Podcasts by The Poker Zoo Podcast

PZ 88: Washington State Poker with Mannes N from 2023-10-23T18:52:30

It’s been a long time since I played in Washington, but the scene continues to evolve, however strangely. See, it’s all about the weird rules and regulations. Podcast guest Mannes N. gives us an...

PZ 87: Enrico Camosci’s Tournament Focus from 2023-10-14T13:59:35

The poker world loves tournaments in the 2020’s. Online, tournament culture is vital and MTT-heavy while cash game action stalls. GG has challenged Pokerstars with huge tournaments series. U.S.-...

PZ 86: Richie Brodie from 2023-09-22T14:38:15

Vegas is home to more than just gaming, it is home to the history of those games and to those who created that history. Richie Brodie, lifelong “poker bum,” has played with all the greats, from ...

PZ 85: Gerard Moves On from 2023-08-31T14:23:37

Picture late 2019. Britain was finally Brexiting, Trump was somehow still presidenting, and general protests for a more liberal, freer society were happening all over the world- remember Hong Ko...

PZ 84: SDJen to Vegas Grinder from 2023-07-28T13:00:45

Swirling beneath the never explicit politics of the poker scheme is the treatment of so-called “recreational” player. A lot of condescending, hypocritical stuff is said every day, on every platf...

PZ 83: Limon’s Back, For Now from 2023-07-07T14:00:33

Few are able to get themselves banned from social media sites like Abe Limon, guru of west coast live poker and advantage gambling. Our last pod with Abe was a little rough on the ears, so we ma...

PZ 82: Split Decision with Mathew“Clayvision”Ossi from 2023-06-23T19:27:47

Welcome back to the Poker Zoo, now a little long in the tooth but looking to finish strong. We never really left, of course, but I did need a personal break to focus on writing; Dean, my co-host...

PZ 81: Family Business from 2022-12-27T16:30:50

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! For our final episode of 2022, Dean and I talk shop and how it’s going for him. We discuss poker swings, education, and the unpleasant, hard reason why some p...

PZ 80: Fernando Talks to the Manager from 2022-11-11T16:00:28

Yes, the Poker Zoo returns amid the poker crisis, but not the one you think. Previous guest Fernando is back, troubled by developments on the casino floor caused by the lack of top-notch dealers...

PZ 79: Fast Times with Slow Poker from 2022-07-28T13:00:49

The poker vlogging movement is only ten years old but has probably done more for keeping poker in the public eye than any pro celebrity of the era: the vloggers matter. It all mostly started wit...

Poker Zoo 78: Scandal Therapy with Dr. Samuels from 2022-05-06T22:30:56

This week Dr. Robert Samuels returns to the Zoo to talk about the latest round of poker cheating accusations and scandals. Robert recently polished up an old solution – can the online game opera...

Poker Zoo 77: Tight Ralph Raises His Game from 2022-04-05T21:31:17

We stay in the live streets this week and talk hands with Ralph B., a low-stakes cash game reg I know through Red Chip Poker. As for many players, Covid shook up Ralph’s poker life, and in his c...

PZ 76: Yaser Al-Keliddar Beats Captive Audience from 2022-03-09T17:00:17

Dean is unleashed this week and talks with a familiar face, east coast tournament grinder, limit player, and general smart-ass Yaser Al-Keliddar. If you’re on the tournament joyride, you know Ya...

Poker Zoo 75: That New Pro Life, with Nate Serisky from 2022-02-03T22:20:40

Vagabond vet DGAF called him “Tom Brady Jr.” but in reality, the story is more interesting than just always getting there at the right time. Las Vegas live pro Nate Serisky takes us through his ...

Poker Zoo 74: Thomas Against the Simps from 2022-01-16T16:05:25

Thomas Pinnock of Zenith Poker returns to the Zoo to review his most challenging year in poker. In addition to releasing a controversial new set of exploitative ranges and taking on a six-max ch...

Poker Zoo 73: Hustler Shaun from 2022-01-08T18:08:18

Today we go behind the scenes and talk to Shaun Yaple, General Manager of the Hustler Casino in Gardena, California. I find out what it takes to run a card room and where does poker fits in. We ...

Poker Zoo 72: Michael Lukich’s Solver School from 2021-12-28T16:00:03

On the cusp of a new year, new ventures. One is returning guest Michael Lukich’s two-pronged effort to improve your game through better solver and data study, Solver School. It’s still in creati...

PZ 71: More Coaching, More Profits, with Luka V from 2021-12-19T22:44:46

It’s our holiday podcast. When we last checked in with TBR member Luka Vitasovic, he was settling into a long “coaching for profits” contract with Nick Howard’s Poker Detox program. Today, in a ...

PZ 70: Dean Escapes Death, Gambling Ensues from 2021-12-07T16:12:17

It’s time to reach across the country and check in with Poker Zoo co-host Dean Martin, who lives and plays on the other side of the garbage heap. How did Dean (and Mrs. Dean) get through the ‘ro...

Poker Zoo 69: A Lotta Problems With You People, featuring JamBasket from 2021-11-28T17:00:33

It’s back to what promises to be a bumpy podcast grind with Zoo favorite Jason Burge, aka JamBasket Poker, one of Michigan’s big online cash winners. We hit as many topics as possible with some ...

PZ 68: Tokens, Tools, and Fools, with Alvin Lau from 2021-11-19T22:00:45

Poker, crypto, and the Non-Fungible Token craze are all well-met bedfellows: exciting, profitable, and a little grimey. Overnight Monster and Bluff Barbarian creator Alvin Lau took a flyer on a ...

Poker Zoo 67: Bad Beat Therapy from 2021-08-21T16:33:21

It’s the end of an era at Twoplustwo, but the conversation, especially on controversial topics, doesn’t stop. Robert Samuels has been a major contributor to the gem of 2+2 media, its monthly mag...

Poker Zoo 66: The Sahara Game, Dean’s Game, the Learning Game from 2021-06-13T21:51:50

A special episode as the two co-hosts talk together for the first time in a while. Dean starts by getting all the details on the deep stack cash game I started at the Sahara Las Vegas in January...

Poker Zoo 65: Travis Gets the Grease from 2021-05-15T13:30:16

If you play in the OOP deepstack training game, or more abstractly, in any online game, you’ve played a hand with Travis Moss. An increasingly reformed tight aggressive, Travis is a student of t...

Poker Zoo 64: Greg Raymer on the Cardrooms from 2021-04-22T14:36:27

The question of what makes for a successful casino poker room has been on my mind because it has to be: I’ve been running the unusual Sahara deep-stack game and trying to reseed low stakes PLO a...

Poker Zoo 63: Mason Malmuth on Live Card Rooms from 2021-03-19T18:00:13

Twoplustwo publisher and prolific author Mason Malmuth joins the Zoo to discuss a disagreement on luck and skill and how it influences the games, but it quickly turns into a broader conversation...

Poker Zoo 62: Poker Room Manager Steven Pique from 2021-03-13T16:00:32

Today we get the perspective of the people who design and run the casino poker show, thanks to guest Steven Pique. Steven has climbed the poker industry ladder in classic fashion, starting with ...

The Poker Zoo 61: Uri Peleg’s Guerrilla Warfare from 2021-02-12T21:07:51

Continuing our recent tour of contemporary poker coaches, today the Zoo welcomes Uri Peleg, formerly of Run It Once and now founder and head coach at Guerrilla Poker. Joined by online poker stra...

The Poker Zoo 60: Fernando in Texas from 2021-02-06T16:00:24

Episode nine guest FAO returns to give us the word on the live poker market. After being a Vegasite for most of post-Black Friday, he’s resettled in the suddenly popular state of Texas, where ev...

The Poker Zoo 59: Fausto’s Third Eye from 2021-01-11T21:43:05

Instagram chip pornographer Fausto Valdez returns to the Zoo; has he been following the rules? In any case, Fausto’s been splashing around L.A. long enough to get into the private games and see ...

The Poker Zoo 58: Pinnock’s Zenith from 2021-01-06T00:32:01

Mysterious poker training philanthropist? Imperturbable doctor who RNGs your diagnosis? Legendary Zynga shark? For our first podcast of the new year, I’m pleased to welcome Thomas Pinnock, the e...

The Poker Zoo 57: Mind Blown from 2020-12-24T15:00:05

The year-ending edition of the Zoo. Suitably, I talk with The Back Room standby Jason Burge, author of the JamBasket series of videos. We go over his year in poker, and hit some highlights of th...

The Poker Zoo 56: Space Exploration from 2020-11-12T18:23:15

Today on the Zoo I interview Dr. Brian Space, scientist and 2+2 poker writer. Dr. Space came to my attention after Matt Berkey tweeted out the article “GTO, the Value of Information, and the Nat...

The Poker Zoo 55: Alvin Moves Up from 2020-10-28T15:00:30

Professional and coach Alvin Lau of Overnight Monster returns to tackle big subjects in poker. We start with an update on Alvin’s successful move to much bigger games. With that fun news behind ...

PZ 54: Local Private Game, Corona Style from 2020-10-18T23:30:35

I turn to none other than our co-host and production magic man Dean Martin to get the scoop on the Covid pandemic’s effect on the home game/private game scene. Poker has always been in a grey ar...

The Poker Zoo 53: Poker&Pop Culture from 2020-09-19T20:24:21

Today’s guest is Martin Harris, author of Poker&Pop Culture: Telling the Story of America’s Favorite Card Game. Martin is a top-tier poker writer, responsible for possibly the most informative a...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 52: Porter Goes Bananas from 2020-09-13T17:17:06

Scientific Poker Strategy creator Greg Porter, who has been grinding hard throughout the Covid lockdown, returns to the Zoo today. It’s a packed episode as we not only go over playing on Ignitio...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 51: Jason Su is Present from 2020-08-01T15:05:59

Today I speak with mental game proselytizer, new author, Poker Detox advisor, and suspiciously even-keeled guest Jason Su on the pod. While Daniel and Doug swordfight for your clicks, Jason has ...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 50:“BFSkinner” from 2020-07-17T14:00:55

The Zoo returns with TBR member “BFSkinner”, a grinder on WSOP.com and in the Las Vegas live games. While I was focused on hearing about the state of poker in gambling central, we also ended up ...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 49: Jerry aka Imperator from 2020-06-05T23:21

This week on the Zoo Jerry Monaco, once the popular Imperator on the Red Chip Poker forum, emerges from radio silence. Back in the day on RCP when not only their founders posted but we were join...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 48: Doug Hull and the Easy Life from 2020-05-05T14:55:41

The Zoo continues to talk to poker coaches, with this week’s guest being Doug Hull of the popular Red Chip Poker low-stakes training site. Doug was one of four original founders, which also incl...

PZ 47: Alvin Teaches Poker Coaching from 2020-04-27T15:00:19

Alvin Lau returns to the Zoo to talk poker industry and to continue our series covering the coaching for profits scene. We go over both coaching successes and failures, and investigate their cau...

PZ 46: Andrew Seidman&Easy Game from 2020-04-18T15:05:54

A remarkable guest on today’s Zoo – Andrew Seidman (aka Baluga Whale for the true old schoolers), author of Easy Game. One of poker’s finest texts, TBR members are especially familiar with the b...

PZ 45: Paul Hewson&Poker Writing from 2020-04-08T20:30:10

Today on the Zoo we speak with long time sports betting and poker writer Paul Hewson. He’s an avid tournament player who shares with us how he got into the game and became a winner. (For the cur...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 44: Lukich Out Loud from 2020-03-16T17:02:59

Micheal Lukich returns to the Zoo, and a lot has changed for him. Michael is playing bigger, winning more, and has come into his own as a participant in the poker community. For the student of t...

PZ 43: Luka Turns to CFP and Nick H from 2020-03-09T18:00:07

It’s great to be back talking to a TBR member, in this case Luka V. from Episode 2. Luka’s life has changed significantly since we last talked. In the midst of personal and financial upheaval, L...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 42: DGAF about the Abyss from 2020-03-03T15:51

This week’s Zoo brings us to a well-known but still somewhat anonymous player who goes by the moniker DGAF. As you’ll hear or have been hearing through his podcast Sessions, he actually GAF abou...

PZ 41: Scientific Strategy with Porter from 2020-02-27T22:52:49

Special edition today, focused on OOP’s partner coach, Greg Porter. Greg will present a webinar titled Scientific Poker Strategy: Using GTO+ to Explore and Design Robust Strategies on Saturday, ...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 40: Coaching for Profits with KYT from 2020-02-19T16:29:11

On the pod this week is Kar Yung Tom, a serious Magic and Chess player who has recently recommitted to winning poker by joining a Coaching For Profits program. We explore what led Kar to a life ...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 39: The Poker Guys from 2020-01-16T13:34:57

Thank you for making us the fastest Growing Poker Podcast! Grant Denison and Jonathan Levy help me kick off 2020’s Zoo podcasts. Known as the The Poker Guys, Grant and Jonathan have a voluminous...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 38: Festivus from 2019-12-23T22:05:43

Thank you for making us the fastest Growing Poker Podcast! Dean and listeners share some fun grievances for this important day. Merry Christmas and enjoy the holidays.

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The Poker Zoo, Ep. 37: Dean from 2019-12-17T15:22:50

Thank you for making us the fastest Growing Poker Podcast! Merry Christmas to all Zoo listeners! I close the year appropriately by interviewing the true hero of the Poker Zoo podcast, co-host an...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 36: Odb_Blackbaron/DLF on Coaching for Profits from 2019-12-07T03:00:20

On this week’s Poker Zoo we take a look at the world of Coaching for Profits through an interview with Francois N., a content creator, trusted TBR poster, and microstakes grinder I have known fo...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 35: Joe Offsuit and PPPoker from 2019-11-23T23:31:50

This week on the Zoo, a busy poster in the TBR forums joins us, the one and only Joe Offsuit. Completely dedicated to playing in our deepstack practice game, Joey records all the action and ofte...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 34: Pat Bourke, Lessons in Life, Business and Poker from 2019-11-15T13:02:39

This week Dean interviews Pat Bourke, successful businessman, entrepreneur and poker player. Pat was generous enough to share some of his memorable life lessons, how he leveraged risk and opport...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 33: Gerard from 2019-11-09T15:00:04

New pro alert. Today on the podcast we talk to Solve For Why and Fausto acolyte Gerard S., who is making poker his full time work in Florida. Gerard tells us about his new blog, Gerard Plays Pok...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 32: Greg&OOP Club Games from 2019-10-29T16:35:17

Back after a brief hiatus, I speak with one of the latest TBR members, Greg, who just completed Construction 1 and 2. Greg lives and plays in the PNW with another TBR mainstay, Luka who appeared...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 31: Chase Bianchi on East Coast Poker from 2019-09-27T12:28:48

This week Persuadeo is away so Dean interviews east coast pro Chase Bianchi. Chase has almost a million dollars in live tournament winnings, at least one WSOP bracelet that I know of, plays quit...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 30: Ken Kohl on Vegas Cash from 2019-09-14T14:30:24

Today I speak with Ken Kohl, a long, long-time mid-stakes Las Vegas cash game pro. Kenny went through something of a rejuvenation last year after attending the liberating Solve For Why Academy, ...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 29: Porter from 2019-09-07T14:30:26

Episode one guest Greg Porter returns to the Zoo. We talk about his post-WSOP shift to Ignition online, discuss the talented streamer Invoker, and confront an interesting hand in TBR that’s real...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 28: Fausto from 2019-08-31T14:00:49

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 girlfrien...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 27: Steve from 2019-08-17T14:30:15

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 ...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 26: Chris K. from 2019-08-10T15:10:38

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 rol...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 25: Alvin On Pluribus from 2019-08-03T13:51:58

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 d...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 24: Jason from 2019-07-27T14:05:15

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...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 23: Greg Candido’s Main Event from 2019-07-23T15:00:09

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 $5...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 22: Adam Zerner’s PPT from 2019-07-20T15:51:44

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 ...

The Poker Zoo, Ep. 21: The WSOP Cash Scene from 2019-06-29T17:58:38

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, a...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 20: David from 2019-06-22T15:26:50

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 ty...

The (Poker) Zoo Ep. 19: Charles Murray from 2019-06-16T13:03:20

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...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 18: Nick from 2019-06-01T21:40:21

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 lo...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 17: Rob and His Blog from 2019-05-25T14:19:59

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 observat...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 16: Persuadeo on Learning Poker from 2019-05-18T14:00:32

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...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 15: Limon from 2019-05-11T14:16:30

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...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 14: Christian from 2019-05-04T13:52:52

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...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 13: Andrew from 2019-04-27T13:50:21

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 Jos...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 12: Bruce from 2019-04-20T16:54:53

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. ...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 11: Tournament Blogging from 2019-04-13T17:54:25

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 w...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 10: Lukich from 2019-04-06T16:04:02

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 ...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 9: Fernando from 2019-03-30T13:30:32

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,...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 8: Julie from 2019-03-23T13:30:20

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 ...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 7: Soto from 2019-03-16T13:30:59

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 cr...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 6: Jason from 2019-03-09T14:30:37

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....

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 5: Zac from 2019-03-02T14:30:57

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 traditio...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 4: Alvin from 2019-02-23T14:30:27

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 Cha...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 3: Fausto from 2019-02-16T14:35:09

This week on the Zoo, Fausto Valdez. Fausto is immersed in poker, and just marked two years in as a professional player.  We discuss his life and challenges, as well as go over a hand he played ...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 2: Luka from 2019-02-09T14:30:21

Episode 2 of the Zoo features Portland reg Luka Vitasovic. His story is a West Coast one, taking him from where Ed Miller got his start in South Seattle’s Muckleshoot Casino, through the dregs o...

The (Poker) Zoo, Ep. 1: Porter from 2019-01-23T16:26:42

For once I can keep this short. OOP: The (Poker) Zoo is a podcast I’ll be developing with Dean Martin and the rest of The Back Room.  There’s quite a few podcasts out there, so why listen to thi...