In 2011, Brandon Adams began a coaching business with a difference called Expert Insights. For the princely sum of $6,000, you could spend an hour talking to Patrik Antonius; $6,500 would net you 60-mins with Tom Dwan.
It’s time Adams stuck the defibrillators on the old idea and started selling lessons with himself.
The high stakes cash game player, author and everything else in between, has taken down 2018 Poker Masters Event #2: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE), the $400,000 first prize, and the early lead in the race for the Purple Jacket.
The two-day event attracted 50-runners.
Here was the final table at the start of Day 2.
Final Table
Seat 1: Daniel Negreanu – 1,035,000
Seat 2: Jake Schindler – 630,000
Seat 3: Jared Jaffee – 2,100,000
Seat 4: Jason Koon – 755,000
Seat 5: Bill Klein – 470,000
Seat 6: Brandon Adams – 1,260,000
Let’s find out how Adams took it down.
The Run-In
Daniel Negreanu Eliminated in 6th Place.
Brandon Adams opened to 75,000 from the cutoff, and Daniel Negreanu called on the button. The dealer spread the 8s7h5c across the felt, Adams checked, Negreanu bet 60,000, Adams check-raised to 205,000, and Negreanu made the call.
Turn: 3h
Adams bet 405,000, Negreanu moved all-in, and Adams made the call. Negreanu showed pocket tens for the overpair, but Adams tabled pocket queens for the stronger overpair, and after the Jc floated down the river, Negreanu left the studio.
Jason Koon Eliminated in 5th Place.
Bill Klein doubled through Jason Koon when his pocket sixes beat KQo in a race; Jake Schindler did likewise through Adams when his AJo beat Q9s in an all-in, pre-flop rat race. And then Klein left Koon on life-support after winning his second race in close quarters 99>AQo. Soon after, Jaffee put Koon all-in from the small blind holding T7o, Koon made the call with 82o and failed to find his life-saving card-combo.
Bill Klein Eliminated in 4th Place.
Schindler opened to 110,000 from the cutoff, and Klein moved all-in from the small blind for 520,000. Schindler called, and Klein waited for the five cards that would determine his tournament fate.
Schindler: A8s
Klein KJo
Board: 8c7s6d9d3s
No kings. No jacks. No hope.
Three-Handed Chip Counts
1. Jared Jaffee – 2,945,000
2. Brandon Adams – 2,415,000
3. Jake Schindler – 890,000
Schindler limped on the button, Jaffee called in the small blind, and Adams checked in the large. The dealer produced a 7h5d3s rainbow flop, Adams moved all-in, Schindler called instantly, and Jaffee left the party.
Schindler: Kc7c
Adams: QcTc
Adams was at it, and in another hand, it may have worked, but Schindler had flopped top pair, and a turn and river card later he had doubled-up.
Then a critical hand between the two big stacks.
Adams opened to 150,000 from the button, and both players called in the blinds.
Flop: As4s3h
The action checked to Adams who bet 250,000, Schindler folded, but Jaffee moved all-in. Adams made the call for his tournament life holding ATcc for top pair, and Jaffee had him in an Andre the Giant chokehold with pocket treys for a set.
Adams needed a miracle.
The Poker Gods gave him two.
The Td on the turn gave Adams added outs, but the Ad was one of them. Adams filled up and left Jaffee thinking of what might have been.
Adams – 3,060,000
Jaffee – 970,000
Jake Schindler Eliminated in 3rd Place.
Adams moved all-in from the small blind, and Schindler looked him up from the big blind.
Adams: Ad5c
Schindler: QcTs
Board: 8s3s2d9s6d
Despite picking up some additional outs on the turn, Adams’ hand prevailed, and Schindler was out.
Brandon Adams Wins Event #2: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Heads-up only lasted two hands.
Jaffe, who began with the smaller stack, moved all-in holding Kc5s, and Adams called holding Ac9h. The 8d4c4s was a great flop for Adams. The 7s on the turn gave Jaffee the straight draw, but the 2d was as clean as they come, and Adams took the $400,000 first prize, 300 points, and the lead in the race for the Purple Jacket.
The victory was the third of Adams’ live tournament career, and two of them have come in this competition with Adams defeating 39 entrants to win the $50,000 NLHE event in the 2017 Poker Masters for $819,000, his most substantial victory to date.
In April, Adams beat 40 players to a pulp in the $25,500 NLHE High Roller at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida for $370,000.
Adams also finished fourth in Event #1: $10,000 NLHE a few days ago.
Final Table Results
1. Brandon Adams – $400,000
2. Jared Jaffee – $262,000
3. Jake Schindler – $175,000
4. Bill Klein – $125,000
5. Jason Koon – $100,000
6. Daniel Negreanu – $75,000
Poker Masters Leaderboard
1. Brandon Adams – 420
2. David Peters – 300
3. Brian Green – 210
3. Jared Jaffee – 210
5. Rainer Kempe – 150
5. Jake Schindler – 150