Thinking Poker

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 sure to check out his previous appearances on the show. There’s a reason ... Read moreEpisode 163: Gareth Chantler Interviews Syrian Refugees

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 the World Poker Tour so far, she’s off to a hell of a ... Read moreEpisode 162: Cate Hall

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 – Hello and Welcome plus WRGPT strat 21:35 – Carlos

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 popular 2+2 thread. Our conversation covers how Jonathan discovered his passion for poker, his ... Read moreEpisode 160: Jonathan Gill

Love him or hate him, SuperDave is undoubtedly a legend at Foxwoods. With admirable candor, the high-limit stud player talks to us about his background, his code, his prop bets, his unique table presence, the difficulties he’s faced, and the challenges he’s still struggling with today. Timestamps 0:30 – hello & welcome 10:09 – strategy ... Read moreEpisode 159: SuperDave

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 Strategy with Jason Simon Strategy Hand 1 $1/$2 NLHE at the Motown Casino. ... Read moreEpisode 158: Strategy with Jason Simon

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 a teacher, his slow but steady ascension of the poker ranks, getting used ... Read moreEpisode 157: Michael “Gags30” Gagliano

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 he motivated himself to work harder every day at getting into peak mental and ... Read moreEpisode 156: T.J. Jurkiewicz

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 Group. Plus PLO strategy (listen at your own risk)! Timestamps 0:30 – hello 33:24 – ... Read moreEpisode 155: Nikolai Yakovenko

Poker journalist and blogger Martin Harris, alternately (better?) known as Short-Stacked Shamus, was one of our very first guests. Now, 150 episodes later, he’s back to discuss poker’s evolving place in American culture. Also, horses. In the strategy segment, we discuss common mistakes and misunderstandings about short-stacked play. If you missed any of the recent ... Read moreEpisode 154: Martin Harris

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 player. You can follow Danny on Twitter @DannyN13. Timestamps :30 – hello & ... Read moreEpisode 153: Danny Noseworthy

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 winning) millions of dollars, and what’s next for him. Timestamps :30 – hello & ... Read moreEpisode 152: Neil Blumenfield and the $3 Million Consolation Prize

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 contest to win free Tournament Poker Edge membership, free coaching, free Nitcast gear, ... Read moreEpisode 151: Ship It

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, as well as speculation about the future of poker and poker media. Turns ... Read moreEpisode 150: Brad Willis

Brian Koppelman, co-writer of the legendary poker film Rounders, joins us to talk about his contribution to the poker boom, his continuing love affair with the game and its culture, his creative process, and even David Foster Wallace! Brian is the host of The Moment podcast, where he’s interviewed many prominent athletes and artists as ... Read moreEpisode 149: Brian Koppelman

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 from the CO, BB calls. Flop 884r. Check, bet, raise, call. Turn 2r. Bet, ... Read moreEpisode 148: Nate and Andrew Play Poker

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 about his unconventional hobby, his unconventional profession, how he stays competitive in some ... Read moreEpisode 147: Jorge Limon

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 Two Plus Two forums, including The Boiling Oats Runner and A 101 Man Onslaught. For more of Assani’s DFS insights, check out his vlog and follow @AssaniFisher on Twitter. Support the Thinking Poker Podcast this holiday season by ...

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 comedy helps him withstand the challenges of a multi-day poker tournament. Follow Clayton on Twitter@claytoncomic and learn more about his upcoming shows from his website. His podcast is Broadway Comedy Club Radio. Timestamps 0:30 Hello and Welcome 34:44 ...

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 found time to discuss Salinger, Casino, and some of Scorsese’s lesser-known works. Sam’s first appearance on Shark Cage is available on Youtube. Follow @squidpoker on Twitter! Mailbag 0:30 hello and welcome 48:57 strategy Strategy Our discussion was a continuation ...