Episode link: https://solveforwhy.io/programs/poker-out-loud-season-2?cid=2036713

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.

Blinds are $5/$10, and the game is No-Limit Texas Hold’em. All of the players have 100% of their own action at this table. While awaiting their next action, everyone jams out to high-volume music in order to keep their opponents’ strategies confidential as they verbalize them. Nobody present is an expert lip reader, but they’ll do their best to heed the request not to glance at the player speaking to avoid picking up information.

Jordan Young opens the action in Episode 9 with a raise to $50 with A-K offsuit in the hijack. Next-to-act Jack Laskey opts to flat in position with K-9 suited. Sitting in the small blind is Matt Berkey, who 3-bets to $275 with A-8 suited. Jordan 4-bets to just over $1k, not wanting to navigate a multiway pot with his premium hand. Upon seeing Berkey let his hand go, we hear Christian Soto (Chin) say, “He has Ace-King there every time. It’s not even close.”

A couple hands later, Chewy opens 9-8 of diamonds from the hijack. “Finally. I was afraid I was never getting the chance to 3-bet Chewy,” says Berkey, bumping it up to $150 in the cutoff. Kelly cold-calls in the SB with pocket 4s, and Chewy continues as well. 10c5h2s gives Berkey the best hand, and he continues for 65% pot. Both opponents muck.

Berkey opens the next hand to $50 with K-Q offsuit in the hijack. Chin wakes up with black Aces in the cutoff, 3-betting to $175. Action folds back around to Berkey, who makes the call. When the flop comes 7c4s4d, Berkey checks, already anticipating a triple-barrel from Chin. Chin bets just over 20% pot, and Berkey calls. The 8d falls on the turn, and Chin goes for an overbet, firing $650 into $525. They go to a river, which brings the 9s. Berkey checks, and Chin decides on a pot-sized shove of $1,800, nearly covering Berkey, claiming that he knows Berkey will call more thinly than the average player. Berkey considers the call with K-high but identifies too many combos that he loses to and lays it down.

We hear from Berkey, Chin, and Jordan about aggression dynamics in the game. Jordan mentions that he doesn’t want to be to the direct left of the most aggressive player at the table because it too often prevents him from taking the initiative with an RFI.

To end the ep, we see a squeeze from Chewy to take down a pot preflop. Jordan opens to $50 with 3-2 of spades, citing momentum. Jack flats with 4-4 on the button. Chewy looks down at K-J offsuit and makes it $300 to go. “It’s one of the few that I’m going to raise-fold,” says Jordan before releasing.

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!