Poker Podcast World

Have added a new poker podcast to my regular roster (that makes 11 now), something called Poker Podcast World. I’ve only listened to a handful of episodes, so I’m not entirely up on the history of the show or all of the details. I like what I’ve heard, though, and so wanted to pass along a few thoughts about the show.

The host is an Australian fellow who goes by the name of Synergy. (His real name is Dan, I think.) Synergy is quite likable, has a good sense of humor, and does a nice job discussing the various subjects that make up the shows. I gather he’s an amateur player with a sincere interest in the game (including the professional circuit). (He humbly refers to himself a “poker groupie” at one place on the website.) His American-born wife, Ellen, is a professional poker player who sometimes plays in big circuit tournaments. The Poker Podcast World blog not only includes the podcasts, but also a well-managed forum that hosts a few hundred participants.

The shows don’t appear to be produced according to any set schedule. Sometimes there will be multiple shows in one week; sometimes a month will go by with no show. I’m counting around two dozen shows total during the 7-8 months they’ve been producing them. The shows are generally of modest length (from 5-15 minutes). There’s no intro music or other elaborate post-production supplements, either. Rather, episodes usually consist of Synergy humbly recording his various observations and comments sans ornament, except perhaps a little background music to set the mood. (And no commercials!)

Synergy and Ellen enjoy a few connections within the professional scene, and some of the shows feature brief, candid interviews with players and other prominent figures. Back in August 2006, Synergy offered a thoughtful commentary about the UIGEA and its possible impact (some two months before it was passed). On that show Synergy talks about the current situation in Australia -- where a similar bill was passed a few years ago. The show also includes interviews he conducted at the 2006 WSOP with Annie Duke, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, and PPA President Michael Bolcerek.

The couple are friends with Max Shapiro, the humor columnist for CardPlayer, and have had him on the show. They’ve also employed Shapiro as an interviewer, and so some of the guests who appear on the show have done so thanks to Shapiro having brought them on. Shapiro’s interview with Keep Flopping Aces’ Lou Krieger (from last July) -- his first for the show -- is particularly worth a listen. (By the way, ’bout time for Keep Flopping Aces to come back with a new episode!) (EDIT [added 1/17/07]: KPA did their first show of the year on 1/11; just turned up in my Juice queue when I checked today.) Shapiro’s recent interviews with pro player Bernard Lee (12/28/06) and WSOP tourney director Jack Effel (1/3/07) are good as well.

If you’re looking to add any shows to your podcast queue, you might consider Poker Podcast World. Here’s the RSS feed address. Synergy and Ellen are currently at the Aussie Millions and producing shows from there, so this might be an interesting source of info about that event. A nice alternative, actually, to the new Circuit, about which the less said the better.