Bill Perkins – Cardplayer Lifestyle

Phil Galfond on PLO’s “Final Point of Understanding”

Paul Seaton — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 17:27:18 +0000

Ask anyone in poker who the most reputable player on the planet is and a straw poll is likely to come up with one name at the top of the leaderboard – Phil Galfond. The Run It Once Training owner and long-time lover of PLO has put together the ultimate course for those wishing to become a great at Pot Limit Omaha, entitled This is PLO. Here, we spoke to him about some of the core factors in how players become successful at the game and where PLO is really at right now.

The Galfond Challenge So Far

The Galfond Challenge has, of course, been the greatest advocate of Galfond’s skill in the four-card game. Some of the world’s best players have taken on Galfond, only for luminaries such as Chance Kornuth, VeniVidi1993, Bill Perkins, ActionFreak and Brandon Adams to come up short. Galfond’s current opponent is Daniel ‘Jungleman’ Cates.

“I love any action I can get,” said Galfond “and Jungleman is as fun of an opponent as I can hope for. The perfect combination of toughness and excitement.”

That’s for sure. Cates is not only known for his off-the-felt antics but also his propensity to crush in mixed games, including PLO. He is the back-to-back winner of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, after all.

It’s time to see if the falcon can survive the jungle

My #GalfondChallenge vs. @junglemandan finally begins!

We’ll play this Thurs-Sat from (roughly) 8am-Noon PT.

You’ll be able to catch me streaming on: https://t.co/95rCI2yhQt

Sub so you get alerted when we go live! pic.twitter.com/lUGQN6RvSj

— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) January 30, 2023

Welp, I started out down $115,000 to @junglemandan today, feeling good about my play the whole time! (Sorry, @Farah_Galfond )

Managed to turn it around to finish down “only” $35,000.

Totals:
-$77,500
~2,250 hands

~5,250 hands left to play in this #GalfondChallenge.

— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) February 4, 2023

Play PLO Within Your Means

Galfond’s knowledge of PLO is so vast, and he’s been playing the game so long. A lot of the mistakes players make can be eradicated by Galfond’s course but the variance is bigger in PLO, so a huge part of how someone moves from profitable to professional is how they can cope with those swings.

“I think it’s extremely important to play within your means,” Galfond says. “People try to do this, but I think they often fail to realize just how small they need to be playing to maximize their EV while minimizing their risk of ruin.”

Part of the This is PLO course teaches players to think like a solver rather than act on the basis of solver answers. But what does that mean in real terms for an intermediate player who is looking to become a crusher in Pot Limit Omaha? Humans aren’t computers.

“It’s impossible to memorize solver strategies. The only way to truly succeed in learning from solvers is to figure out how to transpose the solver outputs into human logic that they can digest and then draw on in any situation they find themselves in at the table.”

Heads-Up and Multi-Way Pots

Heads-up PLO hands vary hugely from multi-way, of course. Some of the easiest lessons to learn about the changes to make between hands boil down to a simple formula that Galfond is happy to crystallise. He goes into it in a lot more detail in his Run It Once Training course.

“In short, multiway pots create more incentives for small betting, including to clear up equity for pretty good hands.” He says. “In heads up pots, it’s more about getting the amount of money into the pot that your hand wants.”

Making a consistent profit in PLO is tough and this course really gets to the heart of this exciting variant of the game of poker – the ‘four card’ game so named because you receive four hole cards rather than two. What makes it so fascinating for Galfond is how a poker variant develops.

An Event Horizon for PLO

Galfond can see that PLO is approaching a kind of event horizon, a place where it cannot be improved further. So, what’s next for PLO?

“I think we’re already close to our final point of understanding in PLO, much like we are with cash game No Limit Hold’em,” says Galfond. “Solvers can tell us so much already, but the most successful people will be the ones who can extrapolate from what the solvers are telling us.”

Remembering His WSOP Bracelet Victory

Galfond has enjoyed a stellar career at the felt, winning three WSOP bracelets to date, two of them in Pot Limit Omaha. The first time he won a WSOP bracelet was in 2008, when he took down the $5,000 PLO event for over $817,000 – still Galfond’s biggest tournament cash. It’s not surprise that this is still his fondest memory playing the game live.

“It has to be the 2008 WSOP $5k PLO rebuy bracelet event that I won,” he agrees. “The table was star-studded, and it was my first big live poker score. And obviously, the bracelet meant a lot to me.”

Galfond is dead right when he says the final table was packed with stars. Players who made the final nine include Brian Rast, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, John Juanda, Johnny Chan and David Benyamine. It’s a huge honor to have put the hard work he’s put into PLO over the years into practice, and is closing in on $3 million at the live felt, let alone the millions he’s won online playing PLO.

This summer, Galfond will be heading back to Las Vegas in effort to put the nuggets of gold he teaches via his This is PLO course back into practice at the felt at the World Series of Poker.

“I’m not sure what this summer has in store for me yet, but I think I’ll likely play quite a bit!”

We can’t wait to see Phil Galfond back at the felt, online battling in the Galfond Challenge, and at the WSOP competing for gold again.

Ask the Poker Experts: How Does One Prepare for the $25K PSPC?

John — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 23:28:32 +0000

Ever since the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) was first announced just a little over a year ago, talk of the event has been on the lips of recreational and professional poker players alike. As hundreds of people all over the world have claimed their Platinum Passes throughout the year, we’ve been looking forward to January 2019, when they’ll all gather together to face off for their share of an eight-figure prize pool.

It used to be the case that $25,000 buy-in events were exceedingly rare – even non-existent – but nowadays they’re practically commonplace. With that said, a $25,000 buy-in event field typically numbers in the dozens, only occasionally surpassing 100 runners. As such, the PSPC is sure to be a one-of-a-kind event. There will be 320 Platinum Pass winners in the field, and that’s before factoring in even a single entrant who will have satellited in or bought in on his/her own.

Such a unique event begs the question: How to prepare? I’d like to thank Maria Konnikova, Bill Perkins, and Ryan Riess for kindly giving of their time to answer that question. Each of them of course has a unique perspective, so whether you’ll be among the fortunate ones playing or, alternatively, just watching from the sidelines, I’m sure you’ll find what our panel of poker experts had to say.

PokerStars Players NL Holdem Championship

QUESTION: The PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) is no ordinary $25,000 buy-in event. With that in mind, how do you intend to approach it?

Maria Konnikova

Maria Konnikova | Image credit: Neil Stoddart

The upcoming PSPC is a $25K tournament that is unlike any that have come before. Given how many of the players won a Platinum Pass for their entry (I’m one of them!), there will be far more amateurs than is typically the case. That, I think, is actually great news when it comes to preparing for the event: the field is going to be more similar to the $5K or $10K main events that players like me are far more used to playing. I think it’s really important, as you prepare mentally for the PSPC, to realize that there’s no reason to feel intimidated. Sure, it’s an important event, but it’s also just another tournament. You can’t let the fact that it’s a $25K paralyze you into playing anything other than your best game — being too cautious, for instance, because you’re afraid of busting early. And given the number of Platinum Pass winners, you may well find yourself at a table of people who’ve also never played for these stakes before. In other words, it’s a $25K where the typical player still has a great chance of feeling in her element rather than constantly outclassed by wizards. For me, realizing that has been a key part of my mental preparation.

That said, this is, of course, a $25K, and a very important one at that. So I take preparing for it incredibly seriously. I’ve been studying hard away from the tables, diving into programs like PioSolver to work on my approach to playing certain types of hands and navigating certain kinds of board textures (for people who don’t want to spend money on it, there’s a free version that is still quite useful) and watching many hours of strategy videos on my favorite strategy site, RunItOnce (well worth a subscription for anyone who is serious about improving).

I’ve tried to focus on understanding how the best high roller players approach certain situations – not necessarily because I want to (or even can) mimic them, but so that I make sure to have a feel for what they are doing if I happen to find myself in a hand with them, so that I don’t become overwhelmed in the moment. I’ve also been watching a lot of high roller footage on PokerGO, doing a lot of pausing and note-taking, to familiarize myself with how some of the best players in the world approach their decisions. I don’t think people realize how valuable watching cards up coverage can be, if you take it seriously. You have to engage with it and grapple with the different strategies you observe. It’s also really interesting to see that even the best players in the world differ in their levels of aggression and overall approach to the game. There’s no one-size-fits-all technique. That realization has been quite liberating to me as I think about my own play: I don’t feel like I need to do something just because someone talented is doing it. I just need to work on maximizing whatever approach is best for me.

Some people have joked that this is a freeroll for me, since I won the Platinum Pass – but I don’t see it that way at all. I worked hard to win the pass, winning the PCA National Championship earlier this year, and to me, this tournament is a chance to prove that I’ve continued to improve ever since. What’s more, a few people who’ve supported me along the way have large pieces of my action. That always inspires me to play my absolute best; I don’t like letting others down, and I want to justify their support in me. Bottom line: Platinum Pass or not, I’m going to be giving the PSPC everything I have.

Maria Konnikova is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, The Confidence Game, winner of the 2016 Robert P. Balles Prize in Critical Thinking, and Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, an Anthony and Agatha Award finalist. She is a contributing writer for The New Yorker and is currently working on a book about poker and the balance of skill and luck in life, The Biggest Bluff, to be published in 2019 by Penguin Press. Having amassed over $260,000 in poker tournament earnings within one year and captured a major poker title during research for her upcoming book, in July 2018 Maria joined PokerStars Team Pro as an official ambassador.

Bill Perkins

Bill Perkins | Image: Courtesy

There are four main areas I will be concentrating on during my preparation in the lead-up to the PSPC.

1. Rest. There is no shortage of data on fatigue and mental performance. Being well rested will allow you to play at the top of your game.

2. Patience. Patience is required not only to not force hands and put yourself in awkward spots, but also allows you to deal with the many different personalities you will be spending a bit of time with. If you have no patience, it will affect you emotionally and probably/possibly slip into your thought process in the game.

3. Study. The game is complex and even GTO is dependent on what the tendencies of your opponent are. Knowing more of this will help every player make the best of what they are dealt. We can all learn a little or a bit more about poker.

4. Focus. Practicing focus is the hardest for me with respect to poker. I’m naturally affable and enjoy meeting fellow poker players. I also have multiple other interests that constantly pop up on my phone to distract me. Practicing focus is just as important as rest, as I need to apply as many neurons as I can into the game at PSPC.

William O. Perkins III is the CEO of BrisaMax Holdings, a consulting services firm based in the US Virgin Islands, he is also the founder and head trader of Skylar Capital Management. Mr. Perkins has been involved in diverse assortment of ventures in energy, media, information technology and other fields. He is currently writing his first book, “Die with Zero” which gives strategic advice on how to live your best life no matter your income.

Ryan Riess

Ryan Riess | Image credit: WSOP

The PSPC $25k will be a lot different than most other $25k events. Most big buy-in tournaments these days are filled almost entirely professionals, in which everyone is trying to play a GTO-based rather than exploitative-based game because there aren’t many inexperienced players to exploit. In the PSPC $25k, there are going to be tons of recreational players so it’s going to be very important to try and use exploitative play against the first-timers rather than playing GTO against them. If you play a hand the same way against David Peters as you do versus someone who has never really played in a high roller tournament before, you are probably making a mistake.

Towards the end of this tournament, I think it is likely going to be mostly regs left in the field and thus it will be harder to accumulate chips than in the early stages. Thus, it will be very important to exploit the more inexperienced players early on to accumulate chips. Some of the top high roller regs don’t do very well in main events because they don’t adjust correctly versus different types of opponents. Whoever correctly uses exploitative strategy against the first-timers while also holding their own versus the best players will have a good shot at going deep. I personally think this will be one of the greatest tournaments of all time. I’m really looking forward to it.

Ryan Riess is the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion and has recorded over $13 million in tournament earnings.

My 10 Favorite Poker Articles of 2018

John — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 17:51:15 +0000

As 2018 draws to a close, I can’t help but reflect on what a great year it’s been here at Cardplayer Lifestyle. With about two weeks left until the dawn of 2019, I’m proud to have accomplished half of the 10 poker goals I set out for myself at the start of the year (Nos. 1, 3, 6, 7, and 10, for the record), and to have made anywhere from a little progress to substantial inroads with the other half of my goals. Reviewing this site’s output, I was thrilled to see a record number of articles published, with about half of them being written by our excellent freelance contributors and myself having penned the other half.

Just realized I’ve published more than 200 articles this year. A record, by FAR. It’s been a busy, awesome 2018. pic.twitter.com/bD3AP5yDuK

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) December 17, 2018

Taking stock of what one has done over a calendar year also allows for time to appreciate the highlights. With that in mind, I decided to compile a list of the 10 articles I most enjoyed producing for you in 2018. In (mostly) chronological order, then:

1. Top 10 Things We Love About Andrew Neeme’s Poker Vlog

Poker vlogging superstar Andrew Neeme is beloved by tens of thousands of fans the world over. He does the poker community a great service by continuing to draw more and more people to the game with passion and enthusiasm that’s effervescent in his incredible videos. Also, he just happens to be a damn nice guy. I spent a good many hours putting together this top 10 list, which required combing through his scores of vlog episodes, and I don’t regret a single moment of having done so.

2. Poker… in the Hospital

The orthopedic ward of a hospital isn’t often the scene of smiles and laughs, but for a few special hours on a Saturday night, a group of home game poker players were able to spread some positive vibes. When your fellow poker buddy is laid out in a hospital bed, the cavalry comes to the rescue with chips, chairs, and good cheer. Naturally, this was a post I wish I didn’t have to write, but in retrospect I’m quite happy I did. Also, it features some exquisite photos by my good friend Moshe Friedline.

3. By George, I Think I’ve Seen My Poker Future!

If you ever get the chance to sit and chat with an older poker player, I highly recommend the experience. I imagine that in all likelihood you’ll find yourself being able to connect strongly, with poker as your common bond. I had such an opportunity in February, meeting Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Senior contributor, the nonagenarian George Epstein, in Los Angeles. It was a highly enjoyable experience, to say the least.

4. The Staples Brothers Accept Another Bill Perkins Bet – Double or Nothing!

I’ve written a good few April Fools’ Day posts over the years here at Cardplayer Lifestyle, but this one took the cake by a mile. It’s extra special when the subjects of your writing can take a joke and enjoy what you’ve produced — thanks, Matt, Jaime, and Bill! — and even more so when you manage to actually fool hundreds of people on a day where they’re specifically on the lookout for online chicanery. To top it off, at the time I had no clue that the Staples brothers and Bill Perkins would, in fact, actually book a second bet a mere few days later.

5. SACH: A Charity That’s Flush With Heart

It’s one thing to try and fundraise for charity. It’s another to meet in person those people less fortunate for whom you’re attempting to raise money. One of my goals for 2018 was the Running Well Challenge, to run 1,000 km and raise $10,000 in pledges for Save A Child’s Heart. Back in April, I visited the charity’s headquarters and got to meet firsthand dozens of children brought to Israel from all corners of the globe for life-saving heart surgery and treatment. This is the story of my experiences that day.

6. PokerGO’s Original Programming: A Network That Offers a Lot More Than Just Live Streaming

One of the larger editorial projects I undertook this year was a multi-contributor effort at reviewing what — at the time — comprised the entirety of PokerGO’s original programming (beyond their live streaming offerings). We released the 10-article miniseries over 10 days this past summer. Links to each of the individual reviews are available within this “hub post.” Since then, PokerGO has added additional original programming to their collection. Perhaps at some point, we’ll add some more reviews to our miniseries…

7. The 2018 WiPHoF Ceremony: A Powerful Wake-up Call to the Poker Industry

Attending the 2018 Women in Poker Hall of Fame ceremony was an honor and a privilege. Beyond the event’s beauty and pageantry, however, was an underlying message that the poker industry needs to take to heart. It’s time for us all to stop lamenting that there aren’t more women in our game, and to step up and start doing something practical about it. Let’s start putting the time, effort, and resources into making “wishful thinking” a reality to create a second, sustained poker boom.

I feel like this was the most important article I published in 2018 and that noticeable efforts have been made with positive change most certainly afoot as we march into the New Year.

8. Interviews with Poker Media Trailblazers Dan Michalski and Paul McGuire (tie)

I might’ve started this site back in November 2009, but poker media was alive and well long before Cardplayer Lifestyle came on to the scene. Like tens of thousands of others, I was a big fan of their respective Pokerati and Tao of Poker blogs that used to bring us all the poker news that was fit to print back during our game’s boom years in the 2000s. I’m a big believer in learning from and paying respects to industry trailblazers plus I’m also a sucker for nostalgia. As such, it was a genuine thrill to have interviewed two of the best from that era, Dan Michalski and Paul McGuire.

9. A Tale of Two (Poker) Tweets

Twitter is a great tool to help someone express oneself, but oftentimes tweets require the proper context to be fully appreciated. During one of my trips to Las Vegas this summer, I sent out a couple tweets about one day apart referring to a couple of the poker sessions I had had. Together, when one knows the full context surrounding them, they tell quite the poker tale. In this article, I give the context of those poker tweets. If you haven’t yet read this story, I hope you enjoy it, as it sure was fun to put together.

10. Interview with Molly Bloom

A video interview with Molly Bloom, now known the world over for having famously organized private poker games for celebrities and Hollywood elites. Her bestseller autobiography was made into the hit Hollywood film “Molly’s Game,” directed by Aaron Sorkin. I had the opportunity to speak with Molly at the 2018 Unibet Open Bucharest about the dramatic changes in her life over the past few years, the state of her involvement with poker these days, and — of course — get her thoughts on the feature film.

This was my favorite interview of the year to have conducted. Learning just a few hours in advance that I’d have the opportunity to speak with Molly, everything just clicked here perfectly — from my preparation, to the interpersonal dynamic between us, to even the lighting in the room. A dynamo of a human being, the conversation Molly and I had left a lasting impression on me. No wonder then that it has also been 2018’s most popular interview read/watched on Cardplayer Lifestyle.

PokerVision Network Looking to Change the Face of Poker Programming

Robbie — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 12:29:31 +0000

These days, poker fans crave quality programming that also engages them. A new network has been paying attention to the changing attitudes of players and will soon “answer the call” by launching a product that will give poker fans fresh content and unprecedented interactivity.

The all-new PokerVision Network is slated to be available on multiple platforms starting later this year. Based in Canada, the network hopes to tie together the worlds of poker, eSports, and gaming in a way that both entertains and engages poker fans.

Canada-Focused, but with Global Reach

Back in December, ePlay Digital Inc announced their plans to launch the PokerVision Network and was actively acquiring studio space in various cities in Canada. The network plans to provide coverage of poker tournaments throughout Canada and around the world.

One of their acquisitions is the Canadian Poker Tour. While the tour is presently inactive, reviving it as part of the network would give the network an instant well of content while giving poker players another live series to grind.

While the network will place significant focus on Canadian poker, there will be plenty of “global” poker content as well. For example, the network is presently presenting Streamboat from the British Virgin Islands, where Bill Perkins, Jaime Staples, Jeff Gross, and Matt Staples are enjoying some R&R and playing some online poker aboard Perkins’ yacht..

#STREAMBOAT started off nice…..stay tuned to https://t.co/fi7oror36r for updates fun and chaos and sometimes #poker pic.twitter.com/qTmB8twYuv

— Bill Perkins (Guy) (@bp22) March 23, 2017

Poker Reality TV Anyone?

On their site, PokerVision promises monthly original Reality TV content with titles including Poker Bucket List, Scalpers, Pimp My Poker Game, and The Sunday Grind.

Without even seeing a synopsis of any of the listed programs, my interest is piqued by Pimp My Poker Game and Poker Bucket List because these two programs have a lot of potential material to work with.

READ: 5 Items on Every Recreational Poker Player’s Bucket List

In terms of Pimp My Poker Game, it would be great to see up-and-coming players, or even rank amateurs, get coaching from some of the game’s biggest names. It could even provide a platform for some lesser-known pros to gain some popularity while helping recreational players improve their game.

The Poker Bucket List could literally go anywhere in the world or include anyone in the poker world. Producers could go the easy route and pick players wanting to play in events like the WSOP Main Event, but I hope they instead go with more interesting stories that illustrate the diversity of the game and how it’s more than just “winning the big one” or “netting the huge score.”

More Than Just Poker

According to press releases and their website, PokerVision Network will be more than poker. The channel claims that “eSports and gaming will be front and center in the PVN broadcast schedule.”

As of yet, they haven’t elaborated as to what this means, but with the explosion of eSports globally, it will be the perfect fit for the network. The network will be able to easily tie in both worlds as there are many poker players that are either former gamers or dabble in certain eSports games.

Pick a Platform That’s Best for You

The network plans to give viewers easy access to their product by proving multiple ways to access content. In addition to their TV network, content will be available through social media, online streaming and mobile apps.

This access will give the audience what PokerVision calls “previously unseen levels of interactivity.” Jim Nelles, Head of Broadcasting for PVN, stated in the December presser that “The days of single-screen viewing are gone. Audiences expect great content on a TV screen complemented by interactivity on tablet and mobile. PVN is stepping up to deliver exactly that. We will drive larger and engaged audiences in the face of massive competition for viewership.”

Think about it. How many of you still watch live broadcast or cable TV on a regular basis? Looking back at my personal viewing habits, I usually only watch regular TV once a week. Otherwise, I stream most of my programming.

Networks have to have multiple platforms in order to maximize their reach, and that’s increasingly the case when trying to reach poker fans, too. With the popularity of mediums like Twitch, many poker fans prefer to stream their content rather than wait for an edited version. It’s faster and much more interactive.

What Types of Partnerships Will the New Network Form?

Due to the breadth of content offered on the network, PokerVision could create some interesting partnerships. Poker is the easiest in this regard, and they have already signed a big name in Adam Schwartz.

Many of you know him as the host of the TwoPlusTwo Poker Podcast while others know him for his color commentary on Canadian Poker Tour broadcasts.

It will be interesting to see what other professionals are brought into the fold from the poker industry in the upcoming months. Will there be ambassadors to the brand a la Poker Central or will they focus on individuals with skill sets highly relevant to broadcasting?

If they revive the CPT, we might see some partnerships with new Canadian casinos online as well with the host casinos. Who knows what deals will arise in connection with the reality shows?

What if someone wants to play in Bobby’s Room as part of the Poker Bucket List? Will we see the channel partner, even briefly, with Bellagio? There are many potential deals out there to be made.

…and we haven’t even speculated about eSports and gaming. Alex Dreyfus and the GPL are paving the trail in that arena, so it’ll be interesting to see how PVN proceeds.

Want PVN on Your TV Provider? Tell Them!

PVN has yet to launch their broadcast network and is presently trying to secure deals with providers. If PokerVision Network is something that interests you, tell them!

On their website, there’s a form you can fill out to let your cable or satellite provider know that you want PVN. A copy is sent to both PVN and your provider.

New TV networks aren’t automatically picked up by providers, so you have to let them know you’re interested. The more that inquire on the network, the more likely that the provider will be interested in signing a deal.