Third Man Walking

Your correspondent returns to the subject of his downswing, which continues despite his best efforts to jinx it into going away by talking about it.0:21 Downswing Part 21:31 Taking variance is part of the job4:25 The downswing leads to bad habits8:53 Why I'll keep grinding instead of focusing on teaching15:04 5/10 NLHE hand: TT on T85rJxQxFORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent discusses his thought process as he endures the worst downswing of his poker career. He also reviews a recent $5/$10 session.0:17 Maintaining a healthy relationship to the game in the midst of a big downswing8:29 Dealing with a long stretch of boredom, in which moneymaking opportunities are few and far betweenFORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE20:22 $5/$10 NLHE session21:13 AKo all-in preflop22:24 AA (no club) on 762ccc9x8x24:55 "Feel it in the heart of the cards"26:05 A9ss on AKTxdd9xKx32:17 AsJx on 985sss3x6ssss33:58 J9hh on KQTxssAx7ssshttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent visits poker rooms in the Bay Area and Sacramento, folding flopped straights and finding ways to lose ridiculous amounts of money with ace-king. Along the way, he compares live poker in Los Angeles to poker elsewhere, and reflects on a recent bad run.FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE0:20 Traveling to Northern California0:42 Poker in American cities that are not Los Angeles or Las Vegas1:57 What it feels like to enter a new poker room2:57 3/5/10 at Lucky Chances in San Francisco3:35 K3hh on KT3ssxQdd5:34 A9hh on AQ5xhh8:03 1/3 with straddles at Capitol Casino in Sacramento9:12 KQo on AJ8rTr311:57 J8dd on QT9ssd2x15:00 AQcc on Q54ddx16:50 2/5 at Thunder Valley, northeast of Sacramento 17:58 QsTx on AKJssxKxJx19:05 AKo all-in preflop21:02 AKdd all-in preflop21:32 AKo all-in preflop (yes, all-in preflop with AK in three different hands)22:38 QQ all-in preflop23:32 77 on AQ7rKr925:16 General thoughts on running badhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent discusses Michael Craig's poker-boom-era classic "The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King." He follows up on how he finished in the tournament discussed in the last episode, then reviews a double-board PLO bomb pot he played that left him feeling frustrated with himself.FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE0:20 "The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King"12:32 A correction regarding a hand in the last episode (double-board PLO bomb pot with 8733)14:03 $1200 LAPC tournament, Day 214:41 AKo all-in preflop (big blind = 15,000)15:41 JJ all-in preflop (big blind = 30,000)16:10 Q4hh on T84A4 (big blind = 60,000)18:46 Jx9c on JT6ccx3x5x (big blind = 60,000)21:58 AQo all-in preflop (big blind = 100,000)23:21 $25 double-board PLO bomb pot hand: KQJ4 (no spades) on KT9ssx3x4x and J52ssxJxQsssSources used in the Garfield/Cleveland story:https://www.npr.org/transcripts/502301891https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-doctors-killed-president-garfield/https://lib.arizona.edu/hsl/materials/collections/secret-illness/clevelandhttps://www.npr.org/2011/07/06/137621988/a-yacht-a-mustache-how-a-president-hid-his-tumorhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent gets through Day 1 of a tournament for the first time in over five years. He reviews the tournament hands that brought him to Day 2 glory, then recaps a cash session of $5/$5/$10 (with straddles of up to $160) and $5/$5.FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE0:16 Your correspondent bags a tournament! ($1200 LAPC Million at Commerce)3:42 AJhh on J95r (big blind = 800)6:04 AA on A98r2r (bb = 1200)7:44 K4o on K32r4hhJhhh (bb = 3000)917 JJ all-in preflop (bb = 4000)13:19 T6o on 953xccKx (bb = 6000)17:10 $5/$5/$10 NLHE cash session17:43 AKo all-in preflop18:52 AdTx on K32ddx23:16 KhKx on 653xhh2hhh9x24:47 $5/$5 NLHE25:37 AdAx on KQ8dxdTx28:25 Double-board PLO bomb pot with 8733 on J83rThh and 953xss6ssshttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent discusses why two thousand dollars is an important sum at $5/$10 and $10/$20. He also discusses his recent experiences playing $10/$20, then reviews a recent $5/$10 session.FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE0:21 Why $2,000 is such an important threshold in mid-stakes cash games4:40 Comparing $10/$20 to $5/$107:17 KsJx on JT8xssTx7x9:54 $5/$10 NLHE session10:23 AKo on Q83rThh12:33 JJ on 993r3T14:16 A5cc on 932ccx8x15:36 AJo on 754r2cc16:32 AA on KK7rK219:13 QJo on T32r8r20:21 AJhh on 832xhh5hhh6x23:42 KJcc on 976cccJx7x26:29 Q6o on AT4r7xhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent discusses how to filter poker strategy advice -- which advice should be ignored and which is worth taking? How can you tell them apart, and when should you feel satisfied with uncertainty?FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE0:16 How do you find good advice in poker?12:47 5/10 NLHE session12:56 AKss all-in preflop14:04 QJss 4bet preflop15:29 AQss on AT5r3dd4x17:42 JTcc on 942xxc9x19:03 AJo on A84ssxJx8x21:15 QQ on KQ9J723:46 QQ (again) on K75ddxKcc7x26:37 JJ all-in preflop33:01 Jackpot hand!Sabrina Chevannes' tweet: Persuadeo's essay: https://twitter.com/SChevannes/status/1745567657741402482https://persuadeo.nl/a-brief-word-on-learning-poker-or-anything/I didn't credit them in the podcast itself, but some of my thoughts on solvers are pretty similar to Marc Goone and Gethen Jacobs', which you can see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vXh6ZhcL90http://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent explains why he chose not to go to Las Vegas to play tournaments last month, and relays how his experience playing the WSOP Main Event in 2019 shaped his skepticism about playing tournaments at all. He then reviews a recent 5/10 session.0:21 Tournament skepticism and the 2019 Main Event13:49 5/10 NLHE session (and staying off my phone)15:09 KK all-in preflop17:41 98hh QT7dxdQx9ddd19:58 99 all-in preflop23:07 QQ on T22hhxQcc5x25:26 98ss on Q98ddx4x2x28:32 AQdd 965cxc8ddTdddFORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent reviews a recent 5/10/20 session, then discusses "Game of Gold" and Alex O'Brien's new book "The Truth Detective."0:21 5/10/20 NLHE session1:22 AKcc on KT7r3x2:36 KQo on KK2rTdd6x4:00 AKss all-in preflop5:09 KTdd on QT8xxd6hhQx6:32 AKo on AJ4r2ss7x9:19 AQcc on AQ4ddx4xAx13:07 AA on 632rKhh15:52 QTss on JTThhx9hhh4x17:53 AdAx 995xdd3xAx19:38 T9dd on Q85hhdThhhQx21:29 J6hh on AT2hhxQxAx25:27 Thoughts on "Game of Gold"29:10 Thoughts on Alex O'Brien's "The Truth Detective"FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent reviews a recent break-even stretch. He then considers recent rumors of cheating in high-stakes private games and offers a simple solution: Stop playing private games, and come play poker at casinos instead. Finally, he reviews a recent 5/10 session.0:58 Why we shouldn't assume downswings have obvious causes1:34 Whiny bad-beat story: 5/5/10/20/40 KK on TT3rAx3:26 Nearly a catastrophic punt: 5/10/20 AKcc on 543ssc9sss8ssss9:37 Thoughts on Nik Airball's accusations against Mars10:45 Don't play private games12:19 *Do* play poker in casinos15:13 5/10 NLHE session16:07 KQss on 764hsh5ss4sss18:48 AJdd on QT9rQx420:02 55 on Q52r7dd21:48 KJo (no diamond) on K82ddd2x4x23:38 QQ on 966r25:26 Q9cc on 952sxs9xTsss29:58 KThh on QT2hxh3x9x31:50 QQ on 986cxc3x40:22 KQo on KT4r9hhJxFORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent asks whether, in the next ten years, poker will get tougher at the same rate it has in the last ten. Then, he reviews a recent $10/$20/$40 session.2:37 Vanessa Selbst (44) vs. Kevin MacPhee (A9o) in the 2012 EPT Main Event (Watch here: )6:10 How and why players will get better in the future7:35 Why non-NLHE poker variants will continue to grow in importance13:25 $10/$20/$40 NLHE session (and an explanation of the rules of the many sub-games we played)16:20 Capped double-board PLO bomb pot: K764 on a top board of KK4 and a bottom board of JT3xhh19:00 TT all-in preflop19:56 TT (again) on 955r24:13 99 all-in preflop25:08 QTo on Q65rJssJx26:50 Capped double-board PLO bomb pot: KKJ2 on a top board of T76xhh and a bottom board of AK3r29:47 Q3cc on Q88ddc7cc5ccc32:40 A3ss on K97sxx8ss34:38 Q8dd preflopVenessa Selbst's Top Blow UpsThird Man Walking Episode 5, on the poker ecosystem and the rate at which it changes: https://crushlivepoker.com/podcasts/the-ecosystemThird Man Walking Episode 51, which reviews hands from the 2003 WSOP Main Event: https://crushlivepoker.com/podcasts/getting-better-over-timeFORUM DISCUSSION:CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent rereads Blockhead's gritty gambling memoir "Seat Open," then reviews a 5/5/10 session that blossomed into a bigger game.11:36 5/5/10 session11:47 A7cc on 553xccAxKccc14:41 KQo on A53rJcc16:52 KTss on AKTccx7ccc6cccc19:17 We switch the game to 5/10/2019:41 55 on QT9r8dd4x21:17 J9hh on QT8ddhAx22:18 AdAx on 875xdd8xKx25:17 AcTx on 542ccxQssTxFORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent recovers from a minor illness, then plays a pair of cash sessions, one at 5/10 and another at 5/5.0:22 Going to Las Vegas and getting COVID2:45 5/10 NLHE session2:51 AsAc on J53hxh2x5hhh4:12 AQo (no spade) 762sxsAsss8x7:01 77 on T82dxdKx8x10:27 AQdd on AQ2rAss7sss15:03 99 on Q97dddTx4x19:46 5/5 NLHE session20:29 TT on 993xss2x21:32 K6hh on 642cxcJccc4x23:28 KTcc on Q73xcc25:31 Q9dd on Q32xcc4ss26:57 KJdd on J52ssx2sss2x29:07 KK on 965r8xJx30:38 AcAx on JJ6xss7cc32:31 AcAx (again) on AJ7xcc6xhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.comFORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE

Your correspondent ties off some loose ends from the last episode about private games, sharing his own limited experience playing in them. He also reviews a session where he made a disastrous call.0:55 Private games compared to home games2:27 What are private games actually like?6:35 My experience with a private game in a casino9:18 What can be done about more and more games going private?11:58 5/10/20 and 5/10/20/40 session12:40 (at 5/10/20) AJdd on KJJ6r415:36 (at 5/10/20/40) AQo (no heart, no club) on A76hxhTccJx23:53 A2o on A777825:25 AhKx on AK2xhh27:20 AxKs all-in preflopFORUM DISCUSSION:CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent contemplates cash-game poker's identity crisis as more and more games go private. What do the increasing number of private games tell us about what players want poker to be? And how have pros and other serious players contributed to the downfall of public games?0:48 Is poker fundamentally a competitive activity or a friendly gambling pastime?5:05 How pros are dependent upon recreational players7:14 How the pandemic changed many players' attitudes11:07 Private games in casinos14:47 Other reasons players' attitudes towards pros have changed over time17:11 How pros have driven recreational players away22:32 What good is it to be "the best" at poker?FORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent struggles with bad luck and bad vibes in a recent cash session and in a big tournament.0:20 Why this episode is what it is1:15 5/10 NLHE cash session3:33 AQo (no spade) on AJ7sxsAxTx7:22 JJ on AA4r3ddKddd9:12 KK (no heart) on 543r2hh5hhh11:30 TT on K83r13:40 KJhh on K54xxh6hhAhhh15:55 Q8hh on 964xhh3x2x18:38 KQo on KQJssx21:08 $3600 tournament review29:21 AQo all-in preflop29:52 J9ss on T96sxs2x2x34:37 AKo all-in preflopFORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent looks back at the late Doyle Brunson's 1984 book "Poker Wisdom of a Champion" to see what it has to teach us about poker in 2023. He then reviews hands from a recent $1400 buyin tournament in Los Angeles, asking himself in the process if the tournament life makes sense for him. 0:19 "Poker Wisdom of a Champion"9:26 Tournament hand review - $1400 million-dollar guarantee20:11 98ss on 887xdd22:18 K4dd on A52rQccJx26:00 J9hh on T72hhx27:47 AA all-in preflophttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.comFORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE

Your correspondent discusses a recent score of $16,000 in a bad-beat jackpot, then reviews an annoying day of 5/5 and 5/5/10/20. 0:15 Jackpot hand! JJ on A65AA4:53 Session review (starting at 5/5)8:38 QQ on J83ssxQcc10:01 QQ all-in preflop11:14 Double-board PLO bomb pot: A997 with A9dd on A95ccx and 842xdd14:18 (at 5/5/10/20) 85ss on 976xsx4cc6x16:28 K6dd on T74hdh3ddTddd18:03 KQdd on 982r5hh4x19:14 KhKx on J94hhx6x21:33 AJo on A85dxd5ccAx22:58 AQo (no club) on 853ccx2ss25:55 QQ on K86ddxKx4xFORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent reports back from a recent week-long trip to play tournaments in Las Vegas. Along the way, he compares tournaments to the cash games he usually plays and wonders if it's time to try playing tournaments more seriously. Also, he battles intense hunger while playing, then faces an ethical dilemma in a hand against an opponent who keeps exposing her cards.3:10 88 on 753ccx5x5x5:54 A7dd all-in preflop14:14 ATdd on T82rThh16:53 KQo on KJ8Q6FORUM DISCUSSION:CLICK HEREhttp://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.com

Your correspondent reviews Aaron Sorkin's movie "Molly's Game" and the Molly Bloom memoir upon which it's based, finding one of the two narratives to be much, much more compelling than the other.0:55 "Molly's Game" the movie10:46 "Molly's Game" the bookThe Indiewire interview with Sorkin: https://www.indiewire.com/awards/industry/mollys-game-aaron-sorkin-jessica-chastain-idris-elba-oscars-1201915147/http://twitter.com/thirdwalkinghttp://crushlivepoker.comFORUM DISCUSSION: CLICK HERE