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Dan "Jungleman" CatesAuthor: "Jungleman" Dan Cates
Dan "Jungleman" Cates (Formerly "Winning The Game of Life") is hosted by Dan Cates. Known as Jungleman in the poker world, Dan has won nearly 12 million in live tournament earnings, more than 11 million in high stakes online games, and is a 2x World Series of Poker champion. On the podcast, Dan will interview interesting individuals who all have one thing in common poker and helping others. Conversations about life lessons from poker, achieving success, personal growth, mental health, diet & fitness, parenthood, philanthropy, effective altruism, and more. Every Saturday. Language: en Genres: Education, How To, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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"PokerGO cost me way more than I ever planned..." - Cary Katz
Episode 146
Friday, 29 August, 2025
I sat down with Cary Katz, the man who quietly built the modern stage of poker. He’s the founder of PokerGO, the one who brought us the Super High Roller Bowl, Poker Masters, US Poker Open, and yes, even the Big Blind Ante. What fascinates me isn’t just his $40M+ in tournament winnings, but his mindset: the shift from frustration to gratitude, from creating a prison with losses to celebrating them. Cary opens up about business risks, how passion projects cost more than you expect, and why he thinks integrity is the only real strategy in life.We also got into health, longevity, and some personal truths: how it took him 55 years to quit sugar, why lifting weights is a cheat code against the “four horsemen,” and how he views the next 30 years of his life as a freeroll. From billion-dollar loans to billions of minutes of poker watched, Cary’s story isn’t just about poker, it’s about building, adapting, and finding perspective through the swings. He also finally lays out who he thinks are poker's true icons... You're not going to want to miss this stunning conversation!CHAPTERS00:00 Cary Katz on being a “copycat” in poker & business00:37 Dan introduces Cary Katz’s impact on poker01:02 Building PokerGO, Super High Roller Bowl & majors02:05 Why Cary prefers tournaments over cash games02:34 Staking, friendships, and instincts in high rollers04:14 Copying great ideas to grow poker brands06:03 Making poker a true spectator sport07:07 Challenges with live broadcasting & delays07:33 Transition from Poker Central → PokerGO08:48 Expanding PokerGO globally (Brazil, Japan, Spanish markets)09:41 Cary’s mindset shift: embracing losses & positivity12:16 Winning his first bracelet with a new mindset13:30 Dan & Cary on gratitude, history, and perspective19:00 Health & lifestyle: fasting, quitting sugar, longevity22:17 Fitness, weightlifting, yoga, and cryotherapy27:01 Fitness vs. business focus – finding balance27:25 Cary’s sales background and path to building College Loan Corp29:04 Scaling from $20M to $3B in student loans33:26 Starting PokerGO as a passion project34:53 The cost of poker productions & why paywalls exist40:17 Online poker challenges vs. live poker instincts43:22 Why Cary supports poker: passion & competition45:16 The invention of the Big Blind Ante48:18 Difficulties of the media business & PokerGO growth50:59 Life balance, gratitude, and slowing down time55:00 Business lessons: revenue, hiring, and integrity58:51 Poker players transitioning into business01:03:40 Cary’s goals: family, longevity, and staying present01:04:09 What’s next for Cary Katz and PokerGO01:04:45 Titles, bracelets, and long-term poker goals01:05:22 Embracing swings & “the wave” in poker and life01:06:12 Closing banter: Negreanu’s influence & poker iconsPINNED COMMENTWho are your top 5 poker icons? Drop em below...
