You might know Nadav Itzkowitz as the longtime producer and occasional on-air personality from some of the internet’s most popular comedy podcasts, including Your Mom’s House with Tom Segura and Christina P, or the YMH Studios network. A sharp comedic mind with a passion for poker, Nadav has decided to step into the spotlight and become “a gambling influencer” as the creator and host of a brand new YouTube poker show: The Fold.
Set at the Lodge Card Club in Austin, Texas – home to many of the biggest poker livestreams in the world – The Fold is a homegame-style $1/$1 No Limit Hold’em game featuring $100–$300 buy-ins, unlimited rebuys, and a fun twist: a bounty on Nadav. But what really sets the show apart from other poker live streams is the casting. Each episode showcases a table full of up-and-coming comedians. The result? A hybrid of comedy, chaos, and cards that’s as unpredictable as it is entertaining.
With five episodes in the books and a season finale that features none other than Doug Polk, The Fold is ready for its moment in the spotlight. We caught up with Nadav to talk poker, production, and where this wild idea might be headed.
Introducing the poker world to Nadav Itzkowitz
For those who know you from your comedy work and podcast production, how did you first get into poker?
I have played poker since middle school, but absolutely terribly. Then COVID hit and I started playing with my friends who were more into it, joined some private clubs, and improved from “absolutely terrible” to “still pretty bad but we win sometimes now.”
What inspired you to launch The Fold and how long had the idea been brewing before Episode 1 aired?
I was seeing a lot of poker content out there, but a lot of it seemed a lot more boring than it needed to be. I thought “that’s not what my home games look like.” I saw an opportunity to make relatable poker content. There was a show I wanted to see that wasn’t being made, so I made it. It took a little less than a year to go from ideation to execution.
Why did you specifically choose The Lodge as the setting for the show?
The Lodge is just the best. They have the best stream room ever built and understand the necessity for good poker content. They’ve been awesome in making this show come to life the way I envisioned it.
What exactly is The Fold?
At first glance, The Fold looks like a traditional poker livestream, but it’s clearly not. What makes your show different?
What sets The Fold apart from other streams is that we focus on the table talk as much as the gameplay, if not, more. Poker night with the homies is fun, but not on mute. Bringing comedians into the fold elevates banter to the next level.
People aren’t watching The Fold for good poker, they’re watching it for fun poker.
Why did you choose up-and-coming comedians for the lineup? How does their presence change the dynamic of the game?
Austin is filled with comedians that absolutely murder on stage and America isn’t aware of them. They should be. I’ll have some familiar faces in most of the games but I’m keen on introducing people to their future favorite comedian. I have a theory that the poker community and comedy community would have a lot of fun together and I’m on a mission to test that.
The show feels like a poker night you’d have with your funniest friends. It’s like someone took a poker show and bred it with a comedy podcast. While watching million dollar WSOP events is definitely a version of poker I like to watch… seeing players gamble with an amount I’d play with, and still make it fun, is different than what’s out there.
Observation I made on a poker webinar today:
“I think we need more bad or mediocre poker in poker content.”
Celebrity Poker Showdown remains my fav poker show bc it was just fun to watch. Were they terrible at poker? Sure. But that didn’t matter.
I don’t think personality…
— Jessica Welman (@jesswelman) April 17, 2025
The stakes are relatively low compared to typical livestream poker shows. Why $1/$1 with $100–$300 buy-ins?
I’m just trying to emphasize the relatability of the game. Most home games run similar blinds or tournaments, but everyone is starting with a relatable bankroll.
Tell us about the bounty element. It’s obviously a great way to showcase the sponsors, but how have players reacted to the array of prizes they’d claim for “taking your bounty” and felting you?
It’s all about motivating gameplay. Having sponsors that offer amazing products makes players act more aggressively than they normally would. If I knew I’d get high end Sheath underwear, a high grade box of grass fed steaks from Certified Piedmontese Beef, and a day pass at Kuya Wellness, I’d be doing everything I can to get that bounty… all of that is worth way more than what most stacks at the table would be. And collecting that bounty feels like running across the finish line in first place. It just leads to great moments and a fun show.
The Fold: Production and Format
The Lodge has a built-in studio and experienced production team, with Slick Rick on the mic. What has it been like plugging into that setup as a newcomer in the poker content space?
The Lodge has been absolutely professional in the entire process. They’ve been eager to change the way they do things to accommodate my goals for the show. I’m new to poker, but I’m no stranger to production sets with control rooms. We all immediately spoke the same language and got on the same page.
Since you’re working with a livestream format, how do you balance keeping the show entertaining for viewers while letting the poker action unfold naturally?
With a table full of comedians, that’s not a big problem I have to worry about. If we’re not knee deep in a pot, someone’s riffing about something ridiculous. Dull moments are few and far in between in The Fold. We’ll be in the middle of talking about something stupid then everyone sees a $50 raise and every player redirects their attention to the table.
Even though you’re not behind the cameras, what kind of vibe or tone are you personally trying to bring to The Fold as the host and game-runner?
The tone I’m trying to capture is FUN. This is the home game everyone wants to be a part of or recreate at home. We’ll run some 7-2 bounties or I’ll bet roulette on the flop with another player. All sorts of bounties. I like to do degen things with my degen friends. Poker home games are usually fun the entire time, and that’s what I’m trying to capture in the show.
The Fold: Casting and Guests
How do you go about selecting comedians for each episode? Is it all about entertainment value?
I’m learning that as I go, but there’s a whole bunch of variables to consider. How much will they contribute to table talk? Are they an aggressive player? Are they a new player? Every combination of those, and others, gives you a much different type of player, so putting together a table that can have fun for 3 hours isn’t as simple as running down a list and seeing who’s available.
What level of poker skill and experience do each of the player-comedians you cast on the show have?
They range WILDLY, haha. Some guests have been absolute card sharks like Uncle Lazer and Kim Congdon. Some comedians, like Heath Cordes, have never really played poker, yet somehow he still wins the bounty. Go figure.
I’ve come to learn that just like in home games, when there’s very green players, and more often than not, they’re the hardest to play against. How could you know what they’re doing when they don’t know what they’re doing? It makes for entertaining hands.
Doug Polk joined the table for the season finale (episode 5). As one of poker’s biggest personalities and part-owner of The Lodge, what did it mean to have him in the lineup, and what are you hoping fans will take away from this final episode of the season in particular?
Doug was involved in greenlighting the show at The Lodge and when production started, I guess his staff kept telling him how fun it was. They asked me after a couple episodes if I would be interested in having him on an episode, which is an easy YES. I think we finalized him being on the season 1 finale two days before recording. I had to text all the comedians playing that day that they were in for a sweaty game. No one was deterred. Everyone wanted to take him down. You can watch the full episode here.
It also added a whole new dynamic to the episode. We created a mechanic where if you found yourself in a heads up situation against Doug, you can use a timeout chip and take two people from the table outside to discuss the hand. Plus, I kind of peer pressured Doug into putting a $700 bounty on his own head (that no one had a real chance at winning).
Growing Poker
You’ve produced five episodes so far. What kind of feedback have you received? Have you integrated any of that into perhaps improving or enhancing the show from one episode to the next?
The comments have been wildly positive and helpful. Everyone is seeing this as a concept that’s being figured out in real time. It just improves every episode.
People wanted more table talk and less commentators so I’m experimenting with that. All in all, this is becoming my favorite puzzle to solve. The show will evolve over time and get better, which is hard to believe considering how much I love it now.
Are there any specific moments or hands that have stood out so far as especially funny, wild, or memorable?
Oh man. Every episode has so many incredible moments. I remember Brian Simpson tilting me by making it seem like he didn’t know he had a full house when I rivered the nut flush. I was off for the rest of the game.
Or when Kim Congdon was politely asked to stop rolling a “special tobacco cigarette” at the table by the staff, allegedly. Some of my favorite moments are from the season finale. Seeing Doug have such a good time playing with comedians made me realize we got a special show brewing.
What have you learned since Episode 1 that might shape how you approach casting or hosting future episodes?
It’s all about getting a good table together with an equal amount of talkers and aggressive players. Each player vastly changes what the game will be like and taking that into account is super important.
The Future of The Fold
Is this just a one-season experiment, or are you already planning for Season 2?
Season 2 is in the works. And it’s happening soon!
Would you ever consider raising the stakes or trying a different format (e.g., mixed games or tournaments)?
Experimenting with stakes and game style is definitely in the future of The Fold. We might have some high stakes episodes with headliners. I think a heads up format could be really fun to play with. A Sit-N-Go format will be tested. This show is the beginning of a new niche.
What’s your dream guest lineup for a future episode; whether comedians or poker pros?
Seeing a table of comedians getting destroyed by Daniel Negreanu or Phil Ivey would be an absolute dream, haha. In terms of comics, anything and everything is possible. I’ve already had comedians with Netflix Specials and Kill Tony regulars on. People are seeing this is a fun game and they want in on it.
Where do you ultimately hope to take The Fold? YouTube cult hit? Something bigger?
I see a bright future for The Fold. Anyone that’s played on a game or anyone that’s seen an episode have all said there’s no content out there like this. It’s special. I hope to keep making it and stuff like it for a long time in the YouTube space or any other space that wants it.
The Elevator Pitch: Why and How to Watch?
If someone’s never watched poker before but loves comedy (or vice versa) what would you say to convince them to give The Fold a try?
The Fold is a comedy podcast bred with a poker show. Being a fly on the wall when a group of 6 or 7 funny people get together and gamble is just a good time.
Where can people follow you and stay updated on new episodes or upcoming guests?
I’m posting episodes of The Fold and highlights on my YouTube channel and posting all sorts of short form clips on my Instagram. If any advertisers want to inquire about sponsorship, they can email me at ve***********@***il.com.
Conclusion
The Fold is obviously still in its infancy, but Nadav Itzkowitz’s vision for blending poker and comedy is already delivering something fresh and funny to the poker content space. With a unique cast of characters, approachable stakes, and a built-in bounty twist, the show exists as an important reminder that poker isn’t just for pros. It’s for anyone who loves good stories, good jokes, and the occasional all-in with 7-2 offsuit.
Check out new episodes of The Fold on Nadav’s YouTube channel, and follow him on social media for behind-the-scenes content and lineup announcements.
Ed note: Special thanks to our mutual friend Avi Kreitenberg for kindly making the intro to set up this interview.
