Dead Money w/ Dan Arfin

Whether you play poker professionally, moderately seriously, or just for fun, we all recognize the game appeals to many people because of the social camaraderie. But if you're playing online a lot like Sank Desai, going from your secret poker cave back into the real world of play is not as seamless a change as one might envision. I've known Sank probably a good 7 years by now. We've talked a lot of strategy and hand analysis, but today Sank talks a bit about the adjustments both hem and what he presumes other Internet players have to make when they head for the live scene. And then I return to Sank as my hand history sounding board (he rarely agrees with my decisions), and he and I each talk about some of the recent hands we played followed by in depth analysis. As an Internet player, Sank can surely process a whole lot all at once. And as always, he then has great insight to offer.

I recap some of the key hand history highlights over 3 different sessions. We've got a few standard stories as always of people behaving so ineptly it makes your heart hurt, but this episode is mostly wild hand history analysis. Every once in a while you find yourself in a long overnight session that takes a piece of your being from you. Your very existence feels compromised afterward. Like you've been violated. And the sickest part of all is...it doesn't even matter if you won or not.

The Bellagio 2/5 has been painfully capped at $500 for as long I've been living in Las Vegas which is well over 17 years. Recently the rake has gone up to a $6 max, so perhaps in conjunction with that they FINALLY raised the buy-in maximum to $1,000. We had all figured the Messiah would come before that ever happened, but we were wrong.I don't figure this to be a game I play in all the time, as buying in for 200 BBs is still a bit of a tease because you can only merely TASTE the thrill getting to buy in with 300 BBs. Nevertheless, this is a massive improvement and I certainly expect to help spread out the 2/5 action in the city. It's a game I expect to be really good quite often, and that has been the case for the two sessions I recently played in--one of short length, one of normal. The normal length session was quite the facepalming ride as it was overrun with incompetent and insubordinate dealers, weird players saying bizarre things, and, of course, huge fish gone fishing. In this week's show, I over all the stories of the confusion and hand history analysis.

I haven't played too much most recently. But as I've come back to poke my head out some more, I'm now being sent to take a dive into the land of the downswing. Thankfully I only expect it to get so ugly--since it's not as if the player pool has shown even a remote sign of making any sort of improvement worth talking about and giving credit for. But here are some recent hand histories...

It's been an active couple of weeks. All kinds of provoking hands to talk about. Rather than make a 2-3 hour episode, I've broken them down into multiple shows. Here I recap the final highlight hands of what's gone on the last few weeks, including making both the royale with cheese, and one of the dumbest folds anyone can make. It's not often, if ever, that I feel like the same player is specifically trying to run me over. But now I'm not sure...because I think maybe it just happened....only he knows. And only he will ever know...

I've been falling behind on catching everybody up on the more interesting hands I've played the last few weeks. So in this episode, I recap some of them. The timelines are a bit scattered as I don't tell them all in the order they took place, but it isn't particularly important. The 2-5 pool in Las Vegas is as big a joke as it can be for the present day knowledge of the average poker player. It's so rare I come across anyone these days who seems even remotely competent beyond a one track minded level. And I've also felt the last few years that the European players (at least the ones showing up to Vegas) have substantially dropped in play quality. But I finally have encountered someone who can play and I respect. A charismatic Italian and I certainly have our share of big battles in this show.

I found myself in a little heads up match this week at a casino I don't play too much at. But doing so reminded me of an old story from a few years ago where I really wanted a piece of an opponent. who felt entitled to single me out. It's also been a wild couple weeks, so I recap some of the crazier spots I encountered, and finish up with some stories of people taking really aggressive stances on simple matters hardly worth making any remote issue over.

Honorary guest and veteran Poker Pro Brent Jenkins makes his second appearance on the Dead Money podcast. Also check him out from Season 1, Episode 36As the world we live in gets more and more dangerous and financially difficult to survive in seemingly by the day, it appears there are more and more people finding ways to cheat either on their own or colluding with others. Brent shared a rather horrifying story with me recently. And after hearing it, I urged him to come talk about it on the show. So here he takes us through exactly what happened--which were shocking enough. But what happened after the incident borders on unreal. Brent also takes us through a couple of the wild hand histories he just navigated through.

Las Vegas cash games, particularly 2-5 No Limit are almost unbearable to sit in because of how the people behave. They never know when it's their turn because they're always distracted by a phone or an iPad. But then they bet when it isn't their turn. They give very little action, and are overall killjoys. But Matty has been around poker many years himself. And as a veteran, he recaps the "good old days" of when everyone showed up to have a blast instead of taking everything (nothing more than themselves) way too seriously. And this is precisely he quit playing full-time and why I started this podcast--to rant about their most insufferable company. Matty's disdain towards modern day NLH cash games has nothing to do though with his immense talent, and how deeply he thinks about the game because of how much he does still enjoy it. And he and I have certainly had our share of battles over the years. Unfortunately, I've lost almost all of them.

Only a few hand histories from this week. But it is important that someone named Doug and I speak about....comedy. We also recap a few thought provoking hands and an anecdote of a very disagreeable creature.

A wild week of 4 sessions. Many different twists, turns, ups, and downs, and all kinds of surprises. This week's hand analyses are essentially a double episode as we go through all of the action. We've got coolers and an array of tough spots. People who can't protect their hand, and people who don't realize I can hear every single thing they're saying about me.

We begin with a more typical recap of the goofy things that came out of player's mouths, often which were presented as gospel. And also going over this week's highlight hand histories, including a cold deck scenario that finally warmed my heart.

Some hand history analysis including a glorious cold deck, guys who refuse to speak English at the table, Squeaky having his way with whales, and regs who unknowingly show you their hand and still walk between the raindrops

A brief recap of my Super Bowl bets, an anecdote into the world of psychedelics, and another week's highlights of being unable to keep my mouth shut. I try to sit there and just be quiet. But when people insist upon announcing the most unnecessary or obvious or senseless things, how am I supposed to just sit there without saying anything? If I bottled everything up, the aggravation would build so heavily that I'm too liable to do something that'll get me either thrown in prison for the next 20 years, or at least sent to the basement of a psyche ward....fuck

We welcome you to the beginning of season 2. Was a swingy week once again as we go over the hand history highlights, capped off by an indefensible fold by the most clueless nit I've ever played with.

We conclude Season 1 just the way it began. Many anecdotes of many people competing for who can be the biggest airhead in all the land. Plus hand history highlights and analysis of yet another brutal week of uphill battling and excruciating adversity.

I was recently taunted by a "person" in a manner I've never been or seen anyone else be before. So much that I was too dumbfounded to even think of anything to say back. Well, it was another arduous weak of cash game poker with lots of back and forth uphill battling. These are the highlight hands including my redemption against this asshole.

Got some stories from the previous week. No nerdy strategic hand histories this time. Here we go over instances of people overreacting and mistreating dealers, the importance of dealers not acting immeasurably entitled, poker players failing to use a shred of common sense to solve very simple problems, and also acting high and mighty themselves--holier than all.

As is just about always the case, people act extra elementary on the night there's a full moon. Here are the hand history highlights from a 12 hour all night torturous night of 2/5. This session which went until past 7 AM was punctuated by players getting mad at me for not letting them pass chips to each other on the table, and an old man rubbing defeat in my face like a 12 year old boy.Beautiful.

Passionate fast talking Boston native Chad Phillips joins the Dead Money studios for this Christmas Day special edition. A former pro poker player and now turned veteran poker dealer, Chad goes deep sea diving into both the trajectory of his playing career, and the finer points of being in the box.

I surely cannot wait for this year to be over. But, at least I'm back into feeling like I'm gonna be grinding the Wynn 2/5 consistently. It's been a real slog these last few months. And poker has been draining blood from me like a vampire.

Back from my trip to the deep south, I am greeted with wonderful commentary at 2/5 and 1/3 as I feel like I'm drowning in the depths of my own mindless poker ineptitude.

During a week where I couldn't sleep, I put some hours in back to back days in the wee hours of the morning at the Bellagio. These are the hand histories and asinine behavioral stories that were of course accompanied by the typical crappy reg company you can always count on.

Occasionally I like to drop in on 1/3 games for an hour or two as they make for lots of hilarious hand histories and/or child-like behavior. If you've ever played 1/3, then you should know it's like daycare. And if you've ever dealt it, then you should know it's like babysitting. For most of these times though, I just wanted to be as big a smartass as often as I could without crossing any lines since that defeats the whole purpose. Some hand history analysis as well.

I talk shit about everybody on this podcast practically every show, but today we delve into some old anecdotes of when it was me who went out of his way to be a huge fucking asshole to people at the table--although in some cases it was certainly warranted. But either way, as a person who is 40 years old, here are some of the behavioral choices at the poker table I made when I was merely half that age. And some others whilst still in my 20s.

Shockwaves are sent through the world of underground poker games and legalized sports betting. The former champion, now former coach, and current Hall of Fame guard Chauncey Billups is finally nailed for cheating people out of millions in his rigged home game using automatic shufflers as part of a highly elaborate scheme. He also was part of a ring of other current and former NBA players who were manipulating results for prop bets on legalized sports betting gambling sites.So today we discuss both stories and the glorious illusion presented by the private poker game scene. When in reality, it will often be very nefarious and dangerous.

Back from New Jersey, we proceed with what serves as part 2 of the hand history highlights from Episode 52. Trading blows back and forth with a loudmouth action heavy crybaby.

Some recent hand history results along with trying to figure out the best play is when dealing with astronauts....not so much the science kind....just more like the usual of what you see in poker games. People lost in space with their head up their...ass

Not every poker trajectory goes as planned--which is just another way of saying basically none of them do. Freddie and I take a few hits and discuss what to do about all sides of the poker table, and life.

Hand history highlights from the previous week, along with brief anecdotes of players. More cold deck scenarios, and the Blue Whale getting very mad.

Hand history highlights from the previous week. Lot of alcohol, lot of drama, and lots of lightning bolts

Recapping some of the previous week's hand history highlights, along with irritating people who don't have a sense of humor. Sometimes it was intentional. Sometimes it wasn't. And lastly, getting my first slowroll ever over on a huge nemesis.

Veteran online poker pro AJ Gonzalez talks about the impact of solvers on his playing career, along with intricate hand history analyses from full ring and heads up--including against world class heads up specialist and poker coach Doug Polk.

No one makes a mistake ever. Am I just the biggest fish? Hand history highlights from the previous week, including from a long action filled overnight session.

A tilting recap of this past week's ignorance and nuisances both spoken and caused by the opposition.

Long time veteran pro poker player Mike Zulker is coming off a huge 2025 WSOP. Finishing in 2nd place at the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha main event, Mike talks about the final hand, the final table, and everything that which led up to it. Then just a few days later, Mike sent long time legend Phil Hellmuth home on Day 3 of the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event Championship. He discusses that hand and other prior hand histories with The Poker Brat.

Played a session at the Wynn, and then on a whim went out for some more with a late night session at the Aria as I continue to look to break the curse at by far my most dreaded poker room.

The opposition continues to have X-Ray vision as I helplessly crawl back to the Aria in desperate hopes of redemption

Today we get on other side of the table and hear from a veteran poker dealer. As a former dealer himself, Bruce and Dan discuss widely varying topics and stories ranging from players who got really angry at them, to how to deal with players watching porno at the table, to advising other poker players on how to get girls.

This may have been the biggest whale I've ever played with. If not, certainly the biggest in a long long time. Other hand history highlights as well.

In this new era of poker, there are a whole lot less cash game pros in their 20s grinding the high limit scene than there once was. Many of them have moved on, or, like me, have just grown older. But John Arndt is among the few younger pro players that are here now. As he and Dan go back and forth on varying war stories and poker ideas, John discusses how it all came to be for him, and advises other aspiring players on how to move up in stakes.

Lately I can't sleep and it's been a struggle to find motivation to play (once again). Hmm maybe I just need a woman. Also some hand histories from the past week at the Bellagio 2/5. Barely got out of my house to do it and played pretty terribly.

After 3 weeks of lethargy, I've finally come out of my lair to play some poker again. I return to find guys insulting each other with hardcore language, argue again with the Blue Whale, and can hardly get any satisfactory results

As the second honorary guest on the Dead Money podcast, Veteran poker pro Brent Jenkins and I blaze up as we discuss whether or not Brent's play is that of a LAG, and share war stories in a 1 on 1 therapy session of what drives us fucking crazy. As we try and tolerate the entitled jerkoffs who inadvertently try to ruin our poker playing experience each and every day--one way or another

The 2025 WSOP is finally winding down, but not before some extra dramatic nonsense from European pro Will Kassouf. He has since been banned for one year because of his relentless antics, and rightfully so.

As the 2025 WSOP drags on, enjoy a few more stories of what goes on in the entitled minds of bimbos--I mean people who play poker

A busy week in the world of poker and the government's impact on it. Former Dead Money guest Mike Zulker getting down to the wire for the PLO championship and an update on the government's wonder Big Beautiful Bill designed to fuck over regular hard working people. Also a look into the most recent cheating scam which was neither cheating nor a scam nor collusion at the WSOP's Event #53, the Millionaire Maker

Baffling hand history nitrolls by European poker players: the most overrated group of players on the planet Earth

Yet another wild back and forth week of excruciating decisions, close spots, and wonky runouts. Also, one of the worst punts of all time from the classic "shit reg" we all love and hate playing with.

Tempers flare inside the dealer box as I become the villain for the way I fold, some rants about how obscenely long players take to make multiple fucking decisions in one hand, and crossing paths one more time with my newly made BFF from the 2024 World Series of Poker.