Thinking Poker

Carlota Gonzalez is a rock radio personality with a deep background in poker. She believes all serious poker players should experience dealing as well and has dealt herself at the WSOP. We talk to her about her own poker experiences, what players can learn from dealing, and whether Nickelback is overrated (the answer may surprise you!). Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be...

Lupe Soto has been a passionate poker player and promoter of women’s events for 25+ years. She shares her deep experience with Carlos and Andrew and also discusses her charitable with Poker Gives.  Poker Gives distributes goods from 7-10pm on Mondays at 200 E. Foremaster. Do Solvers Have Targets? Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscr...

Boxing lawyer Lamont Jones wrote The Gist of Bid Whist because he believes card games connect people and that the rich story of Bid Whist deserves to be widely known. He shares the game’s fascinating history with Carlos and Andrew, beginning with the 19th century Pullman Porters. He also explains the strategy and makes his case for why poker lovers might enjoy Bid Whist. The Gist of Bid Whis...

Dim the lights! Jeff Platt is on the show to talk poker and broadcasting with Carlos and Andrew. Why broadcasting? Why poker? What makes for a great poker broadcast? A great interview? Is Jeff Platt the nicest guy in poker? Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to  Thinking Poker Daily .  Receive 10% off...

Caitlyn Arnwine and LoriAnn Persinger return to the show to help us brainstorm solutions to the problems of representation and unequal opportunity in the poker world. In the introduction, Andrew and Carlos console themselves over their runner-up finish at the GPI Awards and Gloria Jackson joins to discuss the event.  Caitlyn Arnwine first appeared on Episode 397 as Caitlyn Cobb. She also appeared...

From (semi) professional paintball to house party home games to high stakes LA cash, Fausto Valdez’s path to poker has been unique. He’s formed some strong opinions along the way: about pre-flop raise sizes, the politics of private games, how nits stack their chips, and more. Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO W...

Isaac “Ike” Haxton returns to the podcast after eleven years, joining Carlos and Andrew for a conversation about studying, staying on top, the limitations of solvers, why he still masks in public spaces, and more. Isaac first appeared on Episode 18 . Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to  T...

Jorbs AKA Stephen Flavall is a storyteller and strategy games streamer. His current focus is Slay the Spire, but once upon a time he was a professional poker player. He shares that journey with Carlos and Andrew, plus insights into cultivating community, the darker side of streaming, and more. Stephen is the author of Before We Go Live: Navigating the Abusive World of Online Entertainment . You ca...

Pamela Balzano’s older brother got her into poker, but while he was a professional player, her first interest was in content creation. After launching successful Spanish language YouTube , Twitch , Instagram , and TikTok channels, she is now a serious player as well, as well as an announcer and host for events across Latin America. Pamela recommends Cosmos by Carl Sagan. The author Andrew re...

Math professor and poker author Ducan Palamourdas returns for another wide-ranging conversation about game theory, finding edges, local metagames, how strategies evolve, and much more. Duncan first appeared on Episode 349 of the Thinking Poker Podcast. Why Alex Beats Bobbie at Poker Slay the Spire Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscriptio...

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, 23 No-Limit Hold ‘Em Hands From 2023 , and an interesting pot he and Carlos played together. Matt previously appeared on Episode 301 and Episode 379 . Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to...

2023 was a banner year for the Thinking Poker Podcast, and we’re counting down our favorite interviews and best strategy content. Helping us out is Chad McVean, who may well have consumed more hours of poker podcasts this year than anyone else on Earth! Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to  Thin...

K.L. Cleeton returns to the show to discuss the highs and lows of his last few years, including memorable WSOP trips and getting stranded by a hotel that couldn’t accommodate his hospital bed. K.L. has previously appeared on Episode 224 and Episode 279 . In the strategy segment, Andrew discusses some counter-intuitive exploits against opponents who c-et too often . Support the podcast, get d...

Dad, data engineer, and poker player Chad Gardner talks about (not) making time for poker and how, as an amateur, he prepared to compete in Day 3 of WPT Jacksonville. Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to  Thinking Poker Daily .  CHAD GARDNER Chard Gardner is a dad and Data Engineer at BlocPower, with...

Former Thinking Poker host Nate Meyvis returns to the show after a hiatus to discuss how poker strategy has changed in the last few years.  Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to  Thinking Poker Daily .  NATE MEYVIS Nate Meyvis is a software engineer. He was formerly a professional poker player and co-h...

Justin Moyer is a poker player, musician, and Pulitzer-prize winning journalist with the Washington Post. Among other topics, he covers poker, gambling, and casinos for the Post and has interviewed both Carlos and Andrew for articles. His post-dance-punk band, Light Beams, have just released their new album via Dischord Records. All their links are here . Poker at Charles Town Races and Greenbrier...

Ed Miller, author of classic poker books like The Course and frequent Thinking Poker guest, has a new book out tomorrow called Interception: The Secrets of Modern Sports Betting . It’s all about how modern sports books operate and how to find the best bets they offer. Even if you aren’t interested in sports betting, it’s a fascinating read. Ed shares some juicy details and other...

Pure strategy this week, as Carlos and Andrew review a bunch of tricky decisions from Andrew’s recent final table finish in the $109 Warm Up on ACR.  Support the podcast, get daily strategy discussions, *and* be eligible to win a one-month subscription to GTO Wizard by subscribing to  Thinking Poker Daily .  Hand Histories and GTO Wizard Sims 99 facing check-raise and barrel on paired board...

Kimberly Willingham is the Executive Director of the Boston Debate League, a non-profit organization Andrew founded in 2005. She talks to Andrew and Carlos about how the organization has grown and changed, the value of debate in urban public schools, and the challenges of navigating controversial subjects. In the strategy segment, Carlos takes Andrew to task for failing to fold top pair, top kicke...

WSOP/WPT/PokerGo presenter Kara Scott shares the person behind the famous face, from her youth living out of a camper in rural Alberta to her experiences as a Muay Thai competitor to her current life as a fiercely compassionate voice in poker media. In the strategy segment, Carlos and Andrew discuss how to respond to donk bets. Listen to Kara’s podcast, Heart of Poker ! More information abou...

Bert Stevens AKA girafganger7 is one of the most successful MTT players on the internet. He’s also intimately familiar with some of the biggest cheating scandals of recent years, as a victim of the multi-accounting on GG Poker and an associate of Bryn Kenney. Carlos and Andrew talk to him about all this plus how his life on a rescue farm has shaped his view of the world. In the strategy segm...

The poker world is ripe for parody, and with formal training as an actress and Groundlings comedian, Caitlin Comeskey is the woman for the job. Her costume-changing skits are a hit on Twitter, and now she and fellow comedian Niki Limo are bringing fun sketches, games, and interviews to their Aceholes podcast. She talks to Carlos and Andrew about how she combines her passions for acting, comedy, an...

Shelby Wells is a long-time poker fan who got the chance of a lifetime when she won a Twitter contest for a seat in the 2022 Main Event. She made Day 6, ultimately winning $73K and a lot of clout at the poker room where she had recently started dealing. Carlos and Andrew talk to her about her journey as well as her experiences as a dealer, playing at the feature table with Daniel Negreanu, and mor...

No one on Earth has played more live poker tournaments than Ari Engel. He’s a force to be reckoned with live and online, in every game under the sun. More impressively, he’s funny and humble and has great taste in podcasts. In the strategy segment, Andrew and Carlos discuss keeping track of the pot size and your opponents’ stacks in real time. Ari first appeared on Episode 82 . S...

Poker superfan Jay Kelly tried to hook Gloria Jackson up with Carlos more than a year ago, when the two women first met. She joins Andrew, Carlos, and Gloria to help tell the story of her and Gloria’s friendship and Carlos and Gloria’s podcast-born romance. We highly recommend listening to Gloria Jackson’s first appearance on Episode 401 . It’s a fantastic episode in its ow...