PATRIK ANTONIUS HALL of FAME NOMINEE TALKS LEGENDARY HIGH-STAKES CAREER “Probably 40 Days Where I Won Or Lost More Than a Million”

www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 34/No. 14 June 30, 2021

PATRIK ANTONIUS HALL OF FAME NOMINEE TALKS LEGENDARY HIGH-STAKES CAREER “Probably 40 Days Where I Won Or Lost More Than A Million”

Twitch Streamer Seven Card Stud Psychological Vanessa Kade Discusses Eight-Or-Better: Warfare: Get Your $1.5 Million Score Starting Hands Head In The Game

PLAYER_34_14B_Cover.indd 1 6/10/21 10:41 AM PLAYER_14_GlobalPoker_DT.indd 2 6/7/21 8:30 PM PLAYER_14_GlobalPoker_DT.indd 3 6/7/21 8:30 PM Masthead - Card Player Vol. 34/No. 14

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004_MastheadB.indd 4 6/10/21 11:13 AM PLAYER_13_ACR_FP.indd 3 5/25/21 9:40 AM Table of Contents - Card Player Vol. 34/No. 14 18 24

Feature Strategies, Analysis Also In this Issue 18 & Commentary 4 Patrik Antonius: Hall Of Fame Nominee 28 About Us Talks About Legendary High-Stakes Seven Card Stud Eight-or-Better: 36 Career Starting Hands Tournament Schedules By Julio Rodriguez By Kevin Haney 24 38 30 Poker Leaderboards Vanessa Kade Achieved A Dream $1.5 Seven Rules For Becoming Million Tournament Victory A Professional Poker Player By Erik Fast By Evan Jarvis Tournament 31 Hand Matchups The Inside Straight Discipline 29 By Jonathan Little 8 Upeshka De Silva vs. James Carroll Poker News Recap 31 32 Contracts and Poker: 12 Matas Cimbolas vs. Ka Kwan Lau Player Of The Year Update Chips and Cash By Erik Fast By Scott J. Burnham 33 14 33 Balakrishna Patur vs. James Carroll Psychological Warfare: Here. We. Go? 34 Get Your Head In The Game By Gavin Griffin Balakrishna Patur vs. Matas Cimbolas By Craig Tapscott

6 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 14

006_TOC.indd 6 6/10/21 9:40 AM PLAYER_14_bestbet_FP.indd 3 6/7/21 8:19 PM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

the INSIDE STRAIGHT News, Reviews, and Interviews From Around the Poker World NBA LEGEND TONY PARKER BECOMES THE FIRST KNOWN PARTICIPANT IN 2021 WSOP MAIN EVENT

By Steve Schult

Former NBA superstar Tony Parker pick of the Spurs in 2001 and played a 12-year NBA veteran who spent a is the fi rst player confi rmed to be play- with the organization through the end good chunk of his career in a Warriors ing in the 2021 World Series of Poker of the 2018 season. He played with the uniform. In December 2019, Warriors main event. Charlotte Hornets for the 2018-2019 shooting guard Klay Thompson said According to a report from Yahoo! season before retiring. Parker was an that he got “killed” in team poker Sports, the four-time NBA champion NBA All-Star selection six times and games and that the roster was filled won a charity poker event run by was the NBA Finals MVP in 2007. with card sharks. the PM group in January. By taking While there is no offi cial record NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce has down the charity tournament, the of Parker playing poker at any com- been a part of the high-stakes poker former point guard earned a seat in the petitive level, he and then-wife Eva world for quite some time as well. $10,000 buy-in event this fall. Longoria held a charity poker tourna- Pierce held the chip lead on day 2 of “He is very excited to play the main ment during the summer of 2008, and the 2013 WSOP $10,000 pot-limit event for the fi rst time,” said WSOP the NBA is full of poker enthusiasts. Omaha championship and fell just a Director Gregory Chochon. “Because Golden State Warriors minority few spots shy of a cash in the 2014 of his career, he never had the time owner Chamath Palihapitiya is well- main event. He recently lost his job as to participate but he is ready for the known for dipping his toes into high- a basketball analyst for ESPN after he challenge. We always promote poker stakes cash games and is good friends posted raunchy videos on social media as a sport, so Tony’s qualifi cation is with 15-time WSOP bracelet winner from a poker home game. great news!” Phil Hellmuth. Palihapitiya has three e 2021 WSOP will be held Parker played nearly two decades in cashes in WSOP events and was even this fall from Sept. 30 through Nov. the NBA, almost entirely with the San gifted Hellmuth’s 13th bracelet. 23. e main event will run Nov. 4 Antonio Spurs. He was a fi rst-round Hellmuth also coached David Lee, through Nov. 17. m

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8 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 14

008_News.indd 8 6/10/21 9:56 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT CONNECTICUT LEGALIZES ONLINE POKER AND SPORTS BETTING By Steve Schult

Barring interference from the federal government, Since the legislation deals with an existing gaming online poker and sports betting is coming to Connecticut. compact between a tribal entity and a state government, it At the end of May, the Senate passed a bill that would is subject to the approval of the Department of the Interior. allow the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot Tribes to Once approved, Connecticut will become the seventh offer both online gambling, including poker, and sports state to legalize online poker. It joins Nevada, New Jersey, betting, and allow for the Connecticut Lottery to offer Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. sports betting as well. It becomes the third state in New England to legalize e legislation passed through the upper chamber of sports betting, joining Rhode Island and New Hampshire. the legislature by an overwhelming 28-6 vote after a brief Betting on in-state collegiate athletic events, however, will debate on the bill. e vote came less than a week after not be permitted. the House passed the same bill by a 122-21 score. e bill does, however, put a 10-year pause on the Gov. Ned Lamont signed the legislation into law a few progression of the proposed casino in East Windsor, days later. It was Lamont who brought the two tribes, which would be owned by both tribes to compete which own the two Las Vegas-style casinos in the state, with MGM Springfield. Despite the legislation, the two to the negotiating table earlier in the year, agreeing to an tribes had already previously agreed to put the project on online gambling deal in March. hold. e legislation updates the existing gaming compact Online gambling revenue will be taxed at a rate of 18% between the state and the tribes. e tribes will be allowed for the first five years and 20% in the years following. Sports to offer online gambling within the state while adding both betting will have a 13.75% tax on revenue. Early estimates an online and retail sportsbook to its offerings. from the Office of Fiscal Analysis have this legislation gen- In exchange for the online expansion of their casino erating a combined $27.9 million in new tax revenue. business, the lottery will also have the rights to offer both A timeline for the launch of the new market has not online and retail sports betting. been laid out yet. m MASSACHUSETTS CASINOS LIKELY WON’T REOPEN POKER ROOMS UNTIL 2022 By Steve Schult

e Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted 4-0 to remove remaining COVID-19-induced restrictions at the end of May. According to a report from the Berkshire Eagle, the move will allow the state’s two casinos and one slot parlor to return to normal pre-pandemic gambling conditions. In fact, gamblers at the Encore Boston Harbor property celebrated the end of those restrictions the same way as most of the world celebrates New Year’s Eve. Casino patrons on Friday night gathered near a bar and counted down the and the touching of surfaces constantly used by all players seconds until the clock struck midnight. and staﬀ involved. “We are really hoping that this is, again, a sustainable re- In March, regulators relaxed some of their mandates and opening for you all and we wish you the very best and wish allowed casinos to spread those games again, but capped the all the patrons and employees much health and safety,” said number of people at the table, including the dealer, at four. Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairwoman Cathy Executives at Encore Boston Harbor and MGM Springfield Judd-Stein after the vote. said that it would not be profitable to spread poker games With the vote, all the plexiglass dividers, limits on num- that short-handed. ber of players at the table, and social distancing require- Even with the restrictions now in the rearview mirror, ments have been removed. Unfortunately for poker players, poker players in the state may have to wait until 2022 before however, neither the MGM Springfield nor Encore Boston the poker rooms are open again. Harbor have announced that the poker rooms will reopen. “We’re continuing to monitor needs for poker and When regulators allowed Massachusetts casinos to start whether we will bring that back,” MGM Springfield operating again in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Compliance Director Daniel Miller told the Berkshire they prohibited properties from spreading craps, roulette, Eagle. “We too have decided to make a decision by or and poker, citing safety concerns around social distancing around Dec. 31.” m

008_News.indd 9 6/10/21 9:56 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - News, reviews, and interviews from around the poker world Man Arrested For Stealing $1 Million From Poker Pro Chad Power By Steve Schult

Las Vegas Police have arrested a man Authorities were able to iden- accused of stealing about $1 million in cash tify Brewer from a 2006 robbery and chips from a high-stakes poker pro. where he was arrested. In that According to the local NBC affiliate, case, Brewer followed a poker authorities responded to a reported home player home and stole $15,000 in invasion on Feb. 10 where the victim claimed cash and chips. that two men broke into his home and stole Unfortunately, a case like this his safe, which contained a seven-figure sum. isn’t new to the poker world. e Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that In March 2019, four-time World the victim was Chad Power, a regular in Poker Tour champion Darren nosebleed-stakes cash games with more than Elias’ Philadelphia home was $600,000 in tournament earnings as well. robbed at gunpoint. Neither Elias Power is likely most well-known for his deep nor his wife were at home, but run in the 2015 WSOP main event, where he a 19-year-old babysitter was led finished 26th for $262,574. around the house with a gun He told police that he thought he was fol- at her back while the criminal lowed from the Las Vegas Strip to his home searched for cash and other in Henderson. e two men then waited for him to leave valuables. before breaking into his home. Doyle Brunson was beaten in front of his wife in a home 32-year-old Brock Brewer was arrested and is facing invasion back in 1998, just one of the many times he was several felony charges including Burglary with a Deadly robbed or nearly robbed during his long career. In 2008, Weapon and Conspiracy Home Invasion. He already has Hoyt Corkins had his Las Vegas home broken into and three prior felony convictions. the team of thieves had the nerve to take not only two of his Power’s home security system showed a man that cars and a motorcycle, but also his two bracelets. resembled Brewer and another man, alleged to be Trevaghn In January of 2012, 2010 WSOP main event champion Battle, breaking into the back of Power’s house. Upon Jonathan Duhamel was hospitalized after an attack in his exiting, they lowered their masks enough for their faces home orchestrated by his ex-girlfriend. Danish poker pro to be identified. Police reviewed Power’s security footage Theo Jorgenson, who has a WPT title and WSOP bracelet and then compared it to videos of similar crimes involving of his own, was shot three times in the leg in a home professional gamblers. invasion later that year. m Sports Being Legalized In Nebraska By Steve Schult

In mid-May, the Nebraska legislature overwhelmingly constitution earlier this month that banned betting on in- passed LB 561, legalizing sports betting by a 44-3 margin. state amateur sports. Unlike most state legislatures, the Cornhusker State has a Last November, Nebraska citizens voted to allow for unicameral legislature, meaning the proposal did not have casino gambling in their state. The ballot initiative simply to pass through a second chamber. allowed for “games of chance” and didn’t specify that sports Instead, the bill went straight to the desk of Gov. Pete betting would be legalized. This legislation would remove Ricketts, an outspoken critic of expanded gambling. He any ambiguity and allow for betting at those casinos when signed the bill about a week later, shortly before the bill they launch later this year. would’ve become law through inaction, anyway. e legislation passed with an emergency clause attached e legislation legalizes sports betting at brick-and- to it, meaning that as soon as it becomes law, regulators can mortar sportsbooks. Online betting was originally in the immediately begin creating rules and a framework for the bill, but according to several media outlets, it was removed market. e clause makes it highly likely that sports betting from the proposal during a debate on the ﬂoor. could be up and running when casinos launch. Bettors will be allowed to wager on both professional With Ricketts’ signature, Nebraska joins South Dakota, and collegiate sports with an exception for in-state college Wyoming, New York, Arizona, Maryland, and Connecticut athletic events. ose games will not be permitted to place as states that have legalized or expanded sports betting in bets on as the legislature added an amendment to the state 2021. m

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008_News.indd 10 6/10/21 9:56 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT NEVADA CASINOS WIN $1 BILLION FOR SECOND STRAIGHT MONTH By Steve Schult WORLD POKER TOUR ANNOUNCES SEASON XIX SCHEDULE ADDITIONS Nevada casinos topped the $1 billion mark in gaming revenue for the second straight month as the state’s gambling market continues to By Card Player News Team experience a strong rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and the lock- down measures that stemmed from it. In April, Silver State gaming operators reported $1.039 billion in total Following a tumultuous season that saw gaming revenue, according to numbers released by the Nevada Gaming canceled events, long-delayed fi nal tables, much of the action moved online, and even Control Board. The revenue is down ever so slightly from March’s $1.06 a record-breaking fi eld, the World Poker billion and up a whopping 28,255% year-over-year. Of course, it’s not Tour is ready to turn the page and get back useful to compare April 2021 to 2020 as the entire brick-and-mortar to business for season XIX. casino market was shuttered, leaving only a handful of online gambling “Live poker is back at full strength on options available. the WPT and we are ecstatic to once again be Gov. Steve Sisolak forced casinos to close in mid-March of last year able to provide a full and exciting schedule and kept the entire market closed until July. It won’t be useful to draw of events for our players,” said WPT VP of conclusions from year-over-year comparisons until much later this year. Global Tour Management Angelica Hael. But regardless, the 10-figure mark is a huge benchmark and historically “We want to sincerely thank the players and one that means the market is healthy. global casino partners for their unwavering “In Nevada, a billion-dollar win is a bellwether number,” senior support during a challenging year and look research analyst for the NGCB Michael Lawton told Forbes. “We’ve only forward to showcasing some of the best hit $1 billion in the month of April three times in our state’s history.” casino properties in North America.” The key to higher revenue levels comes from success at the casinos Live main tour stops have already been on the Las Vegas Strip. Even after the casino market reopened, the tour- announced, including the season kick off ism industry was still struggling as people didn’t feel safe to travel, and at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, as well as there were several restrictions imposed by the government that made it stops at the Venetian and Choctaw in July. tough for casinos to operate at the same profit levels they were before. e WPT is also returning to previous Throughout late 2020, the Strip was one of the hardest-hit areas of main tour locations to fi nish out 2021, the state. As other areas that relied more on local clientele began to including bestbet Jacksonville in August, return to something close to pre-pandemic levels, major Strip casinos Maryland Live! in September, Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood in November, and still struggled. It appears that the trend is turning around, however. As Bellagio in December. vaccines become more widely distributed, it’s clear that gamblers are Additionally, the tour has planned a willing to return. special invite-only $25,000 online heads- Even with the positive revenue news, tourism rates in Las Vegas are up poker championship by Poker King, still down 27% from April 2019, which signals that a full recovery is still a which has already received commitments year or two away. Hotel occupancy is down 24% from April 2019 and the from players such as Landon Tice, Brad number of guests who flew into the city is down 32%. Drive in traffic to Owen, Tom Dwan, Nick Schulman, and Sin City is up 9%, however. Phil Ivey. In April, the Las Vegas Strip accounted for $483.4 million of the “As we emerge from restrictions state’s total gaming win. It’s a small increase from April 2019, which is throughout North America we have good news for a sustained rebound and continued growth in the market. bolstered the momentum from last season’s Clark County, the area that includes the entire Las Vegas Valley, reported historic numbers and are eager to meet $865.5 million in revenue from its casinos. the great demand for WPT events leading Downtown Las Vegas casinos won $76.2 million from gamblers, which up to our 20-year anniversary in 2022,” set a record for its largest monthly win of all time. Outside of Clark said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. County, Reno posted the best numbers in the state, winning $61.8 million More season XIX events will be from its mostly local gamblers. m announced at a later date. m

008_News.indd 11 6/10/21 9:56 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - Player of the year As of 6-2-2021

Place Player Points Final Tables POY Earnings

1 Qing Liu 3,674 10 $1,092,042

2 Matas Cimbolas 2,810 4 $1,064,605

3 Ali Imsirovic 2,708 11 $1,914,460

4 Sean Perry 2,462 9 $1,693,618

5 Tuan Mai 2,396 13 $300,008

6 James Anderson 2,392 5 $568,560

7 Sung Joo Hyun 2,172 2 $531,744

8 James Carroll 2,160 2 $612,435

9 Joe McKeehen 2,000 2 $716,060

10 Chad Eveslage 1,848 2 $869,148

11 Balakrishna Patur 1,840 2 $1,020,200

12 Fernando Rodriguez-Vazquez 1,800 6 $309,937

13 Ilyas Muradi 1,748 2 $701,480

14 Steven Snyder 1,646 3 $926,584

15 Christopher Brewer 1,631 8 $920,000

16 Brek Schutten 1,620 1 $1,261,095

17 Jesse Lonis 1,544 3 $352,471

18 Brian Altman 1,488 3 $401,101

19 Veerab Zakarian 1,440 1 $674,840

20 Ankush Mandavia 1,420 2 $309,800

ALI IMSIROVIC CLIMBS TO THIRD PLACE IN THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR RACE Ali Imsirovic Nobody has cashed for more money or won more titles in live poker tournaments in 2021 than Ali Imsirovic. e Bosnian-born American poker pro has accumulated $1,914,460 in Card Player Player of the Year-qualifi ed earnings heading into the summer months, making 11 fi nal tables and securing fi ve titles along the way. Imsirovic added to his annual totals with a pair of big cashes during a trio of high-stakes events held at e Venetian Resort Las Vegas over Memorial Day weekend. e 26-year-old took down the fi rst high roller event on the agenda, defeating a fi eld of 77 total entries in the $10,000 buy-in tournament to earn $200,200 and 420 points. Two days later, he placed fourth out of 43 entries in the $25,000 buy-in event to add another $118,250 and 210 points to his totals. Imsirovic now has 2,708 POY points, enough to move him into

third place in the overall standings. PokerGo ©

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012_POY.indd 12 6/10/21 9:57 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

SEAN PERRY SECURES SECOND TITLE, NOW SITS IN FOURTH PLACE Sean Perry joins Imsirovic as the only other player to have cashed for more than Sean Perry $1.5 million in POY earnings so far in 2021. In fact, the two players have made fi ve fi nal tables together, and have battled heads-up three times already this year. Perry has cashed for a total of $1,693,618 this year, which represents the majority of his $2.6 million in career live tournament earnings. Perry, son of WSOP bracelet winner Ralph Perry, most recently emerged victorious with the title in the $25,000 buy-in Venetian High Roller event, earning $365,500 and 420 POY points as the champion. is was his second title and ninth fi nal-table fi nish of the year, with his earlier victory coming in a $10,000 buy-in high roller event held at ARIA in April. His continued success in small fi eld high roller events has catapulted him into fourth place

on the POY leaderboard. PokerGo ©

TUAN MAI WINS AT HIS 13TH FINAL TABLE OF 2021

Tuan Mai While Imsirovic holds the lead in titles and earnings at this point, Tuan Mai is currently the player with the most POY-qualifi ed fi nal tables under his belt in 2021. Mai made his 12th and 13th fi nal tables of the year in May, fi rst fi nishing seventh in a $400 buy-in ‘MonsterStack’ no-limit hold’em event at Venetian for $2,697 and 38 points. A week later, Mai took down the $600 buy-in ‘Ultimate Stack’ no-limit hold’em event in the same series for $75,000 and his third title of the year. is was his largest score of the year, eclipsing the $55,066 payday he got as the runner-up in a $1,100 buy-in event at Venetian back in March. e title also came with 456 POY points, giving him a total of 2,396, which is just enough to break into the top fi ve of the standings. He has now racked up $300,008

CHRISTOPHER BREWER JOINS THE TOP 20 Christopher Brewer Former collegiate distance runner Christopher Brewer has been running deep quite often in 2021. e 27-year-old poker pro from San Diego, California has made eight fi nal tables this year, cashing for $920,000 along the way. Brewer had largely focused on cash games prior to this year, making a rapid ascension to some of the highest-stakes games in the world. is year Brewer has greatly increased the amount of live tournaments that he has played, and found plenty of success doing so. He has more than doubled his career earnings through just the fi rst fi ve months of the year. Brewer made the fi nal table in two of the three Venetian High Roller events, fi nishing third in a $10,000 buy-in event for $84,500 and 240 points before placing fi fth in the $25,000 buy-in for another $86,000 and 175 points. e two scores brought his point

total to 1,631, which was enough to see Brewer move into 15th place in the POY race © WPT.com heading into June.

Jesse Lonis JESSE LONIS CLIMBS INTO 17TH PLACE IN THE STANDINGS Jesse Lonis kicked off 2021 with his largest ever live tournament score, fi nishing fi fth from a fi eld of 1,573 in the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour Lucky Hearts Poker Open main event for $223,895 and 675 POY points. e Little Falls, New York native has gone on to make three more POY-qualifi ed scores since then, adding another $128,576 in POY earnings and 869 rankings points. He most recently fi nished third from a fi eld of 851 entries in the Wynn Spring Signature Series $1,100 buy-in main event in May, adding $89,486 and 608 points to his totals. e score catapulted Lonis inside the top 20, landing at 17th place in the © WPT.com standings for the time being.

012_POY.indd 13 6/10/21 9:57 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - Head Games HEAD GAMES

Psychological Warfare: Get Your Head In The Game By Craig Tapscott

The Pros: Mark Herm, Jesse Sylvia, against without a showdown. I find It’s such a fun game. It attracts so Michael Lech, and Jeff Madsen that when people lose a lot of non- many random professions and interest- Craig Tapscott: What are a few ways showdown pots against me, it’s more ing characters, mostly you just have you burrow into an opponent’s head frustrating than knowing that they had to engage and figure them out. People and wreak havoc during a session? the worst hand. I find the same is true like to chat and open up more when Mark Herm: I wouldn’t say I go out for me when someone keeps winning they are enjoying their experience. It’s of my way to get into a player’s head, no-showdown hands versus myself. kind of amazing to get to know some but it normally just happens because e strategy of nonstop pressure of the people, even if it’s on this felt I play like such a lunatic. Most people can often have benefits beyond those battlefield. I enjoy having a few beers aren’t willing to get out of line, such as that occur during the hand. Keep in whenever I can at the table, which three-bet light multiple times or four- mind that I don’t go out of my way to tends to lighten the mood. I’m simply bet fold, especially against other regs. run optimistic bluffs, I simply err on trying to lower the intensity barrier and My general rule of thumb deep in the side of putting money in the pot break it down. tournaments is to go after other big when it’s close. Jeff Madsen: e key is to know stacks, whether or not they have more Michael Lech: I always try to get a what information my opponent is giv- chips than me. Big stacks generally will grasp of the entire table dynamic upon ing me that will help me get into their believe other big stacks who are going the first orbit or two. I’m never listening head. A variety of things can offer after them, particularly when you have to music or playing on my phone, but insight into what the inner monologue less chips than them because most instead attempting to actively engage of my opponent might be. Once I get people are too scared to do it. anybody that is talking at the table and a sense for a player, I can start to fig- Jesse Sylvia: If we are talking full feel out how they approach the game. ure out how to be two steps ahead of ring games, I’m never specifically tar- Usually if I talk with anybody with- them. I’m looking to manipulate my geting a player on purpose. But that in those first few hands, it sets the bar opponent based on how I perceive their being said, I tend to take the raise of comfort level and even invites more thought patterns. option when both raise and call, or people in if they aren’t accustomed to is manifests itself in processing raise and fold seem viable. Similarly, bantering at the table. As far as ‘bur- straightforward information, such as if I think it’s close between a bet and a rowing in,’ I try to get chatty and make hands an opponent reveals at show- check on the river, I like to bet. Same people feel comfortable. I can befriend down, the board texture, and the action. with choosing to three-bet versus a flat you while still trying to destroy you. At showdown you now have another call preflop. And I’m always waiting for the right nugget about your opponent’s ranges Basically, I like to be avoiding show- time to let the aggressive tiger out of and how they play their value hands down a lot, especially versus a player the cage and let it loose for an orbit or bluffs on each street. Information whom I’ve won a lot of pots previously or two. gained from showdowns and general

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014_HeadGames.indd 14 6/10/21 9:59 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

Jesse Sylvia Mark Herm Michael Lech

information about an opponent’s bet Roe. It sounds a bit over the top, but like using music. e right music sizing and betting patterns combine I took all of this stuff extremely seri- can cleanse the spirit far faster than to give me legitimate insight into what ously. I would even be careful not to expected. Music is just a cheat code in they may be thinking and what kind of eat crappy food on Saturday nights. All a lot of spots in life. player they are. Of course, this kind of of this preparation combined makes a Michael Lech: It’s easy enough to information must be processed by you. huge difference. encounter people that annoy you or e more studied you are at poker strat- I never really experienced other get you off your own mindset quickly. egy and theory; the quicker the insights players getting into my head to be hon- It’s another aspect of the game you will come. est, at least not in recent years. But stay- have to appreciate. I try to just handle en there’s some less tangible ing centered and positive is extremely it with kindness, even while possibly information that will help me get into important. I simply would not allow being upset on the inside. my opponent’s head and ‘wreak havoc.’ negative thoughts to get into my head In general, I notice people tend to Mainly, live reads, whether it be timing if I got unlucky or lost a big flip or get more egotistical when things are tells or being able to interpret body tells something similar. Rather I would try going their way and you just have to that an opponent gives off. ese things to convince myself that that rough situ- take a quick moment to realize it’s all are often a genuine insight into the ation or beat needed to happen in order balanced and comes with many ebbs opponent’s emotional state and patterns for me to win the tournament. And and flows. I can act like it never affects of thought. then I would envision myself having me, but anybody that says that would Other ‘intangibles’ include instinc- more chips at each break. be lying. It’s just trying to get through tual responses to the game flow of the at all sounds pretty fanatical, and the lows of the game when things session or to the table’s energy. Chalk I can’t say I 1,000% believe everything aren’t going well. up the term ‘energy’ here to mean how works exactly like that. I definitely My pregame prep is a short period we perceive and feel our opponent’s think it helps as long as you’re not let- of complete mental solitude before emotional states, whether through logi- ting irrational superstitions negatively entering any game. I attempt to detach cal observation of information or other- influence any poker decision. ere is from every distraction and have a wise. I believe the more poker you play, simply no room whatsoever for negativ- quick meditation for perhaps five min- the more you strengthen a sort of poker ity if you want to be on an elite player utes before any live tournament event. ‘sixth sense’ which is really your brain level. It rejuvenates me. I can then come in processing and comparing data. Jesse Sylvia: I’m usually pretty fresh and ready for any mental war- Craig Tapscott: Please share how much in my own head in the first fare. But my number one thing I do you switch on the Jedi mind tricks to place. I feel like I have an inherent is always find a way to have fun when protect your own concentration and advantage in this department, but playing. I respect others and realize stop an opponent from affecting your nobody is perfect at anything. I feel we’re all there sharing our time togeth- mental state. Do you have a prepara- that way because I do spend time in er. is approach consistently makes tion ritual before you sit down to play silent meditation each morning. for a better experience at the tables. that may assist in this regard? I didn’t do this initially for any Jeff Madsen: I wouldn’t call it Jedi Mark Herm: I had literally a 2-to- advantages in poker, but I’ve noticed Mind Tricks, since ‘Jedi’ implies only 3-hour prep routine I would do before that since I’ve began this practice, I’m an exclusive group of people can con- playing online each Sunday. It would able to get mentally centered much centrate and focus on a high level at start off with a cold shower or cold faster when I play. is often helps if the table. Keep in mind that anyone, bath, then yoga and a series of medita- I’m tilted, but also just if I’m flustered even a complete amateur, can enter tions, affirmations, visualizations, and after some big pots. I find that even into a poker session and be protected breathwork, some of which took place when I win a few big pots back-to- in their centeredness. ey may be during a nature walk. I also had a back, I’m a bit anxious afterwards. completely oblivious to the nuances of pre-game 15-minute session of hypno- Practicing meditation off the table has good poker strategy, but this doesn’t therapy with sports psychologist, Elliot certainly helped with this. I also really mean they can’t be focused and non-

014_HeadGames.indd 15 6/10/21 9:59 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - Head Games

Jeff Madsen just try not to judge the experience and event. The Pennsylvania native also has more continue to try to play my best and than $5 million in career online earnings snap myself back into focus. I value playing under the name ‘Dipthrong.’ the benefi ts of meditation, breathwork, eating healthy, and eliminating Jesse Sylvia finished runner-up in the 2012 distractions. WSOP main event, earning $5.3 million. In the Some common-sense things I do years since he has added another $2 million to help keep opponents out of my in cashes, including a win at the WPT Borgata head at the table are to work on being Poker Open in 2016. Sylvia can often be found mindful. And I stay aware of masking playing high-stakes cash games in Las Vegas. my own tells if necessary or experi- He is a co-founder of Floptimal, a poker menting with reverse-tells as well, if software company that makes elite, efficient it proves valuable against a particular learning tools. opponent. I may on a given day try to take fi ve seconds for every decision Michael Lech, a native of Arkansas, has in a streamlined way and carry myself traveled to over 50 countries, and has been more robotically in a hand. Other days fortunate to be able to play poker in many I may have a table where I can get away of them. He is the only player to win WSOP judgmental of the experience. ey with diff erent behavior or timing. Circuit rings in five different countries, and may lose, but perhaps were still laser- A good fallback is to just give has eight rings overall. He also won a bracelet focused the whole time and in turn as little information away as pos- at the 2020 WSOP Online series, and now has learned from their mistakes. sible. Once you’ve improved in that more than $1.5 million in career tournament is kind of focus comes from regard, you can move on to working cashes. mindfulness, which goes hand in hand on reverse-tells or manipulating your with not overly judging the experience opponent more actively with manner- Jeff Madsen has four WSOP bracelets and at the table as hands play out. Overly isms, etc. m was the 2006 WSOP Player of the Year. The judging implies overthinking, which Los Angeles native has 11 tournament titles on is a habit that takes us away from our Mark Herm has nearly $2 million in live his résumé and $6 million in earnings. Madsen center. When at the table, I’m trying tournament earnings, including three WSOP is a private poker coach and has worked with to be as grounded and focused as pos- final tables. He most recently finished second hundreds of students, and can be contacted sible. But if I’m a little off that day, I in last summer’s WSOP Online $800 PLO at [email protected].

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CP_Sub_25_FT.indd 2 6/7/21 8:20 PM PATRIK ANTONIUS: Hall Of Fame Nominee Talks About Legendary High-Stakes Career “Probably 40 Days Where I Won Or Lost More Than A Million”

By Julio Rodriguez

roughout his two-decade career, Patrik Antonius online and live. has often received more attention for being poker’s most In fact, he estimates that during his career, he’s had attractive player than he has for consistently crushing the “probably 40 days” where he won or lost at least a million highest-stakes in the world. dollars. e wild swings included online poker’s largest ever In December, however, the former Finnish model pot, a $1.376 million win against Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom turned 40, making him eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame. back in 2009. Antonius has been involved in four of the top Although he was not ultimately selected, he was honored 10 biggest online pots of all time overall, and also holds the as one of the ﬁnal 10 nominees, with voters recognizing record for largest pot played during High Stakes Poker and his prowess playing against some of the best competition Poker After Dark. around. Antonius recently appeared on Card Player’s Poker e man Doyle Brunson once acknowledged as one of Stories podcast to talk about the origin of his high-stakes his toughest competitors got his start online well before the career, record-breaking pots, and his new poker app First poker boom, and was already sitting atop the cash game Land of Poker (FLOP). Highlights of the interview appear mountain by the time Chris Moneymaker sparked a poker below. You can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, revolution in 2003. Stitcher, Spotify, or any podcast app. e former tennis standout broke through in the live arena with a win at the 2005 EPT Baden main event, but Poker Beginnings despite almost $12 million in career tournament earnings, Julio Rodriguez: So the story is that you started playing Antonius has always considered himself a cash game player poker with friends at like 12 years old, but you weren’t

ﬁrst and foremost, seeking out the biggest games both really gravitating towards it yet. © Patrik Antonius

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018_CoverStory.indd 18 6/10/21 10:00 AM Patrik Antonius: Yes, I had some older friends, and they mindset that nothing comes easy. You work hard and you would play for some really small money, like pennies. I will get there. started to play with them and we would play different kinds I started to deliver magazines when I was 11 years old. of card games. Like, there was this [version of] five-card I would use the money, all the money that I earned, to buy stud with limit betting. Nobody knew anything. tennis rackets and [other equipment]. I did some selling If you had a really good day, you won like one dollar. over the phone, like a telemarketer. And then I went door But you have to play for a little bit of something to make to door for companies selling magazines and stuff. card games more exciting. I played with them quite a bit, I was a good tennis player and when I had time, I was and then I started to play with my tennis friends. I was teaching some younger players, and I also started to work practicing a lot of tennis, and we had many days when we at the club where I was playing. I actually started working practiced twice a day, and we would play cards between underage. I lied to the boss, saying that I was 15 instead the practices. of 14. I don’t know how they never checked my age, but en we got a bit addicted. All of us loved the game, so I was running the whole tennis club when I was 14. ere [we started] playing after practice. And then we would end was nobody else. I was taking care of the course, stringing up [getting together to] play when we didn’t even have any rackets, running the cafeteria, [manning] the cash [regis- tournaments or matches. ter]... everything. JR: What about your first casino trip? e modeling thing was never a real job. I got a contract PA: My friend went to the casino and started to play with the agency, and they would call me for a photo shoot there before me. I didn’t even know they had poker in the that they would use in a magazine. at paid quite good casino in Helsinki, it was really small then. money for me when I was comparing it to other jobs. I I went one day and I played the beginners event. If I would have one day, three hours shooting, and that would convert the currency of Finnish marks to dollars, I think pay the equivalent of working like five full days at the club. it was a buy-in of maybe 20 dollars.... and I won my first I did a few fashion shows, but they didn’t pay very much. tournament. One job was interesting. When I was 19, in the middle JR: You weren’t considering poker as a job, but you were of winter, they wanted to shoot a sports catalog in Gran doing other things to keep busy. Is it true you were a model? Canaria, which is an island near Africa. We flew there for PA: I did a lot of things. My parents... we didn’t have a week, and it was like a holiday for me. But I quit when I [much] money. I grew up in a very poor family, which I was 19 when I started to make money with poker. think was really the best possible thing that could ever happen to me. I learned to work at a very young age, and Turning Pro work hard. JR: When did you start to take poker more seriously? Sports were my biggest teacher. Everything I learned in PA: ings really elevated in 1999 when I put $200 sports, when it comes to the hard work, and the discipline, online. It was the first time in my life. I managed to run

018_CoverStory.indd 19 6/10/21 10:00 AM As a mainstay in the high- stakes online poker world since the early 2000s, Patrik Antonius has been involved in four of the top ten biggest cash game pots of all time. His largest, coming in 2009 against Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom, was for $1,375,999 in a game of $500-$1,000 pot-limit Omaha. The two players got it all in on a flop of 5p 4m 2n, and Antonius’ flopped wheel held against Blom’s wrap straight draw.

I still didn’t know how to play, but I kind of figured at [pot] was actually [part of] my biggest winning out this overly aggressive style. I was literally trying to play day online. I won over $3 million that day. It was an excit- every hand, raise every hand, bet every flop, and bet every ing time. Any day you could go online and you didn’t know turn. If players raised me back, I would give up. And I was if you were going to win a million or lose a million. winning like that. JR: If you had to estimate how many seven-figure days I was kind of learning in the [opposite] way, playing you have had in your career, in either direction, winning or every hand and then tightening up, instead of the other way losing, how many would you say? around when you play tight and then [loosen up]. I learned PA: If I have to throw a number out of my head... I poker in such a different way than anyone else. I never read would say I had an almost equal amount of [seven-figure a poker book, not even a couple pages. I never had anyone days] live. ere’s probably 40 days where I have won or lost to teach me how to play. I just played and I analyzed myself more than a million. and [got better.] JR: So how do you handle a seven-figure loss? ey say JR: Online poker was just getting started, but you were that winning never feels as good as losing feels bad. already playing the biggest games available. PA: Yeah, that’s a very true statement, very accurate. It’s PA: I pretty much played 12 hours a day for the next almost unfair how the winning [days] start to feel normal, five years. I feel like I played more than anyone else, and I like this is what is supposed to happen. So it doesn’t really loved to play. It was not like I was ever forcing myself to do feel special, but the losing feels really bad and it’s a chal- it. I went so fast from that year to the biggest games online lenge for everyone to handle. in 2001. I went from 2002 to 2005 without ever having a If I had a bankroll of maybe $20 million, and I lost $1 losing month online. million, that’s still a big chunk of it. Sometimes I could handle it better, sometimes worse, depending on how it Record-Breaking Pots happened. If I wasn’t happy with the way I played, it would JR: Despite having an excellent tournament record, take longer for me to accept what happened. you’ve always been a cash game player. You famously have But I was young, and I was so driven. Nowadays, it’s so the record for winning the largest ever online pot, which rare that you go to a big game and you dump a million. I’m was $1.376 million in a hand of PLO against Viktor Blom. not used to it right now. I would have a much tougher time PA: Well, it was really a lot of gambling, big swings. handling it now than I did then. I also had a lot of big losing days. I remember frequently JR: I think people would be surprised to hear that, recording days like minus or plus one million because the because when they see you on TV, you’re so stoic. You also games were so big. ‘Isildur1’ really came to gamble, and hold the records for the largest pot on High Stakes Poker, I feel like anything could have happened with him. He which was about $1 million against Sammy Farha, and wanted to play as big as possible, deep as possible, on as Poker After Dark, which was about $600,000 against Tom many tables as possible. And I was one of the guys that, I Dwan. In both of those hands, the audience can’t see you was lucky I had a really big bankroll, and I felt comfortable sweating, or your heart beating out of your shirt. PA: and confident with my game. In general, I’m a very calm person. I don’t really get © Patrik Antonius

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018_CoverStory.indd 20 6/10/21 10:00 AM my emotions too attached to things. Maybe it helps that gible for the Poker Hall of Fame. You were among the final I’m Finnish. It takes a lot for me to get very excited about 10 nominated before the honor went to Huck Seed. What something. are your thoughts on that? PA: Well, it obviously makes me feel good that I got Tournaments vs. Cash Games nominated. For me... like, I know who I am and I don’t JR: Between 2012 and 2017, you didn’t play a lot of tour- need to be [recognized to know what I accomplished]. But naments. I mean, you still won a few million dollars and to be in the Hall of Fame is going to feel good. were successful in the spots that you played in Australia ere’s a lot of players that deserve to be there. But the and Monte Carlo, but it was clear that you were traveling way we have the Poker Hall of Fame set up right now is that less for tournaments. it goes to those people that were doing really good things en in 2018, before the pandemic, it seemed like for our community, for our industry, which is really nice. you started to play a lot more. You won a High Roller in I like that. Rozvadov and made several more final tables, including a I think I fit all the [criteria] regarding [my playing runner-up finish in the Super High Roller Bowl China for career], but I would really like to get in by also making a $3.15 million. Were you feeling like tournaments were a big impact in our community, in our industry, to elevate shift you had to make? poker and increase the popularity of the game around the PA: at’s funny. Basically, all my tournament results world. at’s what I’m hoping happens with First Land of are from 2005 and 2018. I pretty much quit playing tour- Poker. If [I get in] that way, not just because I was crushing naments in 2006. at’s when the cash games became so the game for so long and had some big results, I would feel big that I just had no interest in tournaments anymore. I really good about it. would play a few WSOP events here and there, but also skip Poker has given me basically everything I have ever the main event for multiple years. I just couldn’t get myself dreamed of. Coming from Finland and not being able to to the Rio, I was always in the cash games. travel because I had no money, now I’ve been everywhere I just really didn’t have any motivation to play a five-day around the world, I’ve met so many people, and gotten so tournament. It would have been a stupid decision, money much life experience. wise, for me to go and play a tournament for many days, And the game.... I still haven’t seen another game which when the cash games were so big that you could win the has everything. It has the most perfect amount of luck that first prize from the tournament in one [cash] session. makes it such a great game. We have this dream in poker In 2017, however, I played a couple of high rollers, and that anyone can come and win life-changing money. You I [realized] these are fun events, and I saw there was good just play one satellite, you get a ticket to the main event, value. It was more interesting, and exciting. you run good for five days, and boom, you can win a million or two. Reflecting On His Legacy You learn so much about yourself when you start play-

018_CoverStory.indd 21 6/10/21 10:00 AM project, an app for poker players to find games and connect with each other. PA: Well, it’s much more than just an app. FLOP, or First Land of Poker, is a digital platform that combines three applications dedicated to the poker community. We have FLOP app, which is the mobile social poker application. It helps players all over the world to connect between each and interact, and the most important feature is help- ing poker players to find game information in real time and get a seat in their preferred poker room. We have also FLOP PM, which is a web app that helps poker rooms to communicate with poker players in a smart way and guide traffic to their cardroom. And the last prod- uct is FLOP GTO, which is an e-learning application that helps poker players to improve their skills based on game theory optimal principles. JR: What was it that made you take on this endeavor? way you’re handling your emotions. You learn that players PA: I had been observing how modern technologies have can be so different at the table compared to their character changed a lot of industries such as finance, health, tourism, outside of the [game]. You can see the most conservative sport, gaming, etc. and I noticed that even though poker is guy playing the craziest poker, or you can see the craziest a really popular game and the poker community is growing guy playing the most conservative. every day, I didn’t see any initiative to digitalize the social en you learn all these body language tells. What is aspect of the game. a sign of a weakness? What is a sign of strength? ese Nowadays, we see a lot of improvement when it comes very little things that you would maybe never in your life to online poker, but for live poker nothing has been done otherwise learn or experience. And the psychological part to connect players through digitally, to help them get to a becomes very big in certain situations. It forces you to live game in just a couple clicks. Our goal for this year is to get in the present moment. Like right now, what is happening? US poker rooms using Flop PM, and at the same time grow You’re not thinking about anything else in your life other the FLOP app community through our live events and than the fact that your opponent went all in and you have digital marketing. On the other side, as a tech company, to make a big decision. we are committed to enhancing our products and bringing It’s really the most amazing, fascinating game. And I the most added value for both players and those running could not say enough good things about the game of poker. the rooms. You can download the FLOP app for free today on either First Land Of Poker (FLOP) the Android Google Play store or Apple iOS. Learn more about JR: You mentioned FLOP, which is your latest poker FLOP PM at FirstLandofPoker.com. m

Top Tournament Scores Date Buy-In Tournament Finish Payout March 2018 HK$2,000,000 Super High Roller Bowl China 2nd $3,153,551 Jan. 2012 AUD$250,000 Aussie Millions High Roller 2nd $1,235,369 Dec. 2005 $15,000 Five Diamond World Poker Classic 2nd $1,046,470 Jan. 2013 AUD$10,000 Aussie Millions Main Event 3rd $633,419 Feb. 2014 AUD$100,000 Aussie Millions High Roller 5th $626,937 April 2012 €100,000 EPT Grand Final Monte Carlo 4th $584,873 Feb. 2018 €25,000 partypoker Millions Rozvadov 1st $520,610 April 2018 €50,000 partypoker Millions Barcelona 3rd $491,117 Oct. 2005 €5,000 EPT Baden Main Event 1st $343,365 July 2007 $10,000 WSOP PLO Championship 3rd $311,394 Aug. 2018 ₽3,000,000 Triton Sochi High Roller 4th $236,058 July 2006 $50,000 WSOP Poker Players Championship 9th $205,920 March 2018 HK$400,000 APPT Macau High Roller 6th $204,378 Aug. 2018 ₽600,000 partypoker Millions Sochi 2nd $178,823 Oct. 2013 £50,000 EPT London High Roller 8th $177,470 © Patrik Antonius

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CP_PokerSchool_1_FP.indd 1 6/7/21 8:20 PM VANESSA KADE ACHiEVED A DREAM $1.5 MiLLiON TOURNAMENT ViCTORY

The Canadian Player Defeated A Field of 67,876 Entries To Win The 15th Anniversary Sunday Million

By Erik Fast © Vanessa Kade

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024_Kade_Feature.indd 24 6/10/21 10:15 AM n a brisk March afternoon in Kelowna, British Columbia, Vanessa Kade defeated a field of nearly 68,000 entries to win the 15th Anniversary edition of the Sunday Million, the recurringO $215 buy-in no-limit hold’em event that has been a staple of the online tournament schedule since 2006. e Canadian native earned a massive payday of $1,514,920 as the champion, just days after having been announced as the newest addition to Americas Cardroom’s team of pros. e two accomplishments, securing a poker sponsor and winning that particular event, were goals that Kade had singled out in a scribbled statement of intent she had penned years earlier. “Somewhere in my house, on a bit of paper, it’s written that I wanted a sponsorship and to specifically win the Sunday Million,” Kade revealed. Prior to this massive victory, Kade had made a name for herself in the game by playing online and broadcasting her grind on the Twitch live-streaming platform. While the self-taught programmer and former video game producer primarily focused on online play, she also has live cashes dating back to 2013 amounting to six-figures in earnings. Just a few months before Kade’s whirlwind week, however, her focus was a social media debate that arose following online site GGPoker’s sponsorship of social media star Dan Bilzerian. Kade shared her disappointment and frustration with Bilzerian’s signing, given his problematic history with women that includes lawsuits and allegations of assault. Bilzerian responded to one of Kade’s tweets by posting, ‘Quiet hoe [sic], nobody knows who you are.’ “I have wanted to say something about it for years, but it’s very difficult to address without feeling as though you’re things don’t go well. As we get better as players, the luck probably hurting your future prospects in the industry,” component can become harder to stomach, and personally, said Kade when asked about speaking up about concerns of I need to be careful not to feel entitled to win more often. how female players are treated in the poker world. “I hit a It’s important to remember that even the very best in the point where I saw a company proudly parading around Dan game make mistakes all of the time, and not to be too hard Bilzerian… and couldn’t help but to finally say something.” on yourself. e goal is to do the optimal thing as much as Kade recently spoke to Card Player about her start in the possible, and that’s all we can do. game, her seven-figure victory, her thoughts on the treat- CP: Do you have a background in playing other strategy ment of female players in poker, her new sponsorship deal, games or sports? and more. VK: I played competitive softball when I was younger, CARD PLAYER: When did you first start to play poker, and a pretty wide variety of sports and activities. For the and how did you find the game? most part, I’ve been more interested in trying absolutely VANESSA KADE: Almost 10 years ago some guys at everything than mastering a skill or two. I played video work had a $5 buy-in, single-table tournament at lunch games for several years and was quite competitive with those, twice a week, and one of my friends who played in it thought particularly World of Warcraft, and will get really into games it might be something I’d like and suggested I come and and play them obsessively for short periods. Most recently [I watch. I agreed, and asked him to show me how to play. got into] Beat Saber, a virtual reality rhythm game. Later that week we sat in my basement suite with a deck of CP: Can you tell me about your work experience outside cards and I learned the basics. of poker, especially in the gaming industry? CP: What about the game caught your interest? VK: I used to be a producer in the video game indus- VK: Poker immediately struck me as an interesting try, running parts of large video game projects for a few behavioral prediction and pattern recognition game, two companies including BioWare, Disney, and LucasArts. [It things I find fun and challenging, and having a large luck was a] pretty good gig, and I really enjoyed my time in the factor gives it a beautiful volatility. industry overall. CP: Do you think you have any particular skills or per- CP: What led to you taking poker more seriously after sonality traits that helped you excel at poker? first getting into the game? VK: Like anyone else, I definitely have some traits that VK: I was lucky enough that in the games I played in ini- help and some that hurt. Historically, I was very patient tially, playing tight was enough to do well, and most people with getting unlucky, even for extended periods, and I don’t stuck to playing the same hands so I could guess what they have much of an ego so it makes reviewing my mistakes in had pretty accurately and was winning almost right away. an honest and objective way easier. But the flip side to this My game developed quite slowly. Like a lot of people in is that I can lack confidence and doubt myself easily when poker I tend to pick up skills and be good at things easily, © Vanessa Kade

024_Kade_Feature.indd 25 6/10/21 10:15 AM As we get better as players, the luck component can become harder to stomach, and personally, I need to be careful not to feel entitled to win more often. It’s important to remember that even the very best in the game make mistakes all of the time, and not to be too hard on yourself. The goal is to do the optimal thing as much as possible, and that’s all we can do.

but this becomes a huge negative and can result in being lazy pot with pocket kings for what would’ve probably been a and complacent. e last few years there have been tools and top 5 stack when someone squeezed AJ, and it took me from resources widely available – almost none of which I used, having what would have been a massive stack of over 100 big and I finally had an honest moment of self-reflection where blinds to around 15 big blinds. About an orbit later, I shoved I realized if I ever wanted to be really good I would need to the button with pocket sevens over a hijack open and cutoff put in some effort. is led to me taking advantage of some flat. e cutoff had trapped me with pocket aces, but there of the tools available to us, and reaching out to a coach and was a miracle seven on the flop. peers for more in-depth discussions. Day 3 I spent a lot of the time, including most of the CP: What does a $1.5 million victory mean to you? final table, pretty card dead. ere were some seriously close VK: It’s definitely the dream, but life and cards are calls with a couple of hands that would have been justifi- unpredictable so nothing is guaranteed. Really, all I’ve able shoves, that I chose to muck in these instances, and in wanted to do since I’d discovered poker was to find a way each case when I watched the playback the opponent had a to combine it with my other biggest passion – travel – and monster that would have ended the tournament for me. I spend my life traveling around the world having fun and got incredibly lucky to dodge some coolers by nitting up at competing for the thrill of big wins. About two years ago, the right time. I tried an exercise where I wrote down things I’d wanted to CP: By the time the final table was set, you were in sev- achieve, and read them out loud once a day. is lasted for enth. What was your mindset at that point with such huge about a week before I forgot about it, but somewhere in my pay jumps on the line? house on a bit of paper, it’s written that I wanted a sponsor- VK: Largely I was focused on playing my game one hand ship and to specifically win the Sunday Million. Pretty wild! at a time and triple checking my decisions. If the action I CP: is event had a gigantic field of nearly 68,000 play- was about to take would cause me to be eliminated from ers. ere were still 17,516 entrants left heading into day 2. the tournament, I wanted to be at peace with that before How was the first day of action for you? clicking the button. Once I got super short and ultimately VK: I was 12-tabling during the bulk of day 1, and recovered, the rest of the tournament felt like a freeroll, and remember almost nothing from the first day, which is what I was determined to be happy regardless of the outcome. tends to happen when it’s just one of many tables. I have CP: You tweeted out the following after the win: ‘It feels almost no memory for individual hands unless I can learn impossible. is is the best day of my life. It’s not close.’ Can something from them. you tell me more about why this win meant so much? CP: Heading into the final day you were in 13th place VK: e last year and a half leading up to this tourna- with 65 remaining. How did the middle stages of this event ment had been very difficult for me. ere were probably a play out for you? Were there any interesting or exciting spots dozen times that I had been down to the last 20-30 players along the way? in a tournament with a big score up top and a near-chiplead VK: ere was one hand on day 2 where I lost a massive stack, when things catastrophically and unavoidably went © Vanessa Kade

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024_Kade_Feature.indd 26 6/10/21 10:15 AM sideways. Six months into a bad run, I’d started reassuring spent in low-stakes cash games where I met some wonderful myself that it can’t continue forever, and a year after that, people, but also where I faced near-constant verbal aggres- playing thousands of hands almost every day, I’d started to sion, being called names, belittled, and even threatened. feel the weight of built-up exasperation. Nearly two years Sometimes it was dealt with by staff, usually, it was not. As of self-doubt and frustration releasing all at once is quite a I got a little more well-known, thankfully this tapered off, feeling. I cried. but I realize it will not be the case for most people. I have CP: at huge win came right on the heels of you being wanted to say something about it for years, but it’s very dif- prominently involved in a public discussion about women in ficult to address without feeling as though you’re probably poker. Unfortunately, both the gaming industry you used to hurting your future prospects in the industry. Finally, I hit a work in and the poker world have had plenty of issues when point where I saw a company proudly parading around Dan it comes to making female players feel welcome in the com- Bilzerian who embodies every one of these negative traits, munity. What are your thoughts about both of these hugely and couldn’t help but to finally say something. popular hobbies having a lot of room for improvement with CP: How do you hope to be part of the improvement regards to inclusivity? process on this issue moving forward? VK: Much of the recent dialogue has surrounded the VK: I hope by at least having the discussion, and others idea of glorifying having tough skin, and being a ‘warrior’ seeing that I’m still offered opportunities, that maybe the – taking pride in being someone who is strong enough to fear surrounding speaking up about these kinds of issues will withstand a hostile environment. While this is probably dissipate enough that problems are dealt with more directly the ideal outlook to have if you’re a top competitor, I think as they arise. we need to remember that the vast, vast majority of people CP: Speaking of opportunities, shortly before your recent who face harassment are simply trying to play recreationally Sunday Million victory, Americas Cardroom announced that and for enjoyment. Hostility is not a necessary component you were added to their team of pros. Can you tell us about in poker at any level, and if my mom were to go play $1-$2 that exciting development, and what this partnership means at her local casino I shouldn’t have to be worried that she’s for you? likely to have someone with a fragile ego swear at or insult VK: We’d been in discussions about a potential sponsor- her. I shouldn’t have to tell her to suck it up and be a warrior. ship for quite some time, and it felt like the right time to If we want more people in the game in general, we should be pull the trigger. I’d played the majority of my games on making a much larger effort to do better and make sure it’s ACR over the last couple of years anyway, and I’ve seen first- an environment that lends itself first and foremost to people hand how dedicated they are about improving their player enjoying themselves. experience and how passionate the team is. I’ve always CP: Is speaking out on these issues something you were wanted to be a part of a sponsored team, so everything that comfortable with and eager to do, or was it more of a situa- has happened for me in the last few months is definitely a tion where you just didn’t feel comfortable letting the status dream come true. quo remain without addressing problems that arose? Follow Vanessa on Twitter @VanessaKade, and check VK: e majority of my time playing poker has been out her stream at Twitch.tv/VanessaKade. m

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Seven Card Stud Eight-or- Better: Starting Hands

By Kevin Haney

Starting hand charts do not exist for Seven Card that. ese hands play relatively well in short-handed Stud Eight-or Better (Stud 8), or any other stud variant pots but quickly lose their value in multi-way affairs. for that matter, as the strength and playability of most Two-Gappers include holdings such as 2-4-6, 3-5-7, holdings are contingent upon the exposed cards and the and 4-6-8, and are much less valuable than the Zero- action that has taken place before it is our time to act. Gappers or One-Gappers since they can only hope to erefore, over the next couple of issues we will survey pick up a gut-shot straight draw on fourth street. various hand types, assess their relative strength, and e “Razz” Lows comprise all other three-card lows examine situations where they are mostly playable, as not already mentioned and have neither an ace nor the well as those that we would do well to avoid. ability to pick up a straight draw on the next card. It We are dealt three unpaired low cards approximately should go without saying that (2n 6n) 7n is usually a one out of every six hands, and these are natural hands very strong hand due to its two-way potential, however, to want to play in Stud 8. However, not all three lows the average Stud 8 player probably gets involved with a are built alike; some of them are premium hands that hand such as (2p 6n) 7n in many situations where they are great in almost any situation and others may only be shouldn’t. playable as an ante steal. Over the next couple of articles, we will slot the For the sake of discussion, we can break three low various Stud 8 hand types into three different groupings: cards into the following subcategories, ranked by their Almost Always Playable, Often Playable, or Sometimes relative strength: Playable. While certain specific holdings within a group can easily be shifted up or down, categorizing them in Hand % of Deals this way will help frame and organize our discussion. Almost Always Playable Holdings Three Wheel Cards with Ace 1.7% While there are a few exceptions, these premium Zero-Gappers (No Ace) 1.4% starting hands are almost always going to be playable from any position regardless of the exposed cards and Three to a Six with Ace 1.2% the action you face. Rolled Up Trips: Trip aces are the most powerful hand, One-Gappers (No Ace) 2.3% however, many players consider three fives to be the best possible starting hand in Stud 8. Trip fives help block Three to a Seven/Eight with Ace 3.2% any straights that low draws are hoping to make and it’s also more likely that you will get action from higher Two-Gappers (No Ace) 2.6% pairs. On third street, our goal should be simply to just get “Razz” Lows 3.8% as much money in the pot that we can as these hands play equally well short-handed or multi-way. In a heads- Total 16.2% up pot there’s a greater likelihood that we will scoop, however, multi-way we can often punish second-best ree wheel cards with an ace, such as A-2-4, are pre- high hands and earn half of a very large pot. mium starting hands. Along the way we can pair the ace Two Aces: Having a low kicker is preferred as you and/or pick up low cards that will either give us a draw also have a decent chance to make a low and regardless to the wheel or another strong low hand. if your aces are split or buried, your opponents can’t be e Zero-Gappers are 2-3-4, 3-4-5, 4-5-6, 5-6-7, and sure which way you are going. We should get aggressive 6-7-8. With these holdings we will often pick up straight on third street with these hands as we are often going to potential to go along with our low draw. realize our equity and short-handed pots will produce Having three to a six along with an ace is a relatively more scoops. strong hand, and a hand like An 2n 6m has a lot of value A high kicker has less value as it’s rare that we will in either heads-up or multi-way pots. make a low and when our aces are buried it’s clear that One-Gappers are hands such as 2-3-5, 2-4-5, 3-5-6, we are going high. If there are already many players in 4-7-6, and 5-6-8, where one specific rank (up to four the pot, we may not want to reraise on third street and outs) is required to pick up an open-ended straight draw. wait to see what develops on the next couple of streets. ree low cards to a seven or an eight accompanied Strategically, this may enable us to eliminate players on by an ace are decent hands; however, it’s important to fourth street, and also keeps the pot smaller in the event understand that they can become a one-way hand when that we may need to make a snug fold and relinquish a few aces are dead, and not a particularly strong one at our equity.

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Three Suited Low Cards: We are obviously going to Ap, and is really only an underdog against rolled up be happy whenever we are dealt a low three fl ush, how- hands, pairs of aces, and three suited low cards. ever, there is quite a large diff erence in the value of (3p While it can be dangerous to reraise an ace, we can 4p)5p with mostly live cards versus (7n 3n) 8n with expect to have approximately 55% equity against an many hearts out. If it’s going to be hard to make a fl ush, opponent who may be completing close to or exactly then (7n 3n) 8n is mostly a one-way hand and will 100% of the time. When we get re-raised by a pair of not play well in a multi-way pot contested by many low aces, it isn’t that bad as we have around 42-44% equity, cards. and if we were successful in getting the bring-in to Three Wheel Cards with an Ace: ese are very strong fold three low cards our overall situation has probably holdings that are essentially always going to be played. improved. When someone has completed before us, it’s a close Three to a Six with an Ace: Even when a few aces are decision on whether we should just call and try to pull dead, these holdings are almost always playable espe- others into the pot or if it would be better to re-raise in cially if we hold a two suit; e.g. An 3n 6p. an attempt to limit the fi eld. In a high-ante game, we In addition to the hands discussed above, holdings usually fare better taking the aggressive action as we such as 2-3-5 and 2-4-5 are probably also almost always can either get other players to fold out their equity or playable as well. However, hands such as 4-6-7 and put them in a position to make a mistake when calling 5-7-8 that also belong to the One Gapper family are not multiple bets with weaker hands. quite as strong thus we will include them all in the next Zero-Gappers (No Ace): Due to their straight and pre- installment on Stud 8, focusing on the Often Playable mium low potential 2-3-4, 3-4-5, and 4-5-6 are almost hands. m always worth playing, but 5-6-7 and 6-7-8 can become marginal holdings in multi-way pots contested by several Kevin Haney is a former actuary of MetLife low cards. However, 5-6-7 and 6-7-8 fare quite well in but left the corporate job to focus on his pas- most head-up situations and it is often correct to get sions for poker and fitness. He is co-owner aggressive with these holdings on third street, especially of Elite Fitness Club in Oceanport, NJ and is in a high ante game where our opponent may be opening a certified personal trainer. With regards to a wide range. poker he got his start way back in 2003 and For example, (6m 7o) 8m has 50% equity against a particularly enjoys taking new players interested in mixed games pair of kings and will be helped on fourth street with a under his wing and quickly making them proficient in all variants. nine, ten, or any low card. e (6m 7o) 8m also has 50% If interested in learning more, playing mixed games online, or just equity against another strong starting hand of (5n 2p) saying hello he can be reached at [email protected].

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP e 2020 WPT L.A. Poker Classic $10,000 buy-in main event drew a healthy fi eld of 490 players, building a 2020 World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic prize pool worth more than $4.7 million, with a top prize of over $1 million reserved for the eventual cham- $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event pion. e long-delayed fi nal table featured a number of accomplished players, including the two that clashed Upeshka De Silva James Carroll in this hand. ree-time WSOP gold bracelet winner 755,000 Chips 3,215,000 Chips Upeshka De Silva entered the fi nal six as the clear short stack with 23 big blinds and by the time this hand arose, A K 10 8 he had fallen to just 15. He picked up a premium start- Winning Percentage Winning Percentage ing hand in A-K and raised to 2.4 times the size of the

Before Flop: 63.0% Before Flop: 37.0% big blind. Two-time WPT main event champion James

Carroll defended his big blind with 10-8 off suit. Carroll A K 8 10 After Flop: 49.0% After Flop: 51.0% fl opped an open-ended straight draw and checked to De Silva, likely assuming that a large portion of his opponent’s range would consist of two high cards that had not connected. De Silva may be compelled to continua- PREFLOP tion bet with a lot of his A-X, K-X, and Q-J type holdings that had not connected in a meaningful way with With six players remaining and blinds of 25,000-50,000 and a big blind the 9-7-4 rainbow fl op. De Silva bet 85,000 into the pot ante of 50,000, Upeshka De Silva raised to 120,000 from the cutoff . of 315,000, prompting Carroll to unleash a check-raise, James Carroll called from the big blind. going all-in to put De Silva to a decision for the rest of his stack. Carroll’s approach to playing this draw looks to maximize his fold equity, targeting folds from just the type of holding that De Silva turned out to have. Even if Carroll were to run into a hand like A-9 suited 9 7 4 for De Silva, he would have an overcard and eight outs

FLOP to a straight, giving him around a 40 percent chance

of ending up with the best hand by the river. De Silva

7 4 9 might have suspected that his opponent could make this check-raise with a semi-bluﬀ , but it is still hard for Carroll checked, and De Silva bet him to proceed given the action. He laid his hand down 85,000. Carroll check-raised to and slipped to around 11 big blinds. De Silva went on to ﬁ nish sixth, earning $185,330 for his latest deep run 1,700,000, and De Silva folded. in a major event.

NOTE: WINNING PERCENTAGES DO NOT INCLUDE TIES. ODDS PROVIDED BY CARDPLAYER.COM/POKER-TOOLS/ODDS-CALCULATOR/TEXAS-HOLDEM

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SEVEN RULES FOR BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL POKER PLAYER By Evan Jarvis

You don’t have to be ranked number one or even in the top 100 to be considered a winning poker player. If you want to turn your passion for poker into your full- time profession and get stackin’, then you need to shake this notion that if you’re not fi rst you’re last. It will only sabotage your eff orts. Instead, adopt the mindset that as long as you’re making a living doing what you love, you’re winning. 1. Educate Yourself: Knowledge Is Power To be a professional poker player, you need a proper understanding of the game, and then you can build from there. ere is a wealth of resources out there, from books, training videos, training sites, podcasts, forums, or strategy articles. It’s a slow trek to the top, so pace yourself. Information overload won’t turn you into an overnight success. You have to allow your brain time to while live is good to cash in on weaker players. absorb, interpret, and understand the information. 6. Get The Money 2. Get Exposed: There’s No Substitute For First-Hand Once you know where your sweet spot is, get out Experience there and get stackin’! e money is out there waiting for You must expose yourself to the game and get experi- a skilled player to collect it. Identify where your stron- ence playing for the concepts to sink in and make sense. gest edge is because the real money is made by applying is means taking what you have read and actualizing edges repeatedly. e edges aren’t always big; they can be those concepts by playing. ere is no substitute for fi rst- small too. Just make sure you don’t bleed an opponent hand experience. Get out there and develop a better feel dry. You want your sources of income to be renewable for the game so you can fi gure out what’s important to resources and going in for the kill can eliminate that your current state of development as a player. source of income, so be careful. 3. Practice, Practice, Practice 7. Keep An Open Mind Repetition is key. You can’t become a bodybuilder by Always keep an open mind and be willing to try new just reading e Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding things because you never know what you might be pas- and not putting in the time; it’s the same with poker. sionate about. Poker is a great way to make money, but With more sites to choose from, software to make multi- money isn’t everything. You can fi nd happiness elsewhere tabling easier; it’s not hard to get in those reps to advance too, so don’t shortchange yourself by not exploring other your skills. Don’t rush the process though; the more things that make you happy. And don’t stop utilizing quality hands you play, the better the player. rough your brainpower. Whether you’re in school or not, con- practice, theories and techniques will become second tinue to educate yourself. nature, so you always know what to do in every situation. Going Pro 4. Review, Refi ne, Repeat To be a winner in poker, it takes a lot more than just It’s essential to be constantly honing your skills and passion. It takes practice, self-refl ection, repetition, and improving your game by looking at where you’re strug- the right mindset. Don’t let fear stop you from pursu- gling or making mistakes, and fi guring out what you can ing your dream of going pro. Get out there and play the do diff erently to plug those leaks. Every time you elimi- tables, study hard, and continue to develop your skills nate a leak from your game, you become a more danger- as a player. m ous player. And every time you play, you give yourself a chance to identify potential leaks. Never underestimate Poker coach and author Evan “Gripsed” Jarvis the value of self-refl ection. has made a name for himself in the poker live 5. Find Your Sweet Spot streaming space and has a popular YouTube Online and live poker are diff erent beasts, and there’s channel. Actively grinding for over 10 years, no way of knowing where you will excel until you try out Jarvis has played everything from micro- both. If you’re a gamer, you’ll probably do better online, stakes to high-stakes, both live and online. while people-persons will do better live. To maximize The Canadian pro is committed to sharing his poker learning with your earning, do a mix of both. Online poker is useful everyday players and teaching them to play like the pros through

for ﬁ ne-tuning your game as it’s easier to get in reps, exclusive training you can find on PokerCoaching.com/cardplayer. © WPT

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DISCIPLINE “While many people think the By Jonathan Little concept of discipline only applies Having the discipline to do the to playing the strong hands they right thing, even if it’s not especially what you “want” to do is important know they are supposed to play, in all aspects of life, and it must be applied to poker if you want to become you also must be disciplined successful at the game. First off , if you play too many enough to have an adequate hands, either due to boredom or want- ing to be in the action, you can expect amount of bluffs in your range, and to lose money. When you invest small bits of money poorly before the fl op on to play your bluffs properly after a regular basis, it is essentially impos- the flop. You must be disciplined sible to win in the long run. You must be disciplined and play only the proper enough to bluff adequately and hands both before (and after) the fl op. While many people think the intelligently, even knowing you will concept of discipline only applies to playing the strong hands they know lose some portion of the time.” they are supposed to play, you also must be disciplined enough to have an adequate amount of bluff s in your game. When you fi nd yourself not to poker. If you look at your overall range, and to play your bluff s properly paying attention to everything going approach to the game, I am sure you after the fl op. When you get to the on at the table, it is probably best to can fi nd some aspects of it where disci- river with a busted draw, if you give up quit, unless your opponents play espe- pline is lacking. Once you notice these with it every time, you will be incred- cially poorly. fl aws, you can correct them and be ibly easy to play against. You must be You must be disciplined enough to on your way to becoming an excellent disciplined enough to bluff adequately not spew away your poker winnings on player who holds onto, and accumu- and intelligently, even knowing you other needless things. Just because you lates money indefi nitely. m will lose some portion of the time. have a good session does not mean you You must also be disciplined should spend those profi ts on clothes, Jonathan Little is enough to recognize when you are in food, or parties. You must also be dis- a two-time WPT a game that you are not profi table in. ciplined enough to not develop one of champion with more Time and time again I see a young the numerous leaks that plague great than $7 million in live hotshot play in games where they are poker players, such as casino gambling tournament earnings, clearly the worst player. Because of or drugs. If you spend all your money best-selling author this, they eventually end up losing on nonsense, you can expect to stay at of 15 educational poker books, and 2019 GPI their hard-earned money. the same level, or even go broke when Poker Personality of the Year. If you want to ere are also situations where you the variance catches up to you. increase your poker skills and learn to crush should not play in a game simply As you can see, there are numerous the games, check out his training site at because you are not playing your “A” areas where discipline must be applied PokerCoaching.com/cardplayer. CONTRACTS AND POKER: CHIPS AND CASH Scott J. Burnham

A player who is running low on good thing. In theory we should play has thought of the chips as real money. chips in a ring game pulls a couple of poker the same way no matter what But legally, are chips the same as $100 bills out of his pocket and puts the markings are on the pieces of clay money? them on the table. In hands dealt after in front of us. Viewers who welcomed the return that, does the cash play? In one of my favorite poker books, of High Stakes Poker this season were Someone once said, “ e man who Big Deal, Tony Holden ﬁ nds himself disappointed to see that one feature invented poker was smart, but the man musing during the play of a hand, had changed since the series was last who invented the poker chip was a “Should I just call the rent or should seen. ere are no longer “bricks” of genius.” I raise my son’s tuition?” He realizes rubber-banded $100 bills being tossed Psychologically, we don’t think of at that moment that he will never be around. In the intervening years, most chips as real money, which can be a a professional poker player, because he casino companies – including MGM,

028_S&A.indd 31 6/10/21 10:40 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

which owns the Aria, where High Stakes Poker is played – have banned cash at the poker tables, presumably because of concerns about money laundering. e cash bricks raised an interesting rules question in season 3 of Poker After Dark. After Eli Elezra went broke on the first hand, he rebought for $20,000, which was in the form of two $10,000 bricks. Fifteen minutes later, he had both chips and cash, including one of the bricks, on the table. Before the flop, he raised to $1,100, pushing out all of his band turn it into one chip? I’m not so sure that the band is chips. Mike Matusow called. On the flop, Elezra bet $1,000, meaningful – after all, on the previous street, Elezra had put putting out ten $100 bills. Matusow raised to $2,500 and in fifteen $100 bills with a band around them, but no one Elezra called by putting out fifteen $100 bills that were claimed it was a bet of $10,000. wrapped with a band. On the turn, Matusow bet $2,500. In any event, we won’t have to worry about that problem Elezra tossed out his $10,000 brick without saying at the table arising again. e banning of cash marks one anything. Matusow insta-mucked, believing Elezra had more step down the road of separate treatment of cash and raised. Elezra explained that he had only called, and every- chips. one quickly jumped on Matusow for not knowing the rule. It used to be that chips were treated as legal tender in As Howard Lederer explained it, “He tossed in an over- Las Vegas, with casinos accepting each other’s chips and set- sized call.” Matusow later acknowledged that he had made tling accounts later, and with gamblers freely using chips to a mistake. purchase goods and services. But no more. When you “buy” But did he? chips at the cage, you are not even buying them in the sense Lederer seemed to think that the “oversized chip” rule that you own them. After you pay for them, they still belong applied. According to that rule, if the bet is $2,500 and a to the casino – the “licensee” in the language of the Nevada player puts out a single $10,000 chip without saying any- State Regulations – and you are their “custodian”: thing, then it is a call. But if the player had put out one hundred $100 chips without saying anything, it would be 12.060 Use of chips and tokens. a raise. 1. Chips and tokens are solely representatives of value So, is the brick the equivalent of one $10,000 chip or which evidence a debt owed to their custodian by the is it one hundred $100 chips? Clearly if there had been no licensee that issued them and are not the property of anyone band around the bills, it would be the latter. Does the rubber other than that licensee.

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP Lithuanian poker pro Matas Cimbolas makes an interesting and shrewd value bet on the river in this clash with 2020 World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic Spain’s Ka Kwan Lau. Cimbolas had fi nished second in $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event the 2019 running of this same tournament for a huge $646,930 payday and was looking to improve on that Ka Kwan Lau deep run and take down his second WPT title this time Matas Cimbolas around. His quest to be the last player standing was off to 5,840,000 Chips 2,485,000 Chips a strong start in the fi rst 35 hands, and he had managed to overtake the chip lead from Balakrishna Patur by the A K A Q time this hand was dealt. Cimbolas opened as the fi rst to Winning Percentage Winning Percentage act with A-K suited and Lau, who was the second short-

Before Flop: 73.0% Before Flop: 22.0% est stack among the fi nal fi ve, called with A-Q off suit

A K A After Flop: 82.0% Q After Flop: 15.0% from the cutoff . A seven-high fl op saw Cimbolas fi re a After Turn: 80.0% After Turn: 7.0% continuation bet of roughly one-third the size of the pot. Lau called in position with his overcards to the board and possibilities for a backdoor nut fl ush. e board paired on PREFLOP the turn and Cimbolas took his foot off the gas. His check was met with a check from Lau, who might have fi gured With fi ve players remaining and blinds of 25,000-50,000 and a big blind his A-Q high to be strong enough to just pot control and ante of 50,000, Matas Cimbolas raised to 115,000 from under the gun. try to see a cheap showdown. e river brought another Ka Kwan Lau called from the cutoff . low card and Cimbolas made an interesting decision, betting 75,000 into the pot of 585,000. Cimbolas could have checked with the intention of using his hand as a bluff catcher, but instead used this tiny sizing to try to 7 6 2 2 4 extract value from Lau’s unimproved high-card holdings, like the A-Q off suit he held in this particular instance. FLOP

TURN Lau might have felt compelled to keep Cimbolas honest

RIVER given that his hand was so under-represented, ﬂ at-calling

2 4 2 6 7 prefl op and not taking any aggressive action during the post-fl op betting rounds. Cimbolas likely earned an addi- Cimbolas bet 115,000, Cimbolas Cimbolas bet tional 1.5 big blinds as a result, taking down the small pot and Lau called. checked, and Lau 75,000, and Lau to further extend his lead. Lau went on to fi nish fi fth in checked. called. this event, taking home $243,330 for the second-largest score of his career.

NOTE: WINNING PERCENTAGES DO NOT INCLUDE TIES. ODDS PROVIDED BY CARDPLAYER.COM/POKER-TOOLS/ODDS-CALCULATOR/TEXAS-HOLDEM

32 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 14

028_S&A.indd 32 6/10/21 10:40 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

Technically, only the person who obtained the chips from the casino can cash them, which is an indirect way of saying that if you use them to purchase goods or Here. We. Go? services, the person you transferred them to can’t cash them in. You may have run into this problem when you By Gavin Griffi n received your tournament winnings in chips and the cage would not cash them without some proof that you personally won them from the casino. at rule states: e world is healing, vaccines are plentiful, the sun 4. A licensee shall not redeem its chips or tokens is shining, and Las Vegas casinos are charging for park- if presented by a person who the licensee knows or ing again. Here in California, we expect poker rooms reasonably should know did not obtain the chips or to be back to full capacity and operating indoors soon. tokens directly and lawfully from the licensee’s gaming I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to play some establishment. poker! Over the last few months, I’ve been working at a Does that mean you can’t toke a dealer or server new job in the gambling industry, so I’m not sure I’ll be with a chip? Not surprisingly, there is an exception full-time as a poker player anymore, but I’ll certainly be that allows the casino to redeem chips presented by “an playing some here and there. I guess for the fi rst time in employee of the licensee who presents the chips and a long while, this makes me an enthusiast rather than a tokens in the normal course of employment.” professional player. So in most casinos in Las Vegas, the rule now is that But I won’t be alone. I’ve known quite a few play- cash on the table does not play. If you are playing else- ers who were good enough to make a living playing where, it will be up to the individual casino. Make sure poker but didn’t quit their regular jobs because of the to ask the fl oor or dealer whether cash plays. It looks stability, the good standing in society, and probably the like the answer will more frequently health insurance. be, no. m Now that I’m a part-time player, I’ll have to be a bit more selective about game size. If I bust my poker Scott J. Burnham is Professor Emeritus bankroll, it’s going to be hard to sell a backer on my at Gonzaga University School of Law in ability to beat games playing just once per week. Spokane, Washington. He can be reached at Jubilee was the ancient practice in Israel where every [email protected]. seventh year, prisoners and slaves would be freed and

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP Balakrishna Patur entered the fi nal table of this event 2020 World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic with the largest stack, and had been trading control of the top spot on the leaderboard with Matas Cimbolas $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event during fi ve-handed play. Patur picked up A-K and raised as the fi rst to act. James Carroll, who was fi rmly James Carroll in the middle of the pack in terms of chips, called Balakrishna Patur from the button with A-J. An eight-high fl op with two 6,775,000 Chips 2,900,000 Chips spades saw Patur fi re a continuation bet of 150,000 into the pot of 550,000. Carroll likely fi gured that his A K A J ace-high could be the best hand, and that he might Winning Percentage Winning Percentage have live overcards as possible outs. He made the call

Before Flop: 72.0% Before Flop: 23.0% and a deuce on the turn paired the board. Both play-

m A K J After Flop: 85.0% A After Flop: 12.0% ers checked and the river brought the 10 , completing After Turn: 80.0% After Turn: 7.0% the fl ush draw from the fl op. Patur checked a second time with the nut no-pair. Carroll had some showdown value with his own ace high, but he also saw an PREFLOP opportunity to try to fold out some better holdings by turning his hand into a bluff . He bet 475,000 into the pot of 850,000, probably with the intention of folding With fi ve players remaining and blinds of 50,000-75,000, and a big blind out hands like A-K and A-Q, and perhaps even some ante of 75,000, Balakrishna Patur raised to 175,000 from under the gun. of the unimproved lower pocket pairs. From Patur’s James Carroll called from the button. perspective, Carroll could be value betting with hands like rivered fl ushes, rivered top pairs, and any two-pairs or sets that he might have. On the other hand, Carroll could also be bluffi ng. He likely wouldn’t value bet some of his weaker one-pair type hands, such as top 8 6 2 2 10 pair from the fl op. Most players would probably be

FLOP inclined to take the free showdown with such holdings. TURN

RIVER Patur ultimately decided to make the hero call with

2 10 2 6 8 his A-K high, knowing that Carroll would be bluff - ing often enough to make the call profi table. He took Patur checked, down the healthy pot to extend his lead even further. Patur bet 150,000, and Patur checked, Carroll went on to fall just a couple spots short of Carroll called. and Carroll and Carroll bet securing his third WPT title, earning $431,585 as the checked. 475,000. Patur third-place fi nisher. called.

NOTE: WINNING PERCENTAGES DO NOT INCLUDE TIES. ODDS PROVIDED BY CARDPLAYER.COM/POKER-TOOLS/ODDS-CALCULATOR/TEXAS-HOLDEM

028_S&A.indd 33 6/10/21 10:40 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

debts would be forgiven. I think if the lockdowns and I used to say to myself that if I don’t take money from business closures were more strict over the last year and these people who want to play poker, but can’t win long there wasn’t an abundance of private games (believe me, term, someone else will. I’m not sure that’s good enough if I’ve been invited to more than one private game, it for me anymore. means there’s an abundance), there would be something at doesn’t mean that I disagree with poker as a pro- like a poker/gambling Jubilee. Everyone would be play- fession or that I look down on others who do it. at’s ing like they’ve been freed from their debts. not a problem for me. I just don’t know if I have the Because the people who are most likely to gamble and stomach to make my living from these games. I’m happy play loosely in normal environments have probably been to play occasionally and I expect to win more than I lose, already satisfying those urges over the last year, I don’t after all I’ve been winning more than I lose for almost really expect there to be much change in how people are half my life at this point. playing. Besides me, of course. I’m sure it will take me a I don’t think gambling is inherently bad or that those few sessions to settle back into the idea of playing poker who gamble for a living are bad people. I just think it’s for money against other people. e most cutthroat maybe not for me as much as it used to be. I’m sure I’ll I’ve been over the last year was when playing a game of pretty much always be a part of the poker community. Twilight Imperium with my friends, (putting a worm- I’ll have people to root for and against and will likely hole tile next to someone on the other side of the map.) make it out to some tournaments here and there for the My general feeling that it’s important to take care of love of the game. your fellow humans by making sure, at the very least, And I defi nitely plan on continuing this column for you don’t get them sick with a deadly disease, has not as long as there are things to write about poker. It will be curbed my ability to take money from those who have it nice to be tangential to the scene for a while and perhaps without some remorse. Going forward, I think that will I’ll be back in full force at some time in the future, but be my biggest hurdle in poker. I’m not sure how much for now, consider me a recreational player, but hopefully I’ll be able to feel ok about winning money from people not a losing one! m at a time when so many are struggling. I play in a poker room that tends to have a more well- Gavin Griffin was the first poker player to heeled clientele than your average room, and especially capture a World Series of Poker, European so in the specifi c games that I play. We no longer get Poker Tour and World Poker Tour title and has young Marines from the local base gambling their pay- amassed nearly $5 million in lifetime tournament winnings. Griffin is sponsored by HeroPoker.com. checks away, more likely the offi cers who already have You can follow him on Twitter @NHGG their pensions set to go.

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP When it comes down to heads-up play, there is no more laddering up the payouts to be done. You can’t 2020 World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic wait out another short stack, or just take an orbit oﬀ to regain your cool after losing a tough hand. You are in $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event the blinds each and every deal, and the only way you can increase your payday in the event is to win every Matas Cimbolas last chip from your opponent. As a result of these facts, Balakrishna Patur heads-up play can result in some exciting hands, with 11,375,000 Chips 8,225,000 Chips players making big bluﬀ s and big hero calls. at was precisely the case in this clash between Balakrishna 8 8 A 5 Patur and Matas Cimbolas, just four hands into heads- Winning Percentage Winning Percentage up play. Patur raised with pocket eights on the button

Before Flop: 69.0% Before Flop: 31.0% and Cimbolas called with an ace and wheel card.

Cimbolas fl opped a gutshot straight draw to go along 8 8 5 A After Flop: 27.0% After Flop: 73.0% with his ace high and checked to the raiser. Patur made After Turn: 84.0% After Turn: 16.0% a continuation bet of around 42 percent of the pot. Cimbolas called and the turn brought the Jm, making a backdoor fl ush draw possible while putting a second PREFLOP overcard to Patur’s pocket pair on the board. Cimbolas checked and Patur checked behind. e 7m landed on the river, leaving Cimbolas with just ace high. Deciding With two players remaining and blinds of 75,000-150,000 and a big that his hand wasn’t good enough to just check and blind ante of 150,000, Balakrishna Patur raised to 375,000 from the but- hope for a free showdown, Cimbolas instead made a bet ton. Matas Cimbolas called from the big blind. of a little more than half of the size of the pot. Patur’s pocket eights could only beat bluff s, but there were a number of potential draws that Cimbolas could have had that bricked on the river, including a fl ush draw from the fl op, Broadway draws on the turn, and the K 4 2 J 7 missed gutshot to the wheel that Cimbolas turned out to have this time. Patur made the call and his pocket FLOP

TURN

RIVER eights were good enough to take down the pot, giving

J 7 2 4 K him a more than a 2:1 chip lead. He was ultimately able to convert that advantage into a WPT title and $1,015,000. Cimbolas earned $600,060 for his second Cimbolas checked, and Patur Cimbolas checked, Cimbolas bet consecutive runner-up ﬁ nish in this prestigious event. bet 375,000. Cimbolas called. and Patur checked 950,000, and It was his third second-place showing on the tour Patur called. overall, having also taken runner-up in the 2018 WPT behind. Championship.

NOTE: WINNING PERCENTAGES DO NOT INCLUDE TIES. ODDS PROVIDED BY CARDPLAYER.COM/POKER-TOOLS/ODDS-CALCULATOR/TEXAS-HOLDEM

34 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 14

028_S&A.indd 34 6/10/21 10:40 AM Poker Stories Podcast

Poker Stories is a long-form audio podcast series that features casual interviews with some of the game’s best players and personalities. Each episode highlights a well-known member of the poker world and dives deep into their favorite tales both on and off the felt.

Download it directly to your device from any number of mobile apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify. Catch up on past episodes featuring notables such as Doyle Brunson, Antonio Esfandiari, Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman, Justin Bonomo, Nick Schulman, Barry Greenstein, Michael Mizrachi, Bryn Kenney, Mike Sexton, Maria Ho, and many more.

www.CardPlayer.com/poker-podcasts

CP_Brand_40_Podcast.indd 3 6/7/21 8:20 PM Schedules FOR COMPLETE TOURNAMENT RESULTS AND LISTINGS, VISIT CARDPLAYER.COM MAY May 3-Aug. 1 DeepStack Championship Poker Series Venetian Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

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36 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 14

036_Schedules.indd 36 6/10/21 10:40 AM Vol. 33/No. 23 November 4, 2020 www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 33/No. 15 July 15, 2020

www.CardPlayer.com New Jersey Sets Record For Online Gaming Revenue

Life Variance And What To Do During A Pandemic

Making The Best Deal Michael Addamo Wins$100K WPT World Online Championships High Roller

Jonathan Little: Stop Raising With Top Pair

Kevin Haney: Having A Scoop -Better Advantage -InOr FARID JATTIN’S BREAKOUT Stud Eight YEAR ON PAUSE HIGH-STAKES POKER PRO KAHLE BURNSCOLOMBIAN TRAVELS PRO, NOW WITH MORE THAN $5.6 MILLION IN LIFETIME THE WORLD LOOKING FOR ACTIONWINNINGS, HAD RACKED UP MORE THAN $1.2 MILLION IN 2020 31-Year-Old High Roller Nears The Top Of Australia’s All-Time Money List

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CP_Sub_23_FP3.indd 3 6/7/21 8:20 PM Poker Leaderboards

MOST TOP50 POY RACE FINISHES FROM 20102020

Player(s) Top 50 POY Finishes From 2010-2020 David Peters, Stephen Chidwick, Steve O’Dwyer 7 Bryn Kenney 6 Adrian Mateos, Cary Katz, Erik Seidel, Jason Koon, Joseph Cheong, Joe 5 McKeehen, Rainer Kempe Alex Foxen, Anthony Zinno, Ari Engel, Dan Smith, Dominik Nitsche, Jake 4 Schindler, Joe Kuether, Jonathan Duhamel, Justin Bonomo, Nick Petrangelo, Ole Schemion, Paul Volpe, Sam Greenwood, Vanessa Selbst

The Card Player Player of the Year award seeks to reward consistency over time, factoring in buy-in, field size, and finishing place at qualifying final tables to quantify a player’s performance over an entire year. This leaderboard is made up of those players who were the most consistently consistent from 2010 through 2020. A total of 25 players finished inside the top 50 in the year-end POY race standings four times or more in that span, with three players managing the feat an incredible seven times. 2016 POY award winner David Peters not only made the top 50 seven times in this period, he also finished 13th or higher five times, with three top-four showings. The 34-year-old poker pro from Toledo, Ohio made the top 50 five years in a row from 2015-19, with an average finish of 19th place over that span. Stephen Chidwick managed his first top-50 showing in 2013. He then went on an incredible streak of six consecutive years finishing inside the top 50 starting in 2015, with an average finishing spot of just better than 20th place. The 32-year-old from Deal, England finished second in the 2018 race, and then managed to come back and win the 2019 POY award the following year, having made 48 final tables and won 10 titles in POY-qualified tournaments during that two- year period alone. From 2011-18, Steve O’Dwyer made the top 50 all but one year (2014). While he never finished in the top spot like Peters and Chidwick, the 39-year-old did manage three top-10 showings, with his best finish being fifth in 2015. Poker’s all-time money leader, Bryn Kenney ($56,649,561 in career earnings), has six top-50 finishes to his name. At 61, Erik Seidel is the oldest player among the 25 on this list. Adrian Mateos is the youngest at 26 years old, and Vanessa Selbst is the only female player to make the cut.

38 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 14

038_Leaderboard.indd 38 6/10/21 10:40 AM PLAYER_14_OceansEleven_FP.indd 3 6/7/21 8:19 PM PLAYER12_TheBike_BC.indd 3 5/11/21 11:46 AM