The Poker Zoo Podcast

I check in with player and coach Fausto Valdez, who has made big life changes since we last spoke to him on on episode three . Fausto just completed a long-planned move to L.A. with his girlfriend; his website is up; and – surprise – he’s been caught working with a solver. We talk about the L.A. games, how his style has co-evolved with his Solve For Why influence, and review his...

This week I speak with “life-long beginner” Steve B., currently a TBR member, and a lurker on channels and forums throughout the scene. We ramble over a number of poker topics, among them Texas poker, the nearby Winstar, how to learn, who to learn from, and the tribulations of various poker personalities. We focus at the end, closing with a conceptual spot where BU range bets and is me...

On this week’s Zoo, I reach out to Soto prodigy and Instagram road rager Chris Konvalinka . We hear about his fast and furious entry into the Vegas scene, including an immediate stake and the roller coaster after. Chris also talks about his S4Y connection and finding his community. In the strategy section, we go over pot construction and positional issues: UTG 40 @ wynn 5-10 2k eff I flat QQ...

I catch up with poker coach Alvin Lau, who first joined the Zoo on episode 6 .  Since then, Alvin has been busily becoming a compelling content creator , but most recently has been examining the database of Pluribus hands. We talk about the result, Pluribus’ overall strategy, what a few of those who had success against the computer were doing, what we can learn from the experiment, and exami...

The Poker Zoo Podcast was created with intention of keeping track of TBR members and others. Today we return to online and live cash player Jason Burge, whom we talked to in Episode 6 . Jason, an avid experimenter, has continued to tinker with his game, but is increasingly spending time in PPPoker games. Under the JamBasket name, he’s created some fun videos where he demonstrates understandi...

In the second episode of the “doubleheader” promised this week, I interview East coast tournament grinder Greg Candido. Our focus is on his run to Day 7 of the 2019 WSOP Main Event (104th for $59,295). We start with Greg’s background and the poker club that helped prepare him, then go over each day of his main event, including four hands he picked out as crucial or troubling. Gre...

After a break for the WSOP, we’re back in the Zoo. Our guest is Adam Zerner, a low stakes online and live player I met in Las Vegas. An accomplished coder, Adam has created NLHE equity analysis software he calls Premium Poker Tools. This web-based application is an expansion on the Flopzilla and Equilab idea, with some of the scenario-specific flavor of Doug Hull’s Flop Falcon. Togethe...

In this episode of the Zoo, TBR members discuss the culture of low to mid stakes cash at WSOP 2019. We cover strategy trends, game culture, venues, and, of course, the food of Las Vegas. Also, an announcement from Dean: Have a comment about the show but don’t feel like typing an email or comment?  Call the new Zoo hotline: (410) 775-6224‬. The post The Poker Zoo, Ep. 21: The WSOP Cash Scene...

We return to our regular programming this week, with the hard-working David C., an RCP and TBR member. We talk about his off-table study but focus on a deep, straddled multiway hand where the type of flush draw and potential passive dead money informs which action hero should take. David reviews the 1% NB: Hand is recorded using TBR notation where 1 is the SB, etc., and listed with stack size. 1/2...

Charles Murray @CharlesMurray is a political / social scientist and prolific author.   His writings, although not without controversy, make him a regular guest on the Sunday morning political TV shows.   He also happens to enjoy playing poker and he happens to be rather good at it.   Just a few hours ago he finished in the money at the 2019 WSOP seniors tournament. With Persuadeo out of town, Dean...

On the Zoo this week, it’s Nick Ronyecz, host of the TBR subforum Chasing the Dragon. We talk about his background, his continuing tournament success, a little WSOP planning, and take apart a low-stakes cash game hand where Nick faces two leads from a reg. 2/5 at the Wynn: 700 effective Folds to me in the co. I open 20 w QTo. Bb calls Flop: 8s5s3h Bb leads 30. I call Turn (100): 8s5s3h Qc Bb...

Rob S. has accrued a nearly unique record of the post-Black Friday live poker scene at the heart of the West Coast game, Las Vegas and California. We talk about poker, his blog, and his observations on the state of what might be the most important pool of players in our game – the novice stakes which feed our scene. We conclude with the anatomy of a cooler. $300 buy-in, ~$270 left, early pos...

Dean and Persuadeo talk about the poker scene, relieve confusion over poker learning and education, and then lay out a simple recipe for enjoying the WSOP. (It might include brisket.) One of the most confusing concepts the aspiring poker player will encounter is the notion of an overall Strategy. Perhaps surprisingly, it is counter-intuitive to many that a relational game of information can have a...

The long-time sage of Los Angeles poker, Abe Limon, calls in from the golf course on this week’s Zoo. We catch up with the life of this successful gambler, now enjoying what he calls “functional retirement.” Limon explains the latest in his string of social media exits, gives poker and life advice, and tells us what he’s drinking: apparently some things do change. The post...

We celebrate Christian Holden’s first day as professional player with this week’s podcast. Christian is an original member of TBR. He participated in the first Easy Game group, which helped send five students to the S4Y, and has gone on to both their Elite and MTT academies. He’s since played steadily online and live, including multiple live stream appearances. Christian hosts th...

Known appropriately both online and in TBR as Derdonker, Andrew is fresh off the latest Easy Game study group, and rapidly becoming the volatile live force he wants to be. We discuss the San Jose games, his learning path with Fausto and Solve For Why , heads-up poker with a disgruntled vlogger, and playing on the Stones stream. We finish with a late-night bomb pot hand, including some key line con...

Bruce is a Sacramento area player who has worked with me through a number of courses and privates. We discuss his arrival in poker, why he plays, and his games, chiefly at Stones Gambling Hall. We finish with quite some time handling this multi-way spot and related ideas.   $1/3 $1100 effective with the Villain in Cut Off, MAWG. For the most part, all the players are at or near 200bb. Hero, u...

Persuadeo, aka Cmurray on the Borgata Poker Tournament Blog , talks about his experience writing tournament coverage. We cover incidents common to tournament blogging, the highs and lows of the work, and how it is done. Thanks to Announcer Voice/Poker Zoo producer Dean for running the show. Example post: covering the Pokermantis for the BFPO     The post The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 11: Tournament Bloggin...

Michael Lukich, new member of the The Back Room , has a strongly rejuvenated interest in poker. We talk about his path, his coming attendance at the S4Y Academy , but most of all, his first video for TBR, Flop Characteristics and their Effect on EV. There are many flop simplification analyses and efforts in poker circles but Michael’s particular work to detangle value from noise and find som...

This week’s guest is the infamous FAO – Fernando Ortiz. He’s been through the Easy Game Group and the Solve For Why Academy, helping make him a solid winner in his games. We talk Vegas, trading, Face Equity, and a multi-way spot facing an unexpected flop lead. Stakes 1/3 S3 ($900) young asian male, gf beside him S4 ($300) newly sat S9 Hero ($705) S3 L/C $55 S4 $10/$55 S9 $55 Flop...

This week on the Zoo, founding TBR member and cash game player Julie McGrath. She tells how she got into poker, both live and online. There’s a little GOT talk, naturally, and then we discuss a multi-way spot she played on Global. 100 NL 6 max UTG open $3 ($87) MP call [Ks][Js] ($100) SB calls ($45) Pot $10 [Kc][7h][Qs] UTG bets $6 I call and SB calls Pot $28 [As] UTG bets $12 I raise to $40...

Christian Soto is a pro, coach, and much more. An early TBR member, he comes back after a long absence to talk commentary and strategy. He also discusses his poker academy Solve For Why – and criticism of it. Christian on Twitter . The post The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 7: Soto appeared first on Out of Position .

This week features Jason Burge, who has very actively studied within my coaching circle since the inception of The Back Room, having taken both the Easy Game Group and both Construction courses. Jason has reached the biggest games in his surprisingly active poker home, Detroit. Hand History: 2/5 live, 9 handed, $500 effective. EP, HJ, CO limp, I limp button with T9o, BB checks. Pot is 25, flop Q97...

Zac Shaw has moved from blogger and podcaster at Red Chip Poker, to working on their growing content and business side. Zac interviewed Persuadeo twice for the RCP Podcast, so today the tradition continues but with the roles reversed. 3 limps, HIJ raises to $7, BTN & SB calls, Hero calls in BB with AdTh. Everyone else calls. 6 players, $45. BTN is short stack of $125. Flop: QcTcTd SB checks, I...

On the latest Zoo, a discussion with Alvin Lau, who is an influence on member strategy in The Back Room. We talk GTO, its teachings, and the teaching of it. Overnight Monster Alvin’s Youtube Channel The post The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 4: Alvin appeared first on Out of Position .