Come Play Poker with us online! The true underdogs of online poker (and the only site where the players get 50% of the rake right back in their pockets!)

Sign up here: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1

OR… Come play with us in Las Vegas at Table 1! https://table1.vegas

Grew up outside Philly. Played lacrosse at Penn State. Obsessed over Counter-Strike.

Accidentally turned a Puerto Rico casino trip into an $8k “beer money” bankroll.

By senior year of college? $150k in his poker account.

Six months later? Nearly dusted it. Then hit for $60k at PCA and never looked back.

John has lived the full poker arc: Black Friday moves to Toronto, huge scores in Europe (including tilting Luke Schwartz in Prague), New York DJ lifestyle, Bay Area private games… and now? He’s running A5 Labs, a 200-person tech team building AI that hunts bots and collusion across online poker.

This episode is funny, wild, and brutally honest. It’s about how obsession becomes opportunity, how every poker player eventually faces the “what’s next” moment, and how John turned his into a career shaping the entire industry.

• 00:00 – Early Life & Penn State
• 07:22 – Counter Strike
• 10:19 – Finding Poker
• 15:49 – Making Poker Friends
• 19:23 – Life as a Poker Pro
• 24:35 – The Luke Schwartz Story
• 26:47 – Moving Across The Country
• 31:12 – Getting Into The Poker Security Industry
• 40:25 – How The Anti-Cheating Software Works
• 49:11 – Does John Still Care About Poker?
• 53:51 – Growing the Company
• 58:58 – Family Life + Poker + Business
• 1:04:35 – Golf?
• 1:10:34 – The Future! (And That Pesky Card Showing Feature)

• https://x.com/johnea6
• https://a5labs.co/

• What is Table 1? https://table1.vegas
• 200% Deposit Bonus at Phenom Poker: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1

• https://x.com/artparmann
• SlotMaps — Beat Slots (seriously): https://slotmaps.com
• PokerHQ — Run your home game like a pro: https://pokerhq.io

• https://x.com/justinyoung07
• Play poker with Justin on Phenom: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=JYPoker

The true underdogs of online poker (and the only site where the players get 50% of the rake right back in their pockets!)
Sign up here

OR... Come play with us in Las Vegas at Table 1!
https://table1.vegas

What do you get when you cross a 7-year-old playing poker at his great-grandpa’s funeral, an 18-year-old getting sent to max security, and a man who once ran a dice game out of a garage before he could drive?

You get Episode 93: Brian Green.

Texas-born. Prison-scarred. Bracelet-wearing.

Brian sits down with Art Parmann and Justin Young to tell one of the wildest life arcs you’ll ever hear—how he went from hustling on the streets to final tabling the $1M One Drop and cracking kings to win a WSOP bracelet.

🧠 But this episode isn’t just about bad beats and big wins.
It’s about how a guy who once lost $174K in minutes now pushes gratitude, positivity, andself-awareness in a game full of ego.

👊 Spoiler: He’s still a total degen. But now? He’s a thoughtful one.

• 🎲 Garage Gambling: How 12-year-old Brian ran dice and poker games before puberty
• 🚔 Six Years in Max Security: The PTSD, the survival, and how he came out stronger
• 💸 One Drop Miracle Run: From a $10K blackjack stake to $1.17M at the final table
• 🥇 WSOP Bracelet Victory: 6 BBs, a mid-tourney bathroom sprint, and one cracked pair of kings
• 😅 Punting $174K at Aria: What he did right after a Poker Masters heater
• 🫣 Viral Fail: His “Lucky Box” livestream moment (wrong item, wrong name… card declined)
• 🙌 Philosophy: On poker, emotions, competition, and finally—playing to win

• “A9 is my nemesis... and my savior.”
• “Every day is a great day when you’ve been in a cage.”
• “It’s not a macho contest. Play poker, bro.” — Cary Katz

📺 Subscribe now and watch a man tell his story like he plays the game: raw, real, and with nothing left in the tank.
Brian’s not perfect. He’s not polished. But damn, is he unforgettable.

• 00:00 — Introduction to Cards
• 07:29 — Emotions in Poker
• 12:41 — Bouncing Will Kassouf From a Party
• 15:02 — RIP Jack McClelland
• 18:22 — The 11 Year Old Drug Dealer?
• 26:39 — Prison???
• 35:51 — Getting Out!
• 45:17 — Debts in the Gambling World
• 49:30 — $10k to $1,000,000+ in the One Drop!
• 1:05:25 — Playing Up To Your Competition & Trusting Your Instincts
• 1:14:18 — Winning to a Bracelet!
• 1:20:27 — The Vending Machine Story
• 1:30:16 — One Degen Story For The Road

• briangreenpoker.com
• Instagram
• YouTube

• What is Table 1?
• 200% Deposit Bonus at Phenom Poker

• @artparmann
• SlotMaps — Beat Slots (seriously)
• PokerHQ — Run your home game like a pro

• @justinyoung07
• Play poker with Justin on Phenom

Luke Schwartz is famous for outbursts and sh*t talking at the table. Today he gives @Art & @Justin a few miles in his shoes. And now our feet hurt!

But before we start, wouldn't this episode hit different if you were playing poker while you watch it? Maybe even sticking it in some poor guy's eye on the virtual felt? Join us on Phenom Poker and get paid while you watch.

The true underdogs of online poker (and the only site where the players get 50% of the rake right back in their pockets)

🎯 Sign up here

OR if you like live poker, come play with us in Vegas at Table 1!

🎙️ Episode 92: Luke Schwartz

You may know him as Full Flush, or that guy who stuck it in David Benyamine's eye. Luke's not afraid of a little smack talk (so much so he even got his chat privileges revoked back in the day). But here he is 15+ years later to tell you how he's been getting on.

He gives us the full run down of his gambling career — from finding beatable slot machines to running up (and down) big online accounts. He's the spirit animal of a lot of poker players out there. And he even shares how he once won a $100k push-up prop bet at a home game.

💡 Sit back and crack a cold one. You're gonna enjoy this.

📝 Show Notes:

• ​00:00 Childhood Slot Hustling
• ​07:49 Hello Poker
• ​10:14 Upswinging
• ​13:31 Learning Omaha at High Stakes
• ​15:32 Famous Shit Talking, Full Tilt & Getting Hacked
• ​17:34 Finding Tournaments & Mixed Games
• ​19:52 Matchbook/PokerFarm Staking
• ​21:13 MTTs
• ​24:04 Luke’s Favorite Game & His WSOP Bracelet
• ​27:18 What’s Better, Cash or MTTs in Vegas?
• ​30:44 Ego in Poker
• ​35:22 In Your Eye You Arrogant Guy
• ​41:28 Villain Characters in Poker
• ​44:28 Heads Up Challenges
• ​46:55 Big Games & Prop Bets
• ​56:12 Sleeping Props And Sweating Cards
• ​1:02:49 Learn A New Game!
• ​1:09:21 Pudgy Penguins, Crypto & Isildur

🔗 Table 1 Links

• ​Website
• ​X / Twitter
• ​YouTube: @Table1Vegas

🧢 Justin's Links

• ​Twitter
• ​Play with Justin on Phenom

🎙️ Art's Links

• ​Twitter
• ​SlotMaps – Beat Slots (Seriously)
• ​PokerHQ – Run Your Home Game Like a Pro

Doug Polk clicked “Raise” and made millions.
Clicked “Upload” and built an army.
Taught the world how to win — then sold the playbook.
Now? He owns the card room too.

Doug Polk isn’t just playing poker.
He’s playing the whole damn game.

Speaking of making millions. Come play with us online at Phenom Poker!

The true underdogs of online poker (and the only site where the players get 50% of the rake right back in their pockets)
https://play.phenompoker.com/register...

OR Come play with us in Vegas at Table 1! (https://table1.vegas)

He roasted poker pros.
Built a brand off beef.
Bought a poker room.

Then in a surprise move he sold Upswing Poker to one of the biggest online poker operators in the world!

Code Doug indeed.

Now?
He’s not just creating content... he’s controlling the game.

This episode is fun, fast, honest, and loaded with behind-the-scenes stories that’ll make you say:
“Wait… he said that on air?!”

Go listen now before someone makes us takes it down.

Show Notes:

• 00:00 The NBC Heads Up Championship!
• 05:34 Young Doug
• 11:05 Competitive Gaming to Poker
• 16:20 Live Poker & Try Harding
• 21:31 Poker Reboots
• 23:18 Phil Hellmuth
• 27:28 The ESPN Story
• 31:22 One more Phil story please!
• 35:59 Is Poker Good For The World?
• 38:25 Back to the Storyline…Maybe
• 43:34 Make Poker Fun Again & High Roller Egos
• 47:59 Young Polk Struggling & TwoPlusTwo
• 51:38 The Recovery and Upswing Poker Sale
• 56:14 Daniel Negreanu
• 58:31 Where’s the Beef With Berkey & Nik Airball
• 1:05:59 Some Stand Up?
• 1:08:58 Vegas to Austin & The Lodge
• 1:12:22 The WPT vs WSOP & The $1,000,000 Promotion
• 1:20:36 Markup Police!

Doug's links:

• The Lodge Card Club - https://thelodgepokerclub.com/
• X - https://x.com/DougPolkVids
• YouTube - @DougPolkPoker
• https://clubwptgold.com/   Code: DOUG

Table 1 Links

• https://table1.vegas
• https://x.com/table1vegas
• /table1vegas
• YouTube - @Table1Vegas

The More Rake Is Better Giveaway at Phenom Poker: https://table1.vegas/rake

Play LIVE with us in Vegas at Table 1: https://table1.vegas

Episode 90: Crazy Mike

He's polarizing and he knows it. From HU Limit Holdem on a Navy ship to Heads Up Limit Holdem slot machines in Vegas, to learning mixed game poker at $300/$600 stakes. Mike's poker life has been a heads up session vs anyone that stands in his way. And he's here to tell his story.

Enjoy this conversation with a 1 of a kind man.

Show Notes

• 00:00 Who is Crazy Mike?
• 06:59 The Origin Story
• 11:25 Poker in the Navy
• 19:08 Childhood Gaming & Finding Poker
• 21:39 Bankroll Management & Heads Up Slot Machines
• 27:18 Vegas Dating Scene
• 30:29 Learning Mixed Games at 300/600 stakes?!
• 33:29 The Mixed Game World is Small
• 39:10 Why Private Games Exist
• 48:00 Mike Learning His Power
• 56:20 Georges vs Toms
• 58:52 Games of the Future
• 1:06:03 How to Get Into Mike’s Game

Table 1 Links

• Play with Us In Vegas: https://table1.vegas
• Play with us Online: https://play.phenompoker.com/register...
• Follow us on X: https://x.com/table1vegas
• Follow us on Instagram: https://x.com/table1vegas
• Watch us on YouTube: / @table1vegas
• Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3fkMXT5...

Art's Links:

• Learn to Beat Slots (Seriously) at SlotMaps: https://slotmaps.com
• Run your own poker game at PokerHQ.io: https://pokerhq.io
• https://x.com/ArtParmann

Justin's Links:

• https://x.com/justinyoung07
• Phenom Poker Code: JYPOKER

Adam Hendrix just final tabled the WSOP Main Event for $1.9 million… but his story goes way deeper than one summer heater.

He joins @ArtParmann & @JustinYoung07 for a hilarious, insightful, and surprisingly emotional episode covering his epic run to the 2025 WSOP Main Event final table. From icy bachelor parties to underground cowboy home games, Elvis prop bets, and deep dives into high-stakes PLO — this one has everything.

🎮 Play with us Online: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1

🎁 We’re giving away $175 per week in August! Details → https://table1.vegas/rake

🃏 Coming to Vegas? Play LIVE with us: https://table1.vegas

You’ll hear:

• 🃏 The humble start — from Pink Hat poker games with Grandma to sketchy basements with cowboy hats
• 🌍 What it’s like going to high school in Egypt and moving to Vegas during COVID
• 💸 The real grind behind taking shots in high rollers, the PLO circuit, and the 50K
• 🧠 Why he delayed going pro, how he explained poker to his parents, and the bankroll target he set before quitting
• 👑 His full breakdown of the 2025 WSOP Main Event run

Plus:

• Getting sick during the Rio Legionnaires disease summer
• The psychology of spewing a $100 last-longer
• Why Planet Hollywood is still his favorite place to play (Hint: It’s the misery)
• Coaching, bankroll, mindset, and more

• 📸 Instagram: @IcemanHrix
• 🐦 Twitter: @AdamHendrix10
• 🧠 Coaching: PokerCoaching.com

• 🎮 Online: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1
• 🃏 Live Games: https://table1.vegas

• Twitter / X
• Instagram
• TikTok
• YouTube

• 🧠 Beat slots: SlotMaps.com
• 🏠 Run your home game: PokerHQ.io
• Twitter/X

• Twitter/X
• Play on Phenom

#poker #wsop #wsop2025 #vegas #podcast

In back-to-back years, Matt Affleck was chip leader deep in the WSOP Main Event.
In 2010, with 15 players left and ~40% of the chips in play, he got it in with aces vs. jacks against Jonathan Duhamel… and watched the river end his dream on ESPN.

The image of him walking out — water bottle flying, pain on his face — became one of poker’s most replayed clips.
This is the story before and after that moment.

🎮 From a $480K SCOOP win in college to a high school where seven classmates became million-dollar poker winners.
🃏 The truth about back-to-back Main Event deep runs — including the hand.
🌎 Life after ESPN heartbreak: live cash grinds, world travel, and becoming one of poker’s top coaches.

If you only know Matt Affleck from that river card, you don’t know the full story.

• 0:00 – Intro
• 11:30 – Early poker life: high school full of future pros, online beginnings, first big wins
• 24:01 – Qualifying for majors & discovering the thrill of international travel
• 41:32 – Revisiting Main Event heartbreak & the story behind the famous hand
• 45:04 – Legendary Seattle cash games & their colorful personalities
• 47:05 – Moving for poker & adapting to new scenes
• 51:46 – COVID poker boom, coaching surge, and changes in approach

• Email: [email protected]
• MattAffleck.com
• PokerCoaching.com
• @mcmattopoker

• Play with us Online
• Play with us at Table 1
• August $175/week giveaway

• Twitter
• Instagram
• TikTok
• YouTube

The More Rake Is Better Giveaway at Phenom Poker: https://table1.vegas/rake
Play with us in Vegas at Table 1: https://table1.vegas

Aaron Mermelstein won a $50K online poker prize at age 15... and never saw a dollar of it.

In this week’s Table 1 Podcast, Merms opens up about everything — and we mean everything in a rare interview. From sneaking onto Party Poker as a teenager to going broke after discovering Vegas table games, it’s a rollercoaster of ambition, pain, and absurd poker highs and lows.

Show Notes:
00:00 Video Games To The Varkonyi Effect
03:18 Freeroll to Bankroll
07:10 Finding Table Games
11:57 Working vs Going Pro at Poker
19:12 The $100 Date
23:13 NY Poker Games & Backing Deals Gone Right
29:08 The Borgata WPT & Tourney Breaks
37:58 Post WPT Tourney Circuit
39:38 The Home Game Scene
44:34 Poker: The Great Equalizer
46:36 COVID & Game Running
49:45 Miami Life & The M Casino
48:42 Chip On The Shoulder High Roller
1:02:21 WSOP Main Event Run
1:10:38 Post Main Event & The Future!

Table 1 Links:
Play with Us In Vegas: https://table1.vegas
Play with us Online: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1
Follow us on X: https://x.com/table1vegas
Follow us on Instagram: https://x.com/table1vegas
Watch us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@UCCXgQ2MnNidaOP-9PPTG6Sg
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3fkMXT5gsZxgHuDBxUcY59

Art's Links:
Learn to Beat Slots (Seriously) at SlotMaps: https://slotmaps.com
Run your own poker game at PokerHQ.io: https://pokerhq.io
https://x.com/ArtParmann

Justin's Links:
https://x.com/justinyoung07

The More Rake Is Better Giveaway: https://table1.vegas/rake
Play with us at Table 1: https://table1.vegas

Imagine this:

You’ve got $1,400 to your name. Twins on the way. You’re not a household name. And you’re trying to make it in the most brutal game on earth: tournament poker.

Most people fold. Jesse Lonis didn’t.

In this episode of the Table 1 Podcast, Jesse drops a heater of a story. It's got all the hits:

• 🧓 Poker tips from Grandma
• 🏀 Streetball mindset from the Bronx
• 💔 Getting kicked out of college
• 💰 Turning $1,400 into $250K when everything was on the line
• 🍼 Becoming a dad of twins and leveling up instantly

Oh — and $21M in live earnings later, he’s still real, raw, and building his brand without faking a damn thing.

This episode is grit + heart + humor in podcast form. You’ll walk away inspired, entertained, and probably Googling “Vanilla Gorilla Poker” just to see him in action.

👇 Hit play. You won’t regret it.

Show Notes

• 0:00 – Poker Needs More Characters
• 5:00 – Upbringing: From Alaska to Upstate NY
• 10:00 – Basketball in the Bronx, Getting Jumped in College
• 15:00 – Turning Stone Poker Loop
• 20:00 – Limit Hold'em Rescue Mission
• 25:00 – First Tournament Spark
• 30:00 – $1,400 to $250K with Twins on the Way
• 35:00 – WSOP Breakout Year
• 40:00 – First High Roller, First Backer
• 45:00 – $1.6M Makeup, $5M Heater
• 50:00 – Crushing Live Poker with Intuition
• 55:00 – Social Media Strategy & Brand Building
• 1:00:00 – GPI POY, Travel, & Family Balance
• 1:05:00 – Managing Variance with a Backer
• 1:10:00 – WSOP High Roller Swings
• 1:15:00 – Dangerous at 25/50 PLO Online
• 1:20:00 – Building a Brand Without Being Fake
• 1:25:00 – Family Life, Future Plans & Closing Thoughts

Jesse's Links:
https://x.com/JesseLonis
https://www.instagram.com/jesselonis
https://www.youtube.com/@JesseLonis

Table 1 Links:
https://table1.vegas
https://x.com/table1vegas
https://instagram.com/table1vegas

WSOP is over, but that doesn't mean the action stops at Table 1! Catch up with Art, Justin and get to know our special guests Paul Gunness & Jason Zipfel to talk about High Stakes Summer, our summer vlog. Haven't seen it? Watch it here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZdHHoUOK4gscENtoJO11AWuNyH1ElUe8&si=_B8J5B2tE7RoPL71Want to play online with Justin & Art? Find us on Phenom Poker. Use our link and you could win $100. Plus sometimes we do random giveaways to people we've referred. Sign up here: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1Got the taste for high stakes? Play with us at Table 1! ➡️ https://table1.vegasFollow Paul: https://x.com/mrpaulgunnesshttps://www.instagram.com/mr.paulgunnessFollow Jason:https://www.instagram.com/jason_zipfe1Follow Art:https://x.com/artparmannFollow Justin:https://x.com/JustinYoung07Table 1 Links:https://table1.vegashttps://x.com/table1vegashttps://instagram.com/table1vegas