BBZ Blog one-year anniversary: Our best articles from 2021

It’s been a whole year since we launched the BBZ Blog!

To celebrate our one-year anniversary, we’re taking a look back at our favorite articles from the year, including interviews with big names, great strategy pieces from our coaches, and more.

Have a scroll through. There’s bound to be something you missed that could change the way you play and think about poker.

While you’re doing that, we’ll blow out the candles on the BBZ Blog birthday cake.

January

No Jumper’s Adam22 doesn’t play poker for thrills. He plays to win.

We kicked off 2021 by interviewing Adam “adam22” Grandmaison, host of the super successful No Jumper podcast. A keen poker player, adam22 spoke to us about his return to the game (he was pro in the early 2000s prior to his content success), why he studies with BBZ Poker, and his plans in poker.

Twitch star Arlie Shaban: “I didn’t even know people studied poker”

Cast your minds back to January and you’ll remember that BBZ student and Twitch star Arlie Shaban was on a tear, winning both Blowout and Turbo series titles on PokerStars. We spoke to him about his success, study habits, and more.

BBZ Picks: the best poker hands from TV

We asked the BBZ crew for their favorite poker hands from TV. Check it out.

February

5 biggest mistakes poker players make

Every poker player is guilty of making these mistakes at some point in their career. Here, BBZ talks us through what they are and how you can avoid them.

5 ways to deal with poker downswings

BBZ also gave us some great advice on how to cope when you’re going through a downswing.

BBZ Picks: Our biggest poker icons

We asked the BBZ crew for their biggest poker icons when they were coming up in the game.

March
Student vs master as BBZ member faces bungakat in $112K heads-up

Imagine being heads-up for $112K against the guy who teaches you poker. That’s exactly what happened when Gaurav “Haversham” Sood ended up heads-up against BBZ coach Jargo “bungakat” Alaväli for a GGPoker Global Millions title. We spoke to them both about this unique situation.

5 things that will kill your poker career

BBZ was back with more words of wisdom in March. This time he taught how not to blow our poker careers before they’ve even started.

Platinum Pass winner Carlos Pal: “BBZ helps me see poker for how it actually is”

Long time BBZ student was on fire in March. Here, Pal tells us how BBZ and one-on-one coaching with Jordan has transformed his game, his results, and his outlook on poker in general.

April

Tonkaaaa returns to Twitch: “I’ve matured, not necessarily for the better”

The return of the king! Parker “Tonkaaaa” Talbot made an Ali-like return to the ring in April and told us all about it.

How to avoid going broke in poker

More sage advice from BBZ in April. Don’t go broke!

Bungakat on his biggest poker week ever

Bungakat was unstoppable in April with huge scores in both SCOOP and the GGPoker Spring Festival. We spoke to him about his $250K week.

May

New BBZ coach Wey “CRAIBaby” Xie on the consistent beauty of cash games

BBZ introduced Wey “CRAIBaby” Xie as its new cash game coach in May. Here, Xie tells about his background and his love of cash games.

Cash game coach Bertie ‘bigstealer’ Bayley will unclog your brain

Xie’s announcement was quickly followed by that of Bertie “bigstealer” Bayley, who also joined the BBZ coaching team. We spoke to him about his coaching methods and more.

5 proven techniques to help you study poker charts

At BBZ, we’re constantly updating our range of Charts so you have access to everything you need to become a consistently winning player. But studying them all can be hard. Here are five proven techniques that will help you bolster your memory and improve your poker playing.

Lex Veldhuis: “The BBZ Team are animals. I want to play like that too”

Lex tells us why he decided to study with BBZ and his plans for the Lex Bundle.

June

How your HUD informs your study of poker charts

At the beginning of our BBZ & Lex Veldhuis: Database Study Session video, Lex and Jordan “bigbluffzinc” Drummond (a.k.a. BBZ) take a look through Lex’s PokerTracker stats to find areas he can work on. Here’s a breakdown of what they find.

4 lessons from the Apestyles interview with Adam22

In a YouTube interview with BBZ student and No Jumper podcast host Adam “Adam22” Grandmaison, apestyles dropped some wisdom that we thought we’d share with you.

July

BBZ Picks: the best online poker tournaments

What’s your favorite regular online poker tournament? We asked the BBZ Team to tell us their favorite regular online poker tournaments and why. Here’s what we found out.

Salim Admon on winning $619K and how he planned for success

BBZ student Salim Admon tells us about his massive $619K score in the Wynn Millions.

August

The philosophy of PioSolver: “Game trees are like pieces of art”

if you’re willing to put the work in with your own solver, you might be surprised at the beauty you find. Here, BBZ cash coach Wey Xie explains.

Studying poker before playing poker: How an 18-year-old prepared to crush

Should you study poker before ever playing a hand? This BBZ student made a great case for it.

September

How to invest in yourself in poker: “The money comes back quickly through the knowledge you gain”

You’re not diminishing your bankroll by withdrawing some and using it to get poker coaching. You’re investing in yourself and that money will come back in no time, as this BBZ student told us.

How to become the best poker player in the world

Michael Addamo blew everyone’s minds in September, taking the high roller world by storm. Here, we look at exactly how he became the best poker player in the world.

October

Stop punting! How a BBZ student improved his tournament results

Do you find you punt in tournaments you shouldn’t play? This BBZ student told us how he changed his behaviors and drastically improved his results.

Frank Hamel’s Mental Game Bundle provides a framework for poker success

October saw performance Frank Hamel join the BBZ Poker coaching team. Here he tells us about his new bundle, his techniques, and why the mental game is so important for poker players.

BBZPoker student Lara Eisenberg on winning her maiden WSOP bracelet ($115K)

BBZ student Lara Eisenberg won her first WSOP bracelet for $115K and spoke to us about what the experience was like.

November

​​3 common mistakes tournament players make when moving to cash games

Are you making mistakes in your cash game play? Find out in the article above.

Tournament tips: Adjusting to a bigger poker bankroll

Adjusting to a bigger poker bankroll is something all players who study hard and find success go through. Here, a BBZ student tells us what it’s like to win money quickly and avoid the temptation to punt.

Poker warm-up and cool down: How to build a routine around your sessions

Athletes stretch. Actors get into character. Singers perform vocal exercises. But how should poker players warm up before a session?

December

Tournament tips: Betting small for value on the river

It’s natural to get greedy in a poker hand and go for it all with a big value bet on the river. We all want to win the most in any given spot, but what if the most you can ever win is actually very little?

The Xmas gift guide: What to buy a poker player for Christmas

Here we’ve put together a quick Christmas gift guide with suggestions for excellent poker gifts. Happy holidays!