
Episode #81: Inside The Reserve Poker Club with Jim Kanderski
Update: This is a newer audio file without a glitch that was at 41'20" in the original file. On Episode #81 of Poker: All The Games, Shawn is joined by guest co-host ‘SuperJoe’ Gugelman for a conversation with Jim Kanderski, owner of The Reserve Poker Club in Toledo, Ohio. Joe returns after his appearance on our last episode, this time on the other side of the mic. With Martin traveling back from Italy, Joe joins Shawn to talk poker with someone he knows well, who also happens to own The Reserve. Jim takes us through his journey from home games to owning a poker club, how mixed games have become part of The Reserve’s identity, and what it means to welcome the WSOP Circuit to Toledo from October 29 through November 9, 2026. We also get into what goes on behind the scenes when preparing a poker room for a major tournament series, what makes a WSOP-C stop successful, and the differences between hosting a home game and running a poker club. Whether you’re a mixed-game regular, a poker room operator, a home game host, or simply curious about what it takes to build a poker community, there’s plenty to enjoy in this episode. In This Episode * 6:01 — From Home Games to a Poker Club: Jim’s journey from hosting games to running The Reserve. * 23:00 — Mixed Games & The Reserve: How mixed games fit into the club’s poker culture. * 33:27 — WSOP-C at The Reserve Club: The upcoming WSOP Circuit stop in Toledo and what it means for the club. * 41:24 — Preparing a Poker Room for a WSOP-C: What goes into getting ready for a major tournament series. * 48:06 — What Makes a Successful WSOP-C? The ingredients that can make a tournament stop work for players and organizers. * 51:18 — Home Game Host vs. Poker Club Owner: Similarities, differences, and the realities of running poker. * 63:33 — Upcoming Mixed Cash Games & Tournaments in the U.S. & Europe * 68:21 — Social Media Contact Info Join the Conversation The WSOP Circuit’s arrival at The Reserve is an exciting development for Toledo poker, including for players who enjoy mixed games. Alongside the scheduled H.O.R.S.E., Pot-Limit Omaha, and Big-O tournaments, The Reserve’s regular mixed cash games offer another reason for mixed-game players to pay attention to this stop. Have you played at The Reserve? Are you planning to make the trip to the WSOP Circuit? Let us know what you’re looking forward to, and tell us which mixed-game variants you’d most like to see featured at major tournament stops. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pokerchannel.substack.com/subscribe


















