Ante Up Poker Magazine

It’s Halloween weekend, and we’ve got plenty to talk about on this week’s Ante Up Poker Podcast! In Table Talk, Joe and Elle recap their trip to Sycuan Casino Resort, celebrate our first-ever Patreon three-peat champion, and discuss some big stories making poker headlines, including a record-breaking online tournament.

In Call the Floor, a player announces a raise but puts out too few chips. The dealer rules it a call, but did the floor get it right? In Hand of the Week, we look at a flopped nut straight that turns into a nightmare on the river. Could the hand have been played differently? Finally, in Joe’s One Outer, we get into the Halloween spirit with a reminder that sometimes the scariest part of trying something new is taking that first step.

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We’re coming to you from beautiful Sycuan Casino Resort in San Diego, where the SoCal Classic is off to a fantastic start! In Table Talk, we recap our experiences at Sycuan, and highlight some exciting poker action.

In Call the Floor, Elliott tackles a controversial ruling involving a four-card flop and explains why the extra card isn’t just removed. In Hand of the Week, Patrick and I break down a tournament hand featuring a massive draw, a missed river, and a tough decision with the money bubble approaching.

Finally, in Joe’s One Outer, we discuss why how you conduct yourself at the poker table matters more than you might realize. You never know who’s watching!

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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 Hand of the Week, Joe and Patrick break down a tournament hand featuring pocket kings on an ace-high, all-diamond flop. With an aggressive opponent firing on every street, how much should the possibility of re-entry influence your decisions?

Finally, in Joe’s One Outer, an incredible freeroll-to-WPT-champion story inspires a reminder that you don’t always need the biggest stack or the most resources to succeed. Sometimes what you already have is enough.

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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 is it the player’s responsibility to call the floor?

In Hand of the Week, Joe and Patrick break down a tournament hand featuring pocket fours, an aggressive big stack, and some tough decisions that put tournament survival on the line.

Finally, in Joe’s One Outer, we talk about why poker is about so much more than winning pots and collecting trophies. Sometimes, the best part of the game is the people sitting around the table.

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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 into a $4/$8 Seven-Card Stud game where split aces turn into a monster hand, but three exposed kings create some very uncomfortable decisions.

Finally, in Joe’s One Outer, Joe and Elle’s anniversary leads to a reminder from both poker and life. Sometimes it isn’t the huge pots or big moments that matter most. It’s all the little ones we stack along the way.

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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 familiar faces that make a poker stop feel like a reunion.

Below is the link to the song from Mike Russman.

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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 time, the other player starts to muck his hand before the dealer steps in and stops him. Did the dealer do the right thing? Did the floor get the ruling right? And at what point does behavior like this stop being a gray area and start becoming an angle that deserves bigger consequences?

Then, in the Hand of the Week, we look at a $1/$3 cash game hand where we flop top pair and immediately runs into resistance. There are some big bets and several value hands get there. Is top pair strong enough to bluff-catch?

Finally, in Joe’s One Outer, I take a look at the bad beats we love to remember, and the ones we may have helped create ourselves. Sometimes the river really is brutal. However, sometimes the decision that put us in trouble happened before that final card hit the felt.

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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.

Then on Hand of the Week, suited connectors get caught in a multiway $1/$3 pot that turns into a decision-making roller coaster. Every street presents a new puzzle, leading to a river play that can only be described as a confusion bet.

Finally, in Joe’s One Outer, a birthday brings a little reflection on lessons learned from poker, business, and life, including why good decisions matter more than short-term results, why relationships are equity, and why sometimes we need to remember to just enjoy the table.

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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 uncomfortable even a monster hand can become when you’re out of position.

Finally, in Joe’s One Outer, poker players become boulders in an avalanche, getting bumped, bruised and reshaped by every bad beat, downswing and tough decision along the way.

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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 ruling?

In the Hand of the Week, KQ suited gets involved in a big multiway pot that turns into one of those uncomfortable spots where the math may be telling you one thing while the action is screaming something else.

And in Joe’s One Outer, sometimes the best people to have in your corner aren’t the ones who always tell you that you played great—they’re the ones willing to tell you when you played it badly.

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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 few days.

The Hand of the Week is a little different this time. It’s more of a situation involving a home tournament, a married couple, a questionable poker look and an all-in that apparently wasn’t supposed to be an all-in.

Finally, Joe’s One Outer looks at the part of a long poker trip we rarely plan for, the recovery day after you finally get home.

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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 can finally pull out a win with it. Finally, Joe’s One Outer is about knowing when to take a chance, bet on yourself, and push the chips all-in.

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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 that follows every World Champion and why poker was never about playing perfectly—it’s about being ready when your opportunity comes.

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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 ahead to the WSOP Main Event final table starting Monday with 22-year-old chip leader Lucas Jumalon leading the final nine, and why Advanced Poker Training’s million-hand simulation is picking Greg Mueller. Plus, Doug Polk steps back from The Lodge, and we run through this year’s Hall of Fame finalists.

Call the Floor: A $1/$2 game at the Golden Nugget where one player silently slides out $15 while the next player simultaneously announces $20. The dealer freezes, the table starts offering opinions, and nobody calls the floor.

Hand of the Week: $2/$5, everyone $800 deep, and our listener has pocket nines. We break down the hand not the player. Did we play it better?

Joe’s One Outer: Nobody gets buried under bad options, you get buried under good ones. Game selection is a life skill, why saying yes to eleven worthy things leaves you with eleven mediocre ones. Pick your table, then play it with all you’ve got.

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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 spot with AQ suited, then I close with a One Outer on protecting your blinds, and why folding isn’t flinching.

See you at the tables, A-Team.

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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 Floor, a first-time WSOP player, a ticking clock before the break, and a bathroom line that changes everything. One quick fold sparks a rules debate that has us asking: is this really worthy of a penalty? You make the call.

For Hand of the Week, it’s $2/$4 Seven-Card Stud. Split aces look great off the deal, but one very scary board and a tricky opponent turn every street into a genuine decision. When your big pair is never the nuts, do you have the discipline to make the call that matters?

And Joe wraps it up with a One Outer on aces, bad flops, and learning to be okay with the next best thing.

We’ll see you at the tables!

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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 involving a flopped monster, a dangerous board, and a decision that sparks plenty of debate.

Then Joe closes the show with a One Outer about one of the most important skills in poker—and in life: knowing when it’s time to change gears.

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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 under-raise all-in from the button and whether the big blind still has the right to raise.

This week’s Hand of the Week features a $2/$5 cash game where turning the second-nut straight leads to a massive decision.

Then Joe closes the show with a One Outer inspired by a simple photo from our Discord that perfectly captures what makes poker so special.

Thanks for listening, A-Team. We’ll see you at the tables!

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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 and Patrick find themselves deep in a tournament against a table maniac who seems willing to put chips in the pot with almost any two cards. Holding AJ from the small blind, Patrick and Joe break down every street.

Then in Joe’s One Outer, Joe reflects the empty seats left behind by players who quietly disappear from our regular games. It’s a thoughtful reminder that while we remember hands and tournaments for a while, it’s the people we meet along the way who leave the lasting impression.

No Table Talk this week as Joe and Elle are finishing up their cruise adventure, but they’ll be back next week with new stories, poker tales, and plenty of laughs.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and as always, we’ll see you at the tables.

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 poker players stay healthy both on and off the felt.

Call the Floor has Elliott weighing in on a controversial tournament situation involving a player who appeared to seek input from his rail during a major river decision. Was it a joke, outside assistance, or something deserving of a penalty? And can the floor remove railbirds who cross the line?

In Hand of the Week, Patrick and I face a river decision with AQ suited after turning additional equity and applying pressure against an active opponent. Should we call or find the muck? Patrick and Joe break it down.

And in Joe’s One Outer, a simple piece of cruise advice, “wear sunscreen”, sparks a poker-themed tribute to Baz Luhrmann’s famous spoken-word classic. It’s a collection of lessons learned from years around the table, culminating in one rule every poker player should remember… protect your hand. If you don’t know the song that this week’s One Outer references here it is.

Join Joe, Elle, Patrick, and Elliott for another week of poker news, strategy, rules, and stories from the everyday poker player.

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