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WOW, internet poker has really grown.
Could you have imagined, years ago when 2/4 NL was one of the biggest games you could find on the internet, that by 2007 there would be a game regularly spread that rivals the biggest games in Las Vegas? Seriously?
For a while now, Full Tilt Poker has been the pioneer for putting on the biggest online poker games. You can regularly find your favorite television Vegas professionals battling against the younger online players at stakes most of us can’t even fathom. It is normal to see a full table of players sporting six-figure stacks across the No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha tables. We regularly see the likes of Phil Ivey, David Benyamine, Patrik Antonius, Brian Townsend, and Gus Hansen playing pots that are collectively worth more than our cars, houses, and life savings.
It is well documented that “The Big Game” is played in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and that they play a mix of games, similar to H.O.R.S.E., for stakes as high as $4,000/$8,000. The game is exclusive, the players are very secretive about it, and it has, for the most part, been regularly attended by only the biggest names in the poker community.
So, when Full Tilt began to offer their own high-stakes H.O.R.S.E. game, it wasn’t that surprising to me that the table was usually open, outside of the occasional Phil Ivey or David Benyamine sitting alone waiting for action. Most of the well-bankrolled and high-profile internet players stick to playing the No Limit and Pot Limit games, and wouldn’t dare sit in the big H.O.R.S.E. game with the Vegas sharks.
Then, as the population and popularity of the high stakes games began to grow, you could sometimes find, late at night when most of us sleep, a short-handed game running on the H.O.R.S.E. table. It began with the big names: Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, David Benyamine, John D’Agostino. And even the players with the screen names we didn’t recognize were rumored to be the likes of Todd Brunson, Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein, and Chip Reese. For the first time in history, your only peek into the big game wouldn’t come from leaving face prints on the glass of Bobby’s Room trying to get a glimpse at the flop, but from the comfort of your living room. Every person, even with a bankroll of $0, was getting access to the biggest game in town.
While the game really began with a pretty exclusive group of wellknown highrollers, a few “unknown” internet players began to take their shots. However, no one met the kind of success that Justin Smith did. Justin is a well-known high-stakes online cash player who goes by the screen name of “Boosted J.” He has had a wealth of success on Full Tilt, playing in the biggest No Limit side games, as well as winning hundreds of thousands in online tournaments. Even considering all this success, no one could have expected he would set foot in this game. But Justin did exactly that.
He told Bluff, “Most fans would not expect it, and they might not believe it, but a lot of these big pros have some serious fundamental leaks in their game.” That’s a lot of confidence for a kid who hasn’t yet turned 21, but he has been winning in the game and he’s got the money to back up the talk. And this game isn’t one for people without a serious bankroll. “Swings of $100,000 are very common,” Justin said.
If you have the stomach for it, watch Justin and some of your favorite players on Full Tilt Poker. While it might not quite match the thrill of seeing The Big Game in Bobby’s Room with your own two eyes, it certainly might be the next best thing.
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