Chapter 4 Ep. 21 Patrick Finally Wins

Summary

Ante Up Poker Magazine Podcast

Chapter 4, Episode 21: "Patrick Finally Wins"

Date: June 6, 2026
Host: Joe Scales
Guests/Co-Hosts: Elle, Patrick, and Elliot Schechter

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Episode Overview

This lively episode celebrates a milestone for long-time regular Patrick, who finally takes down his first tournament in the Ante Up Patreon game. Host Joe Scales, co-host Elle, and regular guest Patrick discuss his hard-earned win, offering humor, camaraderie, and strategic insights for everyday poker players. The episode also covers recent happenings at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), technical rulings on straddle bets, dealer mishaps, and another in-depth listener hand breakdown. Throughout, the podcast remains relatable, educational, and infused with the banter that has made it a staple in the poker community.

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Table Talk: Patrick's Victory Lap

[03:17–12:15]

Patrick Finally Wins!

• Patrick joins Elle and Joe as a “champion” for some well-deserved gloating after finally winning the monthly Patreon tournament.
• Patrick celebrates his journey:

  "I was taking down some of my idiot friends, God love them. But I didn't know terms. I didn't know strategy." – Patrick [06:33]

• The crew toasts Patrick’s win with their tumblers in an ASMR-style cheers on air.

  "We all remember our first tournament win." – Elle [04:18]

• Patrick describes how folding more than ever led to his success:

  "I hit that [fold] button more last night than I've ever done in my entire life." – Patrick [07:32]

Table Dynamics & Game Impressions

• Patrick shares that playing heads-up, especially against a strong opponent (Mortise), felt like “a blur” and “put my mind in a pretzel.” [09:09]
• Joe and Elle emphasize the real accomplishment of winning in such a tough, dedicated group:

  "These people are—we've got a group of really good poker players. Well seasoned and well traveled." – Joe [09:46]

• Lighthearted banter about leaderboard obsession and payout jokes:

  "You're talking to the June Patreon champ." – Patrick [03:40]
  "Joe, you love your leaderboard." – Elle [05:15]

• Patrick downplays the prize, valuing bragging rights over money:

  "All I cared about was the bragging rights." – Patrick [08:47]

Shoutouts & Community Notes

• Castle Creek returns after retirement and makes the final table.
• Discord is active and lively during the games.
• Joe reminds listeners to reach out if they want more magazine coverage in their region.

---

WSOP Updates & Community News

[12:15–23:57]

Baby News & Maria Ho

• The hosts congratulate Maria Ho on her pregnancy and new commentary contract with the WSOP:

  "Maria Ho has gone through a five-year journey... She's also signed a contract officially with the WSOP." – Elle [13:22]

WSOP Production & Venue Improvements

• Praise for live coverage quality—now “far and above anything they've had in the past” with improved production and a new stage [13:45].
• Brief concerns about limited rail/bystander space but overall rave reviews about event setup for both players and media.

Dealer Stories: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

• A comedy of dealer errors:
  • An “instruction card” dealt out by accident [15:00].
  • In a high-stakes 10k event, a dealer flops four cards during an all-in, and the floor rules (per TDA) require shuffling to determine the “burn” [15:31]:

    "At first I thought, no way is that the right rule... But it definitely is." – Joe [16:50]

• Growing pains with inexperienced dealers—language barriers, complex games, and pots pushed to the wrong player [17:14].
• Community notes from "ambassador" Dustin on returning to Vegas; he mentions dealer challenges are always part of early Series events.

Earthquake at the WSOP

• A 3.8 quake shakes Vegas and neighboring states during the WSOP [20:09].

  "First thing everybody's doing is like, hold on to your chips!" – Elle [20:48]

• Playful speculation about the possibility of the “elemental” chaos of last year (floods, et al.) repeating.

Lighter News & Listener Engagement

• Notes on positive community vibes, smooth app experience, and evolving social spaces at the WSOP [22:02].
• Joe and Elle tease their own upcoming poker cruise and encourage listeners to send in stories, especially about food, drink, or unique WSOP experiences [22:05, 22:44].

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"Call the Floor" with Elliot Schechter: Straddle Rulings

[24:15–36:16]

Listener Question: Minimum Raise After a Straddle

• Scenario: In a 1/2 home game with a $5 under-the-gun straddle, confusion arises over what constitutes the minimum raise.
• Listener ("Richard Small") believes: A straddle should be treated as a new blind, so the first legal raise should be at least to $10 (double the straddle).
• Home game applied: Only the difference between the big blind and straddle ($3), meaning a raise to $8 was allowed.

Elliot's Expert Ruling:

"In casinos, it's very simple. A straddle becomes the de facto big blind for the hand and raises after that would have to be in those increments... So, yes, that is standard. Your instincts were right, you're spot on." – Elliot [27:26, 28:09]

• Home games can set their own rules, but standard practice treats the straddle as a new blind (not a raise).

Mississippi/Button Straddles & Rationale

• Button straddles (once called Mississippi straddles) shift action and are being banned by some rooms (e.g., the Wynn) for reducing action and diminishing the incentive to play from the blinds [29:09–30:28].
• Big blind antes and variants discussed as modern trends in both tournaments and big-stakes cash games.

Notable Quote:

"When there were blinds, there were straddles, there were mandatory blinds and optional blinds." – Elliot [34:09]

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Hand of the Week: Turning Seven-Five Suited into a Story

[36:29–57:00]

Listener Hand Submission (by Keith Barber)

• $1/3 NLHE Cash Game, $500 Effective, Villain is solid, tight regular.
• Hero (Keith) in MP with 7♠5♠.
  • Raises to $12.
  • Only the big blind calls. ($25 pot)

Flop:

• Q♠ 10♦ 4♥; BB checks.
  • Joe suggests using table image and c-betting $12 (“looks like I have something without bloating the pot”).
  • Patrick would check, thinking it's "not a flop for us."
  • Keith bets $15; BB calls. ($55 pot)

Turn:

• 9♣; BB checks.

  • Both hosts debate continuing the bluff.
  • Joe: “Keep telling the story”—suggests betting ~$30.
  • Patrick: “If I was to bet, I'd probably go $35.”

• Keith bets $40; BB calls. ($135 pot)

River:

• 8♦; BB checks.

  • Final board: Q♠ 10♦ 4♥ 9♣ 8♦
  • Joe: To win, must triple-barrel; proposes $75 (“the triple barrel bluff looks strong”).

• Keith gives up and checks behind; BB shows T♠7♣ for second pair and wins.

  • Both hosts agree ten likely folds to a third barrel; a queen, maybe not.

Strategic Takeaways:

• Joe:

  "If you get called, that's poker... You try to tell a story and see if they believe you." [54:16]

• Table image (playing tight) is a powerful weapon for selected bluffing.
• Triple-barreling with no equity is high variance—success depends on credible storytelling and opponent’s strength.

Memorable moment:
Patrick ribbing himself:

"My story? I rewrite my story all the damn time. The problem is I rewrite it in the middle of hands, in the middle of games." [55:06]

---

Joe's One Outer: The Power of Table Image

[57:29–END]

Joe offers an insightful monologue on table image:

• Everyone has a table image, whether they realize it or not.
• Knowing your image can help you pull off bluffs and make more optimal plays:

  "The key isn't fighting that image, it's understanding it. And that gives you information." [57:29]

• The best players leverage what others believe about them for maximum profit—at the poker table and in life.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Table Talk & Patrick’s Win: 03:17–12:15
• WSOP Updates & Dealer Stories: 12:15–23:57
• Call the Floor (Straddle Ruling): 24:15–36:16
• Hand of the Week: 36:29–57:00
• Joe’s One Outer (Table Image): 57:29–End

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Notable Quotes

• "I hit that [fold] button more last night than I've ever done in my entire life." – Patrick [07:32]
• "These people are—we've got a group of really good poker players. Well seasoned and well traveled." – Joe [09:46]
• "All I cared about was the bragging rights." – Patrick [08:47]
• "A straddle becomes the de facto big blind for the hand." – Elliot [27:26]
• "The key isn't fighting that image, it's understanding it." – Joe [57:29]

---

Summary

This episode is a celebration of persistence and growth in poker, featuring Patrick’s milestone win and an exploration of what it takes to succeed at the tables. Full of humor, strategic wisdom, poker lore, and listener engagement, it encapsulates the supportive, ever-learning spirit of the Ante Up Poker Magazine podcast. Listeners walk away with tactical knowledge (on straddles and hand analysis), insight on leveraging table image, a sense of community, and several good laughs — all delivered in the relaxed, bantering tone that defines Ante Up.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Take your seat, the cards are flying high. Shuffle up and deal at the Aces Lie Longest running show. Yeah, we've seen it all. From the river to the rail, we answer the call.

[C]

Hello a team, and welcome back to another episode of the Ante at Poker podcast, where every hand is an opportunity, every player is a friend, and every episode is a winning experience. I'm your host, Joe Scales, and we've got a great show lined up for you this week, but before we get started, here's kind of a little peek behind the curtain. We had an interview scheduled today for next month's issue of Antioch Magazine, and it was right in the middle of the day, so that meant we had to record our Hand of the Week and call the Floor segments both yesterday before the Patreon game. As it turns out, Patrick went out and won the entire tournament, so this week I'm going to give him a little extra airtime on Table Talk with Elle and I so he can do some well deserved gloating because I feel like it's only fair. I spend a lot of a lot of time giving him grief when he busts out early. So we'll give him this chance to gloat a little bit. While I've got your attention, though, I have someone reach out to cover their part of the country for the magazine and it made me think. If you've been reading Antioch Magazine and feel like your region isn't getting enough coverage, reach out to me. I'd love to bring on more contributors to help us spotlight the players and poker rooms and stories that are happening in parts of the country we're not currently covering. And if you've got an idea for an article, send that along too. One of my favorite parts of this job is giving people with something to say a platform to say it. Other than that, keep doing what you're doing, keep listening, keep making us the number one podcast in both the leisure and hobby categories. Keep watching us on YouTube, and if you're over there, keep liking and subscribing and helping us grow. That's all I've got for now. So let's get this bragging segment for Patrick over and get on with the show.

[B]

Welcome to the show. You're on the A team. Stack your chips and chase the dream. Joe's got the booth. His mic's on fire.

[C]

Ellen, I are back around the poker

[D]

table with our buddy Patrick.

[E]

Hey, guys.

[D]

Hello.

[C]

Why are you here?

[E]

You know what? I was just, you know, hanging out this afternoon. Figured I might stop by and say hi.

[C]

This is the wrong segment for you

[E]

and for everyone that's watching. That's the reason, because you're talking to

[C]

the June Patreon champ.

[D]

Let me just tell you, I'm gonna do this right here on the air. You want to do it with us?

[F]

I love it.

[E]

I'd be happy to.

[D]

Little asmr. Give me your. Give me your poker tumbler. Yes, we are gonna. Cheers. Because Patrick has been working his ass off for the last couple of years. He made it to a final table this year, and now, for the first time ever, took down a tournament.

[C]

That's your first ever tournament, right?

[D]

Cheers, guys.

[E]

Yeah, it's my first ever tournament win.

[D]

We all remember our first tournament win.

[F]

I. My, my.

[D]

I haven't gotten one yet. Just so you know, I've only gotten to final table fourth place, so you're ahead of me.

[E]

My. My buddies that do. Listen, I. I did text them that, you know, we play. You know, we used to play little home games before, you know, we all started having kids and businesses and whatnot. So hopefully those pick back up, but, you know, let them know. And they were like, well, finally I was like, seriously? Like, how long you been doing this? Like, five years. I'm like, no, we're not even to three years yet. Could be three years this summer. I. I figured out. I was thinking about that today, so, you know, Joe, I will give you a little bit of. Well, first off, should we just address that you were the bounty and lost it, what, 20, 30 minutes in? It was. It was early.

[C]

I was the third one out. That's not true.

[D]

Leaderboard be damned. You were knocked out early.

[E]

Oh, yeah. Everyone was all over. Joe, you love your leaderboard.

[D]

Yeah, I think people were truly out for blood. I honestly think, and I'm gonna say first and foremost, I hated that I could not play last night. You know, I think some people may know listening. I do have another job outside of Antioch. Annie up podcast and magazine. And, yeah, this week was a very busy one, and I ended up getting called back into work till 11.30pm So I hated that I missed it. I can still hear you guys two floors up or one floor up, really. And I. I really hated it, especially. Especially with you taking it all down.

[C]

But they all told me I needed to pay you more.

[D]

Oh, yes, that would be great. That would be great.

[E]

And you know my response?

[F]

I go, el gets paid.

[D]

Thank you, Patrick. I appreciate that.

[E]

That was like. It was. I don't know what that movie was, but it was, you know, it was the, you know, Jason Statham or whatever, and he.

[F]

They.

[E]

They take that kid on the. They go to sell drugs or whatever on the rv and they're like, oh, you're making whatever, and you're making whatever. And then the poor little kid. Dweeb kids like you guys are getting paid.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

Yes. Well, we hated to miss you. And obviously, you know, I.

[C]

For.

[E]

For sure, after all this, you know, hated, but go. I'll give you a lot of credit. A lot of credit. Because when I started, not only was I getting. I mean, I thought I was good. I mean, I. I mean, I was taking down some of my idiot friends, God love them. But I didn't know terms. I didn't know strategy.

[C]

I mean, you still struggle with some terms, but

[B]

the.

[C]

The. The people will. Will write me and tell you, Tell me every time you mess a term up.

[E]

And we love them for it.

[D]

Yes, we do, because that's how we learn. And I. And that's really why we wanted to. I'm glad you're here. And we. We really wanted to invite you on today because for the everyday poker player like you and I, it's a big deal. It's. I mean, did you just walk around, like, with a. With a giant smile on your face for no reason?

[E]

Today on Cloud nine, I. The only. The only thing I did was I erased.

[F]

I, I. I had it written on my.

[E]

My hand last night, the word fold as a reminder.

[D]

Really?

[E]

No, but I really should have. But I had it in my head the entire time. I hit more. I hit that button more last night than I've ever done in my entire life.

[D]

Well, he came up on a break. Yeah, he came up on a break, and he was like, Patrick literally just said, it's amazing what happens when you fold. And I was like, shocker. Yes, it is. And not only do you last longer in the game, but it calms you down. It slows you down. You're able to pick up on so many other things, even when you're playing virtually. So I again applaud you, commend you it's so exciting. We're really, really happy for you. And next week or next month, the target's on your back.

[C]

Yeah, I can't wait to see that. That how. That. How that plays out with that bounty on you.

[D]

Well, there was. And. And listen, we. We kind of cut this short. The blood. You people were out for blood with you. Because one. One, it was. It was a double bounty and a double prize.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So a lot more money on the line. And I think people are tired of hearing about you talk about the leaderboard.

[E]

They definitely. They definitely were.

[D]

Yeah. So.

[C]

Yeah. So I don't even know if you realize that you won the. The double prize, so.

[E]

Had no idea. All I cared about was the bragging rights. So anything on top of this is.

[C]

That's all you got. Bragging rights. I don't know what anybody's talking about with prizes.

[E]

We don't get paid.

[D]

Yes, you do. 100 bucks coming your way, bro.

[E]

Love it. Yeah, no, this is. I would take. I would take the bragging rights, but that's. That's on top of it. So we're. We'll appreciate that. It was a heck of a run and give Mortise's due. I. I think, you know, we were feeling each other out. I mean, that was the first time that I had ever played heads up against someone of any kind of stature. And it's a whole nother. I mean, it's a blur. I was. I was. You know, we were talking behind the scenes before we started this. That was 30 minutes of just. My mind was in a pretzel at times. I'm like, what is happening? So it's a different game.

[C]

Yeah. And I think it. I mean, I think it's something that you should be proud of because. Well, two reasons. One, this isn't just a normal group of people jumping on a online poker game, Right.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

These people are. We've got a group of really good poker players.

[D]

Well, well seasoned and. And well traveled, and they've played a lot of hands.

[C]

Right.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

And so that's something to be proud of. That. You. You took that down. Um, it's also something to be proud of just from the work that you have put in. Learning, studying. Yeah. Failing all of the. All of the times that we've stayed on after recording hand of the week and talking through hands and why this was this way or that was this way. So you put in some work and it showed. So congratulations. I know I said in my intro that I was going to give you credit because I also have no problem giving you a hard time when you bust.

[E]

Absolutely. Listen, bring it on. And for everyone listening it, you know, and everyone that played last night, it was obviously it was a. It's a pleasure. Every single human mods, I love it.

[F]

So.

[E]

But yeah, I mean it's, listen, it's a growing process. I guarantee sometime between now and, you know, Christmas that, you know, some episode, I'm gonna, you know, mess some term up or you know, whatever. It's part of it. We're still learning. So. But yeah, last night obviously was, was absolute blast. So.

[C]

Yeah, so just a little bit more about the Patreon in general though. We did have some new faces, we had some new players in there. And I want to shout out Castle Creek, who made it back to the game after retiring, able to be there for a while. Yeah, she's retired now and she made it to the final table.

[D]

Oh, awesome.

[C]

She did. So.

[D]

And I heard Discord was on fire.

[C]

Yeah, we had, we had a group of people in the, in the Discord. So I hope that continues as well. Tabington collected the 30 bounty on me, so congratulations to him. I still have to reach out to him because it wasn't letting me put any. After I busted. I couldn't talk in the. The chat on poker stars. So.

[D]

Yeah, that, that happens.

[C]

Yeah. So I've got to reach out to him and get him his $30.

[D]

But yeah, go into the weekend proud of yourself.

[E]

I absolutely, there is no doubt about it. It was, it was a blast to say the least.

[D]

Well, we love you, buddy. Have a good one.

[E]

Cheers, guys.

[D]

Cheers. It's so fun having him here. Yeah, it really is.

[C]

Yeah, I, I'm. I really am. I know I said it, but I really am proud of him. He's. He's put in a lot of work that I know everybody can't see. You know, when, when they're watching or listening, they don't see all the work that he's put in, but he really has and so congratulations to him. But there's a lot of work going on at the World Series too.

[D]

Yeah, it seems pretty over overwhelming. I mean, you know, I'm watching all the, all the socials, but before we get into that, last week we had a little, you know, we were joking around, having a little fun, saying it's the wsob. And we got off the recording and I went, we forgot about Maria Ho. I literally. So I. We've got to mention the fact that in the World Series of Babies, Maria Ho has, has gone through a five Year journey of fertility and, and, and getting pregnant. And so we just want to extend our well wishes and congratulations to her because she is welcoming or. Or has already. I'm still unsure. A little one.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So it's so exciting. And she's also signed a contract officially with the wsop. So you will see her more on commentary and a part of the. The whole series.

[C]

Yeah. And you know, I watched, I watched a little bit of the WSOP coverage on the YouTube channel.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And it's far and above anything that they have had in the past. It is. They've.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

This whole group that is. Has come together with it on ESPN and. And now their. Their own YouTube channel. It's. It's good to see it free. I get that. But just the quality, the production. Yeah. The quality of everything has been phenomenal.

[D]

Well, all the videos of the new stage and the new final tables. The only thing I'm concerned about is. Doesn't seem like there's a lot of space to sit or be on the rail for your friend. So I'm. I'm a little, a little wondering about that. But however beautiful be you to full and especially as. As a member of the media.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So much more easy to navigate. There's not going to be all that chip noise going on. That was in the ballroom. It just so nice.

[C]

We had made the decision that we weren't going to go out there this year and now we're having so much fomo.

[D]

Huge fomo. Huge fomo. But let's get right into it. Dealers.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

The good, the bad, the ugly. Because there's some nasty hands happening.

[C]

Yeah. First there was this situation where the instruction card was dealt.

[D]

That's hilarious. I think it's hilarious.

[C]

That is hilarious.

[D]

That's like when you, when you get the joker.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

And you're like, damn it, is this wild? Yeah.

[C]

But that one is kind of a small mistake. Right. You go aha. Funny. You take it away and you put the right card down the next. That off. Yeah.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

You laugh that off.

[D]

Right.

[C]

But another situation occurred in the 10k event, which makes it even worse that it was in a big buy in event. Right?

[D]

Yeah. You were telling me this going into dinner the other night.

[C]

The dealer puts out the flop with an extra card. So there were four cards flopped. And what makes it worse, it was an all in situation. It was Ace. Yeah. Ace King vs. Ace 9. The Ace King was at risk, so he was the one that was all in. And there's a king on the flop

[D]

with those four Cards which we discussed this walking into to dinner with friends the other night, I would have been like, it's pretty obvious. And you said the same thing. It's pretty obvious when they put the, Put the flop out, which one should have been the next burn.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

But they ended up calling the floor

[C]

and what the floor ruled that you take those four cards, you shuffle them up.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Mix them all up and you draw one, and that's going to be the burn.

[D]

And didn't somebody last night, like, look up the tda and that's the actual.

[C]

Joe looked it up. And it definitely is the TDA rule to do it that way, because I guess when you do the three down, you. You put in the three and then you turn them over.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Maybe this, the extra card came. Oh, with the first one. Maybe it came with the second one.

[D]

That's fair. That is fair.

[C]

So when I first heard it, I thought, no way is that the right rule. There's just no way that's. But yeah, we looked it up, and it definitely is the correct way to do it. So kudos to them for getting it right.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

But, you know, that was a topic during the Patreon game last night. A lot of talk about the mistakes from the dealers. And, you know, our ambassador from Arizona, Dustin was out there.

[D]

He's already been out. He's getting ready to go back.

[C]

Yeah. He had just returned, but, yeah, he'll go back again. He said, you know, things like language barriers was a big problem this year. Wow. And knowing the games that were being dealt with, that's always a bit a problem, you know, because they're, they're green. You know, they're, they're young, they're new Ish. We've seen that even at local casinos. So, you know.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

You get people that want to play Omaha or they want to play deuce to seven triple draw or something like that. And these dealers haven't dealt that kind of thing. You know, they. As often, at least. But one that surprised me was pots being pushed to the wrong person. And, and that has to be just. That's just not paying attention, you know, and that's a problem. People that weren't even in a hand were getting pots pushed to them.

[D]

They're like, I'm not even in the hand. I was just gonna say I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around that. I'm quiet and usually I'm not. So I, I, that's tough. It's tough.

[C]

Yeah. It makes it exhausting because not only are you Having to concentrate and make these decisions over and over and over again. You also have to pay close attention to make sure things are going right. And that's one of the points that Dustin was making last night was, you know, it's. It's even harder because you're. You're having to pay that close of attention. But I don't know that it's worse this year. It's. It just. It's always a problem, especially early in the series. It's a. It's an issue.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

So as.

[D]

As they get more skilled and, and get more orbits in as well as dealers.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. And with that said, players are quick to criticize, so.

[D]

Of course. Of course. And mistakes happen no matter. No matter what. Um, yeah, it is, it is. But their job is challenging. I mean, we just, we just did an interview with somebody who's going to be on the COVID of the June magazine to really explain how, just how tough a dealer's job is.

[C]

Right.

[D]

And all of the different emotions and thoughts and numbers that you're juggling all at one time. It is not an easy task.

[C]

Right. And then crazy situation. There was an earthquake in Vegas during the series.

[B]

Yeah,

[D]

I haven't seen that one. And I'm not laughing because it's funny. I'm just like, didn't they have like, water coming from the ceiling last year? I mean, it's like earth, wind, fire. It's gonna be there. It's gonna be there.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So summer camp is gonna. There's gonna be some things going down.

[C]

I think it was a 3.8 magnitude. It was 14 miles from Vegas, but it was felt there in, In Vegas and Utah and Arizona.

[D]

Well, I mean, they've got a lot of tectonic activity.

[C]

Yeah, I didn't. I guess I didn't realize. I mean, I know it's close to California where the fault line is.

[D]

Is that what you're thinking?

[C]

Yeah, I just didn't realize, you know, that there was that much. But it's definitely. I was reading a lot about the activity, how many earthquakes there are there, and I just. Can you just didn't even think about it.

[D]

Can you imagine? How about first thing everybody's doing is like, hold on to your chips. Hold on. Hold on to your chips. Don't let any of them bounce. Can you imagine if they all bounced around on the table?

[C]

Right. That's what I was gonna say is do you, do you protect yourself or do you're like, my chips? Depends on if you're the chip leader.

[D]

I think I Might be keeping a tray near me more often.

[C]

Just, you're like, if you're the chip stack, you're like, God, please let them come this way.

[D]

The chip stack. You mean the short stack?

[C]

Yeah, if you're in the short stack. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[D]

Oh, gosh. However, I feel like we're being Debbie Downer. There have been, there has to be some positive stories that have come out and some laughs and some community building and lots of good stuff as well. I just think some of the headliner stuff this week has been dealers. Earthquake. You know what's happening. I haven't heard a single thing about the app. Most people have been very pleased with the app, continuing to use the app. And I also am curious about the social spaces that they would set up. Like, if you use the app, then you could go into this place and get food or relax or. Do you remember?

[C]

Yes, vaguely. Yeah, something about that. But yeah.

[D]

Well, regardless, if you've got some stories to share about how quickly you got back, back and forth to the Snack shack, I call it the Snack Shack. They have a little cafeteria there on site or where your favorite place is to pick up drinks or food along the way, send them in. Because we're going to try to include some things in the, in the June magazine, but it sounds like they're off to the races. Things are happening. It looks beautiful. The broadcast has been great.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

But you know, yeah, it's the big summer summer fest.

[C]

It's a big party for sure.

[D]

Well, it's a big summer fest for poker players.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

The time to be there.

[C]

Yes. So like she said, if you have something, send it in. Let us know. We'll pass that along to our readers and here on the podcast as well.

[D]

You got that right. And we are getting ready to go cruising ourselves. We haven't really shared a whole lot about this, but two weeks time, we're going to jump on a boat and take a vacation. So I'm super excited to join Poker Player Cruises a little early to get a sneak peek on a princess cruise to the Bahamas. In Grand Turk. There's going to be some clear blue Wada where we're going.

[C]

I'm so excited. I can't. I, you know, it's, it's one of those things where you keep saying, well, it's, it's, it's. We're going to get there, we're going to get there, we're going to get there. And then all of a sudden it's like, oh, we got a pack.

[D]

I know. We've got, we've got things to do to get ready. Yeah. So we're actually going to get to play some and enjoy a little bit. We're going to take a little poker cruise of our own before we head out in August to Alaska. So lots to look forward to, lots to prep this weekend. As always, Joe, it's a pleasure being around the table with you.

[C]

Likewise.

[B]

Wisdom cuts like a blade. Big blinds, big stakes. Raise it up. Let's make no mistakes.

[C]

Elliot Schechter joins us each week to say how he would rule on situations that come up in your games. And he's with the with us again this week. Elliot, how's it going?

[G]

Things are going pretty well, thanks. How are you doing today?

[C]

I'm doing well. I'm doing well. Our call the floor this week is sent in by. His name is Richard Small. And I actually asked him, I sent him an email. We've been going back and forth and I said, how many times have you heard, you're killing me, Small? He said it was. He's heard that more times than Pocket jacks have gotten him in trouble, so. But he's got an interesting call the floor. It's more, it's, it's a little bit different. It's more of a request to help understand the rule of straddles.

[F]

Right.

[C]

So he said, I recently played in a 1, 2 game, a home game with optional straddles, and there got to be a discussion as to what would be a min raise after a straddle was posted. The underground under the gun straddle was $5. So the way this game handled it, the minimum raise over the straddle was only $3 because they viewed the difference between the big blind and the straddle as the amount of the last raise. So the minimum raise would be two $8 total.

[G]

Right.

[C]

And he says, that sounded odd to me. My understanding was, has always been that a straddle is an additional blind, not a raise. So the straddle would establish a new forced bet of $5. I thought the first legal raise would have to be at least another $5, making it 10. So I raised the question, but that wasn't going. But it wasn't going to argue the rule much. It's their game and I was happy to play by their rules.

[G]

Right.

[C]

But the whole drive, he said, I kept wondering whether I was right or whether I've misunderstood this rule for years. So for my own sanity and maybe for everyone else who's ever been confused by straddles, what is the correct Minimum raise in this situation with one two blinds and a $5 straddle, is it 8 or $10?

[G]

Okay, this is an interesting one. In casinos, it's very simple. It's as was explained already, a straddle becomes the de facto big blind for the hand and any that's in raises after that would have to be in those increments. If you go back to before the golden age or the second golden age of poker, and now that we're playing a lot more no limit than ever before, you go back to the, the olden days, 70s, 80s, 90s, when

[F]

there

[G]

was no cap on the betting, there was no cap on the buy in. Sorry, true no limit games, no matter what the blinds were. The rule used to be that if there was a straddle in the hand, that was the minimum bet for the entire hand. And that's generally been thrown out the window. Doesn't apply. Although it doesn't much matter. Once the straddle is in place, almost uniformly the pot is going to get raised and I don't think you're going to see too many minimum bets come right out. So it really doesn't matter.

[C]

Right.

[G]

But yeah, it's traditionally another blind. It is not a raise in any form, but this is a home game. They're welcome to do what they want. But in a casino setting, most certainly that's a blind. Somebody has to raise the amount of the blind, not just the amount of the difference between the straddle and the big blind. So, yes, that is standard. Your instincts were right, you're spot on. And hopefully on your drive home you'll find some clarity.

[C]

But when you start moving the straddle from under the gun to. What do they call it? The one on the button, Is that called a Mississippi straddle? Is that what that is?

[G]

It's more commonly called a button straddle now, but yes, it was originally called the Mississippi straddle.

[C]

Yeah. Then the blinds are no longer the last ones to act. Then they're the first ones to act pre flop as well, so.

[G]

Right. Which it's not a good thing. It's why the win and a lot of other places are now not allowing the button straddle. There's no incentive for somebody to actually play the blinds in turn if they're going to continually be straddled off. It reduces the action. The whole point of having the blinds under the gun and in bad position was to convince people out of position to actually play the hand, which is certainly almost mathematically incorrect. We'll Leave that for the, the hand of the week guys and the poker theory guys who share the cast. But yeah, the whole point of the blinds was to encourage people who shouldn't normally play to actually get in there and create action. The Mississippi's battle blew them off their hands and eliminated the reason to play and therefore reduced action. Didn't increase action and increased the edge on the button, which already had the edge. The whole point was the button was supposed to give up the edge before the flop so that the game would equalize a little bit. Now they've got the edge on all four betting rounds again led to a decrease in action long term, not, not an increase and therefore had to be not good for the game.

[C]

Right. And to your point that you made earlier, you know, the correct way, quote unquote, to play these straddles is to raise more than a men raise at that. And so I would hope that you don't see a lot of the men raised like you said. So I was glad that you brought that up because that was the first thing that actually went through my mind as I was reading is this is. I was like, well, they shouldn't be men raising anyway. But. It's, it's. I know a lot of places, I know you mentioned that some like the wind and where else was it that that is not allowing a button straddle? Some places are actually not allowing straddles at all and instead going to a like a big blind ante kind of thing. Even in cash games, which is definitely

[G]

becoming more common at the, the bigger, the bigger games, the 25 blind games and up are seeing a lot of buttons travel game. I mean a lot of big blind Annie games in cash. Very commonly, yeah. I mean if you go back to the, the 70s and the 80s and this is before my time, guys. Let's not think I'm ancient. Very commonly hold' em was played with an Annie, which is why the ante existed in tournaments, right? You had to build the pot and get people to start going after it and playing. So yeah, very commonly no Limit had a, had an ante. And that's obviously the communal big, big blind ante came out of that because it was just getting so difficult to collect the anties from everybody every single hand. But yeah, traditionally no Limit came with an ante. Even living games for a little while. I mean, seven car stud obviously has an ant, right? Draw poker should traditionally have an Annie. Although in the blind era then especially in the triple dryer, that's not so much because triple draw Plays much more similar to hold them than it does the old fashioned single draw. Two, two betting round games. So you don't need the ante before you with two betting rounds, you needed to fill the pot somehow had to have something worth winning.

[C]

Yeah.

[G]

So, yeah. Annie's. I've always been a part of the game in some form and it traditionally happened. So the big blind Annie in, in those games makes a lot of sense. There should be something to go after.

[C]

How long has a straddle been around?

[G]

Like for a long time. Ever since they've been playing draw poker. That's how the blind, the blinds didn't come around organically. They came around with straddles. They came around together. The game was called blind and straddle. I guess borrowed from Australian terminology. But generally, I mean, games were anti. Only somebody opened and you had a bet and if nobody opened, there was no bet. So then it was blind and straddle. So then you'd force a couple people to put up blind bets. And then once you kept moving around the table after the first couple of required blinds, after that it'd be straddle and then restradle. And then, God, when it first came about, you could see it typically or theoretically straddle all the way across the field. Now we're heading back long, long way. Yeah. So blind and straddle poker, I mean, now you gotta find some rather obscure books, but it's always been a part of the game when there were blinds, there were straddles, there were mandatory blinds and optional blinds.

[C]

Gotcha.

[G]

And especially for many, many decades, poker was only played with a couple of betting rounds. So you needed something to juice up the action. And that did it. It really did.

[C]

Yeah.

[G]

The point where people went broke and they had to figure out new ways to play the game. So, yeah, it's always been a part of it. It just didn't occur to somebody, I'm just going to throw that out there blind. It actually, I mean, it came about, I mean, until you get to the 20th century, poker was played with Annie's.

[C]

Right.

[G]

So there were no blind bets. So, yeah, when they came with the blinds, they almost immediately came up with the straddle. It didn't happen much, much later and occur to somebody. They really, once they figured out that you can make people bet mandatorily, they gave him the option to bet optionally and, well, they took advantage of it.

[C]

Yeah. So, Roger, I think you had a good grasp on this to begin with, but it's always good to have some confirmation on that, like you said, for your own sanity.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

But you were right to also maybe raise the question, but not argue the rule because it is their game. They're welcome to play it however they want to play it. Hopefully you're not seeing a whole lot of men raises against the straddle anyway.

[G]

And head scratcher for sure. Sounds like a fun group of people. They're putting the straddle on.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. So appreciate you sending that in. If anyone has a call the floor that they would like to know how Elliot would rule, he can also give us some his poker history lessons as well. So

[G]

glad to do it. That was part of the game.

[C]

And so send us to podcasting magazine dot com.

[E]

Please do.

[C]

Elliot, we appreciate you and we'll see you next week.

[G]

Nah, you're very welcome. Looking forward to it.

[C]

Welcome to Hand of the Week. Well, actually, I just. No, no, no, hold on. Just. Cards has been listening for a long time. He plays in our Patreon game and he's been saying for, I don't know, months that there was something amiss with our intro to Hand of the Week and that he wanted me to make one change. So I'm gonna. I'm gonna make a change. See if you. You recognize it here, but. Welcome to Hand of the Week, where Patrick, our resident fish, and I dive into listener submitted hands each week. We tackle everything from questionable bluffs to hero calls and the hands that make you scratch your head. Whether you're looking for strategy tips or you just want to see if we would have played it any better, we've got you covered, Patrick. You notice anything different there?

[F]

You didn't say or you said and.

[C]

No, I just. He, he. What he was saying is at the point when I say whether you're looking for strategy tips or you just want to see if you would have played it any better. Oh, I said we in this one because he was saying it's confusing because there's a lot of use in there.

[E]

Gotcha.

[F]

I thought you said and the ones that make you scratch your head instead of ors. Instead of or make you scratch your head. I like it. I like it, though. Okay, well, thanks for the little tweak.

[C]

Little tweak there.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Anyway, hey, we've got a Hand of the Week this week. It's sent in by Keith Barber and he's playing in a 13 no limit hold' em cash game. He says the effective stack is approximately $500. He says I've been playing fairly tight and have a solid image. The villain in this hand is a regular who seems straightforward and doesn't appear to enjoy playing big pots without a strong hand. I'm in middle position with the 7 of spades, 5 of spades, and it folds to me. What do you think?

[F]

So he's got. What was. What was the term he used? He's got a good. What,

[C]

suited connectors?

[F]

No, he. The. The. His spot of the table. He. He said he's got a good one.

[C]

Oh, he's in middle position. He's in middle position.

[F]

All right, well, I'm probably going. I mean, we're definitely play. Probably 12.

[C]

Okay. You said you're definitely going to play. I look, you're folding. I think a lot of people look at these suited connector type hands. They think, oh, I can make a straight, I can make a flush. Let's gamble. Right?

[F]

Are you in my head right now? Because that's exactly what I'm thinking and I love them.

[C]

I still think 7,5 suited is too weak in middle position. And I know there are probably some people yelling at me or whatever device they're listening to me on right now, and that's fine.

[F]

I would have to phrase this, Send us emails. I want to hear it.

[C]

I would happily raise this hand from the cutoff or the button when I have position to go with it. In a softer game, I may even open from hijack, but from middle position or earlier, I can just let this one go. Okay, so you're making it 12. I fold.

[G]

Going on record,

[C]

Keith says the table has been playing pretty passively, so I decide to raise to $12.

[F]

Smart man, Keith. Smart man.

[C]

Everyone folds to the big blind. Who calls? Okay, so we have $25 in the pot, and the flop comes down. The queen of spades, 10 of diamonds, four of hearts. The big blind checks.

[F]

Well, how'd that work out? I don't mind seeing another street for free. I'm checking as well.

[C]

Here's where things get interesting in my brain.

[F]

Oh, dear God. Let me, let me see.

[E]

Hold on.

[F]

Let me see if I got this. We're here now.

[E]

You play.

[F]

You played. You play from a position of power with, with a. With that bet and your middle. You were. Middle position now is just heads up. Let me see if I can get into the brain of Joe. You're going to come out with at least half pot, maybe a little bit more. Probably closer to like 15 to 18 to, you know, something like that. Am I, am I about right?

[C]

I mean, I was thinking 12, so.

[F]

Okay. Okay, another 12. Another half pot.

[C]

Less than half Pot. But that's a flop. That favors our range. Right. Especially if we've actually been playing a tight range like Keith said We did. We were right.

[F]

Very true.

[C]

Big blind was probably just defending his blind. So I think I can bet here, and I want to bet enough that I look like I have something without bloating the pot too much. So that's where I came up with the $12 bet.

[F]

If I'm going to bet here, I'm going 15. That's. That's where I am. It says, hey, I got something, and if you're going to call, then you got to pay up. The call. It doesn't scream, hey, I got absolutely nothing, and I'm trying to buy this pot. So I'm at 15 if I'm betting, but I'm not. I'm checking.

[C]

I think Keith says this board should favor my raising range. So I continue for $15.

[F]

Keith and I, except for I checked there.

[C]

Did you send this in?

[E]

I, like, I did not.

[F]

This is not. This is not an alter ego.

[E]

If I was to do that, I

[F]

would put, like, you know, Carl Yastrzemski or, you know, Dustin Bedroya.

[C]

You know, I'm just gonna skate over that. The big blind calls. So now the pot is $55, and the turn is the nine of clubs. So the board is queen of spades, 10 of diamonds, four of hearts, nine of clubs. And the big blind checks again.

[F]

Okay, let's just put this out here. Queen of spades, 10 of diamonds, four of hearts, nine of clubs. We're sitting here with seven, five of spades. There's nothing that can be done to make us a winner in this hand.

[C]

Correct. Unless you get them to fold.

[F]

Yes. And we've been playing tight, A tight grouping. I, I, I, I, I. Check again. All right, that fobs.

[C]

So let's. Let's think about the hands that we can represent here.

[F]

Oh, we can.

[C]

We can. We can represent. Queen, 10. Ace.

[F]

Queen, Ace, Queen, King, Queen.

[C]

Yeah. King, jack.

[F]

How about queen jack? How about king? Yep, yep. Ace, jack. Ace, king. Looking for, you know, straight. I mean, we could represent a lot.

[C]

I think I want to keep betting and see if we can continue to represent those hands fair.

[F]

That's one way to go about it. Absolutely.

[C]

The trick here is that we have to continue to tell the story the same way we've been telling the story. We can't all of a sudden go giant, you know?

[F]

No.

[C]

And so I want to continue to bet, you know, something that. That doesn't look like I Want them to fold. So.

[F]

Correct.

[C]

A little over 12.

[E]

The 12.

[F]

Yeah. The, the, the 15 that he did, you know, was, was a little over half. I think you got to continue it or just maybe a little bit more. Um, so I'm probably at that 30.

[C]

That's what I.

[F]

Maybe even 35. You know, 35 is, you know, we're getting close to the end here. You, you need to pay. I feel confident if I was to bet, I'd probably go 35.

[C]

Okay. Yeah, I was thinking 30. So 30. 35. Somewhere in that range. Keith says this card creates a lot of straight possibilities. Feels like a good card for my range. So I continue with a bet of $40.

[F]

Okay.

[C]

The big blind thinks for a bit, and he calls.

[F]

Do we. We feel good that he hasn't raised at this point. You know, re raised. I mean, that's, you know, true.

[C]

He's probably a pair.

[F]

Yeah. Or he's chasing a straight, and he hasn't gotten there yet.

[C]

Yeah. Although, you know that there's a lot of those possibilities out there. So Keith says at this point, I'm putting him on a queen, a 10, or maybe a pocket pair that's trying to get to showdown. So the pot is $135. The river is the eight of diamonds.

[F]

Don't love that. I needed it too.

[C]

Board. Queen of spades. Ten of diamonds. Forest spades. Nine of clubs. Eight of diamonds.

[F]

Four of hearts.

[C]

Big blind checks for a third time.

[F]

Four of hearts. Just to clarify, for all the.

[C]

What I say, four spades, four of hearts. Yes, it is the four of hearts. I literally was looking at it as I said it, too.

[F]

You were wishing for extra spades that we don't have. Yes, he checks. He checks. Point. If I had gotten to this point, which I would not have, but if I had, I am definitely pushing the action again because at this point, we keep telling the story. And this is where showdown. Now, you know, if they're sitting on, you know, I don't know, obviously a jack, you're done. A seven, you're done. A queen, you're done. Basically anything above what we have. But if they weren't chasing. Yeah, I mean, queen makes sense. You know, I, I, you kings, maybe, but that's probably not. I don't know. But I'm definitely. I. If I've gotten here, I'm pushing it, and I'm probably going in that like 90 to 100 range.

[C]

Okay. I was thinking like 75ish. We can bet 75 on our 7. 5.

[F]

Anyway, that was the Worst dad joke.

[C]

Okay. Yeah, I think there's, we lose if we check here for sure. So the only way we win is if they fold. I think we can still represent a jack here. Big blinds, what the big blinds called us every step of the way. But they haven't taken, they haven't taken control. Yeah, I just, I feel like I can represent The Jack and 75 I think is enough to get it done. But you know, 90 wouldn't be terrible either. This just for the record, we don't find ourselves having to do this if we don't get involved with seven five suited pre flop.

[F]

We, we have acknowledged that you folded a long time ago. Just let us have our fun.

[C]

Yeah. But I think the triple barrel bluff right now, it does look strong and it may be the way that we can, we can salvage this. It is a high variance move, but it's our only hope of winning. So what does Keith do? Keith says the big blinds line feels like a medium strength hand. It doesn't seem like he's excited about his holding, but it also doesn't look like he's planning to fold. With only seven high. I decide to give up and check behind the big blind tables. 10 of spades, 7 of clubs and wins the pot with second pair. He says a question. I thought about taking another stab at it on the river, but I really didn't feel like they were going to fold. Do you think second pair folds there? And I do,

[F]

absolutely. I think, I think a queen doesn't fold clearly to pair doesn't fold, you know, in, in, in Keith's corner though, I mean, you're cutting your losses there, you know, without the risk which, you know, you're okay with. So, you know, I think that, you

[C]

know, we might even be able to get a weak queen to fold, you know, something with like queen three, queen deuce. Maybe, maybe not. But I think we can get a lot of those one pair hands to fold when all we need is a jack and we can represent a jack pretty, pretty well from that position. Yeah.

[F]

The fact here's, here's my thing. If you're, if you're playing past the flop and you're catching the big blind in the, you know, obviously he said he didn't look like he was going to fold on the, on the river, but it, the fact that we're past the flop and you continue to tell the story, they have not, you know, tried to take, you know, take over, I, I feel a lot better. Let me put it this way. And this is it. May sound crazy, but I don't think it does. I feel better about if we had gotten to the river for that bet than I did for the flop, like after the flop, because, you know, again, I think they were just, you know, you had a pretty good read on them. They hadn't taken control. You're pretty spot on with either a Queen or a 10 or a lower pocket pair. You know, I think you're in a better position there to continue it. I get that it's, you know, it's harder to do with as, as he so eloquently put seven high.

[C]

Right.

[F]

But it is, it is tough. I think, I think when you, you've made it that far, you need to continue. And I think you definitely get, you definitely get 10. And in my humble opinion, you get 10 to fold. Queen maybe not so much a softer queen like you said, maybe. But you know,

[C]

I mean the other piece of that is, it's four to a straight on the board. You know, all we need is a jack. Yeah. So it's, it even with two pair, which I think any two pair calls there probably. But yeah, even with two pair, it's a crying call. It's not even one that you're super happy about. Yeah, they, they can't raise you. So unless they have what we're trying to represent, which I've run into, which for sure.

[F]

And I, but I, here's the thing too is, let me ask you your opinion on this. Let's say they're sitting on, you know, nine jack. So they paired up, you know, their nines and then they get the straight on the, on the river. You're probably not catching another check. I, I, I, I, I, I think they push the action then I don't

[C]

think they're, because they'd be afraid of it going check, check, correct.

[F]

So I think the thing, the one thing that we were afraid of him having what we're representing probably didn't happen. So the fact that there's another check there kind of lets me know I'm good. I mean, obviously, obviously we can't beat them with what we got, but they don't know that.

[C]

Right.

[F]

I mean that's, I love this game.

[C]

Again, the only way we're going to win the hand is by betting there. And yeah, like I said, it's a, it's a high variance move. But it depends on if you're willing to take that line to win this pot. And if you get called, that's poker. I mean you just, you, you try to tell A story and see if they believe you.

[F]

But the problem I have, Joe, is that they believe me a lot.

[E]

Or, let me rephrase, they actually don't

[F]

believe me a lot. They don't believe me a lot. I believe that I can do it, but they don't.

[C]

At some point, maybe you should start looking at your story.

[F]

My story? I rewrite my story all the damn time. The problem is I rewrite it in the middle of hands, in the middle of games.

[E]

That.

[F]

Speaking of which, we're recording this and the game is tonight, so hopefully there's a nice outcome. We'll address that on next week's segment. But I got a good feeling about tonight.

[C]

You know who the bounty's on?

[F]

No, I missed last month. Let's go. Hey, big daddy.

[C]

Yeah, the bounty's on me. Bounty's on this. So come get it. Come and get it.

[F]

We can. We can address the results next week. But, Keith. Yeah, I mean, listen, you played the hand fine for what you were doing until the end, you know, I. Again, you know, not the worst case. You salvaged some. Some chips for sure. I mean, that you. You guaranteed yourself some extra chips, you know, and, you know, maybe. Maybe you take home the money if you do, maybe you don't, but, you know, tell the story

[C]

and. And I'll just add this one last little bit, and then we can end it on this note. You said you've been playing really tight, and so at some point you have to use that image, right? I know that I am a tighter player than a lot, and so every now and then, I will use that image. And more times than not, it will work because I'm able to, because I know what my image is. So know your image and take advantage of it.

[F]

Yep.

[C]

Now, Patrick, we'll see you at the Patreon. And other than that, have a good week.

[F]

Sounds like a plan. We'll see you guys then.

[B]

From the flops to the turn, we play it.

[C]

One of the things we talked about during this week's hand of the week was table image. Now, in my opinion, table image is one of those things that people love to talk about, but not everybody understands. But I would say the first thing you need to know about table image is that you have one. Whether you realize it or not, every player at the table has formed an opinion about you. They've watched how many hands you play. They've seen how often you bet or raise or fold. They've noticed whether you're talking a lot, whether you're sitting quietly or showing Bluffs or turning over the nuts. They're building a profile on you with every hand. So the question isn't whether you have a table image. The question is whether you know what it is. For example, I know my image is generally a tight one. Players expect me to have a hand when I enter a pot, and they don't expect me to get too far out of line. And I know some of you will hear that and think it's a disadvantage. I see that as a tool because if the table thinks I'm tight, occasionally I can represent a monster and get away with a bluff that an aggressive player might never get through. The same bet from that aggressive player that's been splashing chips around all night, it gets called. And that's the power of image. You're not just playing your cards. You're playing the story the table believes about you as well. Now, poker players, we shouldn't just be making decisions based on our own hand strength, right? We should constantly be asking ourselves, what does my opponent think I have? And more importantly, what does my opponent think about me? Sometimes the most valuable thing at the table isn't what's in your hand, it's what's in your opponent's mind. People form opinions about us all the time, even away from the poker table. Whether it's fair or not, they create an image of who they think we are. The key isn't fighting that image, it's understanding it. And that gives you information. And, of course, information is valuable. The players who ignore their table image, they're leaving a weapon unused. Meanwhile, players who understand it can create opportunities that others never even see. So spend a little time thinking about your image, both at the table and away from it. Not because you need to change it or need to protect it, but because understanding how others see you is a powerful piece of information. And if you know how to use, just might help you win a few more pots along the way. That's today's win outer. And that's today's show. I'll see you next week, 18. And until then, I'll see you at the tables.

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The Ante up podcast is a production of antioppmagazine.com contact the show at podcastsyupmagazine.com

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or call the show at 540-339-7741.

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If you'd like to advertise, send an email to editoryupmagazine.com

[H]

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