Garrett Adelstein CALLS OUT Daniel Negreanu

Interview Overview

Charlie Carrel interviews Garrett Adelstein about his memoir, Beneath the Cards, and the fallout from the infamous “Jack Four” hand.

Garrett says the book began as angry writing to help him process the incident, but grew into a broader account of his life and poker career. He still wants readers to understand why he believes Robbie cheated, but says most of the book is about much more than the scandal. He is also preparing a lengthy video outlining the evidence.

The “Jack Four” Hand and Its Aftermath

Garrett was especially surprised by how strongly Daniel Negreanu defended Robbie in the days after the hand. He says Phil Galfond initially doubted that Robbie cheated, but later changed his view after new information emerged. Garrett also challenges commentator Bart Hanson to address the evidence presented in his book.

The two discuss how personal experiences—including whether someone has previously been cheated in poker—can shape their interpretation of the case. Garrett presents cheating as his conclusion, not as an undisputed fact.

Garrett says he is no longer angry at Robbie and even feels some sympathy for her. Still, he believes she was involved in an attempted cheating scheme and “messed it up.” He suspects she may have been following someone else’s instructions rather than acting as the mastermind.

In Garrett’s view, Eric Persson was not involved. Although Eric changed his shirt and hat during the stream, Garrett points to a hand in which Robbie made a similar raise with a weak holding against Eric as evidence that Eric was not in on the scheme. Charlie jokingly suggests the shirt change was suspicious; Garrett turns the joke around by asking Charlie to explain his own shirt change.

Mental Health and Family

The conversation takes a serious turn as Charlie and Garrett discuss depression, suicidal thoughts, therapy, and the difficulty of separating poker’s strategic mindset from everyday relationships.

Garrett credits cognitive behavioral therapy and talking to someone with helping him challenge the belief that a low point will last forever. They also reflect on how becoming parents gives them purpose and motivation, even when parenting is exhausting. Charlie describes Garrett as genuinely introspective and driven by love for his family. Garrett returns the compliment, joking that the two of them are “brownnosing” each other.

Poker Strategy

Garrett advocates learning theoretical fundamentals before adapting exploitatively to an opponent. Charlie argues that, against many live players, going straight to a well-grounded exploit may be more useful than spending mental energy on solver theory. They do not fully settle the debate, but agree there are multiple paths to becoming a strong player.

Lighter Moments and Closing

Garrett calls himself “problematically rich,” discusses giving money, and jokes that he is “just getting warmed up” at 40. Charlie closes by endorsing Garrett’s book and poker course, as well as his upcoming video presenting the evidence.

Personalities

• On camera: Charlie Carrel, Garrett Adelstein
• Discussed: Robbie Jade Lew, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Galfond, Bart Hanson, Eric Persson, Ryan Feldman, Tom Dwan, Chris Brewer, Nick “NickFatuji” Faruchi, and Rip.