4 years in the past, poker was simply an occasional pastime, however final 12 months it felt like a fever dream.
In 2024, I received my first World Collection of Poker Circuit ring and I even performed in my first-ever WSOP foremost occasion, managing to achieve day 3. After that, I made a decision it was time to tick off one other bucket checklist merchandise: a European Poker Tour foremost occasion.
My poker journey has been considerably typical and considerably atypical. I performed sports activities at a excessive degree my complete life and have a pair of math-based levels. I’d dabble round with residence video games and the occasional sport of $1-$2 money from the time I used to be 12 years outdated till 2020.
Through the starting of the pandemic, I used to be trapped in Medellin, Colombia, having simply moved out of the US completely in late 2019. I made a decision to take a position about half of my liferoll in a web based poker teaching course and a small bankroll on-line. I needed to lastly take the sport severely. Inside a month or two, I used to be banging off four-figure scores with regularity and taking part in virtually every single day. It was my new ardour and I used to be totally invested.
Quick ahead to 2022, I went to Las Vegas for the primary time and picked up my first reside money. I additionally had an opportunity encounter with a participant that might get me concerned in poker media for the 2022 WSOP.
By the top of the 12 months, my toes had been totally soaked as I had been thrown within the deep finish by protecting the WSOP, EPT Barcelona, an occasion in Cyprus, and WSOP Europe. I give up my job and totally concerned myself within the poker and on line casino industries.
I moved to Brazil and have become a full-time poker participant in 2023. I used to be taking part in or finding out 40-80 hours every week, placing in loopy quantity, and dealing the occasional poker media gig.
The aggressive nature of Brazilian poker additionally allowed me to expertise one thing that merely can’t be acquired via finding out alone. My ability degree went via the roof. At one level, I reached a ultimate desk in 10 consecutive collection that I took half in.
It wasn’t all easy crusing, nevertheless. I went via many downswings, struggled to initially break via the $20-30 buy-in degree, and had a fairly tough WSOP this previous summer time in my first ‘full’ schedule. After my WSOP Circuit win, I went on a nasty reside downswing with one money in about 25 or 30 buy-ins. Such is variance!
Lately poker goes properly and my trophy case continues to develop. I’m at present based mostly in Europe with my girlfriend, who’s an up-and-coming participant and poker influencer herself (CoinPoker’s ‘PocketPeg’), and again working in poker media. Consequently, I get to speak about poker continuous whereas additionally having fun with the European poker circuits for the primary time. Which brings us to EPT Prague (presumably the final EPT Prague ever.)
I made a decision to take a shot, rework my schedule, and play in the primary occasion. Certain, I’d be taking part in fewer occasions general because of this, however you solely reside as soon as. My bankroll was wanting somewhat fatter than common, and I had an opportunity to reside out a fantasy.
I arrived very late after flying in from New York. My laptop computer had mysteriously malfunctioned en route and I missed my connection, inflicting me to overlook the participant get together that PokerStars throws at each cease, and likewise one of many foremost occasion satellites. Evidently, I wasn’t operating very properly earlier than I performed a single hand.
I constructed up fairly a stack within the H.O.R.S.E. occasion, however ended up soft-bubbling lower than 10 gamers from the cash thanks to some brutal coolers, which included shedding with seven-low and six-low in Razz on back-to-back palms.
I then hopped right into a foremost occasion satellite tv for pc in hopes of locking up a second bullet and/or taking part in at an enormous low cost, however I didn’t get the job completed. So, it was time to return to my room, get some sleep, and put together for the second-biggest buy-in of my life.
To my shock, I really slept like a child, and after breakfast and a pleasant 20-minute stroll within the freezing rain, I arrived on the poker site and sat down about midway via the beginning of degree 1. Luckily, I didn’t acknowledge anybody on the desk, which I used to be actually anticipating contemplating that I’ve lined poker tournaments for over two-and-a-half years and know nearly each large title.
On my first deal, earlier than I might even get comfy or take an actual go searching, I discovered myself in a fairly juicy pot.
Taking part in precisely 300 large blinds deep with the blinds at 100-100, I regarded down at Q
2 within the large blind. The cutoff opened to 300 and I had a straightforward defend with my suited combo. The flop was 6
43.
Whereas it could seem that this board slams my vary, the large blind and cutoff share a ton of fairness. Since I’ve an opportunity to bloat this pot and probably make an enormous hand, I opted to dig into my Brazilian playbook and lead for a 3rd of the pot (300 into 800) with my queen-high flush draw and gutshot straight draw.
My opponent, who had a somewhat aggressive demeanor, raised to 1,000. Since I used to be taking part in super-deep and had a lot fairness, I considered three-betting to three,000-4,000 however made the decision as a substitute.
The difficulty with three-betting right here is that I hardly ever get something that at present beats me to fold. I’d nonetheless be a 45-55% underdog in opposition to a unadorned overpair and a 33-67% canine in opposition to a set, so bloating the pot may very well be probably deadly in opposition to a sticky participant if I don’t hit.
It’s my first hand, I’ve completely no data in any respect, and I’m not making an attempt to flip for my match life if my opponent decides to go nuts and four-bet jam me. I additionally may very well be in opposition to a greater flush draw like A6 and have as little as 18% fairness. So I name and go to the flip with 28 large blinds already within the center.
The flip introduced the 7, bringing in my flush, whereas additionally giving a straight to any 5-X combo. This can be a spot the place I thought-about making the uncommon double lead because the equities shift a ton in my favor. Actually, GTO Wizard likes making this play over 42% of the time.
However my opponent regarded very on this card, so I made a decision to verify it to him this time. The villain right here ought to be fairly polar, both betting large or checking. He put 2,000 into the two,800-chip pot.
Within the second, calling gave the impression to be the play, however then I remembered I used to be taking part in 300 large blinds deep! Based mostly on how my opponent was performing, he didn’t appear as if he was strong and he could name a bit lighter than most or get married to a 5, so I raised to five,700. Towards a strong opponent, or if I’m taking part in shallower, I’m virtually actually calling on this spot. He went into the tank for a strong three minutes, nevertheless, and ended up discovering the fold.
Sadly, the rungood would come to an finish somewhat rapidly and by the point I obtained to the center of degree 2, I used to be right down to 21,000 after popping out on the shedding aspect of many one and two-street pots. However my luck was about to alter for the higher.
The identical participant opened to 500 from the cutoff, taking part in barely shallower than me. I defended Q
9 from the large blind.
The flop got here Okay-J-8 rainbow with a membership. He determined to c-bet large, 900 into 1,300. I’d usually take into account elevating this flop to a big sizing like 3,000-3,500. Nonetheless, given my implied odds and realizing that my opponent has solely wager giant with a made hand, I resolve to name.
In layman’s phrases, I knew that the villain in all probability flopped a really robust hand, and if I hit, I used to be going to get PAID.
The flip introduced within the 10, giving me the second-nut straight and placing a second diamond on the board. BOOM! That is precisely what I needed and now I’m going for blood.
On this super-wet, high-card board, I anticipated him to have a variety of large bets, however he determined to wager 1,000 into 3,100. I’ve seen this participant three-bet post-flop with large palms and needed to provide him sufficient rope to hold himself, so I raised to three,000.
I in all probability might have and will have gone a lot, a lot bigger. He ended up making the three-bet that I foresaw, bumping it as much as 8,000, which was virtually half his remaining stack.
If he one way or the other has A-Q right here, it’s GG for us, however that’s simply the best way poker is typically. I put my stack in and he snap known as. Luckily, he had Okay-J for a flopped two pair. This was nearly the best-case situation as he was drawing to 4 outs.
The river was the three and I went from 21,000 to 41,000 whereas our opponent hit the showers. Different gamers tapped the desk with approval, and although I used to be stoic on the surface, I used to be completely buzzing on the within.
I completed the extent with 45,600 however I’d falter once more later, dwindling right down to 33,500 by the top of degree 4. At one level, I fell as little as 11,000 at 300-600. I received with pocket kings in opposition to pocket eights blind-on-blind final hand earlier than dinner to chip as much as 23,200 coming again to 400-800.
Former world no. 1 on-line professional Simon Mattsson would be part of the desk a short while later and, although he regarded acquainted, I couldn’t put my finger on who he was till after the 2 of us obtained concerned in a hand collectively. I ended up pulling off an enormous bluff in opposition to him and it wasn’t till after I used to be raking the chips in that I noticed his nametag and let loose an enormous inner ‘HOLY SHIT!’ and vowed that I in all probability shouldn’t do far more of that. Fortunately, he was dispatched shortly afterward, and I continued my gradual and regular heater.
I used to be feeling fairly good heading into the final two hours of the night time with 48,600 at 600-1,200, however about half-hour later, my foremost occasion run got here to a sudden finish because of a mix of a possible mistake and a cooler.
I opened Okay6 off of roughly 40 large blinds from the cutoff. The button, the small blind, and the large blind all known as, which I wasn’t a fan of.
The flop got here Q53, giving me a backdoor flush draw and a backdoor straight draw. Although motion checked round, a fellow professional instructed that it is a good hand to c-bet 20 %. To paraphrase their recommendation, it’s low-cost, folks overfold to c-bets multi-way, and other people beneath check-raise. That might not be the case in an EPT foremost, however I’d nonetheless think about it’s true. On high of that, if a participant check-raises right here, it’s a straightforward fold and I can transfer on to the following hand.
The flip introduced the ten, giving me the second-nut flush draw. The massive blind, who I believed to be an excellent participant, wager 7 large blinds into 9.4 large blinds. He was able to all types of bluffs, although I used to be already very cautious of his suspiciously giant sizing.
I assumed his worth palms regarded like Q-J, Q-10, 5-5, 3-3, some Okay-Q, and a few 5-3. I assumed his bluff vary was going to be some spades, 6-4, 4-2, possibly mixing in some 7-6, 9-8, and possibly some Okay-J and J-9 that he didn’t jam pre.
I used to be about 80% of the best way to chucking my hand into the muck after I started to suppose I may very well be good a lot of the time in opposition to bluffs, and my king may very well be reside.
On reflection, when a participant bets this huge into three gamers, it’s virtually all the time robust worth, which signifies that I ought to have discovered the fold.
The identical unnamed fellow professional additionally mentioned, “Flip is a shitty spot, I believe versus that sizing I’d in all probability simply fold. Perhaps you possibly can name vs. half-pot however you might be vs. the nut-flush draw or a pair plus a flush draw. I’d solely name right here for those who suppose you’re forward at some small frequency.”
I ended up making the decision, with each the button and the small blind folding.
The river was the three, bringing within the backdoor flush and pairing the board. The massive blind went into the tank for about two minutes earlier than jamming about 30 large blinds efficient into 23.4 large blinds.
My flush was basically a bluff-catcher and I considered getting away for a bit, however I knew that every one of his bluffs and potential worse flushes would take the identical line. I ended up flicking within the name and he turned over 5-3 offsuit, no spade, forcing me to the rail.
I spoke to some totally different high-level execs about this hand, who had differing opinions concerning the line. Some believed that I performed the hand completely. Others imagine I had many probabilities to get away. A couple of had opinions that had been proper within the center. That’s the fantastic thing about poker, proper?
Trying again on my bustout hand, I believe {that a} c-bet on the flop permits me to get the data come what may. I both get to fold to a increase or probably pot management to the river, the place I solely lose in all probability about 20-25% of my stack as a substitute of being felted. Multi-way pots suck and in main match occasions just like the EPT, there’s not going to be as a lot multi-way bluffing on day 1s as there could also be in different occasions.
I ended up cashing the €1,100 aspect occasion the following day, basically blinding out on the finish from 20 bigs and bagging up with 4.5 large blinds. However, I introduced that tiny stack into day 2 and made an actual run on the spadey (EPT Trophy), at one level getting again to just about 20 large blinds.
Sadly, with 38 gamers left from the 522-player subject, I shoved pocket eights from the cutoff right into a lojack open and a hijack name. The lojack re-jammed with A-Q and hit their queen on the flip.
I obtained three pay jumps and ended up cashing for €2,460, getting my first EPT money. I additionally soft-bubbled the 8-game and couldn’t get a stack stepping into both of my €1,650 thriller bounty bullets. I additionally entered the €330 occasion twice with no luck, giving me one money in eight match entries. Definitely not the best exhibiting however variance in eight tournaments is very large, so no regrets right here.
Other than the ultimate hand I performed in the primary, I assumed I greater than held my very own. I fought again and was resilient when my stack obtained low. I do know I can play in opposition to the large boys and am wanting ahead to my subsequent shot on the large stage.
Blaise Bourgeois a WSOP Circuit ring winner, poker journalist, and contributing columnist for Card Participant. Discover him on Twitter/X @BlaiseBourgeois.
*Photographs by PokerStars – European Poker Tour
