Episode link: https://solveforwhy.io/programs/poker-out-loud?cid=1990980

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 players all put up their own money for this deep-stacked $5/$10 No-Limit Holdem cash game. Players initially bought in for $2,000 to $3,000, but there have been several rebuys since then.

In the off-table interviews of episode 7, the players discuss some of the interesting dynamics that present themselves while playing Poker Out Loud. Chief among those is the fact that the slow pace of play (due to players explaining all of their actions) results in very few hands played. This leads some players to feel a sense of urgency to get involved, mix it up, and make something happen. Couple that with the deep stacks, and the game becomes quite volatile.

The players also take a mid-session break to provide in-depth analysis about their strategies against each specific player at this stage in the game. How much players are winning or losing in the game seems to be a key factor in how the other players plan to attack them. This is an interesting aspect of most poker games, but is particularly relevant in live poker, where the emotional ups and downs of winning and losing are more visible.  

As play continues, the players certainly seem to be tailoring their strategies specifically based on who they are against in the hand. As more and more hands are played, reads are developed, and strategies shift accordingly.

Jack Laskey had been relatively quiet for the past few episodes, but he gets two streets of value with his Ace-King, when it flops top pair against Christian’s second pair.

In a subsequent hand, Berkey picks off a river bluff from Christian in a small pot.

Later, Jordan Young takes a slightly deceptive line by leading the turn with his flopped set to gain a little more value against Jack’s Ace-high.

Despite having not played hand for a while, Nick Howard opens with pocket Queens and still gets four loose preflop calls. Berkey flops top pair with his Ten-Nine against Nick’s overpair. Chin contemplates his options, as the episode ends with the first ever cliff-hanger in Poker Out Loud’s history.

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!