This hand occurred during the 2024 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event in the Bahamas between Liv Boeree and Marcelo Aziz.
The hand presented a little more intrigue than usual, as the broadcasters made Aziz’s hand a mystery for the stream's viewers and commentators.
Watch the video above now to hear Boeree talk through her strategy as the hand played out.
The WSOP Paradise Super Main Event had a $25,000 entry tag with a first prize of a whopping $6,000,000. There were 83 players remaining from a total of 1,978 runners when this hand was dealt.
Boeree was sitting on a chip stack of 20M, and Aziz had a covering stack of 29M. The blinds were 125K/250K with a 250K big blind ante.
Love at first sight
Boeree graduated in 2005 from England’s University of Manchester at the top of her class with degrees in physics and astrophysics.
As destiny would have it, Boeree competed on a UK reality show called The Ultimate Poker Showdown with Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke. Almost immediately, the game became a love-at-first-sight kind of obsession.
"Studying physics trained me to be very analytical, to think logically, and have good basics in mathematics,” shared Boeree. “All of which are very important when playing poker.
"I fell in love with the game following competing on that reality show. Poker is generally thought of as a man’s game. I’ve always been very competitive, and beating the boys at their own game just appeals to me."
Following the hand above she would go on to make the final table, and PokerOrg was there to capture the moment.
Reading an opponent’s bluff
Boeree owns a coveted WSOP bracelet and a European Poker Tour title, so you would expect her to know more than a little about big hero calls and well-timed bluffs.
“When a player thinks a long time before betting and then looks at the dealer, it's the classic thing; they're almost asking for permission to bluff. They look very uncomfortable. When they make a full pot-size bet on the river, it’s very polarized at that point.
"Excitement and fear show up quite similarly when someone makes a big bet like this, whether they're lying or have strong value. Because, as I’ve stated, it's very polarized. One reliable thing I've always noticed is if you make someone sweat for as long as possible, the excitement tends to die down after a period. If they're bluffing, they tend to be nervous and terrified the entire time. They also might be breathing hard or sweating. Pay close attention. You’ll pick up a lot of information.”
She would go on to finish fourth in the WSOP Super Main Event to bank a career-best score of $2,800,000.
Liv Boeree is the creator and host of the popular Win-Win Podcast, exploring the games that drive our world. The show explores solutions to humanity's biggest issues through conversations with leading thinkers.
Follow Boeree on X.
