Laliberté Returns

Hey grinders,

In this week’s edition, we cover the latest WSOPE Main Event winner, spotlight a high-profile return to the poker scene, and share tips on navigating a common low SPR spot in 3-bet pots.

HEADLINES

• WSOPE. Simone Andrian has won the 2024 WSOPE Main Event, claiming the top prize of €1,300,000. He emerged victorious in the second-largest WSOPE Main Event ever, which attracted 768 entries.

• Kenney vs Hellmuth.In a recent podcast appearance, Bryn Kenney, the all-time tournament cash leader, challenged Phil Hellmuth's legacy, calling him the "King of Triple-A". Kenney argued that Hellmuth hasn't consistently competed against the world’s top players, and therefore shouldn't be considered the best.

• EPT. Elias Gutierrez has triumphed in the EPT Cyprus $25k Event. The Spaniard beat the likes of Aleksejs Ponakovs, Dimitar Danchev and Adrian Matteos at the final table to claim the victory and $417,570 in prize money. 

THE STORY

Laliberté Returns To Poker

Guy Laliberté, the billionaire founder of Cirque du Soleil, has announced a return to poker. He'll participate and host the upcoming $10,000 buy-in Big Deal for One Drop charity tournament.

He's not the only familiar face making a return to poker's spotlight—Antonio Esfandiari will be there as well. The One Drop event holds special significance for Esfandiari, as he became the first-ever winner of the Big One for One Drop, a $1 million buy-in tournament, earning $18,346,673.

Guy Laliberté was a prominent figure in high-stakes poker during the mid-2000s. He appeared on various High Stakes Poker episodes but gained the most notoriety for being one of the biggest action players ever in online cash games.

Across various accounts, it is rumored that Laliberté lost in the region of $31,000,000 playing online poker. 

After launching the Big One for One Drop, Laliberté has stepped away from playing poker publicly. His return is set for November 22 at Resorts World.

THE STRATEGY CORNER

How To Deal With Low SPR in 3bet Pots

Recently, one of our members, Jaik, posted a question about a common spot we see at the tables - playing with a low SPR (stack-to-pot ratio) in 3-bet pots, particularly when the SPR is around 1 on the flop.

Here's what we advise:

• Play a Linear Range and Be Comfortable Getting It In. With such low SPR, we should primarily use a linear range and be prepared to get it in postflop with most hands since even weak holdings have enough equity. But not always! Be prepared to take a line that makes the most $EV. 

• Balance Jams with Traps and Exploit Small Sizing. While jamming is common, especially in straightforward spots, don't shy away from trapping on locked-down boards or using small bets to exploit opponents who call light with trash hands.

• IP vs. OOP Changes Are Minimal. Position doesn't change much in these spots, though having more information IP can influence decisions slightly, especially in low-stakes games where opponents give away their hands more often.

That’s it for this week’s edition!

Got feedback or questions? Hit reply—your thoughts help shape the newsletter and make it better for everyone.