The Bernard Lee Poker Show 12-21: 2019 WinStar Champ Eric Bunch, Martin Harris

Bernard Lee Contributor

Sep 26, 2019 Last updated Nov 04, 2022

Guests:

Eric Bunch Martin Harris

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In this episode of The Bernard Lee Poker Show on the PokerNews Podcast Network, Bernard Lee interviews 2019 WinStar River Poker Series Main Event Champion, Eric Bunch. Eric discusses his career and his breakout win at the WinStar during this past Labor Day weekend.

During the second half of the show, Pokernews editor and author Martin Harris returns to discuss more about his recent book, Poker & Pop Culture, where he focuses on poker in film, music, television and literature.

Show Time Stamps

0:00	Welcome to The Bernard Lee Poker Show as this week’s guests are WinStar River Poker Series Main Event Champion, Eric Bunch and PokerNews editor and author of Poker & Pop Culture, Martin Harris.
0:05	Bernard announces that he will begin his interviews with the WSOP Main Event final table players next week. Of course, the interviews will include the 2019 Champion, Hossein Ensan and runner-up Dario Sammartino. Bernard will kick off his series of interviews next week with fan favorite, fourth place finisher, Garry Gates.
2:01	Richard Bai captured the WSOP Circuit Main Event at Potawatomi in Milwaukee, Wisconsin over a field of 447 entrants and took home $138,317. This victory was his second career WSOP Circuit ring.
2:52	Donald Maloney won the WPT Borgata Poker Open Main Event outlasting 1,156 entrants and earning $487,874.
4:33	RunGood Gear Ad
5:16	Advertisement
5:46	Bernard welcomes WinStar River Poker Series Main Event Champion, Eric Bunch.
6:39	Eric joins the show.
7:28	Eric discusses how he started in poker. “I started around the Chris Moneymaker boom, when it started on TV…hoping someday that I could be sitting in his shoes.”
8:10	Eric talks about primarily playing cash games, but recently focusing on tournaments. “I normally just played cash for the first ten years or so of my career. I started getting into tournaments and focusing on tournaments about three years ago.”
9:27	Eric recalls why he decided to try playing tournaments as people encouraged him and how he got hooked.
11:10	Eric discusses his family, including his wife Lauren who plays as well, and playing in the Oklahoma area.
13:53	Eric talks about how important it is for him to win a WSOP ring and/or bracelet. “Yeah, I think for any poker player, they’re wanting to win a ring, wanting to win a bracelet. And I’m no different. I would like to do that and hoping that it will come soon.”
13:53	Eric discusses how his close calls on the WSOP Circuit helped him captured the WinStar River Poker Series Main Event. “Even when you don’t win, you learn something from it.”
16:50	Eric remembers his victory at WinStar River Poker Series Main Event including Day 1 and especially Day 2 which was a great day for Eric.
21:53	Eric discusses the final table at WinStar River Poker Series Main Event. “The minimum place I was gunning for was first… I go in approaching trying to win it.”
24:57	Eric discusses his poker plans for the rest of 2019. “Plans aren’t going to change too much.”
26:32	Las Vegas Laundry Services Ad
27:33	Bernard brings back PokerNews editor and author of Poker & Pop Culture, Martin Harris.
28:52	Martin joins the show.
31:12	From his book, Martin continues his discussion about movies, including recent poker movies such as Lucky You, The Grand and Molly’s Game. “The longest chapter in the book is Poker in The Movies. There’s a section on the Westerns, a section on the Comedies, and then the last section is on the Dramas.”
36:30	From his book, Martin discusses poker in music, especially focusing on Kenny Rogers’ song, The Gambler. Martin also discusses a recent Lady Gaga song, Poker Face.
43:30	From his book, Martin discusses poker on television, including a Merv Griffin appearance by poker players and multiple shows (including Friends, The Office, 30 Rock, Cheers, The Odd Couple, Roseanne, Friends) that have characters playing poker.
48:22	From his book, Martin discusses poker in literature. “I think for a lot of people, they inspired them to realize that poker is this game that produces so many interesting stories.”
51:00	Bernard and Martin discuss where to purchase the book, Poker & Pop Culture. Bernard will give away an audio version of the book AND will also add an autographed hard copy of the book to another listener via a promotion on Twitter. Follow Bernard @BernardLeePoker to have a chance to win.

Let us know what you think of the show - tweet about the podcast using #BernardLeePokerShow, and be sure to follow @BernardLeePoker on Twitter or Instagram.

You can follow Martin Harris, aka Short Stacked Shamus, on Twitter @hardboiledpoker.

The Bernard Lee Poker Show is now available on iTunes.

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