Final Table Prep And Play With Eddie Pak

Eddie Pak found poker while studying for his degree at the University of Southern California, and continued to grind cash games on the side while earning his master’s degree and working as an entrepreneur. But it wasn’t until 2022 that he started to play more tournaments, and the move has paid off handsomely.

Pak has proven that he knows how to navigate his way through massive fields. It started in 2023 when he finished third out of 1,107 players at the Winnin’ O’ The Green main event, banking $61,705. Then in 2024, he broke out by final tabling the WSOP Circuit Tournament of Champions, while also making a deep run in the WSOP main event, earning $200,000 for outlasting most of the record 10,112-player field.

Then in December, Pak’s life changed when he finished third out of 2,392 players in the WPT World Championship, banking $2 million.

Card Player caught up with Pak to talk some strategy and about how he approaches the game when the big money is on the line.

CT: How do you best prepare mentally and physically for a big final table?

EP: When you make a final table, take a deep breath and take a minute to appreciate the moment. Congratulate yourself for making it this far, but know that the job is not finished! 

I think mental and physical preparation is just as important as technical preparation. Sleep is the number one priority, no matter what. After you bag your chips, do whatever you need to do to wind down – whether grabbing a quick late-night bite, listening to music, or drinking some tea. 

It’s also essential to eliminate all distractions. Your phone may be blowing up with congratulations and friends asking you for updates. Ignore these! Do your best to wind down and get as much rest as possible. 

When I wake up, I like to stick to my normal routine and continue what I’ve been doing for the past few days. I grab a cup of coffee and begin a 10-minute guided meditation via my Calm app. This meditation and deep breathing help me eliminate distractions and stay in the moment.

I also love to write down positive affirmations and remind myself that I got here for a reason – just continue to play my game and don’t let the pressure or money affect my decision making. One hand at a time. Let the game come to you and adjust your strategy as the table evolves. 

CT: What technical prep do you embrace before sitting down? We’re talking about evaluating player types with research, ICM, etc.

EP: You may have friends who have been watching the stream, or they may have certain reads on the remaining players left in the field. I’d recommend keeping this very high level. Keep them in mind but don’t think too deeply or spend too much time on this.
 
My first thought is to stick to your game. You’re there for a reason, and the final table pay jumps/ICM implications will create a constantly changing dynamic at the final table. For this reason, it’s critical to be very aware of player types (which players are more sensitive to ICM/prioritizing laddering versus players prioritizing winning the tournament). 

CT: How about regarding the stack sizes to your right and left?

EP: Being aware of stack distribution is extremely critical for technical preparation. For my most recent final table, I entered the final nine as the chip leader with a few middling stacks and two or three very short stacks. 

You must be aware of which players are handcuffed (i.e., middling stacks that can’t afford to bust before a much shorter stack) and which players are more sensitive to ICM/prioritizing pay jumps versus those who may be playing to win. 

Stick with the reads you’ve accumulated throughout the tournament. If you have friends who are watching the delayed stream/feeding you hand histories, you can keep that in mind, but as mentioned before, don’t think too deeply, as this may cause you to level yourself. 

CT: And what about evaluating your opponents?

EP: You are most likely playing with skilled players at this tournament stage. Doing quick research may be helpful. If you can’t find anything, I like to categorize opponents based on previous hand histories and tendencies. It’s impossible to figure out if your opponent is playing a pure GTO strategy versus exploit or even a hybrid/mix of both. 

However, you can pick up on certain things such as bet sizing, how loose they’re opening and from what position, and how aware they are of ICM. This is why paying attention to every hand, especially hands that go to showdown, is critical.
 
If you see an opponent opening too lightly, attack them with three-bets (especially if you’re in position). If you see an opponent not defending their big blind enough, attack them! Every single chip is so valuable at this stage of the tournament – you must identify spots such as these where you can exploit your opponent. 

CT: Can you please dive a little deeper into the ICM implications?

EP: Final tables are typically where you see the largest and most significant pay jumps. A pay jump from fourth to third place can be career-changing for someone. It’s critical for you to be aware of each pay jump, stack distribution, and if your opponents are adjusting their game accordingly.

I was fortunate to be the chip leader at the unofficial final table at the WPT World Championship with nine left. I had about 90 big blinds with a few middling stacks between 40 and 50 big blinds and two short stacks with less than 15 big blinds. 
I’ll walk you through a few tips that allowed me to redline and accumulate a ton of chips with very little resistance (thanks to ICM).

The most crucial part of being a chip leader at a final table with significant ICM implications is awareness of the following: stack distribution/table draw, payout structures/next pay jump, who is handcuffed by the stack distribution, and who is there to simply ladder for pay jumps versus who is there playing for the win. 
 
As the chip leader, you also want to pay attention to stack multiples. In my situation, I had a 2x stack multiple to the next largest stack, and the middling stacks had roughly a 2-2.5x stack multiple to the shorter stacks. 

This means that if I double up the next largest stack, we’d be roughly tied for the chip lead, assuming I lose the pot. This linear stack distribution is a dream situation for a chip leader, forcing the mid-stacks to play extremely tight and take passive lines. This opens the floodgates for the chip leader to up the aggression preflop and widen their opening range significantly. 

The longer the short stack is surviving, the longer the chip leader can take free rein over the table. You can open very wide, especially if facing little to no resistance. Attack those blinds who are not defending at any frequency. 

You want to avoid cold calling preflop. Every chip is extremely valuable, and three-bets play much better in this type of ICM environment.

Suppose you find yourself in a situation where you have cold-called preflop out of position (i.e., from the big blind). In that case, finding leads out of position on favorable flops and turns where you have range advantage is also something you should implement. The idea is to put maximum pressure on your opponent on board textures where you have the range advantage and power dynamic as the chip leader.  

Every tournament journey and final table will not be linear – you are due to face some regression. Stay calm and sharp mentally if you lose a big pot and/or lose the chip lead. 

CT: How do you handle a rough period or bad beat at the table?

EP: The key here is not to panic and not tilt under any circumstance. Play every hand to the best of your ability, and always remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. The name of the game for final tables is survival. Stack preservation should be your top priority since every chip holds so much value and equity at this stage. 

If an opponent is closing the gap on your chip lead and there are similar big stacks, the concept of implicit collusion is extremely important. Larger stacks are not supposed to tangle with each other and are incentivized to stay out of each other’s way. 

If you find yourself in a hand with another similar stack, take more passive lines and prioritize pot control, as it would be a disaster for you to get eliminated with so many other shorter stacks still there.  

CT: When it gets down to a heads-up battle, what keys do you tune into to put maximum pressure on an opponent?

EP: Heads-up play requires a mix of aggression and adaptability. With the big blind ante in play, you are incentivized to play almost every single hand. You want to balance your range and be unpredictable – this means limping and/or raising your button/small blind with strong hands and weak hands to keep your opponent guessing.
 
Suppose your opponent plays extremely passive and limps every hand, counter by raising and applying maximum pressure. If your opponent is playing overly aggressive, mix in a few traps and flat with the top of your range. The goal is to keep your opponents guessing and adjust your play based on their tendencies. ♠