Chasing Poker Greatness - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Chasing Poker Greatness — Games
Chasing Poker Greatness

Pro Poker Player Brad Wilson dives deep with World Class Cash Game Players (No limit hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Mixed Games), poker tournament Superstars (WSOP bracelet winners, WPT champions, Online Poker Crushers), legendary poker ambassadors (Norman Chad, Matt Savage), and poker mindset coaches (Elliot Roe, Nick Howard, Jared Tendler) in this strategic poker podcast.

There are greatness bombs aplenty whether you’re trying to improve at live or online No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, or rise up the mixed games ranks.

Guests include PokerCoaching’s Jonathan Little, Run It Once’s Phil Galfond, Jason Koon, JNandez, Nick Howard, Marle Cordeiro, Kristen Bicknell, Maria Konnikova, Kevin Rabichow, Smart Poker Study Sky Matsuhashi, Andrew “Luckychew” Lichtenberger, Thinking Poker Andrew Brokos, James “Splitsuit” Sweeney of The Official Red Chip Poker Podcast, Alex “Assassinato” Fitzgerald, The Poker Guys, Darren Elias, Phil Hellmuth, Fedor Holz, Tommy Angelo, PokerNews Sarah Herring, Twitch Streamers Matt & Jamie Staples, SolveForWhy’s Matt Berkey, JustHands Podcast Jack Laskey, Poker In the Ear’s Joe Stapleton, The Chip Race Dara O’ Kearney & David Lappin, and AnteUp Poker Podcast’s Scott Long.

Chasing Poker Greatness podcast features multiple new episodes each and every week.

Please visit us at https://chasingpokergreatness.com

https://chasingpokergreatness.com/chasing-poker-greatness-podcast/

Copyright: © Brad Wilson

Latest Episodes:

#24 Arlie Shaban: PokerStars Team Pro Online, Run It Up Ambassador, & Tireless Twitch Streamer Jan 07, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Canadian online tournament specialist and prolific Twitch streamer (And Big Brother Canada participant), Arlie Shaban.
For Arlie, poker and streaming are inseparable.
He’s made a name for himself not just because of his poker ability, but also because of his relentless pursuit to be one of the biggest and best poker streamers on Twitch.
Without a doubt he is one of the hardest working human beings in the game today.
In a tale as old as time Arlie quit his job, decided to play poker for a living and began his streaming career 15 days later.
To prove himself to his peers and his audience, he set out to do something nobody else had done. He logged 1000 hours of broadcast time by streaming for more than 120 consecutive days. His personal record is a single streaming session lasting more than 40 straight hours.
No other poker streamer on Twitch has put in as many live hours online as Arlie since the day he started streaming.
Because of his poker prowess and streaming persistence, he has amassed more than 30,000 followers on Twitch and is now a member of PokerStars Team Pro Online as well as a RunItUp Ambassador.
You’ll find Arlie on Twitch regularly, of course, streaming MTT sessions on PokerSTars, of course.
During our conversation today, Arlie shares his views on what can be accomplished with hard work and good planning. He is, himself, a perfect living example of exactly what can happen.
You’ll hear why he wanted to play poker in the first place, the risks he took to try to become a professional player, and the immense amount of work and sacrifice that got him to where he is now.
Arlie is a shining example of how a “regular guy” can achieve a dream and make it as a professional poker player even if they don’t have a massive bankroll, didn’t start in the early 2000’s, or have the luxury of being able to study all day long.
If you’ve got the desire and the drive, Arlie just might have the advice that’ll light that fire in you and set you on a new path…
Thanks again for listening. This is Chasing Poker Greatness with Arlie Shaban.
New CPG Cash Game Courses!
Preflop Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/Preflop-Bootcamp
Fish in a Barrel: http://bit.ly/fish-in-a-barrel
Neutralize Flop Leads: https://bit.ly/2OkN8Yt

#23 Ryan LaPlante: WSOP Bracelet Winner, $2.4 Million in Winnings, Founder of LearnProPoker Jan 03, 2020

Show notes

My conversation today is with tournament wizard and WSOP bracelet winner Ryan LaPlante.
Ryan is GTO expert who battles in the live and online streets of no limit hold ‘em and PLO.
On the WSOP circuit alone, he’s recorded 69 in-the-money finishes and collected winnings worth more than $1.2 million. His most recent cash was at the Poker Masters tournament where he took first place and the first prize of $186,000. All together, he’s amassed more than $2.4 million in winnings at live tournaments.
He has been a content creator and coach on several of the most reputable poker coaching sites on the Internet and has now launched his own at learnpropoker.com, where he shares the very same strategies and techniques that he has been using to crush the games and generate massive profits.
During our conversation, Ryan reveals a unique perspective on poker that moves back and forth between strong technical strategy and deep philosophical lessons to be learned. He’ll give you his recipe for winning the game, and winning at life. He also explains how his passion for the game has grown into a passion for helping and teaching others who want to learn and succeed in the world of poker.
As a coach, teacher, player, and human being Ryan is a blessing and massive boon to the poker world.
If you’re a tournament player chasing poker greatness, you’ll have a hard time finding a better example to follow on the felt than Ryan.
Once again, thank you for joining me. And now, Chasing Poker Greatness featuring Mr Ryan LaPlante...
New CPG Cash Game Courses!
Preflop Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/Preflop-Bootcamp
Fish in a Barrel: http://bit.ly/fish-in-a-barrel
Neutralize Flop Leads: https://bit.ly/2OkN8Yt

#22 Matt Savage: A Giant in Poker Innovation and Pioneering Dec 20, 2019

Show notes

Matt is the Executive Tour Director for the World Poker Tour (WPT) and holds the record for officiating over the most episodes of televised poker, with more than 400 under his belt.
He has overseen some of the biggest tournaments that poker has to offer, including the World Series Of Poker from 2002 to 2004, and too many WPTs to count.
He also currently serves as tournament director for several well-known casinos and card rooms including my old stomping grounds the Commerce Casino, Bay 101, and Thunder Valley.
He has worked with many television networks including:
Fox News
FSN
Travel Channel
NBC
ESPN
He is a co-founder of the Tournament Directors Association, was an inaugural inductee into the Poker Room Manager's Hall of Fame in 2003, and has been nominated five times for the Poker Hall of Fame.
Matt has a unique perspective on the game, with direct access to players and behind-the-scenes events that even journalists don’t usually see.
During our conversation you’ll hear stories about Chip Reese, Doyle Brunson, running the WSOP in the old days (Which includes running out of chips and not having enough space to accommodate an unexpectedly massive field), and even how Matt almost accidentally squashed the Moneymaker boom before it ever began.
He’ll also explain why he very much regrets introducing the concept of re-entries to tournament poker.
Matt is a true poker innovator, pioneer, and genuine asset to this game we all hold so near and dear to our hearts.
It isn’t hyperbole when I say that wherever poker tournaments are spread worldwide, if you look close enough, you’ll be able to spot Matt’s fingerprints on the structure and design.
So without any further ado, I bring to you one of the most influential human beans in the history of poker … this is Matt Savage on Chasing Poker Greatness.
New CPG Cash Game Courses!
Preflop Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/Preflop-Bootcamp
Fish in a Barrel: http://bit.ly/fish-in-a-barrel
Neutralize Flop Leads: https://bit.ly/2OkN8Yt

#21 Sarah Herring: Poker Journalist of the Year and Face of PokerNews Dec 17, 2019

Show notes

Today I’m going to be speaking with GPA Poker Journalist of the Year, interviewer, deep thinker, storyteller, and all-around amazing human being, Sarah Herring.
Sarah has been writing for PokerNews since 2011 and is one of the most visible editor/writers to appear in the publication. She has interviewed pretty much every single elite poker player on the planet, has a ridiculously long list of published articles, and is also the co-host for the PokerNews podcast.
Sarah and I’s conversation is wide ranging and takes us through her life in Hollywood and film, a stint in the clink (True Story), and dives into how life’s setbacks often lead us down unforeseen paths where we discover the real treasures of the human experience (Love, friendships, and adventure).
We also cover Sarah’s poker origin story that involves a giant pair of brass knuckles and her then-boyfriend, now husband, MMA fighter Heath “Crazy Horse” Herring.
Sarah is such a delight and warm human being that just through hearing her stories, honesty, and outlook on life, you leave the conversation feeling happy and energized.
As our conversation unfolds she’ll talk about what it’s like being in constant contact with some of poker’s elite high-rollers, her impressions of the overall professional player pool, and how, despite our canyon like differences in beliefs, all human beings are more similar than you might think.
My conversation with Sarah was one of the most fun and enjoyable ones that I have ever had and so, without any further ado, I present to you Global Poker Awards Journalist of the Year Sarah Herring.
New CPG Cash Game Courses!
Preflop Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/Preflop-Bootcamp
Fish in a Barrel: http://bit.ly/fish-in-a-barrel
Neutralize Flop Leads: https://bit.ly/2OkN8Yt

#20 Matt Vaughan: Vlogger, Creator, and Poker Coach Dec 13, 2019

Show notes

At only 28 years old, Matt Vaughan has been playing poker for more than 10 years.
He started off like many players, at the microstakes online and as he moved up stakes he realized he could support himself playing poker and quit his 9 to 5 job at a medical software company.
Not long after, he created his vlog on YouTube and, close to 15 thousand subscribers later, the rest is history.
Starting off with a off-beat video about a cat, his channel has grown into a wealth of poker information mostly through his in-depth hand analysis.
While Matt isn’t 100% a professional poker player, in his own words he “plays poker about as much as one can play it without actually being a full-time professional player”.
He’s had success in both the live and online poker arenas in both cash and tournament formats.
Like yours truly, he spends considerably more of his time in cash games, but has still racked up more than $215,000 in winnings over the last few years.
He also does strategy and coaching work through the poker training site School of Cards and can be found on a semi-regular schedule streaming his play through Twitch.
During our conversation, Matt will share some awesome insights on vlogging and YouTube that will prove extremely valuable if you have any interest in following that path.
He also reveals his thoughts on the emotional and mental ups and downs that come with playing poker, the key points he uses to build strategies for both general and specific player pools, and, of course, the events that have had the greatest impact on his journey as he chases poker greatness.
So without any further ado, I present to you Matt Vaughan on Chasing Poker Greatness.
New CPG Cash Game Courses!
Preflop Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/Preflop-Bootcamp
Fish in a Barrel: http://bit.ly/fish-in-a-barrel
Neutralize Flop Leads: https://bit.ly/2OkN8Yt

#19 Sky Matsuhashi: Author & Optimal Poker Study Authority Dec 10, 2019

Show notes

Today I’m going to be speaking with someone who just might be the happiest and most optimistic guest I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with on the show so far, Mr. Sky Matsuhashi.
For many of you, Sky probably needs no introduction. Although he doesn’t classify himself as a professional poker player, Sky has been involved with the game in one way or another for about the last 16 years as a player, coach, author, and prolific content creator.
Sky’s career in the world of poker began when he decided to put up a blog called SmartPokerStudy.com.
Over the last few years, that blog has grown from a small outlet for his thoughts into the thriving centerpiece of a small empire built on teaching others the art of how to truly study poker and improve their own game.
Sky regularly produces the SmartPokerStudy podcast which now boasts more than 260 episodes. He’s given countless webinars and has put together stand-alone courses designed to help micro and small stakes players take their game to the next level.
He’s also developed “5 minute poker study”, a program designed to give you real training and results in quick, digestible, 5 minute bites.
He runs https://www.thepokerforge.com/, an ongoing coaching program that is in a constant state of growth and development as Sky works tirelessly to ensure his students are always getting 100% of the value he’s capable of producing.
Sky is also the author of How To Study Poker: Volumes 1 & 2 as well as Preflop Online Poker.
If you’ve ever found yourself trying to -quote-unquote- “study” a poker concept only to find that you didn’t really absorb much of it when you returned to the tables, Sky’s the man you want to talk to.
During our conversation, he reveals some brilliant insights into how he looks at the game, what should be going on in your minds on and off the felt as you play, and how to create the habits that will ultimately lead you to more success.
Before we get started, let me also tip you off that you should pay particular attention during this episode. Not only did Sky provide some great information during our talk, but he also created a special video treat exclusively for Chasing Poker Greatness listeners.
Thank you once again for listening and without any further ado, this is Chasing Poker Greatness featuring Sky Matsuhashi.
New CPG Cash Game Courses!
Preflop Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/Preflop-Bootcamp
Fish in a Barrel: http://bit.ly/fish-in-a-barrel
Neutralize Flop Leads: https://bit.ly/2OkN8Yt

#18 Jennifer Shahade: Team PokerStars, Author, Podcaster, and Speaker Dec 06, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, I’m going to be speaking with one of the hardest working human beings to ever step into the world of poker, Jennifer Shahade.
Jennifer has a list of credits, accomplishments, and accolades that most people could only dream of achieving and she doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to stopping anytime soon.
Before poker, she first showed her impressive talent for strategic games in the world of chess. She became a National Master at the age of 16 and was the first female to win the US Junior Open. She has won two US Chess Women’s Championship titles as well as a silver Olympic medal.
Jennifer is currently the Women’s Program Director at US Chess, acting as an Ambassador, host, and fundraiser. She’s also a board member at the World Chess Hall of Fame and hosts Grand Chess Tour events with top players all over the world.
In addition to being the author of two books about the game of chess, Chess Bitch: Women in the Intellectual Sport and Play Like a Girl: Tactics by 9 Queens, she also hosts the Ladies Knight — that’s knight with a K — chess podcast.
She’s also, of course, made a name for herself in poker, currently working as the MindSports Ambassador at PokerStars.
To name just a few of the highlights from her poker career, she took down the Open Face Poker championship in Prague — a tournament she hadn’t even planned to play in — she made it down to the final four of the PokerStars-sponsored winner-take-all Shark Cage, and became the first female coach at Run It Once, where she put together poker strategy videos from 2014 to 2018.
She also hosts her own poker podcast, “The Grid” where she discusses a specific Hold’em starting hands with a different guest in each episode. Her goal is to go through the entire grid of 169 possible starting hands. At the time of this interview, there are 21 episodes sitting and waiting for you to listen to.
She’s also given a TedX talk in Baltimore, guest lectures at MIT, Yale, and her alma mater, NYU, and speeches at the Philadelphia Art Museum, Dali Museum, and Oakland Museum of Contemporary Art.
As if all of that weren’t enough, she and her husband also work together to create fantastic art pieces that have been featured in such places as the Boston Sculptors Gallery, Contemporary Museum in Saint Louis, the Dali Museum, and the Francis Naumann Art Gallery.
As you’ve probably guessed by now, Jennifer’s a grade A certified badass and just reading her list of accomplishments makes me feel like a lazy bum in comparison.
The opportunity to hear her words, advice, wisdom, and warnings are invaluable.
So once again, this is Brad Wilson, and without any further ado here’s my conversation with the amazing Jennifer Shahade on Chasing Poker Greatness.
New CPG Cash Game Courses!
Preflop Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/Preflop-Bootcamp
Fish in a Barrel: http://bit.ly/fish-in-a-barrel
Neutralize Flop Leads: https://bit.ly/2OkN8Yt

#17 Barry Carter: Co-Author Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2 And Poker Satellite Strategy Dec 03, 2019

Show notes

Barry has written for both online and print magazines as well as having had a hand in writing and publishing the most successful poker book ever written, The Mental Game of Poker (Which, coincidentally, is the most often suggested reading material by my “Chasing Poker Greatness” guests).
In addition to “The Mental Game of Poker”, Barry has also co-authored The Mental Game Of Poker 2 with Jared Tendler and "Poker Satellite Strategy" with Dara O’ Kearney.
On the media side, Barry has written and contributed to WPT magazine, PokerNews Magazine, Inside Poker Business, Poker Pro Europe, CardPlayer Magazine, and more.
He’s the former chief editor for PokerNews UK, where he spent just over five years in charge of all content and live reporting and today Barry is PokerStrategy.com’s chief editor who is responsible for managing just about all of the content that appears on the site.
During our conversation, he walks us through some of the history of poker and poker media, and expands on how the relationship between the two has changed over the years. He speaks about the evolution of poker and how the game has changed his life.
You’ll hear what it was like to experience Black Friday from the inside and get some opinions and insights into some of the most high-profile cheating scandals that have rocked the poker world both before and after that fateful day.
Very few people have the kind of access that Barry has to the inside world of the poker industry and today’s show is a rare opportunity to peak behind the curtains and get an insider’s view of a world us regular old poker players rarely get to see.
And so, without any further ado, this is award-winning poker journalist and best-selling author Barry Carter on Chasing Poker Greatness.
New CPG Cash Game Courses!
Preflop Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/Preflop-Bootcamp
Fish in a Barrel: http://bit.ly/fish-in-a-barrel
Neutralize Flop Leads: https://bit.ly/2OkN8Yt

#16 Elliot Roe: Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach of Poker's Elite Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

My guest today is mental game expert and hypnotherapist Elliot Roe.
Elliot is the master of helping folks:
- Identify and extinguish their fears on the green felt
- Clear and focus their minds
- Remove their own mental roadblocks
- And achieve their goals … regardless of how audacious they may be.
Elliot has worked one on one with more than 200 individual poker players including:
Future Chasing Poker Greatness guest Fedor Holz - former #1 ranked player with more than $32 million in winnings
Former Chasing Poker Greatness guests Jonathan Little, Matt Berkey, and Jeff Gross.
2017 WSOP Main event champion Scott Blumstein
Super High Roller champion Brian Rast
Former #1 world-ranked player Alex Foxen
WSOP $50k high-roller winner Ben Heath
And the list goes on.
They all credit Elliot with helping them to manage tilt, remain calm and focused during some of their most stressful moments of their life, and create a healthy, sustainable mindset that allows them to continue to evolve and compete at the highest of high levels..
Elliot also produces two podcasts, one of which, The Mindset Advantage, was specifically created to help poker players improve their mental game.
He regularly publishes highly informative self-help and mental game articles on his own blog and, as if all of that wasn’t enough, he created the guided mindset enhancement app Primed Mind.
During our conversation, Elliot reveals some of his most successful techniques for conquering your fears, changing your thought processes, and even how to analyze your own mind to figure out where your worst mental-game issues are coming from.
While there isn’t much in the way of strategic x’s and o’s in this episode, I’m going to make a bold claim and say that Elliot’s wisdom on dealing with your emotions while playing poker is more valuable than any single piece of strategic poker advice you’ll ever receive.
As the greatest poker player of all time Chip Reese once said when asked about what separates him from the living legends he battled against on a daily basis:
“Some players have a better A game than me but the difference is their D game is a lot worse than their A game, whereas my A game and D game aren’t that different.”
Elliot’s genius lies in guiding folks to do just that … elevating their D game so that it looks very similar to their A game.
And now, without any further ado, here’s my conversation with Elliot Roe on “Chasing Poker Greatness”.
New CPG Cash Game Courses!
Preflop Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/Preflop-Bootcamp
Fish in a Barrel: http://bit.ly/fish-in-a-barrel
Neutralize Flop Leads: https://bit.ly/2OkN8Yt

#15 Joe Stapleton: Comedian, Poker Commentator, Upward Failer Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

As well as being a successful comedian, my guest today is known as one of the most popular and entertaining poker commentators to ever pick up a mic.
Joe Stapleton, known to most as “Stapes”, has been an active poker commentator for over a decade.
Gaining immediate acceptance in the poker industry, Joe received a reader’s choice award from Bluff magazine during his very first year on the job. Since then, he has served as commentator and host on many of the industry’s most successful television shows.
You may have heard his unmistakable voice and wit on the Pokerstars.Net Big Game, the NHL Alumni Charity Shootout, the Deepstacks Poker Tour, or the Deepstacks Western New York Poker Championship.
He’s also served as the host of several shows including:
Shark Cage
Poker Night In America
Poker Night Live
Outside the realm of poker, he’s found plenty of success in the stand-up comedy world. He’s worked on MAD TV and made a brief appearance in the Netlfix/Adam Sandler film “The Week Of” and wrote the comedy short film The Lost Archives of Quincy Taylor.
During our conversation Joe reveals that there is quite a lot of substance and deep thinking under the surface of a man that has spent much of his adult life just trying to make people laugh.
He’ll talk about everything from his biggest joy to some of his deepest pains, the amazing and long lasting effects of simply not being a dick, why he believes he caused Black Friday, and even the surprising way that he deals with Internet trolls that will hit you square in the feels.
This talk with one of poker’s biggest and brightest television personalities is one that you’ll be glad you didn’t miss.
Without any fruther ado, this is Joe “Stapes” Stapleton on Chasing Poker Greatness...
New CPG Cash Game Courses!
Preflop Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/Preflop-Bootcamp
Fish in a Barrel: http://bit.ly/fish-in-a-barrel
Neutralize Flop Leads: https://bit.ly/2OkN8Yt

Related Podcasts