Ep 505 - Chats: Abby Merk on Playing, Reporting, and…Karaoke?!?!

This week Jim Reid and the RecPoker RECing Crew interviewed Abby Merk about playing as a pro, creating content and enjoying the great game of poker! To start, Abby introduced herself as a professional poker player, advocate for female empowerment, and content creator. She discussed her passion for poker and how it is a game of strategy and competition.

Abby discussed her summer working with Poker News and how it allowed her to meet and become friends with her poker idols. She explained her content creation strategy and how her experience as a reporter and interviewing players about their strategies helped her improve her own game by learning about different approaches and perspectives. Abby also discussed her journey to becoming a professional poker player and shared a hand she played with Stephen Chidwick. She analyzed her betting strategy and decision-making process, discussing the range of hands Chidwick could have and ultimately deciding to fold on the river to a shove. The group discussed the importance of having a plan and being able to adjust it when necessary, as well as the psychology of bluffing and the social dynamics of poker. They also talked about what comes next for Abby and the importance of letting loose at a karaoke bar every now and then!

Jim announced the upcoming RecPoker Weekend and encouraged listeners to attend. He also mentioned a bounty placed on him by his friend and nemesis Phil in event number two and explained that only RecPoker members can participate. Chris Jones asked about becoming a member, and Jim explained that it's free and easy to sign up.

Jim and John Somsky recognized the winners of several poker games and offered them prizes. They emphasized the importance of staying involved in the community and highlighted the correlation between engagement and success. Plus of course we give away a free prize at the end for folks in the YouTube chat. Join us LIVE on YouTube next Monday at 7:30 ET for free to ask our guests questions in real time, and you can win too!

Abby is active on Twitter as @‌abbypoker34 and on Instagram and TikTok as @‌abbypoker

We also go over this week's home game results and discuss these topics:

How to help us out - https://rec.poker/support/

Home Games - https://rec.poker/homegame/

Go Premium! - https://rec.poker/premium/

Timestamps:

00:16 Welcome & Introduction

02:43 Introduction to Abby Merk

04:05 Abby defines her role in the poker world

05:01 Abby on how she got started in Poker News

07:15 The flexibility of being a player and a reporter at the same time

12:45 How Abby chose a platform to produce content from

17:05 Doing interviews and reporting helps Abby’s game

18:58 Switching from being an amateur to a professional poker player

22:19 Importance of having a coach

24:46 Quick hand review with Abby

54:19 One thing Abby would do differently

01:46:49 John: Home Game Result updates

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RecPoker is a vibrant and encouraging poker learning community. We are committed to learning the game, but our priority is building healthy relationships where we can not only grow in the game, but grow in our enjoyment of life. The free membership website at rec.poker is awesome, but it's just a tool to help us build that community. You can join for FREE, giving you access to the groups, forums, and other member benefits. If you want to enjoy the premium content, or become part of the RECing Crew, those options are available and you can get $10 off your first payme