This pivotal hand took place during the 2024 WPT World Championship at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas on December 21, between Eddie Pak and Anže Šmajd.
Watch the Video: As the hand plays out, Pak talks through his strategy, providing insight into his thought process and decision-making during this critical moment in the tournament.
The Setting: The feature table saw eight players, just two away from the official final table of six. The WPT Championship, a $10,000 entry event, attracted 2,392 players competing for a first prize of $3,100,000. Pak was the overwhelming chip leader with 75,600,000 chips (95 big blinds), while Šmajd held a much smaller stack of 25,200,000 chips (32 big blinds).
With the blinds set at 400,000/800,000 and a big blind ante of 800,000, the stakes were high as the tournament neared its conclusion.
Pak’s Position and Play: Pak, in the UTG+2 (under-the-gun plus two) position, was holding [hand details missing] and was in a prime spot to open his range. With more than double the stack of his closest competitor, Christian Roberts, Pak was opening nearly any two cards, capitalizing on his chip advantage to apply pressure on the table.
Eddie Pak’s Journey: Eddie Pak is a part-time tournament professional who competes in big events during his downtime from his job at Netflix. Pak’s rise to prominence started with a deep run in the 2024 WSOP Main Event, where he finished 47th for $200,000.
Pak shared his experience from that run: “I made it to day seven in the Main and finished 47th. It was a lot of fun. It was a very, very tough field. I learned so much during that tournament and that run, mainly regarding playing with short stacks and taking advantage of the long structure during that event.”
Pak’s Performance in the WPT Championship: The 2024 WPT World Championship proved to be another significant event for Pak. The event’s 90-minute levels allowed for deep strategic play, and Pak’s confidence was bolstered by his previous WSOP experience. Ultimately, Pak finished 3rd in the event, earning $2 million, with Scott Stewart taking home the title.
Pak reflected, “The World Championship levels were 90 minutes, which seemed like infinity. There was so much time to maneuver and stay patient.”
Pak’s 2025 Goals: Despite a successful career filled with numerous final table appearances, Pak has yet to secure a first-place title. Reflecting on his career, Pak shared, “If you look up my Hendon Mob, you can probably see that I don’t have a first-place finish in my career. I’ve made a lot of final tables and come very, very close. But I haven’t been able to close an event out yet.”
Pak’s goal for 2025 is clear: “My goal for 2025 is to put in more volume, play a full summer at the WSOP, and continue to make deep runs in these prestigious events. Hopefully, I’ll take down a title and add it to the trophy case this year.”
Eddie Pak’s journey through the 2024 WPT World Championship and his broader poker career is a testament to both his growing confidence and his ambition to close the deal in future tournaments. Keep an eye on this rising star as he seeks to add a prestigious title to his collection in 2025.
