Life Outside Poker is a podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

In the 32nd episode, Connor talks with Global Poker Award-winning content creator Abby Merk about growing up in Chicago, studying philosophy at Wake Forest University, leaving her corporate job to become one of poker's top creators, playing her first World Series of Poker in 2021, making a goal to post daily content and being nominated for two Global Poker Awards.

Merk also talks about battling with Stephen Chidwick in the WSOP Main Event and being at the final table for a 2023 controversy over a man winning a ladies poker tournament in Florida.

This interview was filmed at the 2025 WSOP at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Abby Merk by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Be sure to follow Abby Merk and Connor Richards on X.

Learn More About Life Outside Poker!

Timestamps TIME TOPIC 0:00 Intro 0:18 WSOP Tag Team 3:12 Growing up in Chicago & getting into poker 7:44 Studying philosophy at Wake Forest University 8:00 Working at an options trading firm 11:25 First WSOP in 2021 13:55 Content creation 15:09 Posting daily 19:48 Women in poker 21:49 Florida man wins ladies tournament controversy 25:34 Playing the Main Event 27:10 Battling Stephen Chidwick 29:20 Winning a Global Poker Award 33:16 Barcelona/Travel 38:48 Book recommendation 39:36 Advice for younger self 40:14 Favorite life lesson from poker