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Where is the ‘Big Game?’
The following games exist just as I described them below–in the Bay Area…
I was dealt 2-2-2-9d-6d, and the wild card turned up was a 2! I now had one of the best-possible hands that could be dealt! I could play the 6d, 9d, and then make my three wild cards complete my ten-high straight flush. The chips literally began to fly into the pot, raising and re-raising as we drew cards and turned up a “fitter” (common card). These amateurs are as bad at poker as they are rich, I thought. As the pot grew in size, I had to pinch myself for two reasons: first, this hand, but second, because of the opulence of this house. I had to admire this guy; he had an exercise room for him and his wife bigger than any I had ever seen in any hotel (I’m not kidding). Four brand-new gleaming stair masters, four beautiful treadmills, weight machines, steam room, hot tub, etc…
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Phil’s Short-handed Calls vs. Scotty
On the recent Card Player Cruise through the Caribbean on the Holland Cruise ship “Zandam,” I played in a $1,000 buy-in no limit Hold’em event with 42 of my shipmates. Coming off of an all-night session of Chinese poker (deuce to seven in the middle) vs. Andy Bloch, I decided that I had more equity in the 10:00 AM tournament, than I did playing Andy, even though I’d been up all-night. I was frustrated with losing over 70 points for the night (over $7,000!) and ready, honestly, for bed. Did I really come onboard to play Bloch Chinese poker” He is the one player in the world I know to be better than me at the game!
So the tournament began, and with no apparent excuse to be “Phil Hellmuth late,” I invented a good one. I went downstairs to shower, clean up, put on my walkman and hat, and change into fresh clothes. My expectations were low, but I was going to try my hardest to win this thing.
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Howard Lederer
I had a dream’I had a dream that Howard Lederer (known as “Bub” to his friends) would win the Party Poker Million in 2002. But Howard left the boat after only about five minutes on board in 2002. Why did I have that dream” It wasn’t like Howard has won very many limit Hold’em tournaments, and it’s not like I dream of players winning very often, so who knows…
In 1999, “London” Ali Sharkasheik had a dream that I would win the European Poker Championships in Vienna. He was right, sort of’you see I did win the European Poker Championships, but in 2000-one year later. Therefore I was expecting the same thing with Howard. I dreamed he would win in 2002, therefore I thought that he would win in 2003, since he didn’t win (or even compete) in 2002. I finally bet him at 4 to 1 with three players left when he was short chipped. I should have bet Howard from the very beginning (at perhaps, 40 to 1), but I didn’t want to focus on anything but myself-and I was in there after the first two days of the tourney when the prices were high.
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Big Hand in Atlantic City
I first heard about this hand from Scotty Nguyen in December (2002), and most recently from Layne now in April. Scotty was pretty upset, and so was Layne; Erik Seidel was the only happy camper to emerge from this hand, which he won, incredibly, with ace-high; this, despite the fact that Scotty would have made four tens with his pocket 10’s.
By the way, I am writing this hand at Ted Forrest’s house in Vegas (I forgot my laptop!) with Layne at my side. I will let you know what Layne has to think of this hand as I write. Five minutes into day two of the Taj Mahal’s US Poker Championship $7,500 buy-in Championship no limit Hold’em tournament, with the blinds at $300-$600, and the antes at $100 a man, Layne opened for $1200 with 6-6, Tony Van called, and now Erik Seidel made it $5,200 to go on the button with As-Jd.
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The Sky is Falling
While hanging around with some of the top pro poker players recently, the following statement came up regarding Alan Goehring, Robert Varkonyi and Jimmy White; who won, in order first to last mentioned, the World Championship (WSOP “Big one”), the $25,000 World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship event, and the Poker Million–the Masters: “The Sky is Falling!” I mean, Varkonyi is an amateur who competed against the best poker players in the world, and had to be at least a 5,000 to 1 underdog to win the five-day long WSOP: Goehring is another amateur who had to be at least a 1,000 to 1 underdog to win the five-day long WPT Championship: and White is a very inexperienced poker player who plays Snooker for a living, and claimed in the press later that it sure helped his “game” to play online poker.
In all three cases, these players played hands that anybody who knows anything about poker wouldn’t have played. Maybe they’re onto something new regarding no limit Hold’em strategy. Seriously, it looked like the they played so badly, that perhaps we should disregard traditional poker philosophy and tactics. They either were incredibly lucky or they played so far above the rim that no one knows exactly how they each won.
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Call Down with K-10 High
In the 2003 World Series of Poker’s (WSOP) $2,500 buy-in limit Hold’em tournament, I found myself heads up with Young Phan. In 2001, I was heads up with Scotty Nguyen in Omaha 8/b with a chance to win my eighth title; I lost. In 2002, I was heads up with Johnny Chan in no limit Hold’em with a chance to win number eight; I lost–instead Chan won #7 to tie me. This time I needed to win! Especially because I was at the peak of my poker powers. Unfortunately, I don’t seem to reach the peak of my poker powers too often, therefore when I do, I need to go ahead and use all of my powers to win!!
I was playing great poker, and I was ready to win, but Young wasn’t going for it! Back and forth we battled, 100 hands, then 200 hands, then we crested 300 hands of one on one poker, and neither one of us would back down. When we were playing $3,000-$6,000 limit when the following hand came up; and gave me the confidence to win–and perhaps took a little steam out of Young Phan’s sails. I raised with K-10 off suit before the flop, and the flop came down 2s-4s-7h.
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