Online poker may be enjoying an unprecedented boost these days as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but partypoker ambassador Patrick Leonard thinks the industry could end up facing a massive financial crash.

• Patrick Leonard - Team Partypoker
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Leonard made the comments on Twitter after carefully observing what’s currently unfolding in the MTT scene, which he says is slowly destroying online poker.

The British poker pro pointed out that while the industry is running high at the moment, forcing some changes in the way things are being run, major operators should consider far-reaching repercussions as a result of their decisions.

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Leonard is particularly hitting out at the present popularity of unlimited re-entries, which according to him is killing the game.

• Patrick Leonard: “The partypoker MILLION – the best flighted tournament on the internet” For the last 3 years I’ve been with partypoker there have always been lots of changes to the schedule.
• Patrick Leonard 500bb specialist @partypoker 🌎 Global Ambassador $14m+ 💰 Career earnings Creator 🎥 “Pads on Poker” on YouTube Co Founder ⚽️ @goatonthegram padsonpads.com.

Tournaments that previously attracted huge fields are now overlaying, because players nowadays tend to get stuck on specific tournaments with “artificially” formed prize-pools generated by unlimited re-entries. He cited PokerStars‘ $530 Stars Marathon as an example, a tournament that used to draw more than 200 players easily meeting the guarantee. But in the middle of the current lockdown online boom, the tournament has been coming short of the required numbers.

It used to get 200+ runners in February (I won it with 210 in its first week 🌞 and it rightfully grew) during covid you'd think it would get bigger? Well yesterday, 100k gte overlayed by 40+ players even with a last minute 30 player surge. Money is running out and quickly..

— Patrick Leonard (@padspoker) May 11, 2020

Leonard believes this is the root of the problem. The oversaturated tournament schedules these days reflect the current mindset of major operators – they’re more focused on quantity rather than quality, and this needs to change for a more sustainable future. When players become unable to spread their investments, their finances are at risk.

Patrick Leonard - Team Partypoker

Solutions On Offer

The partypoker ambassador said the big poker rooms have two options today – they can cut back on their MTT offerings, put more weight on quality and make this current boom beneficial to the industry in the long term, or go towards the unlimited re-entry route and ultimately deal with financial crisis.

The leading sites such as GGPoker are actually taking advantage of option number 2 and Leonard isn’t happy about it. This is despite the fact that the staking stable he co-founded is actually benefiting from the current MTT scenario.

He is calling for a united approach between major brands and their ambassadors to turn things around and look for better ways to save the future of online poker. Instead of putting out unlimited re-entries, Leonard suggests single re-entry tournaments or freezeouts, something that partypoker boss Rob Yong also agrees to.

In fact, the Dusk Till Dawn owner also came up with his own recommendations on Twitter, tagging rivals PokerStars, GGPoker, 888poker and Americas Cardroom. Yong said the major sites can agree to offer single re-entry in any MTT with late registrations limited to 20 BBs, and no rake deducted on re-entries.

Just read @padsPokerSquad concern about re-entries & late reg to 5-10BBs..

Patrick Leonard Baseball

Come on @PokerStars@GGPokerOfficial@888poker@ACR_POKER – let’s do right thing

1. Maximum 1 RE to any MTT (inc flighted)
2. LR not lower than 20BBs
3. No Rake on re-entries

Where do @partypoker sign? pic.twitter.com/ygXoFt1bqb

— Rob Yong (@rob_yong_) May 12, 2020

'I'm trying not to play too many interesting hands in the Main Event,' poker pro Patrick Leonard told us, characterizing his approach toward the early levels of the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event.

'I'm just trying to chip up — go slowly up, rather than up and down.'

That said, Leonard did find himself in an interesting hand during Day 1, and he skillfully broke down the situation for us in the video below.

Leonard begins by referring to his own, mostly tight starting hand selection early in the deep-stacked, slow-structured Main Event. He also talks about how noticing other players' frequency of hands played can help you estimate their ranges and how to play against them when you do get involved.

From there the British pro moves into discussing the Day 1 hand, one that started with a good player opening with a raise from under the gun and an amateur calling.

It folded to Leonard who had -offsuit in the big blind. He explains how many players would three-bet in that situation, but he chose just to call, offering many reasons for doing so.

The flop came and Leonard checked. The good player continued with a bet and the amateur called, and Leonard chose to call as well although he does break down why raising could have been a good option given the particular three-way dynamic involving these two particular players.

Patrick Leonard Says Nine-Handed Tournaments Should Be ...

The turn brought the to put a second club on the board. Leonard notes he had the in his hand, explaining its significance going forward. He checked again, the good player bet 2,200 into a pot of about 6,000, and the amateur folded. Leonard called, then the river brought the , bringing a third club while pairing the board.

Patrick Leonard Poker

Leonard checked once more, and this time his opponent made a big bet of 6,500 — 'quite a large bet for this stage of the tournament,' points out Leonard.

Leonard goes through all three of his options — folding, calling, or check-raising — offering a fantastic analysis that illustrates how to use an opponent's actions, blockers, bet sizes and other factors to narrow hand ranges.

Take a look to hear what Leonard chose to do and how it turned out, but mainly watch to learn more about how to go about analyzing the hands you play.

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  tournament strategyno-limit hold’emWSOPPatrick Leonardhand analysispreflop strategypostflop strategymulti-way potshand readingrange readingpositionblind defensepremium handsbluffing

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