Poker: All the Games

Update: This is a newer audio file without a glitch that was at 41'20" in the original file.

On Episode #81 of Poker: All The Games, Shawn is joined by guest co-host ‘SuperJoe’ Gugelman for a conversation with Jim Kanderski, owner of The Reserve Poker Club in Toledo, Ohio.

Joe returns after his appearance on our last episode, this time on the other side of the mic. With Martin traveling back from Italy, Joe joins Shawn to talk poker with someone he knows well, who also happens to own The Reserve.

Jim takes us through his journey from home games to owning a poker club, how mixed games have become part of The Reserve’s identity, and what it means to welcome the WSOP Circuit to Toledo from October 29 through November 9, 2026.

We also get into what goes on behind the scenes when preparing a poker room for a major tournament series, what makes a WSOP-C stop successful, and the differences between hosting a home game and running a poker club.

Whether you’re a mixed-game regular, a poker room operator, a home game host, or simply curious about what it takes to build a poker community, there’s plenty to enjoy in this episode.

In This Episode

* 6:01 — From Home Games to a Poker Club: Jim’s journey from hosting games to running The Reserve.

* 23:00 — Mixed Games & The Reserve: How mixed games fit into the club’s poker culture.

* 33:27 — WSOP-C at The Reserve Club: The upcoming WSOP Circuit stop in Toledo and what it means for the club.

* 41:24 — Preparing a Poker Room for a WSOP-C: What goes into getting ready for a major tournament series.

* 48:06 — What Makes a Successful WSOP-C? The ingredients that can make a tournament stop work for players and organizers.

* 51:18 — Home Game Host vs. Poker Club Owner: Similarities, differences, and the realities of running poker.

* 63:33 — Upcoming Mixed Cash Games & Tournaments in the U.S. & Europe

* 68:21 — Social Media Contact Info

Join the Conversation

The WSOP Circuit’s arrival at The Reserve is an exciting development for Toledo poker, including for players who enjoy mixed games. Alongside the scheduled H.O.R.S.E., Pot-Limit Omaha, and Big-O tournaments, The Reserve’s regular mixed cash games offer another reason for mixed-game players to pay attention to this stop.

Have you played at The Reserve? Are you planning to make the trip to the WSOP Circuit? Let us know what you’re looking forward to, and tell us which mixed-game variants you’d most like to see featured at major tournament stops.

What happens when a poker player who loves to learn, play, and experiment finds himself deep in a $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event at the World Series of Poker?

You get a great poker story — and plenty to talk about.

On this episode of Poker: All the Games, we’re joined by Joe Gugelman, hereforth better known in the mixed-game world as “Super Joe.” He recently made the final table of the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2026 WSOP, giving us a chance to talk about the road that led him there, the appeal of mixed games, and what it feels like to find yourself deep in a WSOP bracelet event.

But this conversation goes well beyond one tournament.

Joe shares his journey into mixed games, his thoughts on the balance between playing and studying, and the strange and wonderful evolution from H.O.R.S.E. to TORSE, TORSES, and other mixed-game creations. We also get into the Orleans Triple Triple Draw, a format that deserves more attention.

Then we turn to the 2026 WSOP.

Joe takes us inside his $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. run — what it was like to get deep, the adjustments required as the field shrinks, and the experience of playing for a place at a WSOP final table. We finish with the final hand and what it means to actually FT a WSOP bracelet event.

And there’s more to come from Joe: in a future episode, we’ll break down hands from his 2026 final-table run, taking a closer look at the key decisions and thought processes behind his deep WSOP finish.

Timestamps:

1'28" — Who is Kent aka “Super Joe” Gugelman?

9'30" — The transition to mixed games

20'17" — Insights on playing vs. studying

22'30" — H.O.R.S.E. → TORSE → TORSES

30'21" — The Orleans Triple Triple Draw

35:50" — The $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. at the 2026 WSOP

48'25" — Deep in a WSOP bracelet event

50'18" — Hand histories & the Reserve Poker Club teaser

50'57" — The final hand & what it means to FT a WSOP bracelet event

57’37” Reserve Poker Club Teaser

58’23” Next Episode Teaser

59’08” Social Media Contact Info

Whether you’re a seasoned mixed-game player, a H.O.R.S.E. enthusiast, or someone who’s mostly been grinding the no-limit streets, this is a conversation worth hearing.

Press play, meet “Super Joe”, and come along for the ride from mixed-game curiosity to a WSOP final table!

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Sviten Special poker strategy, exploring how to evaluate starting hands, understand hand strength, and make better decisions as the pot develops. We begin with a review of the Sviten rules and gameplay, then discuss when to apply key strategic principles and how frequently you can expect to be dealt certain starting hands.

A hand that looks incredibly strong in one poker variant can be surprisingly vulnerable in Sviten. And understanding why is at the heart of playing the game well. We break down the strategic ideas that separate a solid Sviten player from someone simply playing familiar poker concepts in an unfamiliar format by discussing important concepts such as how the strength of your Draw and/or Omaha hand should influence your decisions.

From there, we explore Stack-to-Pot Ratio (SPR), bet sizing, and tournament considerations, including how to balance your bets without falling into the trap of automatically making full-pot raises.

Then things get especially interesting.

What does a “set” actually mean in Sviten?

We compare 5-Card Draw hand strength with Sviten, including why a set in one game can have a very different strategic value in the other. We also discuss how to approach strong drawing hands and how your opponent’s playing style should affect your decisions. Finally, Martin brings up what should be a normal cash-game hand that turns completely crazy.

We finish with a look at Fixed-Limit Sviten.

If you’re serious about improving at Sviten Special, this is an episode worth slowing down for. The game rewards players who understand not just what their hand is—but how strong that hand actually is in the context of the pot, the board, the draw, the opponent, and the betting structure.

Timeline:

* Intro

2’15” - Review of Sviten rules & play

4’52” - When to apply key strategic principles

6’25” - How often certain starting hands are dealt

9’51” - Using Omaha hand strength: SPR & bet sizing

13’58” - Tournament considerations

17’18” - Comments from Shawn

24’04“ - Balancing bet sizes and SPR; avoiding full-pot raises

28’34” - 5-Card Draw vs. Sviten hand strength

31’57” - Sets in 5-Card Draw vs. Sviten

34’17” - Strong drawing hands: strategy & considerations

35’37” - Understanding different player types

41’18” - A crazy cash-game hand

43:33” - Fixed-Limit Sviten

46’53” - Upcoming Mixed Tournaments & Cash (U.S.)

51’13” - Upcoming Mixed Tournaments & Cash (Europe)

55’48” - Next Episode Teaser

56’27” - Social Media Contact Info

57’25” - Outro

LINKS:

· Reserve Poker Room WSOP-C schedule

https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/wsop-circuit-the-reserve-poker-club/

· Borgata Casino Fall Poker Open, Atlantic City, NJ

https://borgata.mgmresorts.com/en/casino/poker.html

· TCH Austin, Texas WSOP-C Schedule

· https://www.texascardhouse.com/wsop

The summer poker grind is in full swing, and this episode is packed from start to finish.

We kick things off with a full WSOP and Las Vegas summer trip report, including the highlights, surprises, and unforgettable moments from another incredible World Series of Poker experience. Along the way, we also share what it is like being a world-renowned podcast host.

From there, we head back in time with mention of saloon poker in the Midwest, before diving into the Mixed Games Festival XIV at Bellagio.

The strategy discussion is loaded this week with analyzing an interesting spot from a Daniel Negreanu $50K Poker Players Championship 2-7 Single Draw hand, and explore some tournament considerations between Limit and NL play.

We also take a detour into sports history with a fun conversation about the origins and distinctions between soccer, football, and American football, preview the upcoming Tallinn Mixed Games Festival, discuss mixed games in Ohio, and plenty more along the way.

Whether you’re deep in the WSOP grind, love Mixed Games, or simply enjoy great Poker stories and strategy, there’s something in this episode for you.

Thanks for listening, and as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts after the show!

Timestamps:

Introduction

1’36” WSOP / Vegas Summer Trip Report

15’12” Mixed Game Festival XIV Bellagio

22’27” Coach’s Game

24’21” Dishing It Back to Kessler

25’26” World Renowned Podcast Host!

30’39” Nick Schulman @ Monte Cristo Cigar Lounge

34’40” $500 WSOP NL Hold ‘em Freezeout Adventure + Discussion vs Unlimited Rebuy

44’21” Limit vs NL Considerations

48’06” Familiar Faces, WSOP Live App Usage, Pocket A’s how many times?!?

54’15” Recent Play – Martin

56’02” World Cup Soccer / Football vs American Football // History of Football & Rugby

60’23” Upcoming Mixed Tournaments & Cash (U.S.)

63’07” Upcoming Mixed Tournaments & Cash (Europe)

65’31” Negreanu’s $50k PPC 2-7 SD Hand - Our Analysis

84’52” Next Episode Teaser

85’29” Social Media Contact Info

The Festival Weekend Tallinn 2026: https://www.thefestival.com/the-festival-weekend-tallinn-2026

Reserve Poker Club Toledo, OH: https://thereservepoker.com/

Reserve Poker Club FB Page: facebook.com/share/18zpWWXpTy/?mibextid=wwXlfr

Reserve Club Mystery Mixed Game freeroll tournament:

Pot Limit: Chicago, Big-O, 5 Card PLO, Courchevel, Badugi

NL: Hold' em, Crazy Pineapple, Short Deck Hold 'em, 2-7 SD, Razz

Mixed Game Poker of Indiana/Michigan/Ohio FB Page: facebook.com/groups/3810869609184128

Join us for Part III of our ongoing video series featuring a deep, hand-for-hand analysis of an action-packed online 8-Game tournament at Phenom Poker, with insights directly from the felt.

This isn’t a highlight reel.And it’s not surface-level commentary.

Each episode (starting with #73) walks through the tournament one decision at a time, breaking down …

Join us as we continue our deep dive with Part II in this video series covering an exclusive hand-for-hand analysis, from an action-packed online 8-Game Tournament, featuring insights from the felt. From key decisions to pivotal moments that make all the difference, we break it down with precision and depth.

This isn’t a highlight reel.This isn’t surface…

Join us as we dive deep into an exclusive hand-for-hand analysis, from an action-packed online 8-Game Tournament, featuring insights from the felt. From key decisions to pivotal moments that make all the difference, we break it down with precision and depth.

This series features a hand-by-hand breakdown of an entire 8-Game tournament played online at Phe…

If you love mixed games, tournament table pressure, and elite-level analysis — you’re in the right place!

Join us as we dive deep into an exclusive hand-for-hand analysis, from an action-packed online 8-Game Tournament, featuring insights from the felt. From key decisions to pivotal moments that make all the difference, we break it down with precision and depth.

Enjoy this preview to a series of videos of a hand-for-hand analysis of an entire 8-Game tournament that was played online at Phenom Poker! The entire tournament has been broken down into several episodes of about an hour each…

…To get access to the full hand-for-hand analysis of this entire tournament, subscribe at pokerchannel.substack.com 🎥♠️

How to play Binglaha plus basic strategy with guest Don “Bingo” Rieck. Invention of Binglaha with Nolan Dalla plus variations. BARGE, huh? Say what, dealers winning pots! BARGE events with Greg “Fossilman” Raymer & Andy Bloch. Upcoming Non-Hold ‘em Tournaments in the U.S. Martin’s Tournament Play & Special Announcement!

Timestamps:

Introduction

1’ 11” Guest Intro – Don Rieck

01’54” What is BARGE?!?

4’06” The Invention of Binglaha

6’19” Rules & Play of Binglaha

11’20” Variations of Binglaha & Anecdotes

17’02” Strategy Tips for Binglaha

28’33” Codifying New Games into BARGE Rulebook

35’23” Not So Mix Scene in Chicago & A.C.

38’44” Upcoming Tournaments (U.S.)

41’10” Recent Mixed Game Play & Special Announcement!

42’28” Stay Tuned

42’43” Social Media Contact Info

Links

BARGE website: https://www.barge.org/

BARGE Rulebook: https://www.barge.org/rulebook.pdf

Where to play BARGE games online: https://craftpoker.com/

How to play Chicago plus basic strategy with Franke von Zweigbergk! History of the game plus Tournament play. Upcoming Non-Hold ‘em Tournaments in the U.S. & Europe. Recent Mixed Game play.

The Festival Series Rules for Chicago: https://www.thefestival.com/the-festival-series-explains-chicago

Timestamps:

Introduction

1’ 15” Guest Intro

02’16” Bratislava Festival Series Stop & Relevance of Chicago

09’24” Rules & Play of Chicago

20’00” Special Rules for Chicago

25’38” Tournament Play

34’11” Strategy Tips (plus an additional special rule)

39’31” Upcoming Tournaments (U.S.)

41’34” Recent Mixed Game Play

45’58” Next Episode Teaser

46’26” Social Media Contact Info