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Star Point

Star Point is a podcast all about the game of Go (aka baduk or weiqi)! When you're away from the board, you can listen to Star Point for weekly discussions about how to improve, personal anecdotes, and general appreciation for the beauty of the game. Hosted and produced by Justin Oh.
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Episodes

94 (Season 2 Finale): My Fiancée’s Thoughts on Go w/ Kim

Season 3 of Star Point will return September 15, 2025! I have mentioned my Go-supportive fiancée a few times on this show and I’m excited to finally have her on as a guest! Kim gives her very interesting thoughts about the game from a beginner’s perspective. I hope you all find this episode as fun and interesting as I did! Join the Discord ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store...

Jul 14, 20251 hr 8 min

93: Seeds & Roots Lecture

This is not your typical Go lecture. It’s a whole new way to view the game and enter the world of 19x19 with the right frame of mind. We’ll go over how to know when you’re ready to advance from the 9x9 and from then on I’ll share with you an analogy that I’ve been cooking up that may help you get a leg up on the competition as you enter the beautiful full-sized game. Shape Up! eBook How to Start Playing Go on 19x19 - Star Point Video Join the Discord ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store...

Jul 07, 202542 min

92: I ranked up!

I finally made it to 2 dan on Fox! Here’s everything I did to get past my (very) long plateau, including the BIG question: the super important question you should be asking yourself every single game. Join the Discord ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

Jun 30, 20251 hr 9 minSeason 2Ep. 92

91: Starting a Club, Engaging Newbies w/ Wyatt

Wyatt is a listener of the show and we had a fantastic conversation about Go covering topics like why he took 15 years to play over-the-board, what it takes to start your own Go club, and Go’s similarities to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Go Magic Tenuki Video ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

Jun 23, 20251 hr 27 minSeason 2Ep. 91

90: What You Should Know Before Playing on Fox

What does the Fox say? Star Point listeners should be well aware that my server of choice for live games is Fox Weiqi (or just Fox). This server has some interesting quirks that might surprise or confuse those of you coming from OGS. Not to worry! We’ll go over it all in this episode from strange scores to unorthodox play styles. Download Fox ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store...

Jun 16, 20251 hr 6 minSeason 2Ep. 90

89: Answers from Dan Players

I asked, you answered! Thank you so much to Isaiah, Dalan, Seventus, & Sadaharu for your amazing answers to so many of my kyu questions! Simple Baduk Video Golden Group ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

Jun 09, 20251 hr 29 minSeason 2Ep. 89

88: The Match (2025) - Movie Review

A long-winded discussion of the long-awaited Go movie, The Match (승부). Starring Lee Byung-hun as Cho Hun-hyun and Yoo Ah-in as Lee Chang-ho, The Match is a biopic of one of the most legendary student-teacher duos in Korean Go. The beginning of the episode is spoiler-free, but go watch the movie first if you haven’t already! ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store...

Jun 02, 20251 hr 2 min

87: Questions for Dan Players

If I could have an unlimited Q&A session with a dan player (without them getting annoyed at me), what would I ask? If somebody asked me the same questions, what would I say? ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

May 26, 202558 min

86: How to Do a Game Autopsy and Analyze AI DNA

Reviewing games: Everyone says it’s important but it’s so easy to get sidetracked! Here’s how I’ve been doing punchy game reviews in a pinch. Plus, how to interpret AI graph patterns to really get to the meat of what it’s trying to tell you. ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

May 19, 202556 minSeason 2Ep. 86

85: Black Box Thinking

I recently read Black Box Thinking: Why Most People Never Learn From Their Mistakes—But Some Do , by Matthew Syed and harvested all the Go-related nuggets of knowledge just for all you Star Point listeners! Thank you so much for listening and supporting the show :) Pokémon Go Board Clip (Full Episode) The Devil’s Plan Season 2 Trailer w/ Lee Sedol Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store...

May 12, 202553 minSeason 2Ep. 85

84: Should you give up on Go?

Some of us have a rough time getting into Go. There’s something about this game that attracts us, but it can be really discouraging at times. Is this game just not for everyone? What does it take? At some point, do you keep trying to tape Jell-O to a tree or is it time to throw in the towel? ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

May 05, 202555 minSeason 2Ep. 84

83: Blunders, Treating Each Rank Equally, Cho Hun-hyun’s Thoughts on The Match

This one kicks off with a casual update of my Go life including some musings about proverbs and removing “rank bias.” Then I read a translated article featuring the legendary Cho Hun-hyun who gave his thoughts on new Korean Go film, The Match . Cho Hun-hyun Article (Korean) ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store...

Apr 28, 202545 minSeason 2Ep. 83

82: Study Plan Workshop

I see you. Go “player.” Do you even play? Do you even study? It’s time to get serious and finally make some progress! Good study habits make good Go players, so listen up and make a study plan with me! Polyominoes Video ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

Apr 21, 20251 hr 6 minSeason 2Ep. 82

81: The Four Houses of Go

In the Edo period of Japan, there were four houses of Go. They were… the Four Houses of Go. And there were four of them. And they were houses. And they were of Go. Come on in for a short history lesson! Kendall’s Pro Game Memorization App ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

Apr 14, 202535 minSeason 2Ep. 81

80: Go-Adjacent Board Games

Let’s look at how modern board games reflect our beloved game of Go. From Carcassonne to Ticket to Ride , you can find Go-like elements hiding in plain sight at your local game store! Also... Lee Sedol designs board games now?? Games mentioned in this episode: Carcassonne Hive Blokus Onitama Risk Hex Ticket to Ride Tak Yinsh Stratego Othello King's Crown Great Kingdom Nine Knights ⁠Dice Tower Video⁠ ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store...

Apr 07, 20251 hr 4 minSeason 2Ep. 80

79: The Holistic View of Improvement

I am always chasing the secret formula for Go improvement. But what if it’s not a singular magic bullet? What if it’s a collection of habits that eventually come together to synergize into an overall understanding of the game? ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

Mar 31, 202555 min

78: Empty Triangle Math

Why is the empty triangle bad? Go is a game rich with mathematical and geometric ideas. Let’s do some light math and counting to see what we can find out about shape efficiency! Plus, a new analogy to introduce the game to friends who aren’t sold on the usual war comparisons. ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

Mar 24, 202547 minSeason 2Ep. 78

77: Escaping Learned Helplessness in the AI Era

Let’s talk about some unsettling experiments conducted during the 60s and 70s that revealed how limitations can be internalized and learned. Can we unlearn our limitations in Go and break through our ruts? Plus, some bonus futurology ramblings inspired by the AlphaGo documentary. All Things Go Podcast: The Surrounding Game Interview ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store...

Mar 17, 202540 minSeason 2Ep. 77

76: Magnus Carlsen talks Go, 1st Nanyang Cup, Cheating, The Stone (2013)

Lots of happenings in the Go world recently! A world chess champion talks Go, an inaugural world major tournament in Singapore, and a spicy cheating incident. Korean Search Terms: 바둑 - Baduk 조훈현 - Cho Hunhyun Links: Vadim’s Travel Vlog Shin Jinseo Drinks from the Merlion Go Set for the Visually Impaired The Stone (Full Movie) 1984 Cho Hunhyun Game — ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store...

Mar 10, 202546 minSeason 2Ep. 76

75: The Match (승부) Trailer, Feeding Your Passion, Listener Go Variants

FINALLY. The Match (승부) will see the light of day! I’m so hyped. I do a full recap of the long road that this baduk film has traveled to get here, adding a brief thought on feeding your passion for Go. I also had lots of fun reading about all your Go variants! The Match Trailer (Eng Sub) Cards Go Quantum Go Video Tutorial Quantum Go Rules --- ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store...

Mar 03, 202547 minSeason 2Ep. 75

74: Have I lost my respect for Go?

I start with a rant about why I prefer the old way of broadcasting professional games. Then, I explore what it really means to show respect for our beloved game and why respect is such an important theme in Go. ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

Feb 24, 202540 minSeason 2Ep. 74

73: Rating Go Variants!

Go with no vision and Go on a cube, Ever play Toroidal Go on a tube? ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

Feb 17, 202553 min

72: My Go Equipment

You might be thinking, how could anyone possibly talk for a whole podcast episode about their Go equipment? You underestimate my ability to ramble about Go topics. Here’s a rundown of all the Go equipment I collected over the years. Yellow Mountain Imports store.baduk.club Camille Lévêque (aka Stoned on the Goban) -Amazon Affiliate Links- Go Stone Bowl Bag: https://amzn.to/3CBiEKU Frixion Erasable Pens: https://amzn.to/4goBH99 Shin Kaya YMI Go Board: https://amzn.to/4aKpCtE --- ⁠Support Star Poi...

Feb 10, 202547 minSeason 2Ep. 72

71: Lidgate - The LG Cup Rules Controversy

Prisoner stone placed on the table instead of lid. Chaos ensues. Let's talk about all the hubbub from the LG Cup finals between Ke Jie and Byun Sang-il. What happened? What could have been done better? The Star Point Store Support Star Point <3

Feb 03, 202557 minSeason 2Ep. 71

70: Sean & Tin play Blind Go!

Sean and Tin are back! This time, they square off in a game of blind Go, embodying the spirit of true "Go fans away from the board." We also share our thoughts on a recent r/baduk post from someone who loves Go but finds actually playing it to be a chore. ⁠Support Star Point⁠ The Star Point Store

Jan 27, 202558 minSeason 2Ep. 70

69: What Go Teaches You About Life

What does learning Go teach you outside of the four corners of the board? Listen to my ramblings about how Go helps you think creatively, set priorities, and even build character, all while diving into its rich history and cultural roots. Support Star Point

Jan 20, 202534 min

68: Evolution of Greed & Scorched Earth Go

Go punishes greed better than any game I know. Because it also punishes advanced greed :0 In this episode, I talk about my "Scorched Earth Go" tendencies and why it is a setup for failure.

Jan 13, 202530 minSeason 2Ep. 68

67: How to FEEL Like a Pro

Why do some pro moves seem so alien to us amateurs? Listen to what Eric Lee (not the top US Amateur) has to say about how to improve our intuition. Thank you again to Eric Lee for your insightful email! Eric's Pro Study Example Materials: Download SGF Yoon 8p's review --- Support Star Point...

Jan 06, 202553 min

66: Reacting to Myself from 2023, End-of-year Review

It's time to react to a message I left for myself last year! Also, this is the last episode of 2024. I'll be taking a 2-week break so I'll see y'all Jan 6, 2025. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season. Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year! @maximelesage399, this is the pro game memorization app, it's called ScribeGo: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/scribego/id6476177124

Dec 16, 202459 min

65: Correspondence Go

Correspondence Go is how you “keep playing Go”... no excuses! I love correspondence Go for allowing me to stay connected to Go even when my life gets a little busy. But it’s far from perfect. Enjoy the ramblings of all my love and hate for this peculiar time control of Go. Support Star Point

Dec 09, 202441 minSeason 2Ep. 65
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