Jimmie May Chops First Sunday at Peppermill in March for $5,000+
- Kasey Orr
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
The Peppermill’s first Sunday tournament of March saw fierce competition with over $10,000 for 1st place, but in the end, Jimmie May navigated a tough final table to secure a chop deal and a strong payday. The Deep-stacked structure gave players plenty of room to maneuver, leading to a tournament filled with exciting bluffs, disciplined folds, and well-timed aggression.
Let’s break down some of the pivotal hands that defined Jimmie May’s path to the deal and analyze the GTO (Game Theory Optimal) approach to these spots.
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Key Hands from Jimmie May’s Tournament Run
1. The Semi-Bluff That Set the Tone
🔹 Blinds: 600/1,200 (200 ante)
🔹 Jimmie May’s Stack: 42,000
🔹 Villain’s Stack: 55,000
Early in the tournament, Jimmie found himself in a hand against an aggressive opponent who had been 3-betting frequently. Holding A♠️ 5♠️, Jimmie opened to 2,500 from the cutoff. The button 3-bet to 7,000, and Jimmie made the call.
Flop: K♠️ 7♦️ 3♠️
Jimmie checked, and his opponent continued for 8,500. With a nut flush draw and a backdoor straight possibility, Jimmie opted for a check-raise to 22,000, putting maximum pressure on unpaired hands. His opponent tanked before eventually folding, allowing Jimmie to pick up a key pot without showdown. Jimmie was willing to play for stacks
💡 GTO Analysis:
Against frequent 3-bettors, widening your calling range and attacking weak C-bets with check-raises can exploit over-aggression. If called, Jimmie had solid equity with the flush draw and could barrel many turn cards.
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2. The Hero Call That Built Momentum
🔹 Blinds: 1,500/3,000 (500 ante)
🔹 Jimmie’s Stack: 110,000
🔹 Villain’s Stack: 88,000
Jimmie defended the big blind with J♣️ 9♠️ after the hijack raised to 7,000.
Flop: 10♦️ 8♠️ 4♥️
Jimmie checked, and his opponent fired 10,000. With an open ender and overcard, Jimmie called.
Turn: 2♣️
The opponent now bet 15,000. Jimmie considered raising but decided to call.
River: J♠️
The opponent shoved for 56,000. Jimmie went deep into the tank, realizing that many of his opponent’s value hands (overpairs, two pairs) would have bet larger on earlier streets or possibly smaller on the river, not denying equity. After analyzing the range, he correctly called with a pair of Jacks (weak kicker), catching the opponent bluffing with A♣️ Q♦️.
💡 GTO Analysis:
The key to this hand was range advantage. On dry boards, when an opponent barrels multiple streets but fails to polarize properly, their range is often capped. Calling with just one pair in these spots are tough, but on such dynamic boards, oponnents should usually slow down on one street (which they didn't), it’s a strong exploitative play.
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3. The ICM Pressure Spot That Led to the Chop
🔹 Final Three Players
🔹 Blinds: 6,000/12,000 (6,000 ante)
🔹 Jimmie’s Stack: 525,000
🔹 Villain’s Stack: 300,000
🔹 Short Stack: 89,000
With three players left, Jimmie had a sizable lead but faced a key ICM (Independent Chip Model) spot. Holding Q♠️ J♦️, he raised to 125,000 on the button. The small blind, a tight player, shoved for 400,000. The short stack was still in the big blind, and Jimmie had to consider whether to call or preserve his stack advantage.
After careful thought, Jimmie folded, preserving his chip lead. The short stack busted soon after, leading to a heads-up deal that locked in a big payday for Jimmie.
💡 GTO & ICM Analysis:
Late in tournaments, big stacks should apply pressure rather than risk double-ups. Despite being ahead of some shoving ranges, calling here is slightly -EV when factoring in ICM. Folding ensures continued dominance and allows for a more controlled path to victory.
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Final Thoughts
Jimmie May’s deep run at the Peppermill was defined by strong strategic adjustments—mixing well-timed aggression, hero calls, and ICM awareness. His ability to make disciplined folds and calculated bluffs secured his seat at the chop table, proving once again that poker is as much about strategy as it is about execution.
Stay tuned for more tournament recaps and hand breakdowns from The Poker Gods!
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