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04/13 CONTENTS

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Spring in the step Can you feel it in the air? The sunlight a little warmer on your face on the walk into work? The sudden urge to wear shorts and buy a disposable barbecue? Yes, spring is almost here and that presents a fresh challenge to the typical online poker player. While it’s all well and good hiding inside when it’s minus two outside and it gets dark half an hour after you get up, it’s a different story once the misery of winter is over. As the temperature starts to rise outside so the numbers playing online start to fall. For the casual player it’s not a problem. For the pros and those trying to build up a bankroll, however, you can find the games getting a lot tougher once the sun starts putting his hat on again. So this month we’ve got a couple of features that will hopefully inspire you to get back on the grind. First off we speak to one of the UK’s most successful online pros Alex Millar. You may not have heard the name before, but trust me he’s up there with the Galfonds and Isildurs of this world. Secondly we take a look at the Supernova hunters who play more hands in a month than most of us will manage in a lifetime. Why? You may well ask. How does over $100,000 in rakeback sound? Frankly not enough for a year with no life for me, but it’s still impressive. Hopefully a little of these guys’ dedication can rub off on us. That money isn’t going to win itself you know.

Alun BOWDEN editor

THE PLAYERS editor Alun Bowden alun@bizzmedialtd.com editorial director Dave Woods dave.woods@plyp.co.uk art director Marc Southey strategy editor Ross Jarvis editor at large Paul Cheung Production editor Scott Skinner Online writer Conor Mills THE hustlers Ross Jarvis, Paul Cheung, Roberto Romanello, Karl Mahrenholz, Matthew Janda, Sam Grafton, CardRunners.com, Simon Hemsworth, Jennifer Mason Advertising

Tim Farthing 020 7092 6955 07939 106213 tim.farthing@plyp.co.uk Subscriptions Contact: 0870 444 8634

paul cheung editor at large This month I was on a shoot with the elusive high-stakes pro Alex ‘Kanu7’ Millar who braved the cold to deliver his first ‘official’ pics. Alex was humble, self-effacing and full of highstakes tales. One involved playing Phil Ivey thinking he would have an edge. A few hours in he was up $70k, but instead of quitting he carried on and ended up $250k in the other direction. At which point Ivey left!

Ross jarvis strategy editor

marc southey art director

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The variance in cash games can be crippling sometimes, but it’s nothing at all compared to what tourney pro go through. I have tons of respect for online grinders like Sam Grafton who plough through the ups and downs to make it big in tournament poker. We’re lucky in the UK to be blessed with so many world-class tourney pros at the moment.

Playing poker in winter is so easy. It’s dark for about 20 hours a day and all you want to do is hide away indoors with the heating turned up to the max. But now the weather is starting to get a bit warmer I’m finding I’m less interested in playing for very long online. So I’m no longer playing tourneys and switching back to my old friend the sit-and-go. Tilt here we come!

Publisher

editorial policy statement Gambling could be harmful if not controlled and kept in moderation, and readers engage in such activity entirely at their own risk. Dennis Publishing in no way encourages reckless gambling and it is recommended that readers who engage in gambling carefully monitor their activity and set financial limits. Anyone concerned about problem gambling can contact GamCare on 0845 6000 133 or gamcare.org.uk for further information. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of editorial and advertising material no claims for loss as a result of any errors will be accepted by the publishers. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishers themselves and are in no way intended to be relied upon. Overseas-hosted websites are not regulated by UK legislation. Dennis Publishing can make no representation to readers of this publication as to the authenticity or conduct of the services advertised, nor accept responsibility for activities relating to such sites. This publication is not intended for persons under 18; it is illegal for such persons to engage in gambling (other than pool betting if aged 16 or over).

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people like you Publishing Tim Farthing executive publisher Bill Rusling editorial director Dave Woods Printed by headley Distribution by Seymour Distribution 020 7396 8000 POKERPLAYER is published monthly by People Like You Publishing (Gibraltar) Ltd, 3.3 Waterport Place, 2 Europort Avenue Gibraltar. Entire contents © People Like You Publishing (Gibraltar) Ltd.

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contents 8 poker news The poker world this month

The Magician on the Big One, jetsetting and tanning salons

40 How to deal with your downswings Ross Jarvis shows you the right way to cope with the inevitable downswings

10 pro confessions Brit pack hero Sam Grafton takes a seat in the chair

44 Pokerplayer quiz: heads-up play This month we test your abilities in the one-on-one version of the game

13 premier league poker season vi We look ahead to the sixth Premier League season 14 win your seat at PPUKT newcastle! Play in the best low-stakes tour in the UK for just £2.

46 pro concepts: preflop PLO Stuart Barnett looks at two crucial concepts you need to understand in PLO

16 best of the web The top videos, blogs and forum posts this month.

52 cardrunners: moving on up: taking on $200NL Matthew Janda rounds off his series with a look at beating the $1/$2 level

20 ukipt cork All the action as the UK and Ireland Poker Tour hits the Irish city of Cork.

52 beginners tips: three more moves Three moves all the best pros use that you should have up your sleeve!

24 the magic man: Antonio esfandiari Antonio Esfandiari talks about winning millions and his plans for what’s next

COVER: StepHanie MOORE

28 high stakes hero: Alexander Millar Meet Alex ‘Kanu’ Millar, the low-key high-stakes online cash game hero 32 star chasers An exclusive look at the Supernova grinders who rack up millions of hands in a single year

Strategy

56 your call Karl Mahrenholz presents another tricky situation for you to try and solve

58 Daily Grind Sam Grafton is back with more wit and wisdom We meet the online phenoms grinding to Supernova status

A poker recovery plan for when your game is in the doldrums

This month online…

WWW.

60 in the tank Roberto Romanello is here to fix your problems

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SHUFFLE Letters

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cash for dough?

you simply can’t win without getting a bit lucky. But over the long-term the I’m having a bit of a debate with a mate better players will come out with the and I was hoping you might be able to most money, even if every now and help us sort it. I play tournaments and then some awful player luckboxes his SNGs, and he’s mainly a cash player. He way to the top prize. It’s exactly the says that cash is the only true game of same in cash, it’s just that the skill and that tournaments are ‘binked by long-term comes a lot more quickly as donks’ (his words). Every time I try and you can simply rebuy and face the argue with him he brings up Jerry Yang same situations again. You might and Jamie Gold who both won the Main have to wait years to fully see both Event, and also a chap called Bernard sides of variance in live tourneys. Guigon who came third in last year’s EPT Grand Final. I watched this on PokerTube back to basics recently and the I am pretty new to poker commentators were and have recently started giving him a bit of a hard reading the magazine and time! What do you think? I love the beginner’s Can you be a skilful strategy articles. I find tournament player and some of the other actually make money strategy a bit beyond me from grinding them, or do at times and sometimes I you need to get really don’t even know what lucky and hope to hit a big half the words mean. So score? Are the bulk of can we have some stuff players in MTTs so bad that’s aimed a bit more that they’re effectively a at the ‘donks’ like me or tourney There is still a lot of lottery? And do all great is this all just some big donkeys talent among all the tournament players really conspiracy to make sure make their money from those of us who are new the cash tables? There’s a saying that to the game don’t get better and you can goes something like ‘tournaments for keep winning our cash? show, cash for dough’ isn’t there? Frank Healey Ari Colwyn We try and put plenty of stuff in for It’s a great question Ari and one that the new players Frank, but we also there is no simple answer to. There is have a lot of readers who have been definitely a lot of skill in tournament playing for years, so we can’t ignore poker, but in any single tournament them either. Write in and let us know

STAR LETTER spinning it up! I was paging through a back issue of PokerPlayer and read Roberto Romanello’s tip of the month suggesting you try to satellite into larger tournaments. As I have been running well recently I thought I’d give it a bash. The next day (yesterday) I bought into a $5 satellite that got you into a $33 tourney. I got the seat then proceeded to take down that tourney later that afternoon. Sweet as a nut, it doubled my bankroll! If I ever see Roberto I’ll buy him a pint! Not that he is short of a bob or two. I go for an interview later today and the signs are favourable. Keep up the good work guys. Pete Whalley It’s this kind of letter that keeps a smile on our faces during the wet days stuck in an office writing about razz. We’re pleased you had a bit of a success there Pete and hope the run good continues. Roberto is spot on with his advice. The best thing about online poker is the opportunity it gives you to win a lot of money for very little investment so make sure you take every chance you can. Next time it could be you! 6 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

Roberto’s advice paid dividends for one lucky reader

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RAISE ‘Okay, that should just about cover the ’ taxi fare to the airport

After reading a warning about playing the new Chinese Open Face app, what did I do? I only went and downloaded it what you would like us to talk about in the strategy section and we will do our best to help you out.

world series of pain I don’t know about you guys, but I felt like a kid at Christmas when the new schedule for the WSOP came out. I scanned all the events and picked out the ones where the best value would be and those I thought I had a good chance of going deep in. Then I figured out how much time I would need off work and how big a bankroll I will need to play in all of them. Turns out I will need about six weeks off and something in the region of £100,000. So I have two questions for you. Firstly, how on earth does anyone else manage to play in so many of these events without having to sell a couple of kidneys and secondly, can you lend me a tenner? Or failing that do you know any sites that want to sponsor me? Adam Felden

The OFC app is highly addictive! Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

this month

open-faced cheek Damn you guys! Five minutes after I was reading a warning about playing the new Chinese Open Face poker app in your latest issue and what did I do? I only went and downloaded it and have been playing it nonstop. I think I’ve mastered it but where can I play live in the UK? What sites can I play it on? I want to bring about the Moneymaker effect on Open Face, don’t think my surname has the same ring to it though. Dave Allen As far as we know Dave there are no UK casinos that offer Chinese Poker never mind Open Face Chinese as a regular game. Why not get friendly with your local poker room manager and ask him to try it out. Either that or you could head out to Vegas in May and play in the OFC tournament at the WSOP. It’s not a bracelet event sadly, PP but it should be a cracker.

Toby Lewis The UK pro, and EPT winner, hit the headlines again when he made the final table of the WPT LA Classic and became the latest member of the ever-growing Team Ivey.

ISPT The Wembley mega-tourney has now got a €1m guaranteed first prize courtesy of Dusk Till Dawn. That’s a million first prize for a €330 buy-in. That should get them on the What’s hot pitch or nothing will. and what’s not

fold

We’ve often done exactly what you just described Adam. It starts with an over-enthusiastic estimation of our

ability, followed by drawing up an over-excited hit list of tournaments before reality dawns that we don’t even have enough cash for the flight and hotel never mind the buy-ins. But the WSOP is not out of your reach. Trust us on that one. All you need to do is downscale your ambitions a little. You can get reasonably priced flights and dirt cheap hotels and a bankroll of $5k will take you a long way. You’ve got a couple of months before the action kicks off so start grinding. We’ll see you there!

WSOP 2013 The WSOP has announced the 2013 schedule and there are some cracking events to look forward to including a ‘Little One For One Drop’ with a $1,111 buy-in. There are also two $1 million GTD events and a $1k turbo. That last one will be brutal!

Jerry Buss RIP The high-stakes poker fixture passed away in February aged 80. Poker pros lined up to pay tribute to the owner of the LA Lakers basketball team. He will be missed. Horse Racing How can you resist the Cheltenham Festival? It’s so much fun. But betting on horse racing has become easily the biggest leak in PokerPlayer towers this month. WSOP women who are men The WSOP has some bad news for knobhead blokes. The Ladies event this year is a $10k event, but women can buy in for a discounted price of $1k. That should stop those clowns who insist on taking part every year. GTFO. April 2013 POKERPLAYER 7

SHUFFLE NEWS

VIEWS

GOSSIP

The 782 names but field featured some famous all fell shor t of the fin al table

First time lucky

Frenchman wins EPT Deauville in first EPT cash water bill though as he walked off with €770,000 for his win. The Frenchman has been playing poker since 2007 and is something of an online tournament specialist, with this being by far his biggest live win. In fact, he had won less than $9k in live tournaments before this win. But he had something of a blessed run, kicking it off winning with K-K against A-A, and arrived on the final table with over 40% of the chips in play. From there it was a relatively smooth progression to the title with Castaignon saying, like Journey, he never stopped believing. ‘I felt like I had it the whole time. Even after I lost a lot calling with 5-5, I still believed I would win it – and I

Taxi for the pros Despite the event being a star-studded affair, with Jake Cody, Jonathan Duhamel, ElkY, Vanessa Rousso and Liv Boeree in attendance there were no familiar names at the final table. Instead it featured a smattering of European players, and extraordinarily three players from Lebanon. There was just one professional at the final table in the shape of Lebanon’s Jeffrey ‘jeff710’ Hakim. The pros instead were found duking it out in the high-roller event, where an amazing hand between Vanessa Rousso (see p17) took the headlines. Taking the title, however, was the relatively unknown Vojtech Ruzicka. The Czech player beat a final table rather lacking in star power with the biggest name, Jonathan Duhamel, crashing out in seventh. Britain’s best performance of the festival came in the shape of Jon Spinks who took down the €2k no-limit event for €141k beating a field of 283. Fellow Brit James Mitchell went deep in the main event, but had to settle for 12th place. Sam Grafton meanwhile looked dialled in to a final table spot at one stage with the chip lead, only to run into the eventual winner holding trips twice in a row before exiting in 24th spot. It’s a funny old game.

EPT Deauville Main Event

Buy-in: €5,300 Entries: 782

The name is s Mitchell, Jame Mitchell. I call.

Sam Graft on was fly ing high in Deauville before exit ing in 24th place

just kept on believing it,’ the Frenchman said afterwards.

The Final Standings

Castaignon’s incredible self belief propelled him all the way to the EPT title

1 Remi Castaignon 2 Walid Bou Habib 3 Roberto Romeo 4 Enrico Rudelitz 5 Franck Kalfon 6 Joseph El Khoury 7 Noel Gaens 8 Jeffrey Hakim

€770,000 €475,000 €275,000 €215,000 €165,000 €125,000 €87,800 €60,000

Neil stoddart

British hopes in EPT Deauville crashed on the shores of the seaside town as Sam Grafton and James Mitchell couldn’t convert a strong position into a trophy and the title went to a man recording his first EPT cash. Frenchman Remi Castaignon who fought off the hordes to ensure the EPT Deauville title came back home to France in a buzzing leg of the PokerStars European Poker Tour. A total of 782 players coughed up €5,300 for the privilege of playing poker in the terrifyingly expensive resort of Deauville in Northern France where a bottle of water can set you back €10. Castaignon, who hails from a little village in the Pyrenees, won’t be worried about the

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Toby Lewis misses WPT win

3rd time unlucky for Rettenmaier

PokerStars LIVE hits Macau

British pro falls short in LA

marvin finishes fifth in Baden

pokerStars’ biggest room to date

EPT winner Toby Lewis had to settle for sixth spot at the WPT LA Poker Classic after he couldn’t turn his short stack into a final table win. Lewis got very unlucky to head out on the 13th hand of the final table when his A-10 was no match for Danny Fuhs A-9 with all the money in preflop. He took home just over $190k for his troubles, while Paul Klann won $1 million for first place.

Marvin Rettenmaier narrowly missed out on a stunning third WPT title, when he finished fifth at WPT Baden. ‘Got a little unlucky today, but can’t complain. No regrets, but still disappointing. Thanks for the support guys!’ Rettenmaier tweeted afterwards. The title went to Vladimir Bozinovic who is not only a fine poker player, but an epic score in Scrabble. The WPT hits London in March.

PokerStars LIVE, the new live poker brand from PokerStars, has launched a new outpost in Macau to go along with poker rooms in Madrid and London’s Hippordrome Casino. PokerStars has previously had a room in the Chinese version of Las Vegas, but this is its biggest to-date with 13 permanent tables. PokerStars LIVE in London opened on March 4.

PokerStars’s Macau room will have 13 permanent tables

Short-stack Toby Lewis exited in sixth for $190k

The German pro had no regrets after just missing out in Baden

www.aspersstratford.co.uk

Kara Scott

the FUtURe OF wORld POKeR is heRe exPeRience lOndOn’s laRgest POKeR ROOm at asPeRs casinO westField stRatFORd city PaRtyPOKeR.cOm wPt natiOnal lOndOn 2013 Please play responsibly. Aspers is membership free and open to those aged 18 or over. Photo ID required if you look under 21. www.gambleaware.co.uk

SHUFFLE top 5

Confessions of a poker player Sam Grafton takes a seat in the confessions chair and gives some surprisingly short answers What puts you on tilt?

People who are rude to dealers.

PLYP buys PokerPlayer

MICKEY MAY

PokerPlayer founder editor Dave Woods comes back to the fold

Would you rather be lucky or good?

What animal would you be and why?

Panda. They’re relaxed vegetarians.

What five things would you take to a desert island?

I’m definitely lucky, so hopefully i’ll be good one day as well.

Suntan lotion, deck of cards and some books [not strictly five things but we’ll let you off – ED].

Phil Hellmuth is... Tall.

Blondes or brunettes?

The big news at Poker players don’t get to Woody Allen would Who would play you portray Sam on film be that fussy. PokerPlayer towers in a film of your life? this month was the What superhero power return of the founder Woody Allen. would you have and why? editor Dave Woods to Most expensive thing you’ve ever the magazine, this Flying would be great and I might bought (excluding property)? time as boss. Dave, start being on time for things. along with exA computer. I don’t think I’ve ever Most embarassing moment? spent more than £1k on anything. PokerPlayer alumnus Proof that fish have Tim Farthing founded Every time I go to the gym I’m a homing instinct Would you rather fight 50 People Like You embarrassed. duck sized horses or one horse Publishing in 2012 and the sized duck? Describe yourself company has bought PokerPlayer in three words... from Dennis Publishing. For Woods 50 duck-sized horses. Ducks are aggro. it’s like coming home. Loves the game. ‘I loved my time on PokerPlayer and I’m delighted to get involved again. I’ve stayed close to the mag, and think everyone has done a fantastic job keeping it as the UK’s number one poker mag. My job now is to make it even bigger and better (if that’s possible),’ Woods said. Don’t worry about too many changes to your favourite mag, though, as the current team aren’t going anywhere, with Alun Bowden remaining editor and Ross Jarvis sitting in the strategy editor’s Beneath that cute chair. But it will be fantastic to exterior lurks a wild raging beast – have Dave’s knowledge and insight much like Sam back. And don’t worry we won’t let the massive fish anywhere near the strategy section. If you want to give us your feedback on the mag make sure you fill in our survey. Head to www. pokerplayer.co.uk/readersurvey and you could win an iPad mini. Sam’s in fighting sha

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pe rses

for those little ho

Win

an iPad mini!

Your magazine

needs you! PokerPlayer was the first dedicated poker magazine to hit the newsstand back in August 2005 and, thanks to you, we’re still the best-selling poker mag in the UK. We don’t want to rest on our laurels though and we’d like your help to make the magazine even better. By completing this survey you’ll help us get a much better idea of who you are, what you like about the magazine, what you don’t

like, and what you’d like to see more of. It’ll only take you a few minutes and it will help PokerPlayer deliver exactly what you want to see in the future. If you complete the survey we’ll also enter you in a free draw to win a new iPad mini. With exactly the same functionality as the original iPad, the mini has an eight-inch screen, weighs 308g and lets you play poker wherever you are.

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In association with

SHUFFLE best of british

Great British Poker Poker Encore’s Karl Mahrenholz casts his eye over the poker scene and asks if anything is growing faster than Julian Thew’s bank account

he 2013 WSOP schedule was announced on Valentine’s Day. I’m sure that went down well in poker households across the UK ‘What are we doing tonight?’ ‘Well, I thought I’d book my flight and start a staking thread…’ Although the formula is pretty tried and tested there were a few interesting new ideas. A rejigging of the opening event sees two start days and adds a single re-entry. The first prize is now $1 million with the event branded the ‘Millionaire Maker’. Even the hardest working player would have trouble burning through that before doors close on July 16. Anyone hoping for a return of the ‘Big One for One Drop’ may have been disappointed at its replacement the ‘Little One for One Drop’ which sees a $1,111 unlimited re-entry event. With two start days though, this will likely be one of the biggest events of the series. I tweeted a fake update last year from the women’s event and got a few bites from followers. Well if anyone believed I would play it last year they’ll struggle to fall for it again. The buy-in has been raised to $10k, with a $9k discount given to any female player wanting to play. This should finally shut out the few male players who like to take part, although I’d be surprised if someone didn’t still take a shot at ‘making a point’.

Last year I managed to bag a couple of WSOP packages online to subsidise the trip. Anyone shrewd enough to try and do the same this year will already be eagerly awaiting them to start. While most of the bigger mega-sats will be nearer the time there are other ways to get your trip in the bag much earlier. March sees the return of the Vegas Team Challenge I am organising on Poker Encore. If there’s one thing better than going to Vegas, it’s going there with your three best mates…

notice if it was! There’s always been one time of year where the London poker schedule explodes. It traditionally fell around September time but this year it’s been brought forward to March and while we may have lost our bracelet events we’ve still got plenty to fight over. The EPT, UKIPT, GUKPT and WPT, to name but a few, have events in London during the month. Maybe we’d better hold those Vegas flights after all – is anyone going to have any money left?

London’s Burning

Poker in the UK has got off to a booming start in 2013. Genting Poker Series Birmingham saw a massive 584 entries, the biggest of any stop of the 2012 tour and up from 365 in the previous year. As I write this the GUKPT London main event is also in full flow, and with the guarantee smashed before Day 1A finished, the entries will easily surpass the 315 in 2012. The only thing growing at a faster rate than UK live poker is Julian Thew’s bank account….

Okay it’s not but there’s that much poker coming up in the capital I’m not sure we’d

He’ll be alright

poker London is going h rc Ma is th y craz

Neil Channing’s fold in a TV cash game drew the ire of some in the online community

12 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

UK Poker Boom?

There’s a great cash game series being shown on SKY TV at the moment featuring some UK pros alongside some sports personalities. It has thrown up situations that you might not see on the tournament highlight reels. There was one hand that stood out where Neil Channing laid down the second nuts to a very aggressive Rob Yong on a four to a straight board. My Facebook feed lit up with comments such as ‘worst fold ever’. Everyone has a different view on hands, that’s what makes it such a great game. But when I started to see comments like ‘he wouldn’t survive on the circuit these days’ I did find my eyes rolling. This is a man with over $3m in tournament cashes, over a third of which came in the last two years. I doubt he’s had a losing cash year ever. Fortunately he’s available most weeks in the Vic for these people to come and take the PP money he is giving away.

If there’s one thing better than going to Vegas, it’s going there with your three best mates

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Premier League The PartyPoker Premier League is back for the sixth time with a stellar line-up and a brand new venue. Check it out! It’s back. The Premier League returns this year, with some serious star power. The PartyPoker Premier League VI starts filming on March 15 at Aspers Casino in Stratford with a stellar field making their way to east London for jellied eels, pie and mash and a lot of poker and shouting. In its previous five seasons the Premier League has travelled across the world, to find the best poker talent. And its innovative league format ensures the tension remains high among the players throughout. Despite the relatively, for this lot, modest first prize of $500,000 there is no doubt every one of these players badly wants to win.

The line-up

The PartyPoker Premier guarantees a sta League always r-studded line-u p

p r ev i e w

The Location: Aspers Casino Stratford

Aspers Casino Stratford plays host to the PartyPoker Premier League, and it’s hard to think of a better venue

he huge Aspers Casino in Stratford overlooking the Olympic Park is without doubt one of the best poker venues in the UK. The Las Vegas-style venue is a sprawling affair, accessed via an escalator in the Westfield shopping centre, and as soon as you ascend into the casino floor you realise this is no normal poker room. Walking through the vast casino floor to the poker room, you will see 30 plush poker tables with comfortable seats and a conveniently located bar. For larger tournaments the room can seat up to 500 and the WPT National event taking place at the same time as the Premier

With six players still to be announced, and one spot reserved for an online qualifier, let’s take a look at some of the stars who will be gracing our screens later this year. First up is Daniel Negreanu who returns for r another tilt at the title in London. er Scott Seive Last year’s winn nd his title There’s also the return of Phil fe de to will be back Hellmuth, who embodies the spirit of the Premier League. Trust us he really cares about winning this. Also from the old-school come Phil Laak, Tony G, Dan Shak, Jennifer Tilly and Antonio Esfandiari. And from the younger generation last year’s winner Scott Seiver is joined by Daniel ‘Jungleman’ Cates, Mad Marvin Rettenmaier, WSOP Main Event winner Jonathan Duhamel and motormouth Luke Schwartz. We can’t wait to see who else turns up. We will be there and will bring you some spoiler-free highlights next issue.

The never-dull Luke Schwartz is sure to entertain on home soil

League is testament to the pulling power of the room. There are a number of big events slated to take place at Aspers including PKR Live at the end of March and we expect it to become one of the places to play live poker in the capital. Their regular tournament schedule is also solid with a £100 Saturday freeze out where the clock gets longer as the tournament goes on and a £40 triple chance on a Thursday.

This is also the place to come for cash games, with the casino open 24/7 and plenty of dealers and action at hand. You can also try your hand at Speed Cash where players have 20 seconds to make a decision. Why not head east and check it out for yourselves. The plush su rroundings of Casino are th e perfect poke Aspers r setting

Phil Laak will be hoping to still be smiling after his trip to London

A stellar field is heading to east London for pie and mash, poker and shouting April 2013 POKERPLAYER 13

SHUFFLE POKERPLAYER TOUR

Don’t miss out on the last chances to qualify for the epic first leg of the PokerPlayer UK tour in Newcastle!

he PokerPlayer UK Tour is about to hit the toon for the first leg of season 3 and this month we are giving you one last chance to win a seat for just a couple of quid. The PokerPlayer UK Tour in association with Grosvenorpoker. com is an amazing value-added weekend of poker that features £110 main events, side events and one of the friendliest atmospheres you will find. The fully dealer dealt main event has a GUKPT main event seat added to the prizepool as well as the PPUKT trophy and the chance to see yourself interviewed in the next issue of PokerPlayer. And the best bit is you can qualify for just £2.20 in this month’s exclusive satellite on March 28 on grosvenorpoker.com.

£2.20 satellite on Thursday March 28. For passwords to both events see opposite page. Three of the five main event winners last year won their seat in one of these online satellites so don’t miss out on the best value route into the tour. If you’re a Newcastle local then why not head down to the Grosvenor Newcastle and try to win a seat in one of their live satellites, or if you want to make sure you don’t miss out then simply head online to the grosvenorpoker. com client and buy-in directly on the site. It’s quick, simple and will make sure you don’t miss out if the event sells out.

The PPUKT main events are some of the best events you will find for such a low buy-in

Winning a seat To win a seat at the first leg all you have to do is play in the £11 qualifier on Sunday March 31 where there will be three seats guaranteed on grosvenorpoker.com. If you fancy getting in on the cheap then you can qualify for the £11 qualifier in the 14 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

Winning big! Last year the PPUKT Newcastle leg saw a packed out field fight it out for a prizepool of over £11,000 so if you’re anywhere near the North East then make sure you don’t miss this one. The Grosvenor Newcastle is located just a short walk from the train station and is a slick, comfortable, classy venue that is open 24-hours a day. It’s going to be one of the highlights of the tour so don’t miss out. Register now!

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THE TOUR

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l Two day dealer-dealt £110 main event, with a GUKPT main event seat added l 10,000 starting stack, full GUKPT structure with a 40-minute clock

Leg 6

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Leg 3

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Leg 4 Grosvenor Casino Leeds August 17/18 Leg 5 Grosvenor Casino Cardiff October 26/27 Leg 2 Grosvenor Casino Brighton June 15/16 £110 main event

win a seat at the PPUKT! How to qualify Online satellites THE BIG ONE!

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April 2013 POKERPLAYER 15

SHUFFLE the month online

Best of the web

Skalie talks about his poker life tinyurl.com/ skalielife

All the latest poker highlights from the online world Liv Boeree invites us to her new pad tinyurl.com/ livspad

T BEOS F S BLOG

Economist Tim Harford talks about Jesus tinyurl.com/ pokerjesus

Thew Know It’s True Julian Thew is one of the real survivors in UK poker. He’s been on the circuit for over 10 years, with an EPT win under his belt and almost $3 million in cashes. But unlike many of his peers he’s not afraid to slum it with the rest of us in the smaller buy-in tournaments. And it’s a strategy that has paid off for him recently. ‘I’ve been enjoying a decent little run over the past four months culminating with a win at the latest GPS leg in Birmingham a fortnight ago,’ Thew said in his latest blog. That run started back in November last year when he won a £500 deep-stack event at his local Dusk Till Dawn club for £26k, and this February he took down the £400 GPS main event in Birmingham for £40k. Not bad. And Thew took it as modestly as you would expect. ‘You might have already heard how lucky I got on the final table bubble, turning quads to escape a gross set over set situation, me second in chips versus the chip leader. The hand is out there on YouTube somewhere and in contrast to my usual TV appearances it’s pretty much just me grinning non-stop for about a minute. A little later I got K-K all-in versus A-K, the flop came Ace-high, no bother, with the last King in the deck hitting the turn to consolidate my chip lead. That’s two one-outers within about ninety minutes. A bit special and all of this helps buff up and 16 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

How to make money

Thew: Older, wi ser and bang on fo rm

enhance my luckbox image,’ he says in his blog on Skypoker.

Safety first After a deal was struck four handed, Thew explains how the final hands went. ‘The heads-up match lasted a couple of hours and while I’m sure I got outplayed on most flops, I was confident enough to just do lots of folding until I could find the right spots to fight back. The strategy paid off and eventually I managed to seal the deal.’ But what’s interesting is what he plans to do next. ‘My next stops are the DTD Deepstack and London UKIPT, WPT and SPT events. It’s been nearly three years since I’ve played an EPT, the buy-ins are just too much and I’m nowhere near well rolled enough to be jumping in whenever the mood takes me. The younger me would have taken a shot, nowadays I sleep better knowing there’s a safety net in place for that inevitable lean spell.’ Wise words indeed. Read the full blog here: tinyurl.com/thewknowit

There was another great blog this month from one of the game’s true survivors. The original WSOP hero Chris Moneymaker is still playing the game he loves for a living. This is partly thanks to a long-running sponsorship deal with PokerStars, but also due to the mindset he shares in a recent blog post. ‘People who were good in 2005 aren’t necessarily still good in 2013, especially those who haven’t been working on their games. There is a lot of work involved with evaluating your stats, discovering your leaks, and keeping up with the game in addition to playing,’ he says. And he’s got some words of wisdom for players considering going pro. First off consider the time on the road. ‘I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve been able to play when I want to. But most poker pros don’t have that option. Being a pro and having a family can be difficult to achieve. ‘Being a poker pro is great, but it’s a lot of work. You have to love the game [and] be prepared to meet a lot of challenges.’ Read the full blog here: tinyurl.com/chrisknows Moneymaker on what it takes to survive in poker

www.pokerplayer.co.uk

Forum Watch We’ve trawled the forums so you don’t have to...

Not again... A long-running and strangely compulsive thread showing ‘baller’ online poker set-ups helpfully saved by some funny pics tinyurl.com/grindstation

To quit or not to quit? A long thread looking at the pros and cons of quitting poker. A lot of rubbish talked, naturally, but a lot of sense in there too. tinyurl.com/provpro

check it out!

Top videos on the web this month

Real gone Kid Daniel Negreanu and Tom Dwan take a bit of gentle piss-taking from long-term comedy poker video maker Srslysirius tinyurl.com/cartoondan

Degeneration nation An update to one of the most depressing diaries in poker. Warning do not read if you want to feel any sympathy for hero whatsoever. Skip to p37 for the update. tinyurl.com/degenation

Durrrr is feeling some serious tilt

Poker stars? Want to watch Neil Channing, Wayne Mardle and Norman Whiteside sitting down for some mid-stakes cash? What do you mean no? tinyurl.com/skypokercash

A round-up of the month’s top Twitter entries… Hey @RealKidPoker come play me on @FullTiltPoker for a HSP rematch :) ” Gus Hansen

@GusHansen I was going to congratulate you on your graph for 2013 but then realized I was looking at it upside down. Ouch! ” Daniel Negreanu

Mounting evidence I am NOT a great OFC player! Feels--and looks to me--like I’ve been unlucky, but too much losing suggests otherwise ” Phil Hellmuth

woke up in Leeds, need to be in Deauville tonight, still not packed and don’t know how I’m getting there #uhoh ”

Sam is loving his game selection

Call my bluff Fascinating hand from EPT Deauville where Vanessa Rousso either makes a great bluff or a terrible one depending on how you see it tinyurl.com/roussovreilly Heads down it’s time to bluff

Jake Cody

Neil Stoddart

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @PokerPlayerUK

Go to www.pokerplayer.co.uk/forum to share your thoughts on the web April 2013 POKERPLAYER 17

SHUFFLE Column

Isildur Speaks! Full Tilt Poker pro Viktor Blom grants us a brief interview as he prepares to hit the live circuit for the EPT London festival PokerPlayer: Can you remember your first hand of poker? How did you first get into the game? Viktor Blom: I can’t remember my first hand, but I know I was like 12 to 13-years-old and I started by playing poker with friends during school on breaks in between class. PP: At what point did you realise you were going to be able to make money from poker? VB: Late teens, when I started to know the game was about more than your own cards. PP: What is your poker set-up at home like and do you use any tracking software?

VB: I felt amazing. I had hardly any sleep for days though because I was always playing, so I was very tired. I like online more, though live is fun once in a while. PP: Who do you rate as your toughest opponents online and why? VB: Phil Galfond, easily my toughest opponent. I can’t beat him! He just always seems to know what to do. PP: What do you think sets you apart as the best online heads-up player? VB: I think I adapt to the change in other players before they realise I have. PP: Why do you play poker? Is it for the

VB: I play on one monitor, and I use no poker tracking software. PP: How emotional are you when playing poker? Patrik Antonius has been known to punch holes in walls when he loses, how angry or upset do you get at the tables? VB: Not at all. I am so used to everything that I don’t get upset. People think I do but, I mainly just play fast all the time so… PP: How do you approach a new headsup opponent? Do you have a set style you like to stick to or are you always experimenting?

Neil stoddart

VB: I play my own game and pay attention so I can adapt to whatever they are doing. PP: Do you enjoy playing live or online more and why? How did it feel to win the high-roller at the PCA in 2012?

18 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

I have not read a book or seen a video for poker. I play to learn

money? The challenge? Something else? VB: Of course I love the money in poker, but poker is a passion for me mostly. I really enjoy playing very much. PP: How much study have you done in poker (forums, training videos, books etc) and how much is just self-taught? VB: I have not read a book or seen a video for poker. I play to learn. PP: Do you want to play poker for the rest of your life? What are your ambitions in poker? VB: Right now, I feel like I just enjoy poker so much I would say yes I want to play forever. I want to keep getting better and learning when to quit at the right time in a session. Once I do this, I think I’ll be way more difficult to play against. PP Phil Galfond : Isuldur’s ne mesis

See page 14 for more details

How To Qualify for the PPUKT! 1 PokerPlayer qualifiers We have an exclusive PokerPlayer UK Tour qualifier this month kicking off with a £2.20 super-satellite followed by a £11 qualifier with three seats guaranteed and £300 added. Don’t miss out on a chance to join us on the tour!

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You can buy-in online once this month’s online satellites are completed. To buy-in directly simply look for the direct buy-in in the tournament event lobby at grosvenorpoker.com. It may also be possible to buy-in directly at the casino. Ring them on 0191 260 3303

3 Live satellites Grosvenor Newcastle will be running live satellites to the PPUKT main event. For more info call the cardroom on 0191 260 3303 or go to tinyurl.com/grosvenornewcastle

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 19

SHUFFLE UKIPT

e h t m o r f Ta l es

R U O T

oker and Ireland P K U rs ta rS e k o e ewal of the P le for the titl tt a b The Cork ren h g u to love lost in a Tour saw no

he UKIPT Season 3 Cork €770 main event began on Valentine’s Day with an understandably lower than average turnout of players who nonetheless all looked forward to receiving cards, about 40 per hour, for as long as there were chips in front of them. It was Thomas Finneran who, after starting out at the Rochestown Park Hotel as just one of 387 hopefuls, ended the

No one in Cork had propelled their stacks through three tough days just to let them dwindle tournament as the last man standing, winning €55,440 and his first major title. Despite having topped this result in pure prize money terms at the Irish Open in 2007, Finneran said: ‘This one feels the best because of the victory. It’s hard to win anything these days as the players have improved a lot.’ He highlights a problem faced by anyone facing Day 1 opponents who are ghosts on The Hendon Mob and stack their chips like they are wearing invisible ski gloves. ‘Improving’ now takes place at an internet-accelerated rate, and just because a player has never handled a physical poker chip, it doesn’t mean they haven’t played enough hands to qualify for ‘veteran’ status. Take eventual fourth place finisher Fridjon Thordarson, for example. The enigmatic Icelander had calmly ller Polish student Ke way impressed on his ish to a third place fin

Final table action moved at a relatively swift pace 20 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

Romance took a back seat as live poker took over in Cork

approached the final table bubble period in what was only his second live event. He was unfazed either by setbacks (such as that which left him grazing the felt ten-handed) or by a dramatic final table resurgence as he busted Cork-based pro Alexander Rhys-Davies in sixth (€10,510). Thordarson merely seemed irked upon being eliminated that he’d missed out on valuable time partying with friends in London. Apparently this was why he was in the region, and he’d simply delayed his plans to play the UKIPT. What a life.

Cash plays Stephen McGrath, coming at the game from a live angle, has a similarly ridiculous ROI in the RoI. He finished second at UKIPT3 Dublin for €60,000 last May which makes him two for two on UKIPTs played and runner-up spots. In fact, he’s yet to finish anywhere but second in any main event. His final table graph of progress would, however, resemble a treacherous range of mountain peaks, while Finneran’s was more of a flat line for the first few levels, ascending rapidly four-handed. The experienced Finneran consciously adopted this strategy having come to the table second in chips behind Pawel Keller. ‘I kind of stayed out of the way early,’ he said, ‘I wasn’t playing that aggressively until I got four-handed when I stepped it up.’ The path to short-handed play was a

There was no place to in Cork as hide ha Worley-Ro rd as Deborah berts tried

www.pokerplayer.co.uk

slexander Rhy Cork-native A 0.5k ed sixth for €1 ish fin s vie Da

th ponders a Stephen McGra ue model log ta ca future as a

UKIPT Cork in Numbers

387 Total entries

The number of nationalities on the final table

MICKEY MAY

The multi-national fina l table prepare to do bat tle

relatively swift one. Short-stack Nicholas Newport fell in eighth place, beating his previous top UKIPT main event finish of tenth in Killarney in Season 1. Newport, like every finalist whose stack dropped into the danger zone, was quite prepared for the shoving stage. No one in Cork had propelled their stacks through three tough days just to let them dwindle. Day 1 overall chip leader, German student Pascal Töngi, found himself on the rail after a couple of swift outdraws, collecting €7,885 for seventh place, when once he’d commanded a strong lead. The same dominance had been shown by Keller, but that was before McGrath got the better of the Polish student in several key pots including two full double-ups that

UKIPT CORK Buy-in: €700 + €70 Entries: 387

FINAL TABLE

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Thomas Finneran €55,440 Stephen McGrath €45,600  Pawel Keller €24,960   Fridjon Thordarson €19,360 Deborah Worley-Roberts €14,780  Alexander Rhys-Davies €10,510  Pascal Töngi €7,885  Nicholas Newport €5,910

perhaps contributed to the frustration characterising Keller’s final few hands.

Close but no cigar Also feeling the ‘close but no cigar’ pinch was Deborah Worley-Roberts, making

€262,773 Prizepool

The finishing position of PokerStars pro Liv Boeree

€55,440 First prize

% The difference in field size between Day 1a (Valentines Day) and Day 1b April 2013 POKERPLAYER 21

SHUFFLE UKIPT Finneran took control shorthanded to take the title

her first final on the tour on which she is a fixture. The outgoing American lost her bid to become the first female UKIPT champion after a slowplayed flopped two pair turned into a winning gutshot straight fill for Keller. She took home €14,780 for fifth, which was her biggest cash to date. After a rueful Keller collected €24,960 for his bronze medal equivalent, it took less than one level for the remaining chips to gather in front of Finneran. He gained a 2:1 chip lead in the first few hands of heads-up, extending it in a series of small pots until limping the button with 5-3 offsuit and taking free cards to the river which brought him a five-high straight. At the same time McGrath was holding A-T of hearts which had been a flopped nut flush draw and turned top pair, enough to see him commit all but seven big blinds. A heads-up deal awarded McGrath €45,600, which was enough to ‘go on holiday with the family’ as he told interviewers afterwards. Finneran made it sound as if all he’d done leading up to the final was, ‘run well, winning most of my flips,’ but it was his cheerful yet calculating approach that paid off. He walked off with the Cork title and a seat in the UKIPT Champion of Champions tournament. PP

Diary of a pro Liv Boeree goes deep in Dublin and dodges the temptations of the bar

in Cork, with Liv had a blast IPT result her best ever UK 22 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

Winner’s Profile Name: Thomas Finneran Age: 35 Lives: Galway, Ireland Qualification route: Direct buy-in Previous biggest cash: €75,000 for 7th place in the 2007 Irish Open Tell us about him: The 35-year-old from Galway is an live tournament player who has cashed on the EPT as

Ireland is always one of my favourite places to play poker. Unlike many other countries I’ve played tournaments in, the Irish people aren’t afraid to engage, banter and laugh with their opponents. They don’t take themselves too seriously and know how to have fun. And fun was had, at least at my starting table. The atmosphere in the room, both before and during Day 1b was buzzing with regular bursts of laughter and jovial exclamations from different places around the room. While the turnout was slightly lower than last year, the event still attracted a very healthy 387 runners and many of the usual names and faces such as Fintan Gavin, Dara O’Kearney, PokerStars Team Online member Dale Philip and new Team Pro member Jake Cody. What was also encouraging were the high

well as at several events in Ireland. He has been playing poker for 10 years, mainly live, although he has an Omaha FTOPS win under his belt. He’s a genial and modest sort of bloke. ‘I stayed out of the way early. I wasn’t playing that aggressively until I got four-handed when I stepped it up,’ he said afterwards.

numbers of folks I’d never seen before on the UKIPT or indeed anywhere – a great sign for the UK and Irish poker community. My tournament went well, in fact the best it’s ever gone for me in a UKIPT event so far. I finished Day 1 with around 22,000, marginally above the starting stack of 15,000, but well below average. However Day 2 started off with a blast and on the run up to the bubble I’d accrued 240k. However, once we were in the money I lost a couple of flips and ended up squeaking through to Day 3 with a stack of 93k. Party like it’s 1999 That evening was the highlight of any UKIPT stop: the players’ party. In keeping with all PokerStars parties, the drinks were flowing freely and the raucous dancing commenced. I was EXTREMELY well behaved (for once) and had one beer and

left around midnight like a contemporary Cinderella. It was a school night after all! I managed to cheekily double up early on Day 3 with my J-7 in the small blind to big blind’s A-K and the flop came J-J-7. Ahem. I then busted a very short-stacked Dale Philip and managed to maintain around 20-25bbs as the field whittled down to 19 players. Then it went wrong. Play was restarting after the break and only three players were at the table. Everyone else, including the big blind were sitting out. Fridjon Thordarson from Iceland looked at his cards, looked at the table and then opened. Our one other opponent folded and the action was to me in the small blind, and I looked down at a very above average K-7. Haha, resteal time! I happily shoved my 20bbs, and he smiled and snap called with pocket Tens. Good game Cork, it was fun!

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07/06/2012 21:04

DEAL Cover story tain braces a moun Esfandiari em One nning the Big wi r te af sh ca of

Magic

Man Antonio Esfandiari is the most successful tournament player in history after going from zero to hero in one tournament. Paul Cheung finds out what happens next

rior to 2012, it was hard to know what Antonio Esfandiari’s enduring legacy in poker would be. In the decade since he’d been on the scene, the ‘magician’ moniker which he’d flouted in the early part of his career had faded away and he seemed just one of the ‘old school’ live pros who was a constant fixture on televised poker shows. You’d tune in not to see if he’d make an amazing play but simply to be quietly entertained/annoyed by the banter between him and the likes of Phil Laak and Phil Hellmuth. Despite having a WSOP bracelet, a couple of WPT titles and several million dollars to his name, his poker skills were never uttered in the same breath as his peers. He even seemed to know the limitations of his game versus the highest calibre players. In that famous High Stakes Poker season 2 hand featuring Gus Hansen’s quads against Daniel Negreanu’s full house, Esfandiari looks down at his A-Q, ruminating his

next move. ‘Out of position against Gus and Daniel?’ before tossing it away disgustedly, ‘What a load of garbage…’ As of February 2013, it’s safe to say that Esfandiari’s stock has soared in remarkable fashion. In July 2012 he pocketed over $18 million by winning the WSOP’s Big One for One Drop event. What’s more he did so by beating all those old school pros that he was so used to playing a supporting role to. The 34-year-old instantly rocketed to the top of the all-time money list with an astounding $23m in career winnings and although he quickly acknowledged that some of his historic win went to anonymous creditors, he admits that ‘it was the biggest win he’d ever had’. Esfandiari went on to close out 2012 in some style too, snatching another bracelet (his third) at the WSOP Europe and rounding off the year with a fourth place finish at the WPT Five Diamond Classic. We caught up with Esfandiari shortly after his epic travelling session across Asia to find out how he can possibly top the last 12 months.

Neil stoddart

Poker bit flatlined a but I think g to there’s goin be a big, big comeback

What are you up to right at this moment? I am going from New York to DC, I have a meeting with a potential creator for [TV show] I Bet You 2. It’s probably 10% so I don’t want to talk about it and have it not happen! It won’t be I Bet You exactly but it will be a spin-off with Phil and Antonio.

haven’t seen him for a while, but I’m going to see him in a few hours.

How much do you see Phil nowadays? I try and see him as often as possible but I

Do you have similar outlooks on life? Not really. I do a lot more going out to eat

24 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

How has your relationship changed? It’s still the same, I love him. He’s just one of the most fun guys I know. We never really talked poker and we still don’t.

and hanging out. He’s a much harder worker than I am. He likes to play poker and sometimes he’ll just go down to the Commerce to play. I like to chill with friends and take it easy. Are most of your close friends poker players? No, not really. There’s only a few poker players that are my true friends: Brian

www.pokerplayer.co.uk

’re When you d focused an f no have a visio t, igh what’s in s much there’s not u can stop yo

The ebullient Esfandiari has spent the last few months travelling the world April 2013 POKERPLAYER 25

DEAL cover story

Rast, Phil Laak. I just don’t want to talk about poker all day, poker players just like talking about the game all day. Where have you travelled to recently? I was in Australia, I then went to Malaysia, Macau and Hong Kong. It was over about four months, just me but meeting friends in different places. Was that a poker-fuelled journey? It was mostly poker as I went to Macau to check out the games there, but I didn’t really play much. Then I went to Hong Kong because I have a good friend there. What was your take on Macau? I went there seven years ago when the Wynn was halfway up and there was nothing around. Now there are casinos everywhere. It is insane when you walk around a casino in Macau and every single table is baccarat, every single table was full the whole time. I’ve never seen anything like it. Are you interested in getting involved in the Big Game out there? I would. I tried, but I was not successful although I didn’t try very hard. There were a couple of big games, one was a private Chinese-only game that I couldn’t get into.

Who holds the sway? There’s a bunch of different people, but I’m not going to name any names, The big local players obviously. So generally how has the poker been going while you’ve been away? There’s no such thing as ‘running bad’ so I guess I’m running good! Even when I lose for a month or two, I’m still happy with my life so there’s no such thing as running bad. Are you saying that poker players can’t say they run bad at all? I’ve been in some parts of the world and I realise how lucky we are to live in a civilisation with running water and fresh showers and food that you want. How would you sum up your life at the moment? I’m at a very good place in my life, I wake up early, I go to the gym almost every day, I eat very healthily. I don’t really party anymore. I feel like I’ve never been in a better place, I have the best relationships with my family and friends. Do you feel like the golden days of poker are far behind? I think it flatlined for a long time but I

Even when appy I lose, I’m h so e with my lif such there’s no nning thing as ru bad

Esfandiari has long been one of the biggest personalities in the game and is now at the top of the all-time money list

26 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

tes his ndiari celebra rail A jubilant Esfa his family and th wi n wi ric histo

believe it’s going to make a comeback in the next couple of years. I think with the legalisation of poker on the way there will be a surge in poker. The big boom happened, it kind of flatlined a bit but I think in the next few years there’s going to be a big, big comeback. What’s your focus like when you sit down to play? I believe if you lead a very healthy life, you focus a lot more at the poker table, so I find myself in a pretty good place at the table. The Big One for One Drop definitely helped my confidence. Of course there’s no such thing as ‘easy’, the players are just so good these days. [But] when you’re focused and you have a clear vision of what’s in sight, there’s not much that can stop you. You have a life coach, right? It’s more of a mental preparation coach. I have someone who coaches me when I play. I speak with her during breaks and go over anything that went wrong and clear it off. She’s someone who focuses my mentality when I play and makes sure my mindset is somewhere where it needs to be. She holds me accountable if I make a bad play. Did it feel anti-climatic to win another bracelet in September after The Big One for One Drop? It was fantastic, the bracelet after The Big One for One Drop was a lot harder to win. There were about 20 times more people in the tournament, so realistically it’s a greater achievement than winning The Big One for One Drop. Do you consider The Big One for One Drop the peak of your career? Of course. It was the biggest tournament in the history of the game. To be the one to win it was fantastic. There have been a lot of rumours about what share you took from that tournament. Can you let us in on the actual number? I had more than 1% and less than 99%. It’s the biggest win I’ve ever had. I made a few people happy. I was surprised by how fast I was able to sell the action. I sent one email and in less than three hours, it was like boom, boom, boom and I was like holy shit! It happened really fast.

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have access to some private games, it’s really tough. Even if you’re better than the other pros, how much money can you really make? I think the game has gotten a lot tougher. If you’re new to poker and planning to strike it rich, unless you’re extremely talented, I’d stick with college if I were you. I don’t want to discourage people. Poker’s a beautiful game and if you have the talent then you can beat it.

Poker’s a ame beautiful g and if you lent have the ta n then you ca beat it

How much do you keep up-to-date with what’s happening in poker, who’s winning and who’s losing? I never follow it at all. I play in a tournament, I try and win but I don’t really care who wins. That’s how I live my life. You own a spray tan salon, Spray La Vie. Have you been harbouring a secret spray tanning addiction all these years? I know, right! There’s a guy I know who I play poker with and he owns a few tanning salons and he had this idea for spray tan only salons, so I partnered with him and we opened a few salons. That was almost a year ago, it opened up during the World Series. I saw it as a business opportunity. If you’re hanging out in LA and meet a nice girl, it sounds a lot better if you say you’re a spray tan owner versus a poker player!

The most successful tournament player in history always has his tanning salon business to fall back on if times get hard

What are your resounding memories of the tournament apart from the win itself? The number one thing I remember the most was my dad. He was so happy and had a huge smile on his face. How do you balance seeing the poverty that you have on your travels and the money that gets bandied around in poker, like million dollar buy-in events… This is my life, these are the cards that I was dealt. I’m a professional poker player and when a tournament comes along and I want to play it, I do. It is what it is. But I know where I came from, I came from a country where we

were at war and if a bomb had gone off I could have been killed and never been here. How much are you playing online? It’s probably been a couple of years since I last played online. But I’m about to complete a deal with a site so I’ll be playing online soon. How hard is it to be a pro now versus five, ten years ago? If I was coming into poker now, I don’t think I would even try. I say that, but I love poker so I’d have to experience it before I know what I would do. It’s not like it was 10 years ago. The competition is so hard that unless you

When you sit down at the table, is that what you think of as work? Not really, I love playing live. My work is this interview, writing articles, those kinds of things. Taking the train to DC to have this meeting, that to me is work. When you’re back home in Vegas, where do you tend to play? I don’t really go to the casino to play poker too much but if I do, I go to the Aria, they have a really good game there in Ivey’s Room. I like to travel around and play tournaments. What gets you out of bed these days? It’s so sick but it’s true, no matter how much money you have, you just want more. Saying that, my life does not revolve around making more money. I have a very fine balance between working and enjoying my life. No matter how much money you have in the world you can’t have the kind of fun that you have when you’re in the middle of nowhere PP with your buddies, just hanging out. April 2013 POKERPLAYER 27

DEAL interview

PAUL CHEUNG

I began playing on Party and started to watch Cardrunners videos and it took off. I moved up to $10/$20 pretty easily

High-stake no-limit champ Millar has his sights set on PLO glory 28 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

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High Stakes

Meet the UK’s high-stakes cash game hero who has taken on Isildur and won and lost millions online while managing to stay out of the limelight. Introducing Alex ‘Kanu7’ Millar

Secret

f poker were a game where ability and fame were directly correlated, then the name Alex ‘Kanu7’ Millar would be on everybody’s lips. The softly-spoken Bristol resident has topped the PokerStars no-limit hold’em money list for two years, despite flying under the mainstream radar. Not bad for a guy who was inspired to take up poker after seeing his uni flatmate win $50 in half-an-hour. ‘And’, as Millar helpfully points out, ‘he was crap!’ ‘I was like “well I’ll be able to do this if he can”, so I deposited a bit as well,’ Millar says. ‘I played freerolls and $5 tourneys. I won a couple for a few hundred bucks, built up a bit of a bankroll. Then I started going to the poker society to play tourneys.’ The Warwick Poker Society has proved a training ground for a generation of poker players. EPT winner Rupert Elder is a graduate, as are a number of online grinders. By the time Millar joined some of the guys were playing mid-stakes online and he says he was inspired to play a bit of $0.50/$1 cash. He moved up to $25/$50 in just nine months and has never looked back. Christy Keenan met with Millar to discuss his rapid ascent to the top, his view of the high-stakes world and his hopes for its future.

You moved up from $0.50/$1 to $25/$50 in just nine months. Was that a pretty smooth process? When I started off I was pretty bad. For the first month after I left university I made a bit of money and then moved up to $1/$2 and lost most of it and had to move back down to $0.50/$1. It wasn’t going well, so I wasn’t too happy at that point. But then I started playing on PartyPoker where the games were a bit softer, started watching CardRunners videos, and it took off. From there it was pretty smooth. I’d break even for the first few thousand hands at a limit then I’d start exploiting people and doing well and I moved up to $10/$20 pretty easily. At $10/$20 I ran really good for a while. I was using a 50 buy-in bankroll so I moved up to $10/$20 with $100k in my bankroll. I started playing $25/$50 with $250k in my bankroll, and I lost all the way down to $101k. Then I had another big downswing when I tried to move up to $50/$100 playing heads-up. I was playing Prahlad Friedman, and I thought he was rubbish. Actually, he was rubbish, but I was more rubbish! There were lots of bumps along the road, but the move up to $10/$20 was

pretty smooth. I ran pretty good and the games were a bit softer back then. I had a bump recently playing against Isildur at $300/$600 heads-up, which didn’t go well. But overall it’s gone pretty well! You don’t seem to shy away from playing the best players. You have mentioned a shortage of people willing to take you on. Are you considering branching out from strictly playing hold’em? I only play no-limit hold’em at the moment so I’ve limited myself a lot in the action I can get. I’ve started to play a bit of PLO, so hopefully if I can get good at that it will give me more possibilities. Sauce123 (Ben Sulsky) is better than me at every game and he gets more action than me because he plays no-limit, PLO, mixed games, draw games and everything. So as long as you’re prepared to expand and start doing different things to get action, you’ll be okay. Judging by the fact that you went from $100NL to $5,000NL in nine months, it can’t be too long until we see you at the high-stakes PLO tables. It depends how good I am! At the moment I’m obviously pretty bad, but it really April 2013 POKERPLAYER 29

DEAL interview

depends how quickly I take to it. There’s no guarantee that because I’m good at hold’em I’ll be good at PLO. So far it’s been pretty good. It’s quite fun to learn a new game when you’re just starting out. My goal would be playing and beating high-stakes PLO by the end of the year and hopefully quite a bit sooner than that, but it just depends how things go. So is your current lack of action at NL actually a blessing, in that it’s encouraging you to improve your PLO game? Yeah, that’s why I’m not that worried at the moment about a lack of action, because I can always just fire up a few low-stakes PLO tables or look over some hands. I’m taking the approach in PLO that I’m not playing that much, but every time I play I’m looking over pretty much all the hands I played and trying to think about it. People often go for the approach of just playing a load. But just from one hand you can learn quite a lot if you look at it in detail. Hopefully that’ll be successful for me, but we’ll see.

Neil stoddart

You were the originator of the Heads-Up All-Star Showdown event on PokerStars. Can you give us a bit of the backstory behind the event? You have all these live tournaments where you play a few hundred hands and whoever gets luckiest wins, basically. So I thought it would be cool to have a poker event that’s really heavily influenced by skill rather than luck. I suggested it and a few of the other top players were up for it, so I took the idea to PokerStars and they ran with it. I didn’t have that much to do with the final format but I thought PokerStars did a really good job with it. And I enjoyed it, despite it costing me $100k! [Alex lost a titanic battle with Isaac Haxton] You’re not a guy who appears to chase the limelight, so why are you so active in the high-stakes community? I think in life, but especially in poker, there’s a lot of fairly talentless people trying to promote themselves a lot, and that’s just so far away from what I want to be that I guess I go the other way a bit. I’ve done the Isildur challenge and I started up the idea of the All-Star Showdown, so it’s not

I don’t want to be throwing myself in front of TV cameras or riding into poker events on donkeys

that I’m trying to avoid being known. It’s more that I don’t want to be throwing myself in front of TV cameras at every opportunity and riding into poker events on donkeys or whatever it is that people do when they’re not actually good enough to have their results or their skill levels speak for themselves. A lot of the guys that played in the All-Star Showdown are quite similar in that they’re not really going all-out for publicity, but if there’s a good challenging event that’s going on then they’re still up for taking on the best and testing themselves.

Kanu7 has had some epic highstakes battles with Isildur 30 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

Your battles with Isildur have been some of the most compulsive viewing in the high-stakes world. What’s behind the fact that you two have butted heads relatively often? Well actually he won’t give me any action at hold’em! He will only agree to play if I make it 3x BB when I raise preflop. To

people who don’t play much heads-up, it probably sounds like no big deal, but Isildur is very good at that game. When both players raise 3x preflop, that’s the game he’s beating most people in, and if you change it up by min-raising or limping he actually plays a hell of a lot worse. I think I’ve got quite a sizeable edge against him if I’m allowed to min-raise, but he just won’t play if I do it. Occasionally, if I haven’t had action in a while and I feel like playing, I might agree to his rules and have a game. But yeah, he doesn’t really play anybody at hold’em these days because I don’t think he likes being out of his comfort zone of raising 3x preflop, and most people will put him out of his comfort zone these days, so he tends to stick to other games. I guess that’s his right... Oh yeah, absolutely, he can obviously do what he likes. No-limit players get a little annoyed, because people talk about Isildur as one of the best no-limit players in the world, and everyone’s like: ‘well actually, he won’t play any of us unless we change the rules to suit him!’ I think people feel a little aggrieved about the perception of

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him in no-limit compared to the reality, but he certainly has the right not to play. Which no-limit players do you rate highly? Ben Sulsky is the best in my opinion. Isaac Haxton, who beat me in the showdown, is a very good player. Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates is good. You’ve got guys like Wilhasha and Sussie Smith who I’ve done very well against, but they’ve done well against others. They’re good and they play a lot of people. I think the gaps between the players at the top are decreasing quite a lot. The last few times I’ve played against people I used to have quite a big edge on, I’ve been wondering how much of an edge I have. I guess that just means I need to start improving again. But it’s hard to do that when you don’t get any action. Are issues such as rat-holing (instaquitting or removing chips from the table after chipping up) and bumhunting harming the high-stakes economy? It does harm it, though they’re two very separate issues. Rat-holing is a problem but I don’t think you can really blame the people that do it. It’s within the rules so it’s down to the sites to protect against that. It’s a much less interesting game if you have people with 40bb stacks leaving whenever they double up. That ruins the enjoyment for a lot of people, so for the long-term health of the games I think it‘s good to get rid of that. Bumhunting is quite a big problem. I’d never criticise someone for game-selecting, but that leads to recreational players feeling hunted by the pros. Someone will sit who’s an unknown name and the table will be full in one second and a massive waiting list will pop up and I don’t think that’s good for the games at all. Finally, if you could make one change to the high-stakes world, what would it be? Good question! I guess a rule where everyone has to play against me! I don’t think it’s the most important change that could be made, but I would change the heads-up lobby at the major sites so that there are a limited number of tables and you have to be willing to actually play people that aren’t recreational players in order to sit at a limit. You can get in a position where poker is just lots of pros sitting waiting for lots of recreational players. Recreational players won’t want to play and it’ll be boring for pros and I think poker will die if that happens. So anything that stops it from going in that direction is good in my book. PP

I think I’ve got a sizeable edge against Isildur if I’m allowed to min-raise, but he won’t play if I do it

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 31

DEAL supernova elite

st ar chasers Meet the men who will play millions of hands this year in pursuit of fame, fortune and fpps. Christy Keenan meets the Supernova Elite Grinders

NEIL STODDART

ith the turning of every year comes a raft of poker players with one goal and one goal alone. For these grinders, it is as simple as this: Supernova Elite (SNE) or bust. The target of reaching the highest level of VIP status on PokerStars has become the ultimate peak for online pros ever since Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier became the first SNE player back in May 2007 and superstardom swiftly followed. To get SNE status an online grinder requires an immense 1 million vpps in a year. To put this in perspective most poker players won’t earn 1 million vpps in a lifetime and it’s equivalent to a staggering $167k in rake. The superhuman ElkY managed the feat in just over four months, while in 2012 it took just over two months. But this year is different. This year once is just not enough. Usually within a few weeks of the grind players realise the magnitude of their undertaking, plenty scale back their targets or drop out of the grind altogether. Only those of iron will and even temperament are able to hit the magical one million VPP mark. But for one of those players, Alex ‘awice’ Wice, making SNE is simply the beginning of this year’s goals. He wants to make SNE status eight times in 2013. Eight. F♣cking. Times.

32 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

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Meet Mr Wice Alex ‘awice’ Wice is a sicko. He achieved Supernova status (100k vpps) on January 2nd, having grinded for 33 of the 39 hours since the calendar changed. A captivating, driven individual, he plays the six-max hyper-turbo sit-and-gos on PokerStars up to the $500 level. And his target for the year: ‘I want to make $1 million in rakeback.’ It all started when Wice was playing the more modest stakes of $30 sit-and-gos and grinding eight hours a day. As he moved up the stakes to the $100 level he found he was playing just two hours a day and only one hour a day by the time he reached the $200 level. Looking around he realised he wasn’t alone.

Wice’s aim for 2013 is to make $1 million in rakeback

‘I looked at all of the regulars. None of the regulars had 3 million vpps. Only a handful of people in the world had even 2 million vpps. I knew I could do a lot better than that. So that was my goal: to play eight hours a day of poker and to take it seriously at those stakes. I worked hard to get to where I am in terms of my knowledge of the game, so it seems sort of a waste to only play one hour a day like most regs.’

Champagne Supernova Wice hit the headlines at the start of the year by making Supernova (100k vpps) just 39 hours into 2013. He went to bed at 10pm on New Year’s Eve and woke up at

4am, ready to start playing. ‘I don’t have an alarm, so I just wake up when I feel rested. I did some sit-ups, did some push-ups, brushed my teeth. So it was like 4:45am, and I thought ‘well there’s nothing else to do, might as well start playing!’ I already see Mouldy Onions (Ryan Bell, another legendary SNG grinder), he’s already sitting. So I sit.’ PokerStars put up a very nice bonus for the first player to make Supernova and it quickly became a two-horse race between Wice and Ryan. ‘Maybe it was adrenaline, but I played pretty much the whole day on the first of January. One of the things I was thinking about was if I push it today I could get 50k and 50k again, and then I’ll have 100k in two days with the normal sleep schedule. I was planning to get 30k anyway, so if I get 50k, instead of 30k, I can get this bonus money, so I was like ‘Okay I’ll do this’. Wice completed the day’s grind with an incredible 59k vpps. That’s more than most of us will make in a year. But what was even crazier is that Ryan also had around 56k. It didn’t escape Wice’s attention. ‘I went to sleep, woke up at 6am, sat down and started playing. And I realised when I saw the updates from the VIP club that it was a twohorse race. It was literally within 5,000 vpps the entire way.’ Ryan had more experience in this format, but Wice had more experience multi-tabling, so in his own words at that point he decided to ‘turn on the jets’. ‘I was 48 or 50-tabling. I’m pretty sure that will never be attempted again. That kind of speed is like a decision every 0.6 seconds or something, so to make three decisions every two seconds is an insane speed! There’s no break in the action, you can’t even move your eyes or cough or anything. And in hypers it’s nuanced because you could have J-2 suited and you should go all-in. You have to actually look at the situation and make your decision based on it, you can’t just make a general decision.’

I was 48 or 50-tabling. I’m pretty sure that will never be attempted again

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 33

DEAL supernova elite

The future tense

I don’t think I’ve actually played that good before, and I don’t think I’ll ever play that good again

34 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

But the astounding thing was that both he and Ryan emerged as winners pre-rakeback. ‘I don’t think I’ve actually played that good before, and I don’t think I’ll ever play that good again. Even now, I don’t know how I did it, because when I try to play 24-tables it’s pretty freaking hard! I think there was just a lot of adrenaline or something, I remember my hands were shaking and there was so much sweat coming out of them.’ At the time of writing in mid-February Wice was closing in on his first SNE title of the year. His starting bankroll of $65k was up to around $90k and he had over 800k vpps in the bank. But it seemed he wouldn’t end up being the first to SNE in 2013, with UK pro Ryan having it all but sewn up. It also seemed as if fatigue was beginning to set in a little from his latest posts, and he had adjusted his target to 20k vpps a day. The eight SNE title goal was still there, but the grind is clearly a tough one and if he makes it then it will be a huge effort. If he succeeds the one thing driving him on won’t be the money. As Wice started reaching Supernova he began upping the stakes and the money became a secondary concern. To be a winning player is nice, but to make history and leave a mark is nicer. ‘Eventually it’s not even about money anymore,’ Wice says. ‘You get so emotionally invested in it!’ Here’s to another nine months of madness.

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Why go for SNE? Let’s take a look at the benefits. First and foremost, SNE brings with it a lot of money. A minimum of $104k, to be precise (see www.fpppro.com for more details and calculations). And the PokerStars VPP (VIP Player Points) multiplier is such that the more vpps you earn, the easier they are to accumulate. In short, the first $104k is a lot harder to earn than the second, and so on. Earning $104k in rakeback is no cakewalk. It requires paying over $167k in rake: a colossal number that is simply out of reach for most low to mid-stakes recreational players. A lot of SNE grinders anticipate making a loss at the tables, reasoning that the rewards more than make up for it. Here’s awice’s take on it: ‘If you’re talking about elite regulars, after rakeback they can still make $200 per hour. When you’re talking about these hourlies or whether you’re winning pre-rakeback or post-rakeback, I don’t draw a distinction. The only thing that matters is how much you win post-rakeback.’

Grinder Strategy Alex Wice gives us some guidance on grinding the high-stakes sit-and-gos To what extent do you play according to charts/standard accepted optimal theory? I know that myself and other top players like to develop a system internally to beat the game, then repeat that system across many tables without really analysing their opponents too in-depth. Maybe making some adjustments, but not too many. But the more I play poker, the more I think it’s important to play each hand optimally which includes exploiting your opponents, both recreational players and regulars. Regs do make a lot of mistakes. I notice that high-stakes players do tilt, including me. They get really mad!

The more I play poker, the more I think it’s important to play each hand optimally

How do you keep focused in high-stakes games? One of the things I was often distracted by was the fact that having downswings sucks, but having upswings sucks too! This is unusual, because people are like, ‘what? Why does an upswing suck?’ Maybe you could call it ‘winner’s tilt’. Say you’re a player who plays $100 Hypers, and you win $10k in two hours. Well almost all people would stop playing. They’d be like ‘I’m up $10k, I’m going to go and have a nice dinner and invite all my friends’. They’re not going to continue playing. But also, you can develop an anxiety for playing, and you can develop these false expectations where if you don’t win an absurd amount, you feel bad. So it can create these expectations which are negatively-minded. Like, if I don’t win 2% pre-rakeback I feel like I lost, or something. Most of winning at hyper-turbos is winning all-ins, which is probably why a lot of recreational players like the game! A regular can’t have a substantial edge on anyone. I’m only trying to make a couple percent on each player or in the game in total. If the best players only have a couple percent ROI, then how much can a recreational player really lose?

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 35

DEAL supernova elite

Tips to be a

SNE 2

PREPARE YOURSELF MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY FOR SWINGS It is incredibly unlikely you will achieve SNE with a smooth trajectory. At some stage of the chase, you’re likely to go on a downswing that will make you question whether the whole thing is worth it: ‘A lot of people think about what could go right, but they don’t consider what could go wrong’, says Alex Wice. ‘If you play enough times, eventually you’ll have a $50k or $100k downswing. It’s important to be as prepared as you can. You’ll see insane streaks. You have to be ready for that.’

STRUCTURE YOUR LIFE ACCORDINGLY

Making a run at SNE is gruelling. Those who achieve the most volume do so by structuring all aspects of their life in a manner that is designed to complement the task. Alex Wice elaborates: ‘If you don’t sleep well, you won’t exercise. If you don’t exercise, you won’t have any energy. If you don’t eat well you won’t feel well. All these things seem like they are compartmentalised, but they’re not.’

People tend to think about what could go right, but don’t consider what can go wrong

DON’T FORGET TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Winning at poker is not an easy task, regardless of volume! The best players analyse their game constantly, and never sit still. ‘There are so many people who decide to do this, and they’re just not prepared. Eric (Foreman11) and I spent all of last year working on our games, trying to be the best we can be. We had improved our games and our attitudes enough so we were ready for the tests in terms of variance. My advice is: be prepared!’ says Bertie ‘Bigstealer’ Bayley.

36 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

ENSURE THAT YOU MAKE VOLUME GOALS, NOT RESULTS GOALS

To the SNE grinder, constantly checking results can be distracting and debilitative. Put simply, if you start the year with the ultimate goal of making SNE, then checking results can remove your focus from the task at hand: accumulating vpps! Goals should be broken down into a succession of manageable monthly, weekly, and daily targets. ‘I really just try to play my best. I really don’t think about how much I should win or how much I want to win, I think that’s very distracting’ says awice.

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SWITCHING OFF

When you’re putting in the kind of volume that becoming SNE entails, it can spill over into other aspects of your life. It’s really important to ensure that you are in a position to ‘switch off’ from poker from time to time. ‘My poker friends are the ones who I’ll turn to if I feel down about my game’ says Bertie Bayley, ‘but my ‘real-life’ friends, girlfriend, and family are great for getting away from the grind’.

Elite squad Eric ‘Foreman11’ Porlier and Bertie ‘Bigstealer’ Bayley are two of the world’s most feared Sit-and-Go players. As well as being great rivals, they’re best friends away from the virtual felt. Here they are, in their own words Hi gents, could you tell our readers what games you play? Eric: We both play the $60 to $500 turbo and regular speed sit-and-gos on PokerStars, and we’re both going for Supernova Elite. Describe a typical day in your 2013 poker life. Bert: I get up around 8am, where previously I used to get up at 10.30. I’ll go get some exercise in at the gym, have some breakfast, and play two sessions. Eric: It’s pretty similar for me. I get up a little earlier, I don’t lift as heavy weights as Bert, and I don’t play quite as many hours! This year I’m trying to play 140 games per session, putting in 35 hours per week. Bert: To be honest, it’s really easy to get into a mood where you do half a day then chill out, but the key is goal-setting: I’ve set myself daily goals of 4,500 vpps. And I like the idea that I’m preparing myself in terms of hours for when I move on from poker. It won’t be quite as hard a transition into a ‘normal’ job, although that probably isn’t going to be for a couple of years.

I just try to play my best. I don’t think about how much I should win or how much I want to win

So grinding for SNE has forced you to be a little more structured with your routine? Eric: Yeah, nobody’s going to do that for you. When I started, I was incredibly lazy. The best year I had was 2009 and I averaged 15 hours a week – pitiful! Bert: I’ve had to say no to

doing things through the week. But I take most weekends off. I’ll sometimes play on a Sunday just to get myself into a decent position for the start of the week. A lot of SNE players expect to lose, prerakeback, at the tables. What about you guys? Bert: Well, we’re not playing a lot more tables than before, we’re just playing longer hours and a higher average buy-in. So I would hope to make decent money before rakeback, but the problem is it’s that top 10% of games that are going to account for 60% of our income so we both have to make sure we don’t run horribly. If we break even in those high-stakes games, we should both have a fairly successful year before rakeback. But if those games are brutal it may result in us having break even or small losing years. Obviously, with the bonuses that’ll be significantly offset. To what extent will table-selection be an option for you? Eric: That’s a big difference between Bert and I, and others who are just like ‘I’m going to play these games, at this average stake’, and just load them up. They don’t care who they play. But on average I’d say we still have a good pre-rakeback edge on the games we play. What size of swings do you anticipate? Bert: We were talking about this last year, I think Eric’s quote was ‘we’re going to end up playing some pretty

Bertie ‘Bigstealer’ Bayley: ready for those $20k swings

greasy games’. Eric said we’d have to be ready for some $20k swings, and I was just like, ‘Oh God yeah, I’ll have to get ready for those as well’. But I think if we can keep thinking in terms of buy-ins we can keep pretty level-headed. If you’re in a situation where you’re in a bit of a hole, you’re like, ‘when am I going to start making money again?’ Eric’s played over 60k games, and I’m around the 40k game mark, so we’ve both had downswings. It’s part of the game. So if Eric’s had a bad day I just take the piss out of him, and if I’ve had a bad day he takes the piss out of me, and that’s just how it is. It’s not really that big a deal to us. What piece of advice would you give our readers who are considering an SNE run next year? Eric: It’s all about hourly rate. If you’re going to go for SNE just because it’s some chunk of free change at the end of things, you’re an idiot! For a lot of SNE grinders who lose a lot of money, I’ve heard that their average hourly rate is like $15 p/h, and they’d be far better off playing soft mistakes games. So think in terms of what you want to get from poker, and in terms of maximising your hourly rate. PP

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 37

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STRATEGY TIP of the month

going back to basics ‘When you’re losing day in and day out it’s easy to think you aren’t good enough anymore. The reality is that if you’ve been a winning player for a substantial amount of time you won’t suddenly become a bad player overnight! It’s helpful to remind yourself of your skills by revisiting the basics.’ – Ross Jarvis goes back to basics on p40

The rescue plan The trouble with poker is you have to accept you will have losing days. And when you have a few losing days in a row those downswings can really test your mettle. Luckily Ross Jarvis has suffered on your behalf and imparts what he has learned from a recent downswing for you in his rescue plan on p40. There is also a guide to beating $200NL from Matthew Janda, so if you fancy making $100 an hour then check it out. And don’t miss Stuart Barnett’s guide to preflop PLO. It’s a packed issue so don’t waste time and get started now.

Breathe life into your poker game

CONTENTS 40 the rescue plan Turn around a losing streak with Ross Jarvis guide to beating those downswings 44 PokerPlayer Quiz Test your skills when playing heads-up with our quiz 46 pro concepts: The secrets of plo preflop play Stuart Barnett shows you how to take on the tricky world of preflop PLO play

52 moving on up: Taking on $200NL CardRunners Matthew Janda shows how to smash up the $1/$2 limit online 56 three more moves Three moves that used to be the reserve of the pros you need in your arsenal 58 Your call Another tough poker teaser from Karl Mahrenholz and wisdom from Sam Grafton

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 39

STRATEGY variance

T he poker recovery n a l p

You can be the best player in the world but the wicked game of poker will inflict vicious downswings on players of all levels. Learn how to put an end to the misery with Ross Jarvis’s top tips for a poker recovery Poker really sucks sometimes. I’m a professional online cash game pro and I’ve lost around $10,000 since the start of 2013. Downswings like this can be horrible as they affect not only your bankroll but your mood, confidence and motivation. The good news is I’ve been through similar troughs two or three times in my career, and come out the other side better than ever. 40 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

If you’re in the midst of a nasty downswing that’s affecting your poker health, don’t despair as you can turn it around! It’s going to take some hard work, a lot of self-reflection and a bit of time but soon you can reach the top of the mountain again. Shut off the negativity, forget the dreary past and pay full attention to my essential tips for a firstclass poker recovery!

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1 Find out the cause of your problems When you’re losing for a prolonged period then it’s sometimes hard to discover why. The trouble with poker is because of variance you can play badly and win or play brilliantly and lose. On large losing streaks many players instantly dismiss the reasons for their losses as purely running bad. Sometimes this will be the case. If so, the solution to your problems is easy: just keep playing the same way and ride out the turbulence. However, it’s not always this simple and before you can truly recover from a downswing you have to diagnose the illness in the first place. If you take poker even semiseriously you must own a tracking programme such as Hold’em Manager. They are a huge advantage to your game and at around $80 will pay for itself in no time. There’s no excuse not to have it. A vital statistic that indicates the origin of your downswing is All-in EV. This calculates the amount of money you would have won (or lost) if the probabilities of winning the hand had remained constant from the moment two or more players go all-in and their hands are exposed. If you’ve won more money than All-in EV says you ‘deserve’ then you’re running good, and vice-versa.

This January, I lost $5,772 over 72,634 hands but my All-in EV shows that I ‘should’ have lost only $926. This was a very positive stat for me as it implied that a dominant reason for my losses was simply bad luck. It’s far more worrying if your losses in All-in EV exceed those in actual real money – in which case it’s likely you are playing badly. It’s important to note that the All-in EV stat is far from perfect as it fails to calculate preflop coolers and hands that go to showdown, which can be just as rewarding or damaging as all-ins on an earlier street. The next step – and you should do this even if you’re confident you are just running bad – is to review a large cross-section of your hand histories from the period you have been losing. Go through the hands in detail and see if you made the most optimal decision on every single street against that specific opponent. Maybe you were making a credible bluff but against the wrong player? Or maybe you missed a spot to thin value bet against a player that calls down too much? There are hundreds of

small adjustments that can be made during a poker session to become more profitable, but it’s only when you take yourself out of the moment and look back at hands with hindsight that you can spot these small errors. When reviewing hands it is important that you don’t only look at the huge pots you’ve played. Most often these will play themselves and either be a cooler spot such as flush versus flush or see all the money fly in preflop. The most important pots where people make common mistakes are in the small to mid-sized ones. Try and look at a ton of these and make a note whenever you see a recurring mistake – the more of these you spot and alter, the easier it will be to get back to winning ways. Finally, if you have a poker friend or coach that you respect ask them to take a look at your hand histories. Sometimes it can be really hard for people to detach themselves from their own ego and truly be self-critical. Having an unbiased second opinion on poker can be really invaluable.

If you take poker even semiseriously you must own a tracking programme

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 41

STRATEGY Variance

2 Revisit the basics When you’re losing day-in and day-out it’s easy to think that the main reason you can’t win is because you aren’t good enough anymore. The reality is that if you’ve been a winning player for a substantial amount of time you won’t suddenly become a bad player overnight. Sure, the games (especially online) are getting tougher but they aren’t improving at such a rate that you will go from a decent winner to a big loser in a short space of time. In the middle of a downswing it’s very helpful to remind yourself of your poker skills by taking it old-school and revisiting the basics. This will be the last thing you feel like doing when you’re losing lots of money. Your instinct will be to load up a million tables and attempt to snatch back your money quickly, to return to ground zero. Unfortunately that approach rarely works. This tedious process will be really helpful in terms of refreshing your memory and reminding yourself to actively engage with poker again rather than fearing it.

In the middle of a downswing it’s very helpful to take it oldschool and revisit the basics If you have classic poker books such as Super/System by Doyle Brunson or Harrington on Hold’em then dust them off the shelf and re-read a few chapters. Jog your memory on basic skills such as calculating pot odds and remind yourself how key concepts like fold equity and stack management should be used. Similarly, watch some poker training videos (even if they are just basic, free tips on YouTube) to reinforce the basic skills that you’ve honed in your poker experience. The vast strategy archive on PokerPlayer.co.uk is also a great place to look.

3 Drop down in stakes Losing regularly can be very disheartening for some players and after a while it inevitably causes a loss of confidence that will affect your game for the worse. For some, including me, that means you take fewer chances during a session for fear of losing when it was unnecessary. Common examples from my game are that I will fail to fire that third barrel when I should or neglect to value bet second pair on the river even when I know it’s good. There’s a point when this becomes so affecting that you might even lose your edge in the regular games you play. A great solution is to drop down in stakes for a few sessions, weeks or even longer if you have to. Take as much time as you need to get your confidence, and poker game, back to the level it needs to

42 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

be. In theory lower-stakes games will have easier competition and so the chances of you losing – even if you are still not playing your ‘A’ game – will be much reduced. As much as the money, just getting back into the winning frame of mind is important. Let’s equate it to a struggling striker in football to better help you understand what I mean. Strikers often go through long scoring droughts: look at Fernando Torres as a prime example. However, the best football managers know that just one goal from somewhere, even it’s a scrappy tap-in versus a lower league side, can lead to a complete turnaround. Suddenly that same striker whose career looked doomed is now knocking them in for fun. The same is true for poker as just a few small winning sessions here and

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4 Start to love the game again! It’s easy to forget that poker is supposed to be enjoyable entertainment when you are losing money. It’s time to get that love back. Do anything you can to put the money out of sight and focus on the love of the game. The easiest way to do this is to shake up your usual routine and do something different. This can be anything from hosting a small-stakes home game with good friends (and a lot of alcohol!) to going to the local casino and playing in a tournament purely for fun. I’m not suggesting you throw the game and don’t try to win, but instead that you leave the severe self-analysis at home and focus instead on what made you fall in love with poker in the first place. Try chatting to people at the table about anything other than cards and even use this as a place to experiment with some new poker moves. Success often follows when one is relaxed and happy at the table. If these options sound too drastic for you there are steps you can take at

home to freshen up your poker mindset too. The first is to open an account on a new online poker site. A fresh start can do wonders for your mind and if you’re savvy about where you play you can also make a few bucks by taking advantage of the sign-up bonuses on offer. Another option is to get some fresh scenery. I recently moved my desk and PC to a different room in the house and have found it has really helped. The new grinding spot has no associations with losing and is light and welcoming. It’s made me excited to play poker again. Another thing I love to do is go online and search out my favourite poker videos of all-time. I must have watched durrrr’s greatest hits from High Stakes Poker (www.tinyurl.com/durrrrsbest) or Phil Ivey’s insane 2005 Monte Carlo Millions bluff (www.tinyurl.com/ iveysbest) a thousand times but they never fail to remind me why we all love poker. Before money even comes into it we love poker because it is exciting and fun! Never forget that.

Just a few winning sessions can lead to you playing like a champion once again there can suddenly lead to you playing like a champion once again. Another good reason to drop down is to avoid going broke. Downswings can easily lead to prolonged tilt and staying at the same stake level (unless you’ve got a huge bankroll) can soon get dangerous. Stick to strict bankroll management guidelines and don’t be ashamed to drop down in stakes for any reason. If you do this you should never have to reload. PP

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 43

STRATEGY QUIZ Q1

beat the bully

Players 2 Blinds 150/300 Your stack 3,600 Your hand A♣-K♦

QUIZ THIS MONTH

Heads-up hero

If you like big pots and rollercoaster action heads-up poker is the game for you. It’s been a while since PokerPlayer tested your one-on-one chops so see if you’re still up for the battle

trip ‘em up

Pot: $3.00

ACTION You’re in a heads-up cash game against a player who has shown he is capable of firing three barrels when scare cards come. You call a raise preflop with 8-8. The flop is 6♥-8♥-T♣. You check and your opponent bets $1.50, full pot. What should you do?

Decision a) Call the $1.50 b) Check-raise to $4.50 c) Check-raise to $8.50 d) Check-raise all-in

44 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

300

BB 6,400

ACTION It’s a few levels into a $20 heads-up sit-and-go and you are down to 3,600 from your initial 5,000 starting stack. Your opponent plays very aggressively preflop. You pick up A-K on the button – what should you do?

Decision a) Limp b) Raise to 600 c) Raise to 1,000 d) Move all-in

rocky river

Players 2 Blinds $0.10/$0.25 Your stack $23.50 Your hand 8♦-8♠

YOU (BB) $25

$1.50

150 Pot: 450

Players 2 Blinds $0.10/$0.25 Your stack $25 Your hand 8♦-8♠

SB $25

YOU (SB) 3,600

SB $25

YOU (BB) $23.50 Pot: $4.50

ACTION It’s the same hand as in Q2. You decided to call his flop bet. The turn is 2♣. You check and your opponent checks behind. The river is an offsuit Ace, and the pot size is $4.50. What should you do?

Decision a) Donk out $3 b) Overbet the pot to $9 c) Check-call a bet d) Check-raise

Decision a) Fold b) Call all-in. What should you do? 2m

50k

BB ALL-IN

All or nothing Decision a) Check and give up b) Check-call c) Bet $15 d) Move all-in Ace. You have $27 behind and the pot is $46. What should you do?

0-4 Headache The bumhunters will surely have you in their sights

your score 10) If you feel that you are severely outmatched against a heads-up opponent what should you do? a) Keep on playing until you get your money back b) Quit c) Berate them in the chatbox d) Challenge them to play higher stakes 9) The best way to improve at heads-up is to… a) Play against players better than you b) Watch training videos c) Review your hand histories d) All of the above 8) What is bumhunting? a) A niche form of adult entertainment b) The practise of moving all-in every hand c) The practise of sitting at heads-up tables and exclusively playing fish d) A medieval sport 7) What is the minimum number of buy-ins you should have in your bankroll to play heads-up poker seriously? a) 10 buy-ins b) 20 buy-ins c) 50 buy-ins d) 100 buy-ins

time to bluff?

5-7 Head-start You’ve got a few of the basics but your heads-up game still needs work

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 45

8-10 Heady-height Congratulations! You’re a heads-up champion in the making

1 b) Raise to 600. A-K is well ahead of any heads-up opponent’s range and your main thought should be how best to get all the chips in preflop. As the villain is aggressive we want to leave him as much rope to hang himself with as possible. 2 a) Call the $1.50. Many players would check-raise because of the draw-heavy wet flop. It would be fine but against a player with aggressive tendencies it is better to just call and represent a mid-strength hand. There are many turn cards in this scenario that our opponent will double barrel. While our set is vulnerable to being outdrawn slowplaying is often the most +EV move. 3 d) Check-raise. After checking behind the turn there’s a fair chance our opponent had Ace-high that was looking for a cheap showdown. If we check this river he is almost certainly going to value bet top pair. It’s also likely that he would bluff here in an attempt to get us to fold a marginal hand such as middle pair. Check-raising allows us to get two bets in whereas donking out only allows one bet. 4 d) Move all-in. In heads-up you have to be willing to run big bluffs from time to time. It keeps your opponents guessing and will have a decent rate of success purely because player’s hand strengths are weaker than in six-max or full ring due to the number of cards dealt. 5 b) Call. It can feel uncomfortable calling off 50BBs preflop with 9-9 at such a pivotal moment but when you break it down you will see it becomes the most profitable play. Even an inexperienced opponent is unlikely to just three-bet shove monster hands when so deep-stacked. That weights his shoving range towards hands he is uncomfortable playing postflop. 6 a) More variance. The variance in heads-up cash games is easily twice as high as that in six-max cash games. Heads-up, you are involved in every single pot and it demands you make a lot of tough, close decisions. The average pot size is also generally larger. 7 c) 50 buy-ins. This is still a fairly conservative estimate but 50 buy-ins should be a large enough bankroll for any cash games, up to and including, $1/$2. 8 c) The practise of sitting at heads-up tables and exclusively playing fish. Bumhunting has made a lot of poker players very rich in the past. However it is looked down upon by many regulars. 9 d) All of the above. Heads-up poker can be a daunting experience at first but these techniques should help you improve. 10 b) Quit. If you’re to be successful at heads-up poker there is no room for ego. Unless you’re looking to improve you should always be playing in games where you feel you have an edge. If you don’t feel that way then quit immediately.

ACTION You’re heads-up in a prestigious online tournament but at a 2:1 chip deficit. Your opponent is very inexperienced and has never been in a situation like this before. You make your standard opening raise to 50,000 and he just shoves

Pot: 2.05m YOU (SB) 1m

Players 2 Blinds 10,000/20,000 Your stack 1,000,000 Your hand 9♣-9♠

ACTION Your opponent – a decent, thinking player – raises to $1.50 and you three-bet to $5 from the big blind. He calls. The flop is 7♣-4♠-3♦. You bet $6 and he calls. The turn is Q♣ giving you a flush draw. You now bet $12 and he calls again. The river is an offsuit

Pot: $46 YOU (BB) $27

SB $30

6) Compared to six-max cash games heads-up has… a) More variance b) Less variance c) About the same level of variance d) Variance is not important heads-up

Players 2 Blinds $0.25/$0.50 Your stack $50 Your hand J♣-9♣

round Quick-fire

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STRATEGY omaha

Pro Concepts Evaluating starting hands in

PLO In his PokerPlayer debut, professional cash game player Stuart Barnett reveals what you should be looking for in any Omaha starting hand before you commit chips to the pot

46 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

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Evaluating playable hands in pot-limit Omaha is not as easy as it first appears. Many players may have developed a reasonable idea of which hands are strong or weak preflop. They know strong hands like A♥-K♣-Q♥-10♠ are playable and weak hands like J♠-7♥-2♠2♣ are unplayable. Their problem comes with the hands that are neither obviously strong nor weak. They do not fully grasp that most hands have different strengths and weaknesses and suit some situations better than others. Some hands play well in multi-way pots with a lot of chips still to bet, but may be unplayable in short-handed situations in which the pot is bloated preflop. Other hands play great in short-handed raised or three-bet pots, but terribly in multi-way pots with deep stacks. I am going to discuss a method for evaluating starting hands in PLO based on two key concepts: hit rate and intensity. By looking at starting hands in this manner it becomes easier to understand how situational variables can make a hand powerful in one spot yet weak in another.

Hit rate A hand like A♠-2♠-9♥-9♣ has a very low hit rate. It won’t hit many flops. You need to flop the nut flush, the nut flush draw, or hit a 9 to have ‘hit the flop’. Hitting an Ace for top pair does not fully count because you don’t have a good draw to two pair due to having a pair in your hand. Contrast this with a hand like Q♠-10♥-8♠-7♥. This hand will hit some part of the flop much more often. It can hit two pair, a wrap, a pair plus a straight draw, a pair plus a flush draw and all

Most hands have different strengths and weaknesses and suit some situations better than others

sorts of other stuff too! All of these ‘hits’ give you the opportunity to at least consider continuing in the pot after the flop. The hit rate of Q♠-10♥-8♠-7♥ is around twice that of A♠-2♠-9♥-9♣. Rundown hands simply hit a lot more flops than disconnected hands with pairs in them. However, this does not necessarily mean that Q♠-10♥-8♠-7♥ is the better hand. In some situations it is, but in other spots you would rather have the A♠-2♠-9♥-9♣. This is because of the second important concept in evaluating PLO starting hands.

Intensity Intensity is a measure of how hard a hand can hit the flop. Let’s compare the two

The most important factor in short-handed pots is the ability to hit the flop very often

hands again. Q♠-10♥-8♠-7♥ hits the flop very often (it has a high hit rate), but it rarely hits the flop hard. Usually when this hand ‘hits’ it means you have flopped a pair plus non-nut flush draw, a non-nut wrap, two pairs, a pair plus a gutshot or some such marginal hand. Even when this hand flops the nuts, it rarely has a massive redraw to go with it. This hand hits a lot of flops, but rarely smashes them. It has a high hit rate, but a low intensity. On the other hand A♠-2♠-9♥-9♣ does not hit many flops (it has a low hit rate) but it usually smashes the flop when it does hit. It either hits a set, the nut flush or the nut flush draw. The dream with this hand (a suited Ace with an offsuit pair) is, of course, to hit a set plus the nut flush draw. If the 9♠ comes on the flop you will often have a hand that you can go to war with. So while this hand does not hit many flops, when it does hit it tends to hit hard. It has a low hit rate, but a high intensity.

How to use hit rate and intensity So which hand is better? Well, it depends on the situation. If it is a multi-way limped pot with deep stacks then A♠-2♠-9♥-9♣ is a much better hand. It does not matter that you won’t hit the flop very often, because you are going to have to hit the flop hard to continue anyway since the pot is multi-way and the stack-to-pot ratio (SPR) is large. However, if it is heads-up you would usually prefer the Q♠-10♥-8♠-7♥ hand, especially if the SPR is fairly low. Although this hand has low intensity and will rarely smash the flop, this is not so important when you only have to beat one opponent. The most important factor in shorthanded pots is the ability to hit the flop very often, even if you are not likely to hit April 2013 POKERPLAYER 47

STRATEGY omaha

it quite as hard. You don’t need to flop the nuts with the nut redraw to play aggressively with your hand versus one opponent. Your standards are much lower than that, as you only have one hand to beat, after all! The key thing is to hit a bit of something as often as possible. Even just hitting a weak top pair with the Q♠-10♥-8♠7♥ hand usually means you have at least 11 outs to make two pair or better, plus you will often have some backdoor draws too.

The lowdown on rundowns There is a big difference in the quality of rundown hands. Hands such as T-9-8-7 or T-9-8-6 have the best structures. Having a rundown with no gaps, or one with a gap at the bottom, is more likely to lead to flopping a wrap in which all (or most) of your outs are to the nuts. Contrast this with a hand like T-8-7-6 which has a gap at the top. The weakness of this hand is that you can flop a ‘huge wrap’ and yet be completely dominated by a better wrap. If the flop comes 9-7-2 or J-9-3 it may look like you have a monster draw, but a hand like Q-10-T-8 dominates you. Hands with two gaps at the top have particularly weak structures and can often get themselves into horrible situations when they flop a wrap. For example, Q-9-8-7 can get itself trapped in a horrible spot on a J-T-2 flop, since it is so easy for this non-nut wrap to be dominated by a better wrap if a big pot gets played after the flop. PLO is a game where you ‘get what you build’. If you play a rundown with gaps at the top you are building a non-nut wrap. These sort of hands play much better in short-handed pots than in multi-way pots – since ‘nuttiness’ is not as essential when facing only one or two opponents.

For example, with stacks of around 100BBs I would almost always be happy to call a three-bet with Q♠-10♥-8♠-7♥ – especially in position – provided the hand was going to be played heads-up. The reason for this is that the SPR will be fairly low and I am only facing one opponent, so I am not looking to flop the nuts before I commit my stack. I will often be happy to commit if I hit one pair plus anything extra (a gutshot for example). Therefore I am looking for a hand with a high hit rate rather than a high intensity.

Trash and premium hands Think for a second about why a hand like 2♥-4♠-4♥-7♠ is such a trashy hand by analysing it from the perspective of hit rate and intensity. You will see that it has both a low hit rate and a low intensity. It doesn’t hit the flop very often and doesn’t hit the flop very hard even when it does. You will get dealt many such trash hands in every PLO session you play. Occasionally some of these are playable in the right situations. Against fit or fold opponents who show you respect and are not prone to bluff, quite a few trash hands might be playable in certain situations from the button. Against tough opponents pretty much all these trash hands will lose you money, especially if you are out of position. If the pot is multi-way these trash hands are just about always going to be unprofitable, regardless of the skill level of your opponents. Next, think for a second about why hands such as A♠-A♣-J♠-10♣ or K♥-Q♦-J♥-10♦ are so strong. You will see that these hands have both excellent hit rates and excellent intensity. They hit the flop pretty often and they also have the ability to smash the flop. That’s why these sorts of hands are considered premium hands. Premium hands usually play great in every situation. Finally, consider a hand like 8♥-7♦-6♥5♦. Think of the sort of ways you will hit the flop with this hand. You are likely to flop bottom two pair and a straight draw, or a pair plus a gutshot, or a pair plus a small flush draw. This sort of ‘hit’ would very often be enough to commit in a low SPR situation, especially when heads-up. However, if the SPR is high and

By using the concepts of hit rate and intensity, you will find it easier to know which hands to play

lots of people have seen the flop then flopping something like this might not even truly count as a ‘hit’. This is why 8♥-7♦-6♥5♦ can often be a premium hand but other times is nothing more than a decent hand.

Final thoughts By evaluating hands using the concepts of hit rate and intensity, you will find it easier to know which hands to play in

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Stack to Pot Ratio (SPR) Stack to pot ratio (SPR) is a measure of the relationship between the size of the pot and the remaining stacks. For example, if everyone has ÂŁ180 left and the pot is ÂŁ20 then the SPR would be 9. Usually, in low SPR situations you do not require as strong a hand to commit your entire stack when compared with high SPR situations.

Your preflop decisions should always [consider] how things are likely to play out postflop

different situations. Partly this is a feel thing, and comes with experience. However, there are some general guidelines that you can use. Hands with high hit rates tend to be good in heads-up or short-handed pots and low SPR situations, and by extension, in all-in preflop coups. Hands with high intensity tend to be good in multi-way pots and high SPR situations.

When considering your preflop decisions in PLO you should always think ahead to how things are likely to play out postflop. In particular, ask yourself two questions: Does it look like this is going to be a multi-way pot? And are the remaining stacks going to be deep or shallow when compared to the size of the pot? Many marginal hands are very playable with the right number of players and the

right stack-to-pot-ratio, but might be completely unplayable if the situations are different. By using the concepts of hit rate and intensity you will be able to work out the conditions that any given starting hand requires for it to be played profitably.

TURN OVER FOR OUR PLO QUIZ

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 49

STRATEGY omaha

PLO

QUESTION 1 ACTION All fold to the hijack who raises to £6. He is a fairly weak-tight player. You have J♥-8♠-7♠-6♥ in the cut-off. What should you do?

Starting hand

QUIZ

BB FOLD

£1

£2

FOLD Pot: £9 £6

HIJACK

YOU (CUT-OFF)

QUESTION 2

QUESTION 3

Decision a) fold b) call c) three-bet

YOU (SB)

SB FOLD

BUTTON

Put your knowledge to the test! All of the following hands are played at £1/£2 PLO. Most players have at least 100bb stacks

ACTION You have J♥-8♠-7♠-6♥ in the small blind. The UTG player raises to £6. Three players call before the action gets to you. What should you do?

Decision a) fold b) call c) three-bet

ACTION You have J♥-8♠-7♠-6♥ in the cut-off. Everyone folds round to you, and you open raise to £6. The BB three-bets you to £20. What should you do?

Decision a) fold b) call c) three-bet

FOLD £1

£2

BUTTON

UTG £6

£6

Pot: £27

BUTTON

FOLD

Pot: £27

£6

PLAYER 2

PLAYER 1

YOU (CUT-OFF)

50 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

£20

£1

FOLD

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QUESTION 4 ACTION You have A♥-8♠-8♣-5♥ in the small blind. Everyone folds to a competent player in the cut-off who raises to £6. The button folds. What should you do?

Decision a) fold b) call c) three-bet

YOU (SB)

£1

£2

BUTTON

FOLD

Pot: £9 £6

CUTOFF

FOLD

Answer 2 You fold. As discussed above, this hand plays terribly in a multi-way pot due to its poor intensity. In addition, you are out of position. You will hit a little bit of something very often on this flop, but it will rarely be enough to play for stacks versus four opponents. Despite the great pot odds you are getting, and despite the fact that this doublesuited hand looks ‘pretty’, you should fold.

QUESTION 5 ACTION You have A♥-8♠-8♣-3♥ in the small blind. UTG raises to £6. Three players call before the action gets to you. What do you do?

Answer 3 You call. This is a very easy call, despite getting far worse pot odds than the previous example, and despite facing a much stronger range. You are much less likely to be punished for the low intensity of your hand in a three-bet heads-up pot, and the high hit rate of your hand means that it plays really well versus one opponent with a fairly low SPR. You will hit a little bit of something very often on this flop and this little bit of something will usually be enough to raise any continuation bet your opponent makes, given that it is a heads-up pot. For example. if you raise him on a J♠-9♥-4♣ or a Q♥-6♠-4♦ flop and he folds then that is great as you have made him fold whatever equity he has in the pot (and sometimes he might even fold the best hand). If he sets himself in then you call and hope to have the best hand by the river.

Decision a) fold b) call c) three-bet

YOU (SB)

£1

£2

BUTTON

UTG £6

Answer 1 You either fold or three-bet. Don’t call The reason you should not call here is because this is often going to lead to a multi-way pot ANSWERS when players behind you also call. J♥-8♠-7♠6♥ plays really badly against many opponents in a single-raised pot. Your double suited rundown has a low intensity due to its major structural weakness: a double gap at the top. Adding to this low intensity is the fact that you do not have much high card strength and both your flush draws are small ones. This hand plays terribly in a multi-way pot with a fairly large SPR because you will often be fully punished for the low intensity of your hand. If many players see the flop it becomes much more likely that you will be dominated if, for example, you flop a wrap on a T♥-9♠-3♣ flop or a pair plus flush draw on a J♠-3♥-2♥ flop. However, your hand often plays really well in a heads-up pot, especially against a fairly weak-tight opponent. The low intensity of your hand is nowhere near as important in a heads-up pot, since it is much less likely that you will flop a dominated hand versus only one opponent. And your hand has a very high hit rate so it will very often flop a little something that will either allow you to win at showdown, or win without showdown through your aggressive betting. On either of the two flops given above (T♥-9♠-3♣ or J♠-3♥-2♥) you could often commit your stack in a heads-up three-bet pot given the fact that the SPR would be fairly low and you would only have one opponent to beat. In addition, you will often simply be able to win this pot with a continuation bet on the flop, especially as this opponent plays fairly weak-tight. If your opponent four-bets then you have an easy call since the high hit rate of your hand means you are very often going to flop enough equity to commit your stack on the flop versus likely A-A-x-x. I would often three-bet here. I would also often fold. It would depend on game dynamics, reads and history. But I would (almost) never flat call.

£6

Pot: £27 £6

£6

PLAYER 2

PLAYER 1

Answer 4 You fold. This hand has great intensity, but a very low hit rate. This means it is a very bad hand to play in a heads-up pot, especially out of position versus a competent player. You are rarely going to be able to continue after the flop due to your low hit rate. The rare times you do hit the flop you are often going to have a ‘monster’, but this is overkill since you have only one opponent and are fairly unlikely to get paid. Versus one opponent you are not looking to flop occasional monsters – you are simply looking to flop some sort of hand fairly often. Answer 5 You call. You folded the J♥-8♠-7♠-6♥ in exactly the same spot in Question 2. With A♥-8♠-8♣-5♥ you are delighted to call. Your hand has a low hit rate, but it has excellent intensity. When it does connect with the flop it often hits really hard (especially if the 8♥ is on the flop), and you will be happy to go to war even against four opponents. PP

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 51

STRATEGY levelling up

PART 4

Climbing The Ladder CardRunners Pro Matthew Janda teaches you how to crush $200NL in the final part of his series on moving up the stakes In association with

$200NL is where players start making very good money – over $100 p/h

$200NL is where players start making very good money. The best $200NL players can make over $100 per hour! The variance isn’t too much to handle either, whereas the variance at higher stakes can be sickening. Lots of people get stuck at $200NL due to the money being good, there being much less games at higher stakes, and because the variance above this can be tough to swallow with win rates getting smaller as the competition increases. You’ll find a good mix of regulars at $200NL. That can be anything from bad $200NL players to good $400NL regs who have dropped down to add tables to their session. For these reasons, it’s important to categorise early on the type of players you’re up against in a $200NL session.

Playing against $200NL regulars There are several leaks most $200NL

52 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

regulars have. This is the limit I have played the most in my career and so I feel confident you’ll encounter these same leaks in your game. The first is that many regs have an inability to make very large bluffs at the appropriate frequencies. They are capable of doing it but not often enough. Ranges are still way too weighted towards value in general, especially when the other player can have strong hands in their range. When players move up I feel they have a tendency to imagine that everyone is very good at this new limit and their old tricks will no longer work. It’s not true. At $200NL if you can have the nuts in your range it’s pretty unlikely that your opponent will try and pull a big bluff. Sometimes you will just have the nuts and he’s scared of throwing away a stack when that happens. You must take the standard folding line if you are being aggressive and your opponent is playing back at you with aggression. Do this until you learn otherwise from a specific opponent. It is also essential that you take notes.

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Stop raising flops against opponents where slowplaying is better

The second leak is that players are afraid to take risky lines which may make additional streets more difficult to play, or result in them being outdrawn. For example, few people will slowplay a set on a T♥-8♥-5♣ flop. Since few players will slowplay here it allows you to bet larger and more frequently on later streets as they cannot be strong (assuming the turn card didn’t put a ton of strong hands in their range). This is not necessarily a bad thing as at $200NL you can still have an extremely healthy win rate by just taking obvious lines and not worrying about being exploited. Another leak is that players here typically have an inability to access the entire bet-sizing spectrum. People will often say to themselves, ‘should I bet 65% of the pot here, or check?’ That is

their thought process and these are often very mediocre regs. They don’t consider all the other possible bet sizes, which are really profitable. These edges are smaller and require more effort to fix than leaks we have talked about in previous articles. But it’s worth it as earning $100 per hour is a really good amount of money and it’s worth working pretty hard to do that.

Taking risky lines If I am reviewing someone’s play who plays $200NL, I require them to take the most +EV line at all times. No excuses! For example, stop raising flops against opponents where slowplaying is better. This is probably the most important concept in this article. At really low limits I am fine with you taking a line that you feel

comfortable with, to stop getting in an awkward spot where you may make a major mistake. At $200NL we are past this point. We need to take the most +EV line at all times because edges are getting smaller. We have to be completely comfortable with variance and what we are doing so we don’t play poker just to avoid tough spots. A second example is that you should stop making +EV four-bets when flatting the three-bet may instead be more +EV. Deal with playing three-bet pots in position and out of position along with facing tough spots postflop. Sometimes it’s just better to call with a hand like Q-Q preflop even if a four-bet is undoubtedly +EV. You just aren’t going to get it in against J-J often enough and almost never against A-Q so that when you get all-in you won’t be in brilliant shape. April 2013 POKERPLAYER 53

STRATEGY levelling up

It’s hugely important to stop raising draws too, just because it makes the hand easier to play. People often play draws too aggressively. Calling can be more profitable than reraising with a flush or straight draw, so do it! Be willing to use smaller bet sizing and not just force the opponent into going all-in or folding. How often do you see people pick a bet size (with a genuine hand) just because they don’t want an opponent to be able to call it? That can make sense but a lot of the time it is just being lazy. Make smaller bet sizes. This can have lots of benefits as betting small may entice your opponent to bluff-jam whereas if I made a really big bet this takes away that play from his arsenal. We are no longer trying to avoid mistakes at $200NL. Instead we are now trying to maximise EV in every single possible spot regardless of the variance or the difficulty in playing the hand. We will make mistakes, but we will also improve this way.

Be comfortable in three-bet pots By now you should be used to having ten buy-in swings in a single day. If not, get used to it! Three-bet pots are extremely normal at this limit and common. You can’t just start responding by either four-betting or folding, even if you are out of position. Remember that three-bet pots aren’t actually that different from single raised pots it's there’s just a lot more money on the line. Remember to be aware of what three-betting ranges and three-bet flatting ranges look like from every single position, and be able to quickly count rough combos. Of course you 54 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

Getting a good grasp on different bet sizing will tear up mediocre opponents

will see your opponent make stupid three-bet bluffs or stupid three-bet calls but for the most part you should figure out: if he is three-betting from out of position, what sort of hands he could have given the flop texture and how many suited connectors have improved. Could he also have sets on this board? You should be pretty comfortable with what somebody’s value and bluffing range looks like on certain boards. Consider using smaller three-bet sizes in position and calling when the opponent also makes smaller three-bet sizes. Of course, it is easier just to make your three-bet big and discourage your opponent from calling. This leaves him with two options: to four-bet or fold. You can then look at your own hand and either shove or fold depending on how strong it is.

That strategy can work, but it is far from ideal. You want to make your opponent defend a wider range so when you are three-betting in position consider a smaller sizing against the right type of opponent. Sizing in three-bet pots is very easy, yet most people suck at it. Know how to set up getting all the money in on the turn as an overbet, and know how to bet the turn as small as necessary to ‘force’ the opponent to call. In three-bet pots on the turn you need to be able to bet both 150% of the pot and 32% of the pot. These skills will help you move on up past $200NL.

Acknowledge the entire bet-sizing spectrum The statement ‘most bet sizes in most spots need to have a very balanced range in theory’ is true. You probably want to be balanced. However, the statement ‘most board textures have a single optimal bet sizing’ is most certainly incorrect. There is not one bet sizing to use on every single texture, but multiple. People tend to think that altering their bet sizing based on the board texture is all that they need to do. In reality, this is good, but in theory there will be tons of possible bet sizes, and each with a balanced range. For example, on a T♥-7♥-4♣ board with a $20 pot I might bet between $9-$22 and each bet sizing will have a balanced range. Getting a good grasp on different bet sizing will absolutely tear up mediocre opponents. Manipulating your bet sizing so that you are betting bigger when you want him to fold and smaller when you want him to call fundamentally works really well at

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$200NL. You may think something that obvious shouldn’t work that well, but it does!

Defend like a boss This is absolutely impossible to do if you are not extremely comfortable in both three-bet pots and donk betting. Donk betting is crucial. Some hands donk incredibly well as bluffs, and some value hands play very badly when you give two cards to the opponent (such as 7-7 on a 2-5-6 flop). If you check-call the flop you virtually guarantee seeing two more cards. It can give your opponent a major advantage. Blind three-betting ranges are wide, at least 12% from each position and

arguably more (this depends on your approach and opening raise sizing). Get used to stacking off light and be able to five-bet bluff jam preflop to defend the wide three-betting ranges needed. You must three-bet hands that you are not very comfortable with in order to obtain a balanced range. A typical example is having A-5 suited in the big blind when the button has opened. This is an impossible hand to fold and three-betting is better than calling. You will be defending the blinds non-stop at $200NL. It is not merely a table of regs sharing a fish or two, so be prepared to clash. There aren’t as many fish here and your definition of a fish will also change as even the fish are likely to be a little better than before.

Understand polarised ranges Understand what makes a range polarised and how to approach them. Here’s a hint: just about every betting range, other than the preflop raising range, is polarised. The difference is that the degree of polarisation will change based on position, stack depth, streets left to act, and so on. Whether or not you should have a check-calling or check-raising range, and the frequency of each, will change greatly based on how polarised a range is. It’s impossible to get good at bet sizing without understanding how polarised ranges work. Remember that the hard work you put in now will not only help you win at $200NL but stakes higher than this as well. PP

NEXT MONTH! More strategy nuggets from the great minds at Your CardRunners

definition of a fish will change – even the fish are likely to be better than before

This article is an extract from The Quickie: Moving on up $200NL by Matthew Janda on CardRunners. To watch the full video go to www.cardrunners.com

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 55

STRATEGY poker plays

More 3 Moves We look at three moves that were once only performed by the top pros, and should now be standard in most poker players’ arsenals. It’s time to add them to your game

By making smaller raises you’re risking fewer chips to win the same amount of blinds

1 The preflop min raise What is it? A raise of three-to-four times the big blind used to be the magic number when it came to opening a pot for a preflop raise. Now, smaller raises of around two and a half times the big blind have become de rigueur for tournament players, especially online when the blinds get bigger and antes come into play.

Why has it become popular? With stealing and re-stealing being embraced by players at all stakes, a smaller preflop raise can save you vital chips when someone comes over the top and you have to throw your hand away. By making smaller raises you’re risking fewer chips to win the same amount of blinds and because you’re not risking as much you can attempt to steal more and attack a greater number of pots. The drawback is that you’re often giving players, especially the big blind, better odds 56 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

to call and see a cheap flop. But even if they do you’ll still have position, and you’ll be able to make smaller continuation bets as the pot is smaller. You’ll also be in control of the pot because you were the preflop aggressor. What’s more, when someone gets sick of your small raises, and you do have a genuine monster, there’s a great chance you’ll get paid as your hand strength will be well disguised.

How to defend against it You need to take note of the size of your opponents’ preflop raises. The small raise can often be the sign of a player raising with a hand they may not be prepared to defend, and that means that they are susceptible to attack from the re-steal. The problem is that you have very little information to work from bar the fact that the player may have been raising frequently with less than premium hands. Whatever the case, if you see lots of small raises attacking your blinds from the cut-off and the button you should be prepared to fight back so they don’t continually feel they can get away with it.

2 Shoving light postflop What is it? There was once a time when a raise, a reraise and an all-in meant you were almost certain to see premium hands locking horns. But times, and more importantly raising hand ranges, have changed, meaning these days you’re just as likely to be looking at middle pair against a flush draw.

Why has it become popular? Shoving light is a direct result of the increasing number of players entering pots with far from premium hands. Because of this, the extent to which you must connect with a board reduces, particularly when facing the now obligatory continuation bet. It’s becoming far more common for a successful aggressive player to slam

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A min-raise preflop always used to mean extreme strength, but that’s no longer the case

their chips in with a flopped draw, a pocket pair or even overcards to the board if either they, or their opponent, are approaching a short stack. When the stacks are a little deeper, shoving back into a position raiser when you’ve caught a fraction of the board also has the advantage of making hands you’re currently behind buckle under the pressure of your all-in.

How to defend against it Players making a quick check on the flop might be doing so to make sure you don’t have time to change your mind about making a standard continuation bet, which they’re waiting for before they hit the all-in button. Flush draw and straight draw shoves tend to lose their attraction if you check to the turn as there’s only the one card to come. Weigh up whether a continuation bet or checking behind is the right thing to do in each given situation.

3 The mini check raise What is it? You’ve made a standard preflop raise with a decent starting hand such as A-J and picked up one caller. The flop comes down Jack-high, your opponent checks to you and you make a standard continuation bet for around two-thirds of the pot. They now check-raise for the minimum amount and you’re left wondering what on earth they could have.

Why has it become popular? The min check-raise used to convey a lot of strength online but now, more often than not, it comes from players who don’t know what to do with a marginal hand and are trying to represent a big hand. The problem is it can be hard to judge when it is meant as strength and when it’s weak, which is perhaps why it’s becoming ever more popular.

How to defend against it It used to be that a min-raise preflop always meant extreme strength, but that’s no longer the case. Players are turning up with Q-Jo and all sorts, so tread carefully with marginal hands. Postflop, as with all decisions, board texture is vital. On a rainbow board of A-9-4 a min-raise means something entirely different than when it’s 8-9-J with two clubs. On the latter, with all the draws and made hands possible, a min-raise will almost certainly mean strength. Exploiting it can be done by min-raising with a monster and showing it, so that the next time you do it with a bluff you get away with it. A lot can also be determined by your stack sizes. The shorter yours and your opponent’s stacks are relative to the blinds and the pot, the less likely it is that the min-raise is toothless. When you’re both deep-stacked, the raise could be made by players with flush and straight draws that are trying to slow the action on the turn, or a bet with second pair testing whether you’re making PP a continuation bet and have missed. April 2013 POKERPLAYER 57

STRATEGY ANALYSIS

Tournament pro Sam ‘TheSquid’ Grafton has got Bieber fever. Follow Sam on Twitter at @SquidPoker

he new year lay before me like a blank canvas and I wasted no time in making an imprint on it with some adventures on the live circuit. While clicking buttons is what I do best, I decided it was time to step out from behind the monitor and tackle EPTs in the Bahamas and Deauville and the UKIPT in Edinburgh. Ever since watching the footage of a young Isaac Haxton and Ryan Daut battling it out in a windswept Bahamas, the PCA has sat close to the top of my poker ‘bucket list’. The TV coverage and tropical location endow the event with a certain glamour which I can’t pretend to be impervious to. Touching down in Nassau, I felt a surge of excitement not experienced since my very first trip to Vegas. Sadly, the Bahamas was something of a flop poker-wise. I gained some momentum in the main event but failed to convert my stack into cold hard cash. My efforts in the side events also came to nought, so there will be no bright Bahamian flag on my Hendon Mob to memorialise the trip. However, the food and nightlife could not have been better. Morale was high, and

brigh Sam sampled the mas lights of the Baha

further increased, by the unveiling of Jake Cody as the latest addition to the PokerStars roster of pros. Like every online grinder I’m a massive Cody fanboy and pleased to see this humble lad from Rochdale take his rightful place in such elite company. It also seems certain the addition of Jake’s handsome features in ‘Stars’s promotional material will get innumerable girls flocking to the felt, which can be no bad thing. The male-dominated nature of poker in general is definitely something that needs to be addressed and Jake can’t solve the problem all by himself. In my second trip of the year to Edinburgh, I ended up having dinner with someone from the marketing department at ‘Stars HQ and addressed the issue directly

Touching down in Nassau, I felt a surge of excitement not experienced since my first trip to Vegas

The Situation

YOUR CALL Can you think like a pro? Take a look at this new situation and email pokerplayer@dennis.co.uk with your thoughts on what Karl did and why

Neil Stoddart

In association with

58 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

Karl faces a tough decision on the river against a solid opponent KARL’S HAND

BOARD

Event: Genting Poker Series £440 Main Event Stack: 100,000 blinds: 400/800/100 Situation: This tournament had around 580 players over two starting days. One re-entry was permitted per player and after busting once on Day 1a I re-entered on Day 1b which is where this hand took place. With a starting stack of 25,000 and one hour levels this was a well-structured three-day event. This hand took place on Day 1b. I had been on the same table since the start of play and several of the original players were still present. I had built my stack from 25,000 up to 100,000 mainly through making strong postflop hands and winning some big pots. I hadn’t shown down any bad hands and hadn’t been overly aggressive, although I had been opening reasonably frequently since

amassing my stack. In this hand, I opened A-8o from mid-position to 1,800. Everyone folded to the BB who called after a short think. My read was he didn’t have a hand that was an automatic call (or raise) but probably a reasonable one he thought was worth seeing a flop with. My opponent was one of the stronger players at the table and I knew he wouldn’t be calling with too wide a range. While he had been aggressive at the table, in the last hour since doubling up he had been playing more solidly. He started the hand with 50,000. The flop came Q-9-3 rainbow and he check-called my bet of 2,400. The turn was an Ace, he checked and I bet 3,000. He check-raised to 7,200 and I called. The river paired the Queen. He bet 11,100 after a short think. What is my best play and why?

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Lessons learned What has Sam ‘SamSquid’ Grafton learned about poker this month?

with her. I suggested they dispense with all these unnecessary Dutch and German pros cluttering the lobby and simply go ‘all-in’ on Justin Bieber and Jennifer Aniston. That’s right, take the entire European marketing budget and wager it all on Aniston and the Bieb. I informed her this was the plan most likely to right the gender imbalance at the UKIPT and EPT tables. I mean, it’s great fun making eyes at John Eames over a big river bet but bringing some more women to the tables would surely improve the atmosphere of live tourneys.

On a list of Sunday ‘must play’ comps there can be none more enjoyable than The Sunday Brawl on Full Tilt Poker. Every time you knock out an opponent you ship $40 of the $256 buy-in and this creates tons of action. A player in the big blind down to just a couple of chips can cause a feeding frenzy

Close but no cigar Having solved all ‘Stars’s marketing worries over a mushroom pizza I continued my adventures with a trip to Deauville. Rick Trigg talks about going ‘trap to line’ in a tournament. It’s a phrase taken from dog racing when the race’s winner leads from the outset to the finish. It seemed possible I might achieve this feat in Deauville. I accumulated a big stack on Day 1, tripled it on Day 2 and was in a great position to crush the money bubble with 120 left. I sat third in chips at the end of Day 3 with around 50 players left. Two UK superstars James Mitchell and Mat Frankland also remained, as well as online up-and-comer Luke ‘Bit2Easy’ Reeves.

with opponents three and four-betting each other like crazy in an attempt to isolate the bounty. The tournament starts at 3.30pm so it’s a really exciting tourney to kick-off the Sunday grind. After my disappointment in Deauville I was ecstatic

Unbeknownst to the grumpy waiters bringing us beers that evening, the four of us planned to turn Deauville into EPT GB. We imagined trading blows at the final table, culminating in Britain’s greatest routing of French troops on their own soil since Henry V at Agincourt. Unfortunately, it turned out we were getting ahead of ourselves. Luke and Frankland succumbed to coolers early in the day and Mitchell bowed out in twelfth place. As for me, I kept finding myself at rivers where, despite the large amount of chips I placed into the

Last Month

Karl faces a tricky spot against a big stack KARL’S HAND

BOARD

Event: GSOP Prague €1,100 Main Event Stack: 340,000 blinds: 5,000/10,000/1,000 Situation: Action folded to the button to my BB. He was among the tournament chip leaders with a stack of around 1.3 million and had been playing aggressively. He opened for a min-raise. The SB folded and I called with K-Qo. Flop was Q-J-6 with a flush draw and we both checked. The turn paired the Jack and completed the flush. I check called his bet of 35,000. The river paired the 6, I checked and he announced a bet of 86,000. This was the first time I had seen him announce a bet rather than move chips across the line. What is my best play? Solution: I was surprised when he checked this flop due to his aggression and his image of me as a tight player. I thought he must either have a hand with showdown value that he wanted to pot

Start your Su nday grind wi th a good old-fa shioned Braw l

to ship the tourney for $40,000 at the beginning of February and win my own bounty in the process! If you’re going to play one high-stakes tournament this Sunday there can be few better choices than the Brawl.

pot, I was continually forced to show down hands like five-high. This is not a state of affairs that can be sustained and I soon found myself exiting in 24th place. It’s possibly the most disappointing result of my career so far. Despite such a limp finish there are many positives to take from my excursions. I’m acclimatising to the lofty heights of the EPT circuit and I’m no longer overawed by the bright lights and big names. I’ve shown I can be fast out of the traps, so hopefully we’ll make it all the way to the line at some point in 2013. PP

Last month’s Your Call was a fascinating one and really divided opinion among you lot. Nobody gave an answer that closely matched Karl’s reasoning or one that called his foe’s hand. But we liked Mick Ashton’s case for calling so congrats Mick! Send your answers to this month’s teaser to pokerplayermag@gmail.com. Any previous winners who haven’t got cards yet please email us at that address too.

Win! A pack of playing cards

control (Jx/6x) or maybe a reasonable draw not strong enough to play faster. The turn was a bad card considering the range I had given him. It was also possible his lack of flop c-bet was due to the texture of the flop and the likelihood it hit my preflop calling range. It seemed too weak to check this hand twice and fold so I called to see how he reacted on the river. The river pairing the 6 meant any pot control hand from the flop had now turned into a hand strong enough to bet the river for value. When he bet almost 1/3 of my stack I had to decide whether his line was a delayed double barrel bluff or a pot control hand that had become strong. I decided the latter was most likely. Unfortunately this time I was wrong and he later told me he had 9-8o (no diamond).

April 2013 POKERPLAYER 59

STRATEGY ADVICE

In the tank

EPT and WPT champ Roberto Romanello is one of the UK’s leading players and is here to solve your poker dilemmas. Send your questions to him at pokerplayer@dennis.co.uk Healing hands A strange question but are those massage girls that wander around tournament rooms worth the money? I’ve always wanted one but was worried I’d get ripped off! Christian Cole The girls on the EPT circuit are great. I enjoy a massage sometimes. It’s not cheap – it’s about £100 for 90 minutes – but I always go back for more so they must be doing something right! I spoil myself with one if I’ve had a result or cash in a tournament at a festival. If I’ve not been winning then I make sure I don’t get a massage. They can be distracting at the table so I try to make sure I get one in the early levels. As soon as the ante kicks in I want to be fully focused and aggressive instead of feeling really relaxed and chilled out.

If you’re often getting heads-up in tournaments then that is a good thing – if you could get heads-up in most of the tournaments that you play then you’d be a very rich man! When I’m up against strong players heads-up I’m very happy to take more high variance shots to try and win the tournament any time I get dealt a good hand. If I’m playing a weaker player heads-up my strategy will be to play as many flops as I can, try to grind him down and then be happy to get it in once I have him at a three-to-one or four-toone advantage. I want to cut down the variance with this type of player, and think this will work for you too.

Neil stoddart

Once you get good at table chat it can be a very useful tool to have

bottle merchant I seem to clog up and bottle it every time I get heads-up in a tournament – please help! Rob Ingram

A massage can help ease tension at the table

60 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

Happy talk

I’ve always been pretty quiet at the live poker table because I was scared to give reads away when in a big pot. I’ve seen players like yourself have big success with speech play though and want to bring it into my game – how do you think I should get started? What questions should I start asking? James Cran

Some of the best players in the world don’t say anything at the table. They may just think that table chat is not for them or be worried they will give something away if they speak, and that they also don’t gain any advantage by talking. But then you’ve got live pros who are among the best players in the world that always use chat and find it very useful. I think you’ve either got the ability to use table chat or you haven’t. I extract a lot of information from chatting at the table. I tend not to talk against really good players because if you’re not careful they

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Against the right opponent table chat can be a great tool

Romanello’s Tip of the Month

Be comfortable in cash

can also get a strong read on your hand. But with weaker players I always chat and can get some very important information. I’ll start off with simple things like asking, ‘will you show if I pass?’ and things like that. I’m just searching for little indicators of strength or weakness. Once you get good at chat it can be a very useful tool to have, but only use it versus weaker players and never against very strong players.

size of the pots. Once you travel to Europe in great locations the rake gets much steeper and the games become more difficult to beat. These locations have to pay for the grand settings somehow! When I was at EPT Deauville recently the rake was massive and uncapped. Some pots at my table had £600 taken away just from rake! The only way you can make up for this is if the players at your table are very bad.

As I’ve got a bit of a name on the circuit I find it easier to get paid off

rake it in

Limp – Risk it?

Is it worth playing low-stakes cash games like £0.50/£1 and £1/£2 in a casino or is the rake too high that the game is unbeatable? Craig Moran In a local casino it’s definitely worth playing. If you’re a good player you can make very good money from these stakes – it’s what I started out playing. The problem is when cash games at low-stakes take place around Europe or at any tournament stop not held in a casino. Though the European casinos and hotels can be beautiful and magical you get completely stung by rake. In a local casino the rake is very low compared to the

What do you think to limp-reraising? I’ve always thought it was something bad players did, but I’ve seen a lot of it recently. Is there ever a good time to do it? Gordon Davies I can’t remember the last time I used this! I can’t even remember the last time I limped. That’s because that style is not right for me. As I’ve got a bit of a name on the circuit I find it easier to get paid off so it makes sense for me to open every hand with a raise. I still see people limp-reraising occasionally, even on the high-stakes circuit. For some players it still works. Generally it is poor players that limp-reraise. They can only get away with it because they are limping with both their good

If you must limpreraise do it with both good and bad hands

In a cash game you must be comfortable about winning and losing the money in front of you. If you’re worried about losing money it means you are feeling the pressure and will play a different, more scared game. This is not good. If this is your attitude then yes, you probably should just take your winnings and come back another day to start again. After saying this if you’re at a £200 profit and still confident then make sure you keep playing! Just ensure you are not playing outside of your bankroll because you never want to be scared money. I’ve sometimes had this online. I may be killing $5/$10 and be very comfortable with those stakes. Suddenly I’ll jump up to $25/$50 and I know that everytime I lose a few buy-ins I’ll start feeling it. I will stop pushing draws, play worse and inevitably end up losing. If you ever feel like this, just get up and quit.

Be at ease with your bankroll and you will soon be rolling in cash

and bad hands. I will often try to isolate them and end up getting four-bet by them! It can still work and if you can get away with it then why not use it? Just make sure you mix up when you limp-reraise and have both good and PP bad hands when you do it. April 2013 POKERPLAYER 61

T S A L B FR O M t h e

PA S T

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THE FLOP

BEST OF BRITISH

#9 Victoria Coren

Did you always believe that you would win a ma jor poker title? Goodness, no. I alw ays admired those players wh o went into poker tournaments thinking they were definitely goi ng to win. I don’t have that kin d of psyche; I only ever hoped to enjoy it. I thought it would be lovely to make a final table in an EPT event, and I would have been perfectly happy with that.

Vicky Coren showed them how it’s done at EPT London back in 2006

Did you feel any different going into this tourna ment or while you were playin g? The EPT always fee ls special, never more so to me than when it’s in London, an d this year it was the first event I pla yed in a PokerStars logo. Isabelle Mercier and Joe Hachem were there in their own PokerSta rs gear, and I felt quite proud to be dressed like them, quite profes sional! And over the first cou ple of days I did feel that I was pla ying well; it was one of those times when you feel ‘in the zone’ and can read situations quite acc urately. Other than that, I didn’t feel different from usual – I cer tainly didn’t have any feeling that I was going to win the tourna ment. Not until the last flop cam e down and I thought: as long I don’t cock up this hand, it’s ove r.

Coren wins EPT London ISSUE 15, 2006 Victoria Coren’s win at the 2006 EPT London was a real high-point for UK poker and changed her life. In one fell swoop she went from a writer who played a bit of poker to a poker pro who also did a bit of writing. She took home £500,000 for the win and earned the respect of a nation of poker players who realised she had some serious game. The Vic regulars already knew this from her time at the cash games there and loudly cheered her home.

Neil Stoddart

2013, The First Lady of poker In 2013 there are few better ambassadors for the game of poker than Coren. Her 44 POKERPLAYER combination of intelligence, GET MOBILE: TE XT POKER TO 60 030 (25p) profile in the mainstream media and a deep love of poker mean that the game has an amazing advocate. Since EPT London she’s been a regular figure on the tourney scene, but her ‘other’ career means she can’t play every event. Don’t put it past her winning another EPT one day though.

62 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

She’s an ex-Poke rPlayer c known for her po ker skills mainstream TV work on p Balderdash and Piffle. By w London EPT and scooping she’s also the on ly woman major European title. Dave questions to the newly crow

Did you play your usual game or did you have to adapt to the situation as you went deeper and deeper into the tournament? Well, obviously the most important thing wh en a big field gets smaller is to keep concentrating on playing to win rather than playin g ‘to make the money’ or ‘make the final’. You can

She took home £500k and won the respect of a nation of poker players

Coren ambassa is a superb dor for p oker

k c

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yer columnist who ’s kills as much as her on programmes like By winning the re cent ping the £500,0 00 pot, man to have won a Dave Woods puts the crowned Queen Vic

gone the other wa y I’d have been sanguine. I think I played it right, with a good idea of what Jan had; that’s the best you can do in a tournament, and you have to be philosophical ab out the luck that comes your way.

Coren won the Lon don EPT at her reg ular stomping ground – the Victoria Gro svenor

You had a couple of glasses of wine while you we re playing. Would you recom mend that as a relaxant? And how much is too much? Not for myself, I wo uldn’t! I was oddly nervous be think you would be fore the final so I happy enough drank two glasse just to make the s of red wine, final, but you still which made me shouldn’t let that all giggly and affect your play, confused. Thanks and that’s harder to a couple of than it sounds. loyal friends in the You have to make Vic, I was brave moves persuaded to mo when necessary, ve on to a nice and not be cup of tea and pla frightened of get yed a lot better ting knocked out. after that. One of Of course, I always them had try to play well received a furiou and adapt to the s text from Joe pace of a Beevers in Cypru developing tourna s, which read, ment, but ‘Sh e sometimes your doesn’t even like head isn’t right red wine! Tak e it away from he and your timing is r!’ off and it doesn’t work. What are you mo st proud of: 1) The fact that You’re always ver you’re the first y chatty at wo man to win a ma the poker table – do you find jor European title? this helps you ge t a read on 2) The fact that yo your opponents u won at ? your spiritual po In all honesty, I’m ker home, just chatty at The Vic? the table if I’m hav ing a nice time 3) Just the fact and I like my fellow that you won? players! 4) All of the above However big the ? money gets, I 5) None of the ab never forget that ove? I choose to play Definitely the sec poker because I en on d, though I joy it. I think Tournament win would extend it slig it’s a challenging nings htly: what I game played by $1,034,384 was most proud interesting, often of was that the funny and 21/ 9/06 £3,500 Eu people in the Vic usually likeable pe ropean , the regular ople. I would Poker Champio players and the de never sit there in nships (EPT alers and an iPod and Lo ndon) – 1st, £5 management, see shades, growling 00,000 med genuinely at my 27/7/04 Celebrit happy for me wh opponents. If I did y Poker en I won. And not n’t think it was Clu b, Series 2, Cardi just because it me fun, I’d do someth ff – 1st, ant the money ing else! £25,000 was staying in the room… There 28/6/04 Europ was a real warmth Aside from the ea n Poker around the final hand that Championships, whole place. I do won you the title, London; n’t want to sound was there a £200 Pot-limit like too much of a particular key ha Ho ld’em – girl, but money nd you can 2nd, $14,910 and titles are nothi remember from ng compared the final to friendship. table? There was one mu ch talked about This is probably hand where Jan Sja going to open vic had 3-3 up some avenues and I had A-J; I reof poker raised him opportunity. Are pre-flop and then you going to moved in on a play more, or ke flop of 10-10-9. He ep the balance thought for a you’ve got with very long time an your non-poker d then made a projects? good call, though I was still maybe I’m not sure yet. only about 6/4 to I was always win the hand. planning to play mo Obviously it was st of the EPT a key hand because I love tha because Jan was t series. I was unlucky and got very happy when knocked out, leavin someone g me even in reminded me tha chips with Emad t in winning the . But if it had London EPT I autom atically

Career highlights

“You have to be philosophical about the luck that comes your way”

qualified for the Mo nte Carlo final men on an even as well! What a bri playing field? lliant bonus. Well, first of all, I wa When I get there, s lucky. You I may buy an need luck to win even more ridicu a tournament, lous pair of and I definitely got shoes than I did las some. The t year. I’ve also question of wome been talking to Po n… I don’t think kerStars about many people rea doing more stuff lly do believe we with them – can’t compete eq their logo has be ually. That en very lucky for Neanderthal in the me so far – and I’m Daily Mirror is sure that quite unusual. Wh would involve pla at people ying a few more recognise is that tournaments. Bu women are a t I won’t go minority in tourna crazy, because I ment poker, like the balance an d I’ve got. I love writin many feel much happier g and I love pla ying online than live poker, and I’d alw ays hope to have , so men win a life with both thi the majority of titl ngs in it. I really es. There’s nothing wrong wit admire Isabelle Me h thi nking that rcier, who lives – it’s the truth. Bu out of a suitcase t the handful of like a proper people who still thi romantic road gam nk women bler, but I’m somehow lack the not quite so gutsy mental and capacity to play pro freewheeling. perly… well, that’s obviously idio tic. We’ve heard a few people Are you looking muttering abou for ward to t ‘luck’ since watching it all ove you won the Lond r again on on EPT and TV? one newspaper columnist Yes, because it wa saying, ‘I don’t ca s all such a blur, re how much I don’t really rem she’s won, I’m no ember what t taking poker happened and I’m advice off a Judy quite looking .’ Is it forward to findin exasperating tha g out! t some people P can’t/won’t acce pt that For full report an women can play d results from poker with the London EPT turn to p24

November 2006

POKERPLAYER 45

Next month We look back at another great moment in history from the PokerPlayer vaults April 2013 POKERPLAYER 63

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Hellmuth hits London

We report from the Premier League as the big man comes to the UK

Next ntEh mo N SAL O l 25 Apri

Neil Stoddart

PLUS

ept london

The PokerStars European Poker Tour is in town and we bring you all the action

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wsop warm up

It’s nearly time for the WSOP and we’re here to help you plan your 2013 trip

tourney moves Six tournament moves every player should have up their sleeve revealed next issue

all-in exclusive news

Got a stor Email Muck y? Rak pokerplayer@er: dennis.co.uk POKER NEWS AND GOSSIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BIG WRAP

All-in protection: Cap game

Sex education and poker are two things you’d never think to associate with each other, like Tony G and reticence. But one pioneering group is traversing the US delivering the message of safe sex through gambling. American college kids are notoriously as randy as Michael Douglas on Viagra and the tour aims to combat the so-called ‘campus hook-up culture’ – or at least promote a more responsible approach to the inevitable college shag-fest. Universities across the US have been hosting Condom Casino Nights where students trade condoms instead of chips on the poker tables as part of sex education events. The events include a series of casino games with inspired names like ‘Texas Cond’em’ and ‘Beer Goggle Blackjack’. Our personal favourite is ‘STD Bingo’: which conjures up the nightmarish vision of randy pissed-up old fellas rampaging through Butlins.

Flying Finn l Poker has certainly had its fair share of space cadets down the years but one high-stakes phenom is preparing to blast off for real. Jens Kyllönen, is set to be among the first 500 ‘space tourists’ on the Virgin Galactic space flight. The 23-year-old Finn will join the likes of Stephen Hawking and Brad Pitt as one of the first humans on a commercial flight into space. Kyllönen has been terrorising the nosebleed PLO games since around 2010 and clearly isn’t short of a bob or two. He cobbled together some spare change to play The Big One for One Drop at the 2012 WSOP and has now stumped up the $200k for the Virgin Galactic ticket. If he runs as well in space as he does online he’ll surely be sat next to Angelina Jolie instead of space bozo Guy Laliberte. space invaders: Ground control to Major Tom (Dwan)

66 POKERPLAYER www.gambleaware.co.uk

Charity begins at home (plate)

A-Rod hit the headlines for allegedly diddling the Queen of Pop

Baseball star Alex Rodriguez has landed himself in hot water according to The Boston Globe. A-Rod previously hit the headlines in the UK for allegedly diddling the Queen of Pop but this time it’s charity funds he’s alleged to have diddled. Third baseman A-rod (It’s unclear if this refers to his position on the baseball field or his success with famous totty) organised a celebrity charity poker event in 2006, featuring Lenny Kravitz and Jay-Z. However, according to The Boston Globe only 1% found of the $402,862 raised found its way to the chosen charities. The A-Rod Family Foundation has since been stripped of its tax-exempt status. Seems like A-Rod should ditch the poker and PP stick to what he’s good at – romancing the ladies.

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