Episodes

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, Joe and Elle recap a great turnout for their Bluffers Meet-Up Game, a shake-up in the Patreon leaderboard, and some incredible stories from the WPT at The Lodge. Plus, they’re hitting the road for Sycuan Casino Resort and the next stop on the Ante Up Poker Tour! In Call the Floor, Elliott Schecter tackles a dealer mistake that exposed the river card before betting was complete. Both players agreed to let the card stand, but was that the right ruling? For...

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, we’re getting ready for our trip to Sycuan Casino in San Diego and talking about our very first online Meet-Up Game on ClubGG through Bluffers! Plus, Joe finally makes it back to his regular home game. As mentioned, here’s the link for more information about the WPF Ladies Weekend: https://WPFladiesweekendUSA.org In Call the Floor, we tackle a situation where a player discusses folded cards while a hand is still in progress. Should the dealer step in, or i...

We’re back home after another great stop at Rivers Schenectady! In Table Talk, we recap the end of the Electric City Series, some memorable moments from the trip, what’s happening in the poker world, and look ahead to San Diego and the So-Cal Classic at Sycuan. On Call the Floor, a tournament changes its published structure while play is already underway. How much freedom should tournament management have to make adjustments once the cards are in the air? Then, the Hand of the Week takes us in...

We’re at Rivers Casino in Schenectady, where several Ante Up Poker Tour events have wrapped up and Main Event weekend is here. In Table Talk, we catch up on the series, time with the A-Team, and a few adventures away from the tables. In Call the Floor, a player puts out extra chips intending to call and make change—but the dealer announces a raise. Hand of the Week puts pocket aces to the test against a flop check-raise and big bets on later streets. And in Joe’s One Outer, Joe reflects on the ...

We’re on the road again! This week we’re getting ready to head to Schenectady and Rivers Casino, where we hope to see plenty of the A-Team for our MUG on Sunday and a full slate of events that include the Mini Main, Main Event, Rivers Revival and more. We also have a big update on the Ante Up Championship in Las Vegas, plus some poker news from around the game. On Call the Floor, we tackle a situation involving a player with a history of saying things like “you got it” without actually folding....

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, we start Table Talk on a more serious note with condolences to the Hellmuth family and a moment of remembrance for September 11. We also recap the latest Patreon game, look around the poker world, and get ready to hit the road for Schenectady. On Call the Floor, Elliott tackles a rapid-fire batch of home-game situations, from exposed cards and unclear all-ins to hidden chips, misunderstood bets, premature turn cards, and the odd chip in a chopped pot. Th...

This week, Ben joins us from Wisconsin for Table Talk as we hear about his road-trip adventures, talk Good Karma seats, and officially welcome bestbet as the new Studio Sponsor of the Ante Up Poker Podcast. We also look ahead to our January stop at bestbet Jacksonville, Blizzard on the Beach! Then, in Call the Floor, a player adds on during a hand, but the chips haven’t reached the table yet. Does the money play? In the Hand of the Week, we head Down Under for some PLO and find out just how unc...

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, we’re looking ahead to the Electric City Poker Series at Rivers Schenectady, talking about some of the unique events on the schedule, Ante Up plans for the stop, and even getting into the great dealer debate: slide or pitch? Then, Elliott joins me for a Call the Floor involving a player tipping a cocktail waitress, a dealer who moves the action along a little too quickly, and a community card that hits the felt before everyone has acted. What’s the proper...

The Alaska poker cruise is in the books! Elle and I look back at the poker, the ports, and some of the lessons we learned about how we want to do future Ante Up cruises. Then Call the Floor gets a first. Elliott and I record the segment together in person, with the ocean behind us, as we tackle who is actually responsible for showing their cards when the river checks through. If you want to see that view, and the rest of this week’s episode, the video version will be released on YouTube in a fe...

We’re coming to you from Alaska! Ship wifi couldn’t handle the upload and it is hard to come by in Alaska, but we found it and we have another episode for you this week. We talk about life aboard the Ante Up Poker Cruise, catching up with the A-Team, a little San Francisco fun, and some poker news we missed while at sea. Then, Call the Floor tackles a showdown that goes wrong and gets even messier when the next hand starts. In Hand of the Week, it’s my least favorite hand, and we’ll see if we ca...

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, Joe and Elle break down the WSOP Main Event finale, celebrate the new World Champion, talk about the class shown heads-up, and get ready to set sail for Alaska! Here is the AI article that was referenced. Then, Call the Floor tackles a tournament situation you almost have to hear to believe, and HOTW features a big draw, an aggressive opponent, and a decision that turns into an even tougher one on the river. Finally, Joe’s One Outer looks at the criticism ...

Elle is on location in Jacksonville for the Ladies International Poker Series at bestbet, and we get her first impressions of the room, the familiar faces she’s already run into, and the rest of the weekend slate. Back home, we recap a wild night of Omaha Hi/Lo in the Patreon game, where Mortis finally broke through for his first win of the season. USC collected the ChicagoJoe bounty, and Ben landed on the points bubble, which means a certain side bet is still very much alive. Then we look ahea...

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, we sit down for Table Talk with Joe Mackin of Sycuan Casino Resort, three years running as Southern California’s Best Poker Room. We talk San Diego vibes, and the upcoming Ante Up Poker Tour Stop in conjunction with the SoCal Classic. On Call the Floor, a bettor pushes chips and announces “one hundred” at the same time, but the stack comes up short. Was the floor right to lock him in at $85, or should verbal govern? Our Hand of the Week breaks down a $1/$3...

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, the WSOP Main Event final table is locked and the “August Nine” are set to battle for $10 million and the bracelet at Paris Las Vegas. In Table Talk, we introduce some of the players, and the notable names who fell just short. Plus the mid-tournament shot-clock bombshell that had players fuming, the chilling story of a pro robbed after cashing, a record-breaking series, a downtown poker room makeover, and where the Ante Up Tour heads next. In Call the Flo...

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Jasmine Klapperich to discuss an important study focused on the health and wellness of poker dealers, why the research matters, and how the poker community can help. We also catch up on the latest from the WSOP Main Event and preview an upcoming LIPS Championship. In Call the Floor, a player tables what appears to be the winning hand… until a dealer mistake creates a controversial ruling. Patrick breaks down a tricky Hand of the Week ...

Joe and Elle are back from an incredible week of poker cruisin’, and they’re sharing stories from the trip, why Poker Player Cruises has them even more excited for Alaska in August, and a few unforgettable moments both on and off the ship. They also preview our upcoming Ante Up Poker Tour stop at Sycuan Casino Resort, recap the latest World Series of Poker news, and announce the upcoming Patreon game schedule. In Call the Floor, Elliott settles a debate from a home game tournament involving an ...

Joe and Elle are cruising this week, but the show rolls on with a full slate of poker discussion. In Call the Floor, Elliott tackles a tournament director’s nightmare after one table mistakenly receives significantly larger starting stacks than the rest of the field. When the error is discovered several levels later, the floor implements a controversial strategy. Was it the right decision, and are there established rules for handling a situation like this? In this week’s Hand of the Week, Joe a...

From the poker room to the poker cruise, we’ve got a packed episode this week. On Table Talk, Joe and Elle discuss Sycuan Casino being named Southern California’s Best Poker Room for the third straight year, the new permanent World Series of Poker retail store, Calvin Anderson making history with his second $10,000 Razz Championship, and the arrival of Buc-ee’s in Arizona. Plus, we give a well-deserved shoutout to Ante Up Magazine contributor Jasmine Klapperich for earning her PhD and helping p...

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, Joe and Elle discuss Kristen Foxen capturing her sixth WSOP bracelet and whether it’s finally time to stop labeling her as the best female player and recognize her as one of the best tournament players in poker. They also look at Mike Holtz’s second bracelet, a bizarre WSOP hand where an accidental verbal call turned J-3 into a tournament-saving straight, and the latest promotions from Bluffers, including a chance to win a WSOP Main Event package starting ...

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, we kick things off on Table Talk by recapping another fun Patreon game. Patrick finally broke through for his first victory, collected the double prize pool, and now we all have to suffer through at least a month of victory laps. We also discuss some of the dealer mistakes that have made headlines early at the WSOP, the challenges dealers face during long series, Maria Ho’s exciting family news, and even the earthquake that rattled Las Vegas and surroundin...

The WSOP is underway, but based on the headlines, maybe it should be called the World Series of Babies. This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, Joe and Elle dive into the latest WSOP stories, including Daniel Negreanu and Adam Hendrix both preparing for fatherhood, the first bracelet winner of the summer, and what the massive Caesars/Fertitta deal could mean for poker players going forward. In Call the Floor, Elliott Schecter weighs in on a controversial tournament ruling. Can a dealer declare ...

This episode of the Ante Up Poker Podcast is packed with debates, drama, and tough decisions from the poker table to real life. Elle and I kick things off in Table Talk with the controversy surrounding the new WSOP patch approval rules and what it means for sponsorships, branding, and player freedom in poker. We also dive into Formula One locking in Las Vegas through 2037 and how Vegas continues evolving from gambling destination into a full-blown sports and entertainment powerhouse. Plus, ther...

This week, Joe and Elle kick things off around the table talking about the latest from the poker world, including the reopening of The Lodge Card Club, the debate around WSOP dealer ratings and a really interesting new social gaming concept from Daniel Weinman called Showdown Social. They also dive into the incredible community being built over at Bluffers Poker and remind listeners that cabins are almost gone for the Alaskan Poker Cruise. Plus, there’s plenty of “Bet on Better” talk with upcomi...

This week on the Ante Up Poker Podcast, Joe and Elle pull up a chair with poker media veteran Eric Morris for an extended Table Talk that goes way beyond the usual headlines. Eric shares stories from the golden era of poker media, Bluff Magazine, how his partnership with Mike Leah came together, and Ante Up/Bluffers satellite path to the Alaska Cruise this August. In Call the Floor, Elliott tackles a messy double-board bomb pot situation Is “Pot” even a legal declaration in no-limit hold’em? F...