MEN NGUYENS’S ‘DRAWING DEAD’
This story had taken them back to the 2000 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Men had been playing in the $1,500 buy-in seven card stud Low (Razz), and he had been lucky enough to reach the final table, where the poker Strategy had been all about amazing chips. They had been seven-handed, playing $1,000-$2000 limit, when an intriguing Situation had come up. This was how it had played out, and how Men had trapped his opponent into drawing dead.
Men had been in seat 1 and been dealt (a three and a four) a seven, the seven was the door card. Seat 5 Had bought it in with the high card on the Board, and World Champion Tom McEvoy had called with a door-card eight. Men had raised it to $1,000 to go with his seven and had ended up heads-up with the player in seat 7. On the turn, Men had caught a five for (a three, a four) a seven and five, and tom Had caught a ten, for a board of eight and ten.
He had checked, Men bet $1,000 and he had then called. An interesting decision had come up on the fifth street. Men had caught an Ace for (a three and four) a seven, a five and an Ace (Men made a seven low!) and tom Had caught a Jack for an eight, a ten and a Jack. This is what Men’s thoughts were: From that point on Tom Had no chance of beating him. Even if Tom Had caught perfect, the Best he Could have made was on eight low, and Men already had a seven low!
The Bets had been $2,000 now, and the prospect of him folding had not been what Men had in mind. Men needed chips. Men knew that if he had checked, he would have had a chance to make Tom think that he had paired up, and given him another $2,000. So men had decided to play sly like a fox and trap him! Men had checked and tom Had checked. As good as men’s plan had been, unless he had caught ugly and he Caught pretty, his options on the sixth street would have Been the same as on the fifth.
Sixth street had come, and Men had bought a King and tom bought a deuce. Tom’s board had now read and eight, a ten, a Jack and a two, and Men’s had been (a three and four) a seven, a five, an Ace and a King. If Men had had a pair, then the Best he Could have had at that point in the hand, was a King low. It had therefore Been possible, from His opponent’s vantage point, that he had beaten Men. Tom Had checked and then Men had checked.
Men had thought about betting here on the sixth street, but betting would have looked too suspicious after he had received a King. By checking, Men had been assuming himself of a call on the seventh street, whether he had improved his hand or not. After the seventh street had been delivered, Tom Had checked, and Men had bet $2,000 without looking at his last card, and tom Had beaten him into the pot to call Men’s $2,000 bet!
Then Men had shown the seven low and tom Had said, ‘Nice hand, sir!’ (Frank’s note: ‘Nice hand, sir’ had been Men’s favorite phrase!) Remember, at any level, and especially at the WSOP, it had not been so important to make a hand as it had been to maximize one’s opportunity to lure every chip one Could from one’s opponent. This hand Men played ‘perfecto’.Frank’s two cents: Men had really earned that extra $2,000 bet! Sometimes, trapping one’s opponent was a great strategies, especially in Razz.
‘MIAMI’ JOHN CERNUTO’S ‘SEIZE THE MOMENT’
Five years had gone By since he had last visited Foxwoods Casino. He had taken it off his tournament trail endeavors because it had been too far away, and he had disagreed with some of their procedures. But, in the past he had done well there, so he had decided to make the trip in November 1999. Well, Miami had said that he had been very impressed with the Changes that had been made.
The director of poker operations, Kathy Raymond, and the tournament director, Mike Ward, had really tuned things around. Middle and high-limit poker had been spread daily, and had been prioritized. The action had varied from very good to spectacular, and those who had made the trip had been made to feel at home. The tournaments had been started and been structured extremely well, especially at the $1,000 level.
Also two-hour rounds had been used at the final table, which gave the players plenty of time to make their moves. Foxwoods had to be Congratulated for having built a nucleus of tournament enthusiasts in the New England area! Over 1000 players had entered the first two events! Miami had witnessed an amazing hand developing during the $500 buy-in no-limit holdem poker event. The Blinds had been $25-$50, with a middle position limper.
A local player, Sammy Haddod, had been on the Button with pocket sevens, and he had raised the pot to $200 to go. The small blind had been holding an Ace and rag, and had called the raise along with the Big blind, who had been holding an Ace and Jack. The limper, who had been holding a pair of Kings, had reraised to $900 to go. Then it had been call, call, call. There had been $2,400 in the Center, and then the flop had come: An Ace, a nine and a three (two of them spades), almost all players had an equal amount of chips (Sammy had slightly more than the other players).
Off they went. First, with his pair of Aces, no kicker and neon sign saying ‘Steal me, please!’ the small blind had bet an unbelievably novice wager of $100 into the $2,400 pot. The Bigs blind had been overly concerned about the next two players to act, so he took his Ace with a Jack kicker and slung them into the muck. The one with the pair of Kings grimaced, but he had seen an opportunity to catch a King cheap, and called.
Sam Haddod had also seen a cheap call for a seven, but then he had spied a bigger opportunity and had moved in with his sevens and had got expected results: fold, fold. Miami and Sammy had played the previous night at the final table in limit Holdem poker. Sammy was a gutsy Player with a lot of heart; he had truly deserved the pot. His risk had been almost none, and he Could not have gone Broke.
What made this hand amazing was the fact that any of the four players could have won the pot, because the novice had made such a small wager. The one with the ace and x got eliminated due to his poor position and lack of experience, or he Could have won with a reasonable Bet. The ace and Jack did have a golden opportunity, to win it with about a $1,000 raise. He was so fearful of betting into the other two online poker players that he faltered badly and didn’t even call a $100 bet!
The player with the pair of Kings could have made a similar bet but he had been too concerned about what Sammy might have done, and so he missed his opportunity. Even during the pre-flop reraise, he missed it. His $400 had been way too small, while he already had $800 in the Center. The only thing accomplished by his small reraise was an invitation to disaster, which happened in the form of an Ace.
If the flop had come a Queen, a seven and a two, it would have Been really disastrous! Sammy had won the pot because he had read the situation, seized the opportunity, and won $2,900. That would be one of the intangibles that a good poker tournament player has in his arsenal. There was no need to wait on premium Hands. Opportunities would arise. One just needed to be sure that when one saw an opportunity, one didn’t hesitate. Just seize the moment.