Post Archives Tag: polarized range
Episode 373: Noted In-Game Betting Authority Ed Miller
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Noted poker authority Ed Miller returns to the show to discuss his new venture, DeckPrism Sports, which provides 24/7 pregame and in-game Managed Trading Services for American Sports. Ed’s earlier appearances are more poker-centric:
Episode 319: Condensed Ranges
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Andrew and Nate field listener questions, inspired by Play Optimal Poker, about playing condensed ranges.
Strategy
Hand 1:
$22k stack at 600/1200/120 (9 handed).
K9o in the small blind, folds to
Episode 268: Taking Off
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Andrew and Nate share some book and podcast recommendations and, inspired by Dara O’Kearney, discuss the value of taking days off. In the strategy segment, Andrew takes an unconventional line vs Phil Galfond in a Progressive Knock-Out.
Timestamps
0:30 hello
24:19 … Read full post
Episode 265: Ashley Adams
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Ashley Adams is the host of the House of Cards podcast/radio show (Andrew was a guest in 2010!) and the author of Winning No-Limit Hold ‘Em and Winning Seven Card Stud. We talk to him about his (now complete) … Read full post
Episode 261: Andrew Runs Deep
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Nate and Andrew discuss key hands from Andrew’s 13th place finish in the $2500 no-limit hold ’em WSOP event.
Timestamps
0:30 hello
10:56 strat
Strategy Hand 1
On the bubble, CO (16K) opens to 5k. Hero calls T9dd in the BB.
Flop … Read full post
Episode 259: Christian Holden
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Christian Holden is a professional musician and poker player who lives in an anarchist collective in Worcester, Massachusetts. In this in-person interview, he and Andrew discuss his music, his poker, his politics, and the staking deal he almost had with Martin Shkreli. … Read full post
Episode 255: Bet That Set!
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Nate and Andrew talk strategy for BB Ante tournaments, play a round of “Underrated or Overrated”, and discuss two hands where players flop sets and end up facing tough decisions later.
Timestamps
0:30 – hello
8:08 – strategy
Strategy Hand 1
Effective … Read full post
New Coaching Program: Fundamentals of Game Theory
Do your eyes glaze over when the subject of game theory comes up? Are you confused and intimidated by solvers? Do you not even see the relevance of game theory to your own play, given how exploitable your opponents seem to be? I’ve got just the thing for you!
My … Read full post
Episode 251: Helen Ellis
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Helen Ellis is a proud housewise and poker player and the author of the novels Eating the Cheshire Cat and The Turning Book, the short fiction collection American Housewife, and the What I Do All Day Twitter account. Her poker … Read full post
Episode 250: Dick Carson Part 3
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This is the conclusion of our epic three-hour interview with living legend Dick Carson (Part 1, Part 2), featuring stories from his pool hustling days and memories of Frank Rosenthal.
Timestamps
0:30 Hello
4:07 Strategy
29:45 Dick pt iii… Read full post
Episode 248: Dick Carson, Part 1
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Dick Carson is an old-school gambler, pool hustler, bookie, and poker player. He’s also a hulluva storyteller and a helluva nice guy. Nate, Andrew, and John the Lawyer sit down with him to talk about the best poker players you never heard … Read full post
Complicated Indifference
My latest poker strategy article, Complicated Indifference, is now appearing the March 2018 issue of Two Plus Two Magazine. It aims to explain the value of acquiring at least a low level understanding of game theory, even if you know that your opponents will make plenty of exploitable mistakes:… Read full post
WPT Hand History Review Now on TPE!
My latest series of poker strategy videos is a review of key hands from the $3500 World Poker Tour Main Event at Maryland Live. This is the event that I discussed with Christian Soto on one of my all-time favorite podcast episodes.
Episode 246: Guess We’re Talking Strategy
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It’s one strategy segment… followed by another strategy segment, after an interview needs to be rescheduled. Nate and Andrew discuss playing from the Small Blind and playing tricky hands like top pair with a bad kicker.
Timestamps
0:30 hello
9:35 strat
51:43 … Read full post
Episode 245: Carlooser
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Carlos Welch is back to talk about his decision to get coaching from Ryan “Protential” LaPlante and the new, looser style of play with which he’s been experimenting as a result.
Timestamps
0:30 – hello
34:19 – strat
Strategy
Hand … Read full post
Episode 242: Your Strategy Questions Answered!
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Nate and Andrew enjoy some “alone time” and answer listeners’ strategy questions (and a programming question) from the mailbag. Here’s the online MIT Computer Science Course that Nate recommended.
Strategy
Hand 1
100 BB effective stacks
Dealt to Hero: Ks Ts
UTG … Read full post
Free Video: Bet Sizing on the River
Thanks to everyone who’s contributed so far to my Bay Area Urban Debate League campaign. Here’s the first of your free videos. It’s a one-hour look at river bet sizing in PioSolver. Not only will you learn the basics of under- and over-betting, but you’ll also get a glimpse … Read full post
Episode 240: Jordan Young
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Jordan Young has been a professional poker player for well over a decade, but only somewhat recently has he hit a stride that seems attainable. We talk about bankroll management, painkiller addiction, the Solve for Why Academy, and how to get under … Read full post
KL Cleeton Hand History Review on Tournament Poker Edge!
The first installment of latest poker strategy videos series just went up at Tournament Poker Edge. It’s one I’m especially excited about because it’s the first time I’ve ever done a member hand history review (well, excepting the time that Carlos and I looked over his big Bovada win … Read full post
Episode 233: Andrew Therriault
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Andrew Therriault is the Chief Data Officer for the City of Boston. He’s also an enthusiastic poker player and the former Director of Data Science for the Democratic National Committee. We talk to him about how big data and artificial intelligence are … Read full post
Episode 231: Peter Chi
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Peter Chi is an Assistant Professor of Statistics at Ursinus College teaching an undergraduate statistics course revolving around poker. He’s using this textbook and documenting the experience on his blog. You can also follow him on Twitter @PeterBChi.
Timestamps
0:30 … Read full post
WCOOP Day 20 ($500 6-Max)
My birthday always falls during WCOOP, so it’s been a long time since I took it as a vacation day. But this year’s events felt more skippable than usual (the only thing I was really tempted to play was the $2100 PKO, and even then, the mid-week $2K events just … Read full post
Episode 230: Christian Soto Live!
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Christian Soto and Andrew meet in-person in Baltimore, hours after playing together in the World Poker Tour main event at Maryland Live!, to commiserate and talk about some key hands. This interview was tremendous fun to record and hopefully will be tremendous … Read full post
Episode 229: Phil Galfond
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Phil Galfond needs as little introduction as any guest we’ve ever had. He’s crushed at virtually all forms of poker at the highest stakes, he’s crushed in the poker training market, and now he’s preparing to crush in the real money poker … Read full post
WCOOP Day 14 ($530 Progressive Knockout and $215 6-Max Rebuy)
I slept poorly on Thursday night, probably a combination of adrenaline from making a significant final table with drinking caffeine later than usual (because of the final table) and replaying (ok, beating myself up over) some key hands in my head. I hadn’t planned to take Friday off, but the … Read full post
WCOOP Day 12 ($215 6-Max, $1050 Progressive Knockout, Big $109 Final Table!)
I was excited for the $215 6-max that started at 10AM. Most of the short-handed events so far in the series had been higher buy-ins, and I was looking forward to the opportunity to play short with some weaker players. I lasted all of 15 minutes:
PokerStars – 100/200 Ante … Read full post
WCOOP Day 10 ($530 NLHE and $215 6-Max Zoom)
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
WCOOP Day 8 ($215 rebuy, $530 NLHE)
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
WCOOP Day 7 ($500 Win the Button and $215 NLHE)
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
WCOOP Day 3 ($215 Rebuy, $530 Super Tuesday)
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
WCOOP Day 2 ($215 PLO 6-Max, $1050 PKO, $530 8-max NLHE)
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
Episode 224: KL Cleeton
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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
Episode 223: E-Tay
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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
Episode 222: Strategy From the Small Stakes
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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
Episode 221: Benny Glaser
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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
Episode 216: WSOP Prep with Clayton Fletcher
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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
Episode 213: Straight-Up Strategy
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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
Episode 212: Matt Bodnar
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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
Second in the WPTDS $570
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
A Thin Shove
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
Episode 208: Michael Bowling of CPRG
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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
Episode 207: Nikolai Yakovenko on AI and Poker
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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
Evaluating Three-Bet Opportunities
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
MORE Free Poker Strategy With Matt Berkey
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
Episode 203: The No-Longer-Homeless Poker Player
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Carlos Welch is no longer homeless! At least for the moment, he’s living with Alexander Fitzgerald in Bullhead City, AZ, and Andrew is paying him a visit! We catch on Andrew’s travels, Carlos’ new digs, and strategy!
Timestamps
0:30 = hello
23:05 … Read full post
What’s Your Play? Facing an Overbet on River Results
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
Free Poker Strategy Video With Matt Berkey!
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
What’s Your Play? Facing an Overbet on River
Playing a 9-handed 5/10 game last week at Bellagio, effective stacks $1500. Decent recreational player opens to $40 UTG+2, mediocre pro calls MP, good pro calls HJ, I call with 9s 8d (Edit: added suited to clarify that I don’t have a heart) on Button (a little questionable, but can’t … Read full post
Episode 201: Kyle Loman
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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
What Are the Best Hands to Three-Bet?
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
Conclusion of Carlos Welch Strategy Video – FREE!
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
Episode 197: Eileen Sutton
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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
What’s Your Play? Flush With Redraw Results
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
What’s Your Play? Flush With Redraw
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
Why So Much?
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
Episode 190: The SEMI-Homeless Poker Player
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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
Episode 189: William Kassouf
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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
Episode 188: Into the Mailbag
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With WCOOP still going on (at the time of recording), Nate and Andrew get together to answer some strategy questions from the mailbag.
0:30 – hello
11:06 – strategy
Strategy
Blinds 300/600/75. Hero opens to 1500 UTG+1 with AA. Folds around to … Read full post
Turning a Pair Into a Bluff
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
Episode 187: NLO8
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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
Rate Our Play: Blind Battle Results
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
Rate Our Play: Blind Battle
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
Episode 186: Alan Boston (fixed)
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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
That Tiny Turn Bet
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
Rate Our Play Results
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