Winning the Main Event of the World Series of Poker not only requires favorable cards. On the highest pressure stage of world poker, understanding concepts like ICM (Independent Chip Model) and making decisions aligned with theory can make the difference between lifting the bracelet or falling short of glory. This was demonstrated by Espen Jørstad
The pressure of money
A few hours before the start of the WSOP 2026 final table, the Norwegian broke down some of the most complex spots of that final, explaining how prize pressure alters decisions that, in a regular tournament, would be very different.
The first big test came just as the final table began. As chip leader, Jørstad defended his decision to only call with 10 10 against an opening from Jeffrey Farnes
“I only need to hit very few times for the call to make sense,” he explained, highlighting how bet sizing can modify risk calculation even under enormous ICM pressure.
A conservative line
Another of the most interesting moments came when he opened with A 10 from early position. In a context where several players had similar stacks, Jørstad decided to adopt an extremely conservative line after hitting second pair.
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The Norwegian explained that ICM pressure forced him to protect his tournament rather than maximize immediate value. However, after the river he surprised with an aggressive bluff check-raise, a play he even today admits raises doubts. According to his analysis, perhaps a simple call would have been a more solid alternative, although the composition of his opponent’s missed draws partially justified the aggression.
The summary also exposes a frequent difference between human intuition and simulator theory. In another hand, with A-Q and two short stacks in the blinds, Jørstad decided to move all-in covering both players. However, GTO Wizard simulations conclude that the optimal strategy was to make a min-raise, maintaining a more balanced range and better exploiting the elimination pressure on the short stacks.
Espen Jørstad won 10 million dollars by conquering the WSOP 2022 ME.
Although that hand ended with Adrian Attenborough
Beyond the final result and the 10 million dollar prize, Jørstad’s analysis leaves a lesson that goes far beyond the Main Event: in the decisive stages of a tournament, the value of each chip changes radically. Understanding ICM, recognizing when to reduce variance, and accepting that even correct decisions can end badly are fundamental principles to compete at the highest level. His review, which we leave you below in video – which you can subtitle in Spanish – thus becomes a genuine strategy class for anyone aspiring to excel at the most important poker tables.
Source: Pokernews.com
