www.CardPlayer.com Vol. 33/No. 9 April 22, 2020 How Michael Soyza Quickly Went From $7 Buy-Ins To Racking Up $8.4 Million In Career Earnings Phil Ivey Wins Casino Industry Accused Poker Cheat His First Live Begins Lobbying Mike Postle Files Tournament Title In Congress For Motion To Dismiss Nearly Two Years Federal Aid Pending Lawsuit PLAYER_33_09_Cover.indd 1 4/6/20 11:37 AM PLAYER_08_GlobalPoker_DT.indd 2 3/24/20 12:45 PM PLAYER_08_GlobalPoker_DT.indd 3 3/24/20 12:45 PM Masthead - Card Player Vol. 33/No. 9 PUBLISHERS Barry Shulman | Jeff Shulman ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Justin Marchand Editorial Corporate Office MANAGING EDITOR Julio Rodriguez 6940 O’Bannon Drive TOURNAMENT CONTENT MANAGER Erik Fast Las Vegas, Nevada 89117 ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER Steve Schult (702) 871-1720 Art [email protected] ART DIRECTOR Wendy McIntosh Subscriptions/Renewals 1-866-LVPOKER Website And Internet Services (1-866-587-6537) CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Jaran Hardman PO Box 434 DATA COORDINATOR Morgan Young Congers, NY 10920-0434 Sales [email protected] ADVERTISING MANAGER Mary Hurbi Advertising Information NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Barbara Rogers [email protected] LAS VEGAS AND COLORADO SALES REPRESENTATIVE (702) 856-2206 Rich Korbin Distribution Information cardplayer Media LLC [email protected] CHAIRMAN AND CEO Barry Shulman PRESIDENT AND COO Jeff Shulman Results GENERAL COUNSEL Allyn Jaffrey Shulman [email protected] CHIEF MEDIA OFFICER Justin Marchand VP INTL. 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Published and printed in the United States. 4 CARDPLAYER.COM FOLLOW US ON TWITTER CardPlayerMedia 004_Masthead.indd 4 4/6/20 11:07 AM PLAYER_08_ACR_FP.indd 3 3/24/20 12:40 PM Table of Contents - Card Player Vol. 33/No. 9 22 16 18 Features Strategies, Analysis Also In this Issue 22 & Commentary 4 How Michael Soyza Went From $7 Buy-Ins 26 About Us To Playing Phil Ivey Heads-Up More On Properly Adjusting For Bounty 38 The 30-Year-Old Malaysian Poker Pro Tournaments Poker Leaderboards Discusses His Rise To The Highest Stakes By Greg Raymer By Erik Fast 27 Tips On Working From Home Tournament The Inside Straight By Jonathan Little Hand Matchups 8 28 27 Poker News Recap Deuce to Seven Triple Draw Lowball: Jason Koon vs. Tim Adams 14 Examining Open Ranges, Equities, and 29 Positional Considerations Player Of The Year Update Tim Adams vs. Lucas Greenwood By Kevin Haney vs. Jason Koon 16 31 Poker Stories Pocast With Steve Albini 33 What’s Your Negotiating Style? By Card Player News Team Seth Davies vs. Stephen Chidwick By Alan N. Schoonmaker vs. Matthias Eibinger 18 33 This Week’s Big Winner: 35 How A Good Run At The Blackjack Phil Ivey Wins His First Live Tournament Table Saved One Of America’s Biggest Stephen Chidwick vs. Seth Davies Title In Nearly Two Years Companies By Card Player News Team By Linda Johnson 24 Variance: Part Two By Steve Zolotow 6 CARDPLAYER.COM FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @CardPlayerMedia 006_TOC.indd 6 4/14/20 9:59 AM PLAYER_09_Bike.indd 3 4/14/20 10:36 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT the INSIDE STRAIGHT News, Reviews, and Interviews From Around the Poker World CASINO INDUSTRY BEGINS LOBBYING CONGRESS FOR FEDERAL AID By Steve Schult With casinos closed around the country, many of those operators are now looking to the federal government for money. In March, casino lobbyists spent much of their time asking Congress for a bailout package and are proposing something similar to what is being considered for other tourism-related industries hit hard by the spread of coro- navirus. According to the Washington Post, those ideas include direct cash payments, deferred taxes, or special bankruptcy protections. e American Gaming Association issued a statement to the newspaper that said those operators need the money to help support their employees who are now out of work. “As state governments close casinos as a part of the urgent public health response to COVID-19, elected lead- ers should move just as urgently to support the workers and businesses who will bear the brunt of those eff ects. Our According to the American immediate priorities are actions that provide liquidity to allow us to support employees,” read the statement. Gaming Association, all According to the American Gaming Association, all 465 commercial casinos in America are closed. 465 commercial casinos in It’s more than just commercial casinos asking for stimu- lus money. Tribal casinos want some federal tax dollars as America are closed. well. Fox Business reports that the Native American gaming industry requested $18 billion in aid from the federal gov- sentatives in the House Native American Caucus. ernment. e tribes argue that, along with continued pay Lawmakers have already approved two stimulus pack- for employees, it will also help tribal governments from ages in response to the outbreak. One that bails out the defaulting on loans, and also help provide health and edu- casino industry would be a third. cation services to its members. According to the AGA, the gambling industry supports “Providing the means for tribal governments to contin- 1.8 million jobs that are basically out of work for the time ue paying employees’ salaries and benefi ts will immensely being. MGM Resorts alone has already laid off 70,000 help this country recover,” read a letter addressed to repre- employees just a few days into its shutdown. m Sign Up For Card Player’s Free Poker School. Review Hundreds of Articles and Videos On Winning Poker Strategy. www.CardPlayerPokerSchool.com 8 CARDPLAYER.COM FOLLOW US ON TWITTER CardPlayerMedia 008_News.indd 8 4/6/20 11:19 AM THE INSIDE STRAIGHT MGM RESORTS LOSING $14.4 MILLION PER DAY DURING CORONAVIRUS SHUTDOWN By Steve Schult In the eyes of gamblers, casinos are generally looked at as a very profitable business that rakes in the cash. In the wake of COVID-19 and the spread of coronavirus throughout the world, American casinos are hemor- rhaging it instead of raking it in. According to a recent report from Macquarie Research, some casino giants only have five months before they lose it all. Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts is losing $14.4 million daily while its 18 casinos are temporarily shut down. At the current rate, MGM would be out of cash in nine In Nevada, casinos statewide will be closed until at least the months. end of the Gov. Steve Sisolak’s 30-day shutdown, which was Penn National Gaming, which operates the M Resort in announced on March 18. Henderson and Tropicana on the Las Vegas Strip, as well Jefferies gaming analyst David Katz told the Las Vegas as several other casinos nationwide, only has 5.2 months Review-Journal that although these numbers look bleak, before it goes belly up while it loses $6.4 million for each the banks will be willing to work with them during the day the doors are closed. downturn. Golden Entertainment and Red Rock Resorts are com- “Gaming is a little bit different than a lot of other busi- panies that are in the best position to survive the shutdown. nesses,” said Katz. “It’s harder for a bank… to take over the e study projects them to have 10.4 months and 13.8 building, take over the operations (if they run out of cash).” months of runway, respectively before the bank accounts Before beginning to even work with the banks, many are at zero. lobbyists for the industry already began asking Congress for All commercial and tribal casinos in America are closed. a federal bailout. m NEVADA LEGALIZES GAMBLING ON ESPORTS AMID CORONAVIRUS SHUTDOWN By Steve Schult Nevada became the first state to coming in second to New Jersey in legalize betting on esports when gam- total sports betting handle. Silver State ing regulators approved sportsbooks gamblers bet $491.7 million on sports to accept wagers for season 11 of the in February, while Garden State gam- Counter-Strike ESL Pro League. blers placed $494.8 million worth of e historic decision, made in wagers. March, comes at a time when sports- With casinos in both states cur- William Hill became the first books are desperate for revenue and rently closed over coronavirus con- sportsbook to offer odds on the sports bettors are desperate to bet cerns, revenues for March will be a matches when it accepted wagers for on something. With the spread of tiny fraction of what they were in matches.