About this episode
Episode 83 - Matt Salsberg🎬 From Hit TV Shows to High Stakes Poker: The Story of 2012 WPT Player of the Year Matt Salsberg Play with us on Phenom Poker: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1 Play with us at Table 1: https://table1.vegas Matt Salsberg isn’t your typical poker pro. He wrote on Weeds . Sold scripts to Showtime, HBO, Amazon. Created a sitcom with Lee Majors. But just as it was about to take off… Hollywood did what Hollywood does. Then came cancer. Then came the comeback. This episode is a masterclass in storytelling, reinvention, and chasing edge — from scriptwriting rooms to final tables. Matt shares how he went from ghostwriting for Curb Your Enthusiasm to battling colon cancer and finishing 70th in the Main Event — all while pitching shows that networks weren’t ready for (but should’ve been). 🧠 If you’re into storytelling, poker, Hollywood drama, or what it means to take a shot when everything’s stacked against you… you’ll love this one. Show Notes: 00:00 🎬 Intro & First Impressions 02:00 🃏 Hollywood Meets Poker 10:00 🧠 A Life of Obsession 20:00 ✍️ Breaking Into TV 30:00 📺 The One That Got Away 45:00 ♠️ The Poker Arc Begins 55:00 💔 Dreams, Rejection & Redemption 1:10:00 🩺 Cancer, Chaos & Survival 1:30:00 🔁 Coming Back to Life 1:45:00 🎯 The Final Chapter (For Now) Follow Matt: https://x.com/msalsberg Follow Table 1: https://x.com/table1vegas https://instagram.com/table1vegas https://table1.vegas https://youtube.com/@table1vegas Follow Justin: https://x.com/justinyoung07 Follow Art: https://x.com/artparmann