Shot Taking In Prague: My First EPT Main Event

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 Sequence of Poker Circuit ring and I even performed in my first-ever WSOP principal occasion, managing to succeed in day 3. After that, I made a decision it was time to tick off one other bucket listing merchandise: a European Poker Tour principal occasion.

My poker journey has been considerably typical and considerably atypical. I performed sports activities at a excessive degree my entire life and have a pair of math-based levels. I might dabble round with dwelling video games and the occasional recreation of $1-$2 money from the time I used to be 12 years previous 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 speculate about half of my liferoll in a web based poker teaching course and a small bankroll on-line. I wished to lastly take the sport significantly. Inside a month or two, I used to be banging off four-figure scores with regularity and taking part in virtually day by day. It was my new ardour and I used to be absolutely invested.

Quick ahead to 2022, I went to Las Vegas for the primary time and picked up my first dwell 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 ft had been absolutely soaked as I had been thrown within the deep finish by masking the WSOP, EPT Barcelona, an occasion in Cyprus, and WSOP Europe. I stop my job and absolutely 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 learning 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 learning alone. My ability degree went via the roof. At one level, I reached a remaining desk in 10 consecutive collection that I took half in.

It wasn’t all clean crusing, nonetheless. I went via many downswings, struggled to initially break via the $20-30 buy-in degree, and had a reasonably tough WSOP this previous summer time in my first ‘full’ schedule. After my WSOP Circuit win, I went on a nasty dwell 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 presently primarily based 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. Because of this, 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 principle occasion. Positive, I might be taking part in fewer occasions total in consequence, however you solely dwell as soon as. My bankroll was wanting slightly fatter than normal, and I had an opportunity to dwell 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 occasion that PokerStars throws at each cease, and likewise one of many principal 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 a couple brutal coolers, which included dropping with seven-low and six-low in Razz on back-to-back arms.

I then hopped right into a principal 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 performed. 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. Happily, 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 just about each massive title.

On my first deal, earlier than I may even get snug or take an actual go searching, I discovered myself in a reasonably juicy pot.

Enjoying precisely 300 massive blinds deep with the blinds at 100-100, I regarded down at Q2 within the massive blind. The cutoff opened to 300 and I had a simple defend with my suited combo. The flop was 643.

Whereas it might 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 doubtlessly 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 quite aggressive demeanor, raised to 1,000. Since I used to be taking part in super-deep and had a lot fairness, I thought of three-betting to three,000-4,000 however made the decision as a substitute.

The problem with three-betting right here is that I not often get something that presently beats me to fold. I’d nonetheless be a 45-55% underdog towards a unadorned overpair and a 33-67% canine towards a set, so bloating the pot could possibly be doubtlessly deadly towards a sticky participant if I don’t hit.

It’s my first hand, I’ve completely no info in anyway, and I’m not attempting to flip for my event life if my opponent decides to go nuts and four-bet jam me. I additionally could possibly be towards a greater flush draw like A6 and have as little as 18% fairness. So I name and go to the flip with 28 massive blinds already within the center.

The flip introduced the 7, bringing in my flush, whereas additionally giving a straight to any 5-X combo. It is a spot the place I thought of making the uncommon double lead for the reason that 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 test it to him this time. The villain right here ought to be fairly polar, both betting massive or checking. He put 2,000 into the two,800-chip pot.

Within the second, calling appeared to be the play, however then I remembered I used to be taking part in 300 massive blinds deep! Based mostly on how my opponent was performing, he didn’t appear as if he was stable and he might name a bit lighter than most or get married to a 5, so I raised to five,700. Towards a stable opponent, or if I’m taking part in shallower, I’m virtually definitely calling on this spot. He went into the tank for a stable three minutes, nonetheless, and ended up discovering the fold.

Sadly, the rungood would come to an finish quite rapidly and by the point I received to the center of degree 2, I used to be all the way down to 21,000 after popping out on the dropping facet of many one and two-street pots. However my luck was about to vary for the higher.

The identical participant opened to 500 from the cutoff, taking part in barely shallower than me. I defended Q9 from the large blind.

The flop got here Okay-J-8 rainbow with a membership. He determined to c-bet massive, 900 into 1,300. I might usually think about elevating this flop to a big sizing like 3,000-3,500. Nonetheless, given my implied odds and understanding that my opponent has solely guess giant with a made hand, I resolve to name.

In layman’s phrases, I knew that the villain in all probability flopped a really sturdy 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 wished and now I’m going for blood.

On this super-wet, high-card board, I anticipated him to have lots of massive bets, however he determined to guess 1,000 into 3,100. I’ve seen this participant three-bet post-flop with massive arms and wished to present him sufficient rope to hold himself, so I raised to three,000.

I in all probability may 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 by some means 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 referred to as. Happily, he had Okay-J for a flopped two pair. This was just about 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 skin, I used to be completely buzzing on the within.

I completed the extent with 45,600 however I might falter once more later, dwindling all the way 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 towards 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 a 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 received concerned in a hand collectively. I ended up pulling off an enormous bluff towards 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 inside ‘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 sluggish 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 principal occasion run got here to a sudden finish due to a mixture of a probable mistake and a cooler.

I opened Okay6 off of roughly 40 massive blinds from the cutoff. The button, the small blind, and the large blind all referred to 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 recommended that it is a good hand to c-bet 20 p.c. To paraphrase their recommendation, it’s low cost, folks overfold to c-bets multi-way, and other people below check-raise. That is probably not the case in an EPT principal, however I’d nonetheless think about it’s true. On prime of that, if a participant check-raises right here, it’s a simple fold and I can transfer on to the subsequent hand.

The flip introduced the ten, giving me the second-nut flush draw. The massive blind, who I believed to be an excellent participant, guess 7 massive blinds into 9.4 massive blinds. He was able to all kinds of bluffs, although I used to be already very cautious of his suspiciously giant sizing.

I assumed his worth arms 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, perhaps mixing in some 7-6, 9-8, and perhaps 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 once I started to suppose I could possibly be good a lot of the time towards bluffs, and my king could possibly be dwell.

Looking back, when a participant bets this huge into three gamers, it’s virtually at all times sturdy 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’ll be able to name vs. half-pot however you can be vs. the nut-flush draw or a pair plus a flush draw. I’d solely name right here should you 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 massive blinds efficient into 23.4 massive blinds.

My flush was primarily a bluff-catcher and I thought of 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 a couple completely different high-level professionals about this hand, who had differing opinions concerning the line. Some believed that I performed the hand completely. Others consider 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 by some means. I both get to fold to a increase or doubtlessly 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 event 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 facet occasion the subsequent day, primarily blinding out on the finish from 20 bigs and bagging up with 4.5 massive 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 almost 20 massive blinds.

Sadly, with 38 gamers left from the 522-player area, 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 received 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 entering 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 event entries. Definitely not the best displaying however variance in eight tournaments is huge, so no regrets right here.

Aside from the ultimate hand I performed in the principle, I assumed I greater than held my very own. I fought again and was resilient when my stack received low. I do know I can play towards 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.

*Images by PokerStars – European Poker Tour