What are the Best Poker Podcasts for Players?
Posted by Harry Kane on Friday, March 15, 2024
There’s no doubt that poker is no longer a dominant contributor to the online casino GGY in the UK, while this vertical has definitely slumped in popularity when compared to its halcyon days of the early noughties. In fact, it only accounts for around 5% of the total GGY generated by online gambling brands in the UK and isn’t likely to mount a recovery anytime soon.
Despite this, it retains a cult fan base and grouping of players, particularly those who prioritise games of skill and strategy over those where outcomes are largely shaped by chance. There are also plenty of resources that enable you to learn about the game of poker and develop viable betting strategies, including podcasts with various different formats. But which are the best podcasts currently online?
First Up – A Brief History of Podcasting
In very simple terms, a podcast is a form of audio digital file that can be downloaded or listened to in real-time, while they may also be posted online and streamed through platforms such as Twitch, YouTube and Spotify. Apple is also a prolific publisher of podcasts, across a broad range of verticals and interests too.
Podcasts can certainly host a diverse range of content too, from conversations and interviews to storytelling and lectures. This variation helps the content medium thrive, as it enables you to find different formats that best help you to absorb information. Poker podcasts often adopt an interactive interview format, which enables you to access the best and most knowledgeable strategic minds in the vertical.
The very first podcast was developed and published in 2004, by Adam Curry and Dave Winer. Called the ‘Daily Source Code’, the idea behind the podcast was to deliver textual content automatically to portable audio devices, with this inspiring a wave of similar publications in the following years. It’s from this single seed that the podcast market has boomed, particularly within the online gambling and gaming spaces.
The number of adult podcast listeners has increased steadily in recent years, peaking a little over seven million in 2019. By the summer of 2022, this already sizable number had increased to an estimated 10.5 million, while there’s no sign of this trend abating or reversing anytime soon.
So – What are the Top 3 Poker Podcasts
Poker podcasts have definitely become increasingly popular in recent times, even as the wider popularity of the game among casual players has dwindled. This is because those who play poker always need expert strategy tips and guidance, particularly from those who have achieved success within the vertical. But what are the best publications on the market? Let’s find out!
1. The Thinking Poker Podcast
Thinking Poker sits at the top of our list, thanks largely to its informative nature and straightforward delivery that offers something for every poker fan. From fascinating and insightful interviews with poker stars and pro players to in-depth discussion of the latest strategies being deployed by professionals, this podcast is genuinely detailed and features some of the most cutting-edge content online.
Hosted by poker professionals Andrew ‘Foucault’ Brokos and Carlos Welch (both of whom earned some huge wins during stellar careers), this is also highly credible and often attributed as a key resource for aspiring players and novices. So, there’s a unique opportunity for inexperienced players to hone their craft and develop practical skills while listening to the podcast, which is available everywhere online and published on a regular basis.
2. The Official Red Chip Poker Podcast
Next up on our list is The Official Red Chip Poker Podcast, which is almost exclusively focused on offering strategic advice and assisting aspiring players with helpful hints and tips. While it lacks the depth and diversity of content provided by the Thinking Poker podcast, however, it’s arguably a little more focused in its output, while host Zac Shaw really brings the show together with his engaging delivery.
The show also features different experts and guest co-hosts each week, who each bring alternative skillsets, strategies and expertise to the program. Shaw is a successful gambler himself, of course, so he understands precisely what his audience is looking for and is capable of delivering useful information in a way that’s really easy for beginners to understand.
He also regularly meets up and interviews some of the world’s most famous poker coaches, offering a unique insight into the techniques used to hone the skills of the most successful poker players. We also like this podcast as it makes room for discussing Live Poker strategy, in addition to classic online iterations. This adds a unique dimension from a competitive perspective, making it enduringly popular amongst more seasoned and professional players.
You’ll find this excellent podcast on Apple, Spotify, iTunes and YouTube, while you can also download specific episodes that may be useful or particularly relevant to your playing strategies. Ultimately, it has been created for players to consume on the go and is ideal if you want to learn brand-new plays or learn directly from the very best coaching minds in the space.
3. The Chasing Poker Greatness Podcast
Last, but not least, we come to the ‘Chasing Poker Greatness’ podcast. This is a weekly show that’s hosted by the 20-year cash game poker professional Brad Wilson, who is also a coach and has achieved significant success during his career. So, he has the knowledge and charisma to provide some fascinating insights to aspiring poker players.
The format of the show tends to see Wilson go behind the scenes with legendary and influential figures in the poker game, such as poker coach and author James “Splitsuit” Sweeney. This provides some incredible first-hand insights, which are delivered in a way that’s easy for even novice players to understand.
Ultimately, the goal of his podcast is to facilitate the potentially years-long journey from interested casual to high stakes tables. To achieve this, it reaffirms that hard yards that players must put in to build knowledge and achieve their competitive goals, while exploring the journeys of iconic performers like Dan “Jungleman” Cates, Fedor Holz and Darren Elias.
The depth of information available here is incredible, while it doesn’t simply look to glamorise poker gameplay or the riches that can be unlocked. Instead, it talks about sacrifice, strategies and how you can continually improve as a player, while also covering the inevitability of loss and how to deal with this.