From $480K in a Library to the Most Heartbreaking River in WSOP History

Goooooood morning fellow degen (or possibly respectable member of society with one of them there job-like things)

Either way, welcome! If you’re new around here, every week (or so) we peel back the felt-textured curtain on the world of high stakes poker. We bring the highs & the lows. The cheers…the tears. Usually over a couple of beers. This week’s guest? Matt Affleck!

Matt’s poker story is one of the most replayed in ESPN history.
But he didn’t start with pocket aces and a rivered gutshot.

He started in a high school that was a breeding ground for million-dollar winners in poker.
He ran through a college campus to a library, sprinting to a working Wi-Fi signal in the middle of a $480K SCOOP run.
He hit back-to-back deep runs in the WSOP Main Event… and one hand that turned him from chip leader to headline.

But before we start, We’re GIVING AWAY $175 per week in August! And all you’ve gotta do is play poker. (Might we recommend a little 1-hour session while you grind this episode? 🤑)

This week, we sit down with Matt for the real story — the travel, the grind, the coaching…and why that river didn’t break him.

🎧 Listen on Spotify: [uploading…]
📺 Watch on YouTube: Click Here

If you only know Matt from that clip, you don’t know Matt Affleck.
By the end of this episode… you will.

0:00 – Welcome & Intro!
11:30 – Early poker life: high school full of future pros, online beginnings, and first big wins
24:01 – Qualifying for major events and discovering the thrill of international travel
41:32 – Revisiting the Main Event heartbreak and the story behind one of poker’s most replayed hands
45:04 – The legendary Seattle cash games and the colorful personalities who played them
47:05 – Moving around the country for poker and adjusting to new poker scenes
51:46 – The COVID poker boom, coaching surge, and changes in Matt’s approach to the game

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Cheers,

Art and Justin

PS: Want to play high stakes poker in a game that prioritizes fun? Play with us at Table 1

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