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 DeepStack … Read more…
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 why … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 Tournament Poker Edge NYC Live Event with Just Hands … Read more…
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 Tournament Poker Edge NYC Live Event with Just Hands Poker Timestamps 0:30 hello 12:36 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 = … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 & … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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, … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
Chris Moorman, with over $10 million in cashes, is widely regarded as the winningest player in online tournament poker. This wide-ranging interview covers his beginnings as a competitive bridge and pool player, his struggles with staking, his role as 888Poker … Read more…
Aaron Brown is a professional-poker-player-turned-Wall-Street-trader. You may know him as the author of The Poker Face of Wall Street, but he’s got a lot to say about gambling, economics, and our favorite, the “old days” of poker in private games … Read more…
Technical difficulties and vacation schedules nearly kept the show off the air for two weeks running, but there’s no keeping Nate and Andrew down! We’ve got a short, strategy-only show to tide you over until we return with an awesome … Read more…
Ian Simpson is a former (and future) teacher in the United Kingdom. His fourth place finish in the 2012 Paddy Power Irish Poker Open proved literally life-changing, not only because of the money but because it presented the opportunity to … Read more…
Andrew, Nate, and THE Carlos Welch gather in a hotel room at the Gold Coast to discuss their first day in the WSOP Main Event. There’s loads of strategy talk, as Nate bet-folds the river, Carlos gets full value from … Read more…
The WSOP is obviously a busy time, so we just recorded a quick conversation this week, covering some general stuff about the World Series of Poker and a few of the first events/hands Andrew played. Please note that this was … Read more…
Ed Miller is back to talk about Daily Fantasy Sports, his writing, and finding edges not just on the felt but in life. All that plus a strategy segment from Nate! This episode is sponsored by Shark Clock and Tournament … Read more…
Alex Sutherland is a professional poker player and software designer, responsible for inflicting Table Ninja and GTO Range Builder on the poker world. We talk to him about transitioning back and forth between these worlds, common misunderstandings about the application … Read more…
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 more…
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 of … Read more…
I wasn’t around for the recording of this episode and haven’t listened to it yet, so for the time being this is a mystery episode! But with Nate and Carlos Welch hosting, how bad can it be?
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 … Read more…
Elena Stover has a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, and her studies focused on risk and decision-making, so when she decided not to pursue a career in academia, poker was a natural fit for her. We talk to Elena about her … Read more…
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 … Read more…
Kristy Arnett returns to the show, and this time she’s the one dishing out the advice. She talks about her recent trip to Korea, what she’s learned from Choice Center, and the things she’s learned from poker have helped her … Read more…
Matt Berkey shares his remarkable story of growing up in a small steel town with a drug addicted mother, pouring himself first into baseball and then into poker, and ultimately rising through the ranks to play as big as $300/$600/$1200 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
Christopher George is a long-time poker professional, but his focus on Stud and other non-hold ’em games sets him apart from your average twenty- or thirty-something online grinder. You wouldn’t think it from his demeanor, but the swings he’s experienced … Read more…
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 … Read more…
When Max Silver isn’t busy crushing the UKIPT, the EPT, the WSOP, or a Super High-Roller somewhere, you’ll probably find him in the kitchen or on Twitch streaming one of his many online MTT wins. We talk to Max about his … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…