he got into poker, backing, and more.
Nate’s no longer in Vegas, but Andrew and Leo Wolpert sit down during Day 6 of the Main Event to talk about their own deep runs in the WSOP as well as some key hands from their 2014 tournament.
I’ve obviously been running this over in my head a lot, so I might as well post it here. It’s the last hand before break, blinds are 250/500/25. I have a little shy of 20K, Villain has 30 or 35K. He seems to be the only other pro at the … Read full post
After a cross-country drive, Andrew has finally reunited with Nate in Las Vegas for the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event! The two are joined by Carlos to talk about a few hands Nate played in a preliminary 10-game event, low-stakes tournaments in Vegas, and much, much more.
Alex “Assassinato” Fitzgerald joins Nate and Andrew on the Thinking Poker Podcast to talk about his childhood in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, winning and losing a fortune, abusing drugs and getting clean, and his new life in Costa Rica.
Sorry for the delay on this episode. I’ll get a … Read full post
On this episode of the Thinking Poker Podcast, Nate and Andrew set the location for the meet up in Las Vegas, break down a cash game hand that listener Jason played at Maryland Live! Casino, and talk withAri Engel about how to travel the circuit profitably, the … Read full post
Act One: They Meet
One of the first hands I saw when I sat down at the 5/10 game was this guy (“Villain”, hereafter) 4-bet-jamming 54 (no draw) on a 9h 7h 4s flop. He actually won a “flip” against 8h 5h, and his opponent was pissed. Other than that … Read full post
I’ve been busy of late. Actually I was busy a while ago, and people were slow to publish stuff.
Anyway, first up is Where Do the Weak Hands Go?, a Two Plus Two article that should help you think through situations where your opponent begins with a wide range:… Read full post
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Nate and Andrew discuss strategies for the World Series of Poker that will assist you both on and off of the felt, and they also break down a hand from Nitcast favorite Gareth Chantler and another from the PokerStars Sunday Million.
This … Read full post
This week’s mailbag is special because the question was submitted to the podcast, and both Nate and I answered it.
Q: I started out as one of those players you often refer to who says “I don’t really need to balance my ranges in the games I play – … Read full post
The WSOP is right around the corner, so bone up on your live tournament skills with my new Tournament Poker Edge series, LOL Liveaments. It’s a review of key hands from a $1000 tournament that I final tabled at my local casino. Although I’m not the world’s biggest expert … Read full post
Sorry for the lack of updates. I’ve just been playing all day every day, but I’ve decided to take today off so here’s the rundown:
Monday
I played all three of the Action Hour tournaments. For those who don’t know, these are tournaments where the blinds go up very quickly … Read full post
There were a lot of interesting hands from this, more than I have time to post here (keep an eye out, though, TPE members!). This was probably the most critical. Thanks to more than a bit of good luck, I’d run up quite a stack, good at my high point … Read full post
The thing that tilts me the most these days is when terrible-for-the-game sour-faced nits get way more action than they “deserve” with their monster hands. I posted a few weeks ago a hand where I stacked off with QQ against the KK of a guy I suspected of being a … Read full post
I’ve got a new series now going live at Tournament Poker Edge. It’s called Evaluating Bluffs, and it’s a hand history review with an emphasis on considering whether and with what range I should have bluffed in various situations. More than that, it’s a case study in how … Read full post
I was pleasantly surprised by the great discussion of this week’s What’s Your Play? I nearly didn’t post it because it was “just a pre-flop spot”.
How Likely Are Better Hands?
Everyone was rightfully quick to recognize that it’s rare to see people overlimping the biggest pairs in late … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article, Dealing With Aggression in Tournaments, is now appearing in 2+2 Magazine. The title is pretty self-explanatory, but here’s an excerpt that gives you a better idea of how exactly I address the subject:
… Read full postThe key to minimizing these headaches is to anticipate and prepare
In case you didn’t hear the announcement on the latest podcast, Nate and I have just released more than five hours of tournament strategy podcasts that are available for $19 at www.nitcast.com. Though similar to the strategy discussions we have on the weekly podcasts, the content in these premiums … Read full post
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After last week’s interruption, Nate and Andrew are back with an all-strategy episode plus exciting news about how to get even more strategy from us! You’ll hear our thoughts on Ed Miller’s new book (more from Nate on his blog), folding … Read full post
I’ve revamped my most popular coaching programs to be better than ever for 2014! (Yes, I realize we’re pretty well into 2014, but I had a bit of a backlog to clear before taking on new students.) Both the Crushing Live Cash Games and Dominate Donkaments programs are designed to … Read full post
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Gareth Chantler calls in from a hostel in Phuket, Thailand to discuss his latest travels, his second-place finish in a $215 TCOOP tournament, and the plight of the Rohingya people.
You can follow @GarethChantler on Twitter, read his final table … Read full post
I received this question in response to my latest strategy article, Trying New Things, which is now appearing in 2+2 Magazine.
Q: I read your article on 2p2’s magazine and I wanted to try something new. I determined what is the skill I want to improve in my game … Read full post
Q:I love the podcast. I especially like the strategy segments that look at situations that recur fairly frequently, and have you guys discuss to death the various possibilities, and what factors can push the decision one way or another.
I have a hand that I played last night that … Read full post
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Miracle Turn. Ironically, Gareth, in his excellent comment, takes my oft-referenced Value Targeting concept to task for its lack of nuance when I made this post specifically to demonstrate a more nuanced use of it! “Normally I think the Brokosism … Read full post
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