Final Table Takedown -- Bertrand 'Elky' Grospellier

Bertrand “ElKy” Grospellier has more than $9.8 million in career tournament cashes. In 2011 he completed poker’s prestigious Triple Crown by winning the WSOP $10,000 7-Card Stud Championship. Grospellier previously won the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event and the 2008 World Poker Tour Festa al Lago main event to account for the first two pieces of his Triple Crown. He is the author of a very popular tournament strategy book, “The Raisers Edge,“ now available on Amazon.com.

Grospellier has been a member of Team PokerStars since 2006, and plays online only at PokerStars, as “ElkY.” Grospellier lives for the next challenge in his adventure filled life

Hand No. 1

Key Concepts:  Being able to make a big fold at a very aggressive four-handed game by letting some of your “feel” for the game into your analysis parameters.

Craig Tapscott: I know you know these players quite well. Can you set up the dynamic at this final table for us at this point?

Bertrand Grospellier: The table dynamic is of course very aggressive. Moorman is one of the most frequent preflop three-bettors I’ve ever played with, which is his main strength because his timing is mostly impeccable and his range wide enough.

Grospellier raises to 20,000 holding 9 9 from under-the-gun (UTG).

BG: This is a hand I’m quite unlikely to fold considering my opponents and their three-betting tendencies.

Reinkemaier raises to 51,000 from the small blind.

CT: Are you giving him any credit?

BG: Well, I was evaluating my different options, between four-betting small and calling all-in, four-betting all-in, and also calling to see a flop in position since he would probably give up his bluff in case he was making a move. But then…

Moorman raises to 120,000 from the big blind.

CT: As usual, Moorman is making life difficult.

BG: Yes. This is now a very tough and complicated spot, mainly because my hand is definitely at the top of my opening range. If I open about 30 percent of the hands in that spot, 9-9 being in the top 5 percent of hands, my opponents definitely can’t put me on such a good hand. But at the same time it’s fragile, especially three ways.

CT: But Moorman is crazy aggressive?

BG: Well he loves cold four-betting and preflop moves in general. Even though in this case considering Tobias’ stack, he would definitely have the odds to call, so he should never be really light in my opinion. Also, Tobias is quite likely the player at the table with the least three-bet frequency, even though my opening frequency and his stack size are definitely favorable for Moorman to do it lightly here and there.

CT: So what do you do with 9-9? Can you breakdown your thoughts for us?

BG: Well 9-9, in my opinion, is a real borderline hand in that spot. Because against those players, folding T-T would be way too weak and going all-in with 8-8 in that spot might be slightly minus expected value (EV). It’s important to take into consideration the fact that we have only four players left and to pay attention to my opponents’ tendencies. Those are the two factors that make the decision really difficult. If we were nine-handed and my UTG raise would be three-bet and four-bet by two unknown opponents (especially the four-bettor), then it would have been an easy fold.

CT: Since you know your opponents so well, what does your gut tell you to do?

BG: Even though I considered all the information available and that the combined analysis would be closer to a shove, poker is also a game where it’s important to trust your instincts. Sometimes your gut response pushes us to make the correct decision, even if it might seem against common sense. Especially in such a marginal spot when there is no decision that is clearly plus expected value or negative expected value. It is important to have good self confidence and trust your first instinct.

CT: What was that?

BG: Mine was that I should fold. After one of my most lengthy tanks in recent months, I decided to let my hand go. I got instantly rewarded because…

Reinkemaier moves all-in.

BG: Moorman was committed.

Moorman calls holding A 10. Reinkemaier reveals J J.

Flop: A 3 5 (pot: 712,000)

Turn: K (pot: 712,000)

River: 7 (pot: 712,000)

Moorman wins the pot of 712,000.

BG: If I had shoved, Moorman most likely would have folded and I would have been left with 10 blinds.

Hand No. 2

Key Concepts: Using a short history of heads-up play to your advantage; Not being afraid of variance versus a tough opponent.

BG: We’ve been playing for a while, and after getting lucky winning A 10 vs. A Q all-in preflop for a double up, I’m kind of on an upward trend. Heads-up play has been going on for a while and one hand to consider is when I flatted preflop with K-J offsuit and check-raised a J-7-x board, then jammed to a minimum three-bet on the flop and he quickly folded. That’s the previous history to consider in this hand.

Moorman raises to 32,000 from the button. Grospellier calls holding A 9.

CT: Against such an aggressive player would a raise in this spot be appropriate for value.

BG: I could have three-bet and probably would have won the pot preflop quite a high percentage of the time. But in case I get four-bet it’s a really tough spot because my hand is dominated by all his value four-bet range. Yet I believe he can mix it up and minimum four-bet air sometimes too. Also from the times I’ve played with him he seems to like to barrel ace-high flops when he has the lead preflop, and it’s one of the strongest hands I wouldn’t three-bet in that spot with so it helps by merging my range.

CT: For those players to whom the term “merging my range” is a new concept, could you go into what you mean by that and its purpose?

BG: The purpose of merging your range is to add unpredictability to your game. For an exaggerated example, if I three-bet every single hand with an ace in it heads-up against him, then he would know when I just call his raise I can’t have an ace. That would make me exploitable postflop, especially more so out of position, because he would be able to barrel me off my hand on every ace-high flop almost 100 percent since I can’t have it.

Flop: K 8 6 (pot: 64,000)

CT: Great flop for your hand. What’s the most optimal play?

BG: There are few ways to play the hand. I could go for a check/call, check-raise or even lead/three-bet. I don’t like the check/call line all that much because I think my stack is a perfect one to get it in; because he could have a lot of draws that I really dominate, such as any lower spades or 7-9.

CT: But you mentioned he has a tendency to continuation bet (c-bet) in this spot?

BG: Yes. And because of his tendency to c-bet a lot (which is definitely a right move in heads-up play), I decided to go for the check-raise. Even if I don’t complete my hand, there are tons of good turns for me that would give me additional outs, like a 5, 7, or 10 on which I could bet/call also.

Grospellier checks. Moorman bets 42,000. Grospellier raises to 122,000. Moorman raises to 220,000.

CT: Not quite what you expected.

BG: No. I was surprised. Because he folded last time after min three-betting, he shouldn’t expect me to think that he would fold again. I believe his range is definitely stronger than on the previous hand. My hand has enough equity to get it in on the spot, but still not strong enough to flat that raise out of position.

CT: Why not?

BG: Because I could then get it in bad on a lot of turns. I prefer to four-bet because I think it would have more flexibility. And it kind of seems to entice him to put me all-in because by going all-in he would know he obviously has zero fold equity with his weakest draw and would most likely fold them. So I…

Grospellier raises to 350,000.

CT: You’re obviously not folding.

BG: No. I raise planning to call a shove.

Moorman folds. Grospellier wins the pot of 406,000. ♠