2025 Spring Super Stack – Event #9: $400 H.O.R.S.E.

It wasn’t his biggest score by a long shot — Thomas Taylor regularly runs deep in high stakes mixed games in Vegas and around the world — but picking up a win in what amounts to his hometown casino in one of his favorite games was likely still a pretty decent way to spend a Monday.

Taylor came into the day as the clear favorite, given his experience in this format. He has deep runs in HORSE and 8-Game, as well as individual runs in most of the games in the HORSE rotation. Last year, he was 3rd in the $10k Stud8 Championship at the WSOP and he took 3rd in a Stud game in 2022 as well.

He wasn’t crushing the game from the start, however. He played a patient that saw him on one of the shorter stacks in the room for much of the early part of the game, but he really turned it on as they got closer to the money. Once he got heads up against Martin Butler he jumped into the lead quickly after they went two-handed nearly even.

Taylor took the early lead when he hit two pair and got value in a stud hand, but Butler wasn’t going down easily. He jumped into the lead a few hands later in hold’em when he made a solid call with second pair against the busted flush bluff from Taylor.

It pretty much ended in the following round of Omaha 8 or Better. Taylor found a scoop and left Butler on fumes when there was no low on board, and Taylor found a king-high straight for a huge pot. That left Butler on fumes, and it was only a matter of time before Taylor finished him off. Butler survived the razz round with a couple of runouts for small doubles, but he also had to bring in and fold several hands, remaining below 100k.

Taylor took it down in the following stud round in a hand that saw him hit the best pair after Butler was all in halfway down the streets. The win was modest compared to Taylor’s mixed game glory from Las Vegas, but doing it at home had to feel pretty good.

It was a pretty spirited heads-up battle between Martin Butler and Thomas Taylor tonight, and Butler even had the mixed-game specialist on the ropes at one point with a big lead. They traded the lead a couple of times, and one of Butler’s surges came after a solid call in hold’em. Taylor put him to the test with a big bet on the river of 2♠4♣7♥3♥A♠ after Taylor had been firing the whole way through the previous streets.

Butler found the tank-call with J♠7♠ for second pair on a board where any five hit the wheel. Taylor was playing the busted heart draw, though, and the call vaulted Butler to the lead.

It didn’t last, though. Taylor clawed his way back into it forcing Butler to fold turns and rivers several times, then found a straight scoop in O8 when Butler bricked a low draw and couldn’t beat the king-high run for Taylor. That left Butler on fumes, and it was only a matter of time at that point.

When they moved into the razz round, he was bring for the majority of hands, barely managing to stay alive with a couple of pots that he was all in half way through the streets, but still managed to run it out for the lowest hand.

It finally came to an end for him in stud when he was all in again on 5th street, with Taylor holding the better pair of queens over his sevens. He couldn’t find any more help on the runout and had to settle for second tonight. It might be cold comfort, but given that his opponent heads up has multiple deep final table runs in big WSOP mixed games on his resume, Butler was always going to be in tough on this one.

Martin Butler raised to 60k and Thomas Taylor called to see a flop of K♦9♠4♣. Taylor check-called for 30k to see J♦ on the turn and they both checked it. Taylor fired 60k on the 6♠ river and Butler called, but mucked when Taylor showed Q♥10♥5♣3♥ for the king-high straight. With no low possible, he scooped the pot and left Butler with less than 100k.

It’s back and forth during this heads up, and Butler now has the lead after a big call in Limit Hold’em. Thomas Taylor raised to 60k and Butler called to see a flop of 2♠4♣7♥ Butler check-raised from 30k to 60k and Taylor called.

Butler fired the 3♥ turn and Taylor called. Butler checked the A♠ river, but then hit the tanl when Taylor fired 60k. He finally slid in the call, and Taylor showed a busted heart draw with Q♥10♥ against a pair of sevens for Butler with J♦7♠.

Thomas Taylor just took the lead after a big stud hand. He brought it in for 7k with a 4♣ and then called when Martin butler made it 25k with a Q♥.

They both checked to 4th where Taylor got an A♣ to Butler’s K♣. Taylor check-called 25k to 5th where got the K♥ and Butler paired with the K♦. He fired 50k and Taylor called to see a 9♠ on 6th while Butler picked up 9♣.

Butler check-called for 50k, but mucked when Taylor showed A♠9♦10♥ down for two pair. The hand left him with about 600k of the 800k in play.

It was razz that did Jordan Pennock in. Martin Butler brought in with a queen and Pennock completed to 25k with a 4. Pennock bet 25 after getting a 9 to Butler’s 5 and Butler called to 5th for a 3 while Pennock got a 5.

Pennock bet 50k and Butler called to get a deuce on 6th versus a king for Pennock. Butler led for 50k which was more than Pennock had left, and he called it off.

Butler reveals and ace-seven down and Pennock saw he was drawing dead and hit the cage for 3rd place. Taylor and Butler are close to even after the hand.

The players are on a break now, and Thomas Taylor just took the lead. He’s playing 388k now, compared to 131k for Jordan Pennock, and 231k for Martin Butler.

Jordan Pennock raised the small blind to 40k and Martin Butler called from the big. They both checked the 10♦3♣Q♦ flop and Pennock led for 40k on the 8♠ turn. The action went back to checks on the J♠ river.

“Two pair,” Butler said, showing A♣Q♥8♣7♠ for queens and eights. Pennock studied the board but eventually mucked.

Andrew Happer was the short stack for most of the final phase of this game, but he was managing to find the cards he needed, until the most recent hand. He was in against Jordan Pennock in a hand of Stud 8 and looking for a low against trip sevens for Pennock for the high. He was drawing to a 65, but found a ten on 7th to brick the chop and Pennock scooped to get them into the money.

Andrew Happer was all in by 6th street against Thomas Taylor, but managed to survive with a straight after Taylor apparently missed his low draw and mucked to send the scoop to Happer.

They are down to the money bubble now after Nicholas Lee just hit the rail in a razz hand. He’d been dominating the razz rounds, but the lowball luck ran out for him. Martin Butler brought it in with a ten, but then folded when Lee completed to 12k and Jordan Pennock raised to 24k.

Lee called showing 3 against Pennock’s 7. Lee got a 9 while Pennock drew a jack. Lee bet 12k, leaving only 1k behind, and Pennock put him in. Pennock has 4-3 down and got an ace on 5th and a deuce on six, while Lee pulled high cards.

Brenton Pilling busted previously so the remaining players on the bubble are Thomas Taylor, Jordan Pennock, Martin Butler, and Andrew Happer. Butler and Pennock look to be on the big stacks right now as they are both playing a little less than 300k.

They are down to 6 now after the exits of Weston Pring and Ryan Smith. Smith just hit the rail in a hand of Limit Hold’em that was maxed out preflop for 50k each between himself and Martin Butler.

Smith only had 2k behind and it went in on the jack-high flop. Butler called and was dominated with ace-queen into ace-king, but then spiked his queen on the turn. Smith was still drawing to a king or a ten for the straight, but he bricked the river to send the pot to Butler.

In Limit Hold’em, Thomas Taylor raised the cutoff to 16k before Jordan Pennock came over the top to 24k from the small blind. Taylor called to see 8♣9♥7♣ on the flop.

Pennock check-called for 8k and the 10♥ came on the turn. Pennock checked again, but raised it to 32k after Taylor bet, forcing Taylor to muck his cards.

In a hand of Stud8, Westong Pring brought in with 3♦ and Jordan Pennock completed to 8k with 8♥. Pring made it two bets to 16k and Pennock called.

Pring paired up with [invalid notations]. Pring bet 8k and got the call. 5th street for Pring was 6♥ versus the 9♣ for Pennock. Pring put in a big bet of 16k and took it down.

“Good fold,” he said, showing an 8-3 behind. “I’m on trip threes and working on a low.”

Jordan Pennock is the leader going into Level 16. He has almost 300k in front of him, more than a third of the chips in play. Thomas Taylor is in second with 114.5k.

They are down to the final table now with 8 players left. In a recent stud hand, Weston Pring brought it in for 2k with the 3♥ and he got calls from Ryan Smith (10♣) and Martin Butler ([invalid notations], Smith 9♥, and spring 7♥.

Smith led for 6k and push Butler out, but Pring stuck around for 5th street where he got 8♦ to Smith’s 5♠. Smith was still in the lead and bet 12k, enough to push Pring off the hand.

They have a break upcoming in about 10 minutes, and I’ll grab full chip counts then.

They are down to 10 left in the HORSE game now with about 20 minutes to play in Level 14. Nicholas Lee, Sebastian Lampreau, Ryan Smith, Martin Butler, Andrew Happer, Thomas Taylor, Jordan Pennock, Brenton Pilling, Mike O’Connor, and Weston Pring are all still fighting it out. There is a break in about 40 minutes and I’ll grab full chips for the remaining players while they are away from the table.

They are down to 13 left in the HORSE now. Below is a look at the players still in the field and it looks like Weston Pring is currently leading after taking down a nice razz pot. He joked that the table is “Teaching him how to play razz,” so it looks like they are pretty good teachers.

Table 1

Table 2

The prizes are in with 32 entries confirmed and $10,772 in total prizes. That money will be shared between 3 players later tonight with the winner set to pocket nearly $5,400.

The entries are now closed for the HORSE game. Weston Pring was the final entry tonight to bring it to 32 entries. There are 18 players left now fighting it out for 3 paid spots later tonight — prizes to come shortly.

Level 10 is nearly complete with entries set to close at the end of the break following this level. The current field is 31 entries with 23 players still alive.

The field is now at 30 entries, with 22 players still alive. That puts a bit more than $10k into the prizes with about 45 minutes left to enter this one.

The prizes are nearing $10k now with 29 entries on the board and 25 players still in the action. Entries are set to close at about 7:40, which is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from this post.

The field is up to 28 entries now, but I’ve seen at least one player hit the rebuy desk already, so I am pretty sure there are fewer than 28 players in the game now. Entries are still open for a bit less than 2 hours, so the numbers should increase some before then, but at this point, the final number is looking closer to a 40+ field than a 50+ field.

There are 26 entries on the board as Level 5 ticks down to the first break of the day. There are about 10 minutes remaining before the break, and there are still five levels of open entry once they return for Level 6.

Ryan Smith from Saskatoon is among the players in the game now, and this is the first event I’ve seen him in this series so far. Among the others joining him in today’s field are Shane Brotherwood, who took down the 1-Day Deepstack last night after a 4-way deal, Garry Chan, and Marcio Kondo.

There are about five minutes to play in Level 3 with the field now at 25. I haven’t heard any calls of “Seat Open” so it looks like all 25 entries are still at the felt.

The field is up to 22 entries to start Level 2 and among the more recent faces I’ve seen were Scott Goodwin from the Yukon, and John Hansmeyer. Goodwin, with his wife Linda, have been making a show here this week. Goodwin took 19th in yesterday’s final day of Event #3, while Linda was 7th in the PKO game the other night.

The HORSE game is underway with the action in Level 1 and 15 players in their seats. It’s a bit unclear what to expect for this game as far as numbers are concerned, but a field of 50+ entries seems pretty reasonable as a guess today. Pete Fylyma and Thomas Taylor are among the players in their seats early for this one.

Taylor is likely the 1st seed in this one, given that he plays high-stakes mixed games all over the world, with several WSOP final tables in big mixed events. He took 3rd in the $10k Stud8 game last year, as well as 2nd in a PLO, so it’s pretty clear he knows these games.

The main game on Monday is the HORSE, the second running of the mixed game format in Alberta history. In January, the very first HORSE event was run with KKPoker rep Chris Alcindor taking down the ring.

There’s no ring up for grabs this time, but the glory of the win, and a chunk of change, will be in the kitty for this one. The game gets going at 3 pm on Monday, and players can enter for the first 10 levels of play. That should mean the reg-desk closes at around 7:40 pm.

After that it will be a HORSE race to the winner, who will be crowned before the stop play. This is the sole action on Monday (with the exception of a satellite in the evening, so I should be able to focus on the HORSE from nose to tail.

It wasn’t his biggest score by a long shot — Thomas Taylor regularly runs deep in high stakes mixed games in Vegas and around the world — but picking up a win in what amounts to his hometown casino in one of his favorite games was likely still a pretty decent way to spend a Monday.

Taylor came into the day as the clear favorite, given his experience in this format. He has deep runs in HORSE and 8-Game, as well as individual runs in most of the games in the HORSE rotation. Last year, he was 3rd in the $10k Stud8 Championship at the WSOP and he took 3rd in a Stud game in 2022 as well.

He wasn’t crushing the game from the start, however. He played a patient that saw him on one of the shorter stacks in the room for much of the early part of the game, but he really turned it on as they got closer to the money. Once he got heads up against Martin Butler he jumped into the lead quickly after they went two-handed nearly even.

Taylor took the early lead when he hit two pair and got value in a stud hand, but Butler wasn’t going down easily. He jumped into the lead a few hands later in hold’em when he made a solid call with second pair against the busted flush bluff from Taylor.

It pretty much ended in the following round of Omaha 8 or Better. Taylor found a scoop and left Butler on fumes when there was no low on board, and Taylor found a king-high straight for a huge pot. That left Butler on fumes, and it was only a matter of time before Taylor finished him off. Butler survived the razz round with a couple of runouts for small doubles, but he also had to bring in and fold several hands, remaining below 100k.

Taylor took it down in the following stud round in a hand that saw him hit the best pair after Butler was all in halfway down the streets. The win was modest compared to Taylor’s mixed game glory from Las Vegas, but doing it at home had to feel pretty good.

It was a pretty spirited heads-up battle between Martin Butler and Thomas Taylor tonight, and Butler even had the mixed-game specialist on the ropes at one point with a big lead. They traded the lead a couple of times, and one of Butler’s surges came after a solid call in hold’em. Taylor put him to the test with a big bet on the river of 2♠4♣7♥3♥A♠ after Taylor had been firing the whole way through the previous streets.

Butler found the tank-call with J♠7♠ for second pair on a board where any five hit the wheel. Taylor was playing the busted heart draw, though, and the call vaulted Butler to the lead.

It didn’t last, though. Taylor clawed his way back into it forcing Butler to fold turns and rivers several times, then found a straight scoop in O8 when Butler bricked a low draw and couldn’t beat the king-high run for Taylor. That left Butler on fumes, and it was only a matter of time at that point.

When they moved into the razz round, he was bring for the majority of hands, barely managing to stay alive with a couple of pots that he was all in half way through the streets, but still managed to run it out for the lowest hand.

It finally came to an end for him in stud when he was all in again on 5th street, with Taylor holding the better pair of queens over his sevens. He couldn’t find any more help on the runout and had to settle for second tonight. It might be cold comfort, but given that his opponent heads up has multiple deep final table runs in big WSOP mixed games on his resume, Butler was always going to be in tough on this one.

Martin Butler raised to 60k and Thomas Taylor called to see a flop of K♦9♠4♣. Taylor check-called for 30k to see J♦ on the turn and they both checked it. Taylor fired 60k on the 6♠ river and Butler called, but mucked when Taylor showed Q♥10♥5♣3♥ for the king-high straight. With no low possible, he scooped the pot and left Butler with less than 100k.

It’s back and forth during this heads up, and Butler now has the lead after a big call in Limit Hold’em. Thomas Taylor raised to 60k and Butler called to see a flop of 2♠4♣7♥ Butler check-raised from 30k to 60k and Taylor called.

Butler fired the 3♥ turn and Taylor called. Butler checked the A♠ river, but then hit the tanl when Taylor fired 60k. He finally slid in the call, and Taylor showed a busted heart draw with Q♥10♥ against a pair of sevens for Butler with J♦7♠.

Thomas Taylor just took the lead after a big stud hand. He brought it in for 7k with a 4♣ and then called when Martin butler made it 25k with a Q♥.

They both checked to 4th where Taylor got an A♣ to Butler’s K♣. Taylor check-called 25k to 5th where got the K♥ and Butler paired with the K♦. He fired 50k and Taylor called to see a 9♠ on 6th while Butler picked up 9♣.

Butler check-called for 50k, but mucked when Taylor showed A♠9♦10♥ down for two pair. The hand left him with about 600k of the 800k in play.

It was razz that did Jordan Pennock in. Martin Butler brought in with a queen and Pennock completed to 25k with a 4. Pennock bet 25 after getting a 9 to Butler’s 5 and Butler called to 5th for a 3 while Pennock got a 5.

Pennock bet 50k and Butler called to get a deuce on 6th versus a king for Pennock. Butler led for 50k which was more than Pennock had left, and he called it off.

Butler reveals and ace-seven down and Pennock saw he was drawing dead and hit the cage for 3rd place. Taylor and Butler are close to even after the hand.

The players are on a break now, and Thomas Taylor just took the lead. He’s playing 388k now, compared to 131k for Jordan Pennock, and 231k for Martin Butler.

Jordan Pennock raised the small blind to 40k and Martin Butler called from the big. They both checked the 10♦3♣Q♦ flop and Pennock led for 40k on the 8♠ turn. The action went back to checks on the J♠ river.

“Two pair,” Butler said, showing A♣Q♥8♣7♠ for queens and eights. Pennock studied the board but eventually mucked.

Andrew Happer was the short stack for most of the final phase of this game, but he was managing to find the cards he needed, until the most recent hand. He was in against Jordan Pennock in a hand of Stud 8 and looking for a low against trip sevens for Pennock for the high. He was drawing to a 65, but found a ten on 7th to brick the chop and Pennock scooped to get them into the money.

Andrew Happer was all in by 6th street against Thomas Taylor, but managed to survive with a straight after Taylor apparently missed his low draw and mucked to send the scoop to Happer.

They are down to the money bubble now after Nicholas Lee just hit the rail in a razz hand. He’d been dominating the razz rounds, but the lowball luck ran out for him. Martin Butler brought it in with a ten, but then folded when Lee completed to 12k and Jordan Pennock raised to 24k.

Lee called showing 3 against Pennock’s 7. Lee got a 9 while Pennock drew a jack. Lee bet 12k, leaving only 1k behind, and Pennock put him in. Pennock has 4-3 down and got an ace on 5th and a deuce on six, while Lee pulled high cards.

Brenton Pilling busted previously so the remaining players on the bubble are Thomas Taylor, Jordan Pennock, Martin Butler, and Andrew Happer. Butler and Pennock look to be on the big stacks right now as they are both playing a little less than 300k.

They are down to 6 now after the exits of Weston Pring and Ryan Smith. Smith just hit the rail in a hand of Limit Hold’em that was maxed out preflop for 50k each between himself and Martin Butler.

Smith only had 2k behind and it went in on the jack-high flop. Butler called and was dominated with ace-queen into ace-king, but then spiked his queen on the turn. Smith was still drawing to a king or a ten for the straight, but he bricked the river to send the pot to Butler.

In Limit Hold’em, Thomas Taylor raised the cutoff to 16k before Jordan Pennock came over the top to 24k from the small blind. Taylor called to see 8♣9♥7♣ on the flop.

Pennock check-called for 8k and the 10♥ came on the turn. Pennock checked again, but raised it to 32k after Taylor bet, forcing Taylor to muck his cards.

In a hand of Stud8, Westong Pring brought in with 3♦ and Jordan Pennock completed to 8k with 8♥. Pring made it two bets to 16k and Pennock called.

Pring paired up with [invalid notations]. Pring bet 8k and got the call. 5th street for Pring was 6♥ versus the 9♣ for Pennock. Pring put in a big bet of 16k and took it down.

“Good fold,” he said, showing an 8-3 behind. “I’m on trip threes and working on a low.”

Jordan Pennock is the leader going into Level 16. He has almost 300k in front of him, more than a third of the chips in play. Thomas Taylor is in second with 114.5k.

They are down to the final table now with 8 players left. In a recent stud hand, Weston Pring brought it in for 2k with the 3♥ and he got calls from Ryan Smith (10♣) and Martin Butler ([invalid notations], Smith 9♥, and spring 7♥.

Smith led for 6k and push Butler out, but Pring stuck around for 5th street where he got 8♦ to Smith’s 5♠. Smith was still in the lead and bet 12k, enough to push Pring off the hand.

They have a break upcoming in about 10 minutes, and I’ll grab full chip counts then.

They are down to 10 left in the HORSE game now with about 20 minutes to play in Level 14. Nicholas Lee, Sebastian Lampreau, Ryan Smith, Martin Butler, Andrew Happer, Thomas Taylor, Jordan Pennock, Brenton Pilling, Mike O’Connor, and Weston Pring are all still fighting it out. There is a break in about 40 minutes and I’ll grab full chips for the remaining players while they are away from the table.

They are down to 13 left in the HORSE now. Below is a look at the players still in the field and it looks like Weston Pring is currently leading after taking down a nice razz pot. He joked that the table is “Teaching him how to play razz,” so it looks like they are pretty good teachers.

Table 1

Table 2

The prizes are in with 32 entries confirmed and $10,772 in total prizes. That money will be shared between 3 players later tonight with the winner set to pocket nearly $5,400.

The entries are now closed for the HORSE game. Weston Pring was the final entry tonight to bring it to 32 entries. There are 18 players left now fighting it out for 3 paid spots later tonight — prizes to come shortly.

Level 10 is nearly complete with entries set to close at the end of the break following this level. The current field is 31 entries with 23 players still alive.

The field is now at 30 entries, with 22 players still alive. That puts a bit more than $10k into the prizes with about 45 minutes left to enter this one.

The prizes are nearing $10k now with 29 entries on the board and 25 players still in the action. Entries are set to close at about 7:40, which is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from this post.

The field is up to 28 entries now, but I’ve seen at least one player hit the rebuy desk already, so I am pretty sure there are fewer than 28 players in the game now. Entries are still open for a bit less than 2 hours, so the numbers should increase some before then, but at this point, the final number is looking closer to a 40+ field than a 50+ field.

There are 26 entries on the board as Level 5 ticks down to the first break of the day. There are about 10 minutes remaining before the break, and there are still five levels of open entry once they return for Level 6.

Ryan Smith from Saskatoon is among the players in the game now, and this is the first event I’ve seen him in this series so far. Among the others joining him in today’s field are Shane Brotherwood, who took down the 1-Day Deepstack last night after a 4-way deal, Garry Chan, and Marcio Kondo.

There are about five minutes to play in Level 3 with the field now at 25. I haven’t heard any calls of “Seat Open” so it looks like all 25 entries are still at the felt.

The field is up to 22 entries to start Level 2 and among the more recent faces I’ve seen were Scott Goodwin from the Yukon, and John Hansmeyer. Goodwin, with his wife Linda, have been making a show here this week. Goodwin took 19th in yesterday’s final day of Event #3, while Linda was 7th in the PKO game the other night.

The HORSE game is underway with the action in Level 1 and 15 players in their seats. It’s a bit unclear what to expect for this game as far as numbers are concerned, but a field of 50+ entries seems pretty reasonable as a guess today. Pete Fylyma and Thomas Taylor are among the players in their seats early for this one.

Taylor is likely the 1st seed in this one, given that he plays high-stakes mixed games all over the world, with several WSOP final tables in big mixed events. He took 3rd in the $10k Stud8 game last year, as well as 2nd in a PLO, so it’s pretty clear he knows these games.

The main game on Monday is the HORSE, the second running of the mixed game format in Alberta history. In January, the very first HORSE event was run with KKPoker rep Chris Alcindor taking down the ring.

There’s no ring up for grabs this time, but the glory of the win, and a chunk of change, will be in the kitty for this one. The game gets going at 3 pm on Monday, and players can enter for the first 10 levels of play. That should mean the reg-desk closes at around 7:40 pm.

After that it will be a HORSE race to the winner, who will be crowned before the stop play. This is the sole action on Monday (with the exception of a satellite in the evening, so I should be able to focus on the HORSE from nose to tail.