On Monday, a new Season 12 episode of Poker After Dark (PAD) aired on PokerGO. The episode, titled “One Bourbon, One Shot, and No Fear”, was played in a hybrid cash game format, meaning blinds started at $25/$50 and then escalated to $50/$100 and $100/$200. The buy-in was $20,000 with a single rebuy permitted.
Among those in action were Sam Soverel, Jake Daniels, Chris Johnson, Alex Ding, Justin Young, and Jonathan Little, who was making his first appearance on PAD.
“Getting to play on Poker After Dark, a show I watched every time it came on TV as a young poker play, was an amazing experience,” he told PokerNews. “The environment was immaculate and the games were tough!”
Big Hands from PAD
Alex Ding vs. Justin Young
Ding raised the button to $175 holding the ♦️a
Young called and then checked when the 10♦️ turn gave him a set. Ding checked behind and the a♣️ completed the board on the river. Young bet just $400 and Ding, who improved to aces up, raised to $2,000.
Young took his time before popping it to $6,800 and Ding quickly called only to see the $15,800 pot pushed to his opponent.
Chris Johnson vs. Alex Ding
Johnson raised to $150 from the hijack holding the 9♥️9♣️ and Ding three-bet to $550 from the button with the j♥️10♥️. Both blinds folded, Johnson called, and the flop came down q♥️7♣️5♥️.
Johnson checked and Ding bet $450 with his flush draw. Johnson called and spiked a set on the 9♠️ turn, which also gave Ding an up-and-down straight draw. Johnson check-called another bet, this time $1,900, and the a♠️ bricked the river.
Johnson checked, Ding bluffed all in for $5,550, and Johnson snap-called to win the $16,975 pot. With that, Ding was left to rebuy for $20,000.
Jonathan Little vs. Alex Ding
With a $100 straddle on, Little raised to $250 with the 8♥️8♦️ in the cutoff and Ding three-bet to $1,000 holding the q♣️j♣️ on the button. Action folded back to Little and he called to see a flop of 3♥️5♦️10♣️.
Little check-called a bet of $800 and then checked the 7♣️ turn, which gave Ding a club flush draw. Ding bet $2,800, Little called, and the q♥️ completed the board on the river. Little checked for the third time and folded when Ding bet $4,000. Ship the $13,425 pot to Ding.
Chris Johnson vs. Jonathan Little
Johnson straddled to $100 with what turned out to be the q♣️8♣️ and Little raised to $300 under the gun with the ♦️aj♦️. Ding called next to act with the a♥️2♥️, Johnson put in the additional $200, and it was three-way action to the 3♦️10♦️9♣️ flop.
Johnson checked, Little bet $700 with the nut flush draw, and Ding folded. Johnson opted to call with his gutshot and backdoor club draw, and he hit the former on the j♣️ turn. Johnson checked and Little, who made top pair to go with his diamond draw, bet $2,000.
Johnson paused for a few beats before moving all in and Little called off the $10,000 he had behind to create a $26,575 pot.
The duo agreed to run the river twice, but neither the 5♣️ on the first nor k♣️ on the second helped Little.
Sam Soverel vs. Alex Ding
With a double straddle to $400 on, Johnson raised to $1,000 holding the ♦️a10♣️ and Ding reraised to $4,200 with the q♦️q♣️ in the small blind. Soverel, who had straddled under the gun to $200, looked down at the a♣️k♠️ and opted to move all in for $15,725.
Action folded back to Ding and he called to create a $32,950 pot. It was a flip and the competitors opted to run it twice. On the first, the q♠️5♠️a♥️ flop gave Ding a set and burned an ace for Soverel. The 8♠️ turn gave Soverel a flush draw, and he hit it on the j♠️ river to secure half the pot.
On the second run, the 4♠️k♦️6♦️ flop paired Soverel and left Ding in dire straits. Neither the 4♥️ turn nor j♦️ river helped Ding and he sent the majority of his chips over to Soverel.
Little’s SNG Strategies
Little, a frequent contributor to PokerNews.com, is slated to appear on PAD episodes over the next four weeks. His “Lesson Learned” week of a $5,000 SNG airs on March 8 and 15 and features Little,James Romero, Matt Affleck, Justin Saliba, Faraz Jaka, and Brad Owen.
“When I first started playing poker, I played sit-n-gos,” said Little. “They force you to know how to play well deep-stacked, shallow stacked, at a full table, at a short table, and heads-up. If you are not a well-rounded poker player, you will be at a severe disadvantage in them.”
He continued: “All you really have to do to succeed at poker is find a game you can beat, play it a lot, and keep a proper bankroll. Finding a game you can beat is easier said than done though. While you often cannot control your opponents’ skill levels, you can control yours. If you do everything in your power to understand and implement a fundamentally sound poker strategy better than your opponents, you will have an advantage over them, resulting in the money flowing your way.”
One way Little has not only developed sound poker strategies but also shares it regularly with poker players is via his renowned PokerCoaching.com.
“I made PokerCoaching.com to be the training site I wish I had as a new poker player, and also the site I want today to ensure I remain at the top of the game,” he said. “Unlike most training sites that only offer pre-recorded videos, PokerCoaching.com is incredibly interactive. It has quizzes, private live webinars, private streams where you can interact with our world-class coaches in real time, game theory optimal charts in an easy-to-use app, and in-depth courses that cover every aspect of the game. Try it for free at PokerCoaching.com/free.”
Win $5,000 Seat to Play on PAD
Right now, PokerCoaching is giving poker fans an opportunity to join Little on PAD by giving away a $5,000 buy-in to compete in a Season 13 episode.
To enter the free giveaway all you need to do is enter your email address. There are also additional ways to unlock extra entries such as referring friends and following PokerCoaching on Twitter. The competition closes on July 31, 2021.
“I am excited to be able to give away one $5,000 buy-in seat to play with me in a sit-n-go on Poker After Dark next season,” Little explained. “Head over to PokerCoaching.com/pokerafterdark to enter the free giveaway. Good luck!”
