Episode link: https://solveforwhy.io/programs/poker-out-loud-season-2?cid=2036709&offset=99

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. Top poker professionals play a cash game format, while all wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Before their actions, they speak their thoughts out loud, revealing to the audience their thought process and reasoning behind each poker decision.

The game being dealt six ways is $5/$10 No-Limit Texas Hold’em, and everyone’s stack is funded by their own bankroll. In order to keep themselves from hearing their opponents, the players blast high-volume music when it’s not their turn. They’ve also been asked to avoid looking at each other while speaking so as not to inadvertently pick up any information.

With four orbits in the rearview so far this season, we see some players opening up and getting splashy in Episode 5. Following an open from Kelly Minkin with 9-8 on the button, Matt Hunt 3-bets 7-2 offsuit from the big blind, folding to Kelly’s instantaneous 4-bet.

“I have, obviously, an absolute trash hand here,” Hunt says before re-raising with the worst hand in Hold’em. “I think Kelly’s opening a lot of buttons, and honestly, I just think it’ll be kind of fun to bluff here and hopefully show it down. I think it’ll be good for the game.”

“Live tell, baby. Live tell. Work on that,” says Kelly, after she bumps up the price and Hunt folds face up with a smirk. The 7-2 game isn’t on, to be clear—Hunt and Kelly just came to play.

Chewy finds a spot to open suited connectors in the form of 10-9 of clubs, raising to $35 in the hijack. Christian flats two 5s from the button, and Jordan defends his big blind with K-J offsuit, mentioning that he would have squeezed if Kelly had called in the small blind because his holding is tough to navigate post-flop four ways. The flop brings 7h6h6d, hitting nobody, and Jordan throws out a pot-sized lead. Neither of his opponents holds a heart, and both release their hands to the aggression.

Kelly opens A-8 of hearts from the cutoff a couple hands later. Jordan calls on the button with 6-6, as does Hunt with 9-8 suited in the small blind. Getting a good price in the big blind, Chewy closes the action with a call, holding 10-4 of hearts. The four players see a dynamic flop of Jd9s8d, and first-to-act Hunt leads for half-pot with bottom two. Nobody pays to see a turn, with both Chewy and Kelly having connected with the board but lacking backdoor flush possibilities.

The next hand, Kelly opens to $50 in the hijack with A-J offsuit and gets called by next-to-act Jordan with J-9 suited, as well as Chewy in the small blind with 8-7 suited. “First of all, Kelly winked at me, and I don’t appreciate it,” says Berkey after looking down at K-5 offsuit. “I have a pretty bad hand here. I can’t fold, though; I have to punish in some capacity.”

Chewy out-flops his opponents on 743 rainbow and leads for 40% pot. Berkey and Jordan call. The King turn gives Berkey top pair to go with his gutshot, and he flats Chewy’s half-pot bet. The river gives Berkey two pair, and action checks through to conclude the orbit and the episode.

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!