Howard Lederer

Date: 2004.05.01 | Category: Hand Of The Week | By: Phil Hellmuth   

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.

Ali told me of his dream, and I told Howard of my dream. Did that help Bub and I win” Probably, but lets stick to the quantifiable facts in this column! Lol! (Laugh out loud.)

Howard did win the Party Poker Million in 2003, making him the winner of an amazing two World Poker Tour (WPT) events. That’s two ahead of me, Chan, Seidel, Cloutier Ivey, and Juanda. (Gus Hansen has the honor of winning two WPT events as well.) Also, Bub’s in the print media for the WPT–which is currently running in People Magazine and Sports Illustrated. Go Howard go!

Bub and I sort of co-wrote the rest of this column’Howard tells me about a key hand at Foxwoods where he threw away A-K with a K on board on fourth street. If he had called and won, then he would have had over $12,000, but instead, despite having $2,500 in the pot, he folded, leaving himself only $3,500 with the blinds at $100-$200. “I later found out that I was beat. Had I called there, I would have been out, and then who knows what would have happened. Certainly I would not have won Foxwoods, and perhaps not the Party Poker Million also.”

Shortly after making this lay down, Bub found himself in the big blind with $3,900 and 9-9. Adam Schoenfeld opened in middle position for $600, the button called with short chips (leaving himself with $2,500), Levi called in the small blind, and now Howard had a decision. He debated calling and trying to make a hand or moving all-in and trying to win the $2,400 in the main pot. Howard figured that the button and the small blind couldn’t have him beat. Thus, if he moved all-in, he just had to worry about Adam’s hand.

Howard opted to move all-in, and when Adam’s hand hit the muck Howard breathed a big sigh of relief under the cool exterior of his poker face. Bub was actually pleased when the button called his last $2,500 figuring that he wouldn’t call with A-J or A-Q, and that he would have already moved all-in with A-K over the top of Adam. When Levi went into the tank, started adding up the pot, and calculating the pot odds, Howard began to root for him to call as well, thinking Levi had a pair underneath nines. By the way (“by the way” is one of Bubs favorite sayings), Howard put the button on 5-5, which the button actually had. After about two minutes Levi called as well with 3-3.

When Bubs hand held up, he was now back up to $11,500 and right back in the mix. Bub feels that the lesson here is: it is more likely that you’ll end up with $12,000 when you make a good lay down, and wait for the right situation later. In other words, it’s too easy to put your chips in badly: lured by the size of the pot: while you’re in tough shape: when you can just wait for a better situation. Howard says, “Make the lay down, and realize that the chips that you leave yourself maybe the chips that you’ll win the tournament with.” Bub sees too many frustrated calls by players today in poker tournaments. I hope everyone enjoyed this weeks Hand of the Week’. Good luck playing your hands this week.

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