My latest poker strategy article, Games With Kids, is now appearing in 2+2 Magazine. It’s on a subject I’ve discussed before on the podcast, playing games with my cousin’s three young sons. This article recounts a few specific stories and reflects on some of the things I’ve learned from … Read full post
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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!… Read full post
To stay competitive in poker, you must constantly be learning and improving. Of all the things I’ve learned about poker in the last few years, I don’t think any has made me as much money as learning to pay attention to and exploit live tells, the things that people say … Read full post
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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
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
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Tommy Angelo returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, Painless Poker, as well as his writing process, his daily meditation practice, his new goals, and his sordid past.
In our strategy segment, we discuss why it matters how the … Read full post
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The Computer Poker Research Group’s Michael Johanson and Dustin Morrill discuss Andrew and Nate’s recent battle with their heads-up no-limit hold ’em AI, DeepStack.
Johanson has previously been our guest on Episode 79 and Episode 110. Before the match, we discussed … Read full post
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Patrick McKenzie, known as “patio11” on Hacker News and elsewhere, is a blogger, consultant, and all-around public intellectual on subjects related to software and business. He’s also, as it happens, an avid if occasional poker player. We talk to him about … Read full post
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
Nate and I had the great privilege of participating in the premiere broadcast of a series of matches between DeepStack, a state-of-the-art heads up no-limit hold ’em Artificial Intelligence, and human professionals. We found DeepStack to be a really tough competitor that left us questioning our play in both large … Read full post
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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
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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
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It’s all strategy this week, as Nate and Andrew review two hands in which the Hero flops a strong pair plus the nut flush draw.
Links
NYC Live Event with Just Hands Poker
Timestamps
0:30 hello
12:36 strat
Hand … Read full post
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Ronnie Bardah has been a poker pro since before “The Boom”, and though he’s perhaps most famous for his five consecutive cashes in the WSOP Main Event, he’s a Fixed Limit Hold ‘Em player first and foremost. He shares his story growing … Read full post
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
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Angela Bassa is the director of data science at iRobot and an occasional poker player with more than a passing interest in Libratus and its implications for artificial intelligence. In this interview, we talk about poker’s intersections with data science and artificial … Read full post
This is the “absurd” hand I referenced on Twitter yesterday. I want to be clear that I’m not posting this as an example of a hand that seems bad but I think is actually good. It was a badly played hand, I don’t have any delusions about that. I do … Read full post
I never just post hands any more! I am curious in your feedback, but I don’t have a lot more to say about the hand myself, so I’m not going to construct it as a What’s Your Play? But here’s the situation:
Playing $2/$5 NL. Effective stack $600. Villain is … Read full post
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
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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
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
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
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Christian Harder is a long-standing pro whose history with Nate and Andrew dates back to the early days of the 2+2 MTT forum. His most recent claim to fame is victory in the $5000 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event. We talk to … Read full post
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
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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
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
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Wow! Two hundred episodes! In this special episode, we invite our most frequents guests as well as several of our most active community members to reminisce about the show’s past and help us dream about its future.
0:30 – Nate & Andrew… Read full post
Nate Meyvis and I will be co-hosting, along with the guys from Just Hands Poker, an event in the New York City area March 25th and 26th. Admission will include a meet-and-greet, a meal, a four-hour deep-stacked $1/$2 cash game session, and a video of us commenting on the … Read full post
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Matt Sienkiewicz, a professor at Boston College and Episode 103 guest, co-hosts with Nate. They compare the poker movie MISSISSIPPI GRIND with Nate’s recent trip to Biloxi. They also discuss a strategy hand and some colorful opponents from Nate’s victory in a
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Tim Bishop came to poker via the unconventional route of Motocross. We talk about how he got started in racing, why he got out, and how he’s dreaming of getting back in. Of course we also talk about his life as a … Read full post
Below you’ll find nearly a full hour of high-quality tournament poker strategy, a combination of hand review and general strategy talk. Best of all, one of the participants is the always-delightful Jamie Kerstetter, so you’re bound to get a few laughs as you learn. If you enjoy listening to her, … Read full post
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Patrick Leonard (pads1161 on PokerStars, plenopads on Twitter) is one of the most respected MTT players in the world and one of the head coaches at bitB staking. It’s too bad we lost some of the audio from our interview with … Read full post
Nate Meyvis is my guest for the latest free strategy video, and in his honor, I found a PLO8 tournament for us to review. It’s fun and informative!
We created this video as part of a year-end fundraising campaign for the Bay Area Urban Debate League. To unlock more … Read full post
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Chase Bianchi’s career as a professional poker player came in fits and starts, as we went back and forth between playing for a living and working as a dealer and supervisor. That all changed when he won a bracelet in a $1000 … Read full post
The 200th episode of the Thinking Poker Podcast is fast approaching! As part of the celebration, we’d love to get some thoughts or anecdotes from listeners like you. Which was your favorite episode and why? Do you remember being surprised by something you learned about one of our guests? Has … Read full post
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
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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
Here’s the first video published as part of my year-end fundraising campaign for the Bay Area Urban Debate League. I’m joined by the incomparable Carlos Welch, be sure to check him out on Twitch. To unlock more videos like this one and get a shot at some great prizes, … Read full post
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Jamie Kerstetter, who first joined us on Episode 136, is back to talk about the latest poker Twitter drama, her new role as ambassador for the Borgata poker room, her dog Crouton, and the Humane Society of Atlantic County.
You can … Read full post
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
As I did last year, I’m once again raising money this holiday season for the Bay Area Urban Debate League, a non-profit organization I’m deeply involved with as a Board member, volunteer, and donor. Debating in high school and college changed my life, and in the 15 years that … Read full post
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Political scientist and Congressional Research Service analyst Matt Glassman helped us put the 2016 Presidential Campaign into context a few weeks ago. Now that the election is over, we need him more than ever!
We’ve got a great strategy segment, but … Read full post
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
My latest poker strategy article, Deep Thinking, was just published in Two Plus Two Magazine. Does this sound like you?
… Read full postPlaying with a short stack can be a good way to learn: it simplifies your decisions, minimizes the magnitude of your mistakes, and helps you focus on fundamentals like
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Danny Sprung is a trader and a long-time games player. He was a serious poker player even before the boom, and he’s also a world class bridge player. In this interview, we discuss how he relates poker to bridge and to trading, … Read full post
Edit: I originally reported a donor match that is apparently not happening. Very sorry about that, but I hope you’ll contribute anyway!
Edit2: Sorry for all the confusion. The match is apparently on and good for the rest of November (so, Tuesday and Wednesday).
Donations made to the Bay Area … Read full post
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Ryan LaPlante, who joined us on Episode 95, won his first WSOP bracelet this summer in the $565 Pot-Limit Omaha event. In this interview, he talks about his emotional victory speech, why winning matters so much to him, and the … Read full post
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Tommy Angelo is back to talk about “speech play”, stalling, and other ways your opponents can annoy you at the table, if you let them. Plus we’ll get an update on his latest book, Painless Poker, and his meeting with Carlos Welch… Read full post
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
This was a surprising little moment for me in reading The Autobiography of Martin Luther King: King was a gun owner prior to and in the early days of his involvement with the Montgomery bus boycott! After a bomb exploded on his front porch, his friends and family urged him … Read full post
I don’t often talk in terms of heroes and role models, but if you forced me to name one, I would choose the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As I’ve written here before, I believe that he represents about as well as anyone in history what it means … Read full post
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Matt Glassman is a Congressional Research Service analyst, Political Science PhD, and perhaps most importantly, one of Nate’s college buddies. We talk about how poker can help us to understand politics (including the 2016 presidential election, of course!), how horse racing can … Read full post
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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
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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
Somehow it took me 12 years to get around to playing a World Poker Tour event, but I played my first one over the weekend at Maryland Live. Overall it was a well-run and well-attended event and I’m glad I played.
My Day 1A table draw was quite tough, I … Read full post
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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
Here’s an interesting pot from the $200 Rebuy 6-Max WCOOP event. You probably know that in theory, multi-street bluffing tends to involve building two ranges for each street, a “keep bluffing” range and a “give up” range, such that your bluffing frequency gets lower on each street.
In practice, though, … Read full post
Sorry but we don’t have a new podcast episode this week. That’s mostly due to my being busy with WCOOP stuff, so we should be able to get a show ready for next week.
I wanted to share a hand with you from the third event that I played, which … Read full post
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
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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
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
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
I was not directly effected nor especially traumatized (no moreso, that is, than the vast majority of humans who were horrified by the suffering, death, and destruction) by the attacks of September 11. Far more traumatic, for me, was what took place in the weeks that followed, specifically the adoption … Read full post
Sorry for the lack of posts here. As you’ll see, I’ve had a busy few weeks.
It started nicely, with a trip to visit some old friends. As much as Emily and I have enjoyed living in San Francisco, there are some downsides, most notably the fact that most of … Read full post
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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
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Billy Sharkey’s poker career has been a roller coaster that led him to mindfulness meditation, and that helps… except when it doesn’t. In this revealing interview, Billy discusses dealing with losses, the complex politics of high stakes home games, his struggle with … Read full post