Thinking Poker

This week, we’re bringing you an episode of Risky Business, a podcast about better decision making from our friends Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova. You can find more Risky Business at https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/risky-business-with-nate-silver-maria-konnikova. You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at  https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK .  Receive 10% off your GT...

Nosebleed MTT crusher Sam Greenwood is one of the most successful poker players of all time. But how did he get started, how did he rise to the top, and why is he now giving away his secrets in a daily newsletter? Carlos and Andrew get to the bottom of it all in this fantastic interview. You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at  https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK .  Receiv...

Chris “DeathDonkey” Vitch joins Carlos and Andrew for a lively discussion of poker in all its forms, including why he prefers non-hold ’em games, what hold ’em players get wrong about mixed games, and he approaches mixed game tournaments differently than cash games. You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at  https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK .  Rece...

Tom “Tombos21” Boshoff returns to the show to discuss new developments in poker strategy and technology since his last appearance . Alex Sutherland is the source of the “think of a solver as a tool for conducting experiments” idea. We first discussed the idea of AI “intuition” with Michael Bowling of the University of Alberta Computer Poker Research Group. You c...

Five years ago, Jason Su taught the poker world to play with presence. Now he’s back to advocate for playing with joy. We discuss his new book, why most poker players motivate themselves in unsustainable ways, and how to change those habits both at the poker table and in life. In the strategy segment, Andrew discusses game theory in the real world and whether strategic uncertainty has a role...

Andres Korn grew up playing poker with his friends, but it wasn’t until he saw it on TV that he decided to take it seriously. He bought straight in to the WSOP Main Event and never looked back. Now he’s one of the most successful players in Argentina (and the world!), with an emphasis on mixed games but enough hold ’em proficiency to hold a bracelet in the prestigious $5K six-max...

Ariel Shefer wants to be a world champion. He’s tried backgammon, he’s tried bridge. Now, he lives in his car, driving for Uber to earn buy-ins for poker tournaments. He’s not broke (or at least, he wouldn’t have to be); this is how he keeps himself hungry. And maybe how he nets a sponsorship from Toyota, Hilton, Uber, or Virginia Slims… Ariel shares with us his remar...

Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher are titans of the industry, with over 100 years of poker experience between them. They share stories with Carlos and Andrew about poker rooms in the 1970s and 80s, how and why they changed, the history of Card Player Magazine, the history of Card Player Cruises , the founding of the Tournament Directors’ Association, and Poker Gives , a charitable project feeding...

It’s been two years since Carlos met Gloria Jackson when he contacted about for an interview. Now he lives with her and her two youngest sons, and both their lives have changed dramatically. The two of them share with Andrew what their lives look like now, both on and off the felt. If you aren’t familiar with Gloria, her original interview is well worth listening to even if you don&#82...

Co-owner of the Irish Poker Open Paul O’Reilly discusses the historic event with Carlos and Andrew. Plus the Irish poker scene, tips for visiting Dublin, and more! You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at  https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK .  Receive 10% off your GTO Wizard subscription when you  use this link to sign up  to GTO Wizard today and run deeper in your M...

Card player, political scientist, and fan favorite Matt Glassman returns to the show to discuss the Oh Hell! book he’s working on and answer listener questions about American politics. Matt is a frequent Thinking Poker guest who first appeared on  Episode 191 . Lamont Jones talked Bid Whist with us on Episode 433 . You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at  https://club...

Jim Reid, LoriAnn Persinger, and Rob Gardner join Andrew and Carlos to talk about the RecPoker community and how the needs, goals, and experiences of recreational players differ from those of professionals. LoriAnn first appeared on Episode 394 of the Thinking Poker Podcast. You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at  https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK .  Receive 10% off you...

Carlos shares his experiences from the GPI awards banquet and a visit with Tom McEvoy. Then he and Andrew discuss two tricky tournament spots with AK. We interviewed Tom McEvoy on Episode 450 .  You can join Andrew and Carlos on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK .  Receive 10% off your GTO Wizard subscription when you  use this link to sign up  to GTO Wizard today...

Winning a major poker tournament isn’t a fast track onto the Thinking Poker Podcast, but when Matt Savage says, “You have to talk to this guy!”, we oblige. And so glad we did! Zak VanKeuren, who won the WPT Prime Championship in December for over $1 million, is a great poker player, but he isn’t just a great poker player. He’s also a holistic wellness enthusiast and p...

Organizer, advocate, and poker pro Caitlyn Arnwine returns to the show for Black History Month! With Carlos and Andrew, she discusses why Black history is American history, how historical voting rights movements can inform contemporary struggles, how to advocate for Women’s Events, and what this all has to do with poker strategy. Plus, Carlos and Andrew discuss risk premiums in everyday life...

Legendary poker guru Alex “Assassinato” Fitzgerald returns to the podcast after a long hiatus to discuss solvers, live cash games, his new book, living in New York during the height of the pandemic, and much more! Alex previously appeared on Episode 84 and Episode 133 . His website is PokerHeadRush.com . You can join Andrew and Carlos in the ClubWPT Gold beta by signing up at  https://...

Ivonne Montealegre is best known in the poker world for organizing the popular Malta Poker Festival and the new Costa Rica Poker Festival. She shares with Carlos and Andrew about growing up in Costa Rica, living in Malta, how her mother got her into poker, what goes into organizing a poker festival, and her now role as Manager of the SiGMA Poker Tour. You can join Andrew and Carlos in the ClubWPT...

We are cancelling the ClubWPT Gold Meet Up Game we’d previously announced for Saturday January 25. We still plan to host a Home Game tournament on Saturday February 1 at 5pm Eastern/2pm Pacific. You’ll need password “THINK” to join the home game, and if you haven’t yet signed up for ClubWPT Gold, you can do so at www.clubwptgold.com  using promo code “THINK&#822...

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,  24 No-Limit Hold ‘Em Hands From 2024 , and the three apply game theory concepts to a triple barrel bluff Andrew attempted. Matt previously appeared on Episode 301,   Episode 379 , and Episode 425 . You can join Andrew, Carlos, and...

Pro player and streamer Patrick “Egption” Tardif discusses his background in competitive video gaming, his rocky road to becoming a professional poker player, the joys and challenges of playing on stream, and the new online poker site ClubWPT Gold. You can join Andrew, Carlos, and Patrick on ClubWPT Gold by signing up at https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK Receive 10% off your GTO Wiz...

Put off by the exploitative nature of the casino industry, Kim Lund turned to video games instead. Now he’s bringing the two together with Hands of Victory , a game his company Aftermath Interactive hopes to offer for competitive tournament play. He’s also got some ideas about the ethics of the video game industry and how gaming can address climate change. Plus, Andrew and Carlos look...

Eugene Katchalov left the world of professional poker at the top, but he’s still around as a recreational player and entrepreneur. In this delightful conversation, he discusses what makes poker fun, what poker needs, and how solvers have changed the game. You can now get two FREE episodes per week of  Thinking Poker Daily .  Sign up for ClubWPT Gold at  https://clubwptgold.com/?promo=THINK R...

Jeanne David has worked as the manager of an in-patient drug treatment facility and as the head of Responsible Gaming at PokerStars, but she’s always been a poker player herself as well. On the heels of her induction in the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame, Jeanne joins Carlos and Andrew to discuss her colorful life and her passion for poker. Tickets are still available for the Women’s...

Hungry Horse founder and live cash crusher extraordinaire Marc Goone joins Carlos and Andrew for a lively discussion of solvers, win rates in live cash, exploiting regs, teaching poker, “lyrical myrical” rappers, and more. 25% off everything (except gift cards) in the Nitcast store through the end of November! You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily .  Sign u...

Vegas-based poker pro Jessica Vierling is famously forthcoming about her struggles: with alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, and holding herself to impossibly high standards. The most important thing, she says, is to be honest and authentic. She is just that in this conversation with Andrew, where they discuss her struggles, her triumphs, her journey from the corporate world to the world of professiona...