Thinking Poker

It’s an all-strategy episode as your hosts tackle spread-limit hold ’em, value betting, and playing your image. Don’t forget to support the show this holiday season with the Thinking Poker Amazon Affiliate Link and the fine offerings at www.nitcast.com. Strategy UTG+2 limps. Hero raises to $25 with Tc 7c in MP2. SB calls, BB folds, limper calls. Flop ($80) is Jc 9c X. Two checks, Hero bets $30, SB folds, UTG2 calls. Turn ($140) Jc 9c X 8h. Check, Hero ...

Matt Sienkiewicz is an assistant professor of communications and international relations at Boston College. He’s also a film buff and a poker fan. Matt puts Andrew’s knowledge of Foucault to the test with his analysis of key scenes from Rounders as well as a discussion of power dynamics in the poker world. To bask in more of Matt’s podcasting prowess, check out the Interpreter Magazine Podcast that he cohosts. You can also follow Matt on Twitter. Timestamps 0:30 Hello & ...

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, the Irish poker scene, his staking business, and more. For even more stories, follow Dara on Twitter or check out his excellent blog. Timestamps 0:30 – Hello & Welcome 8:29 – Strategy: a hand that will haunt you ...

Jim Greer, founder of Kongregate, is an avid poker player. Now he’s using game theory to combat “dark money” in American politics through CounterPAC, an organization that threatens to outspend candidates who accept anonymous donations. He joins the show to talk about his “gamesplaying” approach to campaign finance reform and the threat that Sheldon Adelson and others pose to American democracy. :30 Hello and welcome 3:38 Crazy happenings at the poker table 8:31 Strategy: out of position with a set ...

This landmark episode sets a new bar for navel-gazing, as guest hosts Carlos Welch and Gareth Chantler turn the tables on guest guests Andrew and Nate and ask about their lives, their poker careers, and their work together on the podcast.

For a guy who’s played $500/$1000 no-limit, Ben “Sauce123” Sulsky is a surprisingly nitcast-appropriate guest. He talks about his background in philosophy, his low-rolling lifestyle, how he arrived at the heavily game theoretic style he plays today, and how he thinks artificial intelligence will shape the future. The Thinking Poker Diaries As announced on the show, The Thinking Poker Diaries Volume 1 now available at www.nitcast.com and will be available on Amazon on October 23 (the latter is actually a ...

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 0:30 – hello and welcome 6:00 – Strategy: An O/8 hand 35:27 – Interview: Chris Moon Strategy I have 80K and I am on the Cutoff. I have Ad 2d 4d 10c Folds to me and I raise to 20K Fold to BB and he calls. Flop comes ...

On Episode 77, we spoke to Kristy Arnett as she was about to embark on a career as a professional poker player. Now she returns to the show to talk about her first WSOP, the frustrations of her first few months, and her goals for the future. You can read and see more of Kristy on Twitter, her website, her YouTube channel, or her Under Armour Facebook page. This is our final episode on the iBus Media Network. The Thinking ...

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 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 is the final episode of the Thinking Poker Podcast that will appear on this feed. I’ll continue to post announcements of new episodes here, but the only place to hear the show will be on the PokerNews/iBus Media ...

On this week’s episode of the Thinking Poker Podcast, Nate and Andrew discuss the gap concept in poker, break down an interesting hand from a charity tournament, and talk with battle rapper and poker player Peter “The Saurus” Morris about the similarities between battling and poker, his history, and more. If you haven’t already, please bookmark http://www.pokernews.com/podcast/ or subscribe to the PokerNews feed to ensure you won’t miss future episodes of the show. Thanks!

On Episode #79 of the Thinking Poker Podcast, Nate and Andrew offer a warm welcome to newcomers of both the podcast and the iBus Media Network, Andrew gets leveled by an eight-year-old, and the pair breaks down a hand from an online MTT. They are then joined by Dr. Michael Bowling and PhD candidate Mike Johanson from the University of Alberta Computer Poker Research Group to discuss their ongoing efforts to build poker bots, the difficulties that come with constructing ...

Big news from the Thinking Poker team! Starting next week, the best place to get our show will be from the PokerNews podcast feed. We’ll still post announcements here when there’s a new episode available, and we’ll keep the current feed active for a few weeks to give everyone a chance to migrate, but please save yourself the trouble and subscribe now via iTunes or your favorite feed reader. We don’t have a full episode this week because Andrew has ...

Daryl Jace dropped out of school in the seventh grade but that didn’t stop him from becoming a successful MTT pro, a Tournament Poker Edge instructor, and a lover of learning. We discuss his unconventional route to the top, his decision to keep his family in the US after Black Friday, his approach to coaching, and his concerns about educational institutions. 0:30 – hello & welcome 3:53 – more on the borgata scandal 14:21 – burning out of turn 25:51 ...

Kristy Arnett recently announced that she is stepping down from her long-time role as a producer, host, and writer for PokerNews. We talk to her about her career as well as her goals for the future, which include playing more poker, writing, and fitnessing. You can read and see more of Kristy on Twitter, her website, her YouTube channel, or her Under Armour Facebook page. Despite our conversation at the end of the interview, my episode of Strategy with Kristy ...

You might know Pauly Maguire from his Tao of Poker blog. Or his Tao of Pauly blog. Or the Dope Stories podcast that he co-hosts with Shane Schleger (our interviews with Shane here and here). Or from his book Lost Vegas. He joins us on the show to talk about Dope Stories, Las Vegas, strip clubs, and David Foster Wallace. We couldn’t quite get this episode out on 4/20, but we came as close as we could! Plus Nate and ...

Sam Grafton’s post-graduate studies in critical theory make him the first guest capable of schooling Andrew on Foucault. We talk about staking and swapping, the importance of social capital to success in poker, the blurred line between poker and gambling, the extent to which the poker world operates independently of traditional government and economic institutions, and Sam’s political activism. Sam is a video producer at Run It Once. You can read his columns in UK PokerPlayer and follow him on ...

Clayton Fletcher, professional poker player and comedian, talks about growing up in a poker playing family (his mother is also a professional poker player!), how his two careers complement each other, and what he’s learned from each. Then, we talk about the strategic implications of playing against world-class players in a tournament with a generally soft field. Clayton first came to our attention when he mentioned our show on Dennis Has a Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @claytoncomic ...

Matthew “theginger45” Hunt is one of the newest video producers at Tournament Poker Edge. After several years of traveling and living abroad, he’s returned to his native England to focus on poker and writing. He talks to us about why he gave up his nomadic life for poker, how he’s using poker to support his aspirations as a writer, and how many poker players could benefit from some life coaching. We also discuss a strategy hand from the Tournament Poker ...

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 a straight in a multi-way pot, folding a set on the river, and folding AJ to a four-bet on Day 6 of the WSOP Main Event. #nitcast The Big News For those of you who can’t get enough Thinking ...