Poker Stories Podcast With Layne Flack

Poker Stories is a long-form audio podcast series that features casual interviews with some of the game’s best players and personalities. Each episode highlights a well-known member of the poker world and dives deep into their favorite tales both on and off the felt.

To listen, visit www.cardplayer.com/poker-podcasts or download it directly to your device from any number of mobile apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify. Catch up on past episodes featuring notables such as Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Justin Bonomo, Nick Schulman, Barry Greenstein, Michael Mizrachi, Bryn Kenney, Mike Sexton, Brian Rast, Chris Moneymaker, Maria Ho, Joe Cada, Freddy Deeb, and many more.

Age: 49
Hometown: Rapid City, South Dakota
Live Tournament Earnings: $4.9 Million

Top Live Tournament Scores

June 2008 WSOP $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha 1st $577,725
Oct. 2004 Ultimate Bet Poker Classic 2nd $500,000
April 2002 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em 1st $303,880
May 2002 WSOP $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em 1st $268,020
Sept. 2016 River Poker Series Main Event 4th $225,190
May 1999 WSOP $3,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em 1st $224,400
Nov. 2002 WPT World Poker Finals 2nd $186,900
June 2005 WSOP $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em 2nd $185,855
April 1998 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em 2nd $133,000
Feb. 2003 WPT Invitational 1st $125,000

Layne Flack is a six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, which puts him in a tie for no. 9 all time with poker legends such as Daniel Negreanu, TJ Cloutier, Jay Heimowitz, Jeff Lisandro, and Ted Forrest. He also has numerous World Poker Tour final table appearances, and a title in the WPT Invitational. The 49-year-old poker pro has $4.9 million in career live tournament earnings.

Flack got his start both playing in, and running poker games near his childhood homes in Montana and South Dakota. After a nudge from 1996 WSOP main event winner Huck Seed, he made his way to Las Vegas and immediately found his way into the winner’s circle. He earned the nickname “Back-to-Back Flack” after taking down consecutive events at the Legends of Poker series in 1999, and then further cemented that moniker by doing it again at the WSOP in both 2002 and 2003.

Highlights from this interview include a passion for singing competitions, the stabbin’ cabin, crushing games in Deadwood, why he didn’t last long as a dealer, how to properly hit and run, playing Men the Master for the Orient Express, no sleep between bracelets, the unfortunate influence of Mike Matusow, putting his underwear on the table, how Ted Forrest lost one of his bracelets, the politics of the Poker Hall of Fame, $250,000 pots in Larry Flynt’s game, getting a piece of Doyle Brunson, two weeks at McDonald’s, stand up strip club games, and that one time he almost went undercover for the Chicago mafia to play in Michael Jordan’s home game before being outed on national television by David Letterman.

The Transcript Highlights

Julio Rodriguez: I wanted to talk to you about basketball, because I heard you were basically invited to become an undercover pro in Michael Jordan’s game?

Layne Flack: Ha! You heard that story! It certainly wasn’t a basketball game.

JR: Right, it wasn’t a basketball game, it was a poker game. Jordan [had a home game] and you were being brought in to [clean up?]

LF: That’s funny, I had forgotten that story. It was either ‘02, or ‘03. I was pretty good friends with the Binions. I grew up right outside their ranch in Montana. That’s how we bonded when I came to town. I didn’t know them back then, but I used to deliver papers to old man Benny. It was the only white limo to come through this little town in Montana. So they took me in when they found out I was from [there]. It was an automatic bond.

So, I had won back-to-back bracelets, and I get a phone call from Benny. (imitating Benny’s gruff voice) ‘Layne, meet me down at the valet.’ I was staying in my own suite at the top. I always stayed there; it was the ‘Layne Suite.’ So I went down, and we went to the back door of the Crazy Horse with a couple of guys.

JR: This is the strip club from back in the day?

LF: Yeah. So I said, ‘Benny, what are we doing.’ (back to gruff voice) ‘Layne, we wanna to take you to Chicago… put you in this Michael Jordan game… ain’t no pros allowed.’ I was like, what am I getting into bed with, right? A couple of mafia guys from Chicago, but I didn’t give two… I said, ‘Let’s go!’

I go back, having won the back-to-back bracelets, and this never happens…. but there it is on ESPN, and also [Late Night With] David Letterman.

JR: You were outed?

LF: Yeah. It was about Michael Jordan after he left the Wizards.

JR: You’re talking about Letterman’s ‘Top 10’ bit.

LF: Number two was… ‘Win The World Series Of Poker Like Layne Flack.’ (gruff) Benny calls me up and says, ‘Cat’s outta the bag, kid! No go.’ Looking back it was a blessing. ♠

You can check out the entirety of the interview in the audio player at the top of the page or download it directly to your device to play on the go from iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

Catch up on past episodes featuring notables such as Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Justin Bonomo, Nick Schulman, Barry Greenstein, Michael Mizrachi, Bryn Kenney, Mike Sexton, Brian Rast, Layne Flack, Joe Cada, Chris Moneymaker, Maria Ho and many more. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to get the latest episodes automatically when they are released.