ALL IN with Evan Jarvis: Andrew 'LuckyChewy' Lichtenberger

June 21, 2018

Jeff Platt

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One of the most successful poker players of all-time, Andrew 'LuckyChewy' Lichtenberger joins Evan Jarvis on Episode Three of ALL IN.

From his early days on the Two Plus Two forums, to his big wins at the World Series of Poker & Alpha8, Lichtenberger discusses the keys to his poker success.

The two also look take a deep dive into his experiences as a “sitter” at Burning Man and the virtues of Chinese medicine. This mind-expanding conversation is full of insight and thoughtful reflections.

Show Time Stamps

0:15	Evan introduces Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger
5:45	An overview of Andrew's poker career highlights
7:05	How Andrew first found poker: "I was working at a bowling alley...and I'd see my boss playing partypoker on his computer."
9:30	How Andrew transitioned into poker full-time: "I actually lost for the first 18 months I played poker online...I was no good when I started."
11:00	Andrew on Doyle Brunson's "Super System": "My parents got me 'Super System.' And I thought, 'oh ok, this guy is just mashing people with his draws.'"
11:41	Books that inspired him to think differently about poker: "There were three books that I read that inspired me to think differently about poker."
16:50	Learning to relax after winning a bracelet: "It was amazing and I'm really grateful for that experience but I downswung a bit since then."
18:47	What it felt like to be at the top of the game: "It feels great because you definitely have that sense of accomplishment, you feel like you've achieved something...but there is sort of a pressure that comes with it."
20:40	Andrew's goals when he started out in poker: "I'll share these, they're not going to be what you think, but it's actually how they happened."
25:35	Evan on how you can keep changing goals: "Having goals is really fantastic...but if at some point along the way you find a destination that is looking more attractive, it's okay to change the direction of your compass."
27:15	Sponsor: Gripsed Poker Training
28:00	Andrew on the "glory days" of online poker and offering training early on: "I just felt drawn to give back, I benefited from training videos when I first started."
33:10	Bluff-catchers: "Sometimes the weaker bluff-catchers actually do better as bluff-catchers in some cases where they don't block the cards that the bluff combos of the opponent would contain."
34:05	Andrew's run in the 2009 WSOP Main Event: "It was surreal on so many fronts."
38:15	Andrew reflects on the sacrifice of social experiences for poker: "(It) set me up to be as successful as I've been...I can't look back with any sense of regret."
39:52	Evan and Andrew tell the story of first meeting each other.
42:15	The importance of embracing change: "I think change is one of few constants that exist in our universe."
45:15	Creativity and nature: "We just have a profound connection to nature and there are certain vibrations that are ignited when you're in the presence of 500 or 1000-year old trees."
48:35	The value of Chinese medicine: "I felt somewhat betrayed by Western medicine...I had all sorts of health problems growing up."
52:15	Andrew's diet changes: "The first one, most people have heard of, it's just smoothies."
01:02:25	On "Autobiography of a Yogi", an "ultimate gamechanger"
01:05:55	The strategy of swapping pieces: "It's just a way to enhance that bridge of community and of connectivity."
01:08:16	Andrew on balance and working with extremes: He once had 97% of himself swapped out in the Main Event!
01:15:55	Andrew's favorite teachers: what three people would he choose to have a dinner party with?
01:18:14	Andrew's reading diet: "I don't read as much as I'd like to, to be honest. But an hour or two a day, nothing super-substantial."
01:22:50	Sponsor: 888 Poker (Use the promo code "ALLIN" when you make your first deposit)
01:23:40	A new blog for Andrew and the writing process that goes with it
01:28:20	Andrew's book, "The Yoga of Poker": "In a nutshell, it was just an inspiration to share with the community."
01:30:57	The importance of vulnerability: "It's obviously a balancing act...you can only be as vulnerable as you believe will be beneficial to you."
01:32:55	Evan's thoughts on life coaching and podcasting: "I've been trying to find...what is the perfect fit?"
01:37:20	Qigong and facing fear: "Whatever you're afraid of would be true about yourself if you faced whatever or did whatever...you're always going to be better for it."
01:39:05	Andrew's Alpha8 win: "There's a sort of ramping up...I'm ready to be ready to have that experience."
01:40:45	Tips from Andrew's big year of scores: "I've always believed that when you have success in poker, your confidence in yourself is going to be increased....so you can ride that rush."
01:44:25	Dealing with downswings after the World Series of Poker: "My focus was slightly diverted to having more fun, social experiences. In a sense, it's somewhat cyclical."
01:49:15	Connecting with friends at a festival: "I got an invite to go to Oregon to watch the eclipse at a festival. It was a super-cool experience, it was a really interesting environment."
01:58:55	Andrew's experience of being a "sitter" at Burning Man
02:04:42	Using Burning Man as a catalyst for personal growth: "You're pushed so far outside of your element of being a regular, normal society member."
02:06:15	ALL IN with Evan Jarvis is now in the PokerNews Podcast family. The entire PokerNews Podcast family of podcasts is now available on audioBoom.
02:06:49	Advice for players who are beginning their poker career: "It's good to know what you want but you have to be open-minded to the way your journey is going to take you."
02:08:17	Keys to longevity and consistency: "It doesn't do you any good to push yourself beyond your limits...it's much more beneficial to have other activities to do."
02:09:52	Andrew's ingredients for a happy life: "Just being grateful, I strongly believe having an appreciation for everything that happens to you in life is extremely integral to growing as a person."
02:13:42	Andrew looks at the best moments of his poker career.
02:15:42	Comparing a friend's victory to your own: "We're always harder on ourselves than we are on other people. When I have success, it's like I've held myself to this standard...and it's almost like a weight is lifted."
02:17:47	Staying present, slowing down, and "softening."