Leo Margets has cemented her place in poker history by becoming the first woman to reach the final table of the WSOP Main Event in the last 30 years. Known for her disciplined, fearless, and strategically refined approach, Leo navigated a field of thousands to secure her seat among the last remaining players in the world’s most prestigious poker tournament. Her deep run not only represents a personal triumph but also marks a milestone moment for women in poker, demonstrating that with precise strategy, mental resilience, and unwavering confidence, barriers can be broken at the very highest level of the game.
Let’s break down Leo’s strategic decisions on Day 8 (a critical stage where each decision carries immense ICM implications and final table equity swings) to uncover adjustments and high-level plays that propelled her towards this historic final table finish.
Shallow Stack Adaptation
When playing with ~15–25bb stacks, Leo demonstrated disciplined jam-or-fold ranges rather than opting for marginal opens, especially from early positions. This avoided open-folding and preserved fold equity, a crucial adjustment under ICM pressure where survival is paramount.
Correct Short Stack Jams
In hands such as AJo open-jamming for ~12bb, her shove into AK was standard GTO play. Although she was called by a dominating hand, it remains a profitable decision long-term, as folding AJo in that spot forfeits substantial EV.
Pot Control with Mid Pairs
When holding mid pocket pairs (66–99) with ~25bb, Leo used small opens (2–2.2x) to control pot size while inducing flats from dominated ranges. She also displayed discipline by folding to large 3-bets, avoiding high-variance flips unnecessary for her tournament life at this stage.
ICM-Aware Table Strategy
Approaching the final two tables, Leo tightened early position opens and she increased 3-bet jam frequencies from CO/BTN to leverage fold equity against blinds tightening to ladder. Leo also avoided marginal hero calls that could risk busting before major pay jumps.
Psychological Composure
Leo’s calm, measured table presence reduced physical tells and prevented emotional decision-making, a crucial factor on Day 8 where mental fatigue often drives mistakes in marginal spots.
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