Thinking Poker

Thinking Poker episodes:

• 04.22.2024

  Episode 437: Mickey Wang

  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...

  
• 04.05.2024

  Episode 436: Jesse Fullen

  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...

  
• 03.25.2024

  Episode 435: Carlota Gonzalez

  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,...

  
• 03.18.2024

  Episode 434: Lupe Soto

  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...

  
• 03.11.2024

  Episode 433: Lamont Jones on Bid Whist

  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,...

  
• 03.04.2024

  Episode 432: Jeff Platt

  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?Support the...

  
• 02.26.2024

  Episode 431: Seeking Representation with Caitlyn Arnwine and LoriAnn Persinger

  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...

  
• 02.19.2024

  Episode 430: Fausto Valdez

  From (semi) professional paintball to house part 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...

  
• 02.10.2024

  Episode 429: Isaac Haxton

  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...

  
• 02.05.2024

  Episode 428: Stephen Flavall

  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...

  
• 01.29.2024

  Episode 427: Pamela “Pamsi” Balzano

  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...

  
• 01.22.2024

  Episode 426: The Evolution of Strategy with Duncan Palamourdas

  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...

  
• 01.16.2024

  Episode 425: Cutting Edge Poker with Matt Matros

  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...

  
• 12.23.2023

  Episode 424: Best of 2023 featuring Chad McVean

  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...

  
• 12.18.2023

  Episode 423: K.L. Cleeton

  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...

  
• 12.04.2023

  Episode 422: Chad Gardner

  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.Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to...

  
• 11.20.2023

  Episode 421: Everything I Need to Know About Poker, I learned in the Last Two Years, featuring Nate Meyvis

  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. Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to...

  
• 11.06.2023

  Episode 420: Justin Moyer

  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,...

  
• 10.16.2023

  Episode 419: Interception with Ed Miller

  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...

  
• 10.02.2023

  Warm Up Wrap Up

  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. Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month...

  
• 09.18.2023

  Episode 417: Kimberly Willingham

  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,...

  
• 09.04.2023

  Episode 416: Kara Scott

  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...

  
• 08.21.2023

  Episode 415: Bert “girafganger7” Stevens

  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...

  
• 08.07.2023

  Episode 414: Caitlin Comeskey

  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...

  
• 07.24.2023

  Episode 413: Shelby Wells

  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...

  
• 07.03.2023

  Episode 412: Ari Engel

  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...

  
• 06.26.2023

  Episode 411: Glo and Lo

  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...

  
• 06.12.2023

  Episode 410: Your Strategy Questions Answered

  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 Questionshttps://i.gyazo.com/a7c40326f662b4b0cafc39516aa5d362.png williamhttps://i.gyazo.com/8099523d5edc1cb20730948a42e85a20.png michaelhttps://i.gyazo.com/821e71e62841ad6eafd388d7827b3905.png erichttps://i.gyazo.com/ea38d02a4a2e9b29de4fcd5a49df3394.png danielhttps://i.gyazo.com/ef4975f88932ad9e23356e1057740f0b.png chrishttps://i.gyazo.com/565d5b262aed2ac18ea105de3bcaf14a.png andy https://i.gyazo.com/9944ac9911075a412bfa902856895f28.png max https://i.gyazo.com/05f52cca48c431cfbb0653d671ae4a5d.png joe https://i.gyazo.com/aa66cbaeb9d71f378b8b712ed24e1385.png...

  
• 05.30.2023

  Episode 409: Joel Porter-Dias

  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...

  
• 05.15.2023

  Episode 408: Saulo Costa

  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 channelFive Tips to Study Poker via GTO...

  
• 05.09.2023

  Episode 407: Women’s Events

  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...

  
• 05.01.2023

  Episode 406: Ebony Kenney

  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...

  
• 04.24.2023

  Episode 405: Peter Jörgne

  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-BettingPlaying as the IP Cold CallerSupport the podcast,...

  
• 04.17.2023

  Episode 404: Lara Eisenberg

  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...

  
• 04.10.2023

  Episode 403: Jesse Segal

  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 ReviewGTO...

  
• 04.03.2023

  Episode 402: Matt Glassman and Tommy Angelo

  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...

  
• 03.27.2023

  Episode 401: Gloria Jackson

  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...

  
• 03.20.2023

  Episode 400: Clip Show

  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 AngeloEpisode 6: Gareth ChantlerEpisode 10: Leo WolpertEpisode 21: Tubby BootsEpisode 25: Ed...

  
• 03.13.2023

  Episode 399: Justin Arnwine Part 2

  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...

  
• 03.05.2023

  Episode 398: Justin Arnwine

  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 videoBarbara Arnwine in actionSupport the...

  
• 02.27.2023

  Episode 397: Caitlyn Cobb

  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,...

  
• 02.20.2023

  Episode 396: Sam Grafton

  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 LevyJorge AmadoW.G. SebaldSupport the...

  
• 02.13.2023

  Episode 395: Jamie Kerstetter

  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.Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a...

  
• 01.30.2023

  Episode 394: LoriAnn Persinger

  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...

  
• 01.16.2023

  Episode 393: Tom “Tombos21” Boshoff

  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...

  
• 01.03.2023

  Episode 392: Ben Kushigian

  Computer scientist and poker player Ben Kushigian talks to Carlos and Andrew about the limitations of poker solvers, what we don’t know we don’t know about them, how they could be improved, the potential for open source solutions, and more....

  
• 12.26.2022

  Episode 391: 2022 In Review

  Andrew and Carlos recap their year, starting with poker highlights and then branching out into their favorite music, shows, podcasts, and more.Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by...

  
• 12.05.2022

  Episode 390: Rapid Fire Strategy

  Carlos and Andrew give rapid fire (by Thinking Poker standards) answers to questions from the Thinking Poker Daily patreon.StrategyRob – https://i.gyazo.com/e144ebfc1ab58bc81e02ee5292fb7080.pngMark – https://i.gyazo.com/b8d03c642f807d8971798128c635a9f0.png Mackenzie – https://i.gyazo.com/e0f881dd8bdd6040add76682aa20eca3.png Kevin – https://i.gyazo.com/511756514af2422ae99010d1b6adfea.png Mark – https://i.gyazo.com/d6e70a6932a36605d20fb9a7fef66e72.png Ben – https://i.gyazo.com/d16c17928a59676625eb587ac833e19a.png Duncan – https://i.gyazo.com/bdd57e6241ab840af97f3e5c962543f2.mp4

  
• 11.11.2022

  Episode 389: Big Raises

  Carlos talks about playing on a livestreamed cash game at Best Bet Jacksonville. He and Andrew follow up on the discussion of big opening sizes from Episode 388 and review a hand where Andrew defended his big blind poorly off...

  
• 11.01.2022

  Long Lost Episode 93: Andrew “BalugaWhale” Seidman

  In this long lost episode from 2014, Andrew and Nate Meyvis review a hand from a live $1/$2 cash game before talking with semi-professional poker player, entrepreneur, and DeucesCracked coach Andrew Seidman about a myriad of topics, including his book Easy...