Third Man Walking

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) Living through variance (16:35) $5/$10/$20 session (17:08) KhKx on Q76hhxQss9hhh (18:51) TT on J98rTrQ (20:25) AQss on K83sxs9xJx (22:08) QJcc on Q74xxc8cc8x (24:21) KhJo on AK6r7hhAx (25:25) AKo on Q43ddx (28:38) AA on K72r9hh8x Your correspondent discusses living through variance as a major challenge to playing poker professionally. Along the way, he talks about gettin...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) Two possible paths (4:39) Garrett Adelstein's "Beneath the Cards" (14:49) $5/$5/$10 hand: TsTx on K97sss5ssss6sssss (18:07) Jesse May's "Shut Up and Deal" Your correspondent thinks about two possible paths to success in poker, represented, in different ways, in two poker books: Garrett Adelstein’s recent “Beneath the Cards,” and Jesse May’s “Shut Up and Deal.” FORUM DISC...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) "Bet Raise Fold" (12:36) $5/$5/$10 session (12:49) K9cc on 974r7dd5x (14:37) KJo on K88rQhh7x (15:49) AA preflop spot (17:26) AKo preflop spot (19:21) J7cc on AJJrA. (The river was a brick.) (22:37) From a later session: AKhh on AKJxdd5x Your correspondent reviews the 2013 poker documentary "Bet Raise Fold," wondering what it means that poker today exists in the shadow o...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) Preserving public games (22:39) $5/$5/$10 session (22:51) A4cc on T43cxcQx2x (24:56) KK all-in preflop (25:35) 55 on A75r (26:56) 77 on J98r9r7 (28:29) AKhh on Q94cch (30:19) JJ on J92ddx Your correspondent discusses how best to balance private games in card rooms with existing public games. He argues that public games (which can often run with less overhead and less fri...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) Biggest losing session of the year! ($5/$5, $5/$5/$10 and $10/$20) (2:30) KsKx on Q88ssxThh2x (8:32) AQo on A85ddxJx4x (15:21) Sandor Illes on bad beat culture and what makes a great poker game Your correspondent talks to livestream player and ball knower Sandor Illes about why you should be willing to listen to your buddy's bad beats. Your correspondent also reviews his...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) The problem of time (11:59) ($5/$5 and) $5/$10 session (12:55) AA on 755r6hhKx (15:16) JJ on 964ccx (16:37) K7o on QJ4rKr7 (21:35) JJ on 732cxcTx6x (23:50) AJcc on AQ5xcc6x7x (26:24) AhAx on Q94hxh (29:44) Double-board hold-em bomb pot: 53ss on K764J and K65r8ssAx (32:58) AA preflop spot Your correspondent returns from vacation and thinks about what he'd like to do next,...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) On aggression (8:25) $5/$5/$10 session (8:36) AhQx on 654hhhAx (10:28) KK (no heart) on 832hhx9xAx (14:47) AhKx on AJTxhh6x5x (16:38) 16:38 A9o (no spade) on QJ7sxs9x9sss (19:12) KK on K43xssAx (21:05) AA on 982cxc8x (24:12) QTss on A87sxx3dd Your correspondent considers the meaning of the term "aggression" in poker, and how odd it is that a word with a negative connotat...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) Cash Players Vs. Tournament Players (15:23) $5/$5 and $5/$5/$10 session (15:55) QQ preflop spot (17:18) AKo preflop spot (19:02) 88 on 876r5ccKccc (20:28) AQhh on AT8r5hh (21:30) 87cc on A96ddx5x (23:16) 55 on 873r8ss7x Your correspondent addresses two amusing but similarly unanswerable questions about cash game pros as compared to tournament pros. Who does better in the...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) "The Adults" (12:22) $5/$5/$10 NLHE session (14:04) AJo preflop spot (16:05) T9ss on K82sss7x (21:05) JJ preflop spot (23:47) QQ preflop spot Your correspondent discusses the 2023 film "The Adults," which prominently features poker being played in bumbling fashion. He then plays some bumbling poker himself, struggling through a $5/$5/$10 session. FORUM POST Episode notes...

(0:00) Introduction (0:52) Sunday, May 10 (5:41) 22 on QJ2ssxQx4x (9:27) QhQx on 874hhx (13:31) Monday, May 11 (16:53) QQ on J86r (17:26) AKo on A73xcc (18:21) QQ (again) on J73hxh9x9x (21:00) Tuesday, May 12 (22:15) Double-board PLO bomb pot: JT98r on T92ddd2xAx and KQ4r7xT (26:38) Wednesday, May 13 (26:50) Double-board hold-em bomb pot: 99 on 975ccx and T64xcc (30:20) AKo on A96r3hh5x (32:26) Th...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) The Lodge, the LA blackjack ban, and "The Highest Stakes" (4:59) $5/$10 no-limit hold-em session (6:11) AhAx on J43xhhKx7x (9:40) 88 on 953ssxAx (11:37) K2ss on T54r3rA (13:41) AJo on J83rKccJx (16:10) 87o on J93ddxTx3x (19:25) AJo on JJ3r9ss5x (24:46) KK all-in preflop (25:53) 33 on 653rAhhAx (28:37) AsKx on T82rKss7sss Your correspondent begins with a roundup of recent...

(0:00) Introduction (0:14) Live cash games in the near future (14:39) $5/$10 NLHE session (15:07) AJss on A82ddx9cc (17:04) AKo on KKTxssTx2sss (19:04) 9s3x on 865rAss2sss (21:13) A3dd on T42dxd (22:21) JJ on QT3r4cc5x (30:12) 30:12 A7hh on A82xxhQhhKhhh (31:55) QQ on 954rJrA (34:24) 76cc on K54xcc Your correspondent thinks about how live poker might look in four years. Then, he reviews a spewy $5...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) On the closure of the Lodge (7:00) $5/$10 NLHE session (7:16) AKss on A76rQcc (10:34) A5cc on Q55ssx4x6x (13:01) JTss on 988ccxQx4x (15:09) AdAx on T32xdd5xJx (16:19) Double-board hold-em bomb pot: T6dd on T75xdx4dd8x and 652r4ssQx (21:32) KsQx on J98ssx8sssAssss (23:22) Double-board hold-em bomb pot: J9o on 998r2ccKx and 877r4ssQx (27:01) AA on ... Your correspondent ad...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) The 2008 poker movie "Deal" (12:16) $5/$10 NLHE session (12:55) Bonus $5/$10 hand: AhAx on 742hhx6xJx (18:20) $5/$5 hand: AsKx on 983sss (20:08) $5/$10 hand: AJo on T95r8ss (21:51) QsQx on K84sss7ssssKx (24:30) JJ (no spade) on Q93sxs (27:08) Double-board hold-em bomb pot: T8o on T63ssxKx and 962r4cc (28:32) KJo on J65hhxJxTx Your correspondent looks back at the poker fi...

(0:00) Introduction (0:15) How the legal battle facing California's card rooms might impact poker in the state (11:45) $5/$10 NLHE session (13:47) ATo on AT8cxcTccc (16:41) QhQx on 554xhh7hhh6x (18:44) AKo on Q98xdd5xJx (21:54) JJ on 972r3hh7x (23:24) QJdd on 976hdhThhh (24:58) A9dd on JTTrAss (27:40) A7ss on A65xss2x9x (29:27) AJdd preflop spot (30:56) A4cc preflop spot Your correspondent discuss...

(0:00) Intro (0:15) Distractions and mistakes (8:31) $5/$10 session (8:35) 95ss on Q96xxsJss8sss (9:49) T8ss on T83r2rK; thoughts on the population finding more river folds than they once did (11:43) KxQh on T83hhx2x2hhh (13:51) 97ss on K62xss3sss8x (15:30) 98o on J74ccx4ss (16:55) Jackpot! AA vs. QQ vs. TT on AQTT (19:52) JJ (no heart) on 983hhh2hhhh (21:28) AQcc on T94ccx8x8ccc (26:49) J7cc on Q...

(0:00) Intro (0:19) Chaos (8:18) $5/$5 NLHE session (8:30) KK (no heart) on Q76hhhJx8x (10:36) 77 on T42r7dd3x (12:40) 44 on J868r4 (14:33) AThh on 842cxcTss9x (16:11) AKdd on QJ5r7dd4x (18:28) KcKx on T85cxc6x Your correspondent discusses Barry Greenstein's idea of "chaos" -- the millions of kinds of luck in poker (or outside it) that seem further removed from the key elements of poker gameplay t...

(0:00) Intro (0:15) On turning a corner (10:38) $5/$5/$10 NLHE session (12:00) AQhh on 765rQx7 (14:02) QQ (no club) on J54xcc7ccc2x (18:00) AThh preflop spot (18:56) 8x7h on 653hhh9x8hhhh (20:34) AsJx on K97sxs3sss (22:43) T8dd on AJ9xdd Your correspondent looks back to a time when he had a big breakthrough in his poker results, and wonders what causes such breakthroughs. Then, he gets into a numb...

(0:00) Intro (0:15) What I've been up to (2:40) There's a right answer, but what is it? (10:25) $5/$5/$10 hand: AThh on A83xdd6x (15:25) AQo on Q83r4r (23:56) $5/$5/$10 session (25:14) AJo on AK6xcc9x8x (26:51) Ridiculous preflop spot with KK (30:34) AQo on AQ2dxdTx8x (32:51) AQo (again) on KJTrJccTx (33:59) AA on Q94hhx (35:22) TT on T72ccx6x6x (38:27) A9ss on 863ddxAhh Your correspondent thinks...

(0:00) Intro (0:15) A frustrating day at $5/$5 and $5/$10 (7:12) $5/$5 hand: 88 on 842hxh6ccAx (13:14) Poker as "founder training" (19:17) $5/$5 NLHE/standup game session (19:47) JJ all-in preflop (21:04) AKo all-in preflop (22:33) AA on A33ddx4x (23:32) AQo on A74hhxQhhh2hhhh (25:41) A8cc preflop Your correspondent discusses a frustrating day of poker, responds to Kelly Lucas' reaction to Erik Se...

(0:00) Social media and AI (2:32) Storytelling in poker (17:11) $5/$10 NLHE session (17:36) K9dd on A98ssdTsss2x (20:22) AdKx on 964ddd (22:28) AThh on QT5rAcc9x (24:33) KsJx on JT3sxsAx (26:00) TT (no spade) on J63sss6x9ssss (28:53) AA on QT2rKss4x (30:21) QJo on AT8cxcKhh4ccc Your correspondent thinks about the AI mini-scandal that recently engulfed the WSOP's "No Limit" docuseries. He lists som...

(0:00) Intro (0:15) "Ballad of a Small Player" (13:06) $5/$5 NLHE session (16:00) JJ preflop spot (17:40) AKdd preflop spot (19:02) AJdd on A54xdx3ss2x (22:18) AQo on AT5hxh6dd9x (24:09) AA on 322r (26:07) J9ss on T75ssx2sss4ssss Your correspondent discusses the new Netflix film “Ballad of a Small Player,” finding it more rewarding upon repeated viewings. He also picks up some big hands in a recen...

(0:00) Private games and the Chauncey Billups scandal (10:52) $5/$10 session (12:14) AKhh all-in preflop (13:00) 99 all-in preflop (15:38) AKo on K54r6ssQx (17:57) QhQx on AJ6hhxQx4hhh (20:01) QTcc on QT4hxhJx7hhh (21:41) JThh on AQ2hxxKx (23:25) AA on AQTr4ccJx Your correspondent discusses the Chauncey Billups scandal and Doug Polk's interview with Philip Wiszowaty and how, again, private games a...

(0:00) Intro (0:37) The Noble Hustle (11:18) $5/$10 session (12:47) TT on T77ddx8x2ddd (16:11) AcQx on 974cxcKxKccc (21:37) A4hh on Q76hxh (22:39) AKhh all-in preflop (26:20) J9cc on Q52ccxAccc8x (29:09) AKhh on 544hxxJhh (31:16) AJo on AJ4r4ccTx Your correspondent reviews Colson Whitehead’s 2014 poker diary “The Noble Hustle,” a beautifully written account of his brief foray into the poker world...

Your correspondent reviews the 2015 Canadian poker thriller “Cold Deck,” then recaps a relatively smooth (but imperfect) session at $5/$10. FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE 0:23 “Cold Deck” 11:49 $5/$5 and $5/$10 session 12:03 AJo on K63r4dd 14:08 J9cc preflop spot 15:43 AKo on AJ6ccx7x4x 16:54 KK on T94r9cc5x 19:44 KK (again) on T86hhx 22:27 AQo preflop spot 23:11 JhJx on T76hxhKhhh5x http://twitter....