Crazy Me is Good TV

Date: 2007.05.28 | Category: Hand Of The Week | By: Phil Hellmuth   

A few weeks back, while filming the next season of “High Stakes Poker” for the Game Show Network, a weird pot came up between Brian Brandon (a millionaire businessman and “invitee” to the game) and I.

With the blinds at $300-$600, and a $100 a man ante, Brandon opened for $2,400 in early position. In the small blind, I looked down at 9c-9s and pondered my options. It seemed like a call to me for two reasons. First, I like to merely call with medium pocket pairs to disguise the strength of my hand; and second, I like to merely call (versus reraising it) to avoid being re-reraised. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was supposed to reraise this time. My instincts kept telling me that Brandon was very weak. Finally, I went with my gut and raised it up, making it $9,000 to go, and Brandon called me.

The flop was Qs-Jc-7h, I checked, and Brandon bet $16,000. I studied for a moment, with my first though being that I should fold.