Content material
There’s a consolation within the form of poker content material that doesn’t strive too laborious to impress you, when a pointy thoughts talks playing cards with out the necessity for faux-inspired monologues, or a when interviewer creates a security internet for his or her topic to go deeper and lay themselves naked, or when a talented short-form story-teller with a lightness of contact pulls comedy from the mundane.
Personally, I like long-form technique breakdown, when a prime participant wanders off-piste, out of the sport tree, and into the exploitative wilderness. Good content material of this kind by no means hides the missteps. It highlights them and finds power in vulnerability.
when “I did one thing” is changed by “I felt one thing”
As a podcaster, I additionally do the whole lot that I can to advertise that format within the poker house. The perfect interviews are those when the topic drops their guard early, when “I did one thing” is changed by “I felt one thing,” and when the technique speak is peppered with digestible heuristics. It takes analysis and preparation to make an viewers really feel like they’re listening to one thing free-flowing and spontaneous when it truly has a pre-determined starting, center, and finish.
Then there are the storytellers – the satirists and raconteurs, the meme-makers and gonzo trip-reporters, the scam-historians and opinion piece scriveners. All of them weave narratives that remind us that poker is a theater of flawed characters, framing these imperfections because the heartbeat of the sport, reminding us that regardless of all of the HUDs, solvers, and AI, we play a recreation that’s distinctly human.
“Go forth,” I instructed my eclectic panel.
“Isn’t a fourth article stretching the viewers’s tolerance for what’s clearly a sequence of pre-written articles, which helps you to take time without work over the vacation season?” they replied.
“Shush now,” I countered, “and inform me about your favourite content material of 2025.”
Content material favorites
David Lappin: What was your favourite piece of poker content material this 12 months (video, stream, e book, podcast, hand breakdown) and why did it resonate with you?
David Docherty:
I’ll give a couple of mentions right here: Winamax’s “Contained in the Thoughts of a Professional” is such an attention-grabbing format for content material. It’s virtually like Gus Hansen’s Each Hand Revealed e book, which was incredible in its time, however within the medium of video. I particularly liked the episode with Adrian Mateos and whereas I’m certain he stored a couple of issues up his sleeve, I discovered it eye-opening how typically his choices boiled down to at least one or two easy particulars.
I’d additionally like to present Liam Hind (BigLiPoker) a shout-out for the reels he’s been making this 12 months. “The River Division” was one of many funniest issues that I’ve seen in my poker profession.
Lastly, I used to be fortunate sufficient to do some commentary on the Irish Open closing desk this 12 months and it was an absolute pleasure. The same old nice manufacturing high quality from PokerStars was elevated by getting to look at some glorious and charismatic gamers, and it culminated in Simon Wilson successful with an unimaginable rail behind him. It was my favourite stint that I’ve performed within the sales space so far.
Ray Wheatley:
I’m an enormous fan of these “Contained in the Thoughts of a Professional” documentaries by Winamax on YouTube. Following the highest execs provides superb perception. I additionally benefit from the Triton stuff, watching guys like Ponakovs or Foxen is at all times instructional and eye-opening. I don’t watch vlogs or the TV sequence kind stuff like “Sport of Gold.” I choose the extra instructional choices or “The Chip Race” and “Pondering Poker”.
Nate Silver:
I want to give a normal shoutout to Mark Goone/Hungry Horse Poker for focusing extra on exploitative play in stay money video games. The recommendation is typically nice and typically can open you as much as counter-exploits, but it surely’s differentiated content material versus the solver children. Additionally, I learn the Sam Greenwood e-newsletter.
Barry Carter:
Effectively, poker content material is creatively bankrupt, so it’s all dangerous, proper? Severely, although, I feel Nikki Limo is the individual to beat by way of enjoyable poker content material, amongst numerous gifted creators. I feel BigLiPoker is one of the best newcomer to the house! They’re each hilarious.
Kyna England:
I feel that I devour an excessive amount of poker content material to really like something anymore (ha!), however I do get pleasure from Doug Polk’s tackle occasions within the {industry}. I’m glad he introduced these again. His movies are enjoyable and informative.
Andreas Mavromoustakis:
I actually favored the Stephen Chidwick interview on “The Chip Race”, an episode with which I additionally had the possibility to be concerned. He spoke in regards to the psychological struggles of people who find themselves concerned in poker, and I feel that it is a essential and critical subject that more often than not we ignore. I actually really feel like folks may gain advantage by listening to it and that it’s going to present a brand new perspective for lots of gamers.
Ian Simpson:
Phemo at GTOWizard made an excellent technique piece about flip probes in single raised pots. The heuristic was new to me, and I like the technique behind our recreation.
Nick Walsh:
My favourite occasions that I labored on had been the Irish Open 2025 (Simon Wilson and his rowdy rail) and EPT Malta (Tomasz Brzezinski’s god run continues). My favourite instructional poker content material that I watched was “Alex Theologis’ Knockout Match Mastery” and “Carrot Nook Full Scholarship Money Course”.
Turlough McHugh:
Sam Greenwood’s hand breakdowns are good. Any video that GTOWizard places out is gold. After all, I additionally tune into “The Chip Race.”
Tobias Leknes:
Having kind of fallen into the streets of PLO increasingly this 12 months, and having my eyes opened for what an amazing strategic recreation it’s, I need to say that I’ve loved watching any content material from Kakitee overlaying the sport. He retains it entertaining, has simply the correct quantity of banter, and offers insights that I normally discover logical and properly introduced.
Sid Sudunagunta:
The $100K Tremendous Excessive Curler Bowl combined video games occasion in March was sensible and it was nice to see prime stage combined video games gamers on PokerGO. Chris Vitch and Alex Livingston had been glorious on commentary, offering high-quality strategic insights.
BigLi Poker’s “River Division” video was the funniest piece of content material of the 12 months
I used to be dissatisfied that the WSOP combined video games protection a couple of months later was fairly sparse in contrast with earlier years. Additionally, BigLi Poker’s “River Division” video was the funniest piece of content material of the 12 months, and one thing that I’m certain resonated with everybody.
Jaime Staples:
“The Chip Race” podcast. Barry Carter’s Twitter. Matt Staples’ Twitch Stream. Poker dot professional’s stay reporting at occasions. My favourite shorter-style clip was a factor known as “This or That,” the place folks may select between two poker execs as their favourite. It’s mild and enjoyable, however I at all times wish to watch till the tip as folks cycle by 20 completely different names. I feel you may be taught so much about what that particular individual is like by that recreation.
Nikki Limo:
It is a robust one as a result of there’s a lot content material on the market proper now. My favourite was most likely BigLi’s video about controlling the river! 😂
Aaron Barone:
The very first thing that popped into my head was Massive Li’s content material. I feel his first video was the “River Division,” however the entire stuff I’ve seen from him is incredible. Not solely is it actually humorous, but it surely has the potential to achieve folks exterior of poker, which is clearly one thing we’d like.
Kenny Hallaert:
The GTO Lab podcasts showcased attention-grabbing excessive stage poker gamers who I obtained to know much more and gained a greater understanding of all issues thought-about on the excessive stakes circuit.
Rania Nasreddine:
Sam Greenwood is performing some epic issues in his hand breakdowns.
Jim Reid:
I’m biased, however being one of many topics of the “Chase The Dream” docuseries on YouTube was EXTREMELY cool and impactful for me! I discovered so much from the opposite individuals and their journeys, and liked having the ability to assist unfold the phrase about all of the enjoyable we’ve got at RecPoker.
Lukas Robinson:
In all probability the “Penny to a Rolex Problem” as I’m elevating cash for trigger in Samaritans, which is one thing that I’ve at all times wished to do as soon as I constructed up a little bit of a following.
Jen Shahade:
There’s a lot nice poker content material today that it’s laborious to decide on. I certain want the World Poker Awards had been nonetheless on so we may correctly acknowledge all of it, although doesn’t this imply “The Chip Race” is the reigning champ indefinitely? (LAPPIN’S REPLY: Sure, it does.) We’ll by no means hear the tip of it! If that’s not an industry-wide name to discover a new awards sponsor, I don’t know what’s. As for particular items, I can consider two that basically influenced me:
The “Dangerous Enterprise” podcast episode with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova that includes Leo Margets. I liked the way in which Leo prioritized her happiness and was in a position to keep current and calm on the way in which to her historic consequence on the WSOP. The opposite was the GTO Lab podcast dialog between Jonathan Jaffe and João “Naza” Vieira. It was virtually three hours lengthy, and I had no concept that I’d be so gripped for all of it.
One second that basically caught with me was when João talked about stepping into the heads of his opponents. His curiosity was simply so real, and it jogged my memory of my pal Yanjaa Wintersoul, a reminiscence world champion. After all, she has numerous intricate ideas, however a lot of the core message may be very easy: if you wish to bear in mind everybody’s title, be all for everybody. If you wish to play higher stay poker, be all for your opponents.
Padraig O’Neill:
“The Chip Race” after all, or something by David Lappin or Dara O’Kearney. (Lappin’s Observe: I swear that I didn’t “do an Iannotti” right here and use synthetic intelligence to make any of those guys say this!)
