Third Man Walking

Third Man Walking episodes:

• 05.01.2024

  Third Man Walking No. 88: An Extra in Someone Else's Movie

  Your correspondent reflects on getting slowrolled -- or something? -- in an annoying all-in pot, then reviews a $5/$10 session. FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE 0:21 A $5/$10 hand: 99 on J94xhh7x 12:30 $5/$10 NLHE session (and some thoughts on...

  
• 04.17.2024

  Third Man Walking No. 87: Anatomy of a Downswing Part II

  Your correspondent returns to the subject of his downswing, which continues despite his best efforts to jinx it into going away by talking about it. 0:21 Downswing Part 2 1:31 Taking variance is part of the job 4:25 The downswing leads to...

  
• 04.03.2024

  Third Man Walking No. 86: Anatomy of a Downswing

  Your correspondent discusses his thought process as he endures the worst downswing of his poker career. He also reviews a recent $5/$10 session. 0:17 Maintaining a healthy relationship to the game in the midst of a big downswing 8:29 Dealing with...

  
• 03.20.2024

  Third Man Walking No. 85: Traveling and Running Bad

  Your correspondent visits poker rooms in the Bay Area and Sacramento, folding flopped straights and finding ways to lose ridiculous amounts of money with ace-king. Along the way, he compares live poker in Los Angeles to poker elsewhere, and reflects...

  
• 03.06.2024

  Third Man Walking No. 84: The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King

  Your correspondent discusses Michael Craig's poker-boom-era classic "The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King." He follows up on how he finished in the tournament discussed in the last episode, then reviews a double-board PLO bomb pot he played that...

  
• 02.21.2024

  Third Man Walking No. 83: I Finally Make a Day 2

  Your correspondent gets through Day 1 of a tournament for the first time in over five years. He reviews the tournament hands that brought him to Day 2 glory, then recaps a cash session of $5/$5/$10 (with straddles of up...

  
• 02.07.2024

  Third Man Walking No. 82: Two Thousand Dollars

  Your correspondent discusses why two thousand dollars is an important sum at $5/$10 and $10/$20. He also discusses his recent experiences playing $10/$20, then reviews a recent $5/$10 session. FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE0:21 Why $2,000 is such an important...

  
• 01.17.2024

  Third Man Walking No. 81: Filtering Poker Advice

  Your correspondent discusses how to filter poker strategy advice -- which advice should be ignored and which is worth taking? How can you tell them apart, and when should you feel satisfied with uncertainty? FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE 0:16 How do...

  
• 01.03.2024

  Third Man Walking No. 80: A Tournament Story

  Your correspondent explains why he chose not to go to Las Vegas to play tournaments last month, and relays how his experience playing the WSOP Main Event in 2019 shaped his skepticism about playing tournaments at all. He then reviews...

  
• 12.20.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 79: Making Big Hands at 5/10/20 (And a Couple Poker-Culture Items)

  Your correspondent reviews a recent 5/10/20 session, then discusses "Game of Gold" and Alex O'Brien's new book "The Truth Detective." 0:21 5/10/20 NLHE session 1:22 AKcc on KT7r3x 2:36 KQo on KK2rTdd6x 4:00 AKss all-in preflop 5:09 KTdd on QT8xxd6hhQx 6:32 AKo on AJ4r2ss7x 9:19 AQcc...

  
• 12.06.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 78: Don't Play Private Games

  Your correspondent reviews a recent break-even stretch. He then considers recent rumors of cheating in high-stakes private games and offers a simple solution: Stop playing private games, and come play poker at casinos instead. Finally, he reviews a recent 5/10...

  
• 11.15.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 77: Challenges in Live Poker in the Next Decade

  Your correspondent asks whether, in the next ten years, poker will get tougher at the same rate it has in the last ten. Then, he reviews a recent $10/$20/$40 session. 2:37 Vanessa Selbst (44) vs. Kevin MacPhee (A9o) in the...

  
• 11.01.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 76: Blockhead's "Seat Open"

  Your correspondent rereads Blockhead's gritty gambling memoir "Seat Open," then reviews a 5/5/10 session that blossomed into a bigger game. 11:36 5/5/10 session 11:47 A7cc on 553xccAxKccc 14:41 KQo on A53rJcc 16:52 KTss on AKTccx7ccc6cccc 19:17 We switch the game to 5/10/20 19:41 55 on...

  
• 10.18.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 75: Cash Sessions at $5/$10 and $5/$5

  Your correspondent recovers from a minor illness, then plays a pair of cash sessions, one at 5/10 and another at 5/5. 0:22 Going to Las Vegas and getting COVID 2:45 5/10 NLHE session 2:51 AsAc on J53hxh2x5hhh 4:12 AQo (no spade) 762sxsAsss8x 7:01 77 on...

  
• 10.04.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 74: A Big Mistake in a Big Game

  Your correspondent ties off some loose ends from the last episode about private games, sharing his own limited experience playing in them. He also reviews a session where he made a disastrous call. 0:55 Private games compared to home games 2:27 What...

  
• 09.20.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 73: On Private Games and Cash Game Poker's Identity Crisis

  Your correspondent contemplates cash-game poker's identity crisis as more and more games go private. What do the increasing number of private games tell us about what players want poker to be? And how have pros and other serious players contributed...

  
• 09.06.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 72: Rough Going in Cash and Tournament Sessions

  Your correspondent struggles with bad luck and bad vibes in a recent cash session and in a big tournament. 0:20 Why this episode is what it is 1:15 5/10 NLHE cash session 3:33 AQo (no spade) on AJ7sxsAxTx 7:22 JJ on AA4r3ddKddd 9:12 KK...

  
• 08.16.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 71: Doyle Brunson's "Poker Wisdom of a Champion"

  Your correspondent looks back at the late Doyle Brunson's 1984 book "Poker Wisdom of a Champion" to see what it has to teach us about poker in 2023. He then reviews hands from a recent $1400 buyin tournament in Los...

  
• 08.02.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 70: Poker Is Stupid (But a Jackpot Is Not)

  Your correspondent discusses a recent score of $16,000 in a bad-beat jackpot, then reviews an annoying day of 5/5 and 5/5/10/20. 0:15 Jackpot hand! JJ on A65AA 4:53 Session review (starting at 5/5) 8:38 QQ on J83ssxQcc 10:01 QQ all-in preflop 11:14 Double-board...

  
• 07.19.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 69: Trying Tournaments Again

  Your correspondent reports back from a recent week-long trip to play tournaments in Las Vegas. Along the way, he compares tournaments to the cash games he usually plays and wonders if it's time to try playing tournaments more seriously. Also,...

  
• 07.05.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 68: Molly's Game

  Your correspondent reviews Aaron Sorkin's movie "Molly's Game" and the Molly Bloom memoir upon which it's based, finding one of the two narratives to be much, much more compelling than the other. 0:55 "Molly's Game" the movie 10:46 "Molly's Game" the book The...

  
• 06.21.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 67: An Argument for the Poker Dream

  Your correspondent argues that the poker dream is still alive, and that poker should still market itself to players who want to win. 0:22 The Jonathan Little / Matt Berkey Twitter thread 13:38 Phil Galfond's argument for aspiring winning players as engines...

  
• 06.07.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 66: Mike Matusow's "Check-Raising the Devil"

  A no-hand-history episode! Your correspondent shares some speculative thoughts about the future of RTA in live poker. He argues that casinos and floor staff need to be proactive about learning what solvers and RTA are and taking steps to prevent...

  
• 05.17.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 65: Maintaining Perspective

  Your correspondent shares his thoughts on a recent downswing, then reviews a difficult 5/5/10 session. 0:17 Your correspondent returns from Europe and reflects on taking a break 4:52 Annual thoughts on tournaments and whether to play them 12:52 5/5/10 NLHE session 13:21 99...

  
• 05.03.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 64: Two Swingy Sessions

  Your correspondent, still on vacation, reviews two recent 5/5/10 sessions. 1:05 Session 1 1:26 QQ no spade on T64ssx5x 4:12 TT on T42r3ss 8:27 KdKx on T75ddx3ddd 11:04 AKo all-in preflop 13:03 3s3x on J96ssx4xAsss 14:58 KK no club on AQ5ccx7ccc3cccc 18:06 AJo no diamond on QT2dxd6xKx 19:49 QQ...

  
• 04.19.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 63: Ego in Poker

  Your correspondent discusses the role of ego in poker as it relates to the game's recent surge of heads-up challenges, and then to the state of games in LA. He then reviews a session that began with a hand he...

  
• 04.05.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 62: Good For the Game

  Your correspondent reviews a portion of Nik Airball's recent interview with Doug Polk, in which Nik describes what it means to be "good for the game." Your correspondent discusses what being "good for the game" means in for the games...

  
• 03.15.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 61: On Running It Twice

  Your correspondent discusses running it twice -- what it does, whether it changes anything, and why it can lead to conflict in poker. He also reviews two recent 5/5/10 sessions. 0:19 On running it twice 12:14 5/5/10 session review 12:26 Q4o on...

  
• 03.01.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 60: The Strangeness of Straddles

  Your correspondent discusses the weird tension between cooperation and competition in the negotiations of ongoing straddles in cash games. He then reviews two recent midstakes cash game sessions. 0:55 On straddling 9:05 5/5/10/(20) session no. 1 10:17 AA on AT7ddx6ddd 14:47 99...

  
• 02.15.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 59: Not Losing Versus Really Winning

  Your correspondent answers some requests for elaboration on a tweet he recently wrote, leading to a wide-ranging discussion that covers the live mid-stakes poker ecosystem and the distinction between not losing and really winning in live public poker games. He...

  
• 02.01.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 58: Action Games in Texas

  Your correspondent travels to play poker in San Antonio and a city where the game was so juicy he won't even tell you where it was. Along the way, he plays double-board PLO bomb pots, encounters novel local poker customs,...

  
• 01.18.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 57: Consistency Versus Variety

  Your correspondent looks back on his approach to poker in 2022 and looks ahead to 2023. Along the way, he wonders whether it's better to stay in one stake at one casino, or to play a variety of NLHE cash...

  
• 01.04.2023

  Third Man Walking No. 56: Don't Make It Worse

  Your correspondent reviews two 5/10 sessions in the midst of an annoying downswing.0:18 An extremely long metaphor about luck in poker 3:25 The venerable tradition of lying about your cards after you muck 5:17 Bad luck and downswinging Forum Discussion on this episode:...

  
• 12.21.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 55: Finding Drama in Poker

  Your correspondent ruminates on the way poker is used for dramatic purposes in books and movies, and contrasts that with the reality of winning in cash-game poker, which, if you're doing it right, isn't terribly dramatic. He then reviews an...

  
• 12.07.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 54: Running a Poker Staking Business, With Marc Goone

  Your correspondent talks with Crush Live Poker coach, Hustler Casino Live commentator and high-stakes poker pro Marc Goone about staking up-and-coming poker players.2:10 Marc joins2:39 What this business is and how it developed3:32 Why do you back players, and how...

  
• 11.23.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 53: Listener Q+A: Poker Coaching and That Huge HCL Pot

  Your correspondent turns to his new assistant Robert to relay his poker thoughts as he recovers from laryngitis. Robert, though, has other ideas. 0:18 Introducing Robert 5:25 Life update and thoughts on the current state of poker in Los Angeles 9:10 The...

  
• 11.02.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 52: Double-Board PLO Bomb Pots, With Bart Hanson

  Your correspondent discusses double-board PLO bomb pots with Crush Live Poker head honcho Bart Hanson, who helps him through two hands and explains core strategies for these sorts of pots. 3:02 Bart joins 12:29 $50 double-board PLO bomb...

  
• 10.19.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 51: Getting Better Over Time

  After a brief look at recent developments in the Garrett Adelstein / Robbi Jade Lew controversy, your correspondent reflects on changes in the poker landscape since the start of the poker boom. (Topics include the 2003 WSOP Main Event and...

  
• 10.05.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 50: The Robbi vs. Garrett Poker Cheating Allegations

  Your correspondent discusses last week's controversial Hustler Casino Live hand, in which Robbi Jade Lew called Garrett Adelstein's massive all-in with J4o on TT93chch, leading Adelstein to accuse her of cheating. He discusses whether he thinks Robbi was cheating (maybe...

  
• 09.21.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 49: An Anarchic Weekend 5/10/20 Session

  Your correspondent tries to dodge variance and an especially surly opponent in a weekend-evening 5/10/20 session.5/102:32 Lojack vs. cutoff on 532ddx4ddd9dddd8:55 JhJd on 872hhxQx2x5/10/2013:43 QTdd on QT9ssx15:19 A9cc on 986ssx16:15 AQo on AQTr6hh3hhh18:50 KQo on 852ddxQx20:23 33 on 432hhx7x8x23:01 KQo...

  
• 09.07.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 48: Winning Is Boring

  Your correspondent thinks about why winning in poker can feel less intense than losing, then reviews a complex bluff at 5/5/10/20. 0:30 TT hypothetical 3:01 Feeling less when you're winning 6:34 What losing streaks feel like 9:13 Why high-stakes poker...

  
• 08.17.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 47: On Giving Action

  Your correspondent looks back on a fun couple of weeks that included winning a table share of a $100,000 jackpot, running hot in poker, and debuting as a commentator at Hustler Casino Live. He then considers what it means to...

  
• 08.03.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 46: Fighting Against Ourselves

  Your correspondent fights against his default tendency to play poker too cautiously, especially in double-board bomb pots and bounty games. He also reviews a 5/10 session in which he develops unusual dynamics with his opponents. 1:19 "Natural" talent in sports...

  
• 07.20.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 45: Two Strange 5/10 Sessions

  Your correspondent recaps two 5/10 sessions on consecutive days, reviewing 15 hands, including four that fell within a single hour of poker that nearly broke his brain. 0:48 The effects of switching casinos 2:28 AA (no heart) on JT8r2hh7hhh 5:10...

  
• 07.06.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 44: Mixed Games, Poker Culture & Rock Music, With Steve Albini

  Your correspondent speaks with iconic rock guitarist and recording engineer Steve Albini, who has recorded Nirvana, the Pixies and PJ Harvey, and who recently won his second WSOP bracelet.0:16 Introduction2:16 Steve Albini joins3:10 Albini discusses his job as a recording...

  
• 06.15.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 43: Listener Q+A: Dealing With Burnout

  Your correspondent returns to his review of new Live at the Bike executive producer Houston Curtis’ book, then answers three questions from listeners.1:41 Joey Ingram’s interview with Houston Curtis and the fallout from the last Third Man Walking episode9:27 Dealing...

  
• 06.01.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 42: New LATB Executive Producer’s Shady ‘Billion Dollar Hollywood Heist'

  Your correspondent reviews new Live at the Bike executive producer Houston Curtis’ 2020 book Billion Dollar Hollywood Heist, which chronicles Curtis’ sketchy past as a card mechanic and as a player featured in the movie Molly’s Game. Then, your correspondent...

  
• 05.18.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 41: Self-Awareness in Poker and More on Cheating

  Your correspondent discusses whether self-awareness is a good trait for a poker player, then connects that topic to the recent spate of cheating allegations in the high-stakes poker community. From there, he examines what, if anything, can be done. In...

  
• 05.04.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 40: Cheating, Hidden Effects on Winrates, and a Tricky 5/10 Session

  Your correspondent briefly discusses the series of cheating allegations tearing through the poker world. He then describes two hidden factors that can bring a live winrate down, before reviewing a 5/10 session full of tricky decisions. 0:27 Cheating 4:27 Two...

  
• 04.20.2022

  Third Man Walking No. 39: Poker & Pop Culture, With Martin Harris

  2:15 Where poker came from 3:36 Gambling on steamboats 5:41 Poker in the Old West -- why was poker popular despite the possibility of violence? 10:35 Early poker strategy books 13:13 Poker in the middle and upper classes 16:02 Early club poker in Los Angeles/Gardena 19:15...