The Official Red Chip Poker Podcast

What Modern Poker Players Miss That Old Pros Knew · S7E15

The Official Red Chip Poker Podcast

Show Notes

Were old school poker players better than today's GTO-inspired up-and-comers? In this episode of the Red Chip Poker Podcast, Coach w34z3l explores the dramatic evolution of poker strategy—from the gritty, intuition-fueled grind of old school poker to today's GTO-obsessed solver era. Whether you started playing poker in the last year or two decades ago, this conversation sheds light on what skills are truly essential to succeed in today's games. You'll examine how the modern training environment has shifted player development. HUDs, note-taking, combo counting, and live opponent profiling were once standard tools in every serious player's kit. Now, many new players bypass these fundamentals, leaning heavily on solver output and pre-solved ranges—sometimes at the cost of building real-world intuition and adaptability. If you've ever wondered whether relying on solvers is enough… or if old-school strategy still has a place in today's games, this episode is for you. You'll leave with a clear picture of the five key abilities every well-rounded poker player needs—and why combining the best of both eras may be your edge. **LINKS** · GTO Gems 2: https://redchippoker.com/gto-gems-2-book · CORE Poker Course: https://redchippoker.com/launch-core **JOIN US ON DISCORD** Join us on Discord today: https://redchippoker.com/discord

More from The Official Red Chip Poker Podcast

Sep 29, 2026

Short deck #poker is a hold'em variant in which the 2s through 5s are stripped from the deck. The variant has been popular in live high-stakes games for years, but is now appearing commonly at lower stakes, both online and live.

Sep 15, 2026

Straddles used to be restricted to a fun element of live play, but an increasing number of online #poker sites have now added them to their tables. This "third blind" has a profound effect on preflop strategy, both on the straddle itself and from the other positions at the table.

Sep 1, 2026

When you see big bets over multiple streets from an opponent, what do you conclude? Most studied #poker players would assume they are facing a polarized range, and respond accordingly. But against a strong player, that need not be the case.

Aug 18, 2026

Most #poker players acknowledge that the more you study the better your results become. However, other life commitments mean that, in practice, we have a limited amount of time to devote to studying poker. This suggests it is critical to focus on the topics that really matter. In this podcast episode, coach w34z3l summarizes an analytical study that determines the poker scenarios that have the biggest impact on your win-rate. This provides a priority list of poker formations to explore. One key takeaway: most players should devote time to their play out of the big blind.

Aug 4, 2026

Do you tend to use a limited number of bet sizes in your strategy? Such simplified approaches have value, but many #poker players are missing out on profitable spots by restricting their sizing. This applies both to large and small bets.

See all episodes →