Poker Bot Expert Steve Blay Goes All-In on Omahapokertraining.Com… and Wins!

www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 33/No. 7 March 25, 2020

POKER BOT EXPERT STEVE BLAY GOES ALL-IN ON OMAHAPOKERTRAINING.COM… AND WINS!

An WSOP Main Event Final Tablist Negotiating Introduction Jorryt van Hoof Tournament To Badugi Talks Recent High Roller Run Deals

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CP_Sub_25_DT.indd 5 3/3/20 9:48 AM Masthead - Card Player Vol. 33/No. 7

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006_Masthead.indd 6 3/4/20 12:09 PM PLAYER_06_Commerce_FP.indd 3 2/18/20 1:12 PM Table of Contents - Card Player Vol. 33/No. 7 28 20

Features Strategies, Analysis Also In this Issue 28 & Commentary 6 Poker Bot Expert Steve Blay Goes All-In 32 About Us On OmahaPokerTraining.com… How To Improve Your Poker Skills 44 And Wins! By Jonathan Little Tournament Schedules By Card Player News Team 33 50 A Proposal - Make The Money On Day 1 Poker Leaderboards The Inside Straight By Greg Raymer 10 34 Poker News Recap Badugi: An Introduction Tournament 14 By Kevin Haney Hand Matchups Player Of The Year Update 36 37 16 Preflop Tournament Basics: Part 2 – Mid Joao Simao vs. Sergio Iralasky Stack Play vs. Niall Farrell Poker Strategy: By Ryan Laplante Badugi Fundamentals With Randy Ohel 39 By Steve Schult 37 Marty Mathis vs. Marcelo Bonannata 20 Negotiating Tournament Deals: The 41 Three-Phase Model Table Talk: Jorryt van Hoof Passes Marcel By Alan Schoonmaker Luis Peluso vs. Francisco Benitez Luske For Top Spot On Netherlands All- 42 Time Money List 40 By Tim Duckworth Variance: Part 1 Niall Farrell vs. Antonio Martinac 24 By Steve Zolotow This Week’s Big Winner: 41 Isaac Kempton Takes Down WSOP Circuit Private Games in Public Places Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Main Event By Gavin Griffin By Card Player News Team 26 Poker Stories Podcast With Eric Rodawig By Card Player News Team

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008_TOC.indd 8 3/5/20 10:32 AM PLAYER_06_Sahara_FP.indd 3 2/18/20 1:13 PM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

the INSIDE STRAIGHT News, Reviews, and Interviews From Around the Poker World

2020 WORLD SERIES OF POKER MAIN EVENT BROADCAST SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED By Card Player News Team

e 2020 World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event is set to see wire-to-wire daily live coverage from July 1-14 on ESPN and Poker Central’s streaming service PokerGO. e ESPN fl a g s h i p c h a n - nel and ESPN 2 will host 14 straight days of WSOP main event action. As is recent years, PokerGO will also have an extensive schedule of streams cov- ering other bracelet events throughout the summer. e fi nal schedule of the events to be broadcast will be announced nearer to the start of the WSOP. “For the past four years, our partnership with ESPN has been centered on creating the ultimate fan experience by pro- viding wire-to-wire coverage of the World Series of Poker Main Event,” Chief Business Offi cer of Poker Central JR McCabe said in the WSOP press release. “We look forward to another year of bringing poker’s premier event to fans all across the globe.” “ESPN’s yearly World Series of Poker coverage has proven to be an annual favorite with our poker fans,” said Rob Temple, Senior Vice President of programming and acquisitions at ESPN. “ rough our partnership with Poker Central, we look forward to another season of extensive broadcast coverage of the most popular poker event on earth.” Check out the current broadcast schedule for the WSOP main event on ESPN/ESPN2:

Date Time Network Event Day July 1 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 1A July 2 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM ESPN WSOP Main Event Day 1B July 2 11:00 PM – 1:00 AM ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 1B July 3 8:00 PM – 1:30 AM ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 1C July 4 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ESPN WSOP Main Event Day 2AB July 5 10:00 PM – 1:00 AM ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 2C July 6 10:00 PM – 2:00 AM ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 3 July 7 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 4 July 8 10:00 PM – 2:00 AM ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 5 July 9 8:00 PM – 12:00 AM ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 6 July 10 10:00 PM – 12:00 AM ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 7 (Play to Final Table) July 12 10:00 PM – TBD ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 8 (Nine to Six Players) July 13 10:00 PM – TBD ESPN2 WSOP Main Event Day 9 (Six to Three Players) July 14 9:00 PM – TBD ESPN WSOP Main Event Day 10 (Three Players to Winner)

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010_News.indd 10 3/4/20 10:28 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

Black Hawk Ballot Initiative Could Li Colorado’s $100 Be ing Limit By Steve Schult

A couple of former politicians in casinos. Last November, voters narrowly Colorado are pushing a ballot initia- “ ese towns have built much of passed a ballot initiative that legalized tive that could lift the $100 maximum their local economies around hotels, sports betting. Sportsbooks won’t be bet rule enforced at the state’s casinos, restaurants, tourism and travelers who operational until May 1, but the state allowing poker players in the state to visit because of gaming,” Brown told finalized its sports betting regulations play traditional no-limit hold’em cash Westworld. “Voters in these commu- last week and awarded the first licenses games. nities should be allowed to decide to seven different casinos. Currently, all poker games in what is best for them and their econ- Since sports betting is not a table the Centennial State are technically omy, including whether they want to game, it will not be subject to a spread-limit games with a maximum change betting limits and add new maximum wager rule. South Dakota bet of $100. e same limit is enforced games.” is the only other state in the country at other table games throughout the If the initiative receives 125,000 with a limit on what can be bet. In state’s 33 casinos. Most of those 33 signatures, then it would be on the Deadwood, gamblers can’t wager more casinos reside in Centennial City, ballot in November and residents than $1,000. Cripple Creek and Black Hawk, three would get to vote on the limit. If it got e mayors of all three cities with historic mining towns located 45 min- support at the polls, those limits could commercial gaming in Colorado sup- utes outside Denver. be removed and new games could be port the initiative. Bruce Brown, a former mayor of added by May 2021. “ e city of Black Hawk is always Cripple Creek, and former Colorado Over the last few decades, gam- in favor of gaming enhancements,” Senate President Bill Cadman are the bling in Colorado has exploded. e said David Spellman, mayor of Black two main proponents of Initiative 257. state legalized casino gambling in Hawk. “As the gaming experience e initiative would give residents 1990 with a $5 max bet, which was improves, it is more likely the original of those three towns final say on the increased to $100 in 2008. In the three host cities will continue to meet betting limit laws and whether or not last few years, many of poker’s biggest the demands of the gaming commu- new games should be implemented at tours make regular stops in Colorado. nity.” m PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKER INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO MAKE CASINOS SMOKE-FREE By Steve Schult

A bill introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature would end smoking in the state’s 13 casinos and racinos. Democrat Dan Frankel introduced HB 2298, which would seek to expand the Clean Indoor Air Act into casinos, bars, and private clubs. e expansion of that bill would eﬀectively ban smoking in those locations. e bill would also prohibit using e-cigarettes in those establishments. e Clean Indoor Air Act was passed in 2008. With a few exceptions, it banned smoking in public places. “Pennsylvania should not have to choose between a job at the casino or a trip to a sporting event and their family’s health,” said Frankel in the bill’s memorandum. “With these changes, Pennsylvania will join 39 states that do not resort closed its doors in 2014 after operating for less than preempt local governments from adopting more stringent, two years. Every other Atlantic City casino allowed smok- smoke-free rules for the health and safety of their residents.” ing on its casino ﬂoors. According to the Pittsburgh Business Journal, Sen. Jay Several casinos throughout the country have compro- Costa will introduce a similar bill in the senate. mised and have added non-smoking gaming areas to their Nonsmoking casinos have been tried in the past and properties. Nevada, arguably the biggest gaming market in have failed for the most part. the U.S. only has one casino completely smoke-free. e e former Revel Atlantic City decided to make its Nugget, a tiny casino located 35 minutes east of Reno, is a entire property smoke-free and the $2.4 billion casino nonsmoking property. m

010_News.indd 11 3/4/20 10:28 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - News, reviews, and interviews from around the poker world Sports Being Legislation Filed In Georgia By Steve Schult

A Republican senator in Georgia Kemp to cut spending. But with state filed legislation that would legalize coffers running low, 2020 could be the sports betting in e Peach State. perfect year for gambling proponents to Sen. Burt Jones filed SB 403, pass legislation as a way to increase state which would allow those 21 and revenue. older the ability to wager on sport- Lawmakers have looked into gambling ing events. It would tax sportsbooks expansion since last year. Last month, at 20 percent of its total revenue and a hearing on the subject at the Atlanta would give the Georgia Lottery the Motor Speedway, the speedway’s presi- power to regulate the industry. Since the state doesn’t have dent, Ed Clark, unveiled a plan to turn the speedway into a casino gaming, all of the sportsbooks would be online. casino resort if legislation is passed. e tax revenue collected by the state from sports betting Casino gaming would require a constitutional amendment, would be used, almost exclusively, to fund the state’s HOPE which needs a two-thirds majority in both the house and scholarship, a one-time $500 award that can be used for senate before it goes to a statewide referendum in November. tuition at an in-state university. All but 5 percent would be Jones believes that sports betting can be implemented without used to help fund that scholarship and the rest would be used an amendment. to help fund addiction treatment services. Historically, Georgia has been one of the most staunch Jones claimed that the illegal betting market is already $1.5 anti-gambling states in the country, but as the public opinion billion in Georgia alone and that the state should capture some on gambling changes, politicians are slowly following. Along of the revenue for itself. with Georgia, Kentucky has also filed a sports betting bill ear- “It’s going on currently,” Jones told the Atlanta Journal- lier this year just a couple months after electing a pro-gambling Constitution. “And so we feel like – much like the internet governor. sales tax – that it’s just an opportunity for us to capitalize on Kansas, Ohio, Connecticut, Missouri, and Maryland are an entity that’s already operating.” on the short list of states that have introduced sports betting According to the AJC, Georgians are calling on Gov. Brian legislation this year. m Card Player Poker Tour Teams Up With Card Player Cruises This Fall The Tournament Will Take Place On A Nine-Night Canada and New England Cruise By Card Player News Team

e Card Player Poker Tour is partnering with Card Player Cruises for an exciting tournament event aboard a nine-night Canada and New England cruise this fall. e voyage will span from Sept. 10-19, 2020 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas ship. If you long for fall colors and cooler temperatures, this cruise is for you! Get ready for an experience you will never forget. Scenic views, beautiful foliage, a gorgeous coastline and plenty of poker! ere will be cash games and tournaments available, guideline regarding the games and limits on most cruises with the highlight of the whole affair being the $340 buy- is as follows: in Card Player Poker Tour main event, which features $50 • Limit hold’em: $2-$4 – $4-$8 and higher upon request bounties as well as celebrity bounties. • No–limit hold’em: $1-$3, $2-$5, and higher upon request Card Player Cruises proudly features a professional, fully • Omaha/8: $4-$8 and often higher ($10-$20 on up). staffed, non-smoking poker room. e poker room is usu- • Mixed games: available upon request ally open for play immediately after the first-seating din- e ship will depart from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, ner on your departure day. e poker room remains open with stops in Boston, Massachusetts, Portland and Bar throughout most of the cruise except when the ship is in Harbor in Maine, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, port. Free beginner lessons for novices are offered, followed New Brunswick. More information about the ports of call by a low limit hold’em game for beginners only. All poker can be found at www.CardPlayerCruises.com. games are open to anyone 18 years and older. ose booking by phone should call 888.999.4880 and e Card Player Cruises staff will be happy to spread any be sure to mention that you heard about this event from game and limit that enough players want to play. A general Card Player Magazine. m

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010_News.indd 12 3/4/20 10:28 AM PLAYER_07_LuckyChances_FP.indd 3 3/3/20 10:44 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - Player of the year As of 2-25-2019

Place Players Points Final Tables Winnings 4 1 Vincent Wan 2,280 1 $909,420

2 Anton Suarez 2,100 1 $1,000,000

3 Ngoc Hoang 1,900 1 $909,420

4 Pablo Silva 1,800 1 $1,000,000

5 Christian Rudolph 1,750 1 $620,000 Pablo Silva defeated a field of 465 total entries in the $5 million guaranteed 6 James Romero 1,736 2 $745,000 2020 partypoker MILLIONS South America $10,300 buy-in no-limit hold’em main 7 Erik Seidel 1,686 5 $669,649 event. The Brazilian earned $1 million and 1,800 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion of this event, 8 Eric Afriat 1,680 1 $394,120 and in the process was catapulted inside the top five in the 2020 POY 9 Brian Altman 1,608 2 $506,376 rankings.

10 Farid Jattin 1,589 4 $986,083 6

11 Kahle Burns 1,586 4 $2,547,988

12 Michael Addamo 1,556 4 $1,807,310

13 Nino Ullmann 1,540 2 $370,609

14 Gareth Pepper 1,520 1 $690,000

15 Fabio Colonese 1,500 1 $640,000 James Romero is off to an incredible start in 2020. Romero placed third in Marc-Olivier 16 1,400 1 $265,805 the partypoker MILLIONS UK $10,300 Carpentier-Perrault buy-in main event for $420,000 and 1,400 POY points in January. Less than 17 Christopher Puetz 1,260 1 $292,802 a month later he managed to take down the $25,500 buy-in high roller at 18 Alex Foxen 1,205 4 $1,231,137 the partypoker MILLIONS South America festival, earning another $325,000 and 336 points. Romero has climbed into 19 Daniel Rezaei 1,200 1 $435,000 sixth place in the standings, with just shy of three-quarters of a million dollars 20 Michael O’Grady 1,162 2 $211,733 in year-to-date earnings secured in the first two months of the year.

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Poker Hall of Fame member and eight- Eric Afriat took down the 2020 World Germany’s Christopher Puetz outlasted time World Series of Poker gold bracelet Poker Tour Fallsview Poker Classic $5,000 a field of 510 total entries in the €3,300 winner Erik Seidel is one of six players CAD buy-in no-limit hold’em main event buy-in WPT Germany main event. Puetz to have already made five POY-qualified to become just the sixth player in his- earned $292,802 USD and 1,260 POY final tables already in 2020. Seidel went tory to have won three or more WPT points after emerging victorious in this on a high-roller spree in Australia, cash- main event titles. Afriat was awarded event, and as a result, he has moved ing for $594,649 USD and 1,436 points $394,120 and 1,680 for his latest victory into 17th place in the standings. This was across four final-table finishes down on the tour, which was enough to see only Puetz’s third recorded live tourna- under. He made his fifth stateside, him surge into eighth place in the overall ment score and by far his largest, with finishing runner-up in a $10,500 buy-in POY rankings. his previous biggest payday being for event at Aria Las Vegas for $75,000 and $6,984. another 150 points.

014_POY.indd 15 3/4/20 10:35 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - poker Strategy

POKER STRATEGY Badugi Fundamentals With Randy Ohel

By Steve Schult

The World Series of Poker is the one time of the year where all of poker’s variants, not just no-limit hold’em, are on display at the highest level. Randy Ohel is a fixture in those other games. He is a successful regular in the high-stakes mixed game scene, both in tournaments and in cash games. Ohel has a WSOP bracelet from his victory in the $2,500 2-7 triple draw in 2012, and has cashed in several other variants, including runner-up finishes in the 2018 $10,000 2-7 triple draw, the 2016 $10,000 seven card stud hi-lo championship, and the 2014 $10,000 HORSE championship. The Florida native and Las Vegas resident has more than $2 million in live tournament earnings, almost exclusively in mixed events. Ohel has delved into the coaching realm of poker and is currently taking students to learn non-hold’em games. He can be found on Twitter @RandyOhel. In an effort to provide readers with a solid fundamental strategy of mixed games, Card Player sat down with Ohel to break down a badugi hand from the $2,500 mixed triple draw event from the 2019 World Series of Poker. For those that may not be familiar with the rules of the game, badugi is a limit triple draw game where each player is dealt four cards and the goal is to make the lowest hand with four different suits. 4-3-2-A with four different suits is considered the nuts in this game. If neither player makes a badugi by the end of the hand, the best three-card hand will take the pot. For example, a 4-2-A with three different suits would beat 4-3-2 with three different suits, but both hands would lose to K-Q-7-3 with four different suits.

Dan Zack Sumir Mathur

The Hand Event – Limits 2018 WSOP Event No. 6 60,000 – 120,000 Players Dan Zack Sumir Mathur Chip Count 2,470,000 1,075,000 Hand 9-4-2-A ??

Three-handed at the final table, Sumir Mathur raised on the button, Dan Zack called out of the small blind, and Braden Gazlay defended his big blind. Zack and Gazlay each took two and Mathur stood pat. After the first draw, Zack checked, Gazlay checked, Mathur bet, Zack called and Gazlay folded. Zack took one card and Mathur stood pat. After the second draw, Zack checked, Mathur bet and Zack check-raised. Mathur called. On the final draw, Zack stood pat and Mathur stood pat behind. Zack bet, Mathur called, and Zack won the pot with a 9-4-2-A.

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016_PokerStrategy.indd 16 3/4/20 10:36 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

“AGAINST A PAT HAND, YOU PRETTY MUCH WANT TO HAVE IMPROVED TO CONTINUE. YOU’RE JUST GOING TO BE IN A LOT OF BAD SPOTS ON THE TURN WHERE YOU EITHER HAVE TO FOLD SOME EQUITY OR CALL WITH LOW EQUITY BECAUSE YOU’RE GETTING A GOOD PRICE. NEITHER OF THOSE SPOTS ARE THAT GREAT.”

Steve Schult: Both blinds call and draw two cards. the weaker portion of your range, you’re only snowing What are considered good two-card draws? Are you some percentage of the time. only playing wheel cards at this point? He’s risking two bets to win five bets. It has to work Randy Ohel: Dan will only have wheel cards and it pretty often immediately here, so he shouldn’t be doing should only be the smoother portion of the wheel cards. it a ton. And then counting the river, you’re going to He’s not calling with like 4-3 and 4-2. He should prob- have to risk three to win six. It’s an expensive proposi- ably have maybe the smoothest half of wheel cards and tion. It’s not easy to improve to beat a badugi. It’s just the big blind will have some two-card fives because he not easy to beat one. So sometimes you have to pretend is closing the action and getting a better price. you did. SS: Sumir will have pretty much any badugi at this SS: What is the weakest portion of his range? point? RO: Three-card eights are the weakest portion of his RO: Yeah, when you are opening the button, you can range. open any badugi. He will open any badugi as well as SS: What if he had A-2-5 and then got a suited 3 or some snows. something like that? SS: After the first draw, action checks to Sumir on RO: It’s always this thing that any hand in the the button, who bets, and only Dan calls. He takes one. moment can maybe be bluffed and maybe work, but Are you ever going to continue after the first draw if you you need to not do it too much because people will stop don’t improve and need to draw two again? folding to you. And the best way to do that within your- RO: Against a pat hand, you pretty much want to self is to do it at times when it will be most profitable have improved to continue. You’re just going to be in and the times when it would have been most profitable a lot of bad spots on the turn where you either have to are when a.) your draw is the least profitable and b.) fold some equity or call with low equity because you’re you’ve seen extra cards that block his strong hands. The getting a good price. Neither of those spots are that small suited card matters more when you’re not facing great. a pat hand, but it is still kind of a decent way to keep And it’s really hard to go from two to pat, so usually yourself in line. if you improve, you’re going two to one. And then when SS: Sumir calls the check-raise and then stands pat. you’re drawing one, you’re still not in an amazing spot How strong of a badugi does he have to not break it on the turn. For that reason, you need to have improved heading into the final draw? right away. RO: Breaking should be very rare here because Dan’s SS: How would that change if the button wasn’t pat median badugi that he is raising with is so strong. You after the first draw. If it just went two-two-two after the can’t pick up too much equity by breaking. If you want first draw, can you proceed unimproved? to not show it down, you should be folding. RO: Then you’re never folding for one bet. Only SS: I remember when we talked about 2-7 triple against pat hands are you folding the flop for one bet. draw, you talked about convertible hands. They were SS: After the second draw, when Dan check-raises. hands where you could have a strong pat hand against a Just from a theory standpoint, he has to bluff some drawing hand or break it and draw to something strong portion of the time. What kind of hands would Dan against a pat hand. Something like 10-7-6-4-2 comes to be snowing? mind. Are there convertible badugis? RO: Dan should be snowing here with the weaker RO: Badugi is a very different game in that sense. portion of his range that has got to this point that has SS: If you had a K-4 badugi, you wouldn’t just break also caught some suited cards. You’re never snowing the king and draw to a wheel. with the stronger portion of your range. And then with RO: If you had a K-4 badugi, you would have made a

016_PokerStrategy.indd 17 3/4/20 10:36 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - poker Strategy

tremendous mistake by patting it to begin with. RO: He should almost always bet the river when he’s SS: You should break that from the start? bluffing. At this point, he’s getting a better price on RO: Yes. It’s not even close. his bluff. SS: To bring it back to the first draw, what makes SS: After the third draw, Dan bets, gets called, and some badugis breakable and others not? wins with a 9-4-3-2. Is this near the bottom of his RO: Smoothness underneath and badness up top. check-raising range after the second draw? What are his Like K-3-2-A is the ultimate break hand. There are a value hands that he would check-raise? couple spots where badugis are somewhat convertible. RO: The bottom is probably a good jack. And those When you realize that the other guy is pat, then you hands might check the end. So maybe the bottom is a might switch to a three-card hand. 10-8 or something like that. A 9-4 against a pat hand Let’s say you open Q-8-4-3 badugi from the cutoff is going to be a big favorite there. The 76th percentile of and the small blind three-bets you and pats or some- badugis is somewhere in the nines. thing like that. You could pat it once and then break SS: You said it’s a big favorite against a pat hand. it or you could break it right away. Those do exist, but Would it not be a favorite against a hand that was draw- they are in different circumstances and they are earlier ing to get there? in the hand. So, with a K-3-2-A, you would just break RO: The route at which a badugi is acquired dra- it right away. You wouldn’t think of that hand as a matically impacts the median badugi that someone convertible. will have in that spot. The median among all badugi is There is much less breaking in badugi than there is somewhere in the jacks. But the median badugi going in regular triple draw because it’s just so hard to win from one to pat is going to be something like an 8. when you are behind, particularly to beat a pat hand. A one to pat is the strongest badugi. Two to pat is SS: That makes sense since there are fewer cards to weaker. And pat from the go is much weaker. It’s kind catch. You need a specific suit and rank as opposed to of simple. When you go two to pat, you could catch a Q just a rank. and a 10 and you’re pat. And that combination doesn’t RO: You might have like five outs a lot of the time. exist when you go one to pat because you wouldn’t have Whereas in 2-7 triple draw, you might have 12 outs or ever kept one of those cards. more. The most extreme example is that K-Q-J-10 badugi SS: After Sumir calls the check-raise and stands pat does not exist within a range that drew cards because behind Dan, is Dan going to continue with his bluffs you never would have kept any of those cards. You can or is he going to just give up? only get dealt those cards to end up with that hand. m

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016_PokerStrategy.indd 18 3/4/20 10:36 AM PLAYER_07_ACR_FP.indd 3 3/3/20 10:43 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - table talk

TABLE TALK: INTERVIEWS WITH POKER'S TOP TALENT Card Player sits down with the game’s well-known, up-and-coming, and most notorious players for insight into what it takes to make it in the poker world.

JORRYT VAN HOOF PASSES MARCEL LUSKE FOR TOP SPOT ON NETHERLANDS ALL-TIME MONEY LIST Dutch WSOP Main Event Final Tablist Explains His Poker Hiatus And Recent High Roller Run

By Tim Duckworth

For the past 15 years, Jorryt van Hoof only had nine five-digit scores four-month delay before the November Hoof has been collecting cashes in leading into the 2014 World Series of Nine returned to the Rio in Las Vegas tournaments around the world, but his Poker, where he would ultimately reach to continue play, and Van Hoof’s run bread and butter has always been in the the main event final table. eventually ended in third place for pot-limit Omaha cash games, both live, Van Hoof became the second Dutch $3,806,402 in prize money. and online where he is most known as player to reach the WSOP main event Following cashes around Europe eCleaner11. Outside of a seventh- final table in as many years, joining and then back at the 2015 summer place finish in the 2006 Master Classics Michiel Brummelhuis who finished series, van Hoof decided to take a of Poker €5,000 Dutch Poker Open, van seventh in 2013. ere was a nearly two-year hiatus before returning to

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020_TableTalkQ&A_Jorryt van Hoof.indd 20 3/4/20 10:39 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

the high roller circuit a couple years motivation to invest more time in it. between reaching the final table and ago. Two final tables at the Master I final tabled a tournament in France, playing it out. Did you set any prepa- Classics of Poker and European Poker and it was early in the morning, and I ration goals? Did you approach it a Tour Barcelona in late 2018 would be played some hands where I gained some certain way? followed by an incredible six-month confidence. In that first year I won and JvH: I did a lot of preparation. I stretch after the 2019 WSOP. From lost my bankroll three times. My main looked into Independent Chip Model August to the present, van Hoof has income came from the gaming store so (ICM) quite a bit. I only played tour- amassed $1,244,851 in winnings, it was all fine, but the third time I lost naments now and then, so I studied which includes ten cashes in six coun- $23,000, which was a lot of money for with some of my friends to understand tries, and wins in the Master Classics of me. So then I made my first New Year’s the impact of different stack sizes. To Poker High Roller for €164,508 and the resolution ever, to take poker really understand a little better what the Aussie Millions pot-limit Omaha High seriously. value is of increasing your stack size Roller for AU$467,280. As a result, he CP: With a resolution to take poker in certain moments, or decreasing it, has now passed Marcel Luske for the more seriously, what were the key risking everything, or risking half of it. top spot on the Netherlands’ all-time changes you made? What does that mean not just based on money list. JvH: In January I started playing sit- chip EV (expected value), but the value With van Hoof’s decision to transi- n-go’s and took bankroll management of your stack and what happens to it. tion from cash games to tournaments seriously. My housemates and I started I also got coaching on the mental paying off, he now finds himself bat- playing sit-n-go’s on PartyPoker where aspect to be prepared there as well. I tling some of the game’s best players they had leaderboards that awarded was meditating, and at that point I as he travels the world with his fiancée bonuses. We managed to win some of had been doing it for a year or two. I Sophie. From his dedication, striving the bonuses by basically grinding all think it really helped me identify which to optimize his decision process, and day long. aspects might make me nervous, and reigniting his love of poker, van Hoof I decided to quit university and how to work through these events. I doesn’t see any changes in his approach stepped away from the gaming store think that it’s really important to me, to the game that has seen him earn business to focus on playing poker. otherwise you get caught up in your more than $5.6 million in tournament at’s after one year of playing as own thoughts and that might distract cashes. an amateur. I decided to just go for you from playing. Card Player recently caught up with poker and I focused on sit-n-go’s, then CP: It was only six years ago, but van Hoof to talk about how he started switched to cash games for a bunch of knowing what you do now, regardless playing poker, his rise up the stakes, years. I would play tournaments on the of the result, would you do anything reaching the WSOP November Nine, side every now and then before I got different? his move into the high roller scene, really lucky and final tabled the WSOP JvH: I made some conscious deci- and more. main event in 2014. sions to play some high-level buy-in Card Player: How did you get your CP: You finished in third-place for tournaments to prepare because I had start in poker? $3.8 million in 2014. How was the never played anything higher than a Jorryt van Hoof: I used to own a experience dealing with the money $10,000 buy-in. I played a $50,000, gaming store where I sold and traded pressure, the lights and cameras, and and a couple of $25,000, so that helped Magic: e Gathering cards. In the just the general buzz around reaching me. I did everything I could to become store we had a room for people to play, the November Nine? more fit, the only thing I think I could and then some customers started play- JvH: I just loved it. I loved the expe- have done was get a really good techni- ing poker and I joined in. I got lucky rience. ere were some elements of it cal player to coach me. I didn’t do that, at the start, so I got a taste of it. And that could have made me nervous, but so maybe that was an option. then I basically decided to try my luck I just reflected on myself and thought CP: When it comes to studying at a Holland casino in a €50 fixed limit about which elements would get me poker now, people are looking at solvers tournament, and I ran good in those nervous, and how can I resolve those and running simulations. What were as well. I was around 19 or 20, so then issues. I think I was one of the calm- you doing to study when you weren’t I started taking poker a little more est guys there. Everybody was pretty playing? What was your approach to serious. nervous in that situation, and I think the game once you started taking it CP: What were your next steps in I felt that there was a positive energy. seriously? developing your poker skills? You need to make sure you sleep good JvH: If I could go back in time JvH: My friends and I began going and stuff like that, but I’m pretty and give younger Jorryt some advice, to more casinos. I lived in a student happy with how I prepared and I loved I would tell him you need to study a house, and the other guys living in the experience. Not just the poker little bit more. e games were so easy there also played poker very active- and the result, but you get to take all back then that if you applied just logic ly and we started playing online on your friends and family there. I don’t to your decisions, it will get you pretty Paradise Poker and sites like that. ose always like to be the center of attention, far. I remember that when we started were fun memories. We were having a but this is why you work really hard. playing poker, we were just looking at lot of fun and we were putting in a lot It’s really nice, and especially when situations where everyone seemed to of time playing. things work out well and you’re happy be folding all the time, so we should ose early stages were pretty with your play. It’s just like one good be betting a lot. It’s the first concept important for a poker player. If you run memory. that my housemates and I thought of, good in the early stages, it bolsters your CP: It was nearly a four-month break so it made you a more aggressive player

020_TableTalkQ&A_Jorryt van Hoof.indd 21 3/4/20 10:39 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - table talk

From August 2019 to the present, van Hoof has amassed $1,244,851 in winnings, which includes ten cashes in six countries, and wins in the Master Classics of Poker High Roller for €164,508 and the Aussie Millions pot-limit Omaha High Roller for AU$467,280.

which was in these games already pret- to switch to tournaments around six your decision making if you play to win ty good. months ago. I was in Barcelona and or play to make the money. I just want en when I progressed, I just talk- couldn’t get into a cash game. ere to make the right money EV decision, ed through hands and what seemed were a lot of politics going on and but if you try to change something good, and what didn’t seem good. I really hate that. e tournaments in your game, you may over or under Looking at all the players that were looked solid and are going on all around adjust in spots. e approach is to try winning a lot and what they were the world, so I figured I would switch and learn and take away as much as doing at showdowns. Started to think to tournaments and my goal became to possible from each tournament I play. about ranges, and not just your hand. just win these tournaments. Before that Trying to win the trophy, to have fun, Knowing what you have in your range, I was playing pot-limit Omaha cash and to investigate my own experience. and in each spot, we just picked up on games for years. Since I final tabled If I feel tilted over something, I want to that reasonably fast. Talking with other the main event, I barely played tourna- investigate and learn about it, and then players and knowing which players ments. Maybe the World Championship hopefully move the lesson I’ve learnt to were good and had something useful to of Online Poker (WCOOP) and stuff other aspects of my life. tell so we could learn from. like that. So six months ago it was a CP: In December 2019 you passed CP: Following a few results in 2015 conscious decision to transition to live Marcel Luske and moved into the and 2016, you have a two-year gap in tournaments. I’m traveling now with top spot on the Netherlands all-time live results until late 2018. Was there a my fiancée and we’re seeing the world. money list. Has this always been a goal reason behind the extended break? at’s what I love now more than cash of yours or something that just hap- JvH: I wouldn’t call it retirement; I games. pened? just decided to not play as much poker CP: When you are competing in JvH: It’s more something that just and just began to explore other aspects High Roller tournaments, how do happened. It’s a nice something that in life. I played poker from year one, so you find battling this competition as happened of course. I mean, rankings it was the right thing for me to do at opposed to what you might find online, are nice, I try to be as high as possible that point. I decided to explore other or in smaller buy-in tournaments? in them, but it’s a secondary motiva- interests, invest a little more in my free JvH: What I love about tournaments tion. It’s more about optimizing my time, and learn about other stuff. I is the pressure involved. While in cash own decision process. People told me I would call it a hiatus because after the games it’s more of a grind. You can’t moved into first spot, and it was nice, break I started play poker again, and I just quit when you’re in a tournament, but it’s not a motivational tool for me. really, really love poker. Something I so there’s a huge stamina aspect, and CP: Now that you are no. 1, is this learned from not playing for a few years I really love the live dynamics as well. something that you would like to hold is that I really love it so much, so that is I think there is a lot of non-verbal for as long as possible? what made me start playing again. information that people give off, and JvH: When I enter a tournament, I Reignited, but also really apprecia- it’s nice to try and not give that off really feel it helps me to focus on hav- tive of how good the game is, how yourself. It’s this other dynamic when I ing to win the tournament. If I don’t good the life is, and how much I love play live poker that I really like, and it’s think like that, then I might become it. I didn’t have much to compare it to just playing at a high level with really sloppy or spewy. A tournament can last and really had tunnel vision for poker. elite players. I find it very motivating multiple days and you have to be in So now I don’t have the tunnel vision as well. Every showdown is interesting your chair until the end. If I tell myself as much, and I’m living more balanced. and you learn something from it, the that I need to win, then it implies that Spending more energy towards my rela- whole process for me is very interesting. I can’t bust early. at’s something I tionship, and having a broader interest I know that I can learn so much, which tell myself mentally to keep motivated in other things. But I love poker. motivates me a lot as well. and keep myself in line. Outside of the CP: In the last six months you’ve col- CP: How do you approach playing tournament, I just don’t want to make lected ten cashes in six countries, won with some of the best players in the mistakes in general. Everybody makes two tournaments, and made eight final world? mistakes and you learn from them, tables and won over $1.24 million. Is JvH: I try to be as present as possible but it’s more important to me to play it safe to say your poker schedule has all the time. Paying attention to what- really well. been kicked up a gear? Is there a reason ever is happening, and my approach is CP: Congratulations on your recent behind this? to try and win the tournament. I think engagement to Sophie. How important JvH: I just decided that I was going that is important, and it can influence is it having stability in your personal

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020_TableTalkQ&A_Jorryt van Hoof.indd 22 3/4/20 10:39 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

poker. We both like going to the gym and like taking walks. We like eating out, and these are things I want to do anyway that are good for poker as well. I need to eat, and I like to move a little bit because I’m sitting at a chair all day. So, it’s nice that she has the same interests, and even if I’m completely focusing on poker, we are still doing something together a lot during the festival. CP: What does the future hold for your poker career? Do you have any specific goals in mind or benchmarks you’re trying to hit? What’s going to keep you motivated going forward? life being a professional poker player? CP: When you’re travelling together JvH: As long as I feel I love the JvH: I think it’s super, super impor- for poker tournaments, what is your game as much as I do right now, I’ll tant. It will vary from person to person, balance of time between playing and continue to play. Part of my motiva- and it depends on your own needs. If spending time with your partner or tion comes from the ability to con- one of your needs is to have a stable friends? tinue to learn at poker. And I don’t good relationship and you don’t have JvH: When we’re at the poker fes- see an end to that. At some point one, it will influence you everywhere tival, poker comes first. But whenever other interests may take over and I’ll in life because you’ll be motivated to I bust from a tournament, I’ll have to play less, or if the games change, or fill that need. So as long as you don’t check in if I went to the gym already, or become more difficult, for any other have it, then it’ll interfere with other did I meditate, and also have to reflect reason I may play less. I don’t foresee things. Sophie is just very supportive as on the tournament a little bit and see that in the near future as I really love well, and I’m lucky that she likes being if some study questions arise. en it. Goal wise is to just win at poker at poker places because not all partners outside of that I can take some time and maximizing my output as a pro- like to. She’s already looking forward to off, but primarily when we’re at the fessional poker player. at’s the most Las Vegas. So that’s pretty good. poker festival, I try to just maximize on fundamental goal. m

020_TableTalkQ&A_Jorryt van Hoof.indd 23 3/4/20 10:39 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT - This Week's Big Winner THIS WEEK’S BIG WINNER Isaac Kempton Takes Down WSOP Circuit Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Main Event By Card Player News Team

Isaac Kempton has won the 2020 World Series of Poker Circuit Seminole Hard Rock Tampa $1,700 no-limit hold’em main event. The 22-year-old student and poker player from Newark, Delaware defeated a field of 1,162 total entries to take home his first WSOPC gold ring and the top prize of $290,974. “I probably got into poker four years ago right as I was heading off to college. I saw some YouTube videos of the old high-stakes poker days, and once you watch one, you start watching more, and then you get drawn into the rabbit hole, you just want to keep watching,” Kempton told WSOP reporters about his road to this win. “I played for fun for two years, and since I was pretty good at it, I decided to take it seriously, so I started actually studying and trying to get better instead of just playing on the weekends without much thought. I was able to grind my way up and now I’m here.” Kempton came into the final day as the chip leader with 25 players remaining. By the time the final table of nine was set, he sat in second chip position behind Paul Balzano. He fell down the leaderboard a bit as final-table action continued, but managed to win a key race to surge back up the chip counts. Here are the five hands that propelled Kempton to the title.

Tournament – WSOP Circuit Tampa Main Event Buy-In: $1,700 • No. of Entries: 1,162 • Prize Pool: $1,760,430 • 1st Place Prize: $290,974

O Bubbles The Final Table In Kempton Doubles Through Jackson Tenth Place

A K 8 8 A K 9 9

A K 9 9 A K 8 8

Isaac Kempton John Ott Isaac Kempton David Jackson 5,300,000 1,945,000 3,320,000 6,370,000

K Q 2 3 7 Q 4 3 A 2

Q 4 3 A 2 K Q 2 3 7

Blinds – 60,000-120,000 with a 120,000 big blind ante Blinds – 100,000-200,000 with a 200,000 big blind ante

The Action With seven players left, Kempton found himself spiral- The Action ing down the chip counts and opted to shove his stack of A seemingly innocent bet of 400,000 from Kempton on 3,320,000 over an open from Jackson. Jackson made the a board reading Kn Qp 2n 3p led to a shove from Ott. call with pocket nines, which was racing against Kempton’s Kempton immediately called with Am Km for top pair, top Ap Kn. Jackson was a favorite to score the knockout after kicker, and Ott was drawing slim with pocket eights. e a ﬂ op of Qn 4m 3m, but the Ao on the turn gave Kempton river was the 7o, and Ott was sent to the rail in tenth place the advantage. e 2p on the river secured his double up to to collect his $24,353 cash. second on the leaderboard. www.shrtpoker.com ©

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024_TWBW_Isaac Kempton.indd 24 3/4/20 10:40 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

Manjura Coolered In Fourth Place Kempton Picks O Huge Blu With Third Pair For The Title

A A A K Q 8 J 9

Isaac Kempton Robert Manjura Isaac Kempton David Jackson 9,210,000 3,450,000 22,010,000 12,850,000

K 10 5 A 7 10 8 3 4 A

K 10 5 A 7 A 10 8 3 4

Blinds – 150,000-300,000 with a 300,000 big blind ante Blinds – 200,000-400,000 with a 400,000 big blind ante

The Action The Action Manjura raised all-in from the cutoff for his last After the two heads-up players saw a fl op of 10m 8n 3o, 3,450,000 and was called by Kempton on the button. Kempton checked and Jackson fi red in a bet of 650,000. Balzano also called from the small blind, and the dealer Kempton called, and the turn was the 4o. Kempton spread a fl op of Ko 10n 5m. Kempton moved all-in, and checked again, and this time Jackson bet 2,500,000. Balzano folded. Manjura must have felt pretty good about Kempton called, and the river was the Am. Kempton his Am Kn, for top pair, but Kempton held pocket aces checked for a fi nal time, and Jackson took about 15 seconds which left Manjura drawing slim. He was offi cially drawing before announcing he was all in for his last 8,900,000. dead when the case ace hit the turn, ending his tournament Kempton studied the board and his opponent for about a run in fourth place for $103,434. minute before making the call, tabling just Qm 8p for third pair. Jackson could only shake his head as he turned over Jm 9n for a busted straight draw, ending his tournament run in second place for $179,833. Kempton dragged the fi nal pot Balzano Exits In Third Place of the tournament, and with it earned a WSOP Circuit gold ring, and the $290,974 fi rst-place prize.

A 9 J 10 Final Table Results 1. Isaac Kempton $290,974

2. David Jackson $179,833 A 9 10

J 3. Paul Balzano $135,794 Isaac Kempton Paul Balzano 16,250,000 4,500,000 4. Robert Manjura-Boody $103,434 5. James Calderaro $79,480 A 8 7 3 5

6. Ioannis Patsourakis $61,616

A 7 3 5 8 7. Francisco Gomez $48,195 8. Brad Sailor $38,039 9. Fares Santana $30,297 Blinds – 150,000-300,000 with a 300,000 big blind ante

The Action On the very next hand after losing Manjura, Balzano moved all in for his last 15 big blinds with Jn 10n and was looked up by the chip leader with An 9o. e ﬂ op fell Ap 8n 7p, giving Kempton the lead and leaving Balzano hop- ing for one of the three remaining nines. e turn and river were bricks, however, and Balzano was eliminated in third place, banking $135,794. With that, Kempton took a 5:2 lead over Jackson entering heads-up play.

024_TWBW_Isaac Kempton.indd 25 3/4/20 10:40 AM Card Player Podcast

POKER STORIES PODCAST

With Eric Rodawig

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.

To listen, visit www.cardplayer.com/poker-podcasts or 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, Daniel Negreanu, Justin Bonomo, Nick Schulman, Barry Greenstein, Michael Mizrachi, Bryn Kenney, Mike Sexton, Brian Rast, Chris Moneymaker, Maria Ho, Joe Cada, Freddy Deeb, and many more.

Age: 34 Lives: Omaha, Nebraska Live Tournament Earnings: $900,000

Top Five Live Tournament Scores June 2011 $10k WSOP Stud 8/ob 1st Place $442,183 Championship June 2017 $10k WSOP H.O.R.S.E. 2nd Place $236,841 Championship June 2009 $2,500 WSOP Razz 5th Place $38,471 June 2013 $1,500 WSOP PLO 8/ob 7th Place $30,275 June 2013 $5k WSOP Stud 8/ob 10th Place $21,190

Eric Rodawig is considered to be a semi-professional poker player, having regularly maintained a day job, but he has managed to put together the poker résumé of a solid pro despite his limited schedule on the tournament circuit. e 34-year-old Nebraska resident, who recently appeared on PokerGo’s Dolly’s Game broadcast, has five final-table appearances at the World Series of Poker, including a gold bracelet win. Rodawig’s victory at the summer series came in 2011, when he topped a field of 168 in the $10,000 stud eight- or-better championship, beating Phil Hellmuth heads-up for $442,183. e mixed-game specialist also has final tables in Omaha eight-or-better, pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better, razz, and O.E. A couple summers ago, he narrowly missed out on his second bracelet, finishing runner-up to David Bach in the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship for another $236,841. Highlights from this interview include ‘slumming it’ at $50-$100, ought Crimes at e Hoya, a close call with UIGEA villain Bob Goodlatte, earning a partypoker iPod shuffle, the instant validation of winning a WSOP bracelet, beating a well-behaved Phil Hellmuth heads-up, making poker more accessible to fans, obsessing over curling, flying as a polar bear, being a National Geographic geography bee finalist, meeting Alex Trebek, running the teleprompter for a news station, Jim Carrey’s flat top, an affinity for Weird Al, and looking at noses with Crocodile Brandon.

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026_Podcast_Eric Rodawig.indd 26 3/4/20 10:41 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

The Transcript Highlights On Beating Phil Hellmuth For His World Series of Poker Bracelet

Eric Rodawig: Oh, the win was so awesome! Some people say they’d rather win and get $250,000 than get second for $270,000, or whatever, but I don’t know that I could put a dollar value on that. But the fi rst win, is incredible. It is instant validation. I am not a professional poker player…. To do it in a $10k, to do it in my favorite game, and to do it with an incredibly stacked fi nal table. I mean, Ted Forrest was there, John Racener was there coming off of his second place in the main event. Julio Rodriguez: David Benyamine took fi fth, and obviously, the big kahuna himself, Phil Hellmuth. ER: Yes, saving the best for last. To add to the list of things to brag about for your fi rst bracelet, I beat Phil Hellmuth heads-up! He hadn’t really gotten into mixed games that much yet. JR: at’s right, at this point, he did not have a mixed games bracelet, only hold’em bracelets. ER: I was getting interviewed after the tournament and I said it was super fun to beat Phil heads-up. If it was a no-limit hold’em tournament he would have destroyed me, but this time he was playing my game on my turf. I mean, I was the CardRunners stud eight-or-better coach. Don’t mess with me! I got this! (laughing) JR: Was there any Hellmuth blow ups or speeches at the table? ER: No, he was really well behaved. JR: What did you do with the bracelet? ER: I like wearing it occasionally. I’ll wear it to wedding or formal occasions. (laughs)

On Being A National Geographic Bee Finalist And Meeting Alex Trebek

JR: In 1999, you were a National Geographic Geography Bee fi nalist. What is that? ER: I was. Whatever, maybe I’m a nerd, it’s fi ne. It was a fun educational thing, like the [Scripps National] Spelling Bee… JR: [ ere was a] poker player who won the spelling bee, Pratyush Buddiga. ER: So in eighth grade, I went to the state geography bee and ended up winning that. [Which led to] I think my second big trip out to D.C. and my geography teacher got to come with. I got to meet Alex Trebek, because he was the host of the geography bee at the time. I was standing next to him and the winner, so I got the back of my head in an issue of National Geographic. So you can add that to my list of credits. (laughing) JR: Yeah, the winner was David Beihl from South Carolina. A home school kid who won a trip to Australia. ER: Yeah, you might call the home school kids the geography professionals. I had to go to eight or nine diff erent classes, so I wonder how much geography class time they got at home. (laughing) m

To listen to all Card Player Poker Stories Podcasts for free, visit www.CardPlayer.com/link/podcast Catch up on previous episodes and subscribe to have new episodes automatically appear in your podcast app so you can listen on the go.

026_Podcast_Eric Rodawig.indd 27 3/4/20 10:41 AM POKER BOT EXPERT STEVE BLAY GOES ALL-IN ON OMAHAPOKERTRAINING.COM… AND WINS! By Card Player News Team

Steve Blay has been program- Training (APT) must take up a lot of every human on earth for over 20 ming bots for poker training for your time. How did the idea of devel- years now. With so much computing more than 10 years. When he developing a training simulation for PLO power, that’s trivial today. Playing oped Advanced Poker Training first develop? against an opponent like that isn’t of (AdvancedPokerTraining.com), teaching Blay: Well, first I determined I wasn’t much value to the typical player. You’ll bots to play no-limit hold’em realisti- busy enough doing private coaching, just get destroyed, and you won’t learn cally was not an easy chore. However, running AdvancedPokerTraining. much. with just two hole cards, it was a man- com, raising a couple of kids, etc. But Card Player: I actually play chess, ageable problem. seriously, I’ve gotten about a thousand and I hate playing against the com- Blay apparently had not faced emails asking for it over the last 10 puter – it always wins. enough challenges in his poker pro- years. I’m probably not even exagger- Blay: Exactly. To create a chess gramming career, so in 2018 he ating very much there. It’s at least 500. program that plays like a human, one decided to take on the geometrically Card Player: What struck you as that makes truly human-like misjudg- more complicated game of pot-lim- the greatest challenges you’d face in ments that can serve as a good sparring it Omaha (PLO). Nearly two years, creating bots that play like real PLO partner for a human - now that’s a real multiple consults with leading PLO players? challenge. We’ve only seen real prog- experts, and dozens of revisions later, Blay: e same challenges I faced ress on that problem over the last few Blay brought Omaha Poker Training in creating APT – namely, getting years with the advances in machine (OmahaPokerTraining.com) to fruition. a computer program to “see” the learning. Now, you can feed a com- Card Player magazine sat down game like a human sees it, and make puter millions of chess games played with Blay and discussed everything human-like mistakes. In other words, by amateurs and have it learn to play from machine learning, to whether not just trying to use brute-force math, like an amateur. poker bots play online for real money, but adding some human psychology. But back to OmahaPokerTraining.com to how a no-limit hold’em player can In a sense, it’s easier to write GTO- (OPT). What I’ve tried to do is offer make the leap to PLO – where the pots style bots. Anyone who has followed the best of both worlds. For the GTO are huge and the action is wild! the chess world knows that the best crowd, the bots really do play at a high Card Player: Advanced Poker chess programs have been able to beat level. You can look at the exact range

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028_CoverStory.indd 28 3/4/20 10:41 AM you give them an hour per decision to think through all the combinations. I set as one of the requirements that the bots have to act in two seconds or less. Anything longer, and it cuts down on how fast you can train. Card Player: So pure number crunching power and speed are what make a good PLO bot? Blay: Well, like I said before, what makes a good PLO bot for training purposes is realism. In 2020, we have an incredible amount of computing power available literally at our finger- tips. Teaching bots to crunch numbers is one thing. But if the bots only think that way, their play will be unimaginative and mechanical. erefore, from a practical sense, the best bot makes human- like misjudgments from time to time. at’s what I spent the most time on. Card Player: What were you most Lifelike pot-limit Omaha opponents and a personal advisor at OmahaPokerTraining.com surprised by when programming the OPT bots? of starting hands they are holding – Card Player: What would you Blay: My favorite thing is when I all 270,725 of them – if you really advise a no-limit hold’em player in think a bot is playing a hand terribly, want. But for beginners and interme- terms of what they need to be a suc- only to find out on a later street that he diate players, you can dial down the cessful PLO player? had a devious plan all along. I didn’t difficulty substantially. is is where Blay: First, get used to big pots teach these bots to think in the same the real magic happens, because you and lots of action. Don’t fear it, learn way I did on APT. On APT there are can train against lifelike bots that are to love it. Second, concepts like posi- very specific “plays” programmed in – going to play much like the typical tion, blockers, and redraws are critical the continuation-bet, the check-raise, players you meet in a cardroom. in PLO. Get used to counting your the blocking bet. at doesn’t mean the Card Player: at’s my favorite outs quickly – a great draw in PLO APT bots are inferior, just different. On thing about Advanced Poker Training. can have 20 or more. Finally (and OPT, in a sense the bots came up with Blay: anks. And no other site seriously), join OmahaPokerTraining. much of their strategy on their own. offers that. ere are other places to com, unless you like to lose thousands ey taught themselves. On the hardest play no-limit hold’em against bots, but of dollars at the cardroom learning to level they can be so frustrating, but in they lack the realism. And, of course, play the game well. an awesome way. It brings a huge smile APT also has the “Beat the Pro” Card Player: In no-limit hold’em to my face when I get owned by them, Challenges, the Combat Trainers, and there are teams of people tackling the because it’s a thing of beauty that they everything else that has made it so game and devising GTO bots. at are better than their programmer. successful. doesn’t seem to exist for PLO - which Card Player: When a player is using Card Player: You were able to talk makes your site unique. Why do you your simulator, what kind of advice or to some premier PLO players about think there aren’t any good computer- guidance do they get from your site to their approaches to the game while based PLO games? inform their decisions during a hand? programming OPT. Who did you Blay: It’s just really hard. e game Blay: Just about anything you could speak with, and what kind of insights of PLO is exponentially more difficult possibly want to know. For beginners, did they have to offer? than no-limit hold’em. Consider this: it will help you compute the pot size, Blay: I’ve worked with Scott suppose you are heads-up on the flop. see your odds of improving, pot odds, Clements on and off for years and have How many different combinations are stack-to-pot ratio, and more. We also come to the conclusion that he’s one there of your cards, your opponent’s have a series of instructional videos and of the best minds in poker, and clearly cards, and the flop cards? For PLO the articles that can teach a complete nov- one of the best in the world at PLO. So answer is roughly 700 TRILLION. ice how to play the game. I know there it was natural to enlist some help from And that’s heads-up! ere isn’t any- are so many good no-limit hold’em him. But, he’s not really a GTO guy. thing like OPT because it is incredibly players who would love to play the big He’s more instinct and play-the-player. difficult to create. I worked daily on pot game of PLO when they walk into I really wanted to build some GTO this for nearly two full years, and that a cardroom and see a loose game, but into these bots too. For that part, I was with previous experience building don’t know where to start. is is their consulted with John Beauprez. He’s not the APT no-limit hold’em bots. chance. a household name but he has a whole A secondary problem is that the For experts, you can actually look at team that has analyzed PLO since solv- bots have to be able to come to a deci- your entire hand range, and the ranges ers were first developed, so they were of sion in a reasonable amount of time. of your opponents, to perform detailed great help with the GTO aspect. Sure, anyone can make PLO bots if analyses.

028_CoverStory.indd 29 3/4/20 10:41 AM out and there goes all your invest- ment. So, while I wouldn’t say there aren’t any bots playing online, it isn’t rampant, it requires constant over- sight, and frankly there are easier ways to make money. Card Player: What have you yourself learned as a result of this process? Blay: Geez, what haven’t I learned? e beauty of this whole thing is that I was not an expert PLO player when I started this project. After playing hundreds of thousands of hands against these bots over the past couple of years, I can play com- fortably in about any PLO game. I think everyone ought to be able to play PLO, because sometimes you go to a cardroom and all the loose, crazy players are at the PLO table, and you want to be able to jump right View you and your opponent’s complete hand ranges, categorized by hand type. in. Frankly, the players are generally much worse in PLO and the pots are Card Player: What are the key trouble. It’s focused practice that bigger. improvements you think PLO play- really cuts down your training time. Card Player: What is your favorite ers will be able to make using your Card Player: So the question I’m thing about Omaha Poker Training? training tool? sure everyone is wondering is, have Blay: Hands down, the retry fea- Blay: e beauty of OPT is that you let these bots play online for real ture. Any hand you play, you can try every hand you play is saved forever money? it over again as many times as you into your own online database. You Blay: No, besides it being unethi- want, to test out different strategies. I can get detailed reports about your cal, I would have no idea how to do also really like this feature we call the play filtered by a huge number of that. ere’s a lot of hype about bots “grid”, which lets you take an overall criteria, including dates, hand types, playing for real money online, but I view of all the hands in your range. and position. After a while, you’ll personally don’t know anybody suc- Especially in bluffing situations, it lets start to see trends in your reports. cessfully doing it. It takes very spe- you determine what hands you can You can focus on your trouble areas cialized software to read and process represent believably. If you have trou- by configuring the software to deal all the information on the screen and ble bluffing successfully, this could be you specific kinds of hands. You can “robotically” click the correct but- your best friend. freeze the button and only play out of tons. And of course, your bots have Card Player: So what about the big blind, for example. You can to be good enough that they don’t AdvancedPokerTraining.com, does this deal yourself only playable or raising actually lose your money! replace it? Is hold’em dying? hands. You can dial up the aggres- Finally, the online poker sites are Blay: Not at all. APT will always siveness of your opponents if those always working on countermeasures, be our flagship product and continues loose-aggressive types are giving you and if you get caught you get locked to be the world’s no. 1 poker training site. We’ve been adding content to that site for 10 years, and there’s nothing else like it out there. We continue The game of PLO is exponentially more to have a team, including me, working on it every day. difficult than no-limit hold’em. Consider this: As far as hold’em dying, last suppose you are heads-up on the flop. How month I went to the WSOP Circuit event in Tampa. e first event had a many different combinations are there of $500,000 guarantee. So many people showed up that they were running out your cards, your opponent’s cards, and the of tournament chips. e prize pool flop cards? For PLO the answer is roughly ended up being $1.25 million. So if hold’em is dying, nobody told Tampa. 700 TRILLION. And that’s heads-up! There Card Player: What’s next? Should isn't anything like OmahaPokerTraining.com we expect a Badugi simulator coming soon from APT? because it is incredibly difficult to create. Blay: Oh man, that would be fun. Now you’ve got me thinking. m

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028_CoverStory.indd 30 3/4/20 10:41 AM PLAYER_07_bestbet_FP.indd 3 3/3/20 10:44 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary How To Improve Your Poker Skills

By Jonathan Little

I am constantly asked by players of all skill levels how to improve their poker game. Quite often, a player will be Most players play too stuck in a rut and decide to read a book, watch training many hands from out of videos, or even get private coaching. While these methods almost always improve the player’s position, both from early skill, assuming the player is actually studying and working hard, the player will often fall back in the rut. is is position and the blinds, because the player does not actually know how to learn to improve their skills without being told what is wrong. e and turn their strong top ability to organically learn from experience and discussions is one of the primary traits that separate the world-class pair hands into bluffs by players from the decently strong players. Perhaps the easiest way to learn, at least for me, is to betting when you can only observe world-class players operate in every aspect of life. I am lucky in that I play high level tournaments on a regular get called by better hands. basis. Whenever I have the opportunity to play with someone who I think is amazing, I make a point to pay attention to every hand they are involved in, and I am constantly trying to put them on a range. incredibly profi table. It’s important to not zone out and squander the situa- As a general starting point, most players play too many tion. If I see that player make a play that I rarely make, I hands from out of position, both from early position and try to fi gure out why they made that specifi c play and how I the blinds, and turn their strong top pair hands into bluff s can implement it into my strategy, assuming the play makes by betting when you can only get called by better hands, sense. If a play doesn’t make sense at all to me, I will discuss especially on the river when the pot is large. If you can the hand with my friends, run some math away from the think analytically about your strategy, you will fi nd that table, and try to fi gure out what I am missing, if anything. your common leaks are easy enough to plug. Be aware that Sometimes, the good player will simply make a mistake. It poker is a game of balance. Sometimes when you plug one is important to note that just because a play works for one leak, a new one will appear. player does not mean it will work for you. Strive to develop a group of friends you can discuss vari- Even if you don’t play in the high-stakes games, you ous concepts and hands with. If I did not discover my initial can still observe the big winners in your games and fi gure group of poker friends, I am confi dent I would not be the out what makes them successful. When you are consis- player I am today. When I was grinding the high-stakes sit- tently having poor results, it is important that you do not n-go’s online as a young poker player, my friends and I were continue playing as you always do. If you are not profi ting constantly discussing countless poker situations. from poker over the long term, you are probably doing Even if you don’t play online, you should make a something wrong. point to make friends with the biggest winners in your I strongly suggest you start taking notes about the hands game. Try to take them out to lunch or discuss hands you play at the live poker table. If you keep diligent notes, after your session is over. You will fi nd the best play- you will hopefully be able to fi gure out specifi c situations ers are almost always willing to help you, assuming where you are losing money or having a diffi cult time. If you approach them in a reasonable manner and do not you play online, you have it really easy because there are come off as needy. Once you fi nd a close group of poker various poker tracking tools that can quickly pinpoint friends, your understanding of the game will quickly where you are making mistakes. progress, allowing you to move up to larger buy-in games For example, in the past, I had a hard time dealing with and win more money. m four-bets, probably because my three-betting range was too wide. I also did not how to deal with leads on the fl op, prob- Jonathan Little is a two-time WPT champion ably because I was raising prefl op with too many hands. with more than $6 million in tournament win- ere are only two reasonable options to remedy these nings. Each week, he posts an educational problems. I could bluff more, but I don’t want to do that blog and podcast at JonathanLittlePoker.com, in tournaments because the chips I stand to lose are worth where you can get a FREE poker training video more than the chips I stand to gain. Or, I could tighten up that details five things you must master if you and play stronger ranges. While it is never fun to tighten want to win at tournament poker. You can also sign up for his FREE up, this was the simple solution that has proven to be Excelling at No Limit Hold’em webinars at HoldemBook.com/signup.

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032_S&A.indd 32 3/4/20 10:42 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

A PROPOSAL - MAKE THE MONEY ON DAY ONE By Greg Raymer

travel around the country a lot, we could get to the money in about blinds before reaching the money. playing in tournaments and the same 12 hours, and then you In some poker rooms, this will teaching seminars. Most of the would know you are getting paid make a lot of sense. Especially when events I travel for are multi-day when you come back for day 2. you are running a bigger event that is Ievents, with multiple day ones and e problem with this structure attracting players from a wide region. then a day two, and usually a day is that it is so fast, you end up with is way they can come in for one or three. Most of these tournaments do an average stack of only about 15-30 more of the day ones, and only need not reach the money on day one. In big blinds in such events. Whereas to stay or return if they make the fact, most of them make it a point to now, with day one ending several money and day two. In contrast, this NOT reach the money on day one, so levels short of the money, you tend change is unneeded if this is a multi- that the fi eld is fully combined for the to see average stacks of 40-50 big day event in the summer in Las Vegas. bubble play. blinds instead. In that case, everybody is already For example, in most of the e solution here is simple. there, with a hotel room booked, and Heartland Poker Tour events I play, Create a structure that will get you it is not an inconvenience to return about 10 percent of the for day two, regardless of fi eld will get paid, or per- how close you are to the haps a bit more. Most of money. In some locations, their events play down to it will also be unneed- about 16-20 percent of the ed, as players will either fi eld on day one. en, live fairly close, or will in case the pace of play is "I BELIEVE THIS MIGHT have had to travel from faster than expected on day a distance such that they 1A, they have a hard stop, LET YOU ATTRACT MORE already have a hotel room earlier than planned, so the booked either way. fi eld doesn’t get too close I am not a poker room to the money. PLAYERS TO YOUR EVENT, manager or tournament While I am all for more director, and this may not play in a tournament, it WHICH IS A GOOD THING be a good idea for rea- is also my belief that a sons I don’t know about. lot of players would prefer FOR ALL OF US." However, I have seen this to come back for day two method used in a couple only if they are already in of places, and it seems to the money. at way, they be very popular with the don’t make a long drive players. As such, my goal is both ways to fi nish empty- to put this idea in front of handed, or instead of that drive, to the money in the approximate 12 more of the people who schedule and spend extra money on a hotel room. hour time frame (10 or so hours of run these events. I believe this might A lot of the players in these events playing time). At this point, if you let you attract more players to your are at least a 30-minute drive from are paying 10 percent of the fi eld, event, which is a good thing for all of the game, and some are making a you know that the average stack is us. anks for your consideration. m one to four hour drive each way. It about 10 times the starting stack. is extra painful to get up early on en, completely ignore what blind Greg Raymer is the Sunday for day two, drive a long level was reached on each of the day 2004 WSOP world time to get to the poker room, and ones. Predetermine the starting level champion, winner of then bust within an hour or two and for day two, and pick a level where numerous major titles, not make any money. you will have the desired 50 or so and has more than What if, instead, the structure big blinds in an average stack. If $7 million in earnings. were faster on day one? Fast enough the start stack was 30,000, then we He recently authored “FossilMan’s Winning that you could play for about the know the average stack on day two Tournament Strategies,” available from D&B same amount of time, but expect to will be about 300,000. If we want Publishing, Amazon, and other retailers. make the money at that point. It is the average stack to be 50 big blinds, He is sponsored by Blue Shark Optics, typical for a day one to last about 12 then we start day two at the 3,000- YouStake, and ShareMyPair. To contact hours in these tournaments, includ- 6,000 level, and we roll it back even Greg please tweet at him using @FossilMan ing breaks. If we had shorter levels, if the day one played to much higher or go to www.FossilManPoker.com.

032_S&A.indd 33 3/4/20 10:42 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

BADUGI: PLAYING DEALT PAT HANDS By Kevin Haney

e object of badugi is to obtain four different ranks ly forced to raise or reraise the pre-draw betting otherwise with all different suits. A hand such as 7o 4p 3n 2m is it will be quite transparent our holding is not that strong. called a badugi and is not as easy to make as it may seem. Of course, it is a problem that the initial pat distribution When we draw one card to the 2m 3n 4p there are only is relatively weak to begin with but we are highly incentiv- ten non pairing diamonds available that will complete ized to limit the field and avoid making it crystal clear our our hand. holding is probably on the weaker side of the spectrum. So when the poker gods choose to bless us with a badu- Playing Weak Badugis From Early Position gi right from the onset, is this a truly a gift, or possibly Suppose we are playing a six-handed game and look a curse in disguise? e answer is that it all depends, and down at the Qn 10p 8o 2m and raise from first position. in this article we will examine various issues to consider Is this a good open? Let’s breakdown several different when playing initially dealt pat hands. things that can happen on the first betting round and Distribution of Dealt Badugis discuss the ramifications. As discussed last issue, we are dealt a pat badugi Good Outcomes around 6.3 percent of the time, which is approximately We open the Qn 10p 8o 2m and everyone folds. is the same frequency of getting a pocket pair in hold’em. will not occur very often, however, it’s certainly a good e majority of these badugis will be quite marginal. In result to take the blinds and move onto the next hand. fact, more than 50 percent of dealt badugis will either be Another good outcome is picking up a single caller a queen or king: who is drawing two cards (D2) to a hand such as Ao 3m. Our queen badugi has around 70 percent “hot/cold” % of % of Overall Cumulative %s equity against D2s; however, in reality the pat hand will Badugis Hands win more often than this. e reason is that the D2 must improve in order to stay in the pot; if villain does not fold 4 High 0.0% 0.00% 0.01% unimproved, they will often do so on the next draw. 5 High 1.0% 0.00% 0.04% Another decent outcome is that we raise and the action folds around to the big blind who calls and draws one 6 High 1.0% 0.10% 0.13% (D1). is situation is pretty good because we have around 7 High 3.0% 0.20% 0.31% 58 percent equity along with the positional advantage. 8 High 5.0% 0.30% 0.62% When out-of-position most opponents will play in a more straightforward manner and only check-raise when 9 High 8.0% 0.50% 1.11% they have us beat. Acting last on the river is important 10 High 12.0% 0.70% 1.85% because we can just check back and hope that we win. J High 17.0% 1.10% 2.91% is allows us to save a big bet the times villain improves to a hand that beats us but chooses not to lead the river. If Q High 23.0% 1.50% 4.36% the positions were reversed, we would have to reveal some K High 31.0% 1.90% 6.30% weakness by checking, enabling our opponent to get in a 100% 6.30% value bet with his more marginal but better holdings. Also, since your opponent called from the big blind, the pot is quite small and his draw may be very mediocre. Only 10 percent of our pat badugis or .62 percent of is means that if he is a player capable of folding, he is our overall hands will be an eight or better. For compari- much more likely to do so. Some opponents always call son purposes we are dealt pocket aces in hold’em around and chase though regardless of the strength of their three- .45 percent of the time, thus being dealt a premium badugi card badugi. is only slightly more likely than getting bullets. Pat nines Neutral Or Slightly Negative Outcome and better only come around 1.11 percent of the deals. When an opponent with position reraises us with a e following pie chart visually demonstrates just how holding such as An 3m 5p and we take the pot heads-up it top heavy this initial pat badugi distribution is. is at best a neutral situation. Given this action, we should Over 80 percent of the pat badugis are ten and greater, have four-bet the action and once again have around and while a ten is towards the top of the range and a solid 58percent “hot/cold” equity. is 58 percent showdown holding, it is far from impenetrable. If you recall from the equity assumes that our opponent will not pat a queen or last issue, whenever a three-card badugi improves, their king badugi after the first or second draw and this is usu- average holding will be an eight or nine badugi, which ally the case. If our opponent will pat a queen badugi our obviously has the ten beat. Playing weaker badugis creates equity drops to 55 percent. some obvious playability concerns in that we can’t always While this seems like a good result it’s actually not that fold when faced with aggression. However, we will often great because the An 3m 5p has clear playing advantages be second-best when we get raised. against us. Along the way, whether he makes his hand or Anytime we choose to play a pat hand we are essential- not, he can put in a raise in an attempt to get us to fold

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032_S&A.indd 34 3/4/20 10:42 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

or possibly break. Of course, with our particular holding we that villain has a worse badugi; however, this is essentially have nothing to draw to, so we would never break and only never the case when up against a good player. consider folding. However, there are other holdings in our us, a ton of bets are going in on the fi rst betting round range where we may consider it. and most of the time we have zero equity in the pot. It may is presents some obvious problems with our weak be possible to get your opponent off a jack badugi and get holding, especially the times we are up against an aggressive him to break if he has a smooth draw underneath, however, player. Getting raised on the fl op is an awful feeling as the most often our best play is to simply cut our losses and fold. pot is bloated and we are all but forced to call at least that Solid players will usually only r-raise with a jack or bet- street. Our pot odds are incredible and folding can be easily ter badugi and with fi ve players left to act, the probability exploitable given that villain is only risking one big bet to of bumping into such a hand is approximately 13.7 percent. win the 5.25 big bets in the middle. And even if it is a move e following chart estimates how often various pat badugis that doesn’t work out, the An 3m 5p typically has around are out based upon the various positions at the table. 25-30 percent equity. 7+ 8+ 9+ 10+ J+ Q+ K+ Getting popped on the second draw doesn’t feel a lot better, however, as a percentage of the pot the semi-bluff costs UTG 1.5% 3.1% 5.4% 8.9% 13.7% 20.0% 27.8% more and should it fail, the villain has less equity to fall back HJ 1.2% 2.5% 4.4% 7.2% 11.1% 16.3% 22.9% on. In general, more people play straightforward on the big CO 0.9% 1.8% 3.3% 5.4% 8.5% 12.5% 17.7% bet street, but some players can never be trusted. All in all, given that we are pretty much at the bottom of BU 0.6% 1.2% 2.2% 3.7% 5.7% 8.5% 12.2% our range we are most often forced to fold to a ‘turn’ raise, SB 0.3% 0.6% 1.1% 1.9% 2.9% 4.4% 6.3% however, this is a tough situation to deal with especially against aggressive players. We did open from fi rst position, Having this calamitous scenario unfold around 13.7 thus our badugi should be getting some modicum of respect, percent of the time is a bit too high as it doesn’t get any however, our opponent is telling us he doesn’t care. worse in poker than putting in a ton of action and quickly Another positional advantage aff orded to the villain is fi nding out you are essentially drawing dead. that when he makes his hand on the last draw, he can get Concluding Thoughts in a value bet (that we should mostly pay off ), however, we If you take an overall view of the discussion above the cannot eff ectively value bet the river. good outcomes were only the times we won the pot uncon- Villain may be an equity underdog but is more than tested, or played a small pot versus one opponent in the likely the money favorite. Our weak badugi has reverse blinds with very little in the way of dead money. When the implied odds while our opponent has implied odds and biggest pots occur, we are most often on the losing end as position. is outcome can only really be considered slightly any raises later on in the hand on our end are probably best positive or neutral if we are up against a player who plays characterized as spew. completely straightforward thus allowing us to make safe Many players will play any badugi from early position folds. However, these opponents are somewhat rare. and this is a sizeable leak. Others may even cold-cap a hand Bad Situations such as the Qn 10p 8o 2m against two other opponents A pot contested by more than one D1 is a precarious originating from early positions and this type of play is cata- situation. Against two opponents our equity situation varies strophic to one’s bankroll. If you see an opponent playing around 27-36 percent depending on whether or not the D1s like this the game will often evolve into a battle to get their have some of their outs blocked off . From a raw “hot/cold” money as it probably won’t last that long. perspective this isn’t that bad, however, overall our situation From the cutoff and later, opening the Qn 10p 8o 2m is terrible. is acceptable because it’s far more likely we will win uncon- e pot is getting large and we have two opponents get- tested or play a heads-up pot in position against a weaker ting implied odds which can present some really ugly spots holding. And the chances of running into a better badugi later in the hand. One such example is when you lead out or getting involved in a multi-way pot against a pair of one- after the fi rst draw, get raised, and the other D1 cold-calls. It card draws are greatly reduced. will require quite a parlay for your hand to still be currently Badugi is a very unique game in that the object of the good and hold up over the course of two draws. game is to m ake a badugi but unless we get dealt a premium However, the pot is already very large thus many play- pat right away many of these holdings and situations are ers in this situation will re-raise because they don’t want to money losers. e real bread and butter starting hands in indicate weakness in case the one player is making a move badugi are the strong three-card badugis which will be dis- and they may also harbor hope of getting a better badugi to cussed in the next installment. m break. All of this usually results in a bunch of big bets sent down a black hole with a hand we could have easily just Kevin Haney is a former actuary of MetLife but mucked pre-draw. left the corporate job to focus on his passions for Disaster Situation poker and fitness. He is co-owner of Elite Fitness e disaster situation entails running into a better badugi Club in Oceanport, NJ and is a certified personal and getting reraised. As previously discussed, we are essen- trainer. With regards to poker he got his start tially forced to four-bet as the villain could be three-betting way back in 2003 and particularly enjoys taking a strong tri hand and we cannot aff ord to indicate that we new players interested in mixed games under his hold a weak badugi. We will then quickly get the bad news wing and quickly making them proficient in all variants. If interested in that our hand is usually no good when villain fi ve-bets or learning more, playing mixed games online, or just saying hello he can just calls and stays pat. It’s within the realm of possibility be reached at [email protected].

032_S&A.indd 35 3/4/20 10:42 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary PREFLOP TOURNAMENT BASICS: PART 2 – MID STACK PLAY By Ryan Laplante

is column is a continuation of my previous look at 7-5 suited+, 8-5 suited+, 9-6 suited+, 10-6 suited+, J-5 suited+, preflop tournament basics, specifically, Deep Stack play. Now Q-2 suited+, K-2 suited+, A-2 suited+ = 49% of hands I want to take a look at Mid Stack play and how you should e Deep Stack opening ranges percent from last week adjust. were: Remember, preflop tournament poker has undergone a EP – 14.7% - 4.2% tighter than Mid Stack fairly recent revolution. We now have access to preflop solvers MP2 – 22% - 3.2% tighter than Mid Stack that help a lot with understanding what types of hands work BTN – 53.8% - 2.9% looser than Mid Stack well at various stack depths, and what ranges should look like e reason why most of the ranges are looser for Mid Stack from a theory perspective. play than for Deep Stack play is due to high cards having a lot While these solvers are powerful tools, and we have made more playability the more shallow you are. is means that huge progress in our knowledge of what preflop should look offsuit hands which make up the majority of hands possible like, we still have a long way to go. at being said, the fol- gain more viability the shallower you are effective. lowing approach is an easy and structured way to think about Facing An Open preflop poker. When facing an open it matters even more so to have Mid Stack Opening Ranges strong playability in our ranges than in our own opens. Our When Mid Stack, your opening ranges require high play- value hands need to be very strong, and our bluffs need to be ability. e way in which this is different than Deep Stack is pushing a lot of equity. what type of playability certain hands have. As always, the later From a theory perspective there is a lot of mixing in terms position we are in, the more hands we can open to steal blinds, of whether a hand is a call or a three-bet. is is the case while being less likely to get three-bet. because in order for a hand to be strong enough to be used as at being said, the deeper effective you are, the more it a three-bet for value or a bluff, it should also have enough play- matters to be able to make nut-quality hands. So, it stands to ability to be used as a call. reason, that the shallower you are, the more important it is for Lets Look At This Situation: you to be able to flop hands like top pairs and good draws. A player in early position opens to 2.25x on with 40 big One of the most common mistakes I see most players make blinds behind, and we are in MP2 also on 40 big blinds. We is opening similar ranges on 25 to 40 big blinds (bb) as they are going to assume our opponent uses the GTO range of 18.9 would on a stack of 70bb+. percent of hands posted above. At this stack depth, if we are opening it should be to 2.25x Against this range, we get to play 11.4 percent of hands in the big-blind. If someone limps, we should add 2x for the first total, with 5.2 percent being calls and 6.2 percent being three- limper, and 1x per extra limper. e only time we really get to bets. Almost every hand in this range can be played as either open limp ourselves is when sitting on 30bb or less. a call, or as a three-bet. e sizing we will three-bet to here is I’m going to show two opening ranges for each position 3.2x the open, or to 7.2bb. and situation. e first will be what theory suggests to open, Highest Frequency Three-Bets: J-J+, A-J offsuit+, A-K suited, and the second will be my simplified advice for most players A-9 suited, A-8 suited, K-10 suited reading this article. EP Stands for Early Position, UTG for 8 Three-Bets At 50%+ Frequency: 9-9, 10-10, A-10 suited, K-10 handed or UTG-1 for 9 handed. suited, K-J suited, Q-J suited, J-10 suited Early Position Three-Bets At 25–50% Frequency: 8-8, K-Q offsuit, K-9 40bb Theory: 4-4+, A-10 offsuit+, K-10 offsuit+, 9-8 suited, suited, Q-10 suited 10-8 suited+, J-9 suited+, Q-9 suited+, K-6 suited+, A-3 suited+ What we learn from these ranges is similar to Deep Stack = 18.9% of hands play. Because of how strong our total range is here to play, My Suggestion: 2-2+, A-9 offsuit+, K-10 offsuit+, Q-J offsuit, almost every hand in this range is strong enough to use as 9-8 suited, 10-8 suited+, J-9 suited+, Q-9 suited+, K-7 suited+, either a call or a three-bet. In order to have good board cover- A-2 suited+ = 21.6% of hands age as well as enough bluffs, we have a lot of hands that are 25 Middle Position percent to 75 percent frequency three-bets. is means that 40bb Theory: 2-2+, A-9 offsuit+, K-10 offsuit+, Q-10 off- it is important to have both board coverage and play-ability suit+, J-10 offsuit, 7-6 suited, 8-7 suited, 9-7 suited+, 10-8 when building our ranges as calls and as three-bets. suited+, J-8 suited+, Q-8 suited+, K-5 suited+, A-2 suited+ = Playing From The Blinds 25.2% of hands Again, in tournament poker it is especially important to My Suggestion: 2-2+, A-8 offsuit+, K-9 offsuit+, Q-10 defend your blind and the posted ante. is is because we offsuit+, J-10 offsuit, 10-9 offsuit, 6-5 suited, 7-6 suited, 8-6 often are getting good odds on a call and we are closing out suited+, 9-7 suited+, 10-7 suited+, J-7 suited+, Q-7 suited+, K-5 the action. It has nothing to do with that it is “our” chips in suited+, A-2 suited+ = 29.4% of hands the pot. Button e main difference between Deep Stack and Mid Stack 40bb Theory: 2-2+, A-2 offsuit+, K-5 offsuit+, Q-8 offsuit+, here is how much looser we can defend on Mid. is is for J-8 offsuit+, 10-8 offsuit+, 9-8 offsuit, 5-4 suited, 6-4 suited+, two reasons. First of all, the Deep Stack open size is to 2.5x 7-5 suited+, 8-5 suited+, 9-5 suited+, 10-4 suited+, J-3 suited+, and not the smaller 2.25x. Secondly, more hands have enough Q-2 suited+, K-2 suited+, A-2 suited+ = 50.9% of hands playability as we get shallow because being suited matters less. My Suggestion: 2-2+, A-2 offsuit+, K-5 offsuit+, Q-8 offsuit+, e change is defending just 39.6 percent on Deep Stack play J-8 offsuit+, 10-8 offsuit+, 9-8 offsuit, 5-4 suited, 6-4 suited+, to 60.3 percent on Mid Stack.

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032_S&A.indd 36 3/4/20 10:42 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

When facing an early position open to 2.25x from a 40bb stack, we should be playing from the small blind with 19.2 percent of hands, calling 12.4 percent, three-betting 6.8 percent and shoving all in 1.7 percent. NEGOTIATING TOURNAMENT Big Blind For the big blind we call 53.1 percent, three-bet 7.2 percent to 4.1x or 9.25bb and have zero shoves. DEALS: e total playing range from the big blind is: 2-2+, A-2 off - suit+, K-5 off suit+, Q-8 off suit+, J-8 off suit+, 10-8 off suit+, 9-7 THE THREE-PHASE MODEL off suit+, 8-6 off suit+, 7-6 off suit, 6-5 off suit, 5-4 off suit, and all suited hands. Our total playing range here is 60.3 percent By Alan Schoonmaker of hands on 40bb vs this 2.25x open. Our three-bet sizing should be to 9.25 big blinds or 4.1x their open size. e hands we choose at highest frequency are below. Most players’ conception of negotiations is much too Bluffs: A-7 off suit thru A-10 off suit, A-5 off suit, K-Q off suit, narrow. ey focus almost entirely on the discussions, but K-10 off suit, Q-10 off suit, J-10 off suit, K-7 suited, K-6 suited, expert negotiators work on three distinct phases: J-9 suited, J-8 suited, 10-9 suited 1. Preparing Value: 9-9+, A-Q off suit+, A-K suited 2. Negotiating While the above is a structured and theory-based approach 3. Reviewing to how to play Mid Stack tournaments, I must reiterate that it barely scratches the surface of huge depth of play that is pos- The Model sible on this type of stack. at being said I hope this article Let’s look at the entire model before discussing each has helped give you a better insight on how to approach Mid phase. Stack play from a fundamental point of view. m Preparing Since an earlier column discussed preparation, I’ll just Ryan Laplante is a WSOP bracelet winner. He has summarize the four major preparation steps: more than $5 million in tournament cashes and 1. Defi ne the issues. eight WSOP final tables. He is the co-founder of 2. Set your objectives. LearnProPoker.com, an easy to use GTO based 3. Analyze the situation from their perspective. training site. 4. Plan your strategy.

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP Joao Simao is no stranger to success in high- 2020 partypoker MILLIONS South America stakes events. e Brazilian poker pro has accumulated more than $2.8 million in live $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller tournament earnings, with six in-the-money Niall Farrell fi nishes recorded in tournaments with buy-ins Joao Simao of $25,000 or higher. In this hand Simao dem- 1,000,000 chips 2,000,000 chips onstrated that the big buy-in was not going to dissuade him from putting his entire stack at 8 7 A J Winning Percentage Winning Percentage risk on a bluff , even on the very fi rst hand he Before Flop: 29.0% Before Flop: 42.0% was dealt. Simao took his seat in this event and

After Flop: 37.0% After Flop: 38.0% picked up 8-7 suited under the gun. He raised 8 7

J After Turn: 19.0% A After Turn: 57.0% to 2.5x the big blind and received two callers, including Niall Farrell with A-J oﬀ suit out of the big blind. Farrell ﬂ opped top pair, top kicker Sergio Iralasky PREFLOP and checked. Simao continuation bet after hav- 1,259,000 chips ing picked up a combo draw and Sergio Iralasky With registration still open and blinds called with his open-ended straight draw. Farrell of 6,000 -12,000 with a button ante of sprung into action with a check-raise to 150,000 Q 9 and both Simao and Iralasky called. e 3p on Winning Percentage 12,000, Joao Simao raised to 30,000 from Before Flop: 29.0% under the gun. Sergio Iralasky called from the turn paired the board and Farrell checked.

After Flop: 25.0% early position and Niall Farrell called from Simao elected to use the paired board as an 9

After Turn: 24.0% Q the big blind. opportunity to turn his middling ﬂ ush draw into a bluﬀ and overbet all-in for 820,000 into a J 10 3 3 558,000 pot. e move puts maximum pressure on one pair hands like Farrell’s, and would also FLOP

TURN likely shut out other draws that might have simi-

3 10 3 J lar or better equity than Simao’s. Both Iralasky and Farrell did get out of the way and Simao’s Farrell checked. Simao bet 40,000. Farrell checked. Simao moved fearless move on the turn earned him a sizable Iralasky called. Farrell check-raised to all-in for 820,000. Iralasky pot on his ﬁ rst hand of the event. 150,000. Simao called. Iralasky called. folded. Farrell folded.

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

032_S&A.indd 37 3/4/20 10:42 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

Use the Feedback Loop: The model contains a line from “Continue Analysis” to “Analyze Situation.” That line plus the ones to “Plan Strategy” and “Implement Strategy” is called a Feedback Loop. Use it to revise your strategy. The Feedback Loop is often neglect- ed. Many players continue ineffective strategies because they don’t ask enough questions, misinterpret the answers, ignore the new information’s implica- tions, don’t adjust their strategy, or don’t implement the revised strategy well. A major difference between weak and strong negotiators is their ability to use the Feedback Loop. Strong negotiators adjust their strategy to fit the situation; weak ones continue ineffective strategies. Conclude the Negotiations: Sooner or later, you either make a deal or decide to keep playing. Define the Issues: Usually, this step is unnecessary If you don’t reach a deal, don’t get nasty. Keep the because the only issue is money. Occasionally, someone door open to negotiate other deals or restart this nego- wants glory (or something else) more than money. Look tiation without making anyone lose face. Saving face for these motives. They let you trade a ring, trophy, has killed countless deals. bracelet, or something else for more money. The Beginning, Middle, And End Games: The negotiat- Set Your Objectives: Carefully set your Walk Away ing phase can be divided into three, quite different, Point (WAP), the worst deal you’ll accept. Try for more, games. but don’t take less. The Beginning Game sets the stage. Its three tasks Analyze The Situation From Their Perspective: How are: do they see the situation? You’ll probably revise your 1. Create the right atmosphere. answers as you get more information. 2. Communicate your position. First, estimate their WAP. It’s the most important 3. Learn their position. information. The Beginning Game communicates the gap, the Second, how much do they want a deal? Consider distance between your positions. Everyone should know their stack size, skill, playing style, and self-confidence. how far apart they are. The more they want a deal, the tougher you should During the Middle Game close that gap by: negotiate. 1. Creating momentum. Third, analyze their personalities and probable 2. Maintaining it. strategy. What kind of players are they? How will they 3. Controlling it. probably negotiate? Most people negotiate the same way Create momentum by having both sides start moving they play (such as aggressively, passively, or formulai- toward a deal. “Both” is emphasized because too many cally). people either move unilaterally or demand that the Plan Your Strategy: Determine which atmosphere others move first. Both extreme are mistakes. Moving is best and how you’ll create it. Ask yourself, “What unilaterally produces bad deals. Demanding they move information do I need? How will I get it? Then decide first causes deadlocks. whether you’ll make the first offer and how much it will Creating momentum often depends upon how well be. Carefully plan when and how you’ll make conces- you performed the Beginning Game’s tasks. If you cre- sions. ate the wrong atmosphere, or don’t communicate your Negotiating position clearly, or don’t understand their position, This phase contains three major steps: momentum is unlikely. 1. Implement your original strategy. After creating momentum, keep it going by avoiding 2. Use the Feedback Loop. obstacles to momentum such as offending people or not 3. Conclude the negotiations. understanding each other’s position or motives. Implement Your Original Strategy: Many players don’t Control the momentum to move toward the right implement their plans well. For example, they plan to deal. Any idiot can put together a bad deal, but it takes appear indifferent, but sell hard. Or they plan to be hard work and discipline to put together the right one. friendly, but act aggressively. The End Game is the final, often stressful, period Make sure that everything fits your plans, and when both sides make the painful concessions that they remember that players often become skeptical during strenuously resisted earlier. You have three tasks: negotiations. You may believe you’re being reasonable 1. Test their limits; learn how far they can be pushed. and flexible, while they feel you’re aggressive, rigid, or 2. Communicate finality; make them believe you even hostile. can’t be pushed any further.

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032_S&A.indd 38 3/4/20 10:42 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

3. Let them save face; make them feel good about the next negotiation. deal and the way it was reached. Carefully write notes about what happened, what Because each game makes different demands, mod- it means, and how to adjust in future negotiations. ify your approach as the negotiations progress. For For example, should you be more friendly or aggres- example, change the way you communicate your posi- sive? Which computer formula should you use? Should tions. your first offer be more or less reasonable? What tells • In the Beginning Game communicate that you’ll are most revealing? A few minutes spent reviewing can negotiate, but be firm enough that they take your open- greatly improve your next negotiation’s results. ing position seriously. Develop Your Skills: Critically review your perfor- • In the Middle Game move in a deliberate, con- mance. What did you do well? What mistakes did you trolled way. make? How can you become a better negotiator? This • In the End Game make them believe you’ve run review will help you to build on your strengths, reduce out of bargaining room and can’t go another inch. your weaknesses, and become a much better negotiator. The need to change your approach often causes seri- Summary ous psychological and strategic problems. The personal Your negotiations should be clearly structured, and qualities that help you in one game may hurt you in they should include much more than the wheeling and another. Actions that fit the Beginning Game often dealing that people generally regard as the essence of clash with the End Game’s demands. Expert negotia- negotiations. Take steps in three phases: Preparing, tors understand how the game changes, and they adjust Negotiating, and Reviewing. their approaches to fit these changing demands. Use the Feedback Loop. Acquire, interpret, and use Reviewing information to revise your strategy. Then corre ctly Regardless of how a negotiation ends, immediately implement that revised strategy. review it to: During every step try to understand the other play- 1. Plan adjustments for future negotiations with ers and adjust your strategy. If you correctly take all these opponents. these steps, you’ll get deals that satisfy everyone, while 2. Develop your skills. giving you most of the money (and Planning adjustment’s importance depends upon other things) on the table. m whether you’ll negotiate again with them. If so, now is the ideal time to make your general plans. Your memory Email [email protected] for is fresh; you now know more about how to negotiate information about negotiating books and with them than you’ll remember if you wait until your training.

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP In this hand 2019 partypoker MILLIONS South 2020 partypoker MILLIONS South America America main event champion Marty Mathis raised with K-J off suit from under the gun at a seven-handed $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller table. Only Marcelo Bonannata came along, calling with 7-5 suited from the big blind. Bonannata Marty Mathis Marcelo Bonannata fl opped an open ended straight draw and check-called 927,500 chips 1,320,000 chips Mathis’ continuation bet. He might have considered check-raising the fl op, as the move would put pres- K J 7 5 Winning Percentage Winning Percentage sure on the unimproved high cards that should make

Before Flop: 59.0% Before Flop: 40.0% up a sizable portion of Mathis’ under-the-gun rais-

K J 5 After Flop: 48.0% 7 After Flop: 52.0% ing range. In this particular instance, Mathis would After Turn: 66.0% After Turn: 34.0% likely have gotten out of the way with his K-J high, which had no immediate draws. While Mathis will PREFLOP have some overpairs and perhaps even a few fl opped sets in this particular, this fl op is still more likely to With registration still open and blinds of 15,000-30,000 with a 30,000 have improved the big blind’s defending range than button ante, Marty Mathis raised to 60,000 from under the gun. Mathis’ early-position raising range. Bonannata’s pas- sive approach on the fl op ends up putting him in a Marcelo Bonannata called from the big blind. tough situation on the turn. e Jn gave Mathis top pair and Bonannata a fl ush draw to go along with his 8 6 2 J 2 open-ended straight draw. Bonannata checked-raised this time, making it 500,000 to go after Mathis fi red FLOP TURN

RIVER 200,000. Mathis was willing to go with his top pair,

J 2 6 2 8 though, and moved all-in for 812,500 total. With 1,587,500 already in the pot and only 312,500 to call, Bonannata checked. Mathis Bonannata checked. Mathis bet Bonannata put in the chips to put Mathis at risk. e bet 55,000. Bonannata 200,000. Bonannata check-raised river was a blank and Mathis doubled up to around called. to 500,000. Mathis raised all-in for 1.9 million. Mathis would go on to ﬁ nish as the 812,500 total. Bonannata called. runner-up in this event for $213,750.

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

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VARIANCE: PART 1 By Steve Zolotow

Variance in poker has been a hot will use are the mean and standard have a lot of data, play with it. Even topic lately. Since a lot of what I have deviation. Neither was developed if you only play no-limit hold’em, you read and heard seems wrong, or at with poker players in mind. ey might divide your results by casino least misguided, I thought I should are the most common way in which Bellagio and Borgata or by stake try to clarify some concepts and large masses of data are summa- $2-$5, $5-$10 and $10-$20. Even add in my opinions, which in some rized. e data might relate to height, this limited grouping might give you cases are diff erent than mainstream weight, income, eff ectiveness of a some useful information. A few years thoughts on the subject. As a dis- drug, money spent on groceries, voter back I kept careful records of my play claimer, I want to state that I am not preferences or pretty much anything and found that my hourly average was a statistician, and that my academic else where you have a lot of separate approximately $60 at $2-$5, $100 at statistical studies occurred around 50 units of data, called observations. You $5-$10 and $70 at $10-$20. ese years ago. My intention is to focus on want to describe these observations. A numbers are instructive. I made the the practical and avoid getting too good starting point is to arrange them most money at $5-$10 and the least technical. in numerical order, which is tradi- at $2-$5, with $10-$20 in the middle. In this series I want to cover ways tionally done you from the smallest Years ago, someone tabulated his of describing data with the emphasis to the largest. Next you add them up results in California card clubs, and on variance (or standard deviation) and divide by the number of observa- found his best hourly results came and the average (mean.) More impor- tions you have. is gives you the late on Fridays near the end of the tantly, I will try to explain when it is average or mean. month. It is easy to dismiss this as bad, the variance we want to reduce, If you have a lot of observations, being random results from a small and when it is good, the variance we you can create a graph or pictorial sample. ere are reasons why this want to embrace. representation. For example, here is might really be the case. A lot of All poker players should keep a graph of human height I found people work during the day on Friday, records of their results in as much online: and then head off the start their week- detail as possible. ese records pro- is graph doesn’t specify what end by playing poker. By late Friday, vide data that you can analyze in the average heights and standard the ones still playing are probably a variety of ways. e analysis fre- deviations are, but it does give a rea- exhausted, losing and on tilt. ey quently highlights things you could sonable visual summary of the data. could be playing really badly. Why do better, things that you are doing It also separates the data for men and does close to the end of the month well and should do more of, and women. If we were discussing our matter? at is when amateurs get may lead you to rethink what games, poker results, we might lump every- their pay checks and retired people stakes, tournaments, or venues will thing together or we might separate get their social security. We haven’t have the best chance of helping you the data into a few groups. What gotten to variance yet, but we will. achieve your poker goals. groups? Online and live. No-limit e things to take away from this e two main statistical tools you hold’em and pot-limit Omaha. If you discussion so far are: Keep records and analyze them. If you fi nd one game or situation is signifi cantly more profi table than others, allocate as much playing time as you can to it. m

Steve ‘Zee’ Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful gamesplayer. He has been a full-time gambler for over 35 years. With two WSOP bracelets and few million in tournament cashes, he is easing into retirement. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at some major tournaments and playing in cash games in Vegas. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A in New York City -The Library near Houston and Doc Holliday’s on 9th St. are his favorites.

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032_S&A.indd 40 3/4/20 10:42 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

Private Games in Public Places

By Gavin Griffin

I’ve written about pri- ing in and the ones that exposed for it or ending intent. You are protected vate games before. There were causing so many bad up in TMZ the next day. legally as the casino has has been plenty of discus- feelings in Las Vegas over Of course, celebrities a license. Perhaps most sion in the poker com- the last few years. aren’t the only people of all, though, you always munity in the past about There are reasons why around here that play in get paid at a casino. You what a public space, like a private home games are home games. The abil- don’t have to worry about casino, can do to encour- popular in the Southern ity to recruit the play- playing on credit or some- age or discourage private California area. You get ers you want and be sure one’s check bouncing. games and still remain to invite who you want that you’re always in a The money is there and within gaming regula- and you don’t have to play good game is a great rea- it’s backed, again by the tions. I’m in danger of in public where people son to host a home game. gaming license. looking like a hypocrite can see how much money Bringing your game to So, a culture of private since I’ve been playing you’re winning or losing a casino has its advan- public games started to in a private-public game on a nightly basis. This tages as well. You don’t pop up. Because people recently, so I wanted to is very important to the have to buy chips, cards, wanted the protection of write to express my feel- celebrity culture of this and tables. You have a casino and the control ings and what I think the part of the country. They security on site to deter of a private list, many differences are between want to be able to do what people from coming to high-stakes players started the game I’ve been play- they want without being your game with nefarious arranging games via text

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP While this hand doesn’t feature a huge bluff or 2020 partypoker MILLIONS South America a big hero call, it is a fantastic demonstration $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller of how three-betting in position can set one up to win pots uncontested on later streets. Luis Luis Peluso Francisco Benitez Peluso picked up a strong hand in A-Q off suit 1,245,000 chips 1,670,000 chips in the cutoff and raised to three times the size the big blind. Francisco Benitez had an infe- A Q A 9 rior ace in A-9 off suit, but did have position on Winning Percentage Winning Percentage the initial raiser as the button. Benitez three- Before Flop: 23.0%

Before Flop: 71.0% bet the initial 90,000 open to 250,000. Peluso A Q 9 After Flop: 70.0% A After Flop: 12.0% After Turn: 80.0% After Turn: 7.0% called and the two saw a 6-2-2 fl op with two spades. Peluso deferred to the aggressor with a check and Benitez obliged, fi ring 150,000 PREFLOP into the 575,000 pot. Peluso made a quick call n With registration still open and blinds of 15,000-30,000 with a 30,000 and the 7 rolled off the deck on the turn. button ante, Luis Peluso raised to 90,000 from the cutoff . Benitez Peluso now found himself in no-man’s land, three-bet to 250,000 from the button. Peluso called. with A-Q high, no draws and just one card left to come. He checked again and Benitez fi red a second barrel, betting 250,000 into the 875,000 pot. Peluso folded and conceded 6 2 2 7 the healthy pot to his opponent. Benitez took

FLOP

TURN advantage of the perceived range advantage

7 2 2 6 that resulted from his prefl op three-bet and increased his stack by more than 25 percent without showdown as a result. He ultimately Peluso checked. Benitez bet Peluso checked. Benitez bet 150,000. Peluso called. 250,000. Peluso folded. fi nished fi fth in this event, earning $60,000 for his strong showing.

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

032_S&A.indd 41 3/4/20 10:42 AM Strategies, ANALYSIS & Commentary

and all showing up at the is where the private game In fact, I almost never world of poker players has same time to start a game. aspect should end. make it into the start- an impact on my reputa- There is nothing wrong Unfortunately, what ing lineup for the game. tion and how I’m seen. I with this, in my opin- had been happening in I understand why, and I wish I could have a redo ion. Having control over the past and what people haven’t complained about on a few of the things I’ve who gets seats in a game were getting upset about it. All I’ve asked for is to done as a poker player. that you worked to put is that once a seat opened be a part of the private This is a position I feel together is a privilege that and there wasn’t a name list, and the hosts of the strongly about and I don’t should be afforded to any- on the board that had game have been obliging feel like I’m contradicting one willing to bring busi- been put together by the on that point. I’m grateful myself by having spoken ness like that to a casino. host of the game, they for the work they put in out against private games In fact, if you have too would say that the empty to get this game going, as in public casinos in the many people that want to seat was locked up for a it’s been a good one for me past and now playing in play the game, you should sometimes real and some- overall. a semi-private game at my be able to decide who gets times fictional “player I try to live my life and local casino and I’m look- first priority to be on the who was on the way.” participate in my career as ing forward to my next list when a seat opens up “The board just got a poker player in a way in invite. m as well. messed up you see. Our which I can be proud of It’s good for you as mistake.” the things that I do. Being Gavin Griffin the organizer as you get When you start deny- a professional poker play- was the first to choose the players you ing customers a seat in a er has come a long way poker player want to play with and game because they weren’t in how it’s viewed in the to capture a it’s good for the rest of on the private list that has 16 years I’ve been doing World Series the people in the game run out, now you’re not it. I have definitely made of Poker, because you now have running a semi-private mistakes in those years. European Poker Tour and World bargaining power with game, you’re running a I’ve learned from each of Poker Tour title and has amassed the casinos. You can shop completely private one. them and I understand nearly $5 million in lifetime tour- your game around to see The game in which I’ve that making mistakes nament winnings. Griffin is spon- which one wants to give been playing is one I’d both while playing poker sored by HeroPoker.com. You can you the best rake. This call a semi-private game. and while operating in the follow him on Twitter @NHGG ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP World Series of Poker gold bracelet winner Niall Farrell 2020 partypoker MILLIONS South America has accumulated just shy of $6 million in lifetime live tournament earnings, making him the all-time money $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller leader for his home country of Scotland. In this hand Farrell ramps up the aggression in order to draw a big Niall Farrell Antonio Martinac fold from his opponent, Antonio Martinac. Farrell picked 2,860,000 chips 2,350,000 chips up the Qm 9m in the hijack and min-raised to 100,000. Martinac three-bet to 250,000 from the button. e Q 9 K K downside of such a small sizing is that it oﬀ ers Farrell Winning Percentage Winning Percentage a better price on continuing with hands that perform

Before Flop: 83.0%

Before Flop: 17.0% relatively well against big pocket pairs, like the suited

Q 9 K After Flop: 28.0% K After Flop: 72.0% After Turn: N/A After Turn: N/A Q-9 that he held in this instance. e 10-10-3 fl op with two spades gave Farrell a fl ush draw and he checked. Martinac backed up his prefl op reraise with a continua- PREFLOP tion bet of 375,000 into a pot of 625,000. Farrell check- raised to 1,100,000, likely with the intention of putting With 20 players remaining and blinds of 25,000-50,000 with a button pressure on all of Martinac’s unimproved A-K and A-Q ante of 50,000, Niall Farrell raised to 100,000 from the hijack. Antonio holdings. Farrell has a perceived range advantage, given Martinac three-bet to 250,000 from the button. Farrell called. that he is by far more likely to have raise-called a variety of suited 10-X holdings and 3-3 than Martinac, whose three-betting range is less likely to include holdings that involve a ten or 3-3. His bluff s with fl ush draws are 10 10 3 balanced out by the times he would take the same line with those fl opped trips. While Martinac still had quite FLOP

a strong holding in pocket kings, Farrell had put him

10 3 10 into a tough position through a savvy reading of the two players’ perceived ranges and how they interact with this Farrell checked. Martinac bet 375,000. type of ﬂ op texture. Martinac ended up folding the best Farrell check-raised to 1,100,000. hand in this situation, sending the big pot over to Farrell Martinac folded. without showdown.

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

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032_S&A.indd 42 3/4/20 10:42 AM PLAYER_07_CardPlayerCruises_FP.indd 3 3/3/20 10:44 AM Schedules - major tournaments

FOR COMPLETE TOURNAMENT RESULTS AND LISTINGS, VISIT CARDPLAYER.COM

FEBRUARY Feb. 29-Mar. 31 WSOP Circuit California Bicycle Casino • Bell Gardens, CA

MARCH Mar. 5-29 Minnesota State Poker Championship Canterbury Park Card Club • Shakopee, MN

Mar. 9-29 World Poker Tour DeepStack Showdown Venetian Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

Mar. 19-30 WSOP Circuit Las Vegas Bally’s Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

Mar. 20-30 Western New York Poker Challenge Seneca Niagara Casino • Niagara Falls, NY

Mar. 20-30 WPTDeepStacks Jacksonville bestbet Jacksonville • Jacksonville, FL

Mar. 26-Apr. 6 WSOP Circuit Iowa Horseshoe Casino & Hotel • Council Bluffs, IA

Mar. 29 No-Limit Hold’em Tournament Lucky Chances • Colma, CA

APRIL Apr. 1-May 1 Liz Flynt Spring Poker Classic Hustler Casino • Gardena, CA

Apr. 2-12 Spring Poker Round Up Wildhorse Resort Casino • Pendleton, OR

Apr. 6-26 DeepStack Extravaganza II Venetian Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

Apr. 8-20 WSOP Circuit North Carolina Harrah’s Casino • Cherokee, NC

Apr. 11 Anniversary Poker Tournament Talking Stick Resort • Scottsdale, AZ

Apr. 16-May 5 World Poker Tour Poker Showdown Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino • Hollywood, FL

Apr. 18-May 4 Battle of the Bay Lucky Chances • Colma, CA

Apr. 23-26 Card Player Poker Tour Ocean’s Eleven Casino • Oceanside, CA

Apr. 23-May 4 WSOP Circuit Mississippi Horseshoe Casino & Hotel Tunica • Robinsonville, MS

Apr. 24-May 4 Mega Stack Challenge Foxwoods Resort Casino • Mashantucket, CT

Apr. 30-May 18 World Poker Tour Choctaw Casino Resort • Durant, OK

MAY May 1-3 South Dakota State Poker Championship Silverado Franklin • Deadwood, SD

May 4-July 26 Card Player Poker Tour Venetian Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

May 7-18 WSOP Circuit Louisiana Harrah’s Casino • New Orleans, LA

May 8-18 Card Player Poker Tour bestbet Jacksonville • Jacksonville, FL

May 14-17 MSPT Michigan FireKeepers Casino • Battle Creek, MI

May 18-27 Memorial Day Tournament Series Gardens Casino • Hawaiian Gardens, CA

May 26-July 15 World Series of Poker Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

May 31 No-Limit Hold’em Tournament Lucky Chances • Colma, CA

May 31-June 2 World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions HyperX Esports Arena • Las Vegas, NV

JULY July 6-13 Summer Open Bay 101 • San Jose, CA

July 23-26 Card Player Poker Tour Ocean’s Eleven Casino • Oceanside, CA

July 26 No-Limit Hold’em Tournament Lucky Chances • Colma, CA

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044_Schedules.indd 44 3/4/20 10:43 AM Schedules

($5K Guarantee) 6:45 p.m. NLH, $75 AO $40 KO $25 ARIZONA 7:00 p.m. NLH, $90 AO $70 ($5K Guarantee) ($5K Guarantee) WEDNESDAY TALKING STICK RESORT - SCOTTSDALE 10:00 p.m. NLH, $60 RB $50 AO $40 12:15 p.m. NLH, $75 AO $40 KO $25 MONDAY KO $10 ($2K Guarantee) ($5K Guarantee) 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 SATURDAY 6:45 p.m. NLH, $75 AO $40 7:15 p.m. NLH, $145 12:00 p.m. NLH, $65 AO $50 ($5K Guarantee) TUESDAY ($20K Guarantee) 9:30 p.m. NLH, $70 AO $20 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 2:00 p.m. NLH, $90 AO $70 ($1K Guarantee) 7:15 p.m. NLH, $200 ($20K Guarantee) THURSDAY WEDNESDAY 4:00 p.m. NLH, $115 AO $90 12:15 p.m. NLH, $50 AO $40 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 ($20K Guarantee) ($4K Guarantee) 7:15 p.m. NLH, $145 10:00 p.m. NLH, $60 RB $50 AO $40 6:45 p.m. NLH, $75 AO $40 KO $25 THURSDAY KO $10 ($2K Guarantee) ($6K Guarantee) 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 SUNDAY 9:30 p.m. NLH, $70 AO $20 7:15 p.m. NLH, $145 12:00 p.m. NLH, $40 AO $30 ($1K Guarantee) FRIDAY ($10K Guarantee) FRIDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 1:30 p.m. NLH, $65 AO $50 12:15 p.m. NLH, $90 ($4K Guarantee) 7:15 p.m. NLH, $200 ($10K Guarantee) 6:45 p.m. NLH, $115 RB $50 3:00 p.m. NLH, $90 AO $70 ($30K Guarantee) CALIFORNIA ($10K Guarantee) SATURDAY 11:00 a.m. NLH, $50 RB $20 BAY 101 - SAN JOSE CHUMASH CASINO - SANTA YNEZ ($5K Guarantee) MONDAY MONDAY 3:00 p.m. NLH, $100 RB $50 9:30 a.m. NLH, $130 10:15 a.m. NLH, $40 ($5K Guarantee) TUESDAY 7:00 p.m. PLO, $0 AO $20 SUNDAY 9:30 a.m. NLH, $130 TUESDAY 12:15 p.m. NLH, $75 AO $40 KO $25 WEDNESDAY 10:15 a.m. NLH, $40 ($5K Guarantee) 9:30 a.m. NLH, $150 7:00 p.m. NLH, $60 3:00 p.m. NLH, $50 AO $40 THURSDAY WEDNESDAY ($3K Guarantee) 9:30 a.m. NLH, $130 10:15 a.m. NLH, $40 FRIDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $50 9:30 a.m. NLH, $150 THURSDAY HUSTLER CASINO - GARDENA SATURDAY 10:15 a.m. NLH, $50 KO $10 MONDAY 9:00 a.m. NLH, $250 7:00 p.m. NLH, $40 7:00 p.m. NLH, $100 AO $40 KO $25 SUNDAY FRIDAY ($2K Guarantee) 9:00 a.m. NLH, $150 10:15 a.m. NLH, $40 TUESDAY 7:15 p.m. NLH, $150 7:00 p.m. NLH, $80 RB $40 BICYCLE CASINO - BELL GARDENS SATURDAY ($2K Guarantee) MONDAY 1:15 p.m. NLH, $120 ($5K Guarantee) WEDNESDAY 12:00 p.m. NLH, $70 AO $20 KO $20 SUNDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $100 AO $40 KO $25 ($2K Guarantee) 1:15 p.m. NLH, $100 KO $25 ($2K Guarantee) 5:00 p.m. NLH, $75 ($2.5K Guarantee) ($3K Guarantee) THURSDAY TUESDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $80 RB $40 12:00 p.m. NLH, $50 AO $20 COMMERCE CASINO - COMMERCE ($2K Guarantee) ($2K Guarantee) MONDAY-THURSDAY FRIDAY 5:00 p.m. NLH, $30 RB $10 AO $10 12:00 p.m. NLH, $65 ($2.5K Guarantee) 7:00 p.m. NLH, $80 RB $40 ($2.5K Guarantee) 6:00 p.m. NLH, $65 ($3.5K Guarantee) ($2K Guarantee) WEDNESDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 12:00 p.m. NLH, $50 AO $20 12:00 p.m. NLH, $65 ($2.5K Guarantee) 3:00 p.m. NLH, $80 RB $40 ($2K Guarantee) 6:00 p.m. NLH, $150 KO $50 ($2K Guarantee) 5:00 p.m. NLH, $65 AO $20 ($5K Guarantee) ($2.5K Guarantee) SATURDAY LUCKY CHANCES - COLMA THURSDAY 1:00 p.m. NLH, $150 ($15K Guarantee) MONDAY 12:00 p.m. NLH, $50 AO $20 SUNDAY 9:30 a.m. NLH, $120 AO $10 ($2K Guarantee) 1:00 p.m. NLH, $65 RB $50 ($3K 1st Place Guarantee) 5:00 p.m. NLH, $80 AO $20 KO $25 ($10K Guarantee) TUESDAY ($2.5K Guarantee) 9:30 a.m. NLH, $200 AO $10 8:00 p.m. MP, $30 RB $10 AO $10 GARDENS CASINO - HAWAIIAN GARDENS ($4K 1st Place Guarantee) ($1.5K Guarantee) MONDAY WEDNESDAY 10:00 p.m. NLH, $60 RB $50 AO $40 12:15 p.m. NLH, $30 RB $10 AO $10 9:30 a.m. NLH, $120 AO $10 KO $10 ($2K Guarantee) ($8K Guarantee) ($3K 1st Place Guarantee) FRIDAY 6:45 p.m. NLH, $10 RB $10 AO $10 THURSDAY 12:00 p.m. NLH, $50 AO $20 ($3K Guarantee) 9:30 a.m. NLH, $120 AO $10 ($2K Guarantee) TUESDAY ($3K 1st Place Guarantee) 4:00 p.m. NLH, $40 AO $30 12:15 p.m. NLH, $75 AO $40 FRIDAY ($5K Guarantee) ($5K Guarantee) 9:30 a.m. NLH, $120 AO $10 5:30 p.m. NLH, $65 AO $50

044_Schedules.indd 45 3/4/20 10:43 AM Schedules - Daily tournaments

($3K 1st Place Guarantee) 12:00 p.m. NLH, $140 6:30 p.m. NLH, $100 ($1.5K Guarantee) SATURDAY 5:00 p.m. NLH, $230 FRIDAY 9:30 a.m. NLH, $120 AO $10 12:15 p.m. NLH, $120 ($10K Guarantee) ($3K 1st Place Guarantee) MOHEGAN SUN - UNCASVILLE 6:30 p.m. NLH, $40 AO $20 SUNDAY MONDAY ($8K Guarantee) 9:30 a.m. NLH, $250 AO $10 10:00 a.m NLH, $85 KO $25 SATURDAY ($8K 1st Place Guarantee) 2:00 p.m NLH, $75 12:15 p.m. NLH, $120 ($5K Guarantee) 6:00 p.m NLH, $100 6:30 p.m. NLH, $40 AO $20 OAKS CARD CLUB - EMERYVILLE TUESDAY ($5K Guarantee) MONDAY 10:00 a.m NLH, $75 6:15 p.m. NLH, $150 2:00 p.m NLH, $85 KO $25 ILLINOIS WEDNESDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $100 KO $25 6:15 p.m. NLH, $185 WEDNESDAY RGC POKER (for locations see RGCPoker.com) SATURDAY 10:00 a.m NLH, $75 DAILY 11:00 a.m. NLH, $185 2:00 p.m NLH, $85 KO $25 1:00 p.m. NLH, $40 SUNDAY 6:00 p.m. NLH, $120 5:00 p.m. NLH, $80 1:00 p.m. NLH, $235 THURSDAY 6:30 p.m. NLH, $40 10:00 a.m NLH, $75 SATURDAY OCEAN’S ELEVEN - OCEANSIDE 2:00 p.m NLH, $85 KO $25 2:00 p.m NLH, $180 MONDAY-THURSDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $100 KO $25 10:00 a.m. NLH, $55 AO $5 FRIDAY MARYLAND ($3K Guarantee) 11:00 a.m NLH, $75 7:00 p.m. NLH, $55 AO $5 2:00 p.m NLH, $100 KO $25 LIVE! CASINO & HOTEL - HANOVER ($3K Guarantee) 6:00 p.m NLH, $100 MONDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 12:15 p.m. NLH, $120 KO $25 10:00 a.m. NLH, $55 AO $5 11:00 a.m NLH, $150 ($3K Guarantee) ($3K Guarantee) 6:00 p.m NLH, $120 7:15 p.m. NLH, $140 ($4K Guarantee) 6:00 p.m. NLH, $75 AO $5 SUNDAY TUESDAY ($5K Guarantee) 11:00 a.m NLH, $230 KO $25 12:15 p.m. NLH, $140 ($3K Guarantee) SATURDAY 5:00 p.m. NLH, $120 7:15 p.m. NLH, $120 KO $25 10:00 a.m. NLH, $230 AO $10 ($5K Guarantee) ($20K Guarantee) FLORIDA WEDNESDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $55 AO $5 12:15 p.m. NLH, $150 ($3K Guarantee) KO $20 ($3K Guarantee) BESTBET - JACKSONVILLE 7:15 p.m. NLH, $130 ($15K Guarantee) SUNDAY MONDAY THURSDAY 10:00 a.m. NLH, $90 AO $50 12:00 p.m. NLH, $50 12:15 p.m. NLH, $160 KO $50 ($10K Guarantee) 7:00 p.m. PLO H/L, $125 KO $25 ($3K Guarantee) TUESDAY 7:15p.m. NLH, $150 ($5K Guarantee) 12:00 p.m. NLH, $150 FRIDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $125 KO $25 12:15 p.m. NLH, $200 ($5K Guarantee) CONNECTICUT WEDNESDAY 7:15 p.m. NLH, $140 ($5K Guarantee) 12:00 p.m. NLH, $50 SATURDAY FOXWOODS - MASHANTUCKET 7:00 p.m. NLH, $100 11:15 a.m. NLH, $100 ($10K Guarantee) MONDAY THURSDAY 7:15 p.m. NLH, $130 10:00 a.m NLH, $100 12:00 p.m. NLH, $125 KO $25 SUNDAY 6:00 p.m. NLH, $120 7:00 p.m. NLH, $50 3:15 p.m. NLH, $130 ($15K Guarantee) TUESDAY FRIDAY 6:15 p.m. NLH, $130 10:00 a.m NLH, $120 12:00 p.m. NLH, $150 2:00 p.m NLH, $100 KO $25 7:00 p.m. NLH, $240 KO $100 MGM NATIONAL HARBOR - OXON HILL 6:00 p.m. NLH, $120 ($10K Guarantee) SATURDAY MONDAY WEDNESDAY 12:00 p.m. NLH, $155 11:00 a.m. NLH, $120 ($5K Guarantee) 10:00 a.m NLH, $100 7:00 p.m. NLH, $155 6:00 p.m. NLH, $235 ($10K Guarantee) 2:00 p.m NLH, $120 KO $50 SUNDAY TUESDAY 6:00 p.m. NLH, $120 ($15K Guarantee) 12:00 p.m. NLH, $150 11:00 a.m. NLH, $100 ($5K Guarantee) THURSDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $50 7:00 p.m. NLH, $120 ($5K Guarantee) 10:00 a.m NLH, $120 KO $25 WEDNESDAY FRIDAY PALM BEACH KENNEL CLUB - W. PALM BEACH 11:00 a.m. NLH, $120 ($5K Guarantee) 10:00 a.m NLH, $100 MONDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $200 KO $50 2:00 p.m NLH, $100 KO $25 12:15 p.m. NLH, $70 ($2.5K Guarantee) THURSDAY 6:00 p.m. NLH, $160 ($8K Guarantee) 6:30 p.m. NLH, $70 ($2K Guarantee) 11:00 a.m. NLH, $150 KO $25 8:30 p.m NLH, $100 TUESDAY ($5K Guarantee) SATURDAY 12:15 p.m. NLH, $70 7:00 p.m. NLH, $125 ($5K Guarantee) 9:00 a.m NLH, $60 6:30 p.m. NLH, $70 SUNDAY 11:00 a.m NLH, $180 ($8K Guarantee) WEDNESDAY 11:00 a.m. NLH, $350 ($25K Guarantee) 5:00 p.m. NLH, $140 ($5K Guarantee) 12:15 p.m. NLH, $100 ($3K Guarantee) 8:30 p.m NLH, $120 KO $50 6:30 p.m. NLH, $100 ($2K Guarantee) MICHIGAN SUNDAY THURSDAY 9:00 a.m NLH, $60 12:15 p.m. NLH, $100 ($2K Guarantee) FIREKEEPERS CASINO - BATTLE CREEK

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044_Schedules.indd 46 3/4/20 10:43 AM Schedules

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 12:10 p.m. NLH, $150 ($8K Guarantee) SUNDAY 12:00 p.m. NLH, $40 6:10 p.m. NLH, $125 KO $25 10:00 a.m. NLH, $60 6:30 p.m. NLH, $40 ($6K Guarantee) 6:00 p.m. NLH, $125 ($2.5K Guarantee) THURSDAY FRIDAY 12:00 p.m. NLH, $40 12:10 p.m. NLH, $200 AO $100 TURNING STONE - VERONA 6:30 p.m. PLO/NLH, $60 ($20K Guarantee) MONDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 12:00 p.m NLH, $50 12:00 p.m. NLH, $40 12:10 p.m. NLH, $340 ($25K Guarantee) 7:00 p.m. NLH, $65 6:30 p.m. NLH, $60 AO $20 AO $20 6:10 p.m. NLH, $125 ($4K Guarantee) TUESDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY 12:00 p.m NLH, $50 6:30 p.m. NLH, $125 KO $25 12:10 p.m. NLH, $250 ($15K Guarantee) 7:00 p.m. NLH, $15 ($1K Guarantee) SUNDAY 6:10 p.m. NLH, $125 ($4K Guarantee) WEDNESDAY 12:00 p.m. NLH, $140/$240/$500 12:00 p.m NLH, $65 KO $10 6:30 p.m. NLH, $40 NEW YORK 7:00 p.m. NLH, $65 THURSDAY SENECA NIAGARA - NIAGARA FALLS 12:00 p.m NLH, $65 KO $10 NEVADA MONDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $15 ($1K Guarantee) 7:00 p.m. NLH, $100 ($2K Guarantee) FRIDAY TUESDAY 12:00 p.m NLH, $100 KO $25 VENETIAN HOTEL & CASINO - LAS VEGAS 10:00 a.m. NLH, $45 7:00 p.m. NLH, $50 MONDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $45 SATURDAY 12:10 p.m. NLH, $150 ($8K Guarantee) WEDNESDAY 12:00 p.m NLH, $65 6:10 p.m. NLH, $125 KO $25 10:00 a.m. NLH, $80 4:00 p.m NLH, $100 KO $25 ($4K Guarantee) 7:00 p.m. NLH, $100 ($2K Guarantee) 7:00 p.m. NLH, $25 TUESDAY THURSDAY SUNDAY 12:10 p.m. NLH, $150 ($8K Guarantee) 10:00 a.m. NLH, $60 12:00 p.m NLH, $50 6:10 p.m. NLH, $200 KO $50 7:00 p.m. NLH, $60 6:00 p.m. NLH, $30 ($9K Guarantee) FRIDAY WEDNESDAY 10:00 a.m. NLH, $80 EASTERN POKER TOUR 12:10 p.m. NLH, $150 ($8K Guarantee) SATURDAY PUB POKER EVENTS, NEWS, RANKINGS 6:10 p.m. NLH, $125 ($4K Guarantee) 10:00 a.m. NLH, $20 ($1K Guarantee) AND UPDATES CAN BE VIEWED AT THURSDAY 11:00 a.m. NLH, $150 EASTERNPOKERTOUR.COM

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044_Schedules.indd 47 3/4/20 10:43 AM Schedules - Daily tournaments

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HARRAH’S - CHEROKEE MONDAY 7:00 p.m NLH, $80 10:00 p.m NLH, $50 TUESDAY 7:00 p.m NLH, $80 10:00 p.m NLH, $50 WEDNESDAY 7:00 p.m NLH, $100 KO $25 THURSDAY 7:00 p.m NLH, $80 10:00 p.m NLH, $45 FRIDAY 5:00 p.m NLH, $135 SATURDAY 11:00 a.m NLH, $250 SUNDAY 10:00 a.m NLH, $80 2:00 p.m NLH, $250 7:00 p.m NLH, $80 10:00 p.m NLH, $45 OREGON

WILDHORSE - PENDLETON TUESDAY 6:30 p.m. NLH, $35 THURSDAY 6:30 p.m. NLH, $55 SATURDAY 1:00 p.m. NLH, $75 SUNDAY 1:00 p.m. NLH, $35 SOUTH DAKOTA

SILVERADO FRANKLIN - DEADWOOD THURSDAY 6:30 p.m. NLH, $88 SATURDAY 3:00 p.m. NLH, $22 SUNDAY 3:00 p.m. NLH, $33 TEXAS

CELEBRITY CARD CLUB - ODESSA TUESDAY 7:00 p.m. PLO, $50 THURSDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $60 WISCONSIN

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48 CARDPLAYER.COM

044_Schedules.indd 48 3/4/20 10:43 AM Card Player Poker Tour For those who play to win.

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ALLTIME WSOP CAREER EARNINGS LIST

The World Series of Poker is set to feature more high roller events Place Player Career Live Earnings than ever before in 2020. This year there will be nine events with 1st Antonio Esfandiari $21,917,460 buy-ins of $25,000 or higher, including the first-ever $250,000 buy- in super high roller event held at the series. With these big-money 2nd Daniel Negreanu $18,536,450 events and, of course, the massive WSOP main event, there is a chance that a new player could crack the top ten list for WSOP 3rd Dan Colman $17,413,780 earnings this summer. As it currently sits, Antonio Esfandiari occupies the top spot with nearly $22 million in cashes at the 4th Phil Hellmuth $15,016,260 Series. Nine of the top ten ranked players on this list have 5th Jonathan Duhamel $14,644,200 either won the WSOP main event or the seven-figure buy-in Big One For One Drop event. The only player on the list with- 6th Justin Bonomo $13,927,280 out either of those achievements is six-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu. His largest career score was his runner-up 7th Joe Cada $13,610,090 finish in the Big One in 2014 for $8.3 million. ‘Kid Poker’ has managed to accrue another $10 million at the WSOP, 8th Elton Tsang $12,384,970 including seven-figure scores for winning both the 9th Jamie Gold $12,198,920 WSOP Asia-Pacific main event and the WSOP Europe high roller in 2013. Last year he secured his sec- 10th Martin Jacobson $12,143,290 ond-largest score at the series, taking home more than $1.7 million as the runner-up in the $100,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event.

COMMERCE CASINO’S ALLTIME MONEY LIST

Place Player Career Live Earnings The longest-running poker tournament series in Los Angeles, the L.A. Poker Classic, is being held for the 27th time in 2020. This storied 1st Eric Hershler $2.55 Million poker festival has been the marquee event at the Commerce Casino for nearly three decades now, with millions upon millions in prize 2nd Alan Goehring $2.5 Million money awarded along the way. As a result, the L.A.P.C. has played an 3rd J.C. Tran $2.14 Million outsize role in shaping the list of the ten players to accrue the most tournament earnings at the venue. With this year’s champion 4th Michael Mizrachi $2.07 Million yet to be decided, Eric Hershler currently occupies the top spot on this leaderboard with more than $2.5 million 5th Andras Koroknai $1.79 Million earned at the Commerce Casino. More than $2.4 million of that came from his victory in the 2007 World Poker 6th Cornel Cimpan $1.73 Million Tour L.A.P.C. main event, which saw him outlast a mammoth field of 791 entries. J.C. Tran is the only 7th Phil Ivey $1.72 Million player among the top nine in the rankings who 8th Gregory Brooks $1.65 Million did not win the L.A.P.C. main event. The two- time WSOP bracelet winner and two-time WPT 9th David Baker $1.51 Million champion finished as the runner-up to Hershler for nearly $1.2 million but has accrued nearly 10th Michael Woo $1.48 Million another million dollars worth of scores at Commerce Casino outside of that deep run.

AUSTRALIAN ALLTIME LIVE TOURNAMENT EARNINGS

Place Player Career Live Earnings Two Australian poker pros have been surging up their national all-time money leaderboard in recent months. Kahle Burns has 1st Joseph Hachem $12.4 Million cashed for more than $4.6 million since the start of October in 2019, winning five titles (including two WSOP Europe bracelets) in that 2nd Kahle Burns $10.4 Million span. The huge run of success in recent months has 3rd Michael Addamo $8 Million brought Burns’ career total to $10.4 million in cashes, putting him roughly $2 million behind Australian 4th Jeffrey Rossiter $6.4 Million money leader and 2005 WSOP main event winner Joe Hachem. Michael Addamo has gotten off to an impres- 5th Jeffrey Lisandro $5.5 Million sive start in 2020, winning two titles and accruing more than $1.8 million since ringing in the new year. He 6th Jonathan Karamalikis $4.47 Million took down the $50,000 AUD high roller at this year’s 7th David Steicke $3.8 Million Aussie Millions and followed that up with a win in the $100,000 AUD main event at the inaugural 8th Alexander Lynskey $3.7 Million Australian Poker Open. The two-time bracelet winner from Melbourne currently sits in 9th Mel Judah $3.6 Million third place on this leaderboard, with just more than $8 million in career 10th Martin Kozlov $3.3 Million earnings.

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