Today’s guest is an absolute legend of the online game, Jon “apestyles” Van Fleet. Jon is currently #4 in lifetime online poker MTT tournament winnings with a cool $15.8 million … with a $5 million+ of that coming from a ridiculous 2 month venture playing $25k MTT’s on GGPoker last November and December (Which you are moments away from hearing all about). And not only has Jon been crushing tournaments for almost 2 decades, he is also as generous as they come when it comes to helping other folks ...
Feb 11, 2020•2 hr 3 min
My guest today is the always incredible Kristy Arnett. Kristy has been in the poker industry for the past 15 years, starting off working as a reporter for Card Player magazine and then PokerNews. Then, in 2014, she decided to take the leap and began to play cards professionally. For a lot of folks, this could have ended in absolute disaster … but Kristy is not a human being you want to bet against. She has the unique combination of other-worldly grittiness, humility, and confidence that pretty m...
Feb 07, 2020•1 hr 13 min
Ryan has been a POKER BATTLER since he was a mere 18 year old in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta Canada. Always willing to mix it up, Ryan is the rare breed of poker player who is willing to sit down and play any variation of poker under the sun. For the first handful of years in his poker career, Ryan was a full-time live pro who never really caught the online bug. That all changed practically overnight when Ryan decided to jump head first into the Twitch streets because of a challenge from on...
Feb 04, 2020•1 hr 17 min
Today I am going to be speaking with one of poker’s superstars. Anyone with even a passing interest in poker during the last 20 years will certainly know who he is. My guest today is the one and only “poker brat” himself, Mr Phil Helmuth. Phil’s list of accomplishments and accolades in Poker is so long that it’s difficult to put it all together without missing something. To name just some of the things that have made him one of the best poker players to ever take a seat at the table: - He is a m...
Jan 31, 2020•1 hr 10 min
Today my guest is the one and only Aleeyah Jadavji. Aleeyah is a WSOP writer, live reporter, poker player, winner of the PokerStars $30k Platinum Pass, and all-around badass. Before we hop into Aleeyah and I’s conversation, I want to be upfront in that this was the most nervous I have ever been before any interview I have ever done. In these CPG intros I talk a lot about career winnings in the millions of dollars, awards won, and going to war playing massive stakes, but all of that pales in comp...
Jan 28, 2020•1 hr 23 min
Today I’m going to be speaking with Team PartyPoker online Pro and MTT specialist the DramaticDegen himself, Travis Darroch. Travis is yet another shining example of “making it” in the modern poker world through hard work and a genuine love for the game. He grew up with a love for film and aspirations of making it in the entertainment business but, ultimately, that ended up not working out. The entertainment industry’s loss was poker’s gain when Travis learned about a little niche called “stream...
Jan 24, 2020•1 hr 35 min
Today I’m going to be speaking with renowned high-stakes online cash game crusher and coach, Nick Howard. Nick has been one of the prominent coaches in the poker world for going on 10 years now. He was once one of the most sought after coaches at Run It Once and has since moved on to form his own private coaching and staking company, Poker Detox. After experiencing extreme suffering and considering giving up the game forever, Nick surrendered to a larger purpose and made it his life’s mission to...
Jan 21, 2020•1 hr 50 min
Today I have the opportunity to speak with a true poker pioneer and insider. Having worked for about 15 years within the top levels of one of the largest poker sites in the world, you are about to enjoy a bounty of amazing stories about the good ole days of PokerStars. My guest today is author, professional cardplayer, and former PokerStars cardroom manager and head of communications, Lee Jones. Lee’s initial involvement in the industry started with a very young PokerStars in 2003 when he was as...
Jan 17, 2020•1 hr 17 min
My guest today is, indisputably, one of the greatest players to ever sit down at a poker table. He came onto the scene like a hurricane and swept away anyone and everyone in his path to being the number one ranked poker player in the world And then, equally as abruptly, decided to call it a day and retire. All before the age of 26. Today I am joined by Fedor Holz. Fedor, originally from Germany, has absolutely dominated both live and online poker tournaments during his career. He’s earned more t...
Jan 14, 2020•1 hr 17 min
My guest today has had a tremendous influence on the game of poker both online and off through his perspectives on game strategy, coaching techniques, mental health, and more. My conversation today is with pro poker player, coach, and author, Tommy Angelo. Tommy has been playing poker professionally since the mid 80’s, preferring to play almost exclusively in live cash games. Having already accrued more than a decade of pro poker experience when most people were just beginning to discover and pl...
Jan 10, 2020•1 hr 28 min
Today’s guest is Canadian online tournament specialist and prolific Twitch streamer (And Big Brother Canada participant), Arlie Shaban. For Arlie, poker and streaming are inseparable. He’s made a name for himself not just because of his poker ability, but also because of his relentless pursuit to be one of the biggest and best poker streamers on Twitch. Without a doubt he is one of the hardest working human beings in the game today. In a tale as old as time Arlie quit his job, decided to play po...
Jan 07, 2020•1 hr 32 min
My conversation today is with tournament wizard and WSOP bracelet winner Ryan LaPlante. Ryan is GTO expert who battles in the live and online streets of no limit hold ‘em and PLO. On the WSOP circuit alone, he’s recorded 69 in-the-money finishes and collected winnings worth more than $1.2 million. His most recent cash was at the Poker Masters tournament where he took first place and the first prize of $186,000. All together, he’s amassed more than $2.4 million in winnings at live tournaments. He...
Jan 03, 2020•1 hr 43 min
Matt is the Executive Tour Director for the World Poker Tour (WPT) and holds the record for officiating over the most episodes of televised poker, with more than 400 under his belt. He has overseen some of the biggest tournaments that poker has to offer, including the World Series Of Poker from 2002 to 2004, and too many WPTs to count. He also currently serves as tournament director for several well-known casinos and card rooms including my old stomping grounds the Commerce Casino, Bay 101, and ...
Dec 20, 2019•1 hr 28 min
Today I’m going to be speaking with GPA Poker Journalist of the Year, interviewer, deep thinker, storyteller, and all-around amazing human being, Sarah Herring. Sarah has been writing for PokerNews since 2011 and is one of the most visible editor/writers to appear in the publication. She has interviewed pretty much every single elite poker player on the planet, has a ridiculously long list of published articles, and is also the co-host for the PokerNews podcast. Sarah and I’s conversation is wid...
Dec 17, 2019•1 hr 17 min
At only 28 years old, Matt Vaughan has been playing poker for more than 10 years. He started off like many players, at the microstakes online and as he moved up stakes he realized he could support himself playing poker and quit his 9 to 5 job at a medical software company. Not long after, he created his vlog on YouTube and, close to 15 thousand subscribers later, the rest is history. Starting off with a off-beat video about a cat, his channel has grown into a wealth of poker information mostly t...
Dec 13, 2019•1 hr 21 min
Today I’m going to be speaking with someone who just might be the happiest and most optimistic guest I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with on the show so far, Mr. Sky Matsuhashi. For many of you, Sky probably needs no introduction. Although he doesn’t classify himself as a professional poker player, Sky has been involved with the game in one way or another for about the last 16 years as a player, coach, author, and prolific content creator. Sky’s career in the world of poker began when he decid...
Dec 10, 2019•1 hr 30 min
In this episode, I’m going to be speaking with one of the hardest working human beings to ever step into the world of poker, Jennifer Shahade. Jennifer has a list of credits, accomplishments, and accolades that most people could only dream of achieving and she doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to stopping anytime soon. Before poker, she first showed her impressive talent for strategic games in the world of chess. She became a National Master at the age of 16 and was the first female to win the...
Dec 06, 2019•1 hr 26 min
Barry has written for both online and print magazines as well as having had a hand in writing and publishing the most successful poker book ever written, The Mental Game of Poker (Which, coincidentally, is the most often suggested reading material by my “Chasing Poker Greatness” guests). In addition to “The Mental Game of Poker”, Barry has also co-authored The Mental Game Of Poker 2 with Jared Tendler and "Poker Satellite Strategy" with Dara O’ Kearney. On the media side, Barry has written and c...
Dec 03, 2019•1 hr 25 min
My guest today is mental game expert and hypnotherapist Elliot Roe. Elliot is the master of helping folks: - Identify and extinguish their fears on the green felt - Clear and focus their minds - Remove their own mental roadblocks - And achieve their goals … regardless of how audacious they may be. Elliot has worked one on one with more than 200 individual poker players including: Future Chasing Poker Greatness guest Fedor Holz - former #1 ranked player with more than $32 million in winnings Form...
Nov 26, 2019•1 hr 21 min
As well as being a successful comedian, my guest today is known as one of the most popular and entertaining poker commentators to ever pick up a mic. Joe Stapleton, known to most as “Stapes”, has been an active poker commentator for over a decade. Gaining immediate acceptance in the poker industry, Joe received a reader’s choice award from Bluff magazine during his very first year on the job. Since then, he has served as commentator and host on many of the industry’s most successful television s...
Nov 26, 2019•1 hr 37 min
Today on Chasing Poker Greatness I'm going to be conversing with PartyPoker Team Online pro and Twitch streamer extraordinaire, Jeff Gross. Jeff’s been playing poker online and live for about 15 years and boasts a very impressive a very impressive resume with over $4 million in tournament winnings. At the time of recording, Pocket Fives poker database ranks Jeff at number 104 worldwide. Their numbers, of course, confirm his impressive earnings on the online streets with: - $949,000 at PokerStars...
Nov 22, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Welcome back to the Chasing Poker Greatness podcast. This is your host, Brad Wilson, and today I’m sitting down for a conversation with Twitch superstar and mid-stakes tournament grinder Matty Staples. Spending nearly all of his time playing in online tournaments, Matt is currently a member of Team PartyPoker. By his own estimation, about 99.9% of his tournament poker career has been streamed live online as he’s played. Matt generally streams mid-stakes but has been known to test his skills in e...
Nov 19, 2019•1 hr 9 min
Today’s guest is live cash game crusher, online personality, and my good friend DGAF. DGAF is one of the best professional live cash poker players in the world. He’s been playing poker as a pro since 2007 (and saying he’s going to quit since about 2012). He’s a personal friend; someone I’ve had the pleasure and the honor of playing the game with, and against, during my own poker career. We talk about what got him started with poker, how he became a professional player and his thoughts on eventua...
Nov 15, 2019•1 hr 7 min
in today’s episode, I have the pleasure of sitting down for a talk with an all-time poker legend and future hall of famer, Dan “Jungelman” Cates. As poker’s version of Alexander the Great, Jungleman has conquered pretty much all there is to conquer in the poker world at the ripe old age of 29. At 21 years old he accepted the “Durrr” challenge and blistered Mr. Dwan so badly that the challenge still hasn’t been completed 9 years later (He's now slated to face off against Phil Galfond in the Phil ...
Nov 12, 2019•52 min
Today I’m speaking with the 2007 WPT player of the year Jonathan Little. Jonathan is a 2 time WPT tournament champion with more than $6.8 million in tournament wins. He’s also published 14 of the most high impact poker strategy books on the market … with number 15 and 16 hitting shelves in the near future. And not only is Jonathan a tournament crusher extraordinaire, as the founder of pokercoaching.com he’s also a world-class coach who creates all kinds of amazing strategic content across all ma...
Nov 08, 2019•1 hr 26 min
Today you’re going to hear from Shaundle Pruitt. Shaundle is an accomplished tournament player, streamer, and—as you might not expect—real estate agent. He comes from a strong gamer background as a man who, surprise surprise, fell in love with strategy games at a young age. Infatuated by the added element of luck in poker, he found success at micro stakes cash games online before turning his attention and energy to online tournies. Shaundle had built up his bankroll to the point where he felt co...
Nov 05, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Maurice currently holds the record for both earnings and titles on the World Series Of Poker Circuit. He has earned more than $1.7 million on the WSOP circuit and is the proud owner of an astonishing 13 gold rings (Now 14!), including 4 from main events. He made his first tournament cash back in 2005 and has since managed to reach 86 final tables, raking in lifetime wins worth more than three and a half million dollars in the process. He exudes confidence and has every reason to do so. As our co...
Nov 01, 2019•46 min
Today I’m going to be talking with co-founder, publisher, and business operations manager of Ante Up Magazine, Scott Long. Ante Up is the most widely distributed poker magazine in the United States and has managed to survive where so many other prominent poker magazines have failed. Scott and his partner, Chris, worked together at the St. Petersburg Times, which was Florida’s largest newspaper publication. In 2008, when they were told a project they were both passionate about wasn’t going to get...
Oct 29, 2019•1 hr 17 min
Today I have the pleasure of sitting with the co-host of JustHandsPoker Jack Laskey. At 25 years old, it’s safe to say he’s one of the most experienced young players currently in the game and speaks with a wisdom well beyond his years. He’s enjoyed success in the online and live poker world since turning 18 in 2012, although his career and love for the game go back quite a bit before then … like, it started when we was 12 years old … TWELVE! Jack is currently a mid-stakes live cash game speciali...
Oct 25, 2019•1 hr 44 min
Today’s guest on Chasing Poker Greatness is Lyle Bateman. For those who aren’t familiar with his name, Lyle is a contributing editor at PokerNews Canada. He began writing for the magazine after he was discovered by then Chief Editor Lane Anderson. Lane saw a blog post that Lyle had written, which he’ll tell you about during our conversation, and asked him if he’d be interested in writing something for PokerNews. The rest, as they say, is history. Full showpage here: https://chasingpokergreatness...
Oct 17, 2019•56 min
