Poker’s Longest-Working Podcast, Ante Up Poker Forged, Comes to an Conclude

Ante Up Poker Media LLC, which was committed to day to day poker players and their poker rooms, was established in June 2008 by Scott Extended and Chris Cosenza. In addition to publishing Ante Up Journal, which was dispersed to rooms about the county, and hosting Ante Up Cruises on the substantial seas, the pair also produced weekly episodes of the Ante Up Poker Forged.

The audio clearly show truly debuted on June 15, 2005, three yrs ahead of the company (which is formally for sale) was launched, and concerning then and February 17, 2022, by no means unsuccessful to develop an episode each and every and each individual week. It was the longest-managing poker podcast in record at 870 shows, but sad to say, their operate arrived to an conclude before this calendar year.

“I am retired and needed my routine totally free to pursue other pursuits,” Cosenza discussed. “We have been accomplishing this for just about 17 several years and it just felt like the time was proper.”

Lengthy echoed people sentiments: “It just felt like it was the right time to deliver this chapter of Ante Up and our life to an conclude. Chris has needed to retire for a few years now and was acquiring fast paced with new hobbies, and I a short while ago started my new business enterprise and have been rising it while finding even much more lively in my local community. Our creativeness was just likely in unique instructions now.”

PokerNews a short while ago caught up with both Lengthy and Cosenza to reflect far more on their remarkable operate and contributions to the recreation.

Beginning the Ante Up Poker Forged

Back in 2005, Ante Up’s famed duo were each operating at the St. Petersburg Occasions in Florida. Cosenza worked in a section that explored new media, like podcasting, and he volunteered Extensive and himself to tackle the new medium in the midst of the “Poker Growth.”

“We were being terrible then, really terrible,” Extended recalled, “but in just about a month or so, we ended up obtaining e-mails from all over the entire world, so we knew we were being on to anything. We would later establish an entire business around it.”

Certainly, the firm would develop to develop into just one of the most recognizable brand names in the market thank to possessing its possess poker tour, which PokerNews has reported on, and putting tough copies on magazines straight into the palms of gamers.

For the duration of that time, Prolonged and Cosenza became recognizable names to “Average Joe” players.

“I actually appreciated discovering what mayhem Scott bought into the week right before and poking exciting at him for it, and vice versa,” Cosenza said in regards to what he savored week in and 7 days out. “Nothing is much more entertaining than two guys busting every other’s chops.”

For Extended, it was all about the supporters.

“By far my beloved portion of carrying out the demonstrate has constantly been the conversation with our followers. On a everyday basis, it’s been answering their e-mails about arms they’ve played, situations they’ve operate into in poker video games or inquiries they have about this great recreation. But more than these past 17 decades, it has meant sailing with them on Ante Up Poker Cruises, enjoying with them at Ante Up Poker Tour occasions, or crashing their home game titles. A excellent amount of them have turn out to be wonderful buddies and will continue to be for good, I hope.”
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Transforming with the Situations

When the Ante Up Poker Cast initial debuted, there was a globally trend for poker. Funds and possibility abound, but in the ten years that followed things modified considerably on a lot more than 1 celebration.

Lengthy spelled out: “The show has absolutely altered in excess of the yrs. From a complex viewpoint, we bounced around from a couple of distinct studios just before choosing that Skype know-how was superior ample for us to do the clearly show from our offices. But the content material construction has been the most remarkable adjust. In the commencing, we just yapped into the mics, a blunder as well numerous podcasters make. It wasn’t extended prior to we started structuring the clearly show with standard segments, and that framework seriously assisted bring the demonstrate collectively every single 7 days. Monetarily, we under no circumstances monetized the show to its potential, a choice that oddly doesn’t trouble me considerably. We appreciated a strong partnership with PokerStars for several several years until Black Friday, and we never ever uncovered a real partnership like that once more. I actually desired that, relatively than popping in random advertisements or reading through scripts for advertisers. So, we did not make considerably income from the exhibit, but I believe that it remained genuine mainly because we didn’t.”

“We interviewed just about just about every popular poker participant and business leader more than the initially 10 many years or so, but then we genuinely preferred it to be much more about the supporters.”

Cosenza assumed again on related traces: “Being lifelong journalists, we felt we necessary to notify the public, so we mainly recapped what ever poker information was taking place that 7 days, but as our listeners grew, so did the need to have for a lot more information. So, we incorporated typical bits and often scheduled segments, these types of as Columbo’s 1-Moment Secret, which gave way to O’Mally’s Move. We interviewed just about each and every well-known poker participant and sector leader more than the initial 10 yrs or so, but then we definitely preferred it to be additional about the supporters, so virtually all of our segments finally grew to become fan-driven, from Listener Spotlight and Get in touch with the Ground to Hand of the Week and even some banter.”

Speaking of friends, who had been some of their favorites?

“Without a question, my favored guest was AJ Benza,” Cosenza claimed. “The male was location on, of course pretty audio savvy, and he was hilarious. At the time, we were being nonetheless doing the job for the Moments, so we experienced a sure journalistic integrity we experienced to adhere to, but he dropped so numerous F-bombs and other curse phrases that the present would have been just one long beep. So, I approached our bosses and advised them the predicament. They let us publish the display without the need of any editing and it was conveniently a person of our most well-liked episodes. It is the only time I ever had to test the profane language box when uploading to iTunes.”

For Extensive, Barry Greenstein was another person who right away jumped to brain: “He experienced been up all night playing playing cards and our producer forgot to press the ‘record’ button. Barry was so on, and was exceptionally gracious when we experienced to commence in excess of. And when we did, it was just about like we by no means started around. He was a accurate poker professional.”

As for company they regret hardly ever finding, Cosenza only had one particular.

“The only guest we didn’t get that I regret was Phil Ivey,” he admitted. “I watched him enjoy at Foxwoods at the time. I experienced to use the men’s room, and when I came back again he was knocked out and already on his was to Atlantic Town to participate in baccarat at the Borgata.”

What Will Turn out to be of the Rest of Ante Up?

Even though the Ante Up Poker Forged has ended their weekly run, long run one particular-off episodes are a possibility. Equally, the relaxation of the enterprise will continue to be operational.

“Ante Up Poker Media LLC stays for sale, and we have obtained a few new inquiries this 7 days and proceed conversations with other interested purchasers,” Prolonged discovered. “So, the foreseeable future of the organization, including irrespective of whether the podcast will be resurrected, will count on who decides to carry on our legacy. But in the meantime, we have refreshed our site, will monetize it greater, and develop our online information report to involve all forms of gambling as athletics wagering, in specific, grows immediately.”

As for Very long himself, while poker is actively playing a scaled-down function in his daily life presently, he’s not slowing down.

“I made a new enterprise, Quiz Artistic LLC, final calendar year that combines all of my passions – information creation, celebration scheduling, neighborhood engagement, and a lot more,” he reported when questioned about what is subsequent. “I structured the corporation to run little if I’m even now wanted at Ante Up, or much bigger if not. Appropriate now, I’m transforming my home workplace into a podcast and movie studio and approach to start some new video clip podcasts of my personal really before long. That medium is just so powerful in communicating with people today and developing communities – so sturdy that I just cannot visualize that podcasting will not be a aspect of my life permanently, even although our Ante Up operate has appear to an stop.”

For Cosenza’s part, he presented: “I’m seeking forward to all of the perks that arrive with retirement, you know, medical professional visits, frequent junk mail from AARP, and crafting offended Letters to the Editor. In fact, I am an energetic member of the bonsai community and appear ahead to my time with my wife, Jeanne, and our little trees.”

Ante Up Poker Cast’s Legacy

Ultimately, PokerNews took the opportunity to ask each Lengthy and Cosenza what they both thought or hoped would be the lasting legacy of the Ante Up Poker Solid.

Extended: “We weren’t the first poker podcast, but we have been a person of the firsts, and I question any one was on the air constantly for as lengthy as we had been, so these are two legacies for which I believe that we’ll be remembered. But I hope our biggest legacy will be our commitment to ‘everyday gamers,’ which is who we usually catered to, not just with the podcast, but also with our journal, our cruises and our tour. Most poker media concentration on significant-name professionals, big tournaments, and famous people, but I’ve listened to estimates that say 95 p.c of poker players are recreational gamers. We manufactured that 95 percent experience special in a way several many others in the poker entire world have or will.”

Cosenza: “There are quite a couple of issues I consider the present must be recognised for now that it is fundamentally concluded. Initial, we did a clean up demonstrate. Once in a while a cuss word would slip in due to the fact in genuine everyday living we each swear like sailors on leave, but we required to continue being skilled and did not want to offend everyone. Also, the dedication. For the most element, it was finished out of sheer pleasure, never ever missing a 7 days for like 800 straight episodes. We did not make our bread and butter with this clearly show it was just that one probability a 7 days to catch up, make each and every other chortle, and enable that cab driver in Denmark make it by way of his change.”

Click on in this article to listen to the ultimate episode of the Ante Up Poker Podcast!

_{*Photographs courtesy of Chris Cosenza and Scott Lengthy of Ante Up Magazine.}

Govt Editor U.S.

Executive Editor US, PokerNews Podcast co-host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.