Brian Altman Joins Elite Club of Three Time Wpt Champions

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www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 34/No. 19 September 8, 2021

BRIAN ALTMAN JOINS ELITE CLUB OF THREETIME WPT CHAMPIONS Boston Poker Pro Stays Red Hot On Live Tournament Circuit

WSOP Online Poker Strategy Head Games: Dealing Series Awards Revisited With With Downswings And 33 Bracelets Jonathan Tamayo Bad Beats

PLAYER_34_19B_Cover.indd 1 8/19/21 11:23 AM PLAYER_19_GlobalPoker_DT.indd 2 8/16/21 9:06 PM PLAYER_19_GlobalPoker_DT.indd 3 8/16/21 9:06 PM THE Masthead - Card Player Vol. 34/No. 19

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004_MastheadB.indd 4 8/19/21 11:09 AM PLAYER_17_Coushatta_FP.indd 3 7/19/21 3:58 PM Table to contents 14 8

Feature Strategy Poker Hand Matchups 14 24 26 Brian Altman Joins Elite Club Of Head Games: Dealing With Cary Katz vs. Daniel Negreanu Three-Time WPT Champions Downswings And Bad Beats 31 By Erik Fast By Craig Tapscott Sam Soverel vs. Cary Katz 27 36 Shifts In Poker Strategy News Cary Katz vs. Sam Soverel With Jonathan Tamayo 8 By Steve Schult 38 High-Stakes Galfond Challenge Resumes 30 Sam Soverel vs. Cary Katz With New Format After Tanking Dispute Know How To Check For Value By Steve Schult By Jonathan Little Also In This Issue 10 31 News From The Gambling World 4 Deuce To Seven Triple Draw Lowball: By Card Player News Team Leading The Turn Part 1 About Us By Kevin Haney 40 Tournaments Tournament Schedules 18 Analysis & Commentary 42 Player Of The Year Update Poker Leaderboard By Erik Fast 34 Poker During And Post Pandemic: ICM 20 By Steve Zolotow Tournament Results By Morgan Young 35 Being Patient Isn’t Just About Folding 22 By Greg Raymer First Segment Of 2021 WSOP Online Awards 33 Gold Bracelets 37 By Erik Fast Jumping Off The Stratosphere By Nathan Gamble Cover image © World Poker Tour

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High-Stakes Galfond Challenge Resumes With New Format Aer Tanking Dispute By Steve Schult

e latest match in the “Galfond “Phil Galfond and I have had a e debate shifted to what should Challenge” series was forced to very civil match,” tweeted Adams. be allowed for the remainder of the switch formats after a dispute over “but we are paused due to an argu- match. excessive tanking arose between the ment. We need help via Twitter “ e entire original purpose of two participants. consensus. I am down $48,000 with the match was fun for players and High-stakes legend Phil Galfond, 15.5 hours remaining. Galfond is viewers via likely streaming,” wrote the architect of several recent heads- changing his strategy, as expected, Adams in a text message to Galfond, up matches, was in the midst of but he is also using the clock to max- referencing the first plan to stream battling fellow poker pro Brandon imum advantage, taking full time the match on PokerGO. “Clock Adams for 40 hours of live $100- for every decision on every street.” milking, which would go on for the $200 heads-up pot-limit Omaha e match featured a 15-sec- entire match if accepted, because when Adams raised concerns over ond time bank for preflop decisions it is always in one player’s benefit, Galfond’s use of the time bank. and 30-second clocks for post-flop would obviously make the match Of the seven heads-up matches actions. ere were also eight 60-sec- unwatchable and completely unin- Galfond has scheduled, the show- ond extensions allowed per day. teresting, so the concept was always down with Adams was the only one Galfond argued that these time absurd.” taking place on the live felt, the rest banks were put in place “so there Several other top poker pros were going to take place online. was no ambiguity about end-game weighed in on the situation, includ- In addition to keeping any scenarios” like the one they were ing Dan Smith, Max Silver, Isaac amount won in the actual match, encountering. He also said that Haxton, and Mike McDonald. e there was also a side bet, with Adams Adams had been using all of his initial reaction from most was to just getting 4:1 on his $100,000 wager. If time banks when it fit into his own convert the time remaining to a set he managed to win, he would collect strategy. number of hands, but Galfond felt $400,000 from Galfond. “He took the full 15 seconds that this was unfair to him. In the middle of their match, preflop for essentially every deci- e Maryland native and online however, Adams tweeted that the sion since the start of the match,” poker site owner said that he two were arguing over whether it responded Galfond. “For the last would’ve also expected Adams to was ethical for Galfond to use all two days, when he was planning to play slower down the stretch if he of his time bank before making a check or [bet] the river in position, held a lead. He said that he wouldn’t decision and essentially run out the he would stand up and stretch for have protested to that strategy, and clock. the full 30 seconds before checking.” thus felt he was getting freerolled.

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008_News.indd 8 8/19/21 11:12 AM News

Eventually, Galfond did relent the match quickly resembled tourna- in his previous online matches. He and agree to play a set number ment poker and was no longer fun mounted an epic €900,000 come- of hands determined by Silver and for either participant. back against ‘Venividi1993,’ defeated Haxton. e two arbitrators settled ey agreed to forego the rest of Ioannis ‘ActionFreak’ Kontonatsios on 338 hands remaining in the chal- the live match and start a 10,000- and forced Chance Kornuth into a lenge, which resumed shortly there- hand challenge online. e side bet concession in his third match. after. is still on the table for the winner of Between the side bets and the Over the next 102 hands, Adams the online portion, but was scrapped money won, Galfond is up roughly cut into the lead and was only down for the shortened live match. $1.4 million thus far. All of his $16,500. At the end of the session, Before starting the latest chal- matches have been heads-up pot- however, both players agreed that lenge, Galfond was a perfect 3-0 limit Omaha. m

Galfond Challenge Progress And Results

Opponent Stakes Game Sidebet Hands Result

Bill Perkins $100-$200 PLO $800K:$200K 50,000 Hands TBD

40 Hours Brandon Adams $100-$200 PLO $400K:$100K Galfond Up ($16,500 profit) (Now 10,000 Hands)

Chance Kornuth $100-$200 PLO $1M:$250K 35,000 Hands Galfond Wins ($726,500 profit)

Dan Cates €100-€200 PLO TBD 7,500 Hands TBD

Ioannis Kontonatsios €150-€300 PLO €150K:€150K 15,000 Hands Galfond Wins (€114,765 profit)

‘VeniVidi1993’ €100-€200 PLO €200K:€100K 25,000 Hands Galfond Wins (€1,472 profit)

Luke Schwartz €1,000-€2,000 8-Game TBD TBD TBD

008_News.indd 9 8/19/21 11:12 AM News NEWS FROM THE GAMBLING WORLD

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT APPROVES NEW FLORIDA GAMING COMPACT By Steve Schult

e Seminole Tribe is set to become the hub for sports bet- Seminole Hard Rock ting in the Sunshine State this fall after the U.S. Department of Interior approved a new 30-year gaming compact between the tribe and the state. According to a Tampa Bay CBS affiliate, the DOI, which has jurisdiction on anything related to a federally recognized tribe, passed the compact through inaction. Instead of sign- ing off on or vetoing the agreement, the feds decided to let the 45-day window expire, which essentially gives the tribe the go-ahead to move forward with the deal. With the approval, sports betting will be set to launch in Florida on Oct. 15. e new compact will also allow the tribes to expand in-person gaming options, including craps and rou- lette, while pari-mutuel facilities will get to off er house-backed card games. While the DOI is allowing the deal to move forward, the agency did have reservations about certain aspects of the agreement. Offi cials wrote a letter to the Seminoles to voice concerns about possible problems with the relationship between pari-mutuels and the tribe with regards to sports betting. e letter also informed the tribe that it won’t be allowed to off er proposition bets on college sports. “ e Department has concerns regarding the inclusion of provisions relating to jurisdiction over tort claims and manda- tory vendor contracts. We also believe it is important that the Department address the provisions relating to the internet mutuel facilities argues that the IRGA only allows for sports gaming activities and revenue sharing,” the letter read. betting while on tribal facilities, and that since the person Assuming the compact moves forward in its current form, placing the wager could be located outside of that jurisdiction, all sports betting would functionally be run through the tribe. it violates the law. Pari-mutuel facilities that want to off er sports betting would Last April, Gov. Ron DeSantis fi nalized the new compact. have to do so through a partnership with the Seminoles. He has said that he and the tribe will vigorously fi ght any e pari-mutuel facility would only get to keep 60% of opposition in court. its sports betting revenue, with the other 40% getting sent to e agreement is guaranteed to net the state government tribe operators. e Seminoles would then fork over 10% to $2.5 billion over the next fi ve years and $6 billion by 2030. the state. It’s estimated to generate $20 billion over the duration of the e tribe would be the only entity allowed to off er online or 30-year deal. mobile sports betting in the state. Advocates for the compact “ e fi nal approval of this historic gaming compact is a argue that since the servers are located on tribal land, it adheres big deal for the State of Florida,” said DeSantis in a statement. to federal standards. “ is mutually benefi cial agreement will grow our economy, Groups that oppose the deal claim that it violates the expand tourism and recreation, and provide billions in new Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. A lawsuit fi led by two pari- revenue to benefi t Floridians.” m

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008_News.indd 10 8/19/21 11:12 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT MASSACHUSETTS GAMING REGULATORS FLOODED WITH COMPLAINTS OVER CLOSED POKER ROOMS By Steve Schult

Gaming regulators in Massachusetts are being inun- whether we will bring that back,” MGM Springfield dated with complaints from angry poker players that want Compliance Director Daniel Miller told a local publication to know when the state’s poker rooms will reopen. at the time restrictions were removed. “We too have decided According to a report from the Boston Herald, the to make a decision by or around Dec. 31.” Massachusetts Gaming Commission has received as many At a recent hearing, Senior Vice President and General as 50 complaints per month about when the game will Counsel at Encore Boston Harbor Jacqui Krum told regula- return. e regulatory agency usually receives about a tenth tors that the area where the poker room was is now where of that number spanning a variety of issues. “some of our highest-performing slot machines” are. When Gov. Charlie Baker allowed the state’s three Krum also added that given the current labor shortage, brick-and-mortar casinos to reopen in 2020, regulators the property was having problems hiring enough dealers, refused to allow patrons to play table games like craps, rou- cashiers, and other casino staﬀ necessary to run a poker lette, and poker. Last March, those regulations were eased room. If the poker room were to reopen, it would force and the commission allowed the games to be spread with no the company to reduce oﬀ erings of other table games like more than four players at a table. blackjack and craps. Games, which of course, are a larger When the new rules were released, MGM Springfield source of revenue for the casino than poker. and Encore Boston Harbor, the two casinos with poker Cathy Judd-Stein, chairwoman of the commission, rooms in Massachusetts, refused to open poker rooms with seemed to stand up for poker players in the back-and-forth, a four-player max. Just two months later, all the restrictions calling the decision to keep poker closed a “slippery slope” were removed, but neither property has opened its poker and said that it was a “privilege” for the company to hold a room. license in Massachusetts. Representatives from the casinos said they would likely She concluded that the commission will make periodic make a decision by the start of next year. check-ins throughout the year to make sure the company “We’re continuing to monitor needs for poker and continues to do its diligence on reopening the room. m CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT TO SELL LAS VEGAS STRIP CASINO IN 2022

By Steve Schult

Caesars Entertainment plans to sell one of its properties on the Las Vegas Strip next year. Tom Reeg, the company’s CEO, made the statement on a conference call centered around its second quarter’s earnings, according to a Las Vegas NBC affiliate. “We still expect to sell a Vegas Strip asset, a single asset, and I would expect that sale to take place in 2022,” said Reeg. In June 2019, Caesars merged with Eldorado Resorts in a $17.3 billion deal that helped Caesars get out of bank- ruptcy troubles. e new company kept the Caesars name, but with such a massive portfolio of casinos nationwide, the newly created empire needed to sell several properties to Nugget Casinos. alleviate any monopoly concerns with regulators. Caesars currently owns Harrah’s Las Vegas, Bally’s, In the lead up to the merger, Eldorado sold three Paris, Flamingo, e Cromwell, Caesars Palace, Planet casinos in West Virginia and Missouri, as well as another Hollywood, and the LINQ. in Louisiana. Caesars sold a property in Reno, dumped It seems unlikely the company would part ways with its another in Atlantic City, as well as three in Indiana. fl agship casino or the LINQ, given the upgrades that went ere were rumors afl oat that a sale of a Las Vegas into it, the new Caesars Forum convention center located Strip property was necessary to keep regulators happy, but behind it and the ESPN studio built above it. Bally’s also it never came. In July 2019, when the Las Vegas Review- has a convention center attached, but every other casino Journal reported that a sale was likely, it was thought that could easily be up for grabs. Tilman Fertitta or Phil Ruffi n were the expected buyers. Last year, the company decided to shut down midweek Ruffi n already owns two Strip casinos in Circus Circus operations at Planet Hollywood and recently closed its and Treasure Island, while Fertitta is the owner of Golden poker room, which could make it prime to be disposed of. m

008_News.indd 11 8/19/21 11:12 AM News NEVADA CASINOS WIN AT LEAST $1 BILLION FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT MONTH By Steve Schult

Nevada casinos extended its streak of 10-figure revenue revenue, which is one of the more popular games among high months as Silver State gaming operators won $1.19 billion roller gamblers, lagged. is caused some analysts to cast some from gamblers in June. doubt over the market’s recent rebound. It’s the fourth consecutive month with Nevada properties June was the first full month of action where the govern- recording at least $1 billion in gross gaming revenue and levels ment did not force casinos to implement any social distancing seem to be holding near the all-time record of $1.23 billion set or mask requirements. e total relaxation of those require- a month earlier. ments came after the CDC said that vaccinated individuals In June 2020, Gov. Steve Sisolak allowed casinos to reopen did not need to wear masks indoors. with heavy restrictions following a nearly three-month shut- Recently, the CDC reversed its decision, and Gov. Sisolak down in response to the pandemic, making year-over-year reimposed a mask mandate in the state. Since the mandate, comparisons basically worthless as a metric used to measure several outlets reported that Las Vegas hotel reservations were the health of the industry. quickly being canceled. With the increased transmission of the It is, however, a 14.6 percent increase from June 2019. delta variant coupled with new mandates, it’s yet to be seen Every region of the state posted positive gains from June 2020. how this will affect the gaming and tourism industry over the “e recent surge in statewide gaming win is the result near-term. of several contributing factors which include strong demand, e state government collected $84.2 million in taxes from the return of leisure travel, customers with savings that can be the casinos’ gambling win. m attributed to stimulus and the return of core customers including customers 55 and over,” Nevada Gaming Control Board Senior Research Analyst Michael Lawton told e Nevada Independent. June’s numbers were driven mostly by record slot machine revenue, which totaled $868.1 million. Casinos profited the nine-figure sum after gamblers plunked $11.4 billion into those machines throughout the month. While slot machine revenue was through the roof, baccarat North America’s Largest Gambling Conference Returns To Las Vegas By Steve Schult

One of the gambling industry’s largest conventions is ting, iGaming, and digital payments.” returning to Las Vegas this fall. e event was a mainstay among the fall conventions in e Global Gaming Expo, known as G2E, announced Las Vegas ever since the ﬁrst one was held in 2001. It typi- in August that it would hold its annual gathering at cally draws around 30,000 attendees annually. the Sands Expo and Convention Center from Oct. 4-7. “G2E is a must-attend event for industry leaders looking e event, which is presented by the American Gaming to experience and learn the fastest trends in gaming,’ said Association, was canceled in 2020 in response to the pan- Korbi Carrison, G2E’s event director. demic. In 2019, as sports betting legalization was beginning its “Following the hardest year in gaming’s history, our rampant run throughout the country, NHL Commissioner recovery is well underway as casino goers return to gam- Gary Bettman headlined a panel regarding the subject. ing properties in record-setting numbers,” said Meridity G2E’s return marks the beginning of conventions Pallante, vice president, global events at the AGA in a press returning to Las Vegas, which is a major source of midweek release. “We’re thrilled to open registration to reconvene tourism in Sin City. e World of Concrete convention was the industry in Las Vegas. is year has extra meaning as the ﬁrst full-scale conference to come back to the city when industry stakeholders reunite, the ingenuity of the past year it was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in June. is on full display and the industry continues a comeback e event will follow all health and safety guidelines like no other.” laid out by the state and federal government. For every pass e expo highlights new innovations in several sectors purchased, $25 will be donated to the International Center of the gambling world, including “core gaming, sports bet- for Responsible Gaming. m

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008_News.indd 12 8/19/21 11:12 AM www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 32/No. 19 www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 33/No. 2 September 11, 2019 January 15, 2020 www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 32/No. 12 June 5, 2019

This Week's Big Winner: Milen Stefanov Wins $545,070 At WPT Seminole This Week's Big Winner: Rock & Roll Poker Open Jason Mercier Wins Seminole Hard Rock Nick Pupillo: King Of Poker Open $50,000 The Mid-Major Poker High Roller Tournament Circuit

Avoid Playing Structures Matter Weak Draws A Lot, And Not At All What s Your EQ? ’ Getting Started with Purposeful Practice

FIRST ANNUAL HIGH ROLLER SURVEY ANSWERED BY 61 POKER SUPERSTARS Daniel Dvoress Breaks Out WORLD'S TOP PLAYERS SOUND OFF ON WHO IS THE BEST, In 2019 With $8.5 Million In WHO IS THE MOST OVERRATED, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE Tournament Earnings BRYN KENNEY CALLS HIS SHOT AND Jeremy Ausmus: Final Table Spoil A Loved One Or BECOME POKER’S ALL-TIME MONEY LEADER Private Games Are Takedown Yourself With a Poker " " WITH $55.7 MILLION IN TOURNAMENT WINNINGS Killing The Poker Dream With Jonas Wexler Cruise Vacation

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www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 33/No. 5 www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 33/No. 13 www.CardPlayer.com December 30, 2020 February 26, 2020 June 17, 2020

Final Table Takedown With 2004 World Series Bellagio's Of Poker Champion Bobby's Room Greg Raymer Gets A New Name

Brian Altman Becomes ' Rounders' Star First Player Ever To Ed Norton Calls Out Win Same WPT President Trump With main Event Poker-Themed Rant

Preflop Tournament Strategy: How To Deal Basics: Deep Stack Play With Cold Four Bets

MARIA KONNIKOVA GETS CRASH COURSE IN HIGH-STAKES POKER FROM EIGHT-TIME WSOP BRACELET WINNER ERIK SEIDEL AUTHOR DOCUMENTS RUN IN NEW BOOK “THE BIGGEST BLUFF” STEPHEN CHIDWICK WINS CARD PLAYER Dan Smith Talks About His Early Start, True Tales From A Hollywood Poker How Maria Lampropulos Building A Bankroll At Age Seven PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD SPONSORED BY Hustler: The Night I Lost A Million Went From The Micro-Stakes Where Is Live Poker Headed? High Roller Crusher Details His Rise To No. Five On Poker’s All-Time Money List THIRTY-YEAR-OLD BRITISH POKER PRO BANKS $7.3 MILLION IN 2019 Dollars To Rick Salomon To Winning Millions

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www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 33/No. 17 www.CardPlayer.com January 27, 2021 www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 33/No. 22 August 12, 2020 October 21, 2020

The Secret To Shifts In Mike's Winning Smile Poker Strategy With Ping Liu Why Mike Was The Only Pro Invited To Bet Sizing A Hollywood For Premium Celebrity Home Game Pocket Pairs HighStakes Golf Bets Kentucky Wins With Doyle Brunson $1.3 Billion By Mike Sexton Lawsuit Against PokerStars MIKE SEXTON DAMIAN SALAS WINS 2020’S The Poker World Says Goodbye To A Legend EXTRAORDINARY WORLD SERIES OF POKER $10,000 BUY-IN MAIN EVENT FIRST-EVER ARGENTINIAN WORLD CHAMPION TRIUMPHS IN EVENT MARRED Alexandros Kolonias Discusses His Rise BY DELAYS AND PLAYER DISQUALIFICATIONS To Tournament Poker’s Highest Levels FORMER TENNIS PRO KEEPS RACKING UP MILLIONS IN CASHES

Joe McKeehen Wins His Poker Legend Phil Ivey Final Table Third World Series of Settles $10.1 Million Takedown With Poker Bracelet Lawsuit With Borgata Shiva Dudani

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CP_SUB_8.indd 3 8/16/21 9:07 PM BRIAN ALTMAN JOINS ELITE CLUB OF THREETIME WPT CHAMPIONS Boston Poker Pro Stays Red Hot On Live Tournament Circuit By Erik Fast

Despite not getting his first cash on tour until late 2014, showing in the main event of the last PokerStars Caribbean Brian Altman has become one of the most accomplished Adventure ever held. players in WPT history. He is one of just seven players to Altman has made five final tables and won two titles so have won three or more World Poker Tour main event titles, far in 2021, cashing for more than $1.1 million along the and he secured the most recent season’s Player of the Year way. As a result, he is currently among the top contenders in award thanks to two other final tables. this year’s Card Player Player of the Year race. We recently Altman also holds another interesting distinction as caught up with Altman to discuss his poker origin story and the only player ever to win the same WPT event twice. He the incredible success he has enjoyed on the tournament achieved that feat by taking down the WPT Lucky Hearts circuit in recent years. Poker Open main event in both 2015 and 2020. He earned From The Classroom To The Poker Room his third title on the tour this June when he topped a field Like many other professional poker players in their 30’s, of 1,165 entries to win the 2021 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Altman found the game during the so-called ‘Moneymaker Tampa $3,500 buy-in main event for $613,225. Boom’ that permeated pop culture after a Tennessee e 32-year-old Boston, Massachusetts resident has accountant with a too-good-to-be-true surname won an accumulated just shy of $5.6 million in recorded tourna- online satellite and then the 2003 World Series of Poker ment earnings. While Altman’s four largest career scores main event for $2.5 million. have all come in WPT events, he has also accumulated more “e allure of that story was that an amateur could win

than $2.8 million on other tours, including a ﬁnal-table the biggest tournament in the world. Being a young kid © WPT

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014_CoverStory.indd 14 8/19/21 11:14 AM who knew nothing about poker, it was inspiring to see, ‘Oh, this a game where anyone can win,’” said Altman. In his youth, Altman played a few real-time strategy games like Age of Empires and Command and Conquer. He also attributes some of his competitive streak to high school wrestling. “I think that’s where I really developed my competitive nature. If I want to do something, I want to do it well. I don’t want to do something if I’m not going to be good at it. So, I kind of just go all in.” Altman transitioned from low-stakes home games with friends to dabbling in online cash games. He was midway through a six-year program at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences when he decided to try to take poker more seriously. Altman initially faced a problem that a lot of beginners encounter, which was poor bankroll management. He would deposit $50 online, run it up to over $1,000, go bust and have to start all over again. “I had already made a little bit and deposited a thousand dollars,” he recalled. “I was playing 5¢-10¢ no-limit hold’em, and I was 24-tabling. I had been tracking my results and I was making a little bit more than what I was $3.3 million on the tournament circuit. He won another 14 making at my job [as a Pharmacy Technician]. So I quit. I titles in that span, largely in side events at series around the forced myself to make sure that I was beating that particu- country and the globe. While some players have crashed lar stake before I moved up to the next level. at’s when and burned trying to establish themselves on the high roller I really felt like I was taking it seriously as a professional.” circuit following a big win, Altman instead focused on By the time Altman graduated, he had won enough playing in events with buy-ins from $500 through $10,000. online that he had a big decision to make. After taking “I’ve always wanted to just play in games where I think some time to travel with friends and reflect on the cross- I’m a big favorite. e medium-high stakes main events are roads he found himself at, he opted to continue pursuing where I thought that was going to be,” said Altman. “You poker with the knowledge that he could return to a career have a mix of all different types of players, from amateurs as a pharmacist in the future if necessary. to some of the best pros in the world [in those events], so it Black Friday hit the poker community right before his keeps it interesting when you get to play with such a diverse graduation in 2012, which led Altman to move to Montreal player pool.” to continue playing online the following year. While he When asked if there is any character trait that has initially focused on cash games, Altman says that he also helped him excel on the circuit, Altman was quick to point dabbled in other formats. out the importance of mental toughness. “I messed around with pretty much all the no-limit “I think I have a lot of grit. On a tournament-by-tourna- hold’em formats, from heads-up, sit-n-go’s, and then even- ment basis, you face a lot of adversity, in the sense that you tually I kind of found tournaments and really liked the just lose most of the time. 80 to 85 percent of the time you asymmetric upside they offered.” get nothing in return for your buy-in. I think it’s important With a new focus in mind, he began to slowly dip his to be able to process a loss on an individual event, and then toes into playing on the live circuit, which would soon move forward and not let the past dictate suboptimal deci- prove to be a very lucrative decision. sions in the future.” Becoming A WPT Champion Altman continued his run into the early months of Altman’s first ever recorded live tournament cash came 2020. He defeated a field of 843 entries in that year’s WPT in the summer of 2011, but he didn’t start to really accu- Lucky Hearts Poker Open $3,500 main event, making his- mulate scores until 2014. He had more than $200,000 in tory as the first player to ever win the same WPT main cashes under his belt by the time he registered for the 2015 event twice. WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open $3,500 buy-in main event He banked $482,636 for that win, and then just nine alongside 1,026 other entries. days later made the delayed final table of the WPT Borgata e event spanned seven days, and when the dust settled Winter Poker Open $3,500 main event. at final table was it was Altman who had emerged victorious with the title set on Jan. 30 and was scheduled to play out roughly two and the first-place prize of $723,008. It remains the largest months later in Las Vegas, but because of the COVID-19 payday on his tournament resume. pandemic, the event didn’t crown a winner until a whop- “It meant a lot,” Altman admitted. “I think in poker, ping 471 days later. especially tournament poker, people playing aspire for that Making The Most Of The Situation big win, that validation. I was certainly very lucky to win “I played like 60 entries in 60 days. I was playing a ton, a huge event like that relatively early into my live career. I and then I won Lucky Hearts, which was wild. en I final understand the big element of luck in tournament poker table Borgata just over a week later. And suddenly every- and luck in life. at win certainly propelled me to play thing was put on pause,” said Altman. more live and probably was the initial snowball of the “Ultimately nobody could really control what happened results that followed.” in the last year in regards to the pandemic,” Altman said.

014_CoverStory.indd 15 8/19/21 11:14 AM “I think I have a lot of grit. On a tournament-by-tournament basis, you face a lot of adversity, in the sense that you just lose most of the time. 80 to 85 percent of the time you get nothing in return for your buy-in. I think it’s important to be able to process a loss on an individual event, and then move forward and not let the past dictate suboptimal decisions in the future.”

to focus on improving myself, within poker and outside 3:1 chip lead and converted that advantage into a win when of poker. Everyone shifted to playing online. And I like to his pocket jacks held up against his opponent’s pocket sixes. think that I made the most of the situation. It forced me It was another $613,225 for the win added to his bankroll. to improve. Online games tend to be tougher. I was play- As a result, Altman has entered into a six-way tie for ing much smaller stakes than I do live, but against much second place on the WPT’s main tour title leaderboard, tougher opponents. And when you see more hands, more joining Gus Hansen, Carlos Mortensen, Anthony Zinno, situations come up and it forces you to reflect and learn Eric Afriat, and Chino Rheem with three victories each. from your mistakes.” Darren Elias currently sits alone atop the standings with Part of that focus on improvement was centered spe- four WPT titles. cifically on preparing for his upcoming final table. Altman “To earn my fourth title and chase Darren [Elias] down ultimately had to wait for more a year before he could final- would be pretty awesome. He’s a buddy of mine, and I ly take his seat with his third WPT title on the line. Despite appreciate him taking this one off and giving me a better the indefinite delay for the final table, he stayed positive. shot to win, so kudos,” Altman told WPT reporters at the “I actually didn’t mind waiting for the final table. time. Waking up every day and knowing you have this great In fact, back in 2014 when Altman was recording his opportunity, this great thing to look forward to was a nice first ever WPT score (a min-cash worth $6,868), it was Elias feeling. And also, it gave me time to prepare. I’m grateful who went on to win the tournament and the first of his four for that because it gave me an opportunity to study up and championships. improve and prepare for such a big spot,” shared Altman. “It means a lot to be in that group,” said Altman when Armed with stack sizes, the seat draw, and a lot of time, asked about joining the prestigious list of three-time cham- Altman set about preparing for the final table while also pions on the tour. “Before I won a WPT, I was like, ‘I want playing online during 2020. e final table finally recon- to win one.’ But after I did, I told myself, ‘I just want to be vened on May 16, 2021, several months after the live tour- the guy that’s always in with 30 players left.’ I just want to nament circuit began to reopen around the globe. (Altman be in the mix. And if I’m always in the mix, the wins will had already made two final tables and won a $1,100 buy-in come, the deep runs will come. I think being process-ori- event at Venetian during that time.) He survived to the top ented, as opposed to goal-oriented, is what will ultimately three players, but he ran aces and threes into the turned get me to my goals.” straight of eventual champion Veerab Zakarian to earn His latest victory also earned him the WPT Player of the $333,012 as the third-place finisher. Year award for the tour’s pandemic-extended 18th season. Completing The Hat Trick He bagged four main event cashes and three final-table Even though he fell short, Altman didn’t have to wait finishes to go along with his title run during the season. too long for his next shot at another WPT title. Just five Nearly half of Altman’s live tournament earnings have weeks later he made the final table of the 2021 WPT now come in WPT events, with his four biggest scores all Seminole Hard Rock Tampa main event, navigating his way being earned on that tour. through a field of 1,165 entries to take the chip lead into “I think I have a good grasp on the player pool. It’s a the final nine. lot of the same players, both professionals and recreational. Altman scored the first three knockouts on the final Also, the structures are great,” he offered when asked why day to extend his advantage and then was able to outlast he has excelled in WPT tournaments. “I’m always in a good fellow WPT champions Jonathan Jaffe (4th - $225,675) mood when I go to a WPT stop because they’re just really and Zachary Smiley (3rd - $302,200) to set up a heads-up well-run events. I love playing them.” showdown with Gabriel Abusada. Altman held more than a All three of Altman’s WPT titles have come in events

16 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

014_CoverStory.indd 16 8/19/21 11:14 AM Altman’s Top Tournament Scores Date Event Finish Payout Feb. 2015 $3,500 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open 1st $723,008 June 2021 $3,500 WPT Hard Rock Tampa 1st $613,225 Jan. 2020 $3,500 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open 1st $482,636 May 2021 $3,500 WPT Borgata Winter Open 3rd $333,012 Jan. 2019 $10,000 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure 6th $297,020 Oct. 2017 HKD$100,000 Asia Championship Of Poker 5th $204,321 Oct. 2019 $3,500 WPT Maryland 3rd $149,515 May 2016 CAD$1,675 WSOP Circuit International 1st $127,452 Aug. 2017 $1,100 Hard Rock Poker Open 1st $118,157 Nov. 2015 CAD$3,850 WPT Montreal 4th $113,109 Feb. 2018 $1,675 WSOP Circuit Coconut Creek 3rd $110,107 July 2021 $3,500 Wynn Summer Classic 4th $110,075 May 2017 $1,100 CPPT Venetian SuperStack 1st $106,479 May 2019 $1,100 CPPT Venetian DeepStack 1st $90,905 Dec. 2015 $600 Foxwoods Megastack Challenge 1st $84,208

held on Seminole Hard Rock properties in Florida. (He also titles, get all the recognition,” said Altman with a laugh. won a preliminary event there in 2017.) But he waved that “But really, I just want to focus on showing up and trying factoid off as a bit of variance combined with the peace of to do good work. And if I get the positive side of variance mind that comes with being comfortable and familiar with within a 12-month span and I’m able to win Player of the one’s surroundings. Year, that would be fantastic.” “If I went to a new stop, a casino at a place I’d never been “I actually have a little bit of a break now. So I’m going to before, there’s a certain amount of mental energy I need to just take it easy, which is something I don’t normally do. to exert in terms of getting there and setting up shop and I’m not great at taking time off, so I’m looking forward to like, ‘Where do I eat? How do I get to the venue? What’s it and spending time with some family and friends,” said the registration process like?’ But when you play at the same Altman. “And then I will play the remaining WPT events venues, stop after stop, all that friction goes away.” and then spend some time out in Vegas for the World Series Moving Forward of Poker. at pretty much fills up the rest of my year.” With two titles and five final-table finishes, Altman Altman is approaching a decade of playing poker profes- currently sits in fifth place in the 2021 Card Player Player sionally, with millions of dollars in earnings and plenty of of the Year race. He has cashed for $1,124,401 so far this titles and deep runs made along the way. When prodded year. While he is among the top contenders for the award, about his goals for the future, he paused for a moment. Altman admits that chasing POY awards isn’t his main “I think, for the time being, I just want to play,” said focus. Altman. “I have a tough time thinking about what I’m “To string together a year where you win [one of those going to want five years from now, or 10 years from now. awards], I’m sure you have to play well, I’m sure you have I’m having fun playing poker, and as long as I’m having fun m © WPT to run good in some big spots. I would love to win all the and enjoying it, I’ll continue to show up.”

014_CoverStory.indd 17 8/19/21 11:14 AM Tournaments - Player of the year As of 8-13-2021

Place Player Points Final Tables POY Earnings

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

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

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

4 Sean Perry 3,653 15 $2,491,578

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

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

7 Viet Vo 3,190 4 $1,194,895

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

9 Chance Kornuth 2,850 3 $961,062

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

11 Tuan Mai 2,706 15 $334,202

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

13 Sean Winter 2,521 11 $2,422,220

14 Cary Katz 2,402 12 $2,135,060

15 James Anderson 2,392 5 $568,560

16 Jesse Lonis 2,350 7 $482,881

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

18 Ilyas Muradi 2,308 3 $760,920 19 James Carroll 2,272 3 $622,566 20 Sung Joo Hyun 2,238 4 $536,475

HARD ROCK POKER OPEN HIGH ROLLERS SHAKE UP LEADERBOARD

A handful of players near the top of the 2021 Card Player Player of the Sean Perry Year race standings added to their points totals in recent weeks thanks to a number of high-stakes tournaments at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open. So far, two $50,000 buy-in super high rollers have concluded, as well as a $15,000 buy-in high roller event. Sean Perry continued his tear by making the fi nal table in both of the $50,000 buy-in high rollers. He fi nished fourth from a fi eld of 24 entries in the fi rst, earning $139,680 and 153 POY points. e very next day, Perry came back and placed fi fth out of 29 entries for another $112,520 and 128 points. e son of WSOP bracelet winner Ralph Perry has now made 15 POY- qualifi ed fi nal tables in 2021, winning three titles and cashing for just shy of $2.5 million across those events. His 3,653 points are enough for fourth place on the leaderboard. Sean Winter fi nished second in the fi rst $50,000 buy-in high roller event,

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striking a heads-up deal that saw him take home $394,130 along with 255 points. Chris Brewer is was Winter’s 11th fi nal-table fi nish of the year, and he climbed into 13th in the overall rankings as a result. Chris Brewer was the eventual champion of that event, earning $420,670 as per the agreement he reached with Winter. e former Oregon distance runner secured 306 POY points as the champion. is was his 11th fi nal table and fi rst title of the year, and it brought his year-to-date earnings to $1,453,420. His 2,138 total points place him 22nd in the standings. Like Perry, Cary Katz cashed in both of the $50,000 buy-in events, but he managed to fi nish third both times. e $434,560 in combined earnings and 408 points he added to his annual total were enough to shoot him up the rankings and into 14th place. e $15,000 buy-in high roller drew 27 players. Spanish poker pro Sergi Reixach fi nished runner-up to eventual champion Matthew Sabia. Reixach earned $97,200 and 180 points for his 11th fi nal-table fi nish of the year, moving him into 23rd place.

VIET VO SURGES TO SEVENTH WITH WPT CHOCTAW RUNNER-UP SHOWING Viet Vo i s y e a r ’ s World Poker Tour Choctaw $3,700 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event attracted 964 entries, blowing away the $1 million guarantee to create a fi nal prize pool of $3,272,780. In the end, it came down to a heads-up battle between a pair of former WPT main event runner-up fi nishers for who would walk away with the title and the top prize worth more than half of a million dollars. 2019 WPT Montreal second-place fi nisher Dapo Ajayi emerged victorious, defeating Viet Vo to secure a $558,610 payday. Ajayi earned 1,368 as the champion, which was enough to move him into 57th place despite not having any prior cashes in 2021. Vo took home $372,415 and 1,140 points for his fi nish, matching his runner-up showing at WPT Choctaw in 2018. It was also his fourth fi nal table of the year. Vo secured a small score in January to get on the board before fi nishing third in the SHRPO WPT Poker Showdown $3,500 main event for $593,140 and 1,080 points in May. Just a few weeks later, he took down the $1,100 buy-in Summer Series main event at Prime Social Club to add another $229,200 and 960 points. With this collection of deep runs in major events, Vo has climbed into seventh place in the overall standings. He has accumulated 3,190 total points so far, with nearly $1.2 million in earnings up to this point in 2021.

TUAN MAI MAKES HIS 15TH FINAL TABLE OF THE YEAR

ere are only three players that have made 15 or more POY-qualifi ed Tuan Mai fi nal tables so far in 2021: Ali Imsirovic (18), Sean Perry (15), and Tuan Mai (15). While Imsirovic and Perry have almost exclusively found success in high-stakes, small-fi eld high rollers, Mai’s 15 fi nal-table fi nishes have come in events with an average fi eld size of 482 entries! In fact, more than half of Mai’s fi nal tables have come in events with 300 or more entries. His most recent deep run saw him fi nish fi fth from a fi eld of 1,399 entries in the DeepStack Championship Poker Series $400 buy-in $250,000 guaranteed no-limit hold’em event at e Venetian. Mai earned $20,500 and 160 POY points, increasing his totals to $334,202 in year-to-date earnings and 2,706 points. As a result, he maintained his hold on 11th place in the rankings.

018_POY.indd 19 8/19/21 11:14 AM Tournaments - Circuit results TOURNAMENT RESULTS

David Yonnotti Event Player Payout (POY) WPT Choctaw 1. Nicholas Pupillo $42,183 (365) 2. Martin Grivich $26,098 (304) Choctaw Durant, OK 3. Sam Kim $19,142 (243) 4. Weldon Thompson $14,235 (182) $350 NLHE 5. Yordanos Mebrahtu $10,729 (152) July 21 Entries: 707 6. Chase Bricker $8,195 (122) Prizepool: $205,737 7. Julio Marines $6,341 (91) 8. James Lukens $4,971 (61) 9. Thomas McCann $3,946 (30)

© Venetian © Dapo Ajayi Event Player Payout (POY) DeepStack 1. David Yonnotti $63,739 (480) Championship 2. Xinliang Xu $57,036 (400) Poker Series 3. Khamar $49,234 (320) Venetian Xaythavone Las Vegas, NV 4. Kym Possible $48,355 (240) 5. David Gelley $36,377 (200) $600 NLHE July 15-18 6. Michael Thach $34,069 (160) $200,000 GTD 7. Eric Salazar $15,559 (120) Entries: 1,096 8. Sungwood Tae $11,947 (80) Prizepool: $555,672 9. Robert Natividad $9,724 (40) © WPT Event Player Payout (POY) DeepStack 1. Robert Georato $67,715 (420) Event Player Payout (POY) Championship 2. Derek Gomez $44,903 (350) WPT Choctaw 1. Dapo Ajayi $558,610 (1368) Poker Series 3. Sebastien Grax $31,513 (280) 2. Viet Vo $372,415 (1140) Venetian 4. Kyle Chang $23,019 (210) Choctaw 3. Albert Calderon $275,085 (912) Las Vegas, NV Durant, OK 5. Pfizer Jordan $17,053 (175) 4. Hunter Cichy $205,330 (684) $600 NLHE 6. Henrieto Acain $12,741 (140) $3,700 NLHE 5. Will Nguyen $154,885 (570) July 23-27 July 22-25 7. Noah Jellie $9,661 (105) 6. Michael Perrone $118,090 (456) $150,000 GTD $1,000,000 GTD 8. Benjamin Ector $7,360 (70) Entries: 642 Entries: 964 7. Terry Presley $91,010 (342) Prizepool: $324,210 9. Estrella Lim $5,674 (35) Prizepool: $3,272,780 8. Joseph Crowley $70,910 (228) 9. Zac Abbott $55,860 (114) Event Player Payout (POY) DeepStack 1. Mehdi Anooshahr $66,000 (384) Event Player Payout (POY) Championship 2. Denzel White $44,758 (320) MSPT Colorado 1. Juan Perez $44,079 (365) Poker Series 3. Paul Radford $44,757 (256) 2. James Callanan $36,087 (304) Bally’s Venetian 4. Kevin Wang $27,000 (192) Black Hawk, CO 3. Jeff Heiberg $34,797 (243) Las Vegas, NV 5. Tuan Mai $20,500 (160) 4. Cy Church $18,862 (182) $360 NLHE 6. Francis Anderson $15,500 (128) 5. Vince Moscati $14,371 (152) $400 NLHE Aug 4-8 July 27-Aug 1 8. Terry Fleischer $9,500 (64) $150,000 GTD 6. Clayton Ruff $11,078 (122) $250,000 GTD 9. Kiarash Mirkia $7,500 (32) Entries: 998 7. Brian Beck $8,683 (91) Entries: 1,399 Prizepool: $299,400 Prizepool: $468,665 8. Matthew Ludiker $6,587 (61) 9. Barbara Visher $5,389 (30)

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020_TournamentResults.indd 20 8/19/21 11:15 AM Tournaments

Jeffrey Trudeau Event Player Payout (POY) SHR Poker Open 1. Chris Brewer $420,670 (306) 2. Sean Winter $394,130 (255) Hard Rock Hollywood, FL 3. Cary Katz $209,520 (204) 4. Sean Perry $139,680 (153) $50,000 NLHE Aug 4-5 Entries: 24 Prizepool: $1,164,000

Event Player Payout (POY) SHR Poker Open 1. Bin Weng $99,142 (480) 2. Frank Funaro $95,363 (400) Hard Rock 3. Aaron Massey $85,020 (320) Event Player Payout (POY) Hollywood, FL 4. Matthew Waxman $37,320 (240) SHR Poker Open 1. Jeffrey Trudeau $352,200 (660) $2,200 NLHE 5. Sebastien Grax $28,800 (200) 2. Jordan Flaschner $224,935 (550) Aug 5 Hard Rock $200,000 GTD 6. Anton Kutsenko $23,850 (160) Hollywood, FL 3. Lunique Petiote $166,440 (440) Entries: 300 7. Sean Davidson $20,040 (120) 4. Robyn Marshman $135,530 (330) Prizepool: $600,000 $600 NLHE 8. Justin Saliba $16,470 (80) 5. Sergio Giha $107,000 (275) July 29-Aug 1 Zhuang Ruan $1,000,000 GTD 6. Damjan Radanov $83,220 (220) Entries: 4,529 7. Roland Wakim $60,395 (165) Prizepool: $2,377,725 8. Joe Ebanks $42,085 (110) 9. Daniyal Gheba $27,740 (55)

Event Player Payout (POY) SHR Poker Open 1. Joseph Rossi $138,887 (528) 2. Robert Gregory $123,193 (440) Hard Rock Hollywood, FL 3. Pablo Ortiz $122,222 (352) 4. Don Flynn $111,641 (264) $400 NLHE Event Player Payout 5. Patrick $56,270 (220) July 22-25 Capozziello SHR Poker Open 1. Zhuang Ruan $562,600 (306) $500,000 GTD 2. Dan Smith $351,625 (255) Entries: 3,730 6. Allan Maloney $41,295 (176) Hard Rock Prizepool: $1,249,550 7. Jerry Robinson $29,925 (132) Hollywood, FL 3. Cary Katz $225,040 (204) 8. Yaroslav $23,765 (88) 4. Giuseppe Iadisernia $154,715 (153) $50,000 NLHE Nakonechnyy 5. Sean Perry $112,520 (128) Aug 5-6 9. Joe Lachkovich $17,845 (44) Entries: 29 Prizepool: Event Player Payout (POY) $1,406,500 SHR Poker Open 1. Neal Corcoran $76,020 (600) Event Player Payout (POY) 2. Courtney Webb $52,215 (500) SHR Poker Open 1. Matthew Sabia $155,515 (216) Hard Rock 3. Scott Baumstein $34,855 (400) Hollywood, FL 2. Sergi Reixach $97,200 (180) 4. Victor Choupeaux $23,045 (300) Hard Rock 3. Dan Smith $62,210 (144) $1,100 NLHE 5. Daniel Colpoys $17,740 (250) Hollywood, FL Aug 4 4. Giuseppe Iadisernia $42,770 (108) 6. Fred Goldberg $14,695 (200) $15,000 NLHE $100,000 GTD 5. Christopher Fitzgerald $31,105 (90) Entries: 385 7. Juan Arango $12,305 (150) Aug 8-9 Prizepool: $373,450 Gonzalez Entries: 27 8. Casey Hatmaker $10,015 (100) Prizepool: $388,800

Visit CardPlayer.com for the world’s most accurate tournament database, including upcoming daily and series schedules, more than 400,000 player profiles, and over 1.6 million results and counting. Contact [email protected] for more information. © Seminole Hard Rock

020_TournamentResults.indd 21 8/19/21 12:25 PM Tournaments FIRST SEGMENT OF 2021 WSOP ONLINE AWARDS 33 GOLD BRACELETS More Than $18.2 Million In Prize Money Paid Out In July Series

By Erik Fast

month of July. 2016 Card Player Player of the Year award winner David Peters secured his third career bracelet by taking down the largest buy-in event of the month, which was the $7,777 buy-in no-limit hold’em high roller. He pocketed $283,940 as the champion, which was the biggest top prize awarded during the Nevada and New Jersey events. Peters’ first bracelet at the WSOP was in a $1,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em event in 2016, earning $412,557 after top- ping a field of 1,860 entries. He locked up his second bracelet during the 2020 WSOPO, emerging victorious from a 128-entry field in the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em heads-up championship with $360,480. e 34-year-old now has $36,559,592 in career tournament earnings to his name, which is good for sixth on poker’s all-time money list. More than $4.9 million of that has come in WSOP bracelet events. ere were five more players who were able to pick up their second bracelet. 2013 WSOP Asia-Pacific $1,100 AUD accumulator event winner Bryan Piccioli took down the e first-ever World Series of Poker Online was held $500 turbo deepstack no-limit hold’em tournament on July in 2020, taking the place of the indefinitely postponed 12 for $83,332. 2018 $1,500 no-limit hold’em bounty event live WSOP festival which is typically held in Las Vegas winner Ryan Leng came out on top in this year’s $1,000 during the summer. Nearly $175 million in prize money freezeout event for another $108,654 score. was awarded across 85 bracelet events, with over 283,000 2020 WSOPO $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em freezeout entries made throughout the series. champion Allen Chang defeated a field of 498 entries in the e online-only series was likely conceived as just a $600 buy-in pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better six-max event, temporary solution, but the runaway success of the new banking $61,394 while adding bracelet number two to the approach led WSOP organizers to run it back this year. mantlepiece. Bradley Ruben won his first bracelet in the e 2021 WSOP Online has a total of 74 gold bracelet 2020 WSOPO $1,500 pot-limit Omaha event. He locked events on the schedule. e first 33 bracelets were awarded up number two by winning the $600 buy-in six-max PLO on US-facing online site WSOP.com throughout the month event, outlasting a field of 551-entries to cash for $69,148. of July, with play open to those 21 years or older who were WPT main event champion and online tournament physically located within the borders of Nevada or New legend Chris Moorman was the final player to secure his Jersey while in action. second bracelet during this segment of the WSOPO. e A total of 27,134 entries were recorded during this seg- British poker pro was once the top-ranked player on the ment of the WSOPO, with more than $18 million in prize internet, and is still among the top 10 on PocketFives’ all- money paid out along the way. Turnout for the Nevada time money list with more than $18.7 million in online and New Jersey events was lower this year when compared cashes. with the 44,229 entries and more than $26 million in Moorman won his initial bracelet in the 2017 $3,000 prize money awarded in the 31 events of the 2020 domes- buy-in no-limit hold’em six-max event. It seems only fitting tic WSOPO series. But then again, the appetite for online that his second came in an online bracelet event. e $800 poker was at an all-time high during the pandemic when no-limit hold’em eight-max turbo deepstack drew a field of most brick-and-mortar cardrooms were closed. 623 entries, and Moorman was the last man standing to Bracelet Hunting Season Begins earn $102,406 and the gold. With no multi-event winners through the first leg of Notable first-time bracelet winners crowned during the WSOPO, there were 33 different players who came the month included 2019 European Poker Tour Monte away with a piece of the coveted hardware. While most Carlo main event winner Manig Loeser ($600 NLH of those were earning their first taste of gold, a number of ‘Monsterstack’ - $104,313), inking Poker Daily pod- the game’s top stars added to their collections during the cast co-host Carlos Welch ($888 NLH ‘Crazy Eights’

22 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

022_WSOP_Feature.indd 22 8/19/21 11:15 AM Tournaments

Dan Buzgon David Peters © WPT

Dan Sindelar Jeff Madsen © WPT

- $124,369), rising tournament star Justin Saliba ($5,300 another $126,882 in the second. e winners of those two NLH freezeout - $253,800), and popular poker Twitch high roller events, Justin Saliba ($256,000) and Sang Lee streamer Justin Lapka ($400 NLH eight-max - $75,371). ($251,000) are the other players to surpass the quarter- Other winners included WSOP Circuit ring winner James million in earnings mark for the series. Gilbert ($1,000 NLH ‘North American Open’ - $137,570), Four-time bracelet winner Jeff Madsen was the player 2019 PCA $25,000 high roller champ Martin Zamani who racked up the most in-the-money finishes during the ($888 PLO ‘Crazy Eights’ - $92,598), and 2020 WSOP series, cashing 17 times for $41,779. ere was a four-way $10,000 main event fourth-place finisher Ryan Hagerty tie for the next-most cashes, with two-time bracelet winner ($500 NLH turbo - $67,207). and three-time WPT champion Anthony Zinno, bracelet Dan Sindelar rounds out the list of accomplished players winner Yueqi Zhu, bracelet winner Ryan Depaulo, and that won their first bracelets. e 2014 WSOP main event Qinghai Pan all making the money 15 times each. seventh-place finisher beat out a field of 2,024 entries in the Putting The ‘World’ In World Series of Poker series-ending $500 buy-in no-limit hold’em ‘Grand Finale’ e WSOP Online consists of three unique segments to secure the top prize of $159,100. is was Sindelar’s sec- this year. e first to kick off was the Nevada and New ond podium finish of the month, having placed runner-up Jersey leg that ran from July 1 through Aug. 1. e rest of in event no. 12 earlier in the series for $51,527. He totaled the 74 total online bracelets to be handed out will take place $223,000 in earnings across nine cashes throughout July. between Aug. 1 and Sept. 12. Series-Long Standouts For the first time ever, a WSOP gold bracelet will be e event winners weren’t the only players to put togeth- awarded in a US state outside of Nevada and New Jersey. er incredible runs in recent weeks. A number of players had A total of eight bracelets are up for grabs Aug. 8 – 15 a massive series despite not capturing a title. Felix Vandeput on the new WSOP-branded online poker room serving made four final tables during the series, the most of any Pennsylvania. player. He accumulated over $221,000 as a result. Seven e third and largest part of the series will take place other players managed three final-table showings, including on international-facing GGPoker, with 33 bracelets events Alex Foxen, Martin Zamani, Michael Dyer, Ryan Laplante, from Aug. 1 - Sept. 12. e single largest event of any of John Riordan, Michael Holtz, and Mark Liedtke. Another the online offerings will be the $20 million guaranteed, 30 players made two final tables. $5,000 buy-in main event that is set to run from Aug. 29 David Peters ended up with the most earnings after through Sept. 5. the 33 events were finished thanks to his win in the larg- e inaugural running of this tournament featured a est buy-in tournament of the series. Daniel Buzgon placed $25 million guarantee, which was surpassed when 5,802 second with more than $278,000 banked during the series. entries built a final prize pool of $27,559,500. Stoyan Most of that money came from a pair of runner-up fin- Madanzhiev earned $3,904,685 as the eventual champion. ishes in the two $3,200 buy-in events on the Nevada and Make sure to keep an eye out for Card Player’s ongoing New Jersey schedule. He earned $149,386 in the first and coverage of the WSOP Online in the coming months. m

022_WSOP_Feature.indd 23 8/19/21 11:15 AM poker Strategy

Head Games With Ryan Hagerty, Corey Paggeot, and Conrad Simpson Mental Toughness: Dealing With Downswings And Bad Beats

By Craig Tapscott

The Pros: Ryan Hagerty, important to dive deeper. some time to yourself to deriving confidence from Corey Paggeot, and You should closely exam- do something totally not your growth as a player Conrad Simpson ine your game, as it’s hard poker related. and human, rather than Craig Tapscott: When to play your A-game when Corey Paggeot: As play- any given result. you go through a tough losing a lot of money. ers get more and more I personally have found downswing and variance I generally try not to familiar with poker strat- it helpful to frame down- isn’t working in your favor, let it affect my personal egy, the game’s zero-sum swings (and hardships in how do you stay confident life, but there can be times nature, and start to better- general) as opportunities in your game? where you don’t really conceptualize how edges to take a deep look inward Ryan Hagerty: It can want to go out and do any- will be realized over the and redirect my focus to definitely be hard to main- thing. You lose that pep in course of a lifetime, they things inside my control. tain confidence during a your step. e best way for realize that losing, some- is often means setting downswing. Naturally you me to get over downswings times for an extended aside additional time to start to question yourself is to step back, maybe take stretch, is simply inevi- review past hands, simu- a lot, and that can in turn one to three days off and table. late future ones, or con- lead to bad decisions. just not think about it. Your options become: sume training content e best way to be For the majority of my run hotter (good luck!), in order to shore up dif- able to regain that confi- career, I have handled los- quit playing entirely (not ferent parts of my strat- dence is to look back at ing very well, but there always the worst choice), egy. Beyond that, I try the hands you’ve played are times where you can or strap yourself in and to reflect on the state of during that period and see start getting anxious while find a way to endure the my overall mindset and where mistakes are being playing. When that hap- entirety of the sweet vari- address any concerns or made. Too often people pens, it is best to step ance around which our distractions in my person- just think they are sim- back and find the balance game is built. is requires al life which may lead to ply running bad, which in time with family and developing and maintain- costly, unforced mistakes obviously could very well friends. Step away from ing a healthy relationship when the deck is already be true. But I think it is the tables, or even just take with losing, as well as stacked against me.

24 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

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Conrad Simpson Corey Paggeot Ryan Hagerty © Corey Paggeot © Venetian © © WPT

Of course, this is more handle adversity. I’ve per- poker started playing in $5 a $50k downswing play- easily said than done. It sonally found that both kitchen games. e tran- ing online in both MTTs requires some things in life and poker, you can sition from those games and cash. It was devastat- that may not come eas- never go wrong if you start to then hosting a $1-$2 ing, but at that point, the ily, including but not lim- with some honest self- game, to then dealing online world was new to ited to a willingness to reflection, an open mind, mid-high stakes private me, and I just kept believ- acknowledge when there’s and unwavering willing- games in the north New ing in myself day in and room for improvement, ness to work hard. e Jersey/NYC area basically day out. Looking back, I access to good informa- process of learning to put happened overnight. should have spent a lot tion, and sometimes, a lot careful consideration into All within staking play- more of my time off the of buy-ins. every poker decision lends ers nightly, gambling red/ table studying. Now, I find ankfully, I’ve been itself well to being able black on run outs, play- navigation to balance from extremely fortunate to be to do the same with your ing in the games, I had talking to my poker circle able to work with, learn real-world decisions. quite the knack for finding of friends about hand his- from, and befriend some Conrad Simpson: When ways to lose every night. tories and situations that of the brightest minds experiencing a down- It’s actually quite impres- arise in the game. in the game early in my swing, the weight that sive considering if I would Craig Tapscott: When a young career. To receive develops on life and your have just dealt five days a bad beat comes at a crucial trusted advice, direction, game can be astronomi- week in these games, I was point in an event, how do and support from those cal. You can literally be clearing a million per year, you deal with it? And how who have successfully nav- doing everything close to no sweat. do you regain your com- igated unique-but-similar correctly (normally not Waking up after losing posure and make sure you paths is invaluable when my case) and yet for two $500-$2,500 each night play your best game? it comes to keeping confi- months straight, wake up can be painful, especially Ryan Hagerty: Obviously dence levels high in both every morning feeling like since I would be starting it is super frustrating when poker and in life. you got hit by a Mack with zero again. ere was this happens. I’m not going The financial pres- truck - just to do it all over no getting back to balance to sit here and say I’ve never sure of downswings could again that day. Poker is a in this situation. I took punted off following a bad sometimes mean you’re brutal game. some years away from the beat, but it is pretty rare forced to move down For me, navigating game to attend to personal for me. e way I see it in stakes, sell action, or through downswings is matters and restarted my is, you know these things replenish your bankroll more just understanding journey four years later. will happen. You are bound elsewhere; all of which I’ve that you’re going to lose Looking back, the swings I to take bad beats in cru- done in the past and are more often than you win experienced and witnessed cial spots, but the way you incredibly common occur- in MTT poker. is is just in those games condi- respond is key. Similar to rences across all levels of how the cookie crumbles. tioned me to become com- a quarterback throwing an poker. I learned to disconnect fortable with the amount interception, you just have e approach you take myself from the results, of risk necessary to have to have short term memory to digging yourself out of and just started to look at success in poker today. and keep grinding as if that a downswing will teach everything as a learning Last year, from June didn’t happen and accept you a lot about yourself experience. to October (including the that it is part of the game. as a person and how you My journey through WSOP Online), I went on I recommend for play-

024_Strategy.indd 25 8/19/21 11:18 AM poker Strategy

ers not to worry about how to continue to play your than making our best Jersey. In 2020, he finished many chips you would game as if that didn’t even decisions in the next hand fourth in the WSOP domestic have had if you won the happen. we play. main event for nearly $400,000. hand. In the 2020 WSOP Corey Paggeot: I think After the fact, take Most recently, he won his first main event where I fin- an ability to handle bad comfort in knowing you career gold bracelet in the 2021 ished fourth place, there beats like a true profes- made a profitable invest- WSOP Online series. You can was a specific hand where I sional boils down to a ment that will show return find him on Twitter lost A-K to K-Q with three combination of things. over the long-term, and @Hags_Ryan. tables left on day two. If e only way to set that you’d do it again. I had won that hand, I truly reasonable expecta- Conrad Simpson: I Corey Paggeot moved to Las would have had a massive tions for just how often our don’t take the bad beats Vegas in 2017 to play poker chip lead with more than hands actually should win so seriously. Seven years professionally. The Muskegon, twice second place. is by having a fundamen- ago I lost my mom and Michigan native put together After losing the hand I tal understanding of the best friend to cancer, and quite a summer, winning his still remained top five in relationship between pot I inherited a child. So, to second WSOP Circuit ring while chips though. I just told odds and hand equities. me, I don’t really care what also finishing runner-up and myself that these things is may seem remedial, the river brings. third in WSOP Online events. happen and that I’m still but once armed with that When the beats inevi- Follow his poker journey on in a good position to make knowledge, any remaining tably come, self-inflict- Twitter and Instagram a run at this. I had to hurdles are strictly emo- ed or not, I usually just @CoreyPaggeot. keep grinding and put that tional. laugh it off. Especially if hand behind me. My biggest advice for I’m still in the tourna- Conrad Simpson also lives in When players lose sig- surfing on the waves of ment, it’s just whatever to Las Vegas and works with the nificant pots in big time variance is just to remain me. You don’t get these Solve for Why Academy run by spots, they tend to try too present. What’s done is moments back in life, so Matt Berkey. He is originally hard to win pots following done, and each new hand you have to appreciate the from Coram, New York. He won the hand and stop letting brings a new problem to situation you’re in and a WSOP Circuit ring in 2019, the game come to them. solve. Since we can’t go move forward. and this summer he made two Of course, in my years of back and change what final tables in the WSOP Online playing I’ve done this too, happened, our focus is Ryan Hagerty is a professional series. He can be found on but it is super important wasted on anything other poker player residing in New Twitter @conrads411.

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP e fi nal event of the 2021 PokerGO Cup featured the largest buy-in of the series, with 23 entries made in 2021 PokerGO Cup the $100,000 event resulting in a $2.3 million prize pool. e fi nal four players were all in the money, with $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller at least $230,000 locked up, but there was a lot left to play for. Daniel Negreanu had extra incentive to survive at least one more pay jump. With a third-place Cary Katz Daniel Negreanu fi nish or higher, Negreanu would lock up the Player of 1,270,000 Chips 515,000 Chips the Series award, which came with $50,000 in added prize money. Negreanu’s situation was made all the A K A 8 tougher to navigate due to the fact that Sean Winter Winning Percentage Winning Percentage had just fi ve big blinds in front of him when this hand Before Flop: 72.0% Before Flop: 23.0% was dealt. Cary Katz, who was comfortably in second

After Flop: 15.0% chip position, raised as the fi rst to act with A-K. A K 8 After Flop: 82.0% A After Turn: 16.0% Negreanu defended A-8 off suit from the big blind with After Turn: 84.0% just under 13 big blinds in his stack. e pair checked it down to the river, which brought the Ap to give both players top pair. Negreanu had 395,000 left behind PREFLOP on the river and checked for a third time. Katz moved all-in into the pot of 220,000, having Negreanu well covered. Negreanu shared some of his thought process With four players remaining and blinds of 20,000-40,000 and a big out loud, saying, “You checked, checked, checked… blind ante of 40,000, Cary Katz raised to 80,000 from under the gun. now the ace comes off and you just go bonkers.” He Daniel Negreanu called from the big blind. went on to list a few of Katz’s potential bluff s. “K-J, Q-J, 9-8…. that’s not enough,” continued Negreanu. He then pondered whether or not his opponent would make this river shove for value with a worse hand. “Ace what? Would you go all-in with A-7? Nope, don’t 10 6 5 4 A have A-7 either. is is bad, a really bad spot for me,” concluded Negreanu. Katz might have more leeway FLOP

TURN

RIVER than normal to get out of line, given Negreanu’s added

4 A 6 5 10 incentives to outlast the very short-stacked Winter. Negreanu eventually made the big laydown, preserving his last 10 or so big blinds. e very next hand he was Negreanu checked in the Negreanu and Negreanu checked. rewarded for his good fold with pocket aces. He got all-in against the pocket eights of Sam Soverel, but an dark, and Katz checked Katz both Katz moved all-in, and eight on the turn sent Negreanu to the rail in fourth behind. checked again. Negreanu folded. place ($230,000).

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

26 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

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Shi s In Poker Strategy With Jonathan Tamayo Longtime Pro Breaks Down Hands From 2010 To Illustrate How The Game Has Changed By Steve Schult

In the nearly two decades since poker experienced a boom thanks to Chris Moneymaker’s historicWorld Series of Poker main event victory in 2003, the strategy surrounding the game has evolved at a pace never seen before. With online poker jumping into the mainstream, the game’s best players were able to see more hands faster than ever, developing more complex strategies to win. Bet sizing, aggression levels, and even something as basic as preflop hand selection has changed drastically since poker’s popularity exploded. Jonathan Tamayo’s career as a poker pro was spawned in the wake of the boom and he’s been at the front line of strategy evo- lution over the course of nearly two decades on both the virtual and brick-and-mortar felt. With live tournament cashes dating back to 2006, Tamayo racked up more than $2 million in earnings, and another seven fig- ures from online poker under the screen name “driverseati.” This past summer, the Texas native won the $1,100 no-limit hold’em at the Wynn Summer Classic in Las Vegas for $237,935 and then finished fifth in the $1,100Mid-States Poker Tour Venetian main event for another $107,694 less than a week later. Card Player sat down with the Cornell University graduate to break down a couple of hands from the 2010WPT Legends of Poker main event to help illustrate some changes in strategy.

The Hand raising became a thing. It all stemmed from people overfolding Q J 9 7 their big blind too much. At the time, min-raising felt kind of wrong to me. It felt like I wasn’t going to get enough folds. So,

I just min-raised and added an ante.

Q J 7 9 It was a completely arbitrary number, but it got me closer to what was optimal. A min-raise, 2.2x, 2.3x, 2.4x are all about Jared Jaffee Kyle Wilson Tom Braband 720,000 3,400,000 1,570,000 the same thing though. It’s not until you get to 2.6 or 2.7x where you start to go wrong. All the good players were doing it, but nobody really knew J 7 4 7 K why. You get to have a wide range, which is ﬁ ne, but you were

able to show much more of a proﬁ t because calling ranges

J 4 7 K 7 were inelastic. Nobody understood that you had to call more against smaller sizes. is worked a lot better then, than it does now. Blinds – 25,000-50,000 with a 5,000 ante SS: Jared Jaff ee, who would go on to win a WPT event and Players Remaining: 5 a WSOP bracelet, called the raise out of the small blind on a 14-big blind stack. is seems like it should be a shove-or-fold spot against an open. Is that accurate? The Action: Tom Braband raised to 100,000 on the button JT: It’s just so hard to balance. It has to be shove or fold and Jared Jaff ee called out of the small blind. Kyle Wilson there. defended his big blind, and the three players saw the fl op of SS: Is there any merit to calling? Could there be a hand or Jm 7n 4p. Action checked around and the turn was the 7o. a scenario where it could make sense? Jaff ee checked, and Wilson bet 200,000. Braband called, and JT: Maybe aces or kings. Maybe some of the top end of your Jaff ee check-raised all in. Wilson called and Braband folded. range. It’s just so hard to execute well. In the big blind, you e river was the Km. can defend a lot of things. In the small blind, not so much. e big blind is just incentivized based on the price he’s get- Steve Schult: Tom was one of the better online players from ting to come in with more hands. at’s not ideal for Jared in this era and he opened the pot with a min-raise on the button. this spot. Was it the online players that started this trend? SS: What is a reasonable shoving range for Jared in this Jonathan Tamayo: It was right around 2010 when min- spot?

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Jared Jaffee Kyle Wilson Tom Braband might just check this through and try to get to showdown. SS: e turn pairs the seven and Jared checks. Kyle then bets 200,000 and Tom calls. JT: At this point, if you’re Tom, you have to have some showdown value to call here. You’re probably only calling 8-8 through 10-10 and will likely fold the river. You could maybe call some A-K combinations, but I’m not the biggest fan of it here because this board crushes the other two players. Underpairs like 2-2 or 3-3 should get folded.

© WPT If he checked back the fl op with A-7, he should probably just call. You need to JT: Q-J off suit can be in there. All the suited aces at the very protect your 8-8 through 10-10 with some 7-X. I would lean least. You would knock off some of the worse off suit aces like towards calling a lot. You also have Jared behind, so you need A-2, A-3, A-4. You would shove 4-4 or 5-5 or better here. All to put some 7-X in your calling range. the suited broadways, K-9 or K-8 suited. SS: Jared ends up check-raising all in and Kyle calls. Jared at’s assuming the button is opening a fairly wide range. fl opped top pair and Kyle turned trip sevens. What are your Otherwise, you could knock off some of the worse hands in thoughts on Jared’s turn play? that range like K-8 or K-9 suited. JT: Jared just has to bet the turn and see what happens. You SS: From an ICM perspective, does it make it a better shove can’t let this check through twice. If you get raised, you can for Jared since he would be shoving as the shortest stack into decide there. You can’t let it check through twice when you’re the second shortest stack? this short and the chips are more valuable. Sometimes you just JT: If you’re the short stack, it doesn’t change much. Tom need to deny equity. And the best way to deny equity is to has to be more careful, so it does give you a little more fold shove all in prefl op. equity. But it’s going to be so insignifi cant that it doesn’t matter It also illustrates why it’s important to be mostly three- much. Plus, busting Jared would give him a pay jump, so he’s betting from the small blind. Some people play hands as a incentivized to call more even though he is the second-shortest call from that spot, but it’s hard to do. It’s not easy to execute stack, so your fold equity might even go down. a complex strategy, so three-betting is a way to simplify the You might have to shove even tighter. Maybe even knock strategy. out 5-5 from your shoving range. Or maybe some of the worse aces like A-6 or A-7 off suit since you are going to need to have The Hand a decent amount of showdown value. SS: Kyle Wilson is in the big blind with almost 70 big 6 5 blinds.

JT: He’s going to be defending wide. He’s going to be calling

5 even with a hand like 9-3 suited. Pretty much all your suited 6 hands are going to defend here. You can even squeeze liberally if you conclude that Jared is highly capped. Andy Frankenberger Kyle Wilson If Jared is highly capped, and this is his other problem, you 2,585,000 4,410,000 can give Kyle a giant squeeze spot. I don’t know exactly how 7 5 3 2 Q wide to go, but you can get pretty liberal actually. You can put

a lot of ICM pressure as Kyle in the big blind on Tom, because 7 3 2 Q

Tom can’t get out of line at all. Tom would have to fold hands 5 as strong as 6-6 and A-10 in this spot. SS: e fl op is J-7-4 rainbow and action checks through. I thought 2010 was the year of the 100% continuation bet. Blinds – 25,000-50,000 with a 5,000 ante JT: is type of board favors the blinds more than the Players Remaining: 4 prefl op raiser. ey have a lot more J-X, as opposed to A-7-4, which would just crush the button’s range. So, the fl op is just The Action: Kyle Wilson raised to 110,000 on the button more accessible to the blinds and it’s a three-way pot. and Andy Frankenberger defended his big blind. On the If Jared has any pair here and you bet, he’s probably going fl op of 7p 5o 3o, Frankenberger led out for 175,000 and with it. Jared could call too, but that would let the big blind Wilson called. e turn was the 2o and Frankenberger bet come along at a good price and you run into the same problem 175,000. Wilson called and the river was the Qo. Once again, he had before. Frankenberger bet 175,000, and Wilson called. SS: What types of hands should Tom bet in this spot? JT: All of his jacks, some of his good 7-X holdings. He SS: With just over a min-raise and a call prefl op from two probably checks 8-8, 9-9 and 10-10. He should be betting players with very deep stacks, there isn’t much to talk about one or two overcards with a backdoor fl ush draw. A hand like prefl op. But the hand gets interesting when Frankenberger Q-10 suited might want to bet here for a small size. ere’s not decides to lead into the raiser on the fl op. is wasn’t done very much. If you have A-K high with no backdoor fl ush draw, you much back then. Why?

28 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

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Kyle Wilson vs. Andy Frankenberger © WPT JT: Against a 100% continuation-bet strategy, this isn’t great. You should be check-calling or check-raising because you shut out your opponent’s bluffs. You’ll make more money if you don’t lead. If they start checking back, like players do now, then leading here is fine. is board hits the big blind a lot harder than the button. So you can lead large. SS: Frankenberger led for about 80% of the pot. Is that large enough? JT: Yes, that’s large enough. Don’t start leading for 40% of the pot. at defeats the purpose. at’s going to cost you a lot of money in the long run. SS: If you saw this flop, or another flop that could be advan- fold out some better hands. tageous to the big blind, are you going to take your whole SS: e river is a fourth diamond and Frankenberger once range and bet or are you going to split it up into some checks again bets 175,000. and some leads? JT: is just isn’t going to work. It’s a complete block bet JT: You can split it up. You can check-call hands like 5-4, and you’re asking to get bluff raised. If you have [the nuts], I 5-6, 3-4, maybe some A-3 with backdoor flush draws. If you guess it could be fine. But even then, you’re just leaving a lot of have a pair and a flush draw, you’re so deep that you could even money on the table in the long run. check-call that too. I don’t think you’ll do anything purely. is sizing allows you to get bluff raised off a marginal You could peel two overcards depending on the bet size. hand, and when you have it, you get called close to 100%, but But in today’s world, with smaller sizes, you get a lot more you still don’t make enough. If you bet half the pot and got of those peels than you did then when everyone was betting called only 50% of the time, you’d still make more. You don’t so much larger. absolutely need the chips here because even when you win the SS: Kyle calls, so what does that do to his range against pot, you’re still fairly deep. So, it’s not like a couple big blinds such a large bet? make a huge ICM swing. JT: He could still be peeling some overcards, although it ere’s just a better way to go about this. Personally, I would be tough given the sizing. Some flush draws are in there, would probably check and try and pick off a bluff here. but some flush draws also raise. He could with 7-7 through SS: Should small river sizings generally be avoided? 10-10. He could even just call with A-A, but this is the prob- JT: No. In spots where you’re polarized, which he should lem for Frankenberger when you’re deep and out of position. be here on the river a little bit, sizings should be larger. You’re Kyle isn’t necessarily capped here. He could still have a lot not so wide for value that you’re going to bet 175,000 again. of good hands on this board. In theory, he could still have It’s a function of the board, the actions prior and what you plenty of bad hands, but I’m not sure you saw much of that might have. in 2010. In today’s game, you could still see a lot of the A-10 type hands or K-J here. I think there was still a lot of fit-or-fold The Result: Frankenberger went on to win the $5,000 buy- play back then. in event for $750,000, which turned out to be the beginning But if the population is still c-betting 100%, you should of sustained poker success for the New Yorker. He later won just take whatever you are going to lead and just check-raise it. two World Series of Poker bracelets and has earned more than SS: Frankenberger bets 175,000 again on the turn when the $3.5 million. flush draw completed. Wilson was the eventual runner-up, picking $370,000 for JT: If you’re going to bet again here, you need to bet large. his efforts. e Canadian player earned $1.02 million over You’re going to have some flush draws when you led out on the the course of a few years but hasn’t cashed in a live event since flop and now the flush draw came. You’re going to put a lot of 2014. one pair hands in a bad spot where a bunch of decisions don’t Braband finished fourth for $109,000 and Jaffee busted in seem desirable. fifth in the hand broken down above for $87,000. Both ended When the card smashes what you’re trying to kind of rep- up as top-tier poker pros, although Braband has been absent resent, you need to start betting larger. You got to put pressure from the tournament world for the last few years. Jaffee, on the on his range. He’s going to have a lot of marginal hands. Even other hand, has $5.2 million in tournament earnings includ- if you have something like 6-5 offsuit, you got to bet large and ing a WPT title and WSOP bracelet. m

024_Strategy.indd 29 8/19/21 11:18 AM poker Strategy

Know How To Check For Value By Jonathan Little

A 6 Hero’s small turn bet does not do much to narrow the button’s range, meaning he should have lots of

busted draws in his river range. The

6 A tough part is knowing whether or not he will bluff in this manner with some portion of those missed draws. Hero Villain Some players will play their value 45,000 45,000 hands and bluffs the same way, betting 15,000 with both types of Q 8 6 2 3 hands. Others will vary their bet sizes, making one bet size with their

bluffs and a different bet size with

Q 6 2 3 8 their value hands. If Hero thinks the button will bet the same size with his entire range, and he will bet with all his Blinds – 800-1,600 with a 1,600 Big Blind Ante bluffs, Hero has an easy call because he only needs to win 23% of the time to break even, based on the This hand from a $500 buy- hands and then apply pressure on pot odds, 15,000/(15,000 + 15,000 in poker tournament illustrates an lots of turns and rivers, Hero should + 36,200) = 23%. If Hero thinks important concept you must master check. If the button will play in a the button will only or mostly bet if you want to succeed at poker. straightforward manner when fac- this size with his value hands, Hero With the blinds at 800-1,600 ing a bet (raising with his premium should fold because he loses to all with a 1,600 big blind ante with hands, calling his marginal hands value hands. 45,000 effective stacks, the button and draws, and folding everything Hero decided to fold and the but- limped in. He’s an unknown player else), Hero should bet. ton showed Jn 9o for a bluff (and a who so far has seemed to be a bit too In general, hands with marginal very optimistic turn call!). splashy and aggressive. amounts of showdown value should Had Hero elected to check either Our Hero in the small blind be checked because if you bet and the flop or turn, he would have been raised to 4,000 with An 6o. get called or raised, you are usually able to see a somewhat cheap show- Assuming Hero wants to raise, in bad shape. down a large portion of the time. Of he should raise larger, perhaps to The button called. The turn was course, the button could have run a 5,000. When facing a raise of only the 2o. Hero bet 8,000 into the sizable bluff, betting all three streets 2,400 on top of his 1,600 limp, the 20,200 pot. (and pushing all-in on the river), but button will call with his entire pre- This is not a great turn bet most players are not willing to risk flop limping range. against most competent players their tournament life on an all-in In general, when you are out of because their calling range will river bluff. position, you want your opponents include only decent made hands that If Hero played this hand a bit to fold. You certainly do not want Hero loses to, as well as draws that more cautiously, he would have won to get action with a junky hand have a lot of equity against Hero’s a medium-sized pot. Instead, he like A-6 offsuit. This should result weak pair. lost a medium-sized pot and got in you using a larger raise size If you instead check, you can eas- exploited by his opponent. that gives your opponent a realistic ily call a bet because the button may opportunity to fold. turn many of his draws into semi- Jonathan Little is The big blind folded and the but- bluffs. Quite often though, the turn a two-time WPT ton called. The flop came Qn 8n will check through, allowing Hero champion with more 6p, giving Hero bottom pair, top to check/call all non-heart rivers. than $7 million in live kicker, plus a backdoor nut flush Checking also takes away the but- tournament earnings, draw. ton’s ability to raise the turn, which best-selling author of Hero bet 4,500 into the 11,200 would force Hero to fold. 15 educational poker books, and 2019 GPI pot. The button called. The river was Poker Personality of the Year. If you want Both betting small and checking the 3m. Hero checks and the button to increase your poker skills and learn to this flop are fine plays. If the but- bet 15,000 into the 36,200 pot. crush the games, check out his training ton will call with a wide range of This is a tough spot because site at PokerCoaching.com/cardplayer.

30 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

024_Strategy.indd 30 8/19/21 11:18 AM poker Strategy

DEUCE TO SEVEN TRIPLE DRAW LOWBALL: LEADING THE TURN PART 1 By Kevin Haney

e turn is the most diﬃcult street to play well in Deuce to Seven Triple Draw (27TD), as it is in all poker games. It’s critical to be aware of the number of cards each player drew on the second draw, as that has a direct impact on both the action and the ranges on the turn. For example, suppose on the second draw you were out of position drawing one, you make an 8-7-5- 4-2, and your turn lead gets raised. Any analysis on how to react to this raise would be impossible without knowing how many cards your opponent drew on the second draw. If villain was drawing two cards, our turn bet was automatic because we were a card ahead and therefore does not necessarily indicate a pat hand. Since we are often drawing or have a weak pat made hand, our

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP WSOP bracelet winner and 2019 Poker Masters 2021 PokerGO Cup champion Sam Soverel came into the ﬁ nal day as the chip leader, and after cracking Daniel Negreanu’s $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller pocket aces and then busting Sean Winter in third place, he looked to be well on his way to securing Sam Soverel Cary Katz the title. Heads-up play began with Soverel holding 1,510,000 Chips more than a 2.5:1 chip lead over Cary Katz. If he 3,090,000 Chips were to come out on top, he would also complete a K 9 K Q buzzer-beating victory in the Player of the Series race, Winning Percentage Winning Percentage edging out Negreanu to earn the added $50,000 in

Before Flop: 23.0% Before Flop: 71.0% prize money as the PokerGO Cup champion. With all

of that, and the $414,000 diff erence between fi rst and K 9 Q After Flop: 87.0% K After Flop: 13.0% After Turn: 84.0% After Turn: 16.0% second in the payouts, Soverel had a lot on the line. He started this hand by limping in with K-9. Katz picked up a dominating K-Q and raised from out of position. PREFLOP Soverel came along and then turned the tables, with a nine-high fl op giving him a big lead in the hand. Katz fi red a continuation bet equal to roughly 55 percent With two players remaining and blinds of 25,000-50,000 and a big blind the size of the pot and Soverel made the call. Katz ante of 50,000, Sam Soverel limped in from the button. Cary Katz raised might have suspected that Soverel’s range, given the to 200,000 from the big blind, and Soverel called. action to this point, would include plenty of one-pair type hands. When the turn brought an overcard to the fl op, which also gave Katz a gutshot straight draw to go along with his two overcards, Katz jumped 9 7 4 10 at an opportunity to bluff . He moved all-in, likely trying to draw folds from 9-X and 7-X holdings. e FLOP

TURN gambit worked, as Soverel laid down his nines with

10 7 4 9 a king kicker fairly quickly. Katz showed the bluﬀ as he raked in the pot to close the gap between the two considerably. Soverel’s lead was cut down to around a Katz bet 250,000, and Katz moved all-in 5:4 chip advantage after the hand. “No one ever said Soverel called. for 1,010,000. winning the Cup was going to be easy,” said Katz Soverel folded. with a smile.

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

024_Strategy.indd 31 8/19/21 11:18 AM poker Strategy

opponent may respond by raising Occasionally, we can check a very We can, however, choose to lead any pat hand. erefore, in this strong made hand and go for a out with our rougher tens, perhaps situation, we would never break the check-raise, but this play should not when we have holdings ranging from 8-7-5-4-2 and re-raising can be con- be made that often. e optimal 10-8-7-5-3 through to 10-9-8-7-5. sidered. time to do this is when we make a e reason why leading out with In contrast, if we were both draw- seven low, our opponent has shown these rougher hands makes sense is ing one, our turn bet wasn’t auto- some tendency to bet some of his one because check/calling and breaking matic and is most often a pat hand. card draws on the turn, and along these holdings is not very appealing Versus a likely pat hand, villain’s the way we have seen mostly aces and and against most opponents we can turn value raising range will be Broadway cards which increase the safely fold to a turn raise. In addition, much tighter, typically an 8-6 low probability of our opponent com- on your good days, it’s possible that or better. pleting a pat hand of his own. your lead may cause villain to break Sometimes our opponent will We should be checking many of either a nine low or a better ten. either raise some 8-7 lows for value our made tens, as a ten low is gen- With a holding such as 10-6-5-3- or possibly some ten lows in an erally an underdog to hold up over 2, we can go either way, but betting attempt to get us to break nine lows, the course of two draws. In addi- this hand is what we should probably but overall we will be raised less tion to putting in a bet with slightly do more often than not. Getting often the times both players drew the worst of it over your opponent’s frozen with 10-6-5-3-2 isn’t as big of one. In this case, our 8-7-5-4-2 is range, some other bad events can a deal as it is with 10-7-4-3-2 since mostly a bluff catcher and we should occur. we can’t make the nuts and due to tend to just call and pat; re-raising is We can get raised by a good the straight draw have fewer outs to off the table. hand or open ourselves up to get- make a seven or an eight. And once As you can see, the action we ting frozen, in which case we would again, a turn lead may cause our should take with our various hold- extinguish both our equity and the opponent to break a nine, which we ings depends heavily on the number possible implied odds of our holding. may completely unblock. of cards each player drew on the sec- For example, if we choose to lead With a decent eight draw under- ond draw, and over the next couple 10-7-4-3-2, our in-position oppo- neath e.g. 10-8-6-3-2; our default of issues focused on turn strategy it nent can just call with his rough should be to check/call and break. will be made very clear what situ- eights and some smooth nines thus Since our opponent may be patting ation is under discussion. In some ensuring him the pot. And this is up to a jack, we are defi nitely getting cases, other factors such as the cards quite a bad result with such a smooth the odds to call. However, initially we have seen and/or earlier action draw underneath. leading with these hands can cre- can play a role in our decision mak- us, with any ten accompanied ate problems. If the turn checks ing and those will also be considered by a premium seven draw under- through, our opponent is almost when applicable. neath; we should check and then always still drawing so we should pat Draws Were 1/1 On Second Draw – break if our opponent bets. If the to maximize our equity. Of course, Hero’s Out Of Position Leading Range turn gets checked through, break- as previously discussed we will arrive When we are out of position, ing may still be the best play even on the river with a relatively face up there really isn’t a good reason to though we know our opponent is hand, but at least we are not forego- lead out unless we have improved almost always still drawing. We are ing the opportunity to make one of to pat hand. If we have a premium breaking off some equity (i.e. reduc- the premium hands when we pat this draw and our opponent is still drawing our win percentage) by draw- specifi c holding. ing, we may miss out on a bet with ing, however, our premium one-card In the next issue, we will examine a small equity advantage, however, draw is still often the favorite and we our turn strategy when our opponent this does not off set the times our can often make up the shortfall on was drawing two, and also address opponent improves to a strong hand the last round of betting. how we should tend to react with and we get raised as a defi nitive Keep in mind, if the turn checks various holdings when we get raised. underdog. In addition, our opponent through and we choose to pat, we is never going to break any pat hand have a reverse implied odds river Kevin Haney is a when he sees we are still drawing. situation with a weak, face-up hold- former actuary of With regards to our pat hands, ing. In addition, when we pat the MetLife but left the we should tend to lead out with any ten, we eliminate the potential to corporate job to focus nine low or better for both value and make a premium hand which will on his passions for protection. While a nine low is not occasionally get some excess action poker and fitness. a monster holding, we are still usu- by a good but second-best hand after He is co-owner of Elite Fitness Club in ally a slight favorite to end up with the last draw. Oceanport, NJ and is a certified personal the best hand over the course of the Being on the right side of coolers trainer. With regards to poker he got his fi nal two draws. While there is only in 27TD isn’t always about being start way back in 2003 and particularly one draw left, we are out of position lucky; some of the decisions we enjoys taking new players interested in and don’t know the outcome of our make will increase our odds of it mixed games under his wing and quickly opponent’s most recent draw, so we occurring. Lastly, when the turn gets making them proficient in all variants. If must consider the probability of our checked through, there is less in the interested in learning more, playing mixed nine holding up on both the second middle to preserve. So breaking off games online, or just saying hello he can and third draw. some equity isn’t that big of a deal. be reached at [email protected].

32 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

024_Strategy.indd 32 8/19/21 11:18 AM Poker Stories Podcast

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

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

www.CardPlayer.com/poker-podcasts

CP_Brand_40_Podcast.indd 3 8/16/21 9:07 PM ANALYSIS & Commentary Poker During And Post Pandemic: ICM

By Steve Zolotow

In the first two parts of this Here is a simplified example of payoffs, calculations get very com- series, I discussed using a HUD ICM decision making that I often plicated. Can you take advantage of (Head Up Display) and Push/Fold use to illustrate this idea. players who are playing too tightly Charts. I know everyone is dying to Assume the following payouts: or too loosely at any stage? read about my play in the US Poker First gets 54, second gets 46 and ICM attempts to quantify how Open, but there are two more tools third gets nothing. The three play- much your strategy should change that must be described, before I can ers have chip stacks of 100, 100 based on stack size and payout get to actual hands. and 1. Both of the players with structure. ICM can be used to Poker is a game of making the 100 obviously want to avoid finish- approximate equities for different right decisions. To make good deci- ing third and getting nothing. The strategies, but it makes assumptions sions, you need as much informa- player with 1 chip is on the button, of equal skill and position that may tion as possible. When you are and the blinds are 5 and 10. The not be accurate. playing online, information about short stack acts first, and folds. You probably already know that your opponents comes from the What should you do if you are the big stack can often jam or make HUD. When you play live (or on a the small blind? If you fold, you a raise that appears to pre-commit site that doesn’t allow HUDs), that will be left with 95, while the him to going all-in and steal the pot information comes from observa- other players will be left with 105 from intermediate stacks that don’t tion and memory. Push/Fold Charts and 1. The short stack will almost want to go broke ahead of the short give you information about what certainly be broke soon. The large stacks. A rough summary of ICM hands should be played at every stack will have an advantage over suggests the shortest stack has to be stack size and position. you, since he’ll be ahead 105 to 95. willing to take chances to survive. Unfortunately, neither of these Suppose, however, you decide Other short stacks may gain from two tools factors in the payout to play chicken, and raise to 50. knocking out a very short stack, but structure. The Independent Chip Now if he folds, you will have 110 will want to avoid tangling with Model (ICM) provides a way to and he will only have 90. But he a big stack. Intermediate stacks factor payouts into your decision may decide to see if you are really always want to avoid the big stack making. committed by jamming over the until small stacks are eliminated. Assuming you want to maximize top. Now if you call, one of you Lastly, we need to look at your earnings and your return on will be in the embarrassing posi- Minimum Defensive Frequencies investment (ROI) in tournaments, tion of getting nothing while the (MDF), and break-even points. it is important to survive to the player with one chip sneaks into Then we will have all the tools we next payout level. There are players second. If you fold, which is almost need to start discussing hands. I whose only goal is to win. They are certainly better than calling, the know all this theory can get boring, willing to follow a strategy designed chip counts will be 150, 50 and 1. but becoming familiar with it is to increase their chance of winning, Now you are a big underdog to fin- necessary if you want to be a win- not one that increases their average ish first, so you should have made a ning player. I promise that hands earnings. Some are rich players who pre-commitment and moved all-in will start in the next column. m are seeking glory not money, others yourself. The other big stack would are players who make large wagers automatically fold. Even if he has Steve ‘Zee’ Zolotow aka on winning. (It is very common for aces, and thinks you have a hand The Bald Eagle or Zebra top players to make bracelet bets at like suited connectors, he will win is a very successful the WSOP, for example.) less than 80% of the time. By call- gamesplayer. He has The first big jump in payouts, ing he increases his chance to win been a full-time gam- known as the money bubble, is the extra first-place payout, but he bler for over 40 years. obviously where payouts begin. In will also get nothing around 20% With two WSOP bracelets, over 60 cashes, a $10,000 buy-in tournament, sur- of the time. His equity is now .8 x and a few million in tournament cashes, viving the bubble is usually worth 54 or 43. he is easing into retirement. He currently $15,000 to $20,000. This means By calling, he will average less devotes most of his Vegas gaming time to you need to play tighter as the than he would get by finishing sec- poker, and can be found in cash games at bubble approaches. But how much ond. It seems hard to believe, but Aria and Bellagio and at tournaments during tighter? Furthermore, how much yes, it is right to fold aces pre-flop the WSOP. When escaping from poker, he do you tighten up as you approach in some very specific situations. spends the spring and the fall in New York other pay jumps? What about at the In real life situations, with a City where he hangs out at his bars: Doc final table? number of players and a variety of Holliday’s, The Library, and DBA.

34 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

034_Anaysis&Commentary.indd 34 8/19/21 11:19 AM ANALYSIS & Commentary

Being Patient Isn’t Just About Folding By Greg Raymer

In the Vol. 34, Issue 15 edition of this magazine, I wrote an article titled Improving Your Patience. The article was then posted online, where it got a lot of attention. And I greatly appreciate the positive feedback I got from many of you! However, I noticed when the article was shared to Facebook, a handful of commentors seemed to sig- nificantly misunderstand what I wrote. That means I wasn’t clear enough, and that it is my fault. • Win chips whenever it is smart to try, but fold and save your chips when playing the hand isn’t the correct move. I made sure to include that in the article, but it seems some readers focused on the portions of the article where I said being patient means sometimes you have to do a lot of folding, saying that I was advocating for a misguided strategy. “If all you do is wait for great hands other players will have a read on you,” one person wrote. “Folding is not the key, you have to play in the moment,” said another. Allow me to make myself more clear. I was never PokerStars/NAPT ©

034_Anaysis&Commentary.indd 35 8/19/21 11:19 AM ANALYSIS & Commentary

advocating a strategy of folding all “weaker” starting opportunity. Being patient means folding even rea- hands, and only playing premium cards. Being patient sonably strong cards, IF you judge that the particular means you don’t start playing hands out of boredom or situation, with those cards, is a losing play. frustration. You can be patient, and still be correct to shove If a situation arises where it is profitable to play 7-2 all-in preflop with a marginal, or even a very weak, offsuit, you should do so. But if the situation is not hand. For example, if it folds to your small blind with profitable to play A-Q, you should still fold, regardless about ten big blinds, and the player in the big blind of how many previous hands you have folded. is somebody who will fold fairly often, you should be One of my greatest strengths playing live poker is going all-in with any two cards. my focus. Just ask people who played with me with So yes, always be patient, and always fold if play- back before the big blind ante took over. If somebody ing the current hand is a losing proposition. But also, hadn’t posted their ante, I almost always noticed. pay attention, consider the entire situation, and play And if the dealer missed it, I pointed it out to them. any hand, even a weak hand, whenever you can profit It was the same thing if a player wasn’t given change, from it. or given incorrect change. Or any of the many other Again, just remember to be dispassionate and hon- nitty little details. est with yourself in your evaluation. It is very easy to I notice these things, because I’m trying to pay let your impatience sway your better judgment. It is attention to every possible detail. That is what permits easy to play a hand in a losing situation, because your me to gauge more accurately how my opponents are boredom and/or frustration has let you fool yourself playing. into thinking the current situation is a profitable one. We have all seen a tight player suddenly loosen up. Have fun, and play smart! m Or a loose player shut down and play tight. Of course, if somebody goes on tilt, they are very unlikely to Greg Raymer is the 2004 WSOP world fold, and much more likely to reraise rather than just champion, winner of numerous major titles, call. You can also judge if an original raiser seems and has more than $7 million in earnings. displeased that somebody called their raise. He recently authored “FossilMan’s Winning If you see this, you might recognize that is a better- Tournament Strategies,” available from D&B than-average opportunity for a squeeze play to work. Publishing, Amazon, and other retailers. He The list goes on, almost endlessly. is sponsored by Blue Shark Optics, YouStake, and ShareMyPair. The point is, being patient does not mean folding To contact Greg please tweet at him using @FossilMan or go to weak cards, even though you have found a profitable www.FossilManPoker.com.

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP In this hand Cary Katz fl opped top and bottom pair 2021 PokerGO Cup against the middle and bottom pair of Sam Soverel. While two pair over two pair on the fl op is certainly $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller a cooler in most any context, it is particularly so given that there were just two players remaining at the Cary Katz Sam Soverel time and the diff erence of several hundred thousand 1,630,000 Chips 2,970,000 Chips dollars between fi nishing fi rst and second in this $100,000 buy-in event. Katz raised with A-8 off suit A 8 Q 8 and Soverel defended his big blind with a suited Q-8. Winning Percentage Winning Percentage Soverel check-raised Katz’s continuation bet after

Before Flop: 70.0% Before Flop: 28.0% ﬂ opping his two pair, likely looking to build a pot

A 8 8 After Flop: 92.0% Q After Flop: 8.0% against Katz’s stronger top pair holdings like A-K and After Turn: 95.0% After Turn: 5.0% A-J. Katz elected to just call with his aces and eights. e turn brought the Km and Soverel bet 350,000 into the pot of 870,000. Katz once again just called, PREFLOP leaving himself with 875,000 while the pot ballooned to 1,570,000. e river brought the 10m, putting four With two players remaining and blinds of 30,000-60,000 and a big cards to a straight on the board. Soverel pumped blind ante of 60,000, Cary Katz raised to 130,000 from the button. Sam the brakes with a check. “Katz called a check-raise Soverel called from the big blind. on the ﬂ op, called [a bet] on the turn... you can’t really feel like there is any way you can keep betting for value on this runout against somebody who has shown a lot of interest in this pot on every street,” A Q 8 K 10 said PokerGO commentator Maria Ho of Soverel’s decision to check. Katz elected to check behind and FLOP

TURN

RIVER took down the sizable pot to move into the lead. Katz

K 10 Q 8 A might have been able to end the hand with an even larger advantage, though, had he taken a diﬀ erent line earlier in the hand. While dragging the pot Katz said, Soverel bet Soverel checked, Soverel checked, and Katz bet “I guess I should have jammed the turn.” Even so, the 350,000, and and Katz checked 75,000. Soverel check-raised to pot gave him a roughly 5:4 chip lead. 275,000. Katz called. Katz called. behind.

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

36 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

034_Anaysis&Commentary.indd 36 8/19/21 11:19 AM ANALYSIS & Commentary

JUMPING OFF THE STRATOSPHERE By Nathan Gamble

After graduating college in 2011, I headed off to the WSOP with my dad. I had convinced him to buy some of my action, which he was happy to do as I had already proven myself to be a good bet. (I was just lacking the bankroll management.) While we were discussing the details of our backing arrangement around the kitchen table, an off-hand prop bet came up that he soon came to regret. For no real reason at all, he said that if either of us made a final table at the WSOP, then the other one would have to jump off the Stratosphere (the bungee-jumping-esk ride, that is) I snap accepted this proposition! I have always been an adrenaline junky with sky diving, bull riding, and other activities. But him? Well, let’s just say he may have walked over a tall bridge once upon a time. It was a lose-lose bet for him since if he reached a final table, I’d happily jump. But if the roles were reversed, he’d either be jumping or paying up to buy his way out. Neither of us took it too seriously at the time, of course. After all, this was the WSOP and neither of us was really going to make it all the way down to the final nine, right? We shared a room at the Rio and my night was spent listening to non-stop snoring as he tossed and turned. (ankfully I didn’t have to worry about contracting Legionnaires disease then. at was reserved for later in our poker careers.) With a woefully small amount of quality sleep in me, I plopped down $1,500 for the pot-limit Omaha event. My heart was pounding so loud that I KNEW everyone else at ducking, dodging, and weaving. No one knew who I was the table could tell I was a WSOP rookie. It was the single (at 21, I barely knew who I was), and it showed in the first largest event I had ever played, my first WSOP event ever, couple of hands that they reported online. Michael Binger and every one of these sharks was licking their chops… or doubled up in a hand I was involved in, and another player so I thought. hit a one outer to double through me. While they got their at year, in 2011, we were granted our entry chips names in the updates, I was just listed as ‘the other guy’ in alongside two rebuy bullets which we could use at any time. both write ups. I wanted to maximize my knowledge of the game but still I joked with the reporters afterward, and said if I won give myself the opportunity to not bust in one fell swoop, the tournament that would have to be my nickname from and agonized for a while on how many chips to start with then on. Sadly, I didn’t win the bracelet that time, but the – 1,500, 3,000, or 4,500. I eventually settled on 3,000 with bright side is that the nickname didn’t stick. It was the first one re-entry chip left in reserve. All that time spent debat- and last time I was referred to as, Nathan ‘e Other Guy’ ing was for naught as I made it to the end of the re-buy Gamble. phase of the tournament where our tokens were automati- Before too much longer my dad had a real sweat on our cally redeemed for chips and I already had a considerable prop bet, literally! He was on the sidelines with his face stack to work with. twisted in consternation, and it was hard to tell if it was out After we bagged up the chips the first night, I was feel- of nerves or fear. We were down to the final two tables, and ing invincible just for making it that far. roughout the on one hand he really wanted me to do well, win a bunch of day I had run the gambit on spotting the professional play- money for the two of us, and live out my childhood dreams ers that you saw on TV. (One notable who I am still happy of winning a bracelet. But on the other hand, he knew that to have played with before his passing was David ‘Devilfish’ if I made the final table, he would have to face his fears. Ulliott. He was barely understandable half of the day but Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be as I got the bulk of my stack kept the entire table rolling in laughter whenever we could in on the flop against Ben Palmer when I was a 75% favor- make out what he was saying.) ite. My dad half cheered, half jeered after I busted. I was left Cashing in my first ever event had me riding high. I had wanting. It was my first event, my first showing, and I had turned my 4,500 chips into a respectable 60,500, and it was almost gone the distance. I wanted to know what it felt like time to see if I could close it out. to sit at the final table, to have the bright lights surrounding e next day was a blur of raising, folding, calling, me, and to lift the bracelet off the table and smile ear to ear.

034_Anaysis&Commentary.indd 37 8/19/21 11:19 AM ANALYSIS & Commentary

“Poker isn’t a game where you deserve anything, and it doesn’t favor you just because you’re a nice guy. Poker rewards those who have put in the time and energy required to conquer it, and even then, not always. If you want to give yourself the best chance at chasing down the victory, of hoisting the bracelet overhead, then you have to want it. You have to breathe it. You have to think about it, to study it, and to be constantly hungry for it.”

But those dreams weren’t reached that day. I got to it, and to be constantly hungry for it. m experience that high six years later, with the thought of my near-miss keeping me hungry with every passing tourna- Nathan Gamble is a native of Texas where he ment until it was my time. I not only wanted, but needed learned to play poker from his father. He is a to get back there (even if my dad didn’t have to jump oﬀ a two-time World Series of Poker Bracelet winner, building afterwards.) the first coming in the 2017 WSOP $1,500 pot Poker isn’t a game where you deserve anything, and limit Omaha eight-or-better event, and the it doesn’t favor you just because you’re a nice guy. Poker second in the 2020 WSOP Online $600 PLO rewards those who have put in the time and energy required eight-or-better event. Gamble is a fixture of the mid-stakes mixed to conquer it, and even then, not always. If you want to game community, and can often be found playing $80-$160 mix give yourself the best chance at chasing down the victory, games at the Wynn. He is active on Twitter @Surfbum4life and is an of hoisting the bracelet overhead, then you have to want it. ambassador for Dealio Webcam Poker. You can listen to his story on You have to breathe it. You have to think about it, to study the Poker Stories Podcast.

ANALYSISAnalysis TOURNAMENT HAND MATCHUP Cary Katz came into day 2 of this event as the second- 2021 PokerGO Cup shortest stack among the fi nal fi ve competitors. Sam Soverel started off with the chip lead and knocked out $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller each of the fi rst three players to set up the heads-up showdown for the title and the seven-fi gure top prize. Sam Soverel Cary Katz Katz proved willing to risk his entire stack on a bluff 1,385,000 Chips 3,215,000 Chips earlier on in his heads-up match, and in this hand he showed that having the lead wouldn’t deter him from K Q 6 5 similar tactics. Katz defended his big blind with 6-5 Winning Percentage Winning Percentage and picked up an open-ended straight draw on a jack-

Before Flop: 63.0% Before Flop: 37.0% high ﬂ op. He checked and Soverel, who had raised pre-

K Q 5 After Flop: 52.0% 6 After Flop: 48.0% fl op in position with K-Q, checked behind. e turn After Turn: 77.0% After Turn: 23.0% brought the 10p and Katz sprung into action, betting 150,000 into the pot of 360,000. Soverel called with his two overcards and an open-ended straight draw of PREFLOP his own. e 3n completed the board, missing both players entirely. Katz was the fi rst to act with his unim- With two players remaining and blinds of 30,000-60,000 and a big blind proved six-high. Having no showdown value to speak ante of 60,000, Sam Soverel raised to 150,000 from the button. Cary of, Katz unleashed another bet of 450,000 with the Katz called from the big blind. hopes of folding out Soverel’s unimproved draws and perhaps even weaker one-pair holdings from the fl op. e bet of roughly two-thirds pot drew a fold from Soverel, who fell to 23 big blinds after the hand. Katz J 8 7 10 3 showed the bluff yet again. “Wow you’re the best,” said an agitated Soverel as Katz took a lead of roughly 3.5:1. FLOP

TURN

RIVER Katz was ultimately able to convert that advantage into

10 3 8 7 J the title, earning $1,058,000 as the champion to bring his career tournament earnings to more than $32.4 million, which is good for 10th place on poker’s all- Katz bet 150,000, Katz bet 450,000. Katz checked, and Soverel time money list. Soverel took home $644,000 as the checked behind. and Soverel called. Soverel folded. runner-up ﬁ nisher, and Negreanu picked up the Player of the Series title.

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

38 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

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CP_PokerSchool_1_FP.indd 1 8/16/21 9:08 PM Schedules

FOR COMPLETE TOURNAMENT RESULTS AND LISTINGS, VISIT CARDPLAYER.COM AUG. Aug. 30-Sept. 26 DeepStack Extravaganza III Venetian Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DEC. Dec. 2-19 WPT Five Diamond Classic Bellagio Hotel & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

Dec. 14-23 PokerGO Championship Aria Resort & Casino • Las Vegas, NV

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

FRIDAY ARIZONA 12:00 p.m. NLH, $160 7:15 p.m. NLH, $320 KO $75 SUNDAY SUNDAY TALKING STICK RESORT - SCOTTSDALE 12:00 p.m. NLH, $160 6:15 p.m. NLH, $130 MONDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 PALM BEACH KENNEL CLUB - W. PALM BEACH MGM NATIONAL HARBOR - OXON HILL TUESDAY MONDAY MONDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 12:15 p.m. NLH, $125 KO $25 11:15 a.m. NLH, $140 ($5K Guarantee) 7:15 p.m. NLH, $200 6:00 p.m. NLH, $100 7:15 p.m. NLH, $240 ($10K Guarantee) WEDNESDAY TUESDAY TUESDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 12:15 p.m. NLH, $130 11:15 a.m. NLH, $165 KO $25 7:15 p.m. NLH, $145 WEDNESDAY ($5K Guarantee) THURSDAY 12:15 p.m. NLH, $100 7:15 p.m. NLH, $140 ($5K Guarantee) 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 6:00 p.m. NLH, $125 KO $25 WEDNESDAY 7:15 p.m. NLH, $145 THURSDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $140 ($5K Guarantee) FRIDAY 12:15 p.m. NLH, $100 THURSDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $125 6:00 p.m. NLH, $130 11:15 a.m. NLH, $140 ($5K Guarantee) 7:15 p.m. NLH, $200 FRIDAY SUNDAY 12:15 p.m. NLH, $130 11:15 a.m. NLH, $360 ($10K Guarantee) 6:00 p.m. NLH, $50 AO $20 CALIFORNIA SATURDAY NEVADA 12:15 p.m. NLH, $250 KO $50 COMMERCE CASINO - COMMERCE 6:00 p.m. NLH, $100 SAHARA - LAS VEGAS MONDAY-THURSDAY DAILY 5:00 p.m. NLH, $125 AO $100 MARYLAND 1:00 p.m. NLH, $60 RB $20 AO $20 FRIDAY-SUNDAY ($500 Guarantee) 1:00 p.m. NLH, $125 AO $100 LIVE! CASINO & HOTEL - HANOVER 7:00 p.m. NLH, $60 RB $20 AO $20 MONDAY ($750 Guarantee) 11:15 a.m. NLH, $120 KO $25 WEDNESDAY OCEAN’S ELEVEN - OCEANSIDE 7:15 p.m. NLH, $150 1:00 p.m. O H/L / SH/L, $80 MONDAY-FRIDAY TUESDAY ($750 Guarantee) 10:00 a.m. NLH, $75 AO $5 11:15 a.m. NLH, $130 SATURDAY SATURDAY-SUNDAY 7:15 p.m. NLH, $200 KO $50 1:00 p.m. NLH, $100 RB $50 AO $50 10:00 a.m. NLH, $230 AO $10 ($10K Guarantee) ($3K Guarantee) WEDNESDAY FLORIDA 11:15 a.m. NLH, $140 7:15 p.m. NLH, $130 ($15K Guarantee) NORTH CAROLINA BESTBET - JACKSONVILLE THURSDAY MONDAY 11:15 a.m. NLH, $150 HARRAH’S - CHEROKEE 7:00 p.m. NLH, $60 7:15 p.m. NLH, $160 KO $50 MONDAY-THURSDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY 7:00 p.m. NLH, $140 12:00 p.m. NLH, $60 11:15 a.m. NLH, $220

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40 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

040_Schedules.indd 40 8/19/21 11:22 AM STRATEGY m ANALYSIS m ODDS

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CP_Sub_18.indd 3 8/16/21 9:08 PM Poker Leaderboard

Fedor Holz Mikita Badziakouski Adrian Mateos

THE BIGGEST TOURNAMENT WINNERS 30 OR YOUNGER Rank Player Age Career Earnings 1 Fedor Holz 28 $34,202,365 2 Mikita Badziakouski 29 $30,708,159 3 Adrian Mateos 27 $21,659,124 4 Alex Foxen 30 $18,701,333 5 Dominik Nitsche 30 $18,471,955 6 Joe McKeehen 30 $18,032,192 7 Sean Winter 30 $17,922,857 8 Ole Schemion 28 $16,578,391 9 Steffen Sontheimer 30 $13,755,117 10 Michael Addamo 27 $12,600,716

Age has a few benefits in the tournament poker world. Being further along in life brings not only the additional years of experience to sharpen one’s game, but also results in a larger amount of events played when compared with players who have ‘come of age’ more recently. With that being said, some of the most successful live tournament poker players in the world have been able to play in a Las Vegas casino for less than a decade. German poker pro Fedor Holz is currently the highest-earning tournament player 30 years or younger. The two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner has more than $34.2 million in career earnings despite being just 28 years old. He cashed for $16.3 million in 2016 alone, banking four separate seven-figure scores in one of the best runs in poker history. His largest-ever payday came when he finished second in the 2018 WSOP $1 million buy-in Big One For One Drop, earning $6 million for his runner-up showing to Justin Bonomo. Mikita Badziakouski is the only other player on this list to surpass $30 million in earnings. The Belarusian high-stakes crusher recorded his first live cash in 2010 at the age of 18, which is the legal gaming age in many international casinos. He has gone on to accrue more than $30.7 million in total earnings, with eight seven-figure paydays, including the $5.25 million he pocketed as the 2018 Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju $2 million HKD (roughly $255k USD at the time) buy-in event. Spanish poker pro Adrian Mateos became the youngest player to ever win three WSOP gold bracelets at just 22 years old. Now 27, Mateos has nearly $21.7 million in lifetime cashes to his name. His largest score remains the $1.37 million he earned for taking down the 2013 WSOP Europe main event at just 19 years old. While the majority of this list of ‘young guns’ is made up of international players, American pros Alex Foxen, Joe McKeehen, and Sean Winter have also cracked the top 10.

42 CARDPLAYER.COM VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 19

042_Leaderboard.indd 42 8/19/21 11:23 AM PLAYER_19_OceansEleven_FP.indd 3 8/16/21 9:05 PM PLAYER_18_Bike_FP.indd 3 8/3/21 11:18 AM