Thinking Poker

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 remarkable life and his unique philosophy, and of course he and Carlos compare notes on car living. In the strategy segment, Andrew discusses betting in multi-way pots and why protection bets should be small.Ari’s Digital Poker TablesYou 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 MTTs with GTO Wizard AI!You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily.  ARIEL SHEFER Ariel Shefer retired from a career in business to live in his car, play poker, and drive for Uber. He describes himself as the “poorest, happiest person in the world.” Link

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 hungry people in Las Vegas.In the strategy segment, Andrew and Carlos discuss bluffing frequencies, polarized betting, and multi-way pots.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 MTTs with GTO Wizard AI!You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily.  LINDA jOHNSON Linda Johnson is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame, the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame, and the Tournament Directors’ Association. She is a former professional poker player and owner of Card Player Magazine. She now co-owns Card Player Cruises. Twitter JAN FISHER Jan Fisher is a former poker dealer, professional player, and contributor to Card Player Magazine. She is a member of the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame and co-owns Card Player Cruises. Twitter

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’t care about Carlos’s love life. For those who do, the story of how they got together is a great listen, too.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 MTTs with GTO Wizard AI!You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily.  GLORIA JACKSON Gloria Jackson is a mother of five and has played poker professionally for over twelve years. Twitter

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 MTTs with GTO Wizard AI!Website: www.irishpokeropen.comX: @Irish_PokerOpenInstagram: irishpokeropenYou can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily. 

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://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 MTTs with GTO Wizard AI!You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily.  MATT GLASSMAN Matt Glassman is an avid card player and a Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute adept at explaining politics through the lenses of game theory and card strategy. Twitter Link

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 your GTO Wizard subscription when you use this link to sign up to GTO Wizard today and run deeper in your MTTs with GTO Wizard AI!You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily. RecPoker LinksWebsite: https://rec.poker/Audio Podcast: https://pod.link/1149156123YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RecPokerCommunityDiscord: https://discord.com/invite/9aYSMCCfpv JIM REID Jim Reid is a poker coach and host of The RecPoker Podcast. Twitter Link LORIANN PERSINGER LoriAnn Persinger is a poker lover, Navy veteran, and serial game show champion with a history in poker media. She recently joined the RecPoker RECing crew. Twitter Link ROB GARDNER Rob Gardner is the marketing director for RecPoker and host of the Chase the Dream podcast. Rob recently launched Ramp Poker and the Ramp Poker Core Training Cours Twitter Link

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 and run deeper in your MTTs with GTO Wizard AI!You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily.  

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 performance coach.We talk to him about what exactly that means, how it helped him perform on one of poker’s largest stages, and what he hopes to teach others about experiencing the richness of life.You can learn more about Zak and his coaching on Instagram and Twitter.You can join Andrew and Carlos in the ClubWPT Gold beta 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 MTTs with GTO Wizard AI!You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily.  ZAK VANKEUREN Zak VanKeuren is a professional poker player and holistic wellness coach. He recently won the WPT Prime Championship for over $1 million! Twitter Link

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 and whether cash games or tournaments better model the real world.Caitlyn Arnwine first appeared on Episode 397 as Caitlyn Cobb. She also appeared on our earlier episode on women’s events, on Episode 431 with LoriAnn Persinger, and on Episode 451 with Justin and Barbara Arnwine. We spoke with her husband, Justin Arnwine, on Episodes 398 and 399.You can join Andrew and Carlos in the ClubWPT Gold beta 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 MTTs with GTO Wizard AI!You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily.  CAITLYN ARNWINE Caitlyn Arnwine describes herself as a force that makes change. Caitlyn is the former Coordinator of Public Education for @NationalHomeles and Social Media Director of @TJC_DC. Twitter Link

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://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 MTTs with GTO Wizard AI!You can now get two FREE episodes per week of Thinking Poker Daily.  Alexander Fitzgerald Alex Fitzgerald is a poker player, author, and coach. His latest book is How to Beat Players Who Never Fold. Twitter Link