The Overlay a poker podcast

The great game of Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) is intimidating, wild, volatile and mildly freighting to the new Omaha player.  Brandon and Ken go over the top mistakes made by beginner PLO players so that our listeners know what to expect and how to navigate the wild west of poker.  Plus we get a little bad beat story told from Brandon's point of view including one of the great Omaha players, Chicag...

What does poker look like as we near the end of the COVID-19 pandemic? Ken and Brandon talk about live poker and the positives and negatives that we are currently facing.  Will we ever be allowed to eat chicken wings at the poker table again? Will drink service resume at the Horseshoe? What is the dealer pool currently like? The world is going back outside, and we have the inside scoop from the po...

Poker Terminology is the number one way to improve your bad beat stories.  Instantly sound more credible by correctly using terms like SPR, Texture, Pivot Card, and Metagame.  Never again be confused by the table captain when he starts speaking professional "poker" lingo on why your play was so bad.  Local poker expert Brandon and Ken the sidekick cover intermediate to advanced poker ter...

Every poker player at some point in their poker career will take a shot. If that's bumping up stakes in the cash game, or putting all your eggs in one basket and firing multiple bullets on a big tournament. Mike from Rounders said it best: you can't lose what you don't put in the middle. But you can't win much either. Follow along with Brandon and Ken while they discuss their p...

The Overlay a poker podcast turns ONE today! Thank you to everyone who has listened to our podcast, and come out to support our sponsors in Illinois and Texas.  The Anniversary show is a recap of the last year of the podcast, the background stories of how Kena and Brandon got into the poker scene, and a little update from the WSOP.  Enjoy and please remember to subscribe to our podcast where ever...

PART TWO: How the poker world is transitioning away from No-Limit Texas Hold'em and into Pot Limit Omaha. A lot of poker players consider NLH to be a solved game, where PLO is the wild west just waiting to be tamed by poker's best players. In episode43 the Overlay covers different variants of Omaha, and how different strategies are more effective depending on what variant you are playing...

The Road Trip is an American pastime and has found a new place in history with the current pandemic. The Overlay discusses their favorite poker locations in the USA and how to plan, execute and adapt the perfect poker road trip. From budgeting to finding the right tournament, to the best locations to play poker. Every poker player at some point in their career should attempt to put it all on the l...

The BOUNTY Tournament, where you get paid extra to knock players out. The Overlay boys go deep diving on bounty tournament strategy and how players' ranges and plays are affected by the bounty chip.  Plus the greatest bounty tournament that never was.  Remember you can play in a BIG Bounty almost every Sunday at CCG poker and every Friday night at Paramount Social in Houston. If you are enjoy...

The biggest sports betting day of the year... THE BIG GAME.  Brandon told us that we were not allowed to use the word SUPPPPER BOWWWL, so we are calling it the BIG GAME.  This is the first year that Sports Betting is legal in the state of Illinois.  What prop bets is Brandon betting on this year. Which are the best apps to use to place your bet.  Don't miss the Brandon Breakdown on which team...

THE FINALE!!!! We hope.  The Overlay podcast talks about the current state of poker, focusing on live poker on October 30th, 2020. What are the rumors about the Midwest poker rooms?  Who is open, who is re-opening, and who is going to stay closed? In these unsure times, Ken and Brandon try to bring a little clarity to LIVE poker during a global pandemic. If you are enjoying our show please subscri...

Gimmie a break! How are you using your breaks during your poker sessions? The Overlay covers breaktime during poker tournaments (both big and small), as well as when you should take breaks during a cash game session.   Brandon and Ken tell their own stories and experiences with breaks during tournaments and cash play. Plus, we cover how to use your breaks more effectively. If you are enjoying our...

Happy New Year! Finally, 2020 is over, and we can move on to better and brighter pastures. The boys from The Overlay throw down their best 2021 predictions. Brandon gives his best sports picks from the Super Bowl to the World Series champs. We discuss the future of live poker and an in-depth look at when Ken thinks CCG poker will be back. The catch-all 2020 sucks episode of The Overlay with a few...

2 + 2 = RAISE? The math and thought process behind pot odds, river bluffs, implied odds, value betting, set mining, and bet sizing on the river.  Poker is a balance between math and art.  Go down the rabbit hole with Brandon on poker math, and how to use storytelling to win more pots. Also, Ken is on this episode. If you are enjoying our show please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple...

Super Deepstack tournaments include large starting stacks with very deep player-friendly structures. What changes does a poker player have to make when the blind levels are low, and you start with a massive chip stack? Should you be playing more aggressively, or error towards the conservative side? Do you change your betting amounts because you have so many chips to start? The Overlay gives their...

What's happening in poker right now? We have only three regions of the USA playing poker.  A huge MSPT Las Vegas live poker event (with a great finish by episode 7 guest Jordan Helstern) where the $400K guarantee was blown out of the water, and we touch on the Doug Polk vs Daniel Negreanu heads up feud/contest. If you are enjoying our show please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Appl...

Whare are your favorite things to do at a casino while you wait for your poker room seat? Do you go full-blown degenerate? Do you study opening ranges while you wait? Read a book? Jam all your money into a Beirhouse slot machine?  Bet on the over/under on the number of people who walk by wearing a blue shirt? Go to the ATM twice prior to even sitting in a poker game?  In this episode of the Overla...

The Overlay podcast talks about the current state of poker, focusing on live poker on October 30th, 2020. What are the rumors about the Midwest poker rooms?  Who is open, who is re-opening, and who is going to stay closed? In these unsure times, Ken and Brandon try to bring a little clarity to LIVE poker during a global pandemic. If you are enjoying our show please subscribe and leave us a 5-star...

Advanced Poker Lingo level 101: the beginner's course to advanced poker lingo.  In this episode, we cover the six different types of calls: Cold Call, Smooth Call, Flat Call, Over Call, Hero Call, and the Crying Call.  Tell a better bad beat story, but using the correct terminology.  No poker player wants to hear a hand breakdown if you use these terms incorrectly.  If you are enjoying our sh...

Online poker or Live poker? What would you chose if you could only play one or the other for the rest of time? The Overlay goes over the pros and cons of live poker vs online poker.  The benefits of each, the disadvantages, and ultimately you hear which format Ken and Brandon would choose.  If you are enjoying our show please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you are lis...

The Overlay goes deep in the tank for the ten most common mistakes made by poker players: from overplaying big hands to defending the blinds to the death and the "fancy play" syndrome. Remember, "knowing is half the battle."   If you're enjoying our show, we'd love for you to subscribe and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Your reviews help us reach more poker...

The Overlay podcast discusses the who's who of poker content creators. What is a content creator? Who are the top Twitch streamers + What is a Twitch? The most popular YouTube channels. Whose vlogs are the most artistic? Whose vlogs are the most educational? What happened to Doug Polk.  All this and more in this episode of the Overlay a poker podcast. If you are enjoying our show please subsc...

The Overlay podcast goes off the reservation with the Tournament Directors second level course (201) "Beyond the rulebook". This episode is dedicated to those floor calls that are once in a lifetime.  When are players allowed to ask to see another player's card? What about the old All in Call Muck Muck scenario.  What do you do when the table gets knocked over? What is your responsi...

The Overlay discusses the advantages to short-handed play, why we should keep playing 7-8 handed cash games post-pandemic, and the history of poker as it pertains to the number of players at the table.  The state of live poker at the end of August 2020: WSOP Main Event online discussions, Does it count if you win a WSOP bracelet for an online event, the MSPT is the first mid stakes poker tour to s...

To straddle or not to straddle, the Overlay a poker podcast goes over the pros and cons of the cash game straddle. We cover everything that is the straddle: Under the Gun straddle, Button straddle, the ROCK variation, Mississippi straddle, ultimate last action, all the way to making funny jokes with the obvious straddle innuendos. There has never before been such an all-inclusive straddle poker po...

The Overlay podcast goes into the tank on tournament rules, common mistakes, and tournament etiquette.  What constitutes a raise, when is the action re-opened on an all-in bet, what to do when you are confused and unsure of what the proper ruling is.  When in doubt yell for the FLOOR, or listen to the Overlay and get the inside scoop on poker rules before you play. If you are enjoying our show ple...