
Hosted by Donna Blevins · EN

David Apostolico joins your poker mindset coach Donna Blevins for this in-depth interview discussing his life and what he does as both a poker writer and poker player. They also dive into some examples of poker hands and situations from the poker table. David and Donna talk the same talk and walk the same walk! You’ll hear David Apostolico and Donna Blevins talk about: How David learned the game of poker The impact of poker on your personal life David’s new book, You are the Variable Your poker table image – how you are perceived David’s view of the history of No Limit Hold’em in tournaments The art versus the science of poker tournament play Dead cards, how to deal with them, and how to think through the hand Why it’s important to use your chips efficiently Mindset and The Art of War Playing without cards – position, betting and table image Which of David’s books is he most proud of? Remaining personally unattached to the outcome of poker hands More About David Apostolico David Apostolico’s new book You are the Variable is available from Amazon.com David Apostolico has been playing poker on every level for over 25 years. He’s played with the best players on the Professional Poker Tour. David looks to the great strategists in history, such as Sun Tzu, to help players develop a successful mindset in their poker games and in their lives. His books are read and recommended by many top poker pros. David Apostolico’s Recommended Reading You are the Variable Tournament Poker and the Art of War Machiavellian Poker Strategy: How to Play Like a Prince and Rule the Poker Table David Apostolico Links More David Apostolico books on Amazon 2 FREE Poker Training Modules Recorded LIVE by Donna Blevins To get access to Donna’s poker training and have her hold your hand for a full week, go to PokerPureAndSimple.com Like the show? Give us a five-star rating in the iTunes Store! Until next time, remember Donna’s motto… “If you can’t raise, don’t call.” Donna Blevins Poker MindSet Coach BRAVO Poker LIVE is a real time, responsive mobile app that is a breeze! You can check out the current live action and tournaments in your local card rooms. It’s linked directly into the Bravo poker room management system and shows you what games are being spread and how many people are on the waiting list. If you’re a serious poker player, you must use this app. FREE download! BRAVO Poker LIVE mobile app is available for your iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices. In fact, you can even access the app on your desktop… [button link=”http://genesisgaming.com/bravo-poker-live” color=”purple” window=”yes”]Access BRAVO Poker LIVE app from your computer[/button] The post Big Girl Poker Chat Episode #15: David Apostolico appeared first on Big Girl Poker.

Scott Long, one of the founders of Ante Up Magazine joins your poker mindset coach Donna Blevins for an in-depth interview about the growth of his magazine and all of the poker playing insights he’s picked up along the way. You’ll hear Scott Long and Donna Blevins talk about: The beginnings of Ante Up Magazine Why Ante Up Magazine focuses on everyday poker How Scott got his start playing poker (spoiler: it involved his grandmother) Scott’s biggest strengths and challenges at the poker table What the association between Deep Stack Charity Classic in Daytona Beach and his magazine means to him How to be a good charity event player How he’s kept the Ante Up PokerCast alive and regular for so long Changing your game to become profitable Dealing with your confidence when you sit down at the poker table (hint: be honest with yourself) Cruise + Poker = Ante Up Cruises Sharing the love about other poker publications More about the Ante Up Poker Tour The need for affordable poker training Scott’s love of the road More About Scott Long Scott Long holding pocket 9s at the Thunder Valley Casino Scott Long handles operations for Ante Up Publishing LLC and also deals with its advertising, marketing and distribution. He brings over 20 years of professional media experience, including editing and management roles at the St. Petersburg Times and Pensacola News Journal. Previously, Scott was the author of “Bet On It,” a daily gambling column for the Times. Scott Long Links Ante Up Magazine Ante Up PokerCast Ante Up Cruises Deep Stack Charity Classic To get access to Donna’s Free Pot Odds Course visit the homepage at BigGirlPoker.com. Like the show? Give us a five-star rating in the iTunes Store! Until next time, remember Donna’s motto… “If you can’t raise, don’t call.” Donna Blevins Poker MindSet Coach BRAVO Poker LIVE is a real time, responsive mobile app that is a breeze! You can check out the current live action and tournaments in your local card rooms. It’s linked directly into the Bravo poker room management system and shows you what games are being spread and how many people are on the waiting list. If you’re a serious poker player, you must use this app. FREE download! BRAVO Poker LIVE mobile app is available for your iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices. In fact, you can even put the app on your desktop… [button link=”http://genesisgaming.com/bravo-poker-live” color=”purple” window=”yes”]Get BRAVO Poker LIVE app for your computer[/button] The post Big Girl Poker Chat Episode #14: Scott Long appeared first on Big Girl Poker.

Mike Caro, “The Mad Genius of Poker,” joins your poker mindset coach Donna Blevins for this terrific poker podcast! Along with learning more about Mike during their chat, Donna and Mike will talk about tells, real work poker, why it’s good to be drawn out on, and how to avoid tilt. You’ll hear Mike Caro and Donna Blevins talk about: Donna Blevins recommends Mike Caro’s University (MCU) at Poker1.com! Tells and lying all the time at the poker table Book recommendations and learning poker Poker playing as a business Your profitable poker image Making your opponents comfortable Why you should cheer for your opponents even when they beat you The true goal of a poker player How hyper aggressive playing is wrong, and what to do against them Betting effectively in tournaments Handling short stack late in a tournament Why Mike doesn’t worry about playing the bubble Playing the final tournament table More about Mike Caro: “The Mad Genius of Poker” or just “Mad Genius”, Mike Caro is one of the world’s authorities on poker strategy, psychology and statistics. An author, gambling consultant, spokesperson, and odds maker, Mike is also the founder of Mike Caro’s University of Poker, Gaming and Life Strategy. Mike Caro’s recommended reading: Caro’s Book of Poker Tells: The Psychology and Body Language of Poker Caro’s Most Profitable Hold’em Advice – The Complete Missing Arsenal Click to browse more Mike Caro books (there’s quite a few!) Mike Caro links: Mike Caro’s University of Poker, Gaming and Life Strategy AdvancedPokerTraining.com To get access to Donna’s Free Pot Odds Course visit the homepage at BigGirlPoker.com. Like the show? Give us a five-star rating in the iTunes Store! Until next time, remember Donna’s motto… “If you can’t raise, don’t call.” Donna Blevins Poker MindSet Coach BRAVO Poker LIVE is a real time, responsive mobile app that is a breeze! You can check out the current live action and tournaments in your local card rooms. It’s linked directly into the Bravo poker room management system and shows you what games are being spread and how many people are on the waiting list. If you’re a serious poker player, you must use this app. FREE download! BRAVO Poker LIVE mobile app is available for your iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices. In fact, you can even put the app on your desktop… [button link=”http://genesisgaming.com/bravo-poker-live” style=”download” color=”purple” window=”yes”]Get BRAVO Poker LIVE app for your computer[/button] The post Big Girl Poker Chat Episode #13: Mike Caro appeared first on Big Girl Poker.

Wade Andrews joins your poker mindset coach Donna Blevins for this poker podcast episode. Wade was a pioneer in poker radio, starting Holdem Radio in 2005. Today’s podcast with Wade focuses on how poker has evolved, and how you can be the most profitable in your poker game. Wade Andrews will be opening his broadcasting courses soon! Wade Andrews came to poker from a radio career (and not the other way around as many poker broadcasters now) and has been a pioneer, a prominent personality and launched the careers of many other poker broadcasters. Currently, Wade is the Director of Personalities for Our City Radio. Wade will also be sharing about his radio broadcast school he’s building right now. You’ll hear Wade and Donna talk about: The state of poker radio Playing online versus playing live The evolution of poker How a player needs to play today to win Learning to play position with online poker and sticky notes Knowing yourself as a player before you play others How long to look at your hold cards When you should get up from the table Listening for tells Wade Andrews Poker Book Recommendations: The Middle Zone: Mastering the Most Difficult Hands in Hold’em Poker by John Vorhaus, Anne Duke Tournament Poker and the Art of War by David Apostolico The Psychology of Poker by Alan N. Schoonmaker More about Wade Andrews: After a life in radio, Wade Andrews found his way into poker broadcasting in 2005 starting Holdem Radio. Broadcasting from Binion’s Casion in Las Vegas, Wade watched more than one million hands of poker broadcasting games and tournaments. Currently he is working on TexasHoldemRadio.com and is the Director of Personalities at Our City Radio. Wade Andrews Links: Holdem Radio Our City Radio Texas Holdem Radio WadeRadio.com To get access to Donna’s Free Pot Odds Course visit the homepage at BigGirlPoker.com. Like the show? Give us a five-star rating in the iTunes Store! Until next time, remember Donna’s motto… “If you can’t raise, don’t call.” Donna Blevins Poker MindSet Coach BRAVO Poker LIVE is a real time, responsive mobile app that is a breeze, and it’s FREE! You can check out the current live action and tournaments in your local card rooms. It’s linked directly into the Bravo poker room management system and shows you what games are being spread and how many people are on the waiting list. If you’re a serious poker player, you must use this app. FREE download! BRAVO Poker LIVE mobile app is available for your iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices through their app stores. In fact, you can even put the app on your desktop. I put BRAVO Poker LIVE app on my desktop computer, I use it all the time, and I love it! Donna Blevins [button link=”http://genesisgaming.com/bravo-poker-live” style=”download” color=”purple” window=”yes”]Get BRAVO Poker LIVE app for your computer[/button] The post Big Girl Poker Chat Episode #12: Wade Andrews appeared first on Big Girl Poker.

Ashley Adams joins your poker mindset coach Donna Blevins in this episode. Ashley is a poker player, author, poker talk show host, writer and self-described “poker adventurer.” Poker surrounds Ashley and he shares his knowledge and experience with you. Ashley Adams, adorned in some of his poker attire. Ashley is so accustomed to being the host rather than the guest, he managed to turn the chat around and focus on Donna for a few minutes. At the beginning you’ll get a short glimpse of how The Big Girl of Poker got started in poker! Later, Ashley and Donna break down a hand starting with the play and then dive into the importance of mindset in poker. You’ll hear Ashley talk about: His book for low buy-in cash games, Winning No Limit Hold ‘Em – why he wrote it and who should read it The changes in poker that Ashley has seen over the years – not just the players but the geography of the games How Ashley got started playing poker Moving from online poker to live poker Some of Ashley Adams’ poker tips in this podcast: Learn the basics How your position matters to your hand strength Learn how to increase your aggression and hands you play based on reading players More about Ashley Adams A self-described “poker adventurer” and poker personality, Ashley Adams has been playing poker for 40 years and has played the game in almost all of the 50 United States as well as many other places around the world. After learning poker from his grandfather, Ashley played recreationally in high school and college before cracking a poker book and hitting the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut just after the poker room opened in 1995. He focused first on 7 Card Stud, and then literally wrote the book on it in 2003 called Winning 7-Card Stud: Transforming Home Poker Chumps into Casino Killers. Since then Ashley Adams wrote a book for Hold ‘Em low buy-in players, and he is a frequent contributor to Poker Player Newspaper and Poker News. On top of that Ashley broadcasts his poker talk radio show, House of Cards, on eight different terrestrial radio affiliates. After his broadcasts, he makes them available as podcasts. Ashley Adams Links House of Cards Radio The House of Cards Blog written by Ashley – he invites your comments! Ashley Adams’ Books on Amazon.com Pokerology.com To get access to Donna’s Free Pot Odds Course visit the homepage at BigGirlPoker.com. Like the show? Give us a five-star rating in the iTunes Store! Until next time, remember Donna’s motto… “If you can’t raise, don’t call.” Donna Blevins Poker MindSet Coach BRAVO Poker LIVE is a real time, responsive mobile app that is a breeze, and it’s FREE! You can check out the current live action and tournaments in your local card rooms. It’s linked directly into the Bravo poker room management system and shows you what games are being spread and how many people are on the waiting list. If you’re a serious poker player, you must use this app. FREE download! BRAVO Poker LIVE mobile app is available for your iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices through their app stores. In fact, you can even put the app on your desktop. I put BRAVO Poker LIVE app on my desktop computer, I use it all the time, and I love it! Donna Blevins [button link=”http://genesisgaming.com/bravo-poker-live” style=”download” color=”purple” window=”yes”]Get BRAVO Poker LIVE app for your computer[/button] The post Big Girl Poker Chat Episode #11: Ashley Adams appeared first on Big Girl Poker.

Randi Levenbaum joins your Poker MindSet Coach Donna Blevins for an interview focusing on how to make money in small stakes, no limit, Texas Hold’em cash games. Randi brings a unique, analytic eye to the game of poker and shares that with you. Poker Coach Randi Levenbaum sporting a lovely smile. You’ll hear Randi Levenbaum talk about: The “world famous” Wednesday Poker Discussion Group in Las Vegas Her underlying philosophy of her teaching – the “why” The biggest mistakes players make in low buy-in No Limit Hold’em games Giving players “bad prices” Pot odds and card odds – how it’s easy to learn and what you should know The importance of mental toughness and mindset when at the table Tactics you can employ to deal with hyper-aggressive players Bad beats, good players and whining The Randi Levenbaum’s poker tips in Donna Blevins’ podcast: How to know how much to raise Giving players “bad prices” and the relationship to scare cards What your bankroll should be to play 1-2 no limit games How to pick a low-stakes, cash table in a card room More about Randi Levenbaum With Randi Levenbaum’s background in business, finance and entrepreneurship, she brings a very unique and analytical focus to the game of poker. Moving to Las Vegas in 2005, she began applying her analytical “risk versus reward” skills to the poker table. While you can find her playing four to six times each week somewhere in Las Vegas, she’s also very active in the “world famous” Wednesday Poker Discussion Group which she mentions in the interview. Outside of Vegas she teaches beginners and shares poker tips aboard Card Player Cruises, WPT Boot Camps and of course, does her own teaching and coaching through her website at pokercoachrandi.wordpress.com. Links related to this episode: Randi’s Poker Coach website To get access to Donna’s Free Pot Odds Course visit BigGirlPoker.com. Until next time, remember Donna’s motto… “If you can’t raise, don’t call.” Donna Blevins Poker MindSet Coach BRAVO Poker LIVE is a real time, responsive mobile app that is a breeze! You can check out the current live action and tournaments in your local card rooms. It’s linked directly into the Bravo poker room management system and shows you what games are being spread and how many people are on the waiting list. If you’re a serious poker player, you must use this app. FREE download! BRAVO Poker LIVE mobile app is available for your iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices. I use it on my phone and love it! In fact, I’ve even put the app on my desktop computer. I suggest you put this app on your computer, too. [button link=”http://genesisgaming.com/bravo-poker-live” style=”download” color=”purple” window=”yes”]Get BRAVO Poker LIVE app FREE[/button] The post Big Girl Poker Chat Episode #10: Randi Levenbaum appeared first on Big Girl Poker.

Jonathan Little joins Donna Blevins, your poker mindset coach, to talk about how he’s created a tournament winning career, alongside a teaching career on FloatTheTurn.com. They’ll focus on converting your online game to the live game, and Jonathan is a great resource for this with over $1 million in online winnings. You’ll hear Jonathan talk about: Jonathan Little at the table wearing his reflective sunglasses. How he modified his game to win tournaments How Jonathan views the changes in the game from when he started in 2006 How to keep up with your constantly improving opponents Why pot odds are so important to learn What framework he uses to manage his poker bankroll, including tournament investment and variance. Which tournaments he plays, and when he walks away You’ll hear a few tips Jonathan Little shared with Donna, too: Why to play tighter before the flop Taking control of the hand, or not… Why you shouldn’t do anything while you’re in a hand One tactic to use against the hyper-aggressive players Keeping track of your poker record with a spreadsheet or the PokerJournal app. Correction: the cost of Jonathan’s FloatTheTurn.com website membership is now $10 per month. More about Jonathan Little As Jonathan has made it his goal and career of winning tournaments, a few notables include winning both the World Poker Tour’s Season VI Mirage Poker Showdown in 2007 winning just over $1 million dollars, Season VII Foxwoods World Poker Finals and winning the WPT Season VI Player of the Year award. While Jonathan offers private coaching, he does a lot of different types of coaching, starting with his books on Amazon. On his training site, FloatTheTurn.com, there are many pre-recorded videos, Q&A webinars, online seminars and more with more coaches than just Jonathan. Amassing nearly $4 million in live poker winnings and $1 million in online winnings, Jonathan now had three homes, spends most of his free time in Las Vegas or with his family, who are often in the audience when he’s playing in a big tournament. Links from this episode Jonathan’s teaching website: FloatTheTurn.com Follow Jonathan on Twitter Some of Jonathan Little’s books on Amazon He invites you to email him questions at: support [at] floattheturn [dot] com To get access to Donna’s Free Pot Odds Course visit BigGirlPoker.com. Until next time, remember Donna’s motto… “If you can’t raise, don’t call.” Donna Blevins Poker MindSet Coach BRAVO Poker LIVE is a real time, responsive mobile app that is a breeze! You can check out the current live action and tournaments in your local card rooms. It’s linked directly into the Bravo poker room management system and shows you what games are being spread and how many people are on the waiting list. If you’re a serious poker player, you must use this app. FREE download! BRAVO Poker LIVE mobile app is available for your iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices. In fact, you can even put the app on your desktop… [button link=”http://genesisgaming.com/bravo-poker-live” style=”download” color=”purple” window=”yes”]Get the app[/button] The post Big Girl Poker Chat Episode #9: Jonathan Little appeared first on Big Girl Poker.

Pamela Brunson joins your poker mindset coach, Donna Blevins, for a chat about herself… (not JUST about her famous father Doyle Brunson, and her brother, Todd Brunson, who is also a professional poker player.) Pamela talks about what it’s like to be a part of the Brunson family as well as some important highlights about her own poker game… plus how to improve your personal game. You’ll hear Pamela Brunson and Donna Blevins talk about: Pamela Brunson with her father, Doyle Brunson Dealing with hyper-aggressive players Playing the players Preparing for tournaments and preparing for cash games Online playing, reading and research The importance of pot odds Poker table selection strategies Online and offline poker training The power of a positive mindset and positive thinking More about “Queen Kitty” Pamela Brunson Growing up with her father, Doyle Brunson, and high-stakes poker brother Todd, Pamela spent much of her time as a competitive horseback rider. After receiving her degree in Sociology from the University of Texas at San Antonio, Pamela spent three years as a professional poker player. The times were rough in poker, and it was a challenge to play as a woman. After a short time as a pro, Pamela moved to other pastures and excelled. She rose to the top of one of the most prestigious retirement communities in the world as Executive Director. Pamela found her way back to Las Vegas, moved into real estate investment and back into poker. She spent a lot of time online in Doyle’s Room and with her growing success, she launched her poker career in live poker rooms in Vegas. Her successes began to roll in 2004 where she cashed, outlasting both Doyle and Todd in the World Series of Poker©. Three years later in 2007, she won her first major tournament at The Legends of Poker and took home more than $44,000! Pamela Brunson continues to play poker and actively works on improving her game. She also spends a lot of time with her family both in Las Vegas and at their other home in Montana. Links from this episode: Doylebrunson.com Follow Pamela Brunson on Twitter To get access to Donna’s Free Pot Odds Course visit BigGirlPoker.com. Until next time, remember Donna’s motto… “If you can’t raise, don’t call.” Donna Blevins Poker MindSet Coach The post Big Girl Poker Chat Episode #8: Pamela Brunson appeared first on Big Girl Poker.

Greg “FossilMan” Raymer joins Donna Blevins and talks about how he parlayed winning the 2004 WSOP© Main Event into a career playing poker and teaches students how to play better poker through his website FossilMan Poker Training. Greg “FossilMan” Raymer at the table wearing his trademark hologram eyeball sunglasses. Donna Blevins and Greg Raymer also discuss getting back to the basics, luck (or lack thereof), playing smart and a further sprinkling of tips and knowledge from the “FossilMan”. He shares a bit about how his previous career and training influenced his poker game, how he found his way into poker and the book he recommends (hint: it’s The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky). Other points that Greg and Donna cover during their chat: How to deal with hyper-aggressive players. How folding can be a bigger mistake than a big raise. Putting your ego aside to select a table by the numbers. Being able to read your own mindset before you sit down at a poker table. More about Greg “FossilMan” Raymer Greg Raymer got his start playing poker during his three different degree programs: B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Missouri at Rolla, M.S. in Biochemistry and a law degree from the University of Minnesota. Back in the school days, Greg played nickel, dime and quarter stakes games of friendly poker a few times a year. While in Minnesota, Greg made extra money counting cards at Blackjack tables around the state. After moving to Chicago and unable to find suitable Blackjack, he tried a few hands of $3-$6 limit poker. That was the trigger key that intrigued Greg with poker. His career as a patent attorney began its sunset when Greg made a deal with his wife… to have a separate bankroll for his poker playing, and, if he lost his first $1000 investment, he would give it up. That never happened! He made a lot of money for his family, and, among other big wins, beat out everyone else for the World Series of Poker© Championship in 2004. Greg is now a traveling poker professional going out on appearances, teaching, lecturing, and, of course, playing lots of poker tables and tournaments. In 2012, Greg “FossilMan” Raymer won an amazing 4 titles at Heartland Poker Tour! As 2013 ends, Greg continues cashing BIG in LIVE tournaments and exceeds $7,400,000! Links from this podcast: Follow Greg on Twitter. Greg’s website. Fossilman Poker Training. Get your own fossil card protector, signed by the FossilMan himself! The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky To get access to Donna’s Free Pot Odds Course visit BigGirlPoker.com. Until next time, remember Donna’s motto… “If you can’t raise, don’t call.” Donna Blevins Poker MindSet Coach The post Big Girl Poker Chat Episode #7: FossilMan Greg Raymer appeared first on Big Girl Poker.

Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher join Donna Blevins on today’s Big Girl Poker Chat podcast, and they’ll talk about the history of women in poker, how the game is changing to include women as well as men, some great tips and strategies about profiling and record keeping, and about Card Player Cruises! Jan Fisher, Donna Blevins and Linda Johnson… Yep, that’s Jan standing on a chair Right off the bat, both Linda and Jan share a great batch of tips, including: As the game changes, how can you change your game to win? What types of players should you identify? Why should you prepare before you sit down at the poker table? How can players go from playing online to playing in “real life?” You’ll also hear about their Card Player Cruises – a great way to take a vacation, learn poker and enjoy a boat load of destinations… the Eastern & Western Caribbean, Alaska, Canada & New England, Australia & New Zealand and more… You will also hear how Jan and Linda recommend profiling tables and players, including the notion that stereotyping in “real life” poker not only includes how someone looks, but also that their profession gives you information about a player’s tendencies. Donna, Linda and Jan also discuss other profiling techniques, knowing yourself as a player and some strategies to take care of your poker finances. One strategy is to keep notes about your games, your win/loss, and your finances and review your notes regularly. They also explain: Value Betting Thin Value Betting Triple Barrel Betting How to alter your mindset about the chips while you’re playing Linda Johnson, known as “The First Lady of Poker,” has been one of the leading forces in the poker world for much of her life – not just for women, but for the game. Aside from running Card Player Cruises with Jan Fisher, Mark Tenner and Lisa Tenner, she previously owned and ran Card Player Magazine, and has many top poker tournament finishes under her belt. While not out on a cruise, she enjoys teaching WPT Boot Camp and hosts poker seminars and tournaments at many cardrooms around the country. Linda is currently an active Director of Poker Players Alliance. Jan Fisher, also a partner in Card Player Cruises, is involved in many other parts of the current poker scene in the USA hosting tournaments, writing columns in poker publications and playing. Among the many things, Jan wrote the Poker 101 column for Card Player magazine for more than ten years. She is also an active faculty of WPT Boot Camp. Jan is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Poker Players Alliance and still is very active in the PPA and their mission. Both Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher were two of the four founders of Poker Tournament Directors Association and are still involved on the Board. To get access to Donna’s Free Pot Odds Course visit BigGirlPoker.com. Until next time, remember Donna’s motto… “If you can’t raise, don’t call.” Donna Blevins Poker MindSet Coach The post Big Girl Poker Chat Episode #6: Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher appeared first on Big Girl Poker.