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Alex Sutherland is a professional poker player and software designer, responsible for inflicting Table Ninja and GTO Range Builder on the poker world. We talk to him about transitioning back and forth between these worlds, common misunderstandings about the application of … Read full post
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Lukasz Grabowski has had a fair bit of success playing Spin-and-Gos as “grasiu”, but he’s very clear that poker is only a means to an end for him. In this interview, we talked about his lapsed Catholicism, his interest in Buddhism and … Read full post
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Christian Soto is a professional poker player and a video producer at Red Chip Poker. He is the co-author, with Doug Hull and James Sweeney, of Late Position. Learn how, with the help of Matt Berkey, the “Big Papi … Read full post
This question first appeared on the Tournament Poker Edge forums, under the title “Looking for some insight in to effective stack sizes and 3-bet/4-bet decisions.”
Q: I’ve often wondered how best to consider stack size when confronted by 3 or 4 bets. I have a vague sense it … Read full post
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Isn’t that what all of our shows about? Kind of, but this time around we’re more explicit than usual. It’s just Nate and Andrew, talking about some specific, concrete, active (not just reading books or watching videos) ways to study poker. Plus … Read full post
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Elena Stover has a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, and her studies focused on risk and decision-making, so when she decided not to pursue a career in academia, poker was a natural fit for her. We talk to Elena about her research, how … Read full post
The eighth installment in my Thinking Poker Diaries series, which tells the story of my summers at the World Series of Poker, is now available. Unlike past volumes, this one covers many preliminary events as well as the 2013 Main Event. In particular, includes a report from the $1500 PLO8 … Read full post
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Andrew Moreno is a professional poker player who is also married to a professional poker player. His wife, Kristy Arnett, has mentioned him enough times on the show (including Episode 170!) that we figured it was about time he came on … Read full post
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Kristy Arnett returns to the show, and this time she’s the one dishing out the advice. She talks about her recent trip to Korea, what she’s learned from Choice Center, and the things she’s learned from poker have helped her elsewhere in … Read full post
Nate Meyvis’s latest book, Thinking Tournament Poker Volume Two, which covers his second day of play in the 2014 WSOP Main Event, has just hit the virtual shelves! It features Nate’s own analysis of virtually every pot he entered that day, plus additional commentary from myself, Leo Wolpert, and … Read full post
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Matt Berkey shares his remarkable story of growing up in a small steel town with a drug addicted mother, pouring himself first into baseball and then into poker, and ultimately rising through the ranks to play as big as $300/$600/$1200 no-limit in … Read full post
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Benjamin Reason began playing the violin at the age of 4. It wasn’t so long after that that he discovered poker, and although the latter eventually subsumed the former, he remains a music aficionado (“a recovering music snob”, as he puts it). … Read full post
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Christopher George is a long-time poker professional, but his focus on Stud and other non-hold ’em games sets him apart from your average twenty- or thirty-something online grinder. You wouldn’t think it from his demeanor, but the swings he’s experienced set him … Read full post
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Collin Moshman is a widely respected sit-and-go player and coach and author, but he’s no one-trick pony. We talk to him about his background in Theoretical Mathematics, why he initially focused on sit-and-goes, how and why he branched out into other games, … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who participated in the second and final part of the Hand of the Week. You can find discussion of the flop play here. I was really impressed with the quality of the comments. It didn’t seem like anyone was confused about a check was worth … Read full post
This is a continuation of Hand of the Week: 666 (Flop). For a discussion of the flop decision, see this post.
We’re playing 10/25 NLHE with effective stacks of about $8K. The main Villain, in the SB, is a capable and experienced player, not 100% sure whether he’s … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who participated in the first part of our Hand of the Week.
Assessing Range Advantage
The only information I gave about the SB was that he’s “capable and experienced” and probably has “a similar opinion of me”. This really isn’t enough to make aggressively exploitive assumptions … Read full post
Seems like a fitting thread to start on Easter!
This is from a 10/25 NLHE game with effective stacks of about $8K. The main Villain, in the SB, is a capable and experienced player, not 100% sure whether he’s a pro but he’s good enough that I think he could … Read full post
Q: I watched this video by Daniel Negreanu explaining the pros of using the “Johnny Chan Play” as he calls it (https://www.youtube.com/
But I was wondering why not bet … Read full post
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In this pure strategy episode, Nate and Andrew talk about home game strategy and meta-strategy (e.g. how to get invited back), as well what you can learn from “silly” games like Baseball and Follow the Queen. Plus a microstakes strategy hand!
Strategy… Read full post
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Gareth Chantler talks about his latest writing/journalism project interviewing Syrian refugees in Turkey. Fair warning: there’s not much poker talk in the interview itself, this one is for all the Gareth fans out there! If you don’t know who Gareth is, be … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article for Two Plus Two Magazine, Poker is Not a Chest Beating Contest, addresses one of my favorite subjects, which is language and how it shapes the way we think:
“Poker lingo is full of bluster and bravado. For some, the colorful language and the … Read full post
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Cate Hall, a former classmate of Vanessa Selbst’s at Yale Law School, walked away from a promising legal career to seek her fortune – and more importantly her happiness – in the poker world. With two final tables and five cashes on … Read full post
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Carlos Welch reports on his trip to the PCA and ponders moving west. Andrew rants about what it means to give your opponent a decision. You can watch Carlos advise newly-minted professional Mike Sneideman in “Poker Pro: Year 1”.
Timestamps
0:30 … Read full post
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Jonathan Gill is a rising star in the online MTT world. Like TJ Jurkiewicz, he found success by tapping reserves of hard work, discipline, and perseverance that he never knew he had, and like TJ, he’s documenting his journey in a … Read full post
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Andrew and Nate discuss a live cash game hand submitted by a listener, and then fundraising contest winner Jason Simon joins them to discuss a hand he played in a live MTT.
Timestamps
0:30 Hello & Welcome
4:45 Strategy Part 1
43:28 … Read full post
As you’ve probably figured out right now, there was no new podcast this week. We’ve got one coming tomorrow (Monday February 1) though! In the meantime, here’s another free strategy video from last month’s fundraising campaign. I realized all the videos so far have been from MTTs, so this … Read full post
This week’s free strategy video comes to you courtesy of the lucky donor who was randomly selected to receive a free review of one of his tournament hand histories. He graciously gave me permission to post it online so that everyone could see and learn from it.
I primarily review … Read full post
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Michael “Gags30” Gagliano is a teacher turned poker pro with a long-standing record of success as both a player and a coach. He even worked with world champion Joe McKeehen years ago! In this interview, he talks about his former life as … Read full post
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T.J. Jurkiewicz may have come from humble buildings, but it took the former security guard less than a year (and the help of Chad Power) to break into some of the biggest no-limit games on the east coast. Find out how … Read full post
We raised so much money last month that I’m still rolling out all the free videos you all unlocked. Here’s the conclusion of my PLO8 WCOOP event review with Nate. If you haven’t seen them yet, be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2.
Thanks so much to everyone who contributed to the Bay Area Urban Debate League during our year-end fundraising campaign! I’ll announce prize winners shortly, but want to be sure I’ve got a complete list of contributors first, as some people chose to mail checks. So I’m sorting out the list … Read full post
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Nikolai Yakovenko is a highly accomplished poker player and computer scientist. We talk to him about artificial intelligence, his Open Face Chinese Poker app, playing in Bobby’s Room, preparing for the Annual Computer Poker Competition, and the Computer Poker Research … Read full post
Of course donations are always welcome, but the Bay Area Urban Debate League‘s end-of-the-year fundraising campaign ends at, well, the end of the year. Which means that you’ve got a little more than 24 hours to make your contribution, if you haven’t already. Remember, any donation of $10 or … Read full post
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Danny Noseworthy may not be the first Tournament Poker Edge instructor we’ve had on the show, but he is the first Newfoundlander. We discuss his career, his coaching philosophy, and how practicing cash game poker can help you become a better tournament … Read full post
Just in time for Christmas, the latest volume in The Thinking Poker Diaries is here. Whether you’re looking for a last-minute gift or an escape from the family, this mix of trip reports and strategy essays from the 2012 WSOP Main Event is just the ticket! It’s an honest and … Read full post
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Neil Blumenfield, who took 3rd place in the 2015 WSOP Main Event, talked to us about making the final table on Episode 139. Now he’s back to talk about how he prepared, what he learned, the experience of playing for (and … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Hand of the Week. Here’s a recap of the action so far:
Blinds are 50/100, Villain has about 20K (starting stack), and I have about 25K. Only six players (including both blinds) have claimed their seats so far. I have black Aces … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who commented on the turn situation. Here’s a recap of the action so far:
Blinds are 50/100, Villain has about 20K (starting stack), and I have about 25K. Only six players (including both blinds) have claimed their seats so far. I have black Aces first to … Read full post
Dara Kearney and I yesterday released a joint review of a hyper turbo tournament that he won on PokerStars. Most of you probably know, by now, that I’m raising money for the Bay Area Urban Debate League and will release a free hour of poker strategy video for every $500 … Read full post
This is a continuation of the Hand of the Week. Discussion of the flop action, which I imagine will surprise some of you, can be found here.
Blinds are 50/100, Villain has about 20K (starting stack), and I have about 25K. Only six players (including both blinds) have … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who’s participated so far in the Hand of the Week. To recap the action so far:
Blinds are 50/100, Villain has about 20K (starting stack), and I have about 25K. Only six players (including both blinds) have claimed their seats so far. I have black Aces … Read full post
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Andrew wins a live MTT and faces a tough decision with the third nuts. You can read trip reports from Day 1 and Day 2 (including the final table).
Contribute to the Bay Area Urban Debate League and get entered in a … Read full post
This hand is from the first level of the $1080 Battle of the Bay tournament that I went on to win. I don’t have any specific reads on particular players, but the field in general is quite amateurish, with lots of satellite qualifiers and shot takers. My default expectation … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article, now appearing in Two Plus Two Magazine, is called Weighing Your Options. It’s about a rule I try to play by, that helps me to recognize the right times for unconventional plays and avoid timing tells all at once!
… Read full postWeighing your options, even if
As reported on last week’s podcast, I’m part of an end-of-the-year fundraising drive for the Bay Area Urban Debate League, a non-profit organization I’m deeply involved with here in the Bay Area. Debating in high school and college changed my life, and in the 15 years that I’ve been … Read full post
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Brad Willis, the head of blogging for PokerStars and the man behind the brilliant writing at Rapid Eye Reality, is a fitting guest for Episode 150. He’s full of stories about the South, home games, and the early days of online poker, … Read full post
Based on how risk-averse everyone seemed to be during the latter half of Day 1, I expected the start of Day 2, with 43 people competing for 40 prizes, to go quite slowly. In fact, we saw four eliminations in three hands, and just like that, the bubble was over.… Read full post
We’re taking this week off from podcasting. Please use this opportunity to catch up on some recent greats. Several listeners have told us our interview with Brian Koppelman is their favorite of all the shows we’ve done. Jorge Limon is another recent standout you may have missed.
Gamble Gamble
It … Read full post
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Your hosts talk about Nate’s new book as well as strategy from a limit hold ’em game and a heads up no-limit game.
Timestamps
0:30 – hello and welcome
15:08 – strategy
Strategy
Hand 1
30/60 Limit Hold ‘Em.
Hero opens K9o … Read full post
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Jorge “Baalshin” Limon is a member of Team PokerStars Online, a regular in some of the biggest no-limit games on the site, a rally car driver, and one of the most prominent players on Mexico’s poker scene. In this interview he talks … Read full post
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Assani Fisher is a poker pro turned Daily Fantasy Sports player. He talks about his career in poker, his transition to DFS, and some of the recent news and controversies surrounding that industry. He also discusses his unique comedic contributions to the … Read full post
For those of you who aren’t sick of this hand yet, here’s a video I made analyzing my river check-raise, discussed on Episodes 143 and 144 of the podcast, with GTO Range Builder. This is free because the production value is a little lacking. I was doing this analysis … Read full post
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Clayton Fletcher, who first appeared on Episode 74, is back to discuss his 96th place finish in the 2015 WSOP Main Event. Hear how he celebrated, how he dealt with a sudden reversal of fortune, and how his other career in stand-up … Read full post
My sixth e-book tells the story of my 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event, in which I finished 53rd. Like the other volumes, it features an entertaining trip report from the tournament interspersed with essays discussing strategic concepts that play an important role in each day’s success.
Pick up … Read full post
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Sam Grafton, who previously joined us on Episode 75, is back to talk about the unique format of Shark Cage, why he skipped the WSOP, why he moved to Prague, and why he has trouble reading literature during WCOOP. We also … Read full post
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Andrew is in Montreal for the second half of the WCOOP, and he and Nate discuss some hands.
Strategy
Hand 1
2-4 PLO8 on Bovada. 4-handed.
I open to $12 with (AT)J7–I’m using Bill Chen’s notation where suited cards go in parentheses.… Read full post
My latest poker article, Fancy Play Syndrome, is now appearing in the October 2015 issue of Two Plus Two Magazine. It might be a poor title, because the argument is that many supposedly “fancy” plays are actually a part of fundamentally sound poker strategy:
… Read full postIn a recent $5/$10/$20 session,
Thanks to everyone who’s participated in the Hand of the Week so far. Today’s post deals with the turn play.
This is from the $700 NLHE 1R1A WCOOP event. Blinds are 350/700/85. It’s well after the rebuy period but not particularly close to the bubble. Table is on the tough … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who’s participated in the Hand of the Week so far. Today’s post deals with the flop play.
This is from the $700 NLHE 1R1A WCOOP event. Blinds are 350/700/85. It’s well after the rebuy period but not particularly close to the bubble. Table is on the tough … Read full post
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Gareth Chantler joins us from the Dominican Republic to talk about his new life as a writer (a discussion that began during his last appearance on the show) and his WCOOP so far (as of the time of this recording, that … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who’s participated in the Hand of the Week so far. Today’s post deals with value betting the river.
Hero is UTG+2 with a $2500 stack, and most of the table covers. Action folds to Hero, who opens to $30 with 8s 7s. The hijack, button, and … Read full post
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Nate and Andrew discuss a question of live card room ethics and procedure, then follow up a discussion of bluffing from Episode 140, then consider another bluff-turned-bluff-catcher!
Timestamps
0:30 Hello and welcome
14:24 Strategy… Read full post
Hero is UTG+2 with a $2500 stack, and most of the table covers. Action folds to Hero, who opens to $30 with 8s 7s. The hijack, button, and SB call. For discussion of the preflop action, see this post.
Flop ($118 in pot after rake) 7h 6d 3s. Action … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who’s participated in the Hand of the Week so far. Today’s post deals with playing top pair on the turn.
Hero is UTG+2 with a $2500 stack, and most of the table covers. Action folds to Hero, who opens to $30 with 8s 7s. The hijack, … Read full post
Hero is UTG+2 with a $2500 stack, and most of the table covers. Action folds to Hero, who opens to $30 with 8s 7s. The hijack, button, and SB call. For discussion of the preflop action, see this post.
Flop ($118 in pot after rake) 7h 6d 3s. Action … Read full post