Daniel Negreanu Breaks 7-Year Title Drought to Win the Inaugural Pokergo Cup Hall of Famer Says His Poker Game Is Better Than Ever

www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 34/No. 18 August 25, 2021

Daniel Negreanu Breaks 7-Year Title Drought To Win The Inaugural PokerGO Cup Hall Of Famer Says His Poker Game Is Better Than Ever

SixTime Bracelet WSOP Champ Greg Tournament Strategy: Winner Layne Flack Raymer Explains How To Street By Street Passes Away Prep For The Main Event Bet Sizing

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004_MastheadB.indd 4 8/3/21 10:59 AM PLAYER_18_MarylandLive_FP.indd 3 8/3/21 11:13 AM Table of Contents - Card Player Vol. 34/No. 18 20 24

Features Tournament Circuit Also In This Issue 20 16 4 Daniel Negreanu Breaks 7-Year Title Player Of The Year Update About Us Drought To Win The Inaugural PokerGO By Erik Fast 38 Cup 18 Tournament Schedules By Erik Fast Tournament Results 38 24 By Morgan Young Poker Leaderboards Poker Pro Layne Flack Passes Away At Age 52 By Steve Schult Strategies, Analysis, Tournament & Commentary Hand Matchups 28 The Inside Straight 29 8 Bluff Catching On A Four-Flush Board By Jonathan Little David Coleman vs. Ali Imsirovic Poker News Recap 29 vs. Sergi Reixach 12 31 Seven Card Stud Eight-or-Better: Head Games: Street By Street Sometimes Playable Hands Daniel Negreanu vs. Ali Imsirovic Tournament Bet Sizing By Kevin Haney By Craig Tapscott 33 31 David Coleman vs. Daniel Negreanu Preparing For The WSOP Main Event 36 By Greg Raymer David Coleman vs. Daniel Negreanu 33 Strategic Soft Play: Can I Fold My Hand? By Scott J. Burnham

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the INSIDE STRAIGHT News, Reviews, and Interviews From Around the Poker World MICHIGAN POSTS LARGEST ONLINE GAMBLING REVENUE IN ENTIRE COUNTRY

By Steve Schult

Michigan’s online gambling market is quietly establishing itself as one of the strongest as the state’s operators posted the largest revenue totals in the country for the month of June. Online casino revenue, which includes poker, totaled $89.2 million. When the $25 million in winnings from its online sportsbooks are taken into account, the number jumps to $114.2 million, according to fi gures released by state gaming regulators. By comparison, New Jersey, which was generally considered the gold standard in terms of online gambling, won a reported $107.1 million in online revenue for the month of June. e state record was $113.7 million, which was set last March. Michigan surpassed the Garden State’s all-time record in just its fi fth full month of online cent decline from May to June shows internet gaming and gambling. It took New Jersey nearly eight years to achieve online sports betting continues to draw Michigan residents’ those numbers, although the market didn’t fully mature and visitors’ interest.” until about 2017. On the poker front, Michigan only has two online e Great Lakes State also outperformed another pow- operators. PokerStars launched its Michigan offering erhouse gambling market in Pennsylvania. e Keystone almost immediately after the market rolled out in January, State’s online operators reported $100.8 million in online and BetMGM entered a few months later. gambling revenue in June. Nevada is the largest gambling Caesars Interactive Entertainment, which owns market in the country overall and set a gross gaming rev- the WSOP.com, obtained a license in Michigan but has yet enue record in May with $1.2 billion, but there is no online to announce a launch date for the site. It’s expected to be gambling in the Silver State outside of poker and mobile available to the public sometime later this year. sports betting. It didn’t take long after it launched for PokerStars e surge in action came as online operators actually Michigan to become the largest regulated online poker site dipped ever-so-slightly compared to May’s reported earn- in the state. In the fi rst week of operations, the site was ings. averaging 400 players online at any given time. Just from “Summer is here, and Michigan is reopening after the the state of online poker in Michigan, which is a microcosm pandemic restrictions so there are many entertainment of the overall online market, it’s no surprise that Michigan opportunities,” Henry Williams, the board’s executive has quickly cemented itself as one of the largest markets in director told e Detroit News. “ e slight tenth of a per- the country. m

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008_News.indd 8 8/5/21 10:04 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT ABANDONED LAS VEGAS STRIP BUILDING WILL OPEN AS JW POKER PRO SUES ATLANTIC MARRIOTT IN 2023 CITY CASINO FOR $1.25 By Steve Schult MILLION OVER LIFETIME BAN By Steve Schult e biggest eyesore on the Las Vegas Strip is expected to open as a Marriott property in a little more than two years from A poker pro is suing now. an Atlantic City casino According to a local ABC for $1.25 million after a affiliate, the tallest building on poorly timed suicide joke Las Vegas Boulevard will open resulted in a lifetime ban. as JW Marriott in the fourth According to a report quarter of 2023. The building from the New York has been abandoned since construction halted on the Post, Scott Robbins is 63-story hotel tower in 2008, when it was supposed to open suing Borgata Hotel as the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Casino & Spa for the e facility has been plagued with bad luck since the seven-figure sum. Last initial pause 13 years ago. It sits on the north end of the Las September, the poker pro from Massachusetts reserved Vegas Strip and has undergone several changes in owner- a room and was checking in at the front desk. ship, as well as several starts and stops on new construction e lawsuit states that the employee checking in plans. Robbins asked him whether he wanted a room on a Miami-based developers Turnberry Associates initially floor on a lower level or one on a higher floor. Robbins broke ground on the building in 2007, but lenders of the then asked, “If I had to jump from a high-floor window, deal backed out in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, would I make it?” e hotel employee then pleaded with ending the initial idea of mimicking the iconic Miami Robbins not to jump out of the window. property in Sin City. Robbins allegedly assured the employee that he Billionaire Carl Icahn purchased the property in 2010 wouldn’t jump and that he was kidding, but also asked for $150 million. He let the building sit empty for seven if he would survive a leap from a room on a lower floor. years before selling it to Steven Witkoff in 2017 for $600 Ultimately, he was given a room on the 30th floor, million. and then things got interesting. Witkoff planned on turning it into the city’s newest An “armed security force” showed up at Robbins’ casino and would’ve named it after his son, Drew, who room and informed him that he would need to undergo died in 2011. e Drew suffered several setbacks on the a psychiatric evaluation if he wanted to stay onsite. An construction front as well, but as recently as January 2020, ambulance took him to a local hospital where staff said it was still on track to open in 2022. that in their opinion, Robbins was not a danger to him- But following the shutdowns related to the COVID- self or others at the casino. 19 pandemic, there were more delays and eventual- Robbins incurred the medical bills himself, which ly Witkoff began defaulting on loan payments for the forced him to come out of pocket $2,000 for the inci- property. The building was once again abandoned and in dent. It didn’t end there, however. When he returned to search of new ownership. the casino, his personal belongings were removed from Last February, Charles Koch-owned Koch Industries the premises, and he was informed that the casino had partnered with Fontainebleau Development, one of banned him for life. the original developers of the property, to purchase the Robbins decided to file suit against Borgata, which once again empty building from Witkoff. According to is Atlantic City’s highest-grossing casino. a Bloomberg report, financial terms weren’t disclosed. How did he decide on $1.25 million? Robbins “We believe strongly in the Las Vegas market and see claimed that over the next decade, he will lose $85,000 the property as a great opportunity to contribute to the per year in poker earnings and another $200,000 in long-term success and positive trajectory of this vibrant sponsorship money. He added a final $200,000 for false and innovative region,” said Jake Francis, president of Koch imprisonment, interference with prospective economic Real Estate Investments, in a statement at the time of the gain, and libel. purchase. He also pointed out in the documents that the Even though part of the original team is back onboard, it Borgata’s windows are more than an inch thick and do will not become the Las Vegas version of the Fontainebleau. not open. e JW Marriott property will have 3,700 hotel rooms, Over the course of his career, Robbins has tourna- more than 500,000 square feet of convention space, as well ment cashes dating back to 2018 totaling $417,325. His as a casino and all of the typical amenities that come with most recent cash came in April when he finished 44th a Las Vegas Strip gaming operation. m in a $600 no-limit hold’em event at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. m

008_News.indd 9 8/5/21 10:04 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - News, reviews, and interviews from around the poker world Florida Casino Expansion ALASKA GOVERNOR Will Be On The 2022 Ballot LOOKS TOWARD By Steve Schult GAMBLING ree gambling-related constitutional amendments will be LEGALIZATION TO FIX on the ballot for Florida voters in 2022, with two giving citizens the ability to expand casino gambling in the Sunshine State. Shortly after it was revealed that a political action committee BUDGET DEFICIT called Florida Voters in Charge received a $17 million donation from Las Vegas Sands Corp, the group was able to get enough By Steve Schult signatures to get amendments regarding casino expansion on the 2022 ballot. Historically, the state of Alaska anks in large part to the eight-figure donation, the group has been one of the most anti- was able to gather the 891,589 voter signatures necessary gambling states in the union. But to achieve ballot access, according to a report from Florida the state’s Revenue Department Phoenix. Both of these initiatives would functionally end the recently commissioned a $400,000 monopoly that the Seminole Tribe has on casino gaming in study to focus on the feasibility of Florida. implementing expanded gambling One of the amendments, 21-15, would authorize three new in Alaska. casinos in the Sunshine State and allow the recently created According to a report from Florida Gaming Control Commission to award those licenses the Fairbanks Daily News- to any company based on the merit of the application, as long Miner, the study will look at as the location was more than 100 miles away from Seminole- the potential for legal gambling, owned casinos. including casinos, sports betting, and a state lottery. e second, 21-16, would allow licensed cardrooms to offer Most forms of gambling are currently illegal full-scale casino gaming as long as the property was at least 130 within the state’s borders. Class III gaming, which miles away from a tribal casino and pledged to spend at least includes most traditional Las Vegas-style casino $250 million developing the facility. gambling options, is prohibited. It’s the reason there ere were several reports that said since Las Vegas Sands are no commercial casinos in the state. There are two Corp was funding the signature-gathering process, the compa- tribal casinos, however, but they are glorified bingo ny was looking at breaking into the Florida market. Given the halls, limited to just Class II gaming. Those tribal distances listed in the amendments, Jacksonville is the most properties are the only forms of legal gambling. likely landing spot for the new casino. e PAC’s chairperson, In the face of a massive budget deficit, Gov. Mike William Spicola, has a home address in Jacksonville Beach. Dunleavy began changing his tune on the issue. If 21-16 is passed next November, the most likely course of In January, during his State of the State speech, action would be for the company to buy a large equity stake Dunleavy voiced support for gambling. in an existing cardroom and help fund the updates needed for “ is session, I’ll be supporting legislation to casino gaming. bring gaming to Alaska. Alaska can no longer In 2018, voters passed an amendment that said any gam- afford to deny itself a revenue stream available to bling expansion must be passed through a ballot initiative. nearly every other state in the nation,” said Dunleavy. In terms of number of licensed operators, this would be the “Along with enhancing revenue, gaming could create first expansion since the Seminole-backed proposal was passed hundreds of high-paying jobs in some of our com- nearly three years ago. munities, and we would join a long list of states that In late June, a PAC dubbed Florida Education Champions have embraced gaming for some time.” got enough signatures to get a sports betting proposal on the Dunleavy went on to hire a consultant to spear- ballot as well. The proposed amendment, 21-13, would legalize head the study backed by the Revenue Department, mobile sports betting statewide, regardless of the pending new who will suggest the best locations for a possible gaming compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe. Alaskan casino and figure out how many tourists Florida Education Champions received a pair of $10 million could be drawn to them, as well as how much new donations from sports betting giants FanDuel and DraftKings. tax revenue could be raised. In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis reached a deal with the e study is projected to be finished by December, Seminole Tribe for a new 30-year gaming compact. The but according to the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, the agreement would allow both retail and mobile sports betting state has the option to extend it into next year. throughout the state and run by the tribe, as well as expanded Dunleavy told lawmakers that he wanted them to gaming options at tribal casinos. The compact would force work on possible gambling legislation for the special pari-mutuel facilities to partner with and give a cut of its session in August. Given the timeframe of the study, revenue to the Seminoles in order to operate a sportsbook. and Dunleavy’s lack of focus on any potential down- A pair of pari-mutuel facilities filed a federal lawsuit in early side, next year seems like a more reasonable target for July over that provision. The compact was already passed by any legislative action. m m

the legislature and is awaiting federal approval. gov.alaska.gov ©

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008_News.indd 10 8/5/21 10:04 AM PLAYER_16_HarrahsCherokee_FP.indd 3 7/7/21 8:26 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - Head Games HEAD GAMES

Street By Street Tournament Bet Sizing The Pros: Ankush Mandavia, Jake Toole, Justin Young, and Carlos Welch By Craig Tapscott

Craig Tapscott: When you have a But sub 40-bb stacks is where it get shoved on, as well as some traps big hand preflop in late position, and gets a bit tricky and more dynamic. if there are shorter stacks still left a player has already opened, what are For example, if a recreational player to act. the variables that determine what that has played almost no hands Typically, in tournaments, the your bet sizing will be if you three- opens and we have jacks on 35 bbs, stacks are shallower, which tends bet? we’re probably not going to want to to allow reraises to be smaller. If Ankush Mandavia: It’s very depen- get stacks in versus him and will opt a 25-30 bb stack opens for 2x, my dent on game flow, history, the to flat. If a solid reg opens, we have reraise size will be anywhere from hands that have been shown down, no problem getting jacks in versus 5.5-6x in position, and 6-7x from out position, and stack sizes. Even the them and that stack. of position. pair you hold matters quite a bit. Another thing to think about is Justin Young: e very first thing If you have aces and a solid player if you have someone in the big blind I consider is the playing styles and opens, and you have sub 20 big willing to play a lot of hands and stack sizes of the players directly and blinds (bb), a lot of players would you have a short stack. In that case indirectly involved in the hand. e opt to call. Additionally, it depends you might want to call to keep their player profile of the original raiser on the stacks behind you and how hands in, let them catch a piece of takes precedence with the strategy, squeeze happy they are. If you have the board, and then get your stack but there are times when you are been calling a lot of hands, you in. targeting a player behind you yet to might want to mix in some big pair Jake Toole: Effective stack depth, act. You can create optimum squeeze calls in order to be balanced. Usually as well as stack sizes still left to act, spots by just flatting the raise for a at deeper stacks (40 bb+) you are are two important factors to con- shove stack (18-32 bbs), or a larger going to want to three-bet for value. sider when reraising an opener. My stacked aggressive player who can If you’ve been playing a lot of hands standard approach is to three-bet a widely put in a third bet for you. and have shown down hands such linear range with deeper stacks and To use this strategy, you must as J-9 on three-bets, you are going start to three-bet a polarized range have a strong understanding of your to want to continue three-betting as stacks get shorter. I’ll mix in more table dynamics. I would not even big pairs. calls with hands that don’t want to consider flatting the raise unless you

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Jake Toole Ankush Mandavia

have been at the table for a long time. his stack. sible. e smaller sizing allows me to If you choose the more conventional On the flip side, if he is working play a wider range and control the route of three-betting, the obvious with 35 bbs you can make it on the size of the post-flop pot. things to look at first is the stack bigger side 6.6 bbs, which will allow ere are also variables that influ- sizes of yourself and the opening a standard four-bet shove from your ence the decision to three-bet at all. raiser. You can generally just use the opponent. For the more “sticky” If the opener is a good player, but the smaller stack of the two players to opponent you want to make your players behind me are not, I will flat plan your strategy. sizing bigger in general (3x-4x) as here with my entire range. It does me In tournaments, especially late, they tend to call, but in addition you no good to three-bet a good player the hands will play themselves due want to gauge how your hand will who is unlikely to make big mistakes to the smaller stacks involved. If a play post-flop. Not only the strength and price out the bad players who are shorter stack (5-15 bbs) is involved, of your hand, but also the skill of likely to do so. Additionally, flatting then an “all in” is required if you are your opponent. is allows for easier your big hands here is a good idea the shorter stack. A simple smaller decision making on future streets. when the average stack size starts three-bet can be used to isolate the Carlos Welch: e main variables to decrease and the players behind opener if he/she has the short stack. that determine my three-bet sizing are short and aggressive enough to My personal preference is around here include the effective stack size attack your flat with all in squeezes. 2.4x the open. Generally, this will and the range of my opponent. A Craig Tapscott: Let’s say you three- result in a fold or a shove from the normal, in-position three-bet siz- bet a big pair and get called. How do opener, but the times he does call the ing for me here is around 3.5x my you determine bet sizing on the flop? raise your hand will play pretty well opponent’s open size from stacks What’s your sizing on the turn or in position. of between say 50 and 100 bbs. I river against someone that you have Once the players get somewhat tend to go a bit bigger or smaller as position on? deeper things get more complicated. a default outside of this range. e Ankush Mandavia: Overpair sizing Your sizing should be tailor-made for strength or weakness of my oppo- on flops when called are dependent the style of your opponent. ough nent’s range can cause me to deviate on board texture and range advan- I do hate to pigeonhole players into from this default size in a number tage. If you get called on a 40-bb only two categories, you want to of ways. effective stack preflop and the flop think about whether the player For one, if I expect this to be a comes 10-9-8 and we have aces, we’re is more likely to four-bet/fold or tighter player with a stronger range, going to want to pot control the whether he/she tends to flat three- I will increase my size with the majority of the time and check back. bets fairly wide. top of my range and avoid three- We have to consider our opponents In order to exploit the more betting him with the bottom. is calling range and make the sizing aggressive player, you will want to is obviously exploitable but doing so and bet decisions based on that. make your three-bet size conducive would require my opponent to fold If our opponents are very mid to being four-bet, where his bet will hands he really wants to play, and pair/Broadway heavy, we have to leverage the smaller stack or put the most people are unable to do this. If proceed with caution. If they are smaller stack all in. As an example, instead, this is a loose player who I capable of trapping us preflop we if the opener raised two bbs off a expect to be fairly weak post-flop, I have to be aware of that. is consid- 60-bb stack, you would want to keep will choose a smaller size as a default. eration goes down a lot with shorter the three-bet on the smaller side, let’s e main purpose of this size is to stacks, and you have to have the say 5.5 bbs. Now we can comfortably isolate this player and play pots in mentality that if they have it, they

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Justin Young Carlos Welch © WPT © Carlos Welch

e board texture matters a lot certain rivers. of our opponent connecting with the for sizing. For example, if we are on Now let’s discuss pot control. flop, we can start to formulate a plan 30-bb stacks, and we three-bet Am is can come into play when there to get maximum value. If we or our Ao and we get called. e flop comes are turns or rivers that are consid- opponent has a bit of a shorter stack, Qm 5m 3m, we can bet small because ered bad for our range. In the above our goal is to get all the chips in we’re not scared of protection. If we flop of 10-5-2, if we continuation bet the middle at some point. e more have red aces there, we might want to and our opponent calls, he’s going to straightforward examples are when bet bigger since we’re worried about have quite a bit of 10x in his range. we are playing anywhere with less a spade rolling off. Most times with If the turn is a 10, we can safely than pot to 4x pot behind. We can overpairs on boards with unders that check back and reevaluate on rivers, size our flop/turn/river bets accord- are not coordinated, we’re going to depending on what action we face. ing to whether we believe they have have no problem barreling off. Justin Young: When I have a large a drawing range or a one-pair hand. But if we have K-K for example pair in position of a heads-up pot, Against perceived drawing hands, on 30 bbs and the flop comes A-x-x, there are many ways to play them. we want to front load the bets since we might want to bet small or check e first thing I consider is the range missed draws tend to fold the river for pot control. It’s not a board of the person I am in the pot with. unless they back door into a pair. we’re going to want to barrel off. In most instances, I’m the preflop When we are a bit deeper stacked, Usually, these c-bet spots versus pros raiser and one of the blinds has made we have more options to attack our we’re going to want to be balanced the call. If the call comes from the opponent. e goal is usually to and versus recreational players we’re small blind the range is a bit more get three streets of value from one going to want to bet a lot. defined. is could mean everything pair hands and bluff catchers, but Jake Toole: My flop strategy with from Broadway cards to medium/ knowing if your opponent tends to an overpair is always going to be small pocket pairs, all the way to give up on rivers is key. Checking dependent on the board texture. suited connectors. While that seems the turn can ensure a pot-sized bet Understanding what flops favor the like an incredibly wide range, the to be called on the river. It can also in-position player versus out of posi- range of the big blind is even larger. serve as a pot controlling tool, which tion player is very important. A nor- Especially over the last two to three is very important in a tournament mal sizing for a dryer board texture years, the defending range of the big format. such as 10-5-2 in a three-bet pot will blind can be expanded to almost any As an example, checking back be one-third pot. When we have an two cards. when the board pairs on the turn overpair, it allows us to bet our full If I’m fortunate to have a flop (9n 7o 4p 7m) is a good way to range, while understanding that on where my pair is bigger than any card protect yourself from possibly losing this board, our opponent is going to on board, I must be very thought- a big pot if they turn three of a kind. have very few stronger hands then ful to try and get maximum value But when you do get favorable run- ours. Which means we can really without putting much of my stack outs against an ambitious top pair, push our EV (expected value) and at risk. e board texture is the next then betting heavy is necessary. An equity advantages on later streets. thing to take into account. ere are example would be a J-2-2 flop where It’s always going to depend on obvious wet and dry boards, but in you are up against J-x most of the stack depth, especially in a tourney addition there will be boards that time. Here you can bet aggressively, format, but typically I will size geo- should connect with the range of the a 40%/80%/120% (of pot) betting metrically on blank turns to allow opponent. pattern is commonly used. myself to have bluffs and continue Once an assumed range is estab- Calos Welch: I determine my bet to apply pressure with a shove on lished and we consider the likelihood sizing on the flop with an overpair

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based on board texture, eff ective the turn. is is especially true if I Sports Cracking Aces podcast. He has stack size, and the range of my oppo- choose a large size on the fl op. over $1.3 million in career live tournament nent. Generally, I bet around two- is is the point at which you cashes, including a deep run in the 2015 thirds pot on dynamic boards where have to start thinking about pot WSOP main event where he finished the best hand possible changes on a controlling. If the board remains dry 34th for $211,821. The former Penn State lot of turn cards. On static boards and my pair is a strong hand relative University tennis player has also won I bet around one-third pot, where to my opponent’s strengthened turn millions online, including a career best the best hand possible on the fl op is range, I will continue barreling for $453,687 FTOPS event title. very likely to remain the best hand value. is time, there is no need for on the turn. the smaller one-third or less sizing, Justin Young found poker while at If my overpair contains a blocker because my betting range starts to NC State, and passed up a career in to the front door fl ush draw, I often polarize once I start to check back mechanical engineering to pursue the use a slightly bigger size because my middling strength hand. For this game at the highest levels. Although he my hand retains a lot of its equity reason, I tend to go around one-half is a dedicated cash game grinder, he has on board changing run outs. If the to three-quarters pot as a default and more than $5.6 million in live tournament board is extremely dry, I will bet even more in some situations. m earnings. He has wins at the Five Diamond even smaller than one-third pot. World Poker Classic and Festa al Lago at’s how I play in theory, but I Ankush Mandavia won a coveted WSOP Classic, and finished second in the Doyle will make other sizing adjustments gold bracelet in 2016 in the $5,000 turbo Brunson Classic for $936,760. In 2016, he to exploit player specifi c tenden- no-limit hold’em event. The University of won the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker cies. Also, I do mix in checks with Georgia graduate has also had success on Showdown for $669,161. overpairs in these situations some the high roller circuit, winning a $25,000 frequency of the time. event at the 2017 Five Diamond World Carlos Welch is a professional poker player, When my continuation bet is Poker Classic, and taking third in the coach, and strategy writer. In July, he won called, my opponent gets to the turn $100,000 PCA high roller for $787,640. In the $888 buy-in Crazy Eights event at the with a stronger range than he had February, Mandavia returned to the live WSOP Online series for his first bracelet on the fl op. If the board changes circuit and won the Card Player Poker Tour and $124,369. The former math teacher in a way that strengthens many of Venetian main event for $260,000. He now focuses on showing the average player those hands to a point where they are has career earnings of $5.5 million. how to pursue poker for a living. You can stronger than my pair, I will often reach Carlos for coaching or his training mix in a high frequency of checks on Jake Toole is the co-host of Barstool products at tinyurl.com/CarlosWelch.

012_HeadGames.indd 15 8/5/21 10:06 AM Tournaments As of 7-28-2021

Place Player Points Final Tables POY Earnings

1 Ali Imsirovic 4,748 18 $2,916,460

2 Chad Eveslage 3,768 3 $1,779,518

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

4 Brian Altman 3,558 5 $1,124,401

5 Andrew Moreno 3,547 3 $1,626,754

6 Sean Perry 3,372 13 $2,239,378

7 Matas Cimbolas 2,930 5 $1,101,205

8 Chance Kornuth 2,850 3 $961,062

9 Joe McKeehen 2,740 4 $1,018,260

10 Alex Foxen 2,670 13 $1,167,257

11 Tuan Mai 2,546 14 $313,702

12 James Anderson 2,392 5 $568,560

13 Jesse Lonis 2,350 7 $482,881

14 Sam Soverel 2,343 11 $1,939,360

15 Ilyas Muradi 2,308 3 $760,920

16 James Carroll 2,272 3 $622,566

17 Sean Winter 2,266 10 $2,028,090

18 Sung Joo Hyun 2,238 4 $536,475

19 Balakrishna Patur 2,224 3 $1,075,985

20 Viet Vo 2,050 3 $822,480

FINAL TWO POKERGO CUP EVENTS SHAKE UP THE STANDINGS

The final two events of the inaugural PokerGO Cup were the two largest buy-in tournaments on the high-stakes series’ schedule. Both events built seven-figure Alex Foxen prize pools, starting with the $1,750,000 awarded in the $50,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event. That tournament drew 35 total entries, with Daniel Negreanu coming away with the title, the $700,000 top prize, and 408 POY points in the end. Alex Foxen finished third for $280,000 and 272 points. This was Foxen’s 13th final-table finish of the year, and it brought his year-to-date earnings total up to $1,167,257. With one title won and 2,670 in total POY points, Foxen leapfrogged Tuan Mai to climb into 10th place in the rankings. Ali Imsirovic added to his lead in the POY race by placing fifth in that event for $122,500 and 170 points. This was his 18th POY-qualified final table of the year, giving him four more final-table finishes than any other player in the world in 2021. He also added to his lead when it comes to POY earnings. With $2,916,460 under his belt, Imsirovic has a $677,082 lead over his nearest competitor in Sean Perry (more on him later). Imsirovic’s 4,748 POY points give him a 980-point lead on second-

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016_POY.indd 16 8/5/21 10:08 AM Tournaments

ranked Chad Eveslage heading into the end of July. Sam Soverel Negreanu followed up his win in the $50,000 buy-in with a fourth-place finish in the $100,000 buy-in high roller for another $230,000 and 180 points. This was his fifth final table of the year, and the points he earned from it were enough to see him move into 78th place in the standings. Sean Winter finished third for his 10th final table of 2021, jumping into 17th place in the points race as a result. Sam Soverel earned $644,000 and 300 points as the runner-up finisher, which cata- pulted him into 14th place with 2,343 points, 11 POY-qualified titles, and $1,939,360 in earnings. Cary Katz walked away with the title and the top payday of $1,058,000. The 360 points he received for his first win and 10th final-table finish of the year propelled him up the standings and into 25th place. SEAN PERRY CONTINUES TO THRIVE IN ARIA HIGH ROLLER EVENTS

Sean Perry Sean Perry has made 13 POY-qualified final tables in 2021, with 11 of those deep runs coming in events held at ARIA Resort & Casino. Perry made a pair of cashes in $10,000 buy-in high roller events held at the venue on the heels of the PokerGO Cup, coming out on top in the first event, which failed to qualify for POY rankings points due to an insuf- ficient prize pool. Although he didn’t earn any POY points for the win, Perry did cash for $81,000 after beating Stephen Chidwick heads-up for the title. The very next day Perry placed fourth from a field of 22 entries in the $15,000 buy-in event, earning $33,000 and 108 points. Perry now has $2,239,378 in POY earnings for 2021, with three POY-qualified titles won along the way. The 24-year-old poker pro now sits in sixth place in the overall standings as a result of his incredible run in high roller events this year. Like Perry, Spanish poker pro Sergi Reixach also cashed in both ARIA high roller events. With 10 POY-qualified final tables, including four made since the start of July, Reixach has moved his way into 29th place on the leaderboard.

JESSE LONIS MAKES SEVENTH FINAL TABLE, NOW IN 13TH PLACE While many of the top-ranked players in the 2021 POY race are high-stakes tourna- Jesse Lonis ment regulars, there are a handful of players who have battled their way towards the top of the leaderboard with consistent results in large-field events with more affordable buy-in price points. Among them is Jesse Lonis, who has made eight POY- qualified scores so far this year, with an average buy-in of $1,552 and an average field size of 1,004 entries across those eight tournaments. His largest score was the $223,895 he took home as the fifth-place finisher in this year’s WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open $3,500 buy-in main event. He was awarded 675 POY points for his strong showing in that tournament, which drew a sizable field of 1,573. Lonis’ most recent deep run saw him finish as the runner-up from a field of 123 entries in a $1,600 buy-in pot-limit Omaha $500 bounty event at the Wynn Summer Classic. He took home $28,159 in prize money and 220 points for his second-place showing. As a result, Lonis climbed into 13th place in the POY race for the time being.

ALBERT KNAFO WINS WPT DEEPSTACKS VENETIAN

Albert Knafo The 2021 WPT DeepStacks Venetian $2,400 buy-in no-limit hold’em event drew a field of 1,512 total entries, blowing away the $2 million guarantee to create a final prize pool of $3,288,600. In the end, the lion’s share of that money was awarded to Albert Knafo, who earned $532,395. The 38-year-old Los Angeles resident also picked up 1,080 POY points for the win. This was his second big score of the year, having placed third in the $1,100 buy-in Mid- States Poker Tour Venetian event held in June for $177,695 and another 800 points. Knafo now occupies the 28th-place spot in the rankings. Shawn Daniels finished seventh in the WPTDS Venetian event for $91,865 and 270 points. This was the fifth POY-qualified final table finish of his 2021 campaign, including a win in a Venetian High Roller $10,000 buy-in event in May for $175,500 and 360 points. His latest deep run was enough to move him into 41st place in the POY race. m

016_POY.indd 17 8/5/21 10:08 AM Tournaments TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Event Player Payout (POY) Uri Reichenstein PokerGO Cup 1. Daniel Negreanu $700,000 (408) 2. David Coleman $455,000 (340) Aria Las Vegas, NV 3. Alex Foxen $280,000 (272) 4. Sergi Reixach $192,500 (204) $50,000 NLHE 5. Ali Imsirovic $122,500 (170) July 12-13 Entries: 35 Prizepool: $1,750,000

Cary Katz © Wynn

Event Player Payout (POY) Summer Classic 1. Uri Reichenstein $217,948 (1080) 2. Luke Blindert $144,210 (900) Wynn 3. Erik Koch $99,079 (720)

© PokerGO © Las Vegas, NV 4. Carlos Viedas $70,302 (540) Event Player Payout (POY) $1,600 NLHE 5. Austin Peck $51,916 (450) PokerGO Cup 1. Cary Katz $1,058,000 (360) July 2-6 $1,500,000 GTD 6. David Mzareulov $40,408 (360) 2. Sam Soverel $644,000 (300) Aria Entries: 1,518 7. Michael Young $32,519 (270) 3. Sean Winter $368,000 (240) Prizepool: $1,442,100 Las Vegas, NV 8. Bryan Piccioli $26,967 (180) 4. Daniel Negreanu $230,000 (180) 9. Victor Choupeaux $22,785 (90) $100,000 NLHE July 13-14 Event Player Payout (POY) Entries: 23 Summer Classic 1. Allan Le $30,583 (264) Prizepool: $2,300,000 2. Jesse Lonis $28,159 (220) Event Player Payout Wynn Las Vegas, NV 3. Gaby Livshitz $13,743 (176) High Roller 1. Sean Perry $81,000 4. Jose Barbero $9,397 (132) Summer Series 2. Stephen Chidwick $45,000 $1,600 PLO KO 5. Chase Fujita $6,930 (110) July 9 3. Sergi Reixach $24,000 Aria $100,000 GTD 6. Jeremy Kottler $5,568 (88) Las Vegas, NV Entries: 123 7. Jason Gooch $4,675 (66) Prizepool: $117,465 8. Mark Liedtke $3,964 (44) $10,000 NLHE July 14 9. Mark Wahba $3,406 (22) Entries: 15 Prizepool: $150,000 Event Player Payout (POY) Summer Classic 1. Simon Levy $92,147 (540) Event Player Payout (POY) 2. Matthew Jewett $84,548 (450) High Roller Summer 1. Anuj Agarwal $151,800 (216) Wynn Las Vegas, NV 3. Joshua Frazer $80,481 (360) Series 2. Sam Soverel $92,400 (180) 4. Charles Sklar $78,319 (270) 3. Sergi Reixach $52,800 (144) Aria $500 NLHE 5. Paul Cogliano $59,528 (225) Las Vegas, NV 4. Sean Perry $33,000 (108) July 10-13 6. Harley Copen $26,052 (180) $500,000 GTD $15,000 NLHE Entries: 2,480 7. Michael Lavin $21,655 (135) July 15 Prizepool: $1,054,000 8. Gregory Soroka $17,892 (90) Entries: 22 Prizepool: $330,000 9. Jared Jaffee $15,047 (45)

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Event Player Payout (POY) Tomas Soderstrom DeepStack 1. Albert Knafo $532,395 (1080) Championship 2. Steven Sarmiento $383,595 (900) Poker Series 3. Austin Srur $249,375 (720) Venetian 4. Doug Lada $185,275 (540) Las Vegas, NV 5. James Gilbert $139,180 (450) 6. Eli Elezra $112,235 (360) $2,400 NLHE July 9-13 7. Shawn Daniels $91,865 (270) $2,000,000 GTD 8. Marc Bernal $72,350 (180) Entries: 1,512 9. Thomas Boivin $54,280 (90) Prizepool: $3,288,600

Timothy

Gundrum © Orleans

Event Player Payout (POY) Summer Poker Series 1. Tomas Soderstrom $105,251 (480) 2. Sasha Sabbaghian $66,854 (400) Orleans Hotel & Casino 3. Ibrahim Naim $46,333 (320) Las Vegas, NV 4. Rod Dingler $31,747 (240) 5. Rick Zhou $21,093 (200) $600 NLHE July 16-19 6. Xa Xiong $14,300 (160) $500,000 GTD 7. Gregory Yeager $11,262 (120) Entries: 1,402 8. Allen Kessler $9,117 (80) Prizepool: $715,020

Event Player Payout (POY) Event Player Payout (POY) Iowa State Poker 1. Timothy Gundrum $170,769 (912) WPT Choctaw 1. Andrew Chubick $49,030 (365) Championship 2. Jim Erickson $105,143 (760) 2. Jonathan Bloyen $30,297 (304) Choctaw Casino Riverside Casino 3. Wesley Cannon $77,194 (608) Resort 3. Anthony Bogard $22,316 (243) Riverside, IA 4. Stephen Torre $58,412 (456) Durant, OK 4. Prabhas Kalele $16,654 (182) 5. Michael Estes $44,034 (380) 5. Noel Schuh $12,591 (152) $1,100 NLHE $350 NLHE July 23-25 6. Jason Gross $33,250 (304) July 15 6. Jeffrey Hill $9,642 (122) $200,000 GTD 7. Todd Bartlett $26,061 (228) $40,000 GTD 7. Dorman Atchison $7,477 (91) Entries: 928 Entries: 864 8. Peyton Smith $20,669 (152) 8. William Smith $5,871 (61) Prizepool: $898,660 Prizepool: $251,424 9. Jalen Heald $16,175 (76) 9. Andrae Bowen $4,666 (30)

Event Player Payout (POY) Event Player Payout Black Hawk 1. Michael Wheeler $98,730 (480) WPT Choctaw 1. Aden Salazar $88,269 Poker Open 2. Vincent Moscati $70,502 (400) 2. John Duffey $54,727 Choctaw Bally’s 3. Danny Gonzales $41,854 (320) Casino Resort 3. Brian Green $40,104 Black Hawk, CO 4. Bradley Pearlman $29,190 (240) Durant, OK 4. Joshua Manninger $30,488 5. Ben Keeline $21,893 (200) 5. Marcus Dickey $23,210 $1,400 NLHE $240 NLHE July 15-19 6. Philip Gioia $17,171 (160) July 16-18 6. James Green $17,876 Entries: 349 7. Erik Macias $14,509 (120) $200,000 GTD 7. Jason Blake $13,927 Prizepool: $429,270 Entries: unknown 8. Rickey Sweat $10,976 8. Jarred Simmer $12,020 (80) Prizepool: $511,464 9. Lukas Volman $10,345 (40) 9. Joel Grunberger $8,751

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018_TournamentResults.indd 19 8/5/21 10:09 AM DANIEL NEGREANU BREAKS 7-YEAR TITLE DROUGHT TO WIN THE INAUGURAL POKERGO CUP Hall Of Famer Says His Poker Game Is Better Than Ever

By Erik Fast

Daniel Negreanu has one of the very best tournament it down to heads-up in nine events. poker résumés in the history of the game. e Canadian’s e tenth heads-up showdown for a title proved to be the long list of accomplishments, combined with his signature charm for Negreanu, as he finally broke the streak to win the table talk, and willingness to make time for fans, has made $50,000 buy-in high roller event at the inaugural PokerGO him one of the most recognizable names in poker. Cup along with the $700,000 first-place prize. Negreanu e 47-year-old is a first-ballot Poker Hall of Famer, with went a remarkable 2,819 days between titles. more than $42 million in career tournament earnings to “I would describe it exactly as getting a monkey off my his name, placing him third on poker’s all-time money list. back, because it did create some anxiety and stress just like, Negreanu has accumulated six World Series of Poker bracelets, ‘How long can this go on?’” Negreanu told Card Player. two World Poker Tour titles, and two Card Player Player of “Coupling that with the heads-up matches that I played, hav- the Year awards. ing lost those as well. It’ll weigh on you. Everybody’s human, Despite those accolades, Negreanu has not been immune with emotions. It’s really nice to finally break through.” to the variance inherent in tournament poker. Coming into While any serious tournament player might be frus- the summer of 2021, he had been stuck in a title drought that trated with an extended period without a first-place finish, extended all the way back to October of 2013, when he took Negreanu faced the added scrutiny that comes with being down that year’s WSOP Europe high roller event for more one of the most high-profile players in the game. than $1 million. “I’ve become accustomed to understanding that every- It would be his last time in the winner’s circle for more thing I do, everything I say, and [my] results, are amplified. than seven years. Because it makes the news,” admitted Negreanu. “If a ran- But that’s not to say that it wasn’t a profitable stretch any- dom guy loses 10 heads ups in a row, it’s just whatever. But way. Negreanu cashed 144 times since that victory, adding for me, it becomes the source of content for videos, discus- more than $22 million to his lifetime earnings along the way, sions for news stories and all that. I’m very comfortable in

but he was unable to come away with a title despite making that spotlight, luckily. Because if I wasn’t, I don’t think that © Photos Courtesy of PokerGO

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020_CoverStory.indd 20 8/5/21 10:11 AM I’d be able to play tournaments at a high level… if I was Negreanu. “ e work that I put in for my heads-up match always feeling that scrutiny was damaging to me.” with Doug, I was able to basically take that information from anks in large part to his victory, Negreanu was able studying with solvers and extrapolate that into ring-game to come away as the overall champion of the PokerGO Cup, formats and then incorporate that into my tournament game.” earning the titular trophy and $50,000 in added prize money Negreanu’s time ‘in the lab’ helped him feel a sense of as the player with the most rankings points earned through- control while playing high-stakes ring-game tournaments out the eight-event high roller series that ran from July 6-14. at the PokerGO Cup, simply due to the relative simplicity of Negreanu: ‘I’m A Better No-Limit Hold’em Player Today ring-game play when compared with the strategic rigors of Than I’ve Ever Been’ heads-up play. About a year prior to his win at the PokerGO Cup, “Heads-up is more complex [than full ring] in a lot of Negreanu publicly agreed to a heads-up no-limit hold’em ways, because ranges are much wider. When you’re trying cash game showdown with Doug Polk, a three-time bracelet to figure out a range heads up, you’re including hands like winner who had specialized in the format for years. e two Q-4 offsuit as a possibility. [But in these tournaments] when popular poker personalities had clashed in a series of escalat- somebody raises under the gun and someone three-bets, you ing social media spats in the past, with plenty of needling and can limit the ranges significantly. It’s actually a lot less to arguing over a variety of issues. calculate,” he explained. “You know how baseball players eir public feud had poker fans asking Polk and before they hit, they take multiple bats at once and they just Negreanu to hash out their differences via a ‘grudge match.’ take a few practice swings with that, where it’s very heavy? at request was ultimately granted, with the two agree- And then the single bat feels really light when they actually ing to play 25,000 hands of $200-$400 heads-up no-limit go to swing. at’s what it feels like. I trained for something hold’em, with the vast majority taking place on Polk’s home that is very, very complex, and now I’m [using it] in a much turf online. easier format.” e two competed over three months, finally finish- Breaking Through To The Winner’s Circle ing the allotted amount of hands for the challenge in early e first-ever PokerGO Cup featured eight consecutive February of this year. When the dust settled, Polk had prof- no-limit hold’em tournaments, with buy-ins ranging from ited more than $1.2 million to win the match and quite a bit $10,000 all the way up to $100,000. Despite feeling great more in side bets with third parties. about his new approach, Negreanu got off to a slower start in While Polk lived up to his status as the pre-match betting the first half of the series, bubbling the first event. His first favorite to win, even he admitted that he was impressed with cash saw him finish eighth in event no. 3, the final $10,000 Negreanu’s play, saying, “He did a really impressive job with buy-in tournament on the schedule. Just two days later he a lot of the stuff he did. I did not think he would play this notched his second score by pacing sixth from a field of 36 well at all. By the end, he was doing so many sharp things. If entries in event no. 5, which featured a $25,000 buy-in. you’re not a heads-up pro, he’s going to beat you.” e final two events of the series, which sported the After the Polk showdown, Negreanu went on to play a two largest buy-ins on the slate, were where Negreanu truly series of heads-up matches against 15-time bracelet winner shined. e penultimate tournament was the $50,000 buy- Phil Hellmuth for PokerGO’s High Stakes Duel II. Hellmuth in, which drew 35 entries to create a $1,750,000 prize pool. won all three matches, increasing his record to a perfect 6-0 Card Player Player of the Year race leader Ali Imsirovic after also defeating Antonio Esfandiari in a clean sweep. started the final day as the leader among the last five com- While Negreanu did not receive the results he was surely petitors, all of whom had made the money. Imsirovic lost a hoping for in either of his heads-up challenges, he does seem sizable pot against David Coleman to fall toward the bottom excited about the state of his poker game after the countless of the leaderboard, however, and then ran pocket tens into hours of working with a team of coaches that featured high- the pocket aces of Negreanu to finish fifth. stakes poker pro and coach MJ Gonzales. Negreanu went on to score the next two knockouts as “ ere is no question that I’m a better no-limit hold’em well, eliminating Sergi Reixach and Alex Foxen to set up a player today than I’ve ever been, by a wide margin. Not even heads-up showdown against Coleman, who started with a close. I would smash the guy that won everything in 2004. lead. Negreanu was able to turn the tables and build a 3:1 Different era, but [he’d get] absolutely destroyed,” declared chip advantage of his own, and finally had the elusive win

020_CoverStory.indd 21 8/5/21 10:11 AM in his sights. able to do that because of the way that it played out was really All of the chips got in the middle in a preflop race, with frustrating and deflating, aside from the money,” admitted Negreanu holding Ap Jn facing pocket threes. Negreanu Negreanu. “I had just won, and part of me is like, ‘How epic took the lead on the flop by pairing his jack, but Coleman would it be if I win the $50K and the $100K back-to-back?’ caught the 3o on the turn to double back into the lead. at’s Some part of it felt like a great ending to a film if I were able when the doubt started to set in. to win there. It was frustrating to lose with the aces. And it’s “When we got it in preflop in a flip and I flopped a jack funny because I had just won the day before and I was still and I was like, ‘Okay, this is it, two cards away, just anything annoyed. You know what I mean? It took a little bit of the but a three and I win.’ And then a three hit the turn. Every pain out of it, but not all of it.” moment, every feeling of anxiety… it’s like that moment Negreanu had done everything he could to put himself when you see the flashback when you’re about to die in the in the position to be crowned the inaugural PokerGO Cup movies and you see all the things that happened in your life. champion, but after his aces got cracked, all he could do was Every bad beat memory came back into my mind in that sweat from the sidelines and root on Katz while he battled moment like, ‘Oh my God, it’s just continuing.’” Soverel heads-up. e two battled for more than an hour afterward. Katz was able to come away with the win, and while Negreanu kept his composure and clawed back the lead Katz was the one who earned the seven-figure payday of when the final hand arose. Coleman picked up pocket fives $1,058,000, Negreanu was the one who was the most visibly and moved all-in from the button. Negreanu made the call excited, with his cheers heard from the sideline during the with Kp 10o. e small pocket pair held up through the flop broadcast. With Katz’s victory, Negreanu had officially won and the turn, but the 10n on the river secured the pot and the points race to become the first-ever PokerGO Cup cham- the long-awaited title for Negreanu. He earned 420 rankings pion, earning the cup and $50,000 in added prize money. points for the win, and in doing so surged to the top of the “I’ve never rooted for a billionaire to win a million dollars PokerGO Cup leaderboard. more than I did that day. And actually I was really impressed Securing The Cup with the way Cary approached heads up,” said Negreanu. After posing for winner photos and collecting his $700,000 “He went out there and he went for it and he actually earned payday as the winner of the $50,000 event, Negreanu jumped it. I was certainly happy for him because he was down in right into the series-ending $100,000 buy-in event in order chips to start it. And it was down 3:1 or so, so for him to to give himself the best chance of securing the Player of the come back and win, that was big. It was a nice moment we Series title. He managed to survive to the final day of the had, and I was obviously happy for him and he was happy event, with five players remaining and only four set to cash. for me as well.” Dan Smith ran pocket tens into the pocket jacks of chip Negreanu has always had an affinity for tracking results leader Sam Soverel to burst the money bubble. Negreanu over time. could lock up the PokerGO Cup with a finish of third-place “I’m a nerd, big time. When I was a kid, I used to take or better. at dynamic put extra pressure on him during wrestlers and pit them against each other, roll dice, and one four-handed play. He was the second shortest stack, with wrestler would win. I would keep stats on their tournament Sean Winter having just more than five big blinds in front of results, for the ‘Player of the Year.’ I did that when I was eight, him following Smith’s elimination. nine years old, so I love this kind of stuff,” offered Negreanu. Along the way, Negreanu made a crucial fold with a “I’ve always been a big fan of Player of the Series awards, also. rivered pair of aces to keep his hopes alive. Cary Katz min- Winning a tournament is great, but having sustained results raised as the first to act with A-K offsuit and Negreanu called against the top players in the world and winning the trophy from the big blind with A-8 offsuit. e 10-6-5 rainbow flop in the end and the $50,000, it’s definitely going to go on my saw Negreanu check and Katz check behind. e 4p on the mantle for sure.” turn saw both players check again, and the Ap gave both players top pair. Negreanu checked and Katz bet enough to put Negreanu all-in. After plenty of consideration, Negreanu PokerGO Cup Player of the Series Standings made the correct laydown. Player Points Wins Cashes Earnings According to Negreanu, the fold was particularly tough because, “... in that circumstance, with ICM pressure and Daniel Negreanu 537 1 4 $996,200 Cary knowing that I need to come in third, he’s going to push me around a lot there. It’s very, very difficult to play a Ali Imsirovic 497 2 3 $545,500 line where you go check, check, check, hit an ace, and then just check-fold. I don’t think most players would have folded Cary Katz 475 1 3 $1,161,800 in that spot.” David Coleman 470 0 4 $710,000 Negreanu was rewarded for his big fold by picking up pocket aces the very next hand. He managed to get his last Alex Foxen 421 1 3 $533,200 ten or so big blinds in against the pocket eights of Soverel. But an eight on the turn shocked Negreanu out of his seat. Sam Soverel 361 0 4 $812,200 Soverel’s set held up through the river to eliminate Negreanu Jason Koon 316 1 2 $446,000 in fourth place for $230,000. It was his fourth cash of the series, bringing his total earnings to $996,200. (Coleman and Dylan Linde 255 1 2 $255,000 Soverel were also able to cash four times.) “Going into it I could finish fourth, and as long as Sam Sergi Reixach 244 0 3 $320,700 didn’t win, then I would still win the cup. All I had to do was come in third or better and I’d have locked it up. Not being Jake Schindler 194 1 1 $324,000

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020_CoverStory.indd 22 8/5/21 10:11 AM “There is no question that I’m a better no-limit hold’em player today than I’ve ever been, by a wide margin. Not even close. I would smash the guy that won everything in 2004. Different era, but [he’d get] absolutely destroyed.”

Negreanu finished with 537 PokerGO Cup points, giv- ably just going to pass on it. It’s just a distraction, I think.” ing him a 40-point margin of victory over runner-up Ali While he might not have any action on securing his next Imsirovic, who won two titles during the series. Negreanu piece of WSOP hardware, that doesn’t mean that winning now sits in 14th place in the PokerGO Tour leaderboard as bracelet number seven and beyond isn’t a major focus for a result of his strong showing in July. He told CardPlayer Negreanu. (Editor’s Note: He came close in late July, finish- that he is looking forward to playing more of the high-stakes ing third in a $600 buy-in knockout online event.) events scheduled throughout the rest of 2021 at the PokerGO “I want to win multiple bracelets. I want to win a lot of Studio, which is located at ARIA Resort & Casino. stuff. I want to win the Super High Roller Bowl. I want to see “ere’s no place I’d rather play. It is the perfect venue for if I can win the Poker Masters. I want to win one here in the poker. It’s very comfortable, everything’s great. Ask anyone WSOP Online domestic series in the next couple of weeks, who’s played in it, they’ll tell you it’s just the perfect place to and then I want to win a bracelet on GGPoker during the play poker. And it’s so awesome that I get to do that at home a international WSOPO, and then I want to win at least one lot. And you mentioned the PokerGO Tour. at’s been some- live. I have big goals for winning, like three, four bracelets thing I had my eye on, that I’d like to move up the ranks as this year, but we’ll see.” much as possible. I think I’m inside the top 15 currently. With With the weight of his title-drought now decidedly the WSOP coming up as well, and all events $10,000 or higher removed from his shoulders, only time will tell how high counting, that’s an opportunity for me to possibly crack the Negreanu’s win total can climb.m top 10 and maybe contend with Imsirovic.” Chasing Bracelet Number Seven As Negreanu mentioned, the return of the live WSOP this Negreanu’s Close Calls Between Wins fall will bring with it the largest assortment of high-stakes Date Event Place Payout mixed game events that tournament poker has to offer. $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em With all of his recent focus on heads-up no-limit hold’em, is July 2019 2 $1,725,838 Negreanu still ready to compete at the highest levels in all of World Series of Poker the other games? $10,000 Seven Card Stud June 2019 2 $151,700 “Well, luckily for me, a lot of the guys in Bobby’s Room World Series of Poker who play the high limits moved to a private online game. I $300,000 No-Limit Hold’em was able to play with them pretty consistently, playing an May 2018 2 $3,000,000 11-game mix. ey had tournaments, also, and I was doing Super High Roller Bowl quite well. I was getting a paycheck almost every week,” $100,000 Super High Roller 1 Nov. 2017 2 $936,000 said Negreanu. “Also, I’ve had so much experience through Bellagio High Roller Series the years playing mixed games, that it isn’t an area where I $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8/OB feel I need much time to work on it. I work mostly on no- June 2017 2 $241,851 limit hold’em now, because that’s the game that’s the most World Series of Poker advanced in terms of being solved. But I feel very, very con- $25,000 Ten Game Mix fident in my ability to thrive in eight-game formats. I think April 2017 Bellagio High Roller Mix 2 $77,500 that there’s very few players, if any, that are more well-suited Game 2 for eight-game tournaments than me.” $25,000 Ten Game Mix e WSOP Online series kicked off at the start of July, April 2017 Bellagio High Roller Mix 2 $175,000 and in a break from recent tradition, Negreanu did not Game 1 announce any major side bets on whether or not he could $1 Million No-Limit Hold’em win a bracelet this year. July 2014 Big One for One Drop 2 $8,288,001 “I have no bracelet bets. I will do the WSOP fantasy thing World Series of Poker again. I run that league and we have done that for quite a $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw while, which is always a lot of fun. I don’t need the bracelet June 2014 Lowball 2 $156,674 bets for motivation, because I’m motivated enough. I’m prob- World Series of Poker

020_CoverStory.indd 23 8/5/21 10:11 AM POKERThe Poker World Mourns PRO The Loss LAYNE Of The Six-Time WSOP FLACK Bracelet Winner PASSES AWAYBy Steve Schult AT AGE 52 May 1969 - July 2021

Six-time World Series of Poker 1996 WSOP main event champion While he was tearing up the tour- bracelet winner Layne Flack passed saw Flack’s relentless aggression and nament circuit, Flack was also making away in July. He was 52. thought he would clean up against the his mark in the cash game world. Flack burst onto the scene in the competition. He became somewhat of a regular in late 1990’s and was a household name “He said, ‘ e way you play, you high-stakes rooms, including Larry throughout the poker boom of the should be in Vegas,’” remembered Flynt’s private seven card stud game. early 2000’s, generally regarded as Flack. In 1999, Flack won his first WSOP one of the best players of his era. Flack lost his initial $2,000 stake, bracelet in the $3,000 pot-limit e South Dakota native worked at but wired home for another $1,000 hold’em event for $224,000. He then small card clubs in Montana and in and used it to win a tournament for earned the nickname “Back-to-Back Deadwood, both running games and just shy of $68,000. Flack” for winning two tournaments playing. He had a short stint in col- “I busted 14 of the final 15 players,” in as many days at the Legends of Poker lege, but poker called him back. Flack boasted with a smile. series in Los Angeles just two months “I only went for a couple of years He then won another tournament later. because I had a couple of wealthy at the start of 1998 for nearly $65,000 e nickname became prophetic, roommates, and they weren’t very before picking up his first six-fig- as he went on to win two bracelets at good at cards,” Flack told Card Player’s ure score a few months later with a consecutive WSOPs in 2002 and 2003 Poker Stories podcast. runner-up finish in the $2,000 no- to add to his collection. He won a pair He eventually made the trek south limit hold’em event at the WSOP for of no-limit hold’em events in 2002 for to Reno and then Las Vegas to play $133,000. a combined $571,900 before coming as a full-time professional, thanks in It was a fast start to a long and back the next year and taking down part to a nudge from Huck Seed. e illustrious poker career. the $1,500 no-limit hold’em shootout

24 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 18

024_Feature.indd 24 8/5/21 10:13 AM © WPT

for $120,000 and the $2,500 Omaha ey called me back and said, ‘Cat’s demeanor at the table. He was consid- eight-or-better event for another outta the bag kid. No go.’” ered one of the game’s best storytellers, $119,260. Flack won his sixth and final and would often have his opponents “It was back-to-back days,” he WSOP title in 2008 in the $1,500 pot- howling with laughter even as he took explained. “No sleep. I hadn’t been to limit Omaha event for a career-best their chips. bed yet.” score of $577,725. With six bracelets, “I’m a type-A personality, so when “ e fifth bracelet Ted lost,” Flack is tied with Daniel Negreanu, I’m at the table, you’re going to know explained Flack. “When I won it, I John Hennigan, Chris Ferguson, TJ I’m sitting there,” Flack said. “But it’s went out partying that night and I Cloutier, Jeff Lisandro, Ted Forrest, all in fun.” gave it to him to take home, and he and Jay Heimowitz for ninth on the “He was universally loved in had no clue where it was. We actu- all-time bracelet list. our poker world,” explained Phil ally found it six or seven years later. Over the course of his more than Hellmuth. “When it came to having a Another guy that was living in Ted’s two-decade career, Flack racked up quick wit, there was Layne! He would house called me up and said, ‘By the more than $5 million in live tour- make you laugh about anything, even way, I have your bracelet.’ nament earnings, including a World serious matters.” At one point, Flack was even Poker Tour title. Although he has not Many of the poker world’s most recruited by Benny Binion and mem- yet been inducted into the Poker Hall prominent figures took to social media bers of the Chicago mafia to play in of Fame, he certainly qualifies based to share tales about their time on the Michael Jordan’s poker game, but the on the listed criteria, but is sitting felt with Flack and celebrate his life. plan was foiled when his name was behind a logjam of other deserving “Just got a great quote from Huck mentioned on David Letterman’s Late inductees. Seed about how Layne died,” wrote Night show, killing his anonymity. “I know I’ll be in the Hall of Eli Elezra. “’He must have been mur- “We went to the back office of the Fame,” Flack said back in 2019. “Of dered. ere’s no f***ing way an OD Crazy Horse and a couple of guys course, I’d like to be alive when I get could kill that guy.’ Layne would have said, ‘Layne, we want to take you to in.” loved that. RIP great friend.” Chicago, get you into this Michael Flack had been open about past Jordan game, no pros allowed. I was The e newsPoker of World Flack’s Reacts passing sent issues with substance abuse. Hellmuth like, ‘Alright, who am I getting into shockwaves through the poker com- stated that he was someone “who bed with? But let’s go!’ en I won munity. While Flack experienced his burned the candle hard on both sides.” back-to-back bracelets, and there it was fair share of ups and downs during But he had reportedly been clean on ESPN and on David Letterman. his career, it never seemed to affect his for quite some time when his death

024_Feature.indd 25 8/5/21 10:13 AM occurred. “I wouldn’t trade it in,” Flack said, talking about his wild life. “I had a lot of fun, but there’s things I wish I would have done differently… obviously financially. You know, because I just had no respect for money. But now I can’t even drink three or four beers without being laid up for a day. I don’t do anything anymore.” “I’m so gutted as I just got news Layne passed away,” tweeted Mike Matusow. “I talked with him two hours on the phone a week ago and he was telling me how he had turned his life around! Rest in peace.” Huck Seed And Layne Flack At 2006 WSOP “A while, while back, I staked Layne Flack,” tweeted Jennifer Harman. “ere were six rules that he agreed to. e first night he broke them all. We laughed about it and then it was business as usual. Rest in peace, Layne. I’m going to miss your infectious laugh!” “He might be the sharpest mind outside of Stu Ungar that I’ve ever seen,” said Doyle Brunson. “We go way, way back and I’ll cherish all the crazy memories,” tweeted Daniel Negreanu alongside a photo of himself, Flack, and his wife Amanda. “Knowing Layne, I imagine he would want us all to celebrate his life and share some laughs about the Flack Jokes With Jennifer Harman good old days.” And Phil Ivey In 2008 “Layne Flack was one of the most hilarious people I ever had the pleasure of playing with,” said Cliff Josephy. “I remember grinding online Flack’sDate Top EventTournament Scores Place Payout with him at Brandon Cantu’s house about 15 years ago, and I couldn’t stop June 2008 WSOP $1,500 PLO 1st $577,725 laughing. Played live with him two weeks ago and he was the exact same. Oct. 2004 Aruba Poker Classic $6,000 NLHE 2nd $500,000 Always fun.” “Sad to hear the passing of Layne April 2002 WSOP $2,000 NLHE 1st $303,880 Flack,” tweeted high-stakes cash game May 2002 WSOP $1,500 NLHE 1st $268,020 pro Len Ashby. “In poker, you tend to meet two types of professional Sept. 2016 River Poker Series $2,500 NLHE 4th $225,190 players. ose who play only to make money and don’t enjoy it, and those May 1999 WSOP $3,000 PLH 1st $224,400 who play because they love the game Nov. 2002 World Poker Finals $10,000 NLHE 2nd $186,900 and making money is a bonus. Layne was the latter. RIP to a great person- June 2005 WSOP $1,500 PLH 2nd $185,855 ality.” Flack’s daughter Halie joined some April 1998 WSOP $2,000 NLHE 2nd $133,000 of his closest friends on Matusow’s podcast, where they shared their Feb. 2003 WPT Invitational 1st $125,000 favorite stories. May 2003 WSOP $1,500 LHE Shootout 1st $120,000 “I was always scared I would get his bad traits,” she said. “Hearing you May 2003 WSOP $2,500 Omaha 8 1st $119,260 guys talk definitely makes me feel like I got some of the better traits out of Aug. 2000 Legends of Poker $5,000 NLHE 1st $114,000 him.” m

26 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 18

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CP_Sub_25_FT.indd 2 8/3/21 11:16 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary BLUFF CATCHING ON A FOUR-FLUSH BOARD By Jonathan Little

Q J

Jonathan Little Opponent

K 10 4 Q 6

Blinds: 500-1,000 with a 1,000 big blind ante

I recently had the pleasure of playing in the U.S. Poker Open at the PokerGO studio at Aria. e series featured a bunch of $10,000 buy-in events, a $25,000 buy-in event, cally decreases the number of hands I can easily call with and a $50,000 buy-in main event, all packed with some of on the river. the toughest high roller players around. It is also worth noting that my opponent may bet the e following hand came up in one of the $10,000 buy- turn with the Ap, perhaps removing some of those com- in events, with blinds at 500-1,000 with a 1,000 big blind binations from his range. I was not sure if he would value ante. I raised to 2,500 out of my 125,000 eff ective stack bet with the Qp or Jp, although it is possible. In general, with Qn Jn from the cutoff seat. A younger, but good most players will not value bet with marginal fl ushes in this European player called in the small blind, and a tighter spot because they will typically only get called when they player called from the big blind. are beat, or perhaps by one of the few weaker fl ushes in my e fl op came Kp 10p 4p, giving me an open- range. My opponent could also be turning a hand better ended straight draw on a three-fl ush board. My opponents than mine, such as Ko 9o, into a bluff . checked to me. e idea that neither of us has the nut fl ush made me On this board, it is somewhat likely that one of my think that my opponent would be bluffi ng much more opponents has either a pair or a draw that will not fold to a often than normal, looking to put me in a tough spot with continuation bet, and I do not especially want to get check- hands weaker than a fl ush. raised off my junky draw. Note that when good players call from the small blind, Given my pot odds, which dictate that I need to have they usually have a range containing lots of strong, but non- the best hand 27% of the time to justify calling, 10,000 ÷ premium big cards, which connect well with the king and (10,000 + 10,000 + 17,500), I decided to call. ten on the fl op. Since I will have decent equity if I improve to either a pair or a straight, and I may be able to win on the While I am unsure exactly how often I have the best turn or river with a bluff , checking makes sense. hand, I am sure I will win more than 27% of the time I checked. e turn was the Qm, giving me second pair, against a crafty player who is more than capable of making and my opponents again checked to me. At this point, I a move. Luckily for me, my opponent turned over Jm 10m likely have the best hand, but I do not want to allow a club for a worse made hand turned into a bluff , awarding me or jack to come on the river that could easily give one of my the pot. opponents a better hand. While I did not fare too well in this particular event, I I decided to bet 4,500 into the 8,500 pot, and only the was fortunate to take fourth place in the $50,000 buy-in small blind called. e river was the 6p, putting four clubs main event, cashing for $231,000. m on the board. To my surprise, the small blind led for 10,000 into the 17,500 pot. Jonathan Little is a two-time WPT champion with is would be an easy fold against most players because more than $7 million in live tournament earnings, I lose to any fl ush, but it is important to consider how this best-selling author of 15 educational poker books, strong opponent would perceive my range. When I check and 2019 GPI Poker Personality of the Year. If you behind on the fl op, my opponent will probably presume want to increase your poker skills and learn to I do not have the Ap or a fl ush because I would have bet crush the games, check out his training site at those. If I do not have the nuts or a decent fl ush, that drasti- PokerCoaching.com/cardplayer.

28 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 18

028_S&A.indd 28 8/5/21 10:15 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

SEVEN CARD STUD EIGHT-OR-BETTER: SOMETIMES PLAYABLE HANDS By Kevin Haney

Last issue, we talked about Often Playable Hands in hand such as 2-4-6 should probably hit the muck, although Seven Card Stud Eight-Or-Better (Stud 8). In this issue, calling probably isn’t too bad if we have two live suits. Of we are going to discuss the marginal and steal holdings in course, if we hold a three flush, nothing should stop us from Seven Card Stud Eight-or-Better (Stud 8). ese are hands playing, but we are not talking about those premium hands that are generally only playable in certain third street situ- in this issue. ations, such as when the board is particularly advantageous e problem with an unsuited 2-4-6 is that it’s lack- to our holding, we can get heads-up against a probable ing in high potential and if we get a seven or an eight we weak range, or as a potential ante steal. We refer to these as will often be drawing to the second-best low. However, we Sometimes Playable Hands. should certainly continue if we brought in the action with Two-Gappers (No Ace): ese low starters include the (2p 6m) 4n and are facing two bets cold from an eight and following holdings: 2-3-6, 2-4-6, 2-5-6, 3-4-7, 3-5-7, 3-6- a king, as our holding plays better against those particular 7, 4-5-8, 4-6-8, and 4-7-8. While these aren’t bad Stud 8 up cards. hands, they do have significantly less value than the “Zero” ree to a seven or an eight are marginal hands, espe- or “One-Gappers” from last issue, as they can only hope to cially when our highest card is exposed. While we wouldn’t pick up a gutshot straight draw on fourth street. often call early position completes with these holdings, we ree to a six is usually playable and with the poten- can frequently open-complete the action as long as there tial to build a six low we can virtually always call a single aren’t too many threatening cards behind us. complete and join a multi-way pot. It’s a much trickier situ- Low Pair With A Low Kicker (No Ace): A hand such as (5p ation when there is a complete and a reraise in front of us, 6o) 6p is a relatively decent starting hand as we have a pair especially if some of the key cards that we need are exposed and a few other possibilities that come with having a con- on board. nected straight-flush kicker. is hand fares relatively well For example, if a five completes and an ace reraises, a in many heads-up situations; for example (5p 6o) 6p has ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP Ali Imsirovic came into the fi nal day of the PokerGO Cup $50,000 buy-in high roller event with the chip lead. 2021 PokerGO Cup It was Imsirovic’s 18th fi nal-table fi nish of 2021, with $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller nearly half of the year left to play. e 26-year-old poker pro already had eight wins on the year, and was in good David Coleman Sergi Reixach position to add yet another title to his rapidly expanding 745,000 Chips collection. In this hand he picked up A-K off suit and 1,175,000 Chips made the decision to just call an opening raise from David 8 8 3 3 Coleman, who sat with the second-largest stack. Spanish Winning Percentage Winning Percentage poker pro Sergi Reixach was able to come along with his

Before Flop: 46.0% Before Flop: 17.0% small pocket pair from the big blind as a result. Coleman’s

pocket eights fl opped a full house. Reixach checked and 8 8 3 After Flop: 99.1% 3 After Flop: 0.1% After Turn: 95.0% Coleman, having the board smothered, also opted to check despite being the initial raiser. “ e expectation is, usually when you are the prefl op aggressor, that you PREFLOP are going to continuation bet at a pretty high frequency. Ali Imsirovic But of course, multi-way, that frequency usually should With fi ve players remaining and blinds go down, so Coleman just has a pretty nice situation to 1,890,000 Chips of 15,000-30,000 and a big blind ante of slow play,” noted PokerGO commentator Maria Ho. A K 30,000, David Coleman raised to 65,000 Imsirovic seized the chance to take the lead, and only Coleman called his bet. e turn gave Imsirovic kings Winning Percentage from under the gun. Ali Imsirovic called and fours with an ace kicker. He fi red 225,000 into the

Before Flop: 37.0% in the cutoﬀ , and Sergi Reixach called pot of 360,000 when Coleman checked a second time

K After Flop: 0.8% A from the big blind. with his eights full of fours. Coleman just called and a After Turn: 5.0% relative brick on the river drew yet another check from 5 8 4 4 K him. Imsirovic opted for another healthy bet of 500,000. Coleman had just 825,000 in front of him and check- RIVER FLOP

TURN raised all-in. Imsirovic would have to call just 325,000

5 more for a shot at a pot that already had 2,135,000 in the

K 4 4 8 middle. e tough part for him, however, is that Coleman Coleman checked, and Imsirovic is never bluﬃ ng given that he has no fold equity. He is also Reixach and Coleman checked. Coleman checked, and bet 500,000. Coleman check- not very likely to check-raise in this situation with a worse Imsirovic bet 60,000. Reixach folded, Imsirovic bet 225,000. raised all-in for 825,000 and hand, such as K-Q. In the end, Imsirovic made the correct and Coleman called. Coleman called. Imsirovic folded. laydown and saved himself some chips.

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

028_S&A.indd 29 8/5/21 10:15 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

around 55% equity against (Am 2m) 4n and approximately wrong, it can’t be a big mistake. However, if our kicker is 44% equity versus a pair of kings. an ace or if another ace already folded, our equity goes up With fully live pair outs we should often get aggressive to around 57% and we should defi nitely reraise. on third street and it’s nice when we hit trips as a high Most of the time, medium pairs are only playable as pair will often continue in the hand hoping we started out an open complete when we are in middle or later position with three low cards. While it’s also advantageous that our and there are not too many threatening cards behind us. straight/fl ush outs are mostly live, the decision on whether However, if the nature of our holding is disguised e.g. (Jp or not to play (5p 6o) 6p on third street will often come Jn) 3p, we can assume more risk in our opens. down to whether or not any sixes are exposed. Low Pair With A High Kicker (No Ace): A low pair with ese hands can be somewhat diffi cult to play in multi- a high kicker is a marginal hand. However, if the kicker way pots as we must improve early on and hope that our is higher than some potential pairs that we may run into, opponents do not, requiring a parlay of sorts to come home. our hand is generally good enough to play. For example, if at said, for a single complete we can still often enter a everyone has folded to us and our holding is (Kn 6o) 6p, three-way pot against a probable high pair and a low hand we have a clear complete when there is only a queen, a jack, due to the implied odds of making strong high hands. and a deuce left to act. However, our hand needs to be live and if we don’t improve If we happen to run into a pair of queens or jacks and get right away we should tend to make an early exit. re-raised, we are not in bad shape since we have an overcard In contrast, mediocre holdings such as (4p 7o) 4m kicker. Even though in Stud 8 our opponents more often should only be played when we either have a chance to win have the hand they represent, the situation isn’t bad as the uncontested on third street or when defending the bring- nature of our hand is mostly hidden and we have implied in. With a smaller pair it’s more likely a low hand can win odds. the high by pairing up, and overall this hand has far less Once again, if we are lucky enough to pair our door- potential. Getting involved too frequently with these hands card, our opponent will often continue fi guring that we on third street is a common leak, one that will often lead likely have a couple of low cards in the hole. However, to getting stuck in the middle between two better holdings. when he pairs his door, we won’t reciprocate and have an Flush Draws (With Two Or Three High Cards): In split pot easy fold. games, drawing hands to potentially one half of the pot Razz Lows: ese are defi ned as three low cards without must be very live and have strong potential in order to play. an ace such as (2p 6o) 7m that also lack the ability to pick For example, a premium draw such as (10m Qm) Km is up a straight draw on the next card. ese rougher holdings going to fi nd many more profi table situations than a medio- also build a lot of second-best lows. We should not be call- cre holding of (5n Qn) 9n. ing legitimate completes with these hands; they are either e ( 1 0 m Qm) Km has more opportunities to improve pure stealing hands or for defending the bring-in against a one way or another and if your outs are relatively live this wide range. holding is strong enough to reraise an opponent, provided Steal Holdings: e following holdings should only be they are not showing an ace. With a drawing hand it may played when we expect to have a chance to steal the antes or seem like we want to pull others into the pot, however, it is possibly defending the bring-in against a late position open. benefi cial to knock out mediocre lows that may either steal Ace Broadway Low: (Ap Qo) 6o half of the pot or create a situation later in the hand where Wheel Broadway Wheel: (4p Kp) 5o you are forced to fold and relinquish your equity. In addi- Three High Cards: (Jp Qo) Ko tion, since we would often reraise a pair of kings we should Ace As Up-Card: (6p 9p) Am also do so with a three fl ush, otherwise observant players Given the power of the ace up-card in Stud 8, we will know what we have. should always consider a steal whenever we have reason- If you have a chance to win the pot uncontested on third able cards in the hole as our opponents will tend to tighten street, your fl ush outs can aff ord to be a little dead, espe- up against it (in some cases by too much) and we are not cially if you have a king up-card as it will often cause pairs likely to get reraised. as good as queens or jacks to fold. Marginal hands can be somewhat tricky to play in Stud Jacks, Tens, and Nines: ere’s quite a large diff erence 8, and the average player probably often gets involved between these middling pairs and higher pairs such as kings when they shouldn’t which frequently leads to getting and queens. If we are in early position with nines and tens stuck in the middle with way the worst of it. With many we should tend to fold as virtually every card left to act of these holdings we should either make disciplined folds poses a threat. Even if we don’t get isolated by a better high on third street, or get out relatively early when we have hand, our hand doesn’t play well multi-way and when a low not improved and it appears that our opponent(s) more draw bricks, they will often catch an overcard to our pair. than likely did. m We should certainly fold to a complete from a higher upcard because in Stud 8 they often hold the big pair they Kevin Haney is a former actuary of MetLife but are representing. An ace will be playing a wider range of left the corporate job to focus on his passions hands, but unless they are in a situation where they may be for poker and fitness. He is co-owner of Elite stealing with 100% of their range, we are an equity under- Fitness Club in Oceanport, NJ and is a certified dog and won’t know where we stand. personal trainer. With regards to poker he got A pair of jacks versus an ace raising 100% of his hands his start way back in 2003 and particularly has around 54% equity, which can be enough to play if enjoys taking new players interested in mixed games under his only the bring-in is behind us. Still, the situation is not wing and quickly making them proficient in all variants. If inter- great because the bring-in could still enter the pot and an ested in learning more, playing mixed games online, or just saying ace is always diffi cult to play against. at said, if folding is hello he can be reached at [email protected].

30 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 18

028_S&A.indd 30 8/5/21 10:15 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary PREPARING FOR THE WSOP MAIN EVENT By Greg Raymer

I am happy that we now know the World Series of Poker main event will be back, in its live version, in 2021. It is scheduled to run from Nov. 4-17 at the Rio in Las Vegas. As you would assume, I will be there competing, and I hope you can join me in this wonderful event. In this article, I will discuss preparing for the main event, and how to increase your chances of a great result. e first thing to discuss is the buy-in. $10,000 is a lot of money, at least to most of us. Make sure it is a reasonable expense for you. If you show up and this is a huge splurge for you personally, it is going to be hard for you to play your best. Any time the money at risk is more than you are comfortable with, there is a significant chance you will react emotionally when facing tough decisions and playing big pots. Most often, the person who is playing too high for their comfort zone plays too tight, and folds in spots where they are a favorite to win. When such a spot involves risking all ready. is is a unique tournament. In any other event or most of their chips, they just can’t pull the trigger and with such a high buy-in, the field would be composed of go for it. If this applies to you, wait until the money means almost entirely elite players. Something like 90% or more less to you. Or, only play if you can win your way into the of the field could be comprised of top pros, a few skilled tournament through a cheap satellite, and you have put amateurs, and not much else. However, the main event is less of your own money at risk. quite different. Whether you have won a seat, or are paying full price, Many of the players at your starting table will typically once you know you are going to enter, it is time to get not be that skillful. In fact, the average skill level in the

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP Daniel Negreanu was the shortest stack at the 2021 PokerGO Cup table when this hand was dealt, with just over 20 big blinds to start. He picked up pocket eights $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller as the fi rst to act and min-raised. It folded to Imsirovic, who was second in chips despite los- Daniel Negreanu Ali Imsirovic ing a huge chunk of his stack to start the day. Imsirovic defended his big blind with Q-9 off - 620,000 Chips 1,040,000 Chips suit and fl opped middle pair. He checked and 8 8 Q 9 Negreanu continuation bet 40,000 into the pot of 165,000. Imsirovic called with his queens and Winning Percentage Winning Percentage Before Flop: 45.0% backdoor fl ush possibilities. e turn brought

Before Flop: 55.0% a low card that put a second ﬂ ush draw on the

8 8 9 After Flop: 9.0% Q After Flop: 91.0% p After Turn: 95.0% board. Both players checked and the 10 hit the After Turn: 5.0% river. Imsirovic now opted to make a min-bet of 30,000 into the pot of 245,000. Imsirovic was PREFLOP likely trying to extract value from medium pocket pairs like the eights Negreanu was holding in this particular instance, as well as from 10-X holdings With ﬁ ve players remaining and blinds of 15,000-30,000 and a big blind that improved on the river. Negreanu might have ante of 30,000, Daniel Negreanu raised to 60,000 from under the gun. decided that the bet was more likely to represent Ali Imsirovic called from the big blind. a thin value bet from Imsirovic than a very strong hand looking to eke out a few more chips, and seized on the opportunity. Negreanu decided to A Q 5 4 10 turn his unimproved pocket pair into a bluﬀ . He raised to 260,000 and drew a quick fold from FLOP TURN

RIVER his opponent. With that pot, Negreanu moved

4 10 A 5 Q closer to the middle of the pack, while Imsirovic slid the opposite direction. He went on to fi nish fi fth in this event when his pocket tens ran into Imsirovic checked, and Negreanu Imsirovic checked, Imsirovic bet 30,000. Negreanu’s pocket aces, earning $122,500 for his bet 40,000. Imsirovic called. and Negreanu Negreanu raised to latest deep run in a high-stakes event. Imsirovic checked behind. 260,000, and Imsirovic increased his year-to-date POY-qualifi ed earnings folded. to more than $2.9 million in the process.

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

028_S&A.indd 31 8/5/21 10:15 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

main event is probably lower than that of a typical WSOP a lot more than the price of a hotel with a nice mattress. I Circuit main event (which has a $1,700 buy-in) that you fi nd it rather diffi cult to play my best if I’m not well rested. might play anywhere else the rest of the year. As such, you Whenever I play, I have my poker bag with me. A lot of want to remember that a lot of your potential stack growth pros do the same. at way, you can have a variety of items in the early going will be from these weaker players. You with you while you play that you might need or want. My need to pay attention, notice the types of mistakes they are bag has a few of my fossils, though you probably won’t making, and take full advantage of them. need more than one as a card protector. I also have my Once you get past the fi rst two or three days, the fi eld Blue Shark Optics glasses, so whenever I want to hide my will become tremendously tougher. Most of the weakest eyes and still be able to see, I put them on. players will have been eliminated. e remaining play- One of the most important things to have in your bag ers will be amongst the very toughest and most skillful are some snacks. Protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, whatever of those who entered, with just a handful of the luckiest works for you. If you feel your energy getting low, you can weaker players remaining. It is important to win chips eat a handful of almonds and raisins. I even bring items early, if at all possible. It is only going to get harder and that I can make a meal out of when needed (protein bars, harder as you advance. dried meats, packaged mini-meals). I also recommend Of course, it is going to be helpful if you can work some aspirin or other medicine for headaches, antihis- on your game in the time remaining between now and tamines if you are prone to allergies, eye drops if that is November. You can read books (I recommend FossilMan’s an issue, wipes if you wear glasses, and so on. In today’s Winning Tournament Strategies, for obvious reasons), world, you might also like to have hand sanitizer and sani- watch strategy videos, sign up for a training site, or even tizing wipes. Spend some time thinking about what might take private lessons (I do that too). All of this will help. be handy for you, and bring it along. But I want to focus on the other things you should do to Some touring pros travel alone, but many travel with prepare. friends, and many non-pros, when playing the main event, Mental preparedness is hugely important. is is a travel with a signifi cant other or a friend(s). It is hugely ben- tournament, where if you do well, you will be playing efi cial to have a support system in place for the main event. all day long for two weeks. With some days off after day Even though you usually get 90 minutes for dinner 1 and maybe day 2, you will still play over 100 hours of break, it is so much easier if your support person goes to poker if you go all the way. Have you ever, in your entire a restaurant ahead of time, gets a table, and maybe even poker career, had a stretch of 100 straight hours with- places your order. You can then go there and eat at a out facing some huge bad beats or cold-decks? I know I relaxed pace, not rushing to get done in time. Your sup- haven’t. erefore, you need to go into this expecting for port person can also bring you food from off site or have a those bad things to happen. car ready to drive you to your preferred place. If you need You should expect that someone is going to hit a two- something throughout the day, they can get it for you, so outer on the river to beat you in a huge pot. Or that your you don’t have to rush to a store to buy it on a short break, K-K is going to run into A-A when the other guy only if it’s even available at a store onsite. is is also somebody has 30 big blinds. If you get busted when this happens, who is on your side, and who you can talk to on breaks it sucks. But, what about when you don’t get busted? Are or in-between hands, to help you stay calm, focused, and you going to go on tilt, and start playing stupidly with playing your best. your remaining chips? Or, will you be mentally prepared Whatever you do, do NOT let this person create more for this to happen, shrug it off , and keep playing your stress. If your spouse or friend is texting you about getting A-game? them comped tickets for a show across town, or arguing If you expect this to happen going in, it will likely have about where you want to eat on dinner break, or anything less of an emotional impact. So, plan for it to happen. And that is distracting you from the game, basically, tell them plan for how you are going to handle it. Players have come to “F**K OFF.” You are here, competing in the most back from only one or two blinds to win this tournament. important tournament of the year, and trying to win mil- You can too. But not if you give up. lions of dollars. If they are not going to help you as much ink ahead about some of the logistics. Are you going as they can, you need a better spouse or friend. to stay at the Rio, another casino hotel, with a friend, Of course, some other time of year, when they are or somewhere else? If not onsite, will you have a rental doing their big thing, you should be doing all you can to car, or take cabs/rideshares to and from the Rio? Do you support them. Even if it’s something that seems silly or know how long it will take you to get from your room to unimportant to you, it is a big deal to them. So, support the table? Even if it says it is only a fi ve-minute drive to them when it’s their turn for their main event, and expect the Rio, you still need to fi nd a parking spot. Depending their support now, when it is yours. upon when you arrive, it might be a fi ve-minute walk from Have fun, and play smart! m your car to your table. Personally, I don’t like to be rushed. I try to arrive at least 20-30 minutes early for day 2 and Greg Raymer is the 2004 WSOP world beyond. at way I’m not running up to my table, hur- champion, winner of numerous major titles, rying to open my bag, and trying to settle in while we’re and has more than $7 million in earnings. already playing the fi rst hand. He recently authored “FossilMan’s Winning Also, make sure that you will be comfortable wherever Tournament Strategies,” available from D&B you’re staying, and allow you to get quality sleep. It might Publishing, Amazon, and other retailers. He be fun to stay with your buddy, and the free bed is a great is sponsored by Blue Shark Optics, YouStake, and ShareMyPair. To deal. But if that bed is a sleeper sofa with that metal bar contact Greg please tweet at him using @FossilMan or go to www. digging into your back all night, it might be costing you FossilManPoker.com.

32 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 18

028_S&A.indd 32 8/5/21 10:15 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary STRATEGIC SOFT PLAY: CAN I FOLD MY HAND? Scott J. Burnham

In the recent PokerGO Cup Sam Soverel $100,000 high roller event, Sean Winter almost went all in with three players remaining, reserving a single 5,000 chip behind, and lost the hand. On the next deal, he was the big blind, so the 5,000 chip went toward the big blind ante. Cary Katz folded on the button, leaving Sam Soverel in the small blind to compete for Winter’s ﬁnal 5,000 chip. Soverel then immediately asked for a ruling on whether he could fold. Not getting the attention of the Tournament Director (TD), he concluded, “I guess not,” and tabled his hand. PokerGO commentator Ali Nejad asked why Soverel would want to put pressure on Katz, whom he out- ued to play and Katz would have been fold, given that he had a free chance chipped by almost 3:1. handcuﬀed. at knocking out an opponent. He In reality, Soverel ended up win- Not wanting to go out third (and did not get an answer from his co- ning the all-in, eliminating Winter commit an ICM error) when Winter commentator, Maria Ho, but later in third place. But if Soverel had not was all but eliminated, Katz would speculated that keeping Winter in the won, or if he could have folded with have faced a relentless pounding from game would allow him to continue to impunity, Winter would have contin- Soverel with no ability to play back.

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP Daniel Negreanu knocked out the fi rst three players 2021 PokerGO Cup on the fi nal day of this event, narrowing the fi eld from fi ve down to just himself and David Coleman. $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller e latter started with the lead, which he extended to roughly a 2:1 advantage by the time this hand David Coleman Daniel Negreanu came up. Coleman limped in with 10-8 off suit and 3,530,000 Chips 1,720,000 Chips Negreanu knuckled from the big blind with 7-4 off - suit. Negreanu fl opped top pair and checked to his 10 8 7 4 aggressive opponent. Coleman cut out a bet equal to Winning Percentage Winning Percentage one-third of the size of the pot, and Negreanu opted

Before Flop: 66.0% Before Flop: 32.0% to check-raise with his top pair, weak kicker. He

10 8 4 After Flop: 37.0% 7 After Flop: 63.0% likely made the move due to the fact that his par- After Turn: 23.0% After Turn: 77.0% ticular top pair was especially vulnerable, with even hands like Coleman’s lowly 10-8 having two overcards that could improve to superior pairs on future PREFLOP streets. Coleman elected to come along with his overcards and gutshot straight draw. e turn gave With two players remaining and blinds of 25,000-50,000 and a big him additional outs, improving his straight draw to blind ante of 50,000, David Coleman limped in from the button. Daniel an open-ender. Negreanu kept his foot on the gas, Negreanu checked his option in the big blind. fi ring 250,000 into the pot of 450,000. Coleman called and the 7o completed a possible backdoor fl ush draw while improving Negreanu to trips. Negreanu opted to check, perhaps with the inten- 7 6 2 5 7 tion of inducing a bluff from Coleman. His timing turned out to be perfect, as Coleman had arrived at FLOP TURN

RIVER the river with a showdown value of just ten high. He

5 7 6 2 7 sized up, betting 850,000 into the pot of 950,000 to try to increase his fold equity. Negreanu went Negreanu checked, and Coleman Negreanu bet Negreanu checked, and into the tank for a bit, likely ﬁ guring a bet of this bet 50,000. Negreanu check-raised 250,000, and Coleman bet 850,000. size to represent either a made hand or a bluﬀ . He to 150,000. Coleman called. Coleman called. Negreanu called. ultimately made the call with his trip sevens, taking down the sizable pot to surge into the lead.

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

028_S&A.indd 33 8/5/21 10:15 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

Even if Winter only lasted one more hand, Katz would have Checking the exclusive nuts when last to act on the been in the big blind on the next deal. Soverel could shove river is not an automatic soft play violation; TD’s discretion any two cards, and get virtually the same all-in showdown applies based on the situation. with Winter, along with a guaranteed profi t once Katz was forced to fold. Would it have been “soft play” if Soverel had mucked, So the hypothetical question remains… could Soverel throwing the hand to Winter? At fi rst blush, it would have folded and conceded the hand to Winter? Let’s fi rst appear to be, for it is conceding a hand that Soverel might consider the ethical play rule: well have won without further risk. But it seems that by defi nition, “soft” play means that you are taking it easy on 69: Ethical Play the other player. Poker is an individual game. Soft play will result in e prefatory language in the rule, “poker is an indi- penalties, which may include chip forfeiture and/or dis- vidual game,” suggests that you should always be out for qualifi cation. Chip dumping and other forms of collusion yourself and not assist others. But in this case, if Nejad is will result in disqualifi cation. right, Soverel’s motive was not to go easy on Winter, but to be tough on Katz. In other words, he was looking out for It is often hard to determine whether there has been his own long-term interests by being soft in the short run. soft play, and the evidence is usually circumstantial. One If the TD had been asked for a ruling, he or she would instance where it appears to be clear is when the player who likely also have consulted Rule 71.B, which indicates when is last to act on the river checks the nuts. Since this action penalties are mandatory and when they are discretionary: is obvious once the hands are tabled, many dealers are quick to enforce the rule. 71.B: A penalty may be invoked for etiquette violations But is this action necessarily soft play? I have seen novice (Rule 70), card exposure with action pending, throwing players check not realizing they had the nuts, so they are cards, violating one-player-to-a-hand, or similar incidents. hardly engaging in soft play. And I have seen sophisticated Penalties will be given for soft play, abuse, disruptive behav- players think it was more important to have a showdown ior, or cheating. so that they could see what the other player was holding than to possibly gain chips from another bet. Curiously, Under this rule, if there is an etiquette violation, then the rules seem to allow for this, carving out an exception to the TD has discretion to invoke a penalty or not; but if the mandatory penalty in this situation. e rule concludes there is soft play, then the TD apparently has no choice but by stating: to invoke a penalty. However, even if Soverel’s fold was not considered soft play, he would have folded when folding was not an option since there was no bet to him. According to TDA Rule 58, such a fold is binding and subject to a penalty:

SIGN UP AND LEARN FOR FREE 58: Non-Standard Folds Any time before the end of the fi nal betting round, Graduate your game with the folding in turn if there’s no bet to you (ex: facing a check CP POKER SCHOOL or fi rst to act post-fl op) or folding out of turn are binding folds subject to penalty.

Let’s now assume that the TD concluded that there was either soft play or that there was a violation of the non-standard fold rule. In either event, a penalty would be mandatory. He would have answered Soverel’s question, “Can I fold my hand?” by responding, “No, you can’t,” which means that if Soverel had then mucked his hand, he would incur a penalty. But what would the penalty be? It is important to remember that under TDA Rule 71, “[e]nforcement options Ten Comprehensive Poker Courses On Beginner and Advanced Topics include verbal warnings.” So when all is said and done, the Hundreds of Free Articles and Videos On Winning Poker Strategy penalty could have been merely a warning. Learn At Your Own Pace Next time, hopefully Soverel will be more patient and wait to get a ruling before proceeding with the hand. e Exclusive Partner Offer request could backﬁ re, however. Sometimes TDs will issue a warning if you violate a rule without knowing any better. Enroll Now IT’S FREE! But once you ask and are told you can’t do it, and you do www.cardplayerpokerschool.com it anyway, they might impose a harsher penalty for your premediated act. m

Scott J. Burnham is Professor Emeritus at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington. He can be reached at [email protected].

34 CARDPLAYER.COM FOLLOW US ON TWITTER CardPlayerMedia

028_S&A.indd 34 8/5/21 10:15 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 8/3/21 11:18 AM Schedules - Daily tournaments

FOR COMPLETE TOURNAMENT RESULTS AND LISTINGS, VISIT CARDPLAYER.COM AUG. Aug. 2-29 DeepStack Showdown III Venetian Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

Aug. 30-Sept. 26 DeepStack Extravaganza III Venetian Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

SEPT. Sept. 3-19 Commerce Hold’em Series Commerce Casino • Commerce, CA

Sept. 7-19 Poker Masters Aria Resort & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

Sept. 15-28 WPT Maryland Live! Casino & Hotel • Hanover, MD

Sept. 27-29 Super High Roller Bowl Aria Resort & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

Sept. 30-Nov. 23 World Series of Poker Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

NOV. Nov. 18-30 WPT Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino • Hollywood, FL

Nov. 19-Dec. 8 World Series of Poker Europe Kings Casino • Rozvadov, Czech Republic

AO-Add On B-Bonus CP-Crazy Pineapple H.O.R.S.E.-Hold’em, Omaha Eight-or-Better, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, Seven-Card Stud Eight- or-Better R.O.S.E.-Razz, Omaha Eight-or-Better, Seven-Card Stud, Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Better KO- Knock Out or Bounty LH-Limit Hold’em MP-Mexican Poker NLH-No-Limit Hold’em O H/L-Omaha Eight-or-Better PLO-Pot-Limit Omaha RB-Rebuy SH/L-Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Better SLH-Spread-Limit Hold’em

WEDNESDAY 7:15 p.m. NLH, $200 ARIZONA 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 7:15 p.m. NLH, $145 TALKING STICK RESORT - SCOTTSDALE THURSDAY CALIFORNIA MONDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 7:15 p.m. NLH, $145 COMMERCE CASINO - COMMERCE TUESDAY FRIDAY MONDAY-THURSDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 5:00 p.m. NLH, $125 AO $100 7:15 p.m. NLH, $200

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP Daniel Negreanu held nearly a 3:1 chip lead when 2021 PokerGO Cup this hand began. David Coleman limped in from the button with a suited 9-3 and Negreanu checked $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller his option with Q-4 suited. Negreanu ﬂ opped top and bottom pair and checked to Coleman, who David Coleman Daniel Negreanu opted to take a stab with his unimproved nine high. 1,395,000 Chips 3,855,000 Chips Negreanu just called and the turn brought the Ap. Negreanu checked a second time. Coleman checked 9 3 Q 4 back and the Kn on the river put four cards to a Winning Percentage Winning Percentage straight on the board. Negreanu checked for a third

Before Flop: 38.0% Before Flop: 61.0% time. Coleman made an overbet of 450,000 into the

9 3 4 After Flop: 4.0% Q After Flop: 96.0% pot of 400,000. Coleman’s bet would likely draw After Turn: 0% After Turn: 100.0% folds from a lot of weaker one-pair hands, and even Negreanu was far from happy with the situation he found himself in. After some thought, Negreanu PREFLOP made the call to take down the pot and increase his stack to over 55 big blinds, while Coleman With two players remaining and blinds of 40,000-80,000 and a big blind fell to less than 10 big blinds. Negreanu was ulti- ante of 80,000, David Coleman limped in from the button. mately able to convert his lead into a win, earning Daniel Negreanu checked his option in the big blind. $700,000 for his fi rst title run in nearly eight years. Coleman took home $455,000 as the runner-up fi nisher, putting an exclamation point on his break- out week at the PokerGO Cup. Coleman made four Q 10 4 A K fi nal tables during the eight-event series, cashing for FLOP

TURN a total of $710,000 along the way. Negreanu took to

RIVER Twitter a day before this heads-up showdown took A K

10 4 Q place with some words of praise. “Been fun playing with the ‘new kid on the block’ David Coleman. Negreanu checked, and Coleman Negreanu checked, Negreanu checked. You can tell how hungry he is to win and play his ‘A bet 80,000. Negreanu called. and Coleman Coleman bet 450,000, game’ always,” said Negreanu. “If you haven’t heard checked behind. and Negreanu called. of him yet… you will.”

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

36 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 18

036_Schedules.indd 36 8/5/21 10:16 AM Schedules

FRIDAY-SUNDAY THURSDAY 1:00 p.m. NLH, $125 AO $100 12:15 p.m. NLH, $100 MGM NATIONAL HARBOR - OXON HILL 6:00 p.m. NLH, $130 TUESDAY FRIDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $240 KO $50 OCEAN’S ELEVEN - OCEANSIDE 12:15 p.m. NLH, $130 ($8K Guarantee) MONDAY-FRIDAY 6:00 p.m. NLH, $50 AO $20 THURSDAY 10:00 a.m. NLH, $75 AO $5 SATURDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $140 ($5K Guarantee) SATURDAY-SUNDAY 12:15 p.m. NLH, $250 KO $50 SUNDAY 10:00 a.m. NLH, $230 AO $10 6:00 p.m. NLH, $100 11:15 a.m. NLH, $360 ($10K Guarantee) FLORIDA MARYLAND NEVADA

BESTBET - JACKSONVILLE LIVE! CASINO & HOTEL - HANOVER SAHARA - LAS VEGAS MONDAY MONDAY DAILY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $60 11:15 a.m. NLH, $120 KO $25 1:00 p.m. NLH, $60 RB $20 AO $20 WEDNESDAY 7:15 p.m. NLH, $150 ($500 Guarantee) 12:00 p.m. NLH, $60 TUESDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $60 RB $20 AO $20 FRIDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $130 ($750 Guarantee) 12:00 p.m. NLH, $160 7:15 p.m. NLH, $200 KO $50 WEDNESDAY SUNDAY ($10K Guarantee) 1:00 p.m. O H/L / SH/L, $60 12:00 p.m. NLH, $160 WEDNESDAY ($500 Guarantee) 11:15 a.m. NLH, $140 SATURDAY PALM BEACH KENNEL CLUB - W. PALM BEACH 7:15 p.m. NLH, $130 ($15K Guarantee) 1:00 p.m. NLH, $100 RB $50 AO $50 MONDAY THURSDAY ($3K Guarantee) 12:15 p.m. NLH, $125 KO $25 11:15 a.m. NLH, $150 6:00 p.m. NLH, $100 7:15 p.m. NLH, $160 KO $50 TUESDAY FRIDAY NORTH CAROLINA 12:15 p.m. NLH, $130 11:15 a.m. NLH, $220 WEDNESDAY 7:15 p.m. NLH, $320 KO $75 HARRAH’S - CHEROKEE 12:15 p.m. NLH, $100 SUNDAY MONDAY-THURSDAY 6:00 p.m. NLH, $125 KO $25 6:15 p.m. NLH, $130 7:00 p.m. NLH, $140

036_Schedules.indd 37 8/5/21 10:16 AM Poker Leaderboards

THE ‘BEST PLAYERS WITHOUT A WSOP BRACELET’ LEADERBOARD

Rank Player Career Tournament Earnings 1 Dan Smith $37,301,645 2 Jason Koon $33,012,922 3 Cary Katz $32,441,990 4 Steve O’Dwyer $31,279,874 5 Mikita Badziakouski $30,708,159 6 Isaac Haxton $29,446,473 7 Jake Schindler $27,037,736 8 Christoph Vogelsang $25,869,651 9 Sam Trickett $21,808,828 10 Rainer Kempe $21,548,426

Bracelet season has begun in 2021! The World Series of Poker is currently set to award 169 gold bracelets throughout the year, starting with the 33 bracelets to be handed out in the WSOP Online domestic schedule that got underway at the start of July. Another 33 will be won during the international-facing segment of the WSOPO, which will span August and continue into the middle of September. An additional 88 bracelets are set to be handed out at the WSOP in Las Vegas this fall (Sept. 30 - Nov. 23), with the final 15 allotted for the WSOP Europe from Nov. 19 - Dec. 8. The bottom line is that there will be plenty of opportunities for players looking to win their first bracelet to come away with the hardware in the coming months. This leaderboard is a collection of the ten players with the most career tournament earnings to their name who have yet to come out on top in a bracelet event. Dan Smith currently sits atop the rankings, with $37,301,645 won. Smith has had plenty of deep runs at the WSOP with more than $9.9 million in cashes in bracelet events, including a third-place finish in the 2018 $1 million buy-in Big One For One Drop for $4 million and a runner-up showing in the 2016 $111,111 One Drop High Roller for almost $3.1 million. While Smith has secured titles on other major tours like the World Poker Tour, he has yet to break through with a win at the series. He has finished third six times and runner-up once. Jason Koon is the next-highest on the list with over $33 million in career cashes to his name. Koon has cashed for seven figures in eight separate events, with most of his 23 titles coming in ultra high buy-in events. Koon has made nine WSOP final tables, with his highest finish being runner-up in the 2012 $3,000 no-limit hold’em / pot-limit Omaha event. Cary Katz is the third and final player among the top ten on poker’s all-time money list without a bracelet. Katz has accrued more than $32.4 million in tournaments across the years, with a heavy emphasis on high roller events much like the majority of the other players on this list. Katz has made eight WSOP final tables, with two second-place showings along the way. While all of the players on this list have tens of millions of cashes on their resume, they’d all surely love to cross their name off it as soon as possible.

38 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 18

038_Leaderboard.indd 38 8/5/21 10:17 AM PLAYER_18_OceansEleven_FP.indd 3 8/3/21 11:13 AM PLAYER_18_Bike_FP.indd 3 8/3/21 11:18 AM