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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 … 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
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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
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
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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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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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
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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
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
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
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
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
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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
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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
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
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
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
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 participated in What’s Your Play? Pair Plus Draw. I was glad to have the opportunity to reflect further on the hand myself and read some comments about it, because in the moment I basically just said “Pair plus draw, strap in, let’s go!”, and regardless … Read full post
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Jamie Kerstetter is a lawyer-turned-poker-pro with a long and colorful career. She talks about her decision to go pro, her first experiences playing live poker, moving to Mexico after Black Friday, the East Coast poker scene, the New Jersey online poker scene … Read full post
This is actually a question that was posed on the Tournament Poker Edge forums, so I’m paraphrasing it a bit here. It began with me arguing against checking KQ on a Q72r for “pot control” because there are plenty of run-outs where you can bet three streets for value (more … Read full post
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Before Julie Anna Cornelius became a professional poker player, she was a ballet dancer and a flight attendant working in the fleet of one of the poker world’s most notorious characters. In this interview, she shares her story and reflects on the … Read full post
Depending on your definition of exciting, you might be interested to hear that my latest book has hit the digital shelves! The fifth volume of The Thinking Poker Diaries chronicles my 87th place finish the 2010 WSOP Main Event. Day by day, it introduces the situations and opponents I encountered … Read full post
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This isn’t a proper podcast episode, but it’s better than nothing! Andrew goes solo, with no co-host, no editor, and no bumper music (or, perhaps, worse than no bumper music). He talks about his World Series of Poker so far and discusses … Read full post
Sorry gang, but will all the poker I’ve been playing, I haven’t been around at our usual recording times, and we don’t have a show for you this week. I will, however, present a few hands from yesterday’s $1500 NLHE event.
My original table was awesome, and I got off … Read full post
Man ten-handed, short-stacked poker is the nut low, but at the same time it’s plain to see how much value there is in this tournament. Our discussion on the latest podcast makes me tempted to just go play something I’ll enjoy more, and I’m still a little on the fence, … Read full post
The first High event I played was the $2K 8-max. I once again found myself bet-folding a strong hand on the river to a strange raise that represented only an improbable value hand or even more improbable bluff:
PokerStars – $2000+$100|200/400 Ante 50 NL (8 max) – Holdem – 8 … Read full post
The High event I planned to play on Wednesday was the $2K re-entry. As with several of the other mid-week $2Ks, though, it was shaping up to be a small and tough field. The re-entries really compound that, because the best players are far more likely to re-enter than the … Read full post
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Andrew and Nate talk about Andrew’s recent friction entering Canada to play online poker, then review two hands from early Spring Championship of Online Poker events.
Strategy
Hand 1
PokerStars – $1000+$50|30/60 Ante 5 NL – Holdem – 9 players
Hand converted … Read full post
The Day 2 restart for the $2000 Sunday Million (you can find Day 1 hands here) started at 11:30, so my plan was to sleep in, make breakfast, take a walk, pick up something for lunch, and then late register the morning tournaments when I was ready to … Read full post
The day started off not much differently from the last. I busted the $2K Warm-Up with Queens on the big blind versus Aces on the button, though with 100 BBs there was once again some question as to whether I could have gotten away from it. The Villain was Randal … Read full post
Today was the most frustrating day I’ve had so far, though I suppose that’s in part because it comes on the backs of several other frustrating days. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, because I know I’ve said this here before, but I can swallow my share … Read full post
I intended to play the $1K Big Antes event as well, but I didn’t realize (or more precisely, had forgotten) that it was a rebuy. Initially I thought that I hadn’t presented it as such to my investors, and consequently didn’t register for it, but then one of them pointed … Read full post
I didn’t post yesterday because nothing much of interest happened in the Super Tuesday, and I didn’t want to bump the new podcast off of the top slot on the blog. Speaking of which, if you skipped it because you didn’t recognize the guest, do yourself a favor and go … Read full post
I decided to unregister the Low buy-in heads up event, because heads up really isn’t a game I can autopilot in the corner of my screen the way I’ve generally been doing with the Low events, and I didn’t want to be distracted from a $700 heads up match by … Read full post
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
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
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Shane “Shaniac” Schleger is kind enough to grace us with his presence despite Andrew’s losing our last conversation. In this interview, we talk about depression, addiction, suicide, music, and, yes, poker. Even if heavy conversation isn’t your thing, be sure to … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who commented on this week’s What’s Your Play? Here’s a sample:
Ruud says, “Generally I find Villain has the goods when he bombs the river like this.”
Pepito agrees, “unless he contemptuously views you as a bad, nitty player, what adept villain expects Kx to fold given … Read full post
This is a continuation of What’s Your Play? KJo in the BB. For a discussion of the pre-flop action, please see this post.
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 … 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