Episode link: https://solveforwhy.io/programs/poker-out-loud?cid=1990976
Poker Out Loud was created by Solve For Why, an advanced poker training company. Solve For Why’s founder and lead instructor is Matt Berkey, a long-time high-stakes poker professional in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Poker Out Loud is a unique approach to poker training and entertainment for those looking to learn how to play high-stakes draw poker from experts. Top poker professionals play a cash game format, while all wearing noise-cancelling headphones.
Before their actions in each betting round, they speak their thoughts out loud, revealing to the audience their thought process and reasoning behind each poker game decision.
Noise-cancelling headphones, playing loud music when the action is not them, ensure that the players can not hear what is being said at the table.
The players all put up their own money for this deep-stacked $5/$10 No-Limit Holdem cash game.
A Master Class in Limping during Poker Games
Episode 3 of Season 1 opens with Matt Berkey instituting a preflop limp. This is a stud poker play that is generally considered unorthodox, but one that Berkey has utilized with success throughout the years.
While he doesn’t have much of a poker hand here, the limp itself affects the rest of the player’s actions, as is often the case. The limp, and subsequent limp behind from Nick Howard, cause Jack Laskey to size up his raise from the button with ATo to $70, or 7x the big blind.
Jordan then responds with a 3-Bet from the big blind to $260 with the always-popular Jack-Ten suited. The two limpers get out of the way, and we have a now bloated pot as Jordan and Jack see a flop.
Both players flop a piece, on A-J-3 two-tone. After a bet and call on the flop, both players end up making broadway by the river, and the pot is ultimately chopped.
In some off-table interviews, the other players share some insights about Matt Berkey’s style of poker play, commenting on how his style of play affected the table stakes.
Soto and Howard Get Aggressive with their Stud Poker Hands
Christian Soto and Nick Howard clash again, continuing their aggressive preflop plays against each other with sub-par hands. This time, Chin gets the best of it, electing to 4-Bet his King-Seven suited against Nick’s 3-Bet with Ten-Six of clubs. Christian is openly confused by the sizings Nick has been using, so it will be interesting to see if and how that trend continues and if this style will imply future success.
Nick’s continued preflop aggression leads to another interesting poker hand. Nick opens, and Jack 3-Bets with a premium hand of Ace-King. Berkey is in the big blind with Ten-Seven suited and elects to cold 4-Bet, as he perceives Jack’s 3-Bet to be strictly based on attacking Nick’s wide opens. Jack chooses to just call the 4-Bet with his Ace-King.
The flop is an interesting A-5-2 with two diamonds, giving Jack top-pair top-kicker, and Berkey a flush draw. Berkey makes an aggressive all-in shove on the turned Ace, and of course gets called by Jack, who holds his poker hand and doubles-up through Berkey. Time will tell how his decision will impact the other player's poker hands and the table stakes.
You can watch this episode in full, along with every other episode from all seasons of Poker Out Loud, at solveforwhy.io, Be sure to use promo code POLBLOG for 25% OFF your first month!
