My Big ‘Over Bet’

Date: 2006.10.09 | Category: Hand Of The Week | By: Phil Hellmuth   

In order to write this, I will have to admit what I had in a hand versus one of my business partner’s who also happens to be the 1992 World Champion of poker, Russ Hamilton. I did not want to tell him what I had in this hand, as he is already too perceptive! It will also confirm to him that he played a hand really well against me last week in Aruba (I do not want to give him that much credit at the poker table!).

The game was no limit Hold ’em, with $10-$20 blinds, and the buy-in was $5,000. In the game that night we had Antonio “the magician” Esfandiari, Hamilton, businessman Greg Pierson, Aviation Club (Paris) manager Bruno Fitoussi, and blackjack champion Ken Einiger.

Four of us called a $20 bet, including me one off of the button, when Einiger raised it up to $240 to go. Hamilton called from the small blind as did the rest of us, so that six people took the flop. I had 10-9, the flop was 7c-6s-2h, and everyone checked. Of course I thought that a great card for me would be an eight, which would make me the best possible hand, and lo and behold an eight came off and Hamilton bet out $1,500. Fold, fold, fold to me, and I thought, “OK, I have the best possible hand here and I’m going to raise it up, but how much? A $3,000 raise may induce Russ to move all-in or at least call the $3,000 bet. Since the eight was a club, Russ could have a flush draw. He could also have trips, two pair, or a straight. I’m sick of raising it up $2,000 or $3,000 and having a bad card (that beats me) come off on the end. Thus I will move all-in to protect my hand, which may fool Russ into thinking that I have a club draw or a straight draw.”