Episode link: https://solveforwhy.io/programs/poker-out-loud-season-2?cid=2036711
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.
All of the players have high-volume music playing in their noise-cancelling headphones whenever it’s not their action, allowing the player whose turn it is to speak openly and freely about their thoughts and plans to navigate the hand. They’ve all bought into this $5/$10 No-Limit Texas Hold’em game with their own money. As of this episode, Matt Hunt is replaced by Jack Laskey.
In the first hand of Episode 7’s orbit, Kelly Minkin opens A-9 offsuit to $40 from UTG. Andrew Lichtenberger (Chewy) calls with 6-6 from the button, and Christian Soto (Chin) 3-bets to $280 with A-K suited in the big blind. Kelly lets her hand go, but Chewy throws in the call, citing position and the ability to represent stronger hands post-flop. With $605 in the middle, Chin flops better on K63 rainbow and continues with a downbet of $225. Chewy mucks, knowing it’s a close spot but the flop favors Chin’s range.
Chin makes an unconventional move with Aces, open-limping the button with two of the most aggressive players at the table in the blinds. He misses the chance to back-raise, though—Kelly just completes with 6-3 offsuit and Jordan checks his option with K-9 offsuit. Jordan flops top two on K92 rainbow, betting $25 into $30. “This is coming together nicely,” Jordan says before calling Chin’s raise to $75.
Jordan check-calls 80% pot on the 7c turn, having mentioned twice that he intends to check-raise at some point on a clean runout. The river adds the 5s, Jordan checks, and Chin fires for a near pot-sized bet of $435. Jordan follows through with the plan, check-raise jamming for $2,920 total. Unable to identify many bluffs in Jordan’s range in this spot, Chin lays down his overpair.
Next, we hear from Jack about his joining the table in the middle of the session. “People play worse as the session goes on, so if I can come in fresh, focused, and without emotions of being stuck or being ahead, I think it’s a pretty big advantage.” He gets involved in the next hand, rivering two pair versus Berkey heads up.
The final hand of the orbit is a massive one. Kelly opens Q-T offsuit to $40 from the hijack, seeing a call from Jordan with Q-9 suited next to act. Jack 3-bets to $160 with A-Q suited on the button. Action folds to Kelly, who says that Jack seemed nervous to raise. She then 4-bets to $565, mentioning that she hopes it wasn’t a false tell. Both Jordan and Jack pay to see a flop.
Jordan flops best on Kd9h5d, giving him middle pair. Kelly puts out a half-pot continuation with her gutshot, and only Jordan calls. The 9d falls on the turn, giving Jordan three of a kind and adding a flush draw for Kelly, who fires 70% pot. Jordan shoves, and Kelly thinks it through, acknowledging that even though she’s getting a great price to call, she’s likely drawing dead. She folds.
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!