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Youth is Served — With a “False Tell”
This week, I’m staying in London playing in, and commentating for, the European Open IV. Since I finished second in my six-player heat, I found myself in the booth doing the commentary for the final. I needed a win to make the championship round. The six-player EO IV final included 19-year-old sensation Annette Obrestad (who won the World Series of Poker Europe and $2 million at age 18), Nick “The Detective” Slade, 2007 Premier League winner Juha Helppi, Craig Burgess, Ian “The Raiser” Frazer and Josh Tyler. In this format, each arrived at the finals with their chip count from the semis, and Frazer had more than $400,000, compared to $100,000 for Slade and Burgess.
Slade played an aggressive final, and moved up in chips quickly. Slade looked brilliant and idiotic with A-8. First, he looked smart when he raised it up with A-8. Obrestad reraised with J-4, and Slade moved all-in and won the pot uncontested. An hour later, however, Slade looked foolish when he raised it up with A-8. Tyler reraised with Q-Q, and Slade moved all-in for a huge amount. Although Slade put it all-in as a two-and-a-half-to-one underdog, he came out smelling like a rose when the board came down 8-6-4-A-K. In fact, that was Slade’s only bad play of the day. I think Slade realized he had made a mistake, and afterward, he played brilliantly.
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Another Late-Night Poker Gambit
In these last two columns, I have featured a hand that I saw played on NBC’s “Poker after Dark.” Last week, it was Jennifer Harmon versus Eli Elezra, and this week it is a hand between Allen Cunningham and Phil Ivey. I watched “PAD” last week, and it featured Barry Greenstein, David Benyamine, Harmon, Ivey, Cunningham and Elezra. Usually the players buy-in for $20,000, with a first-place prize of $120,000; but in this case, it was a $60,000 buy-in, with a $360,000 first-place prize. I love watching “PAD!”
When this hand went down, Cunningham was the chip leader with $108,000, Ivey was in second place with $102,000, and they were playing four handed, as Harmon and Benyamine had already been eliminated. With the blinds at $2,000-$4,000, Cunningham opened for $10,000 with K-Q on the button. Ivey made it $30,000 to go from the small blind with A-6 off suit, and Greenstein folded A-J. Cunningham studied for a moment, both staring down Ivey for a few seconds and scratching his head, before saying, “I’ll go all-in.” Ivey then “insta-folded” his hand, and Greenstein said, “I was going to move all-in if Ivey called or folded.”
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Small Bets Can Bring Big Payoffs
This week on “Poker After Dark,” I watched a rerun from 2007, featuring Barry Greenstein, Eli Elezra, Jennifer Harmon, Phil Ivey, Allen Cunningham and David Benyamine. Usually the players buy-in for $20,000, with a first-place prize of $120,000; but in this case, the buy-in was $60,000, with a $360,000 first-place prize. I love watching “PAD”! It reminds me of the old days when I used to play primarily with great players — the same ones who regularly play on “PAD” now. These days, I’m not around the poker tour as much — until the World Series of Poker events begin — and I miss the guys (and gals). I miss the witty banter, the big mood swings (OK, that’s just me!), the intelligent conversations, the side bets, the high-stakes poker and just the feel of competing against the best. (“PAD” runs six days a week on NBC at 2:05 a.m.)
With the blinds at $300 to $600, Elezra opened for $1,500 with 5-2 on the button. Cunningham folded out of the small blind, and Harmon called out of the big blind with A-4. The flop came down K-5-2, Harmon checked and Elezra bet $1,500 into the $3,300 pot with his two pair.
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Small-Pot Poker, with some Controversial Play
Recently, I saw the tape from the final table where I won my 11th bracelet. I remember how special that day was for me, and how remarkably the No. 11 influenced the occasion. First of all, I was going for my 11th World Series of Poker win. Second, the final table was held on June 11, 2007. And finally, my younger sister Molly, for whom the bracelet was promised years earlier, entered the world on 11/11/1971. Of course, Molly sent an e-mail to remind me that I was destined to win because of all of those elevens. Thanks, Molly — that e-mail helped me believe I would win. (It was kinda freaky.) That 11th bracelet now resides in New York City, in Molly’s home.
While I was watching the tape, I noticed an interesting hand, one that commentator Robert Williamson said I had played poorly. But here’s my take: Rick Fuller was the chip leader with $1.6 million, and I was a close second with $1.5 million. With a nine-handed table, the blinds at $15,000 to $30,000 and a $4,000-a-man ante, I opened for $90,000 with A-J. Fuller studied a while with Ks-8s and I said, “Rick, don’t make me call you down for a million when I know I have you beat!” Then Fuller called with his Ks-8s, and everyone else folded. The flop came down As-9h-5s. I had flopped top pair, and Fuller had flopped the nut-flush draw. I checked, and then Fuller checked. On the turn, the Jd hit, and I bet out $50,000 with my top two pair. Fuller raised it up, making it $150,000 to go. I called, which led Williamson to say, “That was a bad call; Phil should have reraised it there.” When the river fell Kh, I bet out $200,000, and Fuller, who hadn’t hit his flush draw, folded.
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From All-Pro to All-In, Buss Plays it Smart
Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss (he has a Ph.D. in chemistry) is a great hold-’em player. Buss has been sparring with the best hold-’em players in the world since 1987, and he has managed to stay ahead of the game. Buss has also managed to spar with all the owners and GMs in pro basketball. Buss has been a genius both at playing hold ’em and at dealing with the rest of the NBA. He and Jerry West dealt themselves into Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and many other stars. These great deals led to eight championships! Of course, Buss has owned the Lakers since 1979. He owned them when they won five titles with Magic, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the rest of the “Showtime Lakers.” He owned them when they had Shaq and Kobe, and they won three more titles; and he still owns them today.
On the poker side of the ledger, Buss has played hold ’em at the Bicycle Club, the Commerce Club, the Forum (in the old days) and the Staples Center for decades. In a hold-’em game, Buss can crush 99 percent of the world, but he’s not happy there. Buss constantly sits down with the top 1 percent. When Johnny Chan asked him, “Jerry, why you want to play with the best all the time?” Buss responded, “For three reasons. First, I like the challenge. Second, it is an honor to play with the best. In what other sport or profession can I sit down and play with the best players in the world? And finally, on those nights when I beat the best, now that is a great feeling.”
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Westcott’s Crazy Like a Fox
While shooting the finale for a new reality program, the “Best Damn Poker Show,” featuring Annie Duke and me, my friend Carl Westcott went crazy. First of all, a word about the new show. It will be airing on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in January, and will feature 36 players, six of whom are sent home on the first show. A draft of nine players for “Team Hellmuth” and nine players for “Team Duke” will follow, then a series of “three vs. three” playoffs and a “three vs. three” finale. Seven episodes in all. Annie and I see all of the hole cards, and we coach before, during and after each match, and she and I have some pretty juicy fights along the way.
Without revealing the final result, I’ll dissect Westcott’s crazy play. There are several types of crazy. We have a bad crazy, a good crazy and a brilliant crazy. And Westcott’s play falls into the brilliant category. Carl noticed that no one in the finale was making a stand, and decided to play super-aggressive poker. He raised it up with weak hands (like 6-5 and J-8) all day long and won pot after pot with nothing. These free chips — blinds and antes — quickly added up. In fact, Westcott picked up so much driftwood (free money in antes, blinds, calls and raises) that he built a mansion.
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