Thinking Poker

Shane “Shaniac” Schleger was our very first guest, and he’s had quite a year since he last talked with us. From getting married to getting turned away at the Canadian border to final tabling the WCOOP Main Event, he shares the ups and downs with characteristic honesty. You should follow Shane on Twitter and read his blog, You Can’t Miss What You Can’t Measure, for more great stories and insights. For Schleger-recommended art, check out Broke Mogul, the Musaic app, ...

Keone Young is a character actor whose decades-long career has spanned television, movies, theater, and even video games. He’s also a serious poker player and a regular contributor to the comments section of the Thinking Poker Blog. He joins us to talk about his early life hustling sailors on the streets of Honolulu, the work he puts into his career, what acting has taught him about poker, what poker has taught him about acting, and what both have taught him ...

Sean Lango is the editor of the Thinking Poker Podcast and a member of Palmyra, the band you’ve been hearing on the show for the last few weeks. He’s also a professional musician who supplements his income with poker. We talk to him about how he cobbles together a living from music and poker, how Black Friday affected his ability to do that, and whether Elvis or Whitney Houston would win on American Idol. Timestamps 0:30 – Hello and welcome, ...

After some brief reminiscences, Nate and Andrew dive into a strategy-rich show. Even if you’ve never heard of Courchevel before, you’ll want to hear what it can teach you about poker in general. If it piques your interest, you can read more Courchevel strategy from Alex Weldon. Timestamps 0:30 – Hello, welcome, and happy anniversary 12:38 – A weird hand Nate played 28:40 – What Courchevel can teach us about the value of concealed hands 48:33 – Mailbag: What is ...

Carlos Welch was one of our most popular guests, and he’s back to talk about his new life as a professional poker player. Find out why he didn’t move to Jamaica, what he’s doing instead, and how he’s dealing with a downswing. Plus a bonus strategy hand! Scroll to the bottom of this thread to see some great pictures of Carlos spreading around his Vegas winnings. Timestamps 0:31 – Hello and welcome 4:11 – Strategy: Playing an overpair on a ...

Jennifer Newell, @WriterJen on Twitter, is a freelance writer who frequently covers the world of poker for Poker Scout, PokerStars Women, and others. Though she doesn’t play much herself, she loves the many colorful personalities and fascinating stories of the people who do. She’s also passionate about civil rights and combating the sexism she sees in the poker world, the focus on female players’ appearances rather than their poker chops, and the myth that poker is already an all-inclusive game. ...

Mike Stein, author of the excellent Quantitative Poker blog, joins us to talk about skill vs luck in poker, how tax implications and the declining utility of money should affect your game selection, and game theoretically optimal bluffing strategy across multiple streets. You can follow Mike on Twitter , read his “sticky” about tax implications on 2+2, and see him quoted in BusinessWeek. Timestamps 0:30 Interview: Mike Stein 50:38 Strategy: Optimal multi-street bluffing 69:23 Strategy: Hero-calling a four-flush river Strategy ...

Leo Wolpert, who’s been both an interviewee and guest host on the show before, returns in the latter capacity. We talk cold war politics, getting value from maniacs, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? strategy, and the difference between good and great opponents. Timestamps 0:30 – Hello and welcome 15:59 – Mailbag: Fish, Phil Ivey, and everything in between 23:12 – Strategy: Getting max value from a maniac Strategy Blinds are at 50/100 (2nd level of the tournament), effective stacks ...

It’s our first Pot Limit Omaha-centric episode, with guest John “KasinoKrime” Beauprez. John is a professional poker player who specialized in PLO and the author of the PLO QuickPro Manual. He won his first WSOP bracelet in the 2013 $1500 six-handed no-limit hold ’em event. John talks with us about both his poker career and his advice on how players new to PLO can get off on the right foot. You can follow John on twitter @jbeauprez and read a ...

Faraz Jaka is one of the most consistent tournament players in the game. He was the 2009 – 2010 World Poker Tour Player of the Year and continues to appear at major final tables around the world. He’s also one of the most interesting. The California native has been without a permanent residence for over three years, living out of two carry-on bags and exploring the world between poker tournaments. One of his most recent adventures was at a Buddhist ...

Gareth Chantler talks about Norwegian family politics and covering tournaments for the PokerStars Blog. He also joins in discussions of the ethics of accepting an unsolicited chip dump, playing second pair in a limped pot, and playing Kings when an Ace flops, then teaches us how to value bet a straight on a four-flush river. Timestamps 0:27 Hello and welcome; Where in the World is Gareth Chantler This Week? 11:38 Ethics: On being offered a chip dump 26:37 Strategy: A ...

Bill Ordine is the editor of PhillyGambles.com, an editor and writer for PressBox, and a former reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Baltimore Sun. In his capacity as a sports writer, Bill pushed for greater poker coverage in the Baltimore Sun, and his current venture aims to provide more balanced coverage of gambling news than is found in mainstream newspapers. As a freelancer, he authored Poker Players Ante Up For Charity, a 2009 LA Times article in which he ...

Carlos “loxxii” Welch is a grinder if ever there were one. The former math teacher was happily learning the game playing small-stakes online tournaments until Black Friday complicated that plan. Undeterred, he now travels to casinos, sleeping in his truck or on sofas to keep the trips cost-effective. We talk to him about bumhunting WSOP satellites, the dearth of black poker players (especially women!), and riding Las Vegas public transportation in the middle of the night. You can follow Carlos ...

Nach Ralston, whom you might know better as Private Joker if you frequent either the Two Plus Two Limit Hold ‘Em forum or Zach’s movie review blog, is a professional poker player turned television producer. Specifically he works for POKER PROductions helping to bring the World Series of Poker, among other programs, to television and computer screens around the world. We talk to him about the challenges of presenting poker to such a diverse audience, the work and the choices ...

In honor of Andrew’s deep run in the $1500 WSOP PLO8 episode, this show is dedicated to that beautiful game. Nate and Andrew discuss general strategy for the game, tournament-specific adaptations, and a number of hands from Andrew’s tournament. Since recording this episode, we’ve released details for a meetup in Las Vegas this Saturday, 10AM – Noon at the Rio Convention Center Starbucks. Timestamps 0:30 Hello and welcome; main event plans; playing at Venetian 7:00 General PLO8 tournament strategy 23:29 ...

Nate and Andrew discuss Andrew’s second week in Las Vegas, dealing with dealer errors, tricky decisions for the floor, a big bluff, a big call, and a big fold. Timestamps 0:30 Hello and welcome 7:10 Table manners and procedure 44:00 Mailbag: Staking and the marketplace 53:40 Strategy: Balance, bluffing, calling, and folding Strategy Hand 1 Blinds $2/$5. Two limps, Hero overlimps button with 87o, SB completes, BB checks. Flop AJ4 ($20 in pot). Checks, Hero bets $15, BB calls.Turn AJ4J ...

Ray J has been dealing for nearly 20 years and now, much like a professional poker player, follows the tournament circuit around the country plying his trade. He talks to us about the life of a traveling dealer, the rewards and frustrations of the job, the importance of proper procedure, the training available for WSOP ... Read more

No interview this week, but Gareth Chantler makes an extended appearance to share his on-the-ground experience with the civil unrest in Istanbul and his thoughts on The Mental Game of Poker 2. Plus Nate and Andrew discuss the ethics of mark-up and whether and how to bluff-raise a dry flop. Timestamps 0:37 Hello and Welcome […]

Taylor Caby, playing as “Green Plastic”, was one of the first superstars of online poker. He’s also one of the only self-described entrepreneurs in the poker world who has actually founded several successful businesses. The first was Cardrunners, which launched the video training industry and is still a leader in the industry. Now there’s DraftDay, which applies […]

Jared Tendler, author of May book club book The Mental Game of Poker 2, talks about his transition from aspiring pro golfer to psychology student to mental game coach. Then talk turns to his new book and your questions! Timestamps 0:39 Hello and Welcome: Playing poker with a dead man 12:00 Strategy: Playing a big […]