Thinking Poker

Our conversation from Episode 488 continues (without Nate, unfortunately). We even talk some poker strategy!

For more Joel:

First appearance on Episode 409

Another two-part conversation begins with Episode 484

Joel’s blog
Old Man James
DJ Renegade on Soundcloud
Joel’s book Ideas of Improvisation

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It’s an epic meeting of the minds as former Thinking Poker host Nate Meyvis meets guest extraordinaire Joel Porter-Dias to discuss the NBA/poker cheating scandal, AI poker coaching, poetry, trivia, and more! 

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Mixed game master and Main Event final tabler Alex Livingston joins Carlos and Andrew to discuss playing mixed games, coaching mixed games, teaching in Rwanda, and coining the term Old Man Coffee.

Alex and Chris Vitch teach the Mixed Minds video training course.

Support the Podcast:

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Rene “TheWakko” Kuhlman is one of the best no-limit cash game players in the world, and he’s an even better teacher! With Andrew and Carlos, he discusses his rocky journey to the top and the lessons he learned along the way about bankroll management, mindset, and success.

More from Rene:

The Mechanics of Poker coaching program

The Mechanics of Poker Podcast

Support the Podcast:

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This is the conclusion of our interview with Joel Porter-Dias, which began with Episode 484. Joel first appeared on Episode 409.

Joel’s blog
Old Man James
DJ Renegade on Soundcloud
Joel’s book Ideas of Improvisation

You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK. 

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Joel Porter-Dias, who first appeared on Episode 409, returns to discuss advantage slot play and some legendary gamblers who recently passed. Joel is a fascinating and multi-faceted guy, which is why this is only Part 1 of a very long interview!

Joel’s blog
Old Man James
DJ Renegade on Soundcloud
Joel’s book Ideas of Improvisation

You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK. 

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Swedish pro and mother of two Jenny Westerlund recently had the biggest score of her career when she shipped the Main Event of the WSOP Circuit in Tallinn, Estonia for over €200,000. She talks to Nate and Andrew about her background as both a dealer and a kindergarten teacher and how she balances traveling the live circuit with (co-)parenting two kids as a single mother.

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Software engineer and avid mixed games player Ian Gavlick is bringing games like triple draw into the modern era of poker strategy with Stud Flop Draw. He shares his passion for mixed game strategy and software with Andrew and Carlos and offers some predictions for how AI will shape the future of poker.

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Andrew and Carlos answer strategy questions from the Patreon, and Carlos discusses his move from Las Vegas to Jacksonville.

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You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily. 

Michelle Farmer and Natascha Carpenter founded Royal Queens Poker in Atlanta in 2024 after seeing the lack of diversity in other leagues, a journey they shared with Andrew, Carlos, and Gloria Jackson on Episode 459. Now they’re back to discuss the joys and challenges of their rapid growth plus some thoughts on the 2025 World Series of Poker.

Thanks to Caitlyn Arnwine for connecting us with them!

Follow Royal Queens Poker on Social Media:

Instagram
Facebook
Tiktok

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Craig Savage is an educator by trade, but he’s been a competitive poker player and a student of Carlos’s for many years. Hot on the heels of his bracelet victory in the $500 NLHE Freezeout, he speaks with Andrew and Carlos about the experience and how he stays on top of the game despite family and professional obligations.

In the strategy segment, Andrew discusse what exactly “targeting” means and why so many people get it wrong.

You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK. 

Recei...

Ian Chan is a Silicon Valley software engineer and a triple draw enthusiast who built his own badugi solver. He talks game theory, artificial intelligence, mixed games, and the underappreciated role of tactile poker experiences.

We’ve also got a little in memoriam for Jane Hitchcock, who was our guest on Episode 330.

All our interviews with the University of Alberta Computer Poker Research Group are here.

The Counterfactual Regret Minimization paper we discuss is here.

You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at https://clubwptgold.com/?pro...

Former Thinking Poker Podcast host Nate Meyvis joins the show to talk about AI, spaced repetition, and his new flashcard site ZippyFlash.com. Meanwhile Carlos drops in with occasional updates while playing the $1500 Shootout at the WSOP.

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This week, we’re bringing you an episode of Risky Business, a podcast about better decision making from our friends Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova. You can find more Risky Business at https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/risky-business-with-nate-silver-maria-konnikova.

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Nosebleed MTT crusher Sam Greenwood is one of the most successful poker players of all time. But how did he get started, how did he rise to the top, and why is he now giving away his secrets in a daily newsletter? Carlos and Andrew get to the bottom of it all in this fantastic interview.

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Chris “DeathDonkey” Vitch joins Carlos and Andrew for a lively discussion of poker in all its forms, including why he prefers non-hold ’em games, what hold ’em players get wrong about mixed games, and he approaches mixed game tournaments differently than cash games.

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Tom “Tombos21” Boshoff returns to the show to discuss new developments in poker strategy and technology since his last appearance.

Alex Sutherland is the source of the “think of a solver as a tool for conducting experiments” idea.

We first discussed the idea of AI “intuition” with Michael Bowling of the University of Alberta Computer Poker Research Group.

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Five years ago, Jason Su taught the poker world to play with presence. Now he’s back to advocate for playing with joy. We discuss his new book, why most poker players motivate themselves in unsustainable ways, and how to change those habits both at the poker table and in life.

In the strategy segment, Andrew discusses game theory in the real world and whether strategic uncertainty has a role to play in trade negotiations.

Jason previously appeared on Episode 327.

His new book is The Joy of Poker.

You can join An...

Andres Korn grew up playing poker with his friends, but it wasn’t until he saw it on TV that he decided to take it seriously. He bought straight in to the WSOP Main Event and never looked back. Now he’s one of the most successful players in Argentina (and the world!), with an emphasis on mixed games but enough hold ’em proficiency to hold a bracelet in the prestigious $5K six-max event.

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Ariel Shefer wants to be a world champion. He’s tried backgammon, he’s tried bridge. Now, he lives in his car, driving for Uber to earn buy-ins for poker tournaments. He’s not broke (or at least, he wouldn’t have to be); this is how he keeps himself hungry. And maybe how he nets a sponsorship from Toyota, Hilton, Uber, or Virginia Slims…

Ariel shares with us his remarkable life and his unique philosophy, and of course he and Carlos compare notes on car living. In the strategy segment, Andrew discusses betting in multi-way pots and why pr...

Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher are titans of the industry, with over 100 years of poker experience between them. They share stories with Carlos and Andrew about poker rooms in the 1970s and 80s, how and why they changed, the history of Card Player Magazine, the history of Card Player Cruises, the founding of the Tournament Directors’ Association, and Poker Gives, a charitable project feeding hungry people in Las Vegas.

In the strategy segment, Andrew and Carlos discuss bluffing frequencies, polarized betting, and multi-way pots.

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It’s been two years since Carlos met Gloria Jackson when he contacted about for an interview. Now he lives with her and her two youngest sons, and both their lives have changed dramatically. The two of them share with Andrew what their lives look like now, both on and off the felt.

If you aren’t familiar with Gloria, her original interview is well worth listening to even if you don’t care about Carlos’s love life. For those who do, the story of how they got together is a great listen, too.

You can...

Co-owner of the Irish Poker Open Paul O’Reilly discusses the historic event with Carlos and Andrew. Plus the Irish poker scene, tips for visiting Dublin, and more!

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You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily.  Duration: 01:00:33

Card player, political scientist, and fan favorite Matt Glassman returns to the show to discuss the Oh Hell! book he’s working on and answer listener questions about American politics.

Matt is a frequent Thinking Poker guest who first appeared on Episode 191.

Lamont Jones talked Bid Whist with us on Episode 433.

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Jim Reid, LoriAnn Persinger, and Rob Gardner join Andrew and Carlos to talk about the RecPoker community and how the needs, goals, and experiences of recreational players differ from those of professionals.

LoriAnn first appeared on Episode 394 of the Thinking Poker Podcast.

You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK. 

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Carlos shares his experiences from the GPI awards banquet and a visit with Tom McEvoy. Then he and Andrew discuss two tricky tournament spots with AK.

We interviewed Tom McEvoy on Episode 450. 

You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK. 

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 ...

Winning a major poker tournament isn’t a fast track onto the Thinking Poker Podcast, but when Matt Savage says, “You have to talk to this guy!”, we oblige. And so glad we did!

Zak VanKeuren, who won the WPT Prime Championship in December for over $1 million, is a great poker player, but he isn’t just a great poker player. He’s also a holistic wellness enthusiast and performance coach.

We talk to him about what exactly that means, how it helped him perform on one of poker’s largest stages, and what he hopes to tea...

Organizer, advocate, and poker pro Caitlyn Arnwine returns to the show for Black History Month! With Carlos and Andrew, she discusses why Black history is American history, how historical voting rights movements can inform contemporary struggles, how to advocate for Women’s Events, and what this all has to do with poker strategy.

Plus, Carlos and Andrew discuss risk premiums in everyday life and whether cash games or tournaments better model the real world.

Caitlyn Arnwine first appeared on Episode 397 as Caitlyn Cobb. She also appeared on our earlier episode on women’s events, on Episode...

Legendary poker guru Alex “Assassinato” Fitzgerald returns to the podcast after a long hiatus to discuss solvers, live cash games, his new book, living in New York during the height of the pandemic, and much more!

Alex previously appeared on Episode 84 and Episode 133. His website is PokerHeadRush.com.

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Ivonne Montealegre is best known in the poker world for organizing the popular Malta Poker Festival and the new Costa Rica Poker Festival. She shares with Carlos and Andrew about growing up in Costa Rica, living in Malta, how her mother got her into poker, what goes into organizing a poker festival, and her now role as Manager of the SiGMA Poker Tour.

You can join Andrew and Carlos in the ClubWPT Gold beta by signing up at https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK. They’ll be hosting a homegame tournament on Sunday, February 1 at 5pm Eastern/2pm Pa...

We are cancelling the ClubWPT Gold Meet Up Game we’d previously announced for Saturday January 25. We still plan to host a Home Game tournament on Saturday February 1 at 5pm Eastern/2pm Pacific. You’ll need password “THINK” to join the home game, and if you haven’t yet signed up for ClubWPT Gold, you can do so at www.clubwptgold.com using promo code “THINK”.

Matt Matros is a professional poker player and writer whose works include both fiction and poker books. With Carlos and Andrew, he discusses concepts from his new book, 24 No-Limit Hold ‘Em Hands From 2024, and the three apply game theory concepts to a triple barrel bluff Andrew attempted. Matt previously appeared on Episode 301, Episode 379, and Episode 425.

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Pro player and streamer Patrick “Egption” Tardif discusses his background in competitive video gaming, his rocky road to becoming a professional poker player, the joys and challenges of playing on stream, and the new online poker site ClubWPT Gold.

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Put off by the exploitative nature of the casino industry, Kim Lund turned to video games instead. Now he’s bringing the two together with Hands of Victory, a game his company Aftermath Interactive hopes to offer for competitive tournament play. He’s also got some ideas about the ethics of the video game industry and how gaming can address climate change.

Plus, Andrew and Carlos look back on the year’s podcasts to highlight their favorites, including a few you may have overlooked.

You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker D...

Eugene Katchalov left the world of professional poker at the top, but he’s still around as a recreational player and entrepreneur. In this delightful conversation, he discusses what makes poker fun, what poker needs, and how solvers have changed the game.

You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily. 

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Jeanne David has worked as the manager of an in-patient drug treatment facility and as the head of Responsible Gaming at PokerStars, but she’s always been a poker player herself as well. On the heels of her induction in the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame, Jeanne joins Carlos and Andrew to discuss her colorful life and her passion for poker.

Tickets are still available for the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which will be held on December 11.

You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily. 

Si...

Hungry Horse founder and live cash crusher extraordinaire Marc Goone joins Carlos and Andrew for a lively discussion of solvers, win rates in live cash, exploiting regs, teaching poker, “lyrical myrical” rappers, and more.

25% off everything (except gift cards) in the Nitcast store through the end of November!

You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily. 

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Vegas-based poker pro Jessica Vierling is famously forthcoming about her struggles: with alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, and holding herself to impossibly high standards. The most important thing, she says, is to be honest and authentic.

She is just that in this conversation with Andrew, where they discuss her struggles, her triumphs, her journey from the corporate world to the world of professional poker, and her life in Las Vegas.

To join ClubWPT Gold and get in on the drawings for the $5,000,000 freeroll, sign up now at https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK

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Online poker is returning to the US, and what better way to celebrate than with the 1000th episode of Thinking Poker Daily?

To join ClubWPT Gold and get in on the drawings for the $5,000,000 freeroll, sign up now at https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK

Support the podcast and get daily strategy discussions by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

Manuel “Phemo” Bueno Fernandez is a professional poker player from Hamburg, Germany and one of our favorite coaches on GTO Wizard. We talk to him about the beginnings of his fascination with poker during a dark winter in Finland, studying with Fedor Holz, and creating some of the best strategy content on the internet!

Support the podcast and get daily strategy discussions by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

Our latest poker strategy video, reviewing Andrew’s ACR Sunday Special win, is now available from The Nitcast Store.

GTO Wizard AI has just received a new upd...

Nate Silver is back on the felt, but there’s a lot more than poker in his new book, On the Edge. He gets deep into it with Andrew and Carlos, discussing everything from the physiology of poker to coaching with Andrew to a an accidental prediction about Carlos.

We previously interviewed Nate Silver on Episode 318.

Other recommended episodes:

Maria Konnikova
Ed Miller
Carlos Welch
Jamal Hanson
Matt Glassman
Stoyan Obreshkov
Jon “Apestyles” Van Fleet
Isaac Haxton
Dick Carson
Tom McEvoy
Game Theory and Ci...

Civil rights leader Barbara Arnwine joins returning guests Justin and Caitlyn Arnwine (her son and daughter-in-law) to discuss the ways poker strategy has informed their activism around civil rights and voter suppression.

The Map of Shame

My Vote Don’t Count by YelloPain

Support the podcast and get daily strategy discussions by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

Our latest poker strategy video, reviewing Andrew’s ACR Sunday Special win, is now available from The Nitcast Store.

GTO Wizard AI has just received a new update: ICM Postflop Solutions!

This...

1983 WSOP Main Event champion Tom McEvoy’s new autobiography, Poker Pioneer, is the perfect impetus for celebrating his storied, decades-long career. With Carlos and Andrew, Tom discusses going pro in the 70s, defeating Doyle Brunson in the Main Event, rubbing elbows with Stu Ungar, writing books with TJ Cloutier, dating Kathy Liebert, repping PokerStars, auditing Ultimate Bet, and much more!

Support the podcast and get daily strategy discussions by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

Our latest poker strategy video, reviewing Andrew’s ACR Sunday Special win, is now available from The Nitcast Store.

GTO Wiz...

Michelle Farmer and Natascha Carpenter met 8 years ago in a bar poker league. They founded Royal Queens Poker in Atlanta in 2024 after seeing the lack of diversity in other leagues. They discuss with Andrew, Carlos, and Gloria Jackson the challenges and rewards of running a poker business, their own experiences on the real money circuit, and more.

Thanks to Caitlyn Arnwine for connecting us with them!

Follow Royal Queens Poker on Social Media:

Instagram
Facebook
Tiktok

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Bulgarian poker pro Stoyan Obreshkov joins Carlos and Andrew for an incredibly deep and forward-thinking conversation about poker strategy. Topics include efficient study, exploits, ICM, post-ICM, preparing a friend for the Main Event final table, and much more!

Get coaching from Stoyan!

Support the podcast and get daily strategy discussions by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

Our latest poker strategy video, reviewing Andrew’s ACR Sunday Special win, is now available from The Nitcast Store.

GTO Wizard AI has just received a new update: ICM Postflop Solutions!

This new featu...

Jesse Fullen, our guest from Episode 436, was a Content Producer for the WSOP this summer. In this special episode, he discusses the experience and some of his favorite stories he collected.

Stefanie Ungar
Tom McEvoy
Gene Bellar
Isabel Yishu Yang
Deb Swift
Jack Binion

Support the podcast and get daily strategy discussions by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

Our latest poker strategy video, reviewing Andrew’s ACR Sunday Special win, is now available from The Nitcast Store.

GTO Wizard AI has just received a new update: ICM...

Poker pro and coach Matt Hunt returns to the show to talk deep poker strategy, with an emphasis on multiway pots and postflop ICM.

Our latest poker strategy video, reviewing Andrew’s ACR Sunday Special win, is now available from The Nitcast Store.

GTO Wizard AI has just received a new update: ICM Postflop Solutions!

This new feature will allow you to:

Study ICM solutions for any postflop scenario, instantly.

Dominate Classic MTTs, PKOs, Mystery Bounties, Freezeouts, and Satellites.

And exploit by nodelocking ranges and taking advantage of...

This Apestyles interview is everything you’d want it to be and more: great stories, high-level poker strategy, even music recommendations! It’s easy to see why Jonathan Van Fleet is a legend both on and off the felt.

You can follow Apestyles on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube. His coaching is available from his website and his seminars from BBZ.

Our latest poker strategy video, reviewing Andrew’s ACR Sunday Special win, is now available from The Nitcast Store.

GTO Wizard AI has just received a new update: ICM Postflop Solutions!

This...

It’s pure strategy as Andrew and Carlos answer a series of listener questions about satellite strategy, pot commitment, deepstacked play, and more!

Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

Our latest poker strategy video, reviewing Andrew’s ACR Sunday Special win, is now available from The Nitcast Store.

Receive 10% off your GTO Wizard subscription when you sign up here: GTO Wizard.

Poker is just one of Dee Burks’s many eclectic interests. She’s also a YouTuber, a novelist, a traveler, and much more. Dee has a unique perspective on the game and a deep family history with it, including a great story about Benny Binion.

Retirement Rescue YouTube channel
Cathedral of the Sun by Dee Burks
Caprock Content Consultants

Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and*

Andrew Moxon became Twitter-famous for his blunt, insightful threads about American culture and politics (the Nazi part, specifically). But before that, he authored a popular poker blog, The Goat Speaks. He talks to Carlos and Andrew about what drew him to poker, how Trump’s election changed the way he thought about America, and the dangers of writing about Nazis.

In the strategy segment, Carlos and Andrew discuss the merits of M vs big blinds as a measure of stack depth.

Our latest poker strategy video, reviewing Andrew’s ACR Sunday Special win, is now avai...

Darius Studdard’s poker career really took off when he joined a study group first discussed in our interview with Sundiata Devore. We discuss effective and efficient studying, hustle culture (with the help of Gloria Jackson), shot taking, home games, and more.

Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

Receive 10% off your GTO Wizard subscription when you sign up here: GTO Wizard.

Daniel Levine is a long-time Texas poker player, with experience in both the current card rooms and the underground games that preceded them. He’s also got experience with stuttering, debt, campus activism, and hip hop, making him an incredibly insightful and eclectic conversationalist.

Hip Hop History: https://mankinlevine.com/2018/03/hip-hop-history-part-i/ 

Each part should link to the next, but this is all of them: https://mankinlevine.com/tag/hip-hop-history/

Blacktongue Thief: https://www.amazon.com/Blacktongue-Thief-1/dp/1250621194

Ann Leckie: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ann-Leckie/author/B00BS14SXA (Ancillary Justice is the...

Charlie Wilmoth made the financially responsible decision to leave a career as a musician and baseball writer and begin a career as a professional poker player. He documents this journey with remarkable candor on his Third Man Walking podcast, and in this interview with Carlos and Andrew.

As a staple of LA cash games, Charlie has some experience with Double Board PLO Bomb Pots. In the strategy segment, he joins the guys in a discussion of essential strategic principles for playing them profitably.

Third Man Walking
Fox Japan

Support the podcast, get...

Sundiata DeVore is a serious student of poker. In early 2023, all that studying paid off with a (nearly) seven-figure score, and he hasn’t slowed down since. In this interview, he shares his journey with Carlos and Andrew, including the secret to how he motivates himself to study.

Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

Receive 10% off your GTO Wizard subscription when you sign up here: GTO Wizard.

Mickey Wang may be married to a professional poker player, but her personal poker education got a jumpstart when she became general manager of the Barrel Social Club in southern Kentucky. Carlos and Andrew talk to her about how what goes into running a small poker room.

Mickey’s spouse Matt Vaughan was on Episode 307.

Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

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Jesse Fullen loves poker, and he loves sharing it with new people. That’s made him a great community and social media manager. He’s a great storyteller as well, and he shares some favorities with us about poker legends like Doyle Brunson and Mike Matusow.

Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

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Carlota Gonzalez is a rock radio personality with a deep background in poker. She believes all serious poker players should experience dealing as well and has dealt herself at the WSOP. We talk to her about her own poker experiences, what players can learn from dealing, and whether Nickelback is overrated (the answer may surprise you!).

Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

Receive 10% off your GTO Wizard subscription when you sign up here: GTO Wizard.

Ti...

Duration: 01:20:05

Lupe Soto has been a passionate poker player and promoter of women’s events for 25+ years. She shares her deep experience with Carlos and Andrew and also discusses her charitable with Poker Gives. 

Poker Gives distributes goods from 7-10pm on Mondays at 200 E. Foremaster.

Do Solvers Have Targets?

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Timestamps

0:30 – Hello Duration: 01:28:20

Boxing lawyer Lamont Jones wrote The Gist of Bid Whist because he believes card games connect people and that the rich story of Bid Whist deserves to be widely known. He shares the game’s fascinating history with Carlos and Andrew, beginning with the 19th century Pullman Porters. He also explains the strategy and makes his case for why poker lovers might enjoy Bid Whist.

The Gist of Bid Whist

Also available from Amazon.

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Dim the lights! Jeff Platt is on the show to talk poker and broadcasting with Carlos and Andrew. Why broadcasting? Why poker? What makes for a great poker broadcast? A great interview?

Is Jeff Platt the nicest guy in poker?

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Caitlyn Arnwine and LoriAnn Persinger return to the show to help us brainstorm solutions to the problems of representation and unequal opportunity in the poker world. In the introduction, Andrew and Carlos console themselves over their runner-up finish at the GPI Awards and Gloria Jackson joins to discuss the event. 

Caitlyn Arnwine first appeared on Episode 397 as Caitlyn Cobb. She also appeared on our earlier episode on women’s events. We spoke with her husband, Justin Arnwine, on Episodes 398 and 399.

LoriAnn Persinger first appeared on Episode 394.

Gloria Jackson first appeared on Episode 401. She and...

From (semi) professional paintball to house party home games to high stakes LA cash, Fausto Valdez’s path to poker has been unique. He’s formed some strong opinions along the way: about pre-flop raise sizes, the politics of private games, how nits stack their chips, and more.

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Isaac “Ike” Haxton returns to the podcast after eleven years, joining Carlos and Andrew for a conversation about studying, staying on top, the limitations of solvers, why he still masks in public spaces, and more. Isaac first appeared on Episode 18.

Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to Thinking Poker Daily. 

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Jorbs AKA Stephen Flavall is a storyteller and strategy games streamer. His current focus is Slay the Spire, but once upon a time he was a professional poker player. He shares that journey with Carlos and Andrew, plus insights into cultivating community, the darker side of streaming, and more.

Stephen is the author of Before We Go Live: Navigating the Abusive World of Online Entertainment. You can find him on on Twitch, YouTube, and Discord.

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Pamela Balzano’s older brother got her into poker, but while he was a professional player, her first interest was in content creation. After launching successful Spanish language YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok channels, she is now a serious player as well, as well as an announcer and host for events across Latin America.

Pamela recommends Cosmos by Carl Sagan.

The author Andrew recommended is James Gleick.

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Recei...

Math professor and poker author Ducan Palamourdas returns for another wide-ranging conversation about game theory, finding edges, local metagames, how strategies evolve, and much more. Duncan first appeared on Episode 349 of the Thinking Poker Podcast.

Why Alex Beats Bobbie at Poker
Slay the Spire

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Matt Matros is a professional poker player and writer whose works include both fiction and poker books. With Carlos and Andrew, he discusses concepts from his new book, 23 No-Limit Hold ‘Em Hands From 2023, and an interesting pot he and Carlos played together. Matt previously appeared on Episode 301 and Episode 379.

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2023 was a banner year for the Thinking Poker Podcast, and we’re counting down our favorite interviews and best strategy content. Helping us out is Chad McVean, who may well have consumed more hours of poker podcasts this year than anyone else on Earth!

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K.L. Cleeton returns to the show to discuss the highs and lows of his last few years, including memorable WSOP trips and getting stranded by a hotel that couldn’t accommodate his hospital bed. K.L. has previously appeared on Episode 224 and Episode 279.

In the strategy segment, Andrew discusses some counter-intuitive exploits against opponents who c-et too often.

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Dad, data engineer, and poker player Chad Gardner talks about (not) making time for poker and how, as an amateur, he prepared to compete in Day 3 of WPT Jacksonville.

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Former Thinking Poker host Nate Meyvis returns to the show after a hiatus to discuss how poker strategy has changed in the last few years. 

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Justin Moyer is a poker player, musician, and Pulitzer-prize winning journalist with the Washington Post. Among other topics, he covers poker, gambling, and casinos for the Post and has interviewed both Carlos and Andrew for articles.

His post-dance-punk band, Light Beams, have just released their new album via Dischord Records. All their links are here.

Poker at Charles Town Races and Greenbrier

Mike Postle article

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Ed Miller, author of classic poker books like The Course and frequent Thinking Poker guest, has a new book out tomorrow called Interception: The Secrets of Modern Sports Betting. It’s all about how modern sports books operate and how to find the best bets they offer. Even if you aren’t interested in sports betting, it’s a fascinating read. Ed shares some juicy details and other stories with Carlos and Andrew.

Some of Ed’s previous appearances include:

Episode 25: General Strategy
Episode 71: Poker’s 1%
Episode 113: The Course
Episode 178: Finding Edges
Episo...

Pure strategy this week, as Carlos and Andrew review a bunch of tricky decisions from Andrew’s recent final table finish in the $109 Warm Up on ACR. 

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Hand Histories and GTO Wizard Sims

99 facing check-raise and barrel on paired board Sim

https://www.cardschat.com/replayer/?hand=3q2qtbKo

Barreling overs and gutter in 3BP Sim

https://www.cardschat.com/replayer/?hand=5q2qtrFO...

Kimberly Willingham is the Executive Director of the Boston Debate League, a non-profit organization Andrew founded in 2005. She talks to Andrew and Carlos about how the organization has grown and changed, the value of debate in urban public schools, and the challenges of navigating controversial subjects.

In the strategy segment, Carlos takes Andrew to task for failing to fold top pair, top kicker to a flop raise in a multway pot.

Please support the Boston Debate League.

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WSOP/WPT/PokerGo presenter Kara Scott shares the person behind the famous face, from her youth living out of a camper in rural Alberta to her experiences as a Muay Thai competitor to her current life as a fiercely compassionate voice in poker media. In the strategy segment, Carlos and Andrew discuss how to respond to donk bets.

Listen to Kara’s podcast, Heart of Poker!

More information about coaching is available at www.thinkingpoker.net/coaching.

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Bert Stevens AKA girafganger7 is one of the most successful MTT players on the internet. He’s also intimately familiar with some of the biggest cheating scandals of recent years, as a victim of the multi-accounting on GG Poker and an associate of Bryn Kenney. Carlos and Andrew talk to him about all this plus how his life on a rescue farm has shaped his view of the world.

In the strategy segment, Carlos and Andrew discuss playing draws from out of position.

Bert previously appeared on Episode 285. His review of Carlos’s WSOP bracelet win...

The poker world is ripe for parody, and with formal training as an actress and Groundlings comedian, Caitlin Comeskey is the woman for the job. Her costume-changing skits are a hit on Twitter, and now she and fellow comedian Niki Limo are bringing fun sketches, games, and interviews to their Aceholes podcast. She talks to Carlos and Andrew about how she combines her passions for acting, comedy, and poker.

In the strategy segment, Andrew and Carlos explain why “range reading” is better than “hand reading”.

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Shelby Wells is a long-time poker fan who got the chance of a lifetime when she won a Twitter contest for a seat in the 2022 Main Event. She made Day 6, ultimately winning $73K and a lot of clout at the poker room where she had recently started dealing. Carlos and Andrew talk to her about her journey as well as her experiences as a dealer, playing at the feature table with Daniel Negreanu, and more.

In the strategy segment, Andrew discusses the infmaous KK vs QQ vs JJ from the final two tables of the 2023 Main Event.<...

No one on Earth has played more live poker tournaments than Ari Engel. He’s a force to be reckoned with live and online, in every game under the sun. More impressively, he’s funny and humble and has great taste in podcasts.

In the strategy segment, Andrew and Carlos discuss keeping track of the pot size and your opponents’ stacks in real time.

Ari first appeared on Episode 82.

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Poker superfan Jay Kelly tried to hook Gloria Jackson up with Carlos more than a year ago, when the two women first met. She joins Andrew, Carlos, and Gloria to help tell the story of her and Gloria’s friendship and Carlos and Gloria’s podcast-born romance.

We highly recommend listening to Gloria Jackson’s first appearance on Episode 401. It’s a fantastic episode in its own right and a good introduction to this conversation.

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Carlos and Andrew answer a slew of strategy questions from the Patron: running it twice, folding a full house, playing short stacked in the Big Blind, and much more!

Links to Strategy Questions

https://i.gyazo.com/a7c40326f662b4b0cafc39516aa5d362.png william
https://i.gyazo.com/8099523d5edc1cb20730948a42e85a20.png michael
https://i.gyazo.com/821e71e62841ad6eafd388d7827b3905.png eric
https://i.gyazo.com/ea38d02a4a2e9b29de4fcd5a49df3394.png daniel
https://i.gyazo.com...

Joel Dias-Porter is a true renaissance man, capable of mastering a metaphor, programming a computer, hedging a parlay, spinning a record, and bluffing your face off. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss pre-Boom Atlantic City poker, whether poker is a creative pursuit, why we need more poker literature, and what exactly depends upon a red wheelbarrow. Plus, he reads a few poems for us and gives Carlos a run for his money in the hip hop trivia department.

Joel’s blog
Old Man James
DJ Renegade on Soundcloud
Joel’s book Ideas of Improvisation

High stakes cash pro and prolific content creator Saulo Costa talks big data, population reads, exploits, and more in this wide-ranging, mind-expanding conversation. Plus a little Marvel Snap strategy in the intro.

Saulo’s YouTube channel
Five Tips to Study Poker via GTO Wizard

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Dayanna Ciabaton finished second in the recent Women’s Event at the Seminole Hard Rock. The first place winner was a man. Dayanna, Caitlyn Cobb, and Gloria Jackson join Andrew and Carlos to discuss the need for women’s events and the problem of men who insist on playing them.

Caitlyn invites all women, including trans women, to join the #WomenPlayPoker Twitter Events Committee.

Ebony Kenney has been playing serious poker longer than Andrew or Carlos, but she only recently started serious studying. That didn’t keep her from making three final tables at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series, including a $1.7 million dollar score for her 5th place finish in the $200K event. In this extraordinary interview, she discusses the life-changing experience, her unique career, and her unique approach to life.

In the strategy segment, Andrew and Carlos discuss playing the turn after the pre-flop raiser declines to continuation bet the flop.

This three-part documentary tells the st...

EPT Paris runner-up Peter Jörgne joins Carlos and Andrew to talk about entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and holding his own against seasoned professionals at the highest stakes. Plus, Carlos and Andrew discuss out-of-position c-betting.

OOP C-Betting
Playing as the IP Cold Caller

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Pick up our new ICM-focused tournament review and other premium strategy products at www.nitcast.com.

From PC gaming to pool to competitive skydiving to poker, Lara Eisenberg has always crushed the competition. And she does it all while still working as a radiologist! Carlos and Andrew pry from her a few of the secrets to her success, plus we’ve got a major life update from Carlos!

Poker League of Nations
The Art of Learning
Heroic app

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Pick up our new ICM-focused tour...

Poker cashier Jesse Segall joins Carlos and Andrew to discuss his experience in the Wynn $10K, why dedicated poker cashiers are valuable, and much more. Plus Andrew explains how to play a big stack at the final table.

New! ICM-Focused Tournament Review
GTO Wizard Blog
Thinking Poker Daily

Matt Glassman discusses his prize-winning poker essay and how he prepared to take on the best players in the world in the PSPC $25K. Plus a bonus interview with Tommy Angelo discussing his new article How to Meditate While You Play Poker.

New! ICM-Focused Tournament Review
GTO Wizard Blog
Thinking Poker Daily

Not many people have worked harder than Gloria Jackson to get a poker career off the ground. She left school with only an 8th grade education to take care of her family, but later went back to get a GED and enroll in college. With a little help from her sister Chantell and her friend Brendan Shiller, she details her journey from nanny and housekeeper to praline peddler to home game chef to poker professional. 

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Carlos and Andrew present and reflect on clips from the first four hundred episodes of Thinking Poker, with an emphasis on memorable characters and early predictions.

Episode 2: Tommy Angelo
Episode 6: Gareth Chantler
Episode 10: Leo Wolpert
Episode 21: Tubby Boots
Episode 25: Ed Miller
Episode 29: Carlos Mailbag
Episode 39: Carlos Welch
Episode 42: Faraz Jaka
Episode 47: Bluffcatching
Episode 50: Keone Young
Episode 53: Dave Eggers Rant
Episode 59: Sean Lango, bank robbery, and travel lentils
Episode 67: Gareth’s big win
Episode 70: Jen Shahade
Episode 125: Angela Jordison
Episode 128.1: New Theme Song

In the second half of this epic interview, Justin Arnwine speaks with Carlos and Andrew about merit, representation, and gatekeeping; riding poker’s emotional rollercoaster, recovering from frustration; and why high stakes games attract too much attention.

Be sure to listen to Part 1 of Justin’s interview if you haven’t already. You’ll also want to hear our interview with Justin’s wife Caitlyn Cobb.

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In the first installment of this epic, four-hour interview Justin Arnwine discusses his poker career, his Hello Kitty wardrobe, and the influence of his mother, a civil rights activist and attorney.

Justin’s Hello Kitty Everything music video

Barbara Arnwine in action

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Once homeless, Caitlyn Cobb now grinds ApeStyles videos and recently shipped over $170K for her second-place finish in the Potomac Winter Poker Open. She shares her extraordinary poker journey with Carlos and Andrew, plus the hassles of staying in shelters, the joy of learning about Black history, and more. You can find Caitlyn’s poker tweets plus a month’s worth of Black history celebration at https://twitter.com/TheCaitlynBot.

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Sam Grafton joins Carlos and Andrew to discuss moving up to the nosebleeds, staying competitive with the best players in the world, the politics of the super high roller circuit, and of course some literature recommendations:

Deborah Levy
Jorge Amado
W.G. Sebald

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Jamie Kerstetter joins Carlos and Andrew to talk WPT, WSOP, commentating, and the politics of high stakes cash game streams. Plus Andrew offers an overview of turn strategy.

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Poker lover LoriAnn Persinger won a social media contest that earned her an entry into the $10K WPT World Championship, ultimately finishing 30th for $119,000! She speaks to Carlos and Andrew about the experience plus her long love affair with poker, her history in poker media, her string of game show victories, and more.

Timestamps

11:39 WPT World Championship
28:29 Game Shows
56:22 Fitting the Profile
1:23:00 Rapid Fire
1:47:27 Diversity Benefits Everyone
1:56:20 Introverts
2:07:08 Living in Las Vegas

Links

GTO Wizard Blog
LoriAnn on Celebrity Name Game
Poker News...

Poker theorist Tom “tombos21” Boshoff joins Andrew and Carlos to geek out about everything from how solvers work to when ICM becomes a factor in tournaments (it’s sooner than you think!), balancing ICM and stack dynamics in PKOs, and so much more.

Tom’s article about ICM
Tom’s video about ICM
More free strategy from Tom and Andrew