Open Side Menu Go to the Top
Register
Pokercast Episode 327 - Vinny Pahuja, Howard Stutz and co-host Marco Valerio Pokercast Episode 327 - Vinny Pahuja, Howard Stutz and co-host Marco Valerio

08-08-2014 , 12:28 AM
Sad to see MJ go, but loved the episode and never had a doubt the pokercast would continue to be the nuts. Great job guys!
08-08-2014 , 01:39 AM
Adam, you said that you wanted feedback. I'm a big fan of the show, that's listened to every episode ever, and I've always looked forward to the next one. This weeks episode was a bit painful to get through to be honest. The topics and conversations were the painful part. Even the Palujah interview was depressing. MJ was such a pro, he could keep any topic interesting. That's a tough task, I know, but while you're trying to develop chemistry, and adjusting to your new role, I would try to focus as much as you can on the topics that are fun to talk about, like Helmuth doing burger commercials. Marco speaks soooo slowly, it makes the boring stuff really drag on. That being said, you are doing a fine job, and I will continue to look forward to every next episode.
08-08-2014 , 06:15 AM
Enjoyed the ep - thought the dynamic in the first segment was a little flat & the guys didn't bounce off each other as well as MJ & Adam but that's to be expected. After that the interviews were solid. Well done on steering the ship A Schwartz
08-08-2014 , 08:40 AM
Invitational is up:

T# 949774166

Bumped it up to $1.50 buy in so people with Omaha tickets from the week's promotion could use them.
08-08-2014 , 12:25 PM
Overall, good show. A little sticky in parts but that's to be expected. Different roles and all.

Marco, one bit of 'constructive criticism' When Lee Jones was on, you guys were asking some fairly serious/important questions. Lee was definitely walking a tightrope and trying to provide some info but you kept stepping on his words trying to get in a joke and breaking his rhythm.

It was the only point in the show where I was like "Let the guy talk."

But I applaud you both for asking tough questions to the show sponsor.
And I appreciate that Lee answered them as best as he could.
08-08-2014 , 02:38 PM
50% less Marco and I think the episode would have been good. It's almost painful to listen to him that much.
08-08-2014 , 02:54 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by pninwin
Ehhhh, Mike's absence is gonna take some getting used to. Overall I think Adam needs to find someone who he is a real buddy with. The Mike and Adam duo was such a listening pleasure because it feels like we are joining two buddies who are hanging out and shooting the ****....poker just happens to be what they like talking about. This episode definitely sounded like two guys who had to grind out a show but obviously we've been spoiled. Marco is definitely very knowledgeable, I learned a few things today

+1

I liked this Marco guy though and would listen to his podcast if he did one.

Change is always hard though and things will take getting used too, just ask David Moyes.
08-08-2014 , 02:56 PM
Quote:
Adam, you said that you wanted feedback. I'm a big fan of the show, that's listened to every episode ever, and I've always looked forward to the next one. This weeks episode was a bit painful to get through to be honest. The topics and conversations were the painful part. Even the Palujah interview was depressing. MJ was such a pro, he could keep any topic interesting. That's a tough task, I know, but while you're trying to develop chemistry, and adjusting to your new role, I would try to focus as much as you can on the topics that are fun to talk about, like Helmuth doing burger commercials. Marco speaks soooo slowly, it makes the boring stuff really drag on. That being said, you are doing a fine job, and I will continue to look forward to every next episode.
+1

Quote:
Enjoyed the ep - thought the dynamic in the first segment was a little flat & the guys didn't bounce off each other as well as MJ & Adam but that's to be expected. After that the interviews were solid. Well done on steering the ship A Schwartz
+1

Quote:
Overall, good show. A little sticky in parts but that's to be expected. Different roles and all.

Marco, one bit of 'constructive criticism' When Lee Jones was on, you guys were asking some fairly serious/important questions. Lee was definitely walking a tightrope and trying to provide some info but you kept stepping on his words trying to get in a joke and breaking his rhythm.

It was the only point in the show where I was like "Let the guy talk."

But I applaud you both for asking tough questions to the show sponsor.
And I appreciate that Lee answered them as best as he could.
+1

I think overall, people are being a little too tough on Marco (that's to be expected, I suppose). I think you did great Marco.

My only advice for you Adam, and this might be pretty tough, is that MJ really brought a sense & tone of Average Joe Poker Player to the podcast. Me, being an Average Joe, really appreciated that.

I know the general topics of discussion were more serious, especially talking about legislation and online, which are strengths of Marco's, but just don't forget about mixing that in with bacon & titties and degen stories and silly 2p2 NVG threads because it helps keep the overall tone lighter.

Great show guys! Keep it up!
08-08-2014 , 04:20 PM
I learned something on this show, sometimes MJ would listen for me.

When needed, when the conversation approached abstraction, that's when he was in there to direct and clarify.

I must have been in MJ's rhythm because this week when the guest would be blathering, the next question that was asked erased the conversation.

MJ would distill the message and continue.

Last edited by Hammerhands; 08-08-2014 at 04:25 PM.
08-08-2014 , 04:27 PM
I do respect Marcos knowledge about poker and so but im sad to say this wasnt very good at all...
A lot of it was indeed the fact that Marco was very ****ing nervous , it was obvious ... and that would get better next time im sure... However Marco isnt very good at telling jokes in fact he cant tell a single one... ( a lot of it might me the language barier) , he was jumping into peoples sentences A LOT , he isnt really a radio moderator guy so the conversations suffered in flow when interacting with someone else... and he would really need to work on his radio voice speaking ,which was imo way too irritating for a moderator.

On the plus side ... Marco can really talk a lot himself , he has a ****loads of knowledgde about poker and has his opinions on everything , i was impressed how can he talk so long when answering question...

I do believe he can do better , i think he was very nervous and this obviously cant be compared to MJs and Adams years of doing this , also MJ and Adam were old buddys and absolutely nobody can do the same quality job with Adam than MJ did , so it really sucks to be in Marcos place because its really unfair for him to be compared to MJ all the time.

PS: Ill gladly pay 10bucks a month fee to get MJ back... if couple hundred people pay 10bucks extra i really think it would be worth for MJ to come back and do this once a week.

Nothing against Marco , it is really ballsy of him to come and try to do what MJ did even its clearly impossible , in fact this show could be ok with Marco i think in short time... thats not even the real problem. The real problem is Pokercast was by far the best poker show and there is nothing as good compared to MJ and Adam and its pretty hard to just say ... meh this might be mediacore one day maybe.

Bring MJ back!
08-08-2014 , 05:05 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilbury Twist
Marco had me at the first minute of this video:

Yeah, forgot about that one, great laugh again. Thanks! He had me with the Tony Korfman interview, and then the one with Jimmy Fricke and his dog which for some reason was hilarious to Marco. Those were truly good episodes. And of course the Doug Lee ones.
08-08-2014 , 06:15 PM
I thought Marco did a good job and enjoyed the podcast. There obviously isn't the same history and chemistry that Adam and MJ had, but I'm sure this will be developed with a new co-host, over time.

My main observation would be to cut down on the length of some of the questions posed during interviews. Marco can certainly talk, and that's great, but it seems that sometimes there was too much thrown into a single question which may have been better served broken up a bit more.

Hope to hear more of Marco on the Pokercast in the future.
08-08-2014 , 09:57 PM
Adam, fantastic job taking the reigns. Your nerves were rarely apparent and you only missed one pre-break PokerStars plug. Seriously, great job.

As for Marco, I was won over. I tried to listen to some QuadJacks stuff before and didn't get into for whatever reason, so I was skeptical when I learned he was the first guest host. Turns out my skepticism was unnecessary as it went very well. He balances Adam's low key approach as MJ did previously and I look forward to seeing him come around again.
08-09-2014 , 03:22 AM
Maybe try take more dominate roll Adam, having listen to Marco 75% is gunna make podcast not fun listen to.
08-09-2014 , 03:23 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wildspoke
Overall, good show. A little sticky in parts but that's to be expected. Different roles and all.

Marco, one bit of 'constructive criticism' When Lee Jones was on, you guys were asking some fairly serious/important questions. Lee was definitely walking a tightrope and trying to provide some info but you kept stepping on his words trying to get in a joke and breaking his rhythm.

It was the only point in the show where I was like "Let the guy talk."

But I applaud you both for asking tough questions to the show sponsor.
And I appreciate that Lee answered them as best as he could.
+1
08-09-2014 , 07:53 AM
Could you not at least keep the intro? "And here they are, Mic and Adam...talking into it"!

I'd have MJ back in a heartbeat but overall I still enjoyed listening with Marco as co-host.Can't be easy trying to step into the shoes of a podcasting legend, especially considering it was the chemistry between Adam and MJ that often made even the most boring subject discussions worth listening to.
08-09-2014 , 11:34 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by pninwin
Ehhhh, Mike's absence is gonna take some getting used to. Overall I think Adam needs to find someone who he is a real buddy with. The Mike and Adam duo was such a listening pleasure because it feels like we are joining two buddies who are hanging out and shooting the ****....poker just happens to be what they like talking about. This episode definitely sounded like two guys who had to grind out a show but obviously we've been spoiled. Marco is definitely very knowledgeable, I learned a few things today
Agree with this. The rapport of Mike & Adam is what makes the show so great. This was still a good ep full of good content, but obviously it's going to be different with 2 people that don't know each other very well. It was a good idea to fly Marco in ahead of time.

One thing that was definitely missing during this ep is the real 2p2 forum connection. Mike was always so up on everything that was happening in the forums, where it feels like Marco is kind of removed from the community a bit.

Still enjoyed it and will keep listening obv. Good luck!
08-09-2014 , 11:39 AM
Lots to read here....most critical of Marco, usually softly, and likely justified by the 'it will take time for chemistry' qualifier.

Marco is a poker journalist, while a MJ was a broadcaster/poker fan. These are definitely 2 different dynamics. Marco will never be MJ, but he's solid, knowledgeable, and likeable.

He definitely needs to focus more on being an entertainer if he wants to co-host full-time. That might be a very different tone than he is used to. And Adam may have inherited the host chair by default, but he is in THAT chair now and he needs to be in the lead. Even the intro segment sounded as if Adam was auditioning: his level was low and his speech was very cautious.

This will take time. And not like 3 shows but more like 20. My gut tells me this can be a very good show with these two, but it will always be a different one than those first 325.

No one needs to be MJ or replace MJ - find a new groove, your own groove.

To both Adam and Marco: be prepared, comfortable, and entertaining, and I'm sure we listeners will love the product that results.


***edit/addon**** Skleice (above) makes a good point...MJ loved everything 2p2, and when Marco identifies himself as someone inside the community, as opposed to someone just reading the threads, it will add a needed intangible.

Last edited by lemmyisgod; 08-09-2014 at 11:47 AM.
08-09-2014 , 01:55 PM
Even though it is impossible to unhear the last 3+ years (I started listening right after Black Friday), I tried not to compare this episode to the Mike and Adam era. Obviously the same chemistry would not be present, so it was pointless to make that comparison.

Instead, I asked myself whether I would have continued listening to the show if this were the first one I'd ever heard. During the first segment, the answer was no. It sounded very flat. Very dry. Very MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. Mind you, NewsHour is solid journalism, but you consume it for information, and definitely not for entertainment. Adam even did this "issue number 3" thing during the first segment as if it was The McLaughlin Group [if you've never seen the show, you may have seen the SNL parodies of it].

But I kept listening because of the goodwill accrued over the past three years. Things got a little better. There was even an ep saver, when Marco joked with Steve that "there's actually some preoccupation, some rumors, that MJ may have to pull out of Canada."

I will listen intently over the coming weeks to see how it goes with the next guests.

Also, including the commercial that solicits witty intros ending with "Mike and Adam" seemed weird.
08-09-2014 , 06:55 PM
I looooove Marco❤️❤️❤️
08-09-2014 , 11:37 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sammut
I looooove Marco❤️❤️❤️
You are a sick sick man
08-09-2014 , 11:43 PM
Way too much talk about American online poker legislation in his show. Hope this is not a sign of things to come. Always had a great balance between poker issues and the lighter 'NVG' side of the game.
Marco is obviously knowledgable but he can get irritating after a while. Get someone else in.
08-10-2014 , 01:02 AM
Some harsh comment, but it's appreciated.

Obviously not going to be able to replace someone like Mike but given some time to figure out the lead hosts' chair I hope to bring my own style to the show.
08-10-2014 , 03:30 AM
Adam keep being yourself. Terrance,Marco are very capable of hosting. MJ was a special breed with his insightful look at the poker world. Guys that have this quality like Liv B would be great co hosts as well. Enjoyed the show as always.
08-10-2014 , 01:23 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamSchwartz
Some harsh comment, but it's appreciated.

Obviously not going to be able to replace someone like Mike but given some time to figure out the lead hosts' chair I hope to bring my own style to the show.

What you and Mike did was great but it's your show now.

Your best shows are ahead of you.

Stay positive. Keep cranking!

      
m