Poker Stories: Quarantine Special With Barry Greenstein and Daniel Negreanu

Poker Stories: Jesse Sylvia: Jesse Sylvia banked nearly $5.3 million when he finished runner-up in the 2012 World Series of Poker main event. In the years since, the Martha’s Vineyard native has proven that he is no fluke, making two more WSOP final tables and winning his first World Poker Tour title at the Borgata Poker Open for a little over $820,000. In total, Sylvia has earned more than $6.8 million in live tournaments. Highlights from this interview include living on an island, big pressure final tables, wonderful college professors, the 4Heart Suit, credit card roulette, imaginary numbers, pepper steak, and being a master of your domain… at the table. by Poker Stories

60 min listen

Poker Stories: Chris Moorman: Chris Moorman is the no. 1 online tournament player in poker history, and it's not even close. The 32-year-old U.K. poker pro has managed to rack up $14.2 million in online tournament earnings over the years, which is $3.3 million more than his nearest competitor. Now based in the United States, Moorman has proven that he is quite the live player as well, with $5.1 million in earnings. After a few years of close calls in big events, he finally picked up a marquee win of his own in the WPT L.A. Poker Classic main event, and just last summer, he won his first World Series of Poker bracelet. Highlights from this interview include playing cards with the elderly, why bullying leads to billiards, being no. 1, enjoying mince pie and Christmas pudding, having his dad act as his accountant, learning to close, an unsustainable stable of horses, writing his own book of Moorman, a fake friend named Adam, calling an audible on his proposal, a last longer to avoid a w by Poker Stories

75 min listen

Poker Stories: Scott Seiver: Scott Seiver is only 31 years old, but he's already established himself as one of the top poker players of all time.That's not an exaggeration. He has $21.7 million in career live tournament earnings, which is currently good enough for sixth place all time. Scott has five seven-figure scores on his resume, with his biggest being a runner-up finish in the $500k buy-in Super High Roller Bowl in 2015 for $5.1 million. Seiver earned his World Series of Poker bracelet back in 2008, taking down a $5,000 no-limit hold'em event for $755,891. He is also a World Poker Tour winner, having won the WPT Championship in 2011 for $1.6 million. Highlights from this interview include why Tokyo is a real city, Ivy League schools, betting on a butterfly stroke, offseason tournament destinations, the surprising importance of Bill Gazes and how to play pocket jacks. by Poker Stories

46 min listen

Poker Stories: Jason Koon: Jason Koon is coming off of his best year on the tournament circuit with nearly $3 million in earnings. In fact, four of Koon's five biggest scores came in 2016. Koon won the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showodwn in August for $1 million and most recently, he nearly took down back-to-back $25,000 high roller events at Bellagio. In total, the West Virginia native has $6.5 million in live cashes. Highlights from this interview include a high speed police chase, track and field injuries, an $800k pot, why modern country music is terrible, online trolls, lying travelers, bad blackjack strategy and another exciting credit card roulette story. by Poker Stories

58 min listen

Poker Stories: Maria Ho: Maria Ho is not only a feared, high-stakes cash game grinder, but also quite the tournament player, having cashed for nearly $2.2 million. The 34-year-old is perhaps best known for being the last woman standing in the WSOP main event, having done so twice, in 2007 and 2014. But the L.A.-based poker pro doesn't just have her mind on the tables. She's also done work as a commentator and sideline reporter for the Heartland Poker Tour and the Super High Roller Bowl. Most recently, she signed on to host Amazon's Mobile Masters Invitational, which will air later this summer on CBS Sports. Highlights from this interview include maintaining professionalism with Kevin Hart, the boyfriend that lost her bankroll, risk-taking lessons from her father, why Simon Cowell was mean to her, a trip to the police station, running away from home and being shipped to boarding school, using book money for her poker bankroll, unfair Amazing Race challenges, getting called by seven hi by Poker Stories

59 min listen

Poker Stories: Greg Raymer: Greg Raymer became a household name in the poker world back in 2004 when he won the World Series of Poker main event and the $5 million first-place prize. With his signature reptilian sunglasses and his fossilized card protectors, Raymer nearly went back-to-back before bowing out in 25th place back in 2005. The former patent lawyer has seven other WSOP final tables on his resume, and in 2012 he won an unprecedented four Heartland Poker Tour main event titles en route to HPT Player of the Year honors. Raymer has racked up more than $7.5 million in career tournament earnings. Highlights from this episode include giving badugi lessons, a knack for racquetball, abandoning academia, being a card counter in Minnesota, why Bret Maverick is weak tight, an appreciation for Matt Damon, selling action for the main event, hosting a poker game for Mickey Mouse, fighting off armed robbers at Bellagio, the error rate of the death penalty, the rarity of royal flushes, and by Poker Stories

86 min listen

Poker Stories: Daniel Negreanu: Daniel Negreanu is currently no. 1 on the all-time tournament earnings list with nearly $32 million in live tournament earnings. The 42-year-old Toronto native was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014 and has six World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles. He was named Card Player Player of the Year in both 2004 and 2013. The Team PokerStars Pro has also become a notable online presence in recent years, maintaining his Full Contact Poker blog, website and podcast, as well as a popular YouTube channel featuring vlogs, rants and hand analysis. Negreanu is also the author of numerous poker books and has appeared in movies, TV shows, music videos, a video game and even his own documentary, Kid Poker. Highlights from this interview include saying no to drugs, being whipped, why the Germans are inspiring, being a mama's boy, pathetic clickbait headlines, crazy fan tattoos, punching online trolls in the face, the romantic idea of by Poker Stories

53 min listen

Poker Stories: Brian Rast: Brian Rast is one of the best all-around players in the game today and currently sits in 10th place on the all-time tournament earnings list with $18.7 million in cashes. The Southern California native won the Super High Roller Bowl in 2015 for $7.5 million and he has also won the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship twice, in 2011 and 2016. The 35-year-old is also a prominent high-stakes cash game grinder and an owner and operator of the WSOP School of Poker, as well as 3Bet Poker Clothing. Highlights from this interview include how to clear your head, quiz bowl challenges, college break ups, playing Counter-Strike alone, insane prop bets, stale playlists, cooking a good salad and a $3 million pot. by Poker Stories

85 min listen

Poker Stories: Joe Cada: Joe Cada became a household name in the poker world in 2009 when he won the World Series of Poker main event for more than $8.5 million. By doing so, he surpassed Peter Eastgate as the youngest champion ever, at the age of 21, and scored a $1 million contract with PokerStars. Already a feared cash game grinder, Cada continued to put in time in high-stakes online games after his main event win, preffering to stay close to home in his native Michigan rather than travel the tournament circuit. But despite his preference for cash games, Cada has proven that he's no one-hit wonder when it comes to tournaments. After notching three more WSOP final-table finishes, Cada won the 2014 $10,000 six-max no-limit hold'em event for $670,041 and his second bracelet. Now 29, Cada has racked up more than $10.5 million in live tournament earnings. Highlights from this interview include being exposed to gambling at an early age, buying a house at age 19, gifting his roommates $ by Poker Stories

56 min listen

Poker Stories: Justin Bonomo: Justin Bonomo is on quite the hot streak, coming off of his best year on the tournament circuit where he cashed for $4.2 million. He is currently no. 21 on the all-time tournament earnings list with $15.1 million. Bonomo's biggest score came in 2012 when he took down the EPT Grand Final super high roller for just over $2.1 million. Not only has the 31-year-old Virginia native done exceptionally well on the high roller circuit, but he also owns a World Series of Poker bracelet and a WSOP Circuit title. Highlights from this interview include three-way bad beats, not being suited for college life, how artificial intelligence will affect live poker, future music for birds and cats, the allure of Burning Man, snowflake avalanches, getting some life extension, battling Isildur, walking 16 miles in Australia, and the benefits of sharing intimacy. by Poker Stories

55 min listen

Poker Stories: Bryn Kenney: Bryn Kenney is currently no. 1 in the Card Player Player of the Year race and has been one of the most consistent performers on the tournament circuit for the last four years. The 30-year-old, Long Beach, New York native has racked up more than $15 million in career live tournament earnings, which is good enough for no. 20 on the all-time list. Although he does own one World Series of Poker bracelet, most of his success has come on the high roller circuit where he frequently puts up buy-ins of $25,000 or more. Highlights from this interview include an early knack for sabermetrics, trash talking with Phil Hellmuth, the not-so-crazy lifestyle of a top-ranked Magic: The Gathering player, weight loss prop bets, hurting his bankroll with staking, douchebags with four lamborghinis, high-stakes battles with Rick Salomon, and flying to Mexico for one $5,000 meal. by Poker Stories

70 min listen

Poker Stories: Andrew Lichtenberger: Andrew Lichtenberger broke onto the poker scene back in 2009 when he finished 18th in the World Series of Poker main event. Most recently, he won his first bracelet at the 2016 series. The New York native has nearly $9 million in live tournament earnings and another $3 million online. The 29-year-old also keeps himself busy away from the felt, with an online poker site with LuckyChewyPoker.com, a clothing line and even a book called Yoga Of Poker: A High-Stakes Journey To Freedom. Highlights from this interview include smuggled daycare cereal, bowling with children, an insurmountable mountain/hill, the tempo of Celtic folk music, being an unattached, modern man, inspirational Uber drivers and an $80,000 cooler. by Poker Stories

74 min listen

Poker Stories: Jean-Robert Bellande: Jean-Robert Bellande made an immediate impact on the poker world back in 2005 as a brash and outspoken player known for playful table talk, but in the years since he has managed to climb the ranks and play in some of the biggest games cash games in the world. The New York native has also had quite a bit of tournament success, coming close to a bracelet twice at the World Series of Poker, including a runner-up finish in the 2015 Poker Players Championship. He has more than $2.1 million in live tournament earnings. Bellande also appeared on the reality game show Survivor, on the 15th season of the program. Highlights from this interview include being tall in China, going from nightclub promoter to the life of the party, losing big in his first session, running the worst, hanging out with celebrity DJs, visiting movie sets and going to the Oscars, avoiding reality TV, and assembling fake Apple products in Taiwan. by Poker Stories

52 min listen

Poker Stories: Matt Stout: Matt Stout is a New Jersey native with a big personality that has made him a standout player both live and online for the past decade. Stout has $3.5 million in career live tournament earnings, along with another $3.7 million won online. He is the founder of the Charity Series of Poker, a non-profit that has raised more than $150,000 for worthy charities and causes, and he is also an ambassador for the both the Borgata and Seminole Hard Rock. Highlights from this interview include 600-inch TV screens, Vegas real estate, being friends with your ex-girlfriends, accidentally dropping out of college, comedians and high-stakes Monopoly. by Poker Stories

82 min listen

Poker Stories: Matt Berkey: Matt Berkey is a 35-year-old poker pro from Leechburg, Pennsylvania who has risen through the ranks to become a regular in both high-stakes tournaments and cash games. The former baseball standout has earned nearly $4 million in live tournaments, including a $1.1 million score for taking fifth in the 2016 Super High Roller Bowl. Berkey's most recent accomplishments include a third-place showing in the Little One For One Drop for $240,588 and a third-place finish in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open for another $341,618. He's also spent a lot of time battling elite players in some of the biggest cash games in the world, and estimates that he's been involved in as many as 10 seven-figure pots during his career. Highlights from this interview include a one-stop-light town, being a responsible eight-year-old, betting the whole jar of pennies, shoveling snow on the diamond, why 25 is old, poker in a steakhouse, the why of risk, misreading hands with JRB and R by Poker Stories

84 min listen

Poker Stories: Eric Baldwin: Eric Baldwin burst onto the live tournament scene in 2009, making 17 final tables en route to a World Series of Poker bracelet and the Card Player Player of the Year award. He followed up that campaign with the largest score of his career, earning seven figures for finishing runner-up to David Williams in the 2010 World Poker Tour Championship. In the years since, Baldwin has remained remarkably consistent despite cutting back on his travel schedule, notching a six-figure score nearly every year of his career. In 2017, Baldwin won both the Wynn Classic and Venetian DeepStack Extravaganza main event. To date, he has racked up nearly $5.5 million in live tournament earnings. Highlights from this interview include nicknames for 12-year-olds, majoring in baseball, winning a collegiate national title, having paralysis by analysis, multi-tabling to win POY, playing cash for the kids, staying motivated for the second million, running bad at swaps, calculating by Poker Stories

61 min listen

Poker Stories: Greg Mueller: Greg Mueller is a former professional hockey player turned high-stakes poker pro. Mueller, otherwise known as FBT or Full Blown Tilt in the poker world, picked up the game on a long road trip between games. After nine seasons, Mueller retired from hockey and took up poker professionally. In 2009, he made headlines at the World Series of Poker when he won his first two bracelets, taking down the $10,000 limit hold’em championship event and the $1,500 limit hold’em shootout. But although he’s managed to rack up more than $2.8 million in live tournaments, Mueller focuses primarily on high-stakes mixed games, battling it out with some of the best players in the world. Highlights from this interview include a love for fish and chips, why sporting events are his crack, the reason why European hockey players don’t fight, retiring at a young age, the origin of full blown tilt, the current state of the high-stakes poker world, why cash games are preferable to tour by Poker Stories

54 min listen

Poker Stories: Mike Sexton: Mike Sexton is a legend of the game, not only for his achievements as a player, but also as one of poker's greatest ambassadors. The 69-year-old member of the Poker Hall of Fame is perhaps best known for his work as a commentator for the last 15 seasons on the World Poker Tour. But Sexton has also proven that his game is as sharp as his wit with a WPT title of his own, a WSOP bracelet and the Tournament of Champions title. Sexton is also the author of two books, the most recent being an autobiography titled Life's A Gamble. Highlights from this interview include collegiate gymnastics, growing up with a fellow poker great, volunteering for Vietnam, working as a salesman, a passion for little league coaching, crazy North Carolina home games, betting more than you have, why shag dance music is the greatest and a big sweat he had in a bet with Phil Ivey. by Poker Stories

74 min listen

Poker Stories: Nick Schulman: Nick Schulman is widely regarded as one of the top all-around players in the game today, regularly competing in some of the biggest cash games around. Although he doesn't play a lot of tournaments these days, he's done quite well in the past, racking up $8.3 million along with a World Poker Tour title and two World Series of Poker bracelets. The New York native has been a gambler since he was a teenager, dropping out of high school to play in pool halls before finding poker. Now 32, Schulman lives in Las Vegas and is a regular face in the nosebleed games in Bobby's Room. Highlights from this interview include pool hustlers, NYC underground poker games, blowing through seven figures, staying a student of the game, losing big to some banker, shooting expensive free throws, gangsta rap vs. classical music and why live reads are still important. by Poker Stories

60 min listen

Poker Stories: Jonathan Little: Jonathan Little is a two-time World Poker Tour champion who was also named WPT Season VI Player of the Year. The Pensacola, Florida native has more than $6.5 million in live tournament earnings in addition to the millions he won online. Little has established himself over the last decade as one of the hardest working players int the game. When he's not on the road playing the circuit or doing commentary for live streams, Little lives in New York with his wife and son, working on poker training videos, hand packs, webinars and private coaching. He's authored more than a dozen poker books, including his latest, Mastering Small Stakes No-Limit Hold'em: Strategies to Consistenly Beat Small Stakes Tournaments and Cash Games. Highlights from this episode include an eclectic childhood, mutes for all occasions, fueling planes at the airport in a hurricane, making $20,000 a month in college, getting fired from McDonalds, buying real estate at 18, the learning c by Poker Stories

67 min listen

Poker Stories: Matt Affleck: Matt Affleck might forever be known as the guy whose pocket aces were cracked by Jonathan Duhamel deep in the 2010 World Series of Poker main event, but in the years since, the Washington-native has established himself as a consistent force on the tournament circuit. Now 30, Affleck has racked up $3.8 million in combined live and online earnings. He has wins at the Borgata Winter Poker Open, Fall Pot of Gold, and Coco Poker Open. In 2016, he narrowly missed out on winning his first WSOP bracelet and this year, he had three six-figure scores, including a final table in the massive Colossus event and a win in the Wynn Fall Classic. Highlights from this interview include a high-stakes cafeteria table, celebrating a big win with cheap drinks, stacking classes to stack chips, getting poker sympathy from railbirds, the joy of being your own boss, going through poker withdrawal, chopping PLO pots with Sam Farha, a great year of poker opportunities, getting the by Poker Stories

52 min listen

Poker Stories: Frank Kassela: Frank Kassela is a three-time WSOP bracelet winner and the 2010 World Series of Poker Player of the Year. In addition to $3 million in live tournaments earnings, Kassela is also a regular in the nosebleed-stakes mixed games that run in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. When he's not tearing up the felt, Kassela owns and manages several business throughout the United States. He's also passionate about politics, and even ran for Congress in 2013. Highlights from this interview include WSOP funk, channeling his inner-Forrest Gump, selling office supplies to feed the new baby, waiting in line to play slots, getting a poker education from Jack Keller, finding inspiration from Matt Damon, being the reason why Johnny Chan has a tenth bracelet, why PLO is the mixed-games gateway drug, running for congress, an obsession with Broadway, and losing a $350,000 pot to Rick Salomon. by Poker Stories

69 min listen

Poker Stories: Noah Schwartz: Noah Schwartz has put together quite the poker resume since he first made his debut back in 2007. The 33-year-old has racked up more than $5.5 million in tournament earnings and has made seven final tables on the World Poker Tour. In addition to claiming a WPT title, Schwartz also won a World Series of Poker Europe event back in 2013 to claim his first bracelet. His biggest score came in 2015 when he took down the $100,000 buy-in Alpha8 high roller event for $585,000, but the always engaging Schwartz is also known for his success in both casino and private cash games. Highlights from this interview include throwing the 12-to-6 curveball, being a numbers guy, sub-prime mortgage sales, buying six-figure Range Rovers with cash, the importance of alone time, being a sneaker head, avoiding the Fyre Festival, sitting courtside with Pacquiao and hugging LeBron, and why Noah is a good name to pay for. by Poker Stories

65 min listen

Poker Stories: Barry Greenstein: Barry Greenstein is a three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and two-time World Poker Tour champion with more than $8.3 million in live tournament earnings, but the 62-year-old member of the Poker Hall of Fame is perhaps best known for his success in the high-stakes cash games during the poker boom. In fact, Greenstein was winning so much playing in the big games (he won $5 million during the 2003 WSOP alone) that he actually donated his tournament profits to various charities, earning himself the nickname "the Robin Hood of poker." Highlights from this interview include a neighborhood of ball players, the perils of not owning an alarm clock, being aggressive with his collegiate career, working a 9-to-5 for the kids, living a life of Gatsby, saying no to soft play in Vegas, a 15-minute break in 1985, turning down Bill Gates, selling out a math lecture, paying the IRS seven figures, heads-up matches with Negreanu, five seconds of faking it, by Poker Stories

83 min listen

Poker Stories: Jeremy Ausmus: Jeremy Ausmus went into the final table of the 2012 World Series of Poker main event as the shortest stack, but managed to navigate his way to fifth-place finish worth $2.15 million. The Colorado-native may have been a relative unknown to the home audience at the time, but he had already spent years establishing himself as a respected cash game pro in Las Vegas. In the time since, the husband and father of two has split time between his usual daily cash game grind at Bellagio and the occasional tournament. Ausmus has also notched a few wins at the Venetian, and even has a WSOP bracelet, taking down a pot-limit Omaha event in Europe back in 2013. In total, the 38-year-old has amassed more than $5.15 million in live tournament earnings. Highlights from this interview include residual hair product, the flat part of Colorado, being an outdoor-indoor kid, paying bills by building cabinets, an affinity for spreadsheets, putting down roots in Vegas, having si by Poker Stories

79 min listen

Poker Stories: Upeshka De Silva: Upeshka De Silva, known as Pesh, didn't really start concentrating on the live tournament circuit until 2013, but in the few years since he's still managed to win two World Series of Poker bracelets while banking nearly $2 million in earnings. De Silva's first bracelet came in a 2015 $1,500 no-limit hold'em event for $424,577. His second bracelet win happened just last summer, when he took down the $3,000 shootout event for $229,923. De Silva also made a deep run in the 2015 main event and final tabled the WPT Legends of Poker main event in 2016 for $198,720. Highlights from this interview include a brief stint in Sri Lanka, growing up with Supermom, playing in some secret Texas Texas hold'em games, getting dad bad beat apologies, a stable of unstable horses, filling up two wrists, a battle with ego, big fields vs. big buy-ins, hero calling Fedor, watching $100 turn into $45,000 in 15 minutes, the isolation of being a poker pro, and an aversion to co by Poker Stories

53 min listen

Poker Stories: Nick Petrangelo: Nick Petrangelo is a poker pro from Massachusetts who broke out onto the high-stakes tournament scene back in 2015 with numerous final tables, including a second-place finish in the $100,000 buy-in Five Diamond World Poker Classic high roller for more than $1 million. Since then, the 31-year-old former hockey and golf standout has been a consistent force on the high roller circiuit, amassing $9.4 million in live tournament cashes. In 2017 alone, he finished second in PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,000 high roller for $740,032, won the Aussie Millions $100,000 high roller for $665,734, and also took down the $25,000 PokerStars WCOOP high roller for another $624,676. Highlights from this interview include living in extremes, why high roller fish are better players than regular fish, being 'less chill' in a hockey game, why tournaments > cash games, not being dollar motivated, a six-figure slow roll, a short stint as a bank teller, wanting the farm i by Poker Stories

72 min listen

Poker Stories: Tony Dunst: Tony Dunst knew he wanted to be a poker player even before he could legally enter a casino. His dream became a reality and the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-native has put together a solid poker resume with $2.9 million in live tournament earnings and another $1.9 million online. He won his WSOP bracelet in 2016 and even has a WPT title from 2013. These days, Dunst considers himself to be more of a broadcast personality than a professional poker player. After longtime commentator Mike Sexton stepped down from the WPT to become Chairman at PartyPoker, Dunst was promoted to the full-time commentator spot alongside Vince Van Patten. Highlights from this episode include taking over for a poker legend, why Phil Hellmuth is the way he is, the glamorous world of gambling, being a sandwich artist and selling shoes, being banned from Australia, loneliness in Shanghai, being backed by a 17-year-old, being a WPT employee and champion, and throwing half his buy-in in the trash. by Poker Stories

56 min listen

Poker Stories: Ari Engel: Ari Engel is one of the hardest working grinders on the tournament circuit today. The former no. 1 online poker player in the world has been practically living out of a suitcase as he chases big cashes all over the globe. The 33-year-old has done quite well for himself, with nearly $5 million in live tournament cashes. He's currently tied for fourth place with eight WSOP Circuit titles and in 2016, he took down the Aussie Millions main event. Despite the fact that he didn't really concentrate on live poker until after Black Friday, Engel has somehow managed to rack up 284 live tournament cashes so far in his career, 48 of which came last year. To compare, 53-year-old Phil Hellmuth, who won the 1989 WSOP main event, has a total of 280 career cashes. Highlights from this interview include being a world-traveling child, Canadians with Australian accents, lazily finishing college in two years, inspiring his landlord to take up poker, being a poker workaholic, t by Poker Stories

62 min listen

Poker Stories: Chance Kornuth: Chance Kornuth was just one semester shy of graduating from college when he decided to plunge headfirst into life as a professional poker player. He earned his first major taste of success in 2010, when he won the $5,000 PLO event at the WSOP for his first bracelet and $508K. The Denver-native continued to take shots with his bankroll, and found success both live and online. In 2014, he won the Bellagio Cup main event for another $526K. A year later, he finished third in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for $641K. He won the AUD$25,000 high roller at the Aussie Millions for $553K, and an event at the EPT Grand Final for $398K, and made several final tables all over the globe along the way. Most recently, he won his second WSOP bracelet, taking down an online event last summer for another $341K. In total, the 32-year-old has racked up nearly $6.4 million in live tournament earnings. Kornuth now runs Chip Leader Coaching, a premier training program fo by Poker Stories

55 min listen

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Poker Stories: Quarantine Special With Barry Greenstein and Daniel Negreanu

Poker Stories: Quarantine Special With Barry Greenstein and Daniel Negreanu

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