How Not to Play Heads-Up Against the Best Players in the World

Analysis of a key hand from the final table of the $10,000 GGMillion$ at GGPoker between Samuel Vousden and Daniel Lakerveld. Mistakes and advice from GTO Wizard experts.

In the heads-up of any major poker tournament, every decision takes on special significance—not only prestige is at stake, but also substantial cash prizes. This is especially true at the final table of the $10,000 GGMillion$ tournament on GGPoker , where the winner receives $350,950. In June, a hand played here determined the title between Samuel Vousden and Daniel Lakerveld . GTO Wizard experts analyzed this key hand in detail to understand which decisions were optimal, which were not, and how they influenced the outcome of the final. Context: the GGMillion$ tournament and its finalists GGMillion$ is a prestigious weekly tournament with a $10,000 buy-in, held on the online platform GGPoker . In June, the final table featured some of the strongest players, and the heads-up came down to Samuel Vousden and Daniel Lakerveld . By the decisive hand, the chip stacks were significantly different: Samuel Vousden (SB/BTN): 16,176,194 (64.7 big blinds) Daniel Lakerveld (BB): 2,339,806 (9.4 big blinds) Thus, Vousden had a significant chip advantage, allowing him to dictate the pace and put pressure on his opponent. However, in poker, even with a big stack difference, every decision at the final stage can change the course of the tournament. The Hand: step-by-step breakdown of the players’ actions Preflop: limp and check In heads-up, the small blind and button positions are combined—the player on the button acts first. Samuel Vousden is dealt 9♠7♥ and decides to limp (call), not raising. According to GTO (Game Theory Optimal) calculations, 97o (offsuit 9 and 7) is a pure call from the small blind in heads-up. This means the limp is the optimal decision, fully in line with solver recommendations. Daniel Lakerveld , on the big blind, is dealt 8♥6♣ and checks, not raising. The solver also considers that 86o (offsuit 8 and 6) in this spot should usually check, only occasionally mixing in an all-in. Thus, both players act according to GTO preflop. Flop: 10♥7♣4♣ — exchange of checks The flop comes 10♥7♣4♣ . The pot is already 560,000 chips. Lakerveld acts first and checks with 8♥6♣. The solver confirms that on this flop, the small blind (SB) has a range advantage, so the optimal play for the big blind (BB) is to check all hands. Vousden, holding middle pair (a seven), also checks. Although the solver generally recommends betting about 35.6% of the range on this flop, specifically 97o is a pure check. Most hands with a seven (second pair) also prefer to check, not wanting to build the pot without a strong hand. Turn: 7♦ — aggression from Lakerveld The turn is 7♦ , giving Vousden trips (three sevens), while Lakerveld has a gutshot (a chance to make a straight) and an overcard. Lakerveld decides to play aggressively and bets 560,000 into the pot—the full pot size. The solver suggests that most 86o combinations on this turn should bet, choosing between 67% and 98% pot sizes, as both have the same expected value (EV). For Vousden with 97o (trips), the optimal play is to just call, not raise. The solver does not recommend having a raising range for SB on this turn, even with strong hands like trips. This is because after the second seven hits the board, the equity and EV advantage shifts to the BB’s range. Therefore, the SB should protect their range by calling, not raising, so as not to reveal the strength of their hand. River: 8♣ — Lakerveld’s mistake The river is 8♣ , making the final board 10♥7♣4♣7♦8♣ . Lakerveld bets 420,000, about 25% of the pot. However, the solver says that all 86o combinations should check this river—a bet loses EV. The reason is that any second pairs in the BB’s range are not profitable to bet here, and checking minimizes losses against strong SB hands. Vousden, holding trips, decides to go all-in for 1,109,806—this fully matches GTO strategy. Even though possible flushes and straights completed on the river, all 97o combinations should shove for value here, as they can get paid by weaker hands. Interestingly, weaker trips (for example, 7x with a lower kicker) prefer to just call the BB’s bet rather than shove. So not all trips in this spot turn into aggression—only those that can get value from worse hands. Lakerveld’s river decision: call — second mistake For a more precise analysis, GTO Wizard experts “nodelocked” the BB’s range to have him use small bets (25% pot) more often with hands like 86o. In response to this strategy, the SB starts shoving more often—about 48.2% of the time (compared to 39.1% previously). In the final hand, Lakerveld decides to call his opponent’s all-in. The solver considers this a mistake: almost all 86o combinations should fold to a shove, except for 8♦6♣, which can sometimes be slightly profitable, but even for that hand, calling is usually losing. 8♥6♣, which Lakerveld held, is a negative EV call according to the solver—folding would have been the better choice. Hand result and impact on the tournament outcome Thus, the sequence of actions in this hand was as follows: Preflop: both players acted according to GTO—a limp from SB with 97o, a check from BB with 86o. Flop: both check, which also matches optimal strategy for their hands. Turn: BB bets aggressively, SB calls—both decisions are solver-approved. River: BB makes a small bet, which is a mistake; SB shoves, which is fully GTO. BB calls the shove—another mistake, leading to the loss of a big pot and, as a result, defeat in the tournament. As a result, Samuel Vousden wins the hand, takes down a huge pot, and becomes the GGMillion$ champion, earning the top prize of $350,950 . Daniel Lakerveld finishes second. Tournament standings and prizes 1st place: Samuel Vousden — $350,950 2nd place: Daniel Lakerveld — (amount not specified in the original) The other prizes and places were not mentioned in the original material. Poker terms and explanations for readers Heads-up: the stage of a tournament when only two players remain at the table. Strategy here is very different from multi-way play, and hand ranges widen. Limp: entering the pot by calling the minimum bet (blind) without raising. Check: a passive action where the player does not bet but also does not fold. Trips: a combination of three cards of the same rank (for example, three sevens). Gutshot: a chance to make a straight if one specific card comes. All-in: betting all remaining chips. GTO (Game Theory Optimal): a strategy based on game theory, where the player minimizes losses against any opponent. EV (Expected Value): the average profitability of an action over the long run. Solver: a program that calculates optimal poker decisions based on GTO. Analysis of mistakes and optimal decisions in the hand This hand clearly demonstrates how even at the highest level, players can deviate from optimal strategy, leading to serious consequences at the final stage of a tournament. Here are the key points noted by GTO Wizard experts: Preflop: both players acted perfectly from a GTO perspective. Flop: both checked, which fully matches optimal strategy for their hands. Turn: aggression from BB is justified—at this stage, the BB’s range becomes stronger. River: the BB’s bet is a mistake, as checking would have been more profitable in the long run. The SB’s all-in with trips is the optimal decision. BB’s call: another mistake, as most similar hands should fold to an all-in. Thus, Lakerveld’s key mistakes on the river—betting instead of checking and calling the all-in—cost him not only this pot, but also the chance to fight for the title. Meanwhile, Vousden followed GTO strategy precisely, allowing him to maximize value from his hand and secure the win. Who are Samuel Vousden and Daniel Lakerveld The original does not provide detailed information about the professional achievements of Samuel Vousden and Daniel Lakerveld, but their appearance at the final table of such a major tournament as GGMillion$ speaks to their high level of skill and experience in online poker. Both players managed to make it through a tough field to meet heads-up for the top prize. The article also mentions Lukas "RobinPoker" Robinson —a professional player, streamer, and content creator who set a Twitch world record in 2021 by playing 1,000 hours of online poker in 100 days. He also participated in the first season of the show "Game of Gold". What this means for PPPoker club players For members of PPPoker clubs, this analysis is a great opportunity to understand how important it is to follow optimal strategy not only in the early stages of a tournament, but also in heads-up. Even a small deviation from GTO can be costly, especially when big prizes are at stake. The ability to correctly assess the strength of your hand and your opponent’s range at every stage of a hand helps minimize mistakes and increase your chances of success. Practical takeaway: study and apply GTO strategies in your PPPoker games, especially in key situations—such as heads-up or at club tournament final tables. Use solvers and analyses of hands like this to improve your game and make more informed decisions under pressure. Finally, the analysis of the world’s top players’ actions shows: even experienced professionals make mistakes, especially in unusual situations or under the pressure of big bets. This means every PPPoker club member can improve by studying such cases and implementing best practices in their own game.