
Hosted by Joe Scales · EN

Joe and Elle are cruising this week, but the show rolls on with a full slate of poker discussion. In Call the Floor, Elliott tackles a tournament director’s nightmare after one table mistakenly receives significantly larger starting stacks than the rest of the field. When the error is discovered several levels later, the floor implements a controversial strategy. Was it the right decision, and are there established rules for handling a situation like this? In this week’s Hand of the Week, Joe and Patrick find themselves deep in a tournament against a table maniac who seems willing to put chips in the pot with almost any two cards. Holding AJ from the small blind, Patrick and Joe break down every street. Then in Joe’s One Outer, Joe reflects the empty seats left behind by players who quietly disappear from our regular games. It’s a thoughtful reminder that while we remember hands and tournaments for a while, it’s the people we meet along the way who leave the lasting impression. No Table Talk this week as Joe and Elle are finishing up their cruise adventure, but they’ll be back next week with new stories, poker tales, and plenty of laughs. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and as always, we’ll see you at the tables.

From the poker room to the poker cruise, we’ve got a packed episode this week. On Table Talk, Joe and Elle discuss Sycuan Casino being named Southern California’s Best Poker Room for the third straight year, the new permanent World Series of Poker retail store, Calvin Anderson making history with his second $10,000 Razz Championship, and the arrival of Buc-ee’s in Arizona. Plus, we give a well-deserved shoutout to Ante Up Magazine contributor Jasmine Klapperich for earning her PhD and helping poker players stay healthy both on and off the felt. Call the Floor has Elliott weighing in on a controversial tournament situation involving a player who appeared to seek input from his rail during a major river decision. Was it a joke, outside assistance, or something deserving of a penalty? And can the floor remove railbirds who cross the line? In Hand of the Week, Patrick and I face a river decision with AQ suited after turning additional equity and applying pressure against an active opponent. Should we call or find the muck? Patrick and Joe break it down. And in Joe’s One Outer, a simple piece of cruise advice, “wear sunscreen”, sparks a poker-themed tribute to Baz Luhrmann’s famous spoken-word classic. It’s a collection of lessons learned from years around the table, culminating in one rule every poker player should remember… protect your hand. If you don’t know the song that this week’s One Outer references here it is. Join Joe, Elle, Patrick, and Elliott for another week of poker news, strategy, rules, and stories from the everyday poker player. Click here for our Linktree. It is a quick resource to get you to our magazine, podcast, YouTube, and more. Click here to purchase your Pour Caddy (The Swiss Army Knife of Tumblers) – Use code ANTEUP comfrt.com/ELLE73474. Your link for the most comfortable hoodie on the planet. Discord: Join us to discuss Ante Up Magazine, The podcast or poker in General. Click here to check out Octopi Poker

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, Joe and Elle discuss Kristen Foxen capturing her sixth WSOP bracelet and whether it’s finally time to stop labeling her as the best female player and recognize her as one of the best tournament players in poker. They also look at Mike Holtz’s second bracelet, a bizarre WSOP hand where an accidental verbal call turned J-3 into a tournament-saving straight, and the latest promotions from Bluffers, including a chance to win a WSOP Main Event package starting from just a $3 buy-in. Here is a link to the videos that we mentioned as well. https://youtube.com/shorts/8XMxx7FI-A4?si=P5byVxzHhHF1MFf- https://youtube.com/shorts/OuucDgbUhRo?si=b5XBvWWZchXryPUJ Elliott Schecter answers a rabbit-hunting debate. If a room allows rabbit hunting, can a player involved in the hand veto seeing the remaining card? Patrick and Joe break down a Hand of the Week featuring pocket deuces, and in this week’s One Outer, Joe explores why the loudest player at the table isn’t always the most dangerous, while examining the power of quiet confidence. Listen, learn, and laugh with the A-Team as we get you ready for another week at the tables. Click here for our Linktree. It is a quick resource to get you to our magazine, podcast, YouTube, and more. Click here to purchase your Pour Caddy (The Swiss Army Knife of Tumblers) – Use code ANTEUP comfrt.com/ELLE73474. Your link for the most comfortable hoodie on the planet. Discord: Join us to discuss Ante Up Magazine, The podcast or poker in General. Click here to check out Octopi Poker

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, we kick things off on Table Talk by recapping another fun Patreon game. Patrick finally broke through for his first victory, collected the double prize pool, and now we all have to suffer through at least a month of victory laps. We also discuss some of the dealer mistakes that have made headlines early at the WSOP, the challenges dealers face during long series, Maria Ho’s exciting family news, and even the earthquake that rattled Las Vegas and surrounding areas. On Call the Floor, Elliott answers a question that has probably confused more than a few poker players over the years. In a $1/$2 game with a $5 straddle, is the minimum raise to $8 or $10?. In this week’s Hand of the Week, we find ourselves in a spot that may have been created after opening a marginal suited connector from middle position. After firing two barrels and arriving at a river that completes an obvious straight, the question becomes whether to pull the trigger on a triple-barrel bluff or wave the white flag. Patrick and Joe discuss whether the story was strong enough to get our opponent to fold. Joe’s One Outer ties everything together with a look at table image. Whether you realize it or not, every player at the table has formed an opinion about you. The key isn’t whether you have an image, it’s whether you understand it well enough to use it as a weapon. Join Joe, Elle, Patrick, and Elliott for another fun week of poker stories, strategy, rules, and conversation. As always, we’ll see you at the tables. Click here for our Linktree. It is a quick resource to get you to our magazine, podcast, YouTube, and more. Click here to purchase your Pour Caddy (The Swiss Army Knife of Tumblers) – Use code ANTEUP comfrt.com/ELLE73474. Your link for the most comfortable hoodie on the planet. Discord: Join us to discuss Ante Up Magazine, The podcast or poker in General. Click here to check out Octopi Poker

The WSOP is underway, but based on the headlines, maybe it should be called the World Series of Babies. This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, Joe and Elle dive into the latest WSOP stories, including Daniel Negreanu and Adam Hendrix both preparing for fatherhood, the first bracelet winner of the summer, and what the massive Caesars/Fertitta deal could mean for poker players going forward. In Call the Floor, Elliott Schecter weighs in on a controversial tournament ruling. Can a dealer declare your hand dead if you’re not paying attention? And if your cards haven’t actually reached the muck yet, do you still have a claim to them? It’s a situation that sparked plenty of debate at the table. For this week’s Hand of the Week, we’re doing something a little different. Andrew sends in a wild No-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo hand from a regular home game, but the real twist is that this very same hand was originally broken down by Scott and Chris back in 2012. We found the original episode and weaved clips into the discussion. It’s a fun look back at the show’s history while tackling a fascinating hand. And in Joe’s One Outer, I talk about adaptability. Why some players never change gears at the table and how many of us make the same mistake in life. The challenges change, the situations change, and sometimes success comes from from finding the right gear. Subscribe, like, and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts, and we’ll see you at the tables.

This episode of the Ante Up Poker Podcast is packed with debates, drama, and tough decisions from the poker table to real life. Elle and I kick things off in Table Talk with the controversy surrounding the new WSOP patch approval rules and what it means for sponsorships, branding, and player freedom in poker. We also dive into Formula One locking in Las Vegas through 2037 and how Vegas continues evolving from gambling destination into a full-blown sports and entertainment powerhouse. Plus, there’s a quick update on the upcoming Ante Up Poker Tour stop at Sycuan Casino. In Call the Floor, Elliott Schecter joins me to break down a tense tournament situation involving stack visibility, player responsibility, and whether verbally stating your chip count is enough when another player asks to see your stack. This week’s Hand of the Week features a chaotic 2/5 game against a possible maniac who turns every hand into madness. We face a brutal river decision with top two pair after a bizarre line, a massive overbet, and some unforgettable table talk. Patrick’s reaction alone is worth the price of admission. And in Joe’s One Outer, I reflect on one of the biggest lessons poker teaches us. Making decisions without perfect information. From overthinking life choices to trusting your preparation and accepting variance, it’s a reminder that sometimes you just have to make the best decision you can and let the cards fall where they may. Click here for our Linktree. It is a quick resource to get you to our magazine, podcast, YouTube, and more. Click here to purchase your Pour Caddy (The Swiss Army Knife of Tumblers) – Use code ANTEUP comfrt.com/ELLE73474. Your link for the most comfortable hoodie on the planet. Discord: Join us to discuss Ante Up Magazine, The podcast or poker in General. Click here to check out Octopi Poker

This week, Joe and Elle kick things off around the table talking about the latest from the poker world, including the reopening of The Lodge Card Club, the debate around WSOP dealer ratings and a really interesting new social gaming concept from Daniel Weinman called Showdown Social. They also dive into the incredible community being built over at Bluffers Poker and remind listeners that cabins are almost gone for the Alaskan Poker Cruise. Plus, there’s plenty of “Bet on Better” talk with upcoming charity poker events and some new ambassador news from Elle. In Call the Floor, Elliott weighs in on a strange home-game ruling involving a player declaring “raise” with a single chip before another player at the table blurts out a suggested amount. Was the raise binding? Was it only a minimum raise? And what kind of penalty should the player not in the hand receive for influencing the action? Then in HOTW, Patrick and Joe break down a wild $1/$3 hand featuring an UTG straddle, and a sneaky perspective twist that changes the entire story. The discussion centers around how to extract maximum value when you make an absolute monster without completely killing the action. To close the show, Joe’s One Outer focuses on “playing scared money”. It’s not just a concept at the poker table, but in life. It’s a reminder that poker, and life, reward confidence, trust, and making good decisions one hand at a time. Click here for our Linktree. It is a quick resource to get you to our magazine, podcast, YouTube, and more. comfrt.com/ELLE73474. Your link for the most comfortable hoodie on the planet. Discord: Join us to discuss Ante Up Magazine, The podcast or poker in General. Click here to check out Octopi Poker

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, Joe and Elle pull up a chair with poker media veteran Eric Morris for an extended Table Talk that goes way beyond the usual headlines. Eric shares stories from the golden era of poker media, Bluff Magazine, how his partnership with Mike Leah came together, and Ante Up/Bluffers satellite path to the Alaska Cruise this August. In Call the Floor, Elliott tackles a messy double-board bomb pot situation Is “Pot” even a legal declaration in no-limit hold’em? For HOTW, Patrick gets dragged out of his hold’em comfort zone and into a wild Omaha Hi-Lo hand. Nut low draws, top pair, scoop potential, quartering fears, and a river card that completely changes the outcome. Then Joe closes the show with a One Outer inspired by the darts scene from Ted Lasso and the quote “Be curious, not judgmental.” If you haven’t seen the clip or don’t remember here’s a link to it. Click here for our Linktree. It is a quick resource to get you to our magazine, podcast, YouTube, and more. comfrt.com/ELLE73474. Your link for the most comfortable hoodie on the planet. Discord: Join us to discuss Ante Up Magazine, The podcast or poker in General. Click here to check out Octopi Poker

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, we’ve got a packed show that hits the heart and the hard decisions. Elle and I kick things of on Table Talk by diving into the WSOP rule controversy. Then we shift gears to some good news with all charges against The Lodge were dropped, and highlight the newest issue of Ante Up Magazine. We also lean into the “Bet on Better” movement, spotlighting incredible charity efforts like the Baller Dream event at Circa Resort & Casino and the upcoming Gaming for Green tournament. In Call the Floor, Elliott tackles a wild limit Omaha situation involving a supposed “all-in” declaration that sparks debate over whether it’s a call, or a raise. It’s a great look at how intent, action, and rules collide at the table. For Hand of the Week, we break down a tricky spot with pocket jacks, facing aggression, and navigating a scary turn card, and ultimately making a big river decision. I wrap things up with Joe’s One Outer, where I talk about the sunk-cost fallacy. Why the chips you’ve already put in don’t matter, and how letting go at the right time can save your stack (and your mindset) Click here for our Linktree. It is a quick resource to get you to our magazine, podcast, YouTube, and more. comfrt.com/ELLE73474. Your link for the most comfortable hoodie on the planet. Discord: Join us to discuss Ante Up Magazine, The podcast or poker in General. Click here to check out Octopi Poker

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, Dustin King joins Table Talk with a Rivers recap, and a look ahead to the September Ante Up Poker Tour stop. We highlight poker doing good with Ante Up for Autism and a $105K Camp One Step fundraiser. In Call the Floor, Elliott breaks down a tricky all-in showdown ruling, and in HOTW, we debate whether a three-barrel bluff went too far. Plus, a Patreon Badugi recap, leaderboard shakeups, cruise satellites, and a One Outer that hits home about turning life’s bad beats into your next step forward. Click here for our Linktree. It is a quick resource to get you to our magazine, podcast, YouTube, and more. comfrt.com/ELLE73474. Your link for the most comfortable hoodie on the planet. Discord: Join us to discuss Ante Up Magazine, The podcast or poker in General. Click here to check out Octopi Poker