PODCASTS

Top Pair Home Game Poker Podcast Ep. #347: Ben Ludlow

By Robbie Strazynski
January 29, 2020

On their first show of 2020, Bruce and Robbie announce a big move to the Cardplayer Lifestyle Podcast Family. They’ll also catch you up on almost a month’s worth of home game recaps. Poker playing stand-up comedian Ben Ludlow joins our hosts for an interview. After all it’s nice to get to know that guy who does our One Outer segments, eh?

George Chao of BBO Poker Tables is back with another great segment about the practical differences between low end and high end tables; you get what you pay for!

Finally, Ben Ludlow’s got another great, funny, and must-listen take on the big online poker matchups Phil Galfond is having.

Time Stamps

00:24Synopsis
1:58–25:40How Ya Runnin?
2:50The Top Pair Home Game Poker Podcast is joining the Cardplayer Lifestyle Poker family. Giving thanks to Sarah Herring and Rob Moreno, who gave the show so much support while it was on the PokerNews network for the last two years.
4:20The Bernard Lee Poker Show is the other founding member of the new podcast family. More shows set to join the family in the coming weeks and months. All shows will feature recaps and timestamps.
8:07Welcome back to our former (and now current) sound editor, Jeff!
9:30Robbie’s going to Spain to do media coverage at the 888poker LIVE event in Madrid.
12:45Robbie has three poker sessions to recap – 15 hours of home game poker action. Three very different sessions: Dad’s mixed game, the “mitzvah poker game” and another Dad’s mixed game.
18:05Just one home game session for Bruce: Jeff’s “multi-life” tournament. Two tables, eight levels of play; Bruce managed to get in 5 hours of play but was the first one eliminated. Dice throw helps Bruce get halfway back to even.
22:12Listener Martin from Malta lets us know about his recent home game via a great blog post on his website poker4leisure.com.
23:34Shout outs to our two contest winners for Jim Donahue’s Live Straddle book.
25:41–51:29Look Who We Found: Interview with Ben Ludlow
26:52Ben shares the story of how he first got into poker, back in 2003 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He used to host his friends in a home game as a teenager. Went to Las Vegas at age 21 and was hooked, even though he busted short of the money in his first WSOP event. Started playing online, taking the game a bit more seriously. Just as he started making good money, Black Friday hit. Moved to New York, played home games. Moved to California and then Las Vegas, playing lots of live poker and doing stand-up comedy.
30:45Does Ben still play in any home games? Reflecting on past home game experiences taking 12 hours to finish a tournament because they never used to raise the blinds.
34:10Ben loves mixed games, and shares some of the stakes he’s played for as well as his favorite variants.
35:33What started Ben down the path to become a stand-up comedian? Shout out to Joe Stapleton.
37:20Ben and Joe host a monthly stand-up show called “Fear and Loling in Las Vegas”
37:55Robbie attended the inaugural PSPC in the Bahamas and heard Ben open for Norm Macdonald in the Atlantis theater. Ben reflects on what the experience was like performing in front of 500 people – it was only his tenth time on stage
39:30How much of Ben’s comedy material is poker-themed?
43:00Stand-up comedians as cultural figures in today’s day and age. Rather than stand-ups trying acting, now actors are trying stand-up!
45:40What’s Ben’s dream gig?
47:20Ben has some content available on YouTube… and an interesting middle name!
51:30Table Talk with George Chao of BBO Poker Tables: Some people are prepared to pay more for a poker table while others prefer to spend a little less. With that said, there’s definitely a difference in quality. George explains exactly what you can expect based on what you’re prepared to pay for a poker table.
56:30Ben Ludlow’s One Outer: On the Phil Galfond online poker heads up PLO matchups currently ongoing.

 

Ben Ludlow

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Written By.

Robbie Strazynski

Robbie founded Cardplayerlifestyle.com in 2009. A veteran member of the poker media corps, in addition to writing and video presenting, Robbie has hosted multiple poker podcasts over the years, including Top Pair, the Red Chip Poker Podcast, The Orbit, and the CardsChat Podcast. In 2019, Robbie translated the autobiography of Poker Hall of Famer Eli […]

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