🎙️ Episode 121: “Run Good or Run Bad: Poker’s Wild Ride Through 2025”

Poker in 2025 had everything: heaters, coolers, scandals, and spreadsheets. In Episode 121 of The Overlay, we break down the highs and lows of the year that reminded everyone why poker is equal parts dream factory and bankroll test.

We talk about the post-COVID poker boom and how the game shifted from pure competition to a full-blown experience, highlighted by the WSOP posting its 3rd largest turnout ever. From packed fields to massive prize pools, poker feels like we've flopped top set with the nut flush draw against a pretty dry board but wet enough to get some action from the fish at the table — and then some.

The crew digs into standout moments, including the impact of Michael Mizrachi's HOF year, the biggest crash-out of 2025, and why variance still doesn’t care about your feelings. We also rant (politely… kinda) about the new poker tax, and unpack the effects of an NBA / poker cheating scandal that had the whole gambling world buzzing and checking their pockets at their own home games for safety. 

If you love poker stories, industry debates, WSOP talk, and honest grinder takes from the largest poker market in the Midwest, this episode is for you. Buckle up — 2025 played fast, loose, and occasionally on tilt. ♠️🔥

The Overlay a poker podcast ♧♢♡♤

If you enjoy our show, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are listing on Spotify, please hit that follow button. Wherever you listen to our podcast please share us with your friends or enemies (however you see fit) and we thank you for supporting our poker podcast.

Do you have questions or suggestions for the show? Do you want Brandon to go over a hand you just played? Do you have a prop bet story for Ken? Please send us a tweet or direct message on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @theoverlaypod and check out our website at LinkTr.ee/theoverlaypod or search for and listen to The Overlay a poker podcast on all major podcast apps and platforms.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Are you in the Chicago area?
Check out CCGpoker.com for weekend charity poker events with great tournaments and cash game action.

Are you in the Central Illinois area?
Check out CICGpoker.com for local charity poker events brought to you by Central Illinois Charitable Games. Tournaments and Cash Games every Saturday in Central Illinois locations

🎙️ Episode 120: “Table Manners & Tilt Monsters: A Field Guide to Poker Etiquette”

Welcome back to 🎧 The Overlay a poker podcast, the poker podcast that mixes sharp insight with pro-level comedy—because nothing tilts a table faster than a guy who thinks shuffling chips is a personality trait.

In this episode, Ken and Brandon dive into the most annoying things players do at the poker table—from seat-changing squirrels to the guy who takes 17 minutes to fold 7-2 offsuit like he’s defusing a bomb. We break down the do’s and don’ts of poker etiquette, offer a few rules that should exist (looking at you, “Show One Show All” guy), and laugh at the chaos that makes live poker endlessly frustrating… and endlessly fun.

If you’ve ever wondered:

🃏 “Am I the annoying one?”

😂 …the answer is probably yes. But don’t worry—we’re here to help.

Pull up a chair, stack your chips (quietly), and join us for another episode of poker, punchlines, and the occasional poker chart analogy.

#TheOverlay #PokerPodcast #PokerEtiquette #LivePokerLife #DadJokesInDisguise

The Overlay a poker podcast ♧♢♡♤

If you enjoy our show, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are listing on Spotify, please hit that follow button. Wherever you listen to our podcast please share us with your friends or enemies (however you see fit) and we thank you for supporting our poker podcast.

Do you have questions or suggestions for the show? Do you want Brandon to go over a hand you just played? Do you have a prop bet story for Ken? Please send us a tweet or direct message on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @theoverlaypod and check out our website at LinkTr.ee/theoverlaypod or search for and listen to The Overlay a poker podcast on all major podcast apps and platforms.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Are you in the Chicago area?
Check out CCGpoker.com for weekend charity poker events with great tournaments and cash game action.

Are you in the Central Illinois area?
Check out CICGpoker.com for local charity poker events brought to you by Central Illinois Charitable Games. Tournaments and Cash Games every Saturday in Central Illinois locations

🎧 Episode 118 – Vegas Dreams, Final Tables, and a Dash of Degen

This week on The Overlay, we sit down with the two fierce, funny, and fearless founders of the Purposeful Poker vlog — a duo redefining what it means to go pro in Vegas without going full degen (well… maybe just a little).

They’re poker players navigating the highs and lows of the felt while juggling real life, relationships, and the occasional existential flop.

We talk about:

Turning poker dreams into reality (without turning into zombies)

♣️ Building a vlog that’s honest, intentional, and refreshingly unfiltered

♥️ What it really takes to chase final tables while managing life off the table

♦️ And of course, tons of bad beats and run goods!

This episode brings heart, hustle, and humor from two players grinding with purpose—and proving that the road to poker greatness doesn’t have to be all-nighters and nosebleeds.

🎙️ Listen now to laugh, learn, and maybe rethink your own bankroll management.

👉 Subscribe, 👍 Like and 🗣️ Comment on Purporseful Poker's YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@Purposeful_Poker

#TheOverlay #PokerPodcast #PurposefulPoker #WomenInPoker #VegasGrind #PokerLife #DegenWithPurpose #FinalTableEnergy

The Overlay a poker podcast ♧♢♡♤

If you enjoy our show, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are listing on Spotify, please hit that follow button. Wherever you listen to our podcast please share us with your friends or enemies (however you see fit) and we thank you for supporting our poker podcast.

Do you have questions or suggestions for the show? Do you want Brandon to go over a hand you just played? Do you have a prop bet story for Ken? Please send us a tweet or direct message on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @theoverlaypod and check out our website at LinkTr.ee/theoverlaypod or search for and listen to The Overlay a poker podcast on all major podcast apps and platforms.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Are you in the Chicago area?
Check out CCGpoker.com for weekend charity poker events with great tournaments and cash game action.

Are you in the Central Illinois area?
Check out CICGpoker.com for local charity poker events brought to you by Central Illinois Charitable Games. Tournaments and Cash Games every Saturday in Central Illinois locations

🎙️ Episode 118 – Table Image: Your Poker Reputation in Real Time

In poker, it’s not just about the cards you play—it’s about the story you tell. Your table image is your poker reputation in the moment: are you the tight rock, the fearless maniac, or the Costco-hoodie dad who somehow scoops every pot?

In this episode of The Overlay, Ken and Brandon break down how to build, control, and exploit your table image for maximum profit. We cover:

• 🎭 The psychology of perception at the table
• 🃏 How to lean into your image—or flip it for a big bluff
• 👓 The role of sunglasses, hoodies, chip stacks, and nachos (yes, nachos)
• 🔑 Actionable tips to weaponize your reputation

Packed with strategy, stories, and plenty of laughs, this episode will help you turn the way others see you into your greatest edge.

Because in poker—and in life—it’s not just who you are, it’s who they think you are.

The Overlay a poker podcast ♧♢♡♤

If you enjoy our show, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are listing on Spotify, please hit that follow button. Wherever you listen to our podcast please share us with your friends or enemies (however you see fit) and we thank you for supporting our poker podcast.

Do you have questions or suggestions for the show? Do you want Brandon to go over a hand you just played? Do you have a prop bet story for Ken? Please send us a tweet or direct message on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @theoverlaypod and check out our website at LinkTr.ee/theoverlaypod or search for and listen to The Overlay a poker podcast on all major podcast apps and platforms.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Are you in the Chicago area?
Check out CCGpoker.com for weekend charity poker events with great tournaments and cash game action.

Are you in the Central Illinois area?
Check out CICGpoker.com for local charity poker events brought to you by Central Illinois Charitable Games. Tournaments and Cash Games every Saturday in Central Illinois locations

🎧 Episode 117 – Main Event Mayhem: From Freerolls to Final Tables

In this episode of The Overlay, a Poker Podcast, we wrap up the drama, showdowns, and chip swings from the 2025 WSOP Main Event. Who took home the bracelet? How did the final table unfold? And what moments had the poker world buzzing?

We also dig into the latest controversy—yes, someone actually got banned from the WSOP. Find out who, why, and what it means going forward.

Plus:

♠️ A spotlight on two freerollers who won their way in through CCG Poker and battled it out on poker’s biggest stage.

♣️ Analysis, updates, and insider takes with a mix of serious breakdowns and not-so-serious banter.

Hit play and catch up on everything you missed from poker’s biggest week.

#WSOP2025 #MainEventRecap #PokerPodcast #FreerollSuccess #CCGPoker #TheOverlay

The Overlay a poker podcast ♧♢♡♤

If you enjoy our show, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are listing on Spotify, please hit that follow button. Wherever you listen to our podcast please share us with your friends or enemies (however you see fit) and we thank you for supporting our poker podcast.

Do you have questions or suggestions for the show? Do you want Brandon to go over a hand you just played? Do you have a prop bet story for Ken? Please send us a tweet or direct message on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @theoverlaypod and check out our website at LinkTr.ee/theoverlaypod or search for and listen to The Overlay a poker podcast on all major podcast apps and platforms.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Are you in the Chicago area?
Check out CCGpoker.com for weekend charity poker events with great tournaments and cash game action.

Are you in the Central Illinois area?
Check out CICGpoker.com for local charity poker events brought to you by Central Illinois Charitable Games. Tournaments and Cash Games every Saturday in Central Illinois locations

🎙️ Episode 116 – The Summer of Poker: Mirage or Madness?

Pack your sunscreen and your bankroll, because Episode 116 of The Overlay is hotter than a sunburned donkey at the final table.

We dive head-first into the flaming-hot madness that is the World Series of Poker—yes, we voluntarily go to the desert in June to play poker indoors like dehydrated degenerates chasing bracelets and air conditioning.

Plus, we break down everything you need to know about the Chicago Series of Poker (CSOP):

• 40 promo seats into the CSOP Main
• A buffet of mixed games
• A heads-up champion showdown
• A mystery bounty (because who doesn’t love surprises that involve knocking someone out?)
• And a Labor Day Main Event to close out your summer poker bingo card.

So throw on your lucky hoodie, grab a $12 bottle of water, and tune in as we ask the most important summer question: Is this heaven, or just a mirage filled with bad beats and questionable bluffs?

🎧 Listen now or risk folding to FOMO.

The Overlay a poker podcast ♧♢♡♤

If you enjoy our show, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are listing on Spotify, please hit that follow button. Wherever you listen to our podcast please share us with your friends or enemies (however you see fit) and we thank you for supporting our poker podcast.

Do you have questions or suggestions for the show? Do you want Brandon to go over a hand you just played? Do you have a prop bet story for Ken? Please send us a tweet or direct message on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @theoverlaypod and check out our website at LinkTr.ee/theoverlaypod or search for and listen to The Overlay a poker podcast on all major podcast apps and platforms.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Are you in the Chicago area?
Check out CCGpoker.com for weekend charity poker events with great tournaments and cash game action.

Are you in the Central Illinois area?
Check out CICGpoker.com for local charity poker events brought to you by Central Illinois Charitable Games. Tournaments and Cash Games every Saturday in Central Illinois locations

🎙️ Episode 115 – “Tin Foil & Tilt: Poker’s Wildest Conspiracies”

Are the online poker sites rigged? Do live dealers secretly work for the house? Is the deck really random, or is it just random-ish? In this episode of The Overlay, we go full tin foil hat and dive into the juiciest, most suspicious, and downright hilarious poker conspiracy theories out there.

From RFID chip paranoia to ghosted online accounts, we unpack the myths, the maybe-trues, and the mathematically impossible — all with a healthy dose of snark and skepticism.

🃏 Rigged sites or bad beats?

🧠 Are solvers secretly watching us?

🎥 What’s really going on behind those hole card cams?

👻 Ghosts, bots, and “that one guy who always wins”

Subscribe, rate, and stay skeptical, poker people.

#PokerConspiracies #TheOverlayPodcast #PokerRigged #PokerMyths #PokerTheory #TinFoilTilt #PokerLife #LivePoker #OnlinePoker #PokerDrama

The Overlay a poker podcast ♧♢♡♤

If you enjoy our show, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are listing on Spotify, please hit that follow button. Wherever you listen to our podcast please share us with your friends or enemies (however you see fit) and we thank you for supporting our poker podcast.

Do you have questions or suggestions for the show? Do you want Brandon to go over a hand you just played? Do you have a prop bet story for Ken? Please send us a tweet or direct message on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @theoverlaypod and check out our website at LinkTr.ee/theoverlaypod or search for and listen to The Overlay a poker podcast on all major podcast apps and platforms.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Are you in the Chicago area?
Check out CCGpoker.com for weekend charity poker events with great tournaments and cash game action.

Are you in the Central Illinois area?
Check out CICGpoker.com for local charity poker events brought to you by Central Illinois Charitable Games. Tournaments and Cash Games every Saturday in Central Illinois locations

🎙️ Episode 114 – “Running the Show: A Sit-Down with Poker Boss Matt Savage”

In this exclusive episode of The Overlay, we sit down with the legendary Matt Savage — Executive Tour Director of the WPT, founder of the Poker Tournament Directors Association, 5-time Global Poker Index award winner and a 9-time Poker Hall of Fame nominee. 

From behind-the-scenes stories to the evolution of poker tournaments, Matt shares insights on what it takes to run the biggest events in the game, his role in the movie Lucky You, his other favorite game (beside poker of course) and how he’s helped shape modern poker.

Whether you’re a casual fan or a tournament grinder, this episode of the Overlay a poker podcast is a must-listen... it just might save your tournament life someday. ♠️♥️♣️♦️

Subscribe, rate, and share with your poker crew!

The Overlay a poker podcast ♧♢♡♤

If you enjoy our show, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are listing on Spotify, please hit that follow button. Wherever you listen to our podcast please share us with your friends or enemies (however you see fit) and we thank you for supporting our poker podcast.

Do you have questions or suggestions for the show? Do you want Brandon to go over a hand you just played? Do you have a prop bet story for Ken? Please send us a tweet or direct message on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @theoverlaypod and check out our website at LinkTr.ee/theoverlaypod or search for and listen to The Overlay a poker podcast on all major podcast apps and platforms.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Are you in the Chicago area?
Check out CCGpoker.com for weekend charity poker events with great tournaments and cash game action.

Are you in the Central Illinois area?
Check out CICGpoker.com for local charity poker events brought to you by Central Illinois Charitable Games. Tournaments and Cash Games every Saturday in Central Illinois locations

The first rule of Fight Club is that you do not fight in a poker room. The second rule of Fight Club is you must be the master of chip stacks and bet sizing. 

Is your poker table starting to feel more like Fight Club? In this episode of The Overlay: A Poker Podcast, we talk about a wild "fight" that breaks out in a $2M prize pool tournament, with poker tables being flipped and players stacks all over the floor.  Then we dive into the art of chip stacking, the psychology behind bet sizing, and how knowing your stack inside and out gives you an edge. 

Plus, we break down our version of what the 2025 tournament rules should look like. Whether you’re a seasoned grinder or a tournament rookie, this episode will help you stay ahead of the curve.

🎧 Tune in now to the Everyman poker podcast and sharpen your strategy!

The Overlay a poker podcast ♧♢♡♤

If you enjoy our show, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are listing on Spotify, please hit that follow button. Wherever you listen to our podcast please share us with your friends or enemies (however you see fit) and we thank you for supporting our poker podcast.

Do you have questions or suggestions for the show? Do you want Brandon to go over a hand you just played? Do you have a prop bet story for Ken? Please send us a tweet or direct message on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @theoverlaypod and check out our website at LinkTr.ee/theoverlaypod or search for and listen to The Overlay a poker podcast on all major podcast apps and platforms.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Are you in the Chicago area?
Check out CCGpoker.com for weekend charity poker events with great tournaments and cash game action.

Are you in the Central Illinois area?
Check out CICGpoker.com for local charity poker events brought to you by Central Illinois Charitable Games. Tournaments and Cash Games every Saturday in Central Illinois locations

“Tournament Directors’ Nightmares: The Wildest Floor Calls”

Ever witnessed a poker ruling so outrageous it left the table in shock? In this episode of The Overlay: A Poker Podcast, we dive into the craziest floor calls, the rules that don't fit nicely into the black and white version of the Tournament Directors handbook. 

When should (or shouldn’t) a player call the floor. 
Where is the line between rule exploitation and angle shooting? 
Are some players using the rules to their advantage?

Join us as we break down real-world examples of a tournament director's nightmare and discuss what every poker player needs to know to avoid costly mistakes—or gain a strategic edge.

🎙️ Listen now and never get caught off guard at the table!

The Overlay a poker podcast ♧♢♡♤

If you enjoy our show, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are listing on Spotify, please hit that follow button. Wherever you listen to our podcast please share us with your friends or enemies (however you see fit) and we thank you for supporting our poker podcast.

Do you have questions or suggestions for the show? Do you want Brandon to go over a hand you just played? Do you have a prop bet story for Ken? Please send us a tweet or direct message on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @theoverlaypod and check out our website at LinkTr.ee/theoverlaypod or search for and listen to The Overlay a poker podcast on all major podcast apps and platforms.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Are you in the Chicago area?
Check out CCGpoker.com for weekend charity poker events with great tournaments and cash game action.

Are you in the Central Illinois area?
Check out CICGpoker.com for local charity poker events brought to you by Central Illinois Charitable Games. Tournaments and Cash Games every Saturday in Central Illinois locations