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I remember the hand that started my run. It was December
2004 in the Festa al Lago at the Bellagio. The guy under
the gun went all in for about 40,000 with pocket jacks;
the guy next to him just flat called with pocket kings.
I looked down at pocket aces and made it 100,000 to
go. The big blind also held pocket kings and went all
in – he had about 450,000 – and I called
with my 250,000 or so in chips. It was great. We had
a four way all in and two guys were drawing dead! I
won a huge pot, and I think that was really the start
of my career. I remember feeling this amazing rush and
I haven’t stopped since.
There’s no better feeling in poker than busting
a pair of aces with your small suited connectors. Always
remember their value against opponents with big overpairs.
If the flop hits you, you’re going to make a big
pot, and if it doesn’t, well… just toss
’em away. I was playing the WSOP and had 2
3,
knowing my opponent had pocket aces. It’s just
instinct – he was a tight player, and I just knew
it. I flat-call a raise of 150 – this is early
on in the tournament – because I know if I hit
the hand I’m going to bust him. The flop comes
9-2-3 rainbow. He bets out 450 and I quickly make it
1,150, and he goes all-in for 5,300. I call saying,
“Your overpair’s no good.”
The strangest hand of poker I’ve played recently
was at the Main Event in the Ultimate Poker Challenge
at the Plaza. I’m raising every hand. I look down
at 7-7. There was this kid – I think he’d
won his seat in an online satellite – I kind of
felt sorry for him. I raise preflop and he just flat
calls. The flop comes 2-5-7 rainbow. I bet out 300,
he makes it 700, I make it 2,100, he makes it 7,000,
I make it 17,000 and he goes all in for 30,000. It was
so strange – he turned over pocket sixes. He said
to me, “I didn’t think you had a hand. I
thought I had you beat.” How could he think I
had no hand after I’d raised him four times? These
kids are funny when they try to outplay you.
I actually won a $3,000 event at the Ultimate Poker
Challenge. I was heads up with Kathy Leibert. I had
about 260,000 in chips; she had about 60,000. Kathy
raises 12,000 preflop. I just flat call with Q? 8?.
The flop comes 10-7-8. I knew she had A-K in her hand,
so I just barked, “All-in”. She was thinking
about this for a long time, asking, “What do you
have?” So I said to her, “Nothing. I just
planned on going all in regardless of what came on the
flop.” She looked at me suspiciously, but ended
up calling with A-K high.
I don't want to give away too much about my game here,
but there are so many situations in which you can talk
people into a fold or a call. It all depends on the
situation you're in, and on what you have in your hand
and the quality of your opponents. There's a different
remark for every occasion, and sometimes, of course,
it's best to just keep your mouth shut.
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