The poker media landscape has come a long way in the last decade. One of the many driving forces behind the progression has been the rise in popularity of podcasts, and there are now countless choices when it comes to poker-oriented podcasts.
The one issue now is that there's so much content out there, it's almost impossible to consume everything. How do you know which ones you should be investing in? Well, we've done all the hard work for you over the past year, and we've come up with our favorites from 2023, so you can end the year in style, and get a head start on 2024.
1. DAT Poker Podcast
The DAT Poker Podcast, brought to listeners by Daniel Negreanu, Adam Schwartz, and Terrence Chan, doesn't drop episodes as frequently as the others on this list--to be fair one third of the trio has a fairly packed schedule of high rollers--but when they do, buckle in. There are no misses from this three...all of the episodes they produce are worth listening to, but there are some standouts from the year.
In 2023, the DAT trio offered their fans recap episodes for the hit gameshow Game of Gold. These recaps quickly became essential while the show had its run. There are recaps for each episode and many of them feature interviews with players from the show.
Another highlight from this year's slate of episodes stems from a sad time for our community. The passing of Doyle Brunson this year left a gaping hole in the poker world; one that will never be filled.
The DAT trio offered their own personal memories and thoughts on the career of the Godfather of Poker in a way that honored and celebrated the life of poker's all-time legend.
2. The Chip Race Poker Podcast
The Chip Race Poker Podcast, the brainchild of the Irish duo David Lappin and Dara O'Kearney, has been singled out on our platform once before, but it's just too damn good to leave off this list.
The Global Poker Award-winning podcast offers viewers an all-encompassing look at the state of the poker world by covering a mixture of multiple selected guests, current events, drama, and hand breakdowns. The best part? Lappin and O'Kearney crank out episodes frequently, ensuring their listeners never go too long without fresh content.
The Lock-In segment of the show offers mini-episodes that take a more singular approach to certain topics. One of these Lock-In segments, and our bias might show a little too much here, features PokerOrg's Live Events Manager Terrence Reid.
Be sure to check out the full episodes of The Chip Race that stuck in our minds this year and tune in throughout 2024 for more from Lappin and O'Kearney.
Tom Hall, Jacqueline Burkhart, Phil Galfond
Andy Black, LoriAnn Persinger, Jason Koon
3. The Heart of Poker Podcast
Kara Scott's The Heart of Poker Podcast takes the focus away from the felt and hones in on the personalities and particulars of each of her guests by using a modified version of a set of questions developed by psychologists to help people fall in love.
You might know Scott as a poker player, presenter, and commentator for a number of different providers over the last two decades, but her role as podcast host perhaps deserves a little more...dare we say...love?
The conversations flow seamlessly from question to question and Scott does well to build the conversation around them without relying on them too heavily. The Heart of Poker offers listeners a reprieve of sorts from the usual topics covered on poker podcasts.
There's absolutely no talk of solvers, ranges, variance, or really anything at all that has to do with the nitty gritty of poker--that's not the point. The point, we think, that Scott wants to drive home is that there are people behind the faces you see at the table, people with opinions, fears, desires, and dreams beyond poker.
Scott lets us, the listeners, sit with her guests and listen to what they have to say. She takes the conversation deeper, much deeper than anything you'd get in a bust-out interview, on a live streamed cash game, or in a post on Twitter.
Angela Jordison on Helping Veterans, Imposter Syndrome & Being Named Player of the Year
Justin Bonomo on Artificial Intelligence, Acro Yoga & Toxic Masculinity
Alex O'Brien on Science, Seeking Truth & Protecting Her Daugher
4. Thinking Poker Podcast
Andrew Brokos' Thinking Poker Podcast represents the more sophisticated strategy portion of this list. Together with co-host Andrew Welch, Brokos interviews poker players often at moments in time that see them making waves in various poker spheres. Be it a massive tournament score, a cheating scandal, or a historic run. Chances are, if you're catching the attention of the community, Brokos wants to chat.
Additionally, in 2023 Brokos and Welch have strived to bring their listeners voices from non-white, non-male poker players. Guests like LoriAnn Persinger, Caitlyn Cobb and her husband Justin Arnwine, Joel Porter-Dias, and Ebony Kenney offer their own unique perspectives on the poker world--perspectives that often fall by the wayside in our community, to the detriment of us all.
At PokerOrg we're all about the players' voices and, in this regard, Thinking Poker stands out amidst the podcast landscape as a beacon for others to, hopefully, emulate.
Each episode features a strategy segment where Brokos and Welch go deep on a specific hand they've encountered either in their own play or in others. The two of them approach each hand with careful precision and do well to keep the advanced lingo to a minimum so as to not alienate any listeners.
Brokos and Welch strike a perfect middle ground between light-hearted, casual conversation with their guests and in-depth, serious strategy discussion in a way that no other poker podcast quite achieves.
Best of 2023 featuring Chad McVean
5. Third Man Walking
Third Man Walking, a Crush Live Poker production, comes to you courtesy of journeyman grinder Charlie Wilmoth. Readers might recognize Wilmoth's name from his commentary gigs on Hustler Casino Live, but listeners of his podcast know there's much more to him than just that.
Wilmoth's journey through poker has taken him to many places and he's been generous enough to bring his listeners along for the ride. Through the mid-stakes games in Los Angeles, Wilmoth offers listeners a first-hand account of what it's like to really grind. There's no idealizing of the lifestyle, no outlandish dreams of grandeur. It's just Wilmoth, with his nose to the grindstone, trying his best to make a life out of this game we love.
We could go on and on about how much we love Wilmoth's willingness to be vulnerable before his listeners or how down-to-earth he comes across in each episode. But you know what? There's nothing that'll convince you more than just listening to one of the episodes.
