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28th May 2007
Hello there and welcome to Hold or Fold - The UK's only Poker E-Letter
dedicated to helping YOU become a better player!
In this week's E-Letter - I want to discuss Trash-Talking - and
I have highlighted Tony G and his barrages against Ralph Perry and
Surinder Sunar to illustrate the point !
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So - how have you been this last week?
I crashed out of the Sunday Tournament in 672nd place after not
believing someone had a Queen for an Inside Straight on the River
- I had raised and raised with my 2 pairs and he'd called and called
- fishing for runner-runner to his straight - What a FISH !!!
By the way - if all that sounded like total gibberish to you - then
take a quick look at my Glossary of Terms by clicking
here
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Anyways - This week I want to talk about Trash-Talking - It's an
aspect of playing poker that you really need to get your head around.
I already described a hand previously at: ww.holdorfold.co.uk/eletters/070409.htm
where I got a bit personal at the table and paid the price - Well,
some players just absolutely adore to try and wind you up.
You have to learn to deal with it - Find a Mantra - sing a song
inside your head - anything at all so that you don't react to someone
digging at you to try and induce a move from you that you would
not ordinarily do.
One of the masters at this Trash-Talking is Tony Guoga, otherwise
known as Tony G. He is originally from Lithuania and moved to Australia
when he was 13 - hence the slight aussie/eastern european twang.
To see him in action - (if you can avoid getting wound up) - is
actually poetry in motion. If you can rise above the goading and
abuse - it is really comical to watch. Having said that - I've watched
him play several times and felt my hackles rising and I wasn't even
there !!
I have highlighted two particular hands for you to delight in:
_______________________
You feel my Power Baby???
_______________________
Our first poor victim is a russian called Ralph Perry (doesn't sound
too russian) and it is the Final Table of the Intercontinental Poker
Championship with four players left.
The blinds are 20,000/40,000 - Yoshio Nokano folds and so does Sammy
Farha (makes a change!)
Tony G is in the Small Blind and picks up AS, 2S.
He says: "I call, I want to play with him - I've got a
weak hand though".
He continues: "I'm still calling if you raise, unless
you go all-in. I might still call if you go all-in".
Ralph Perry picks up KC, JS and considers a raise.
 
He takes his time to think about it and the barrage from Tony G
begins...
"I'm calling - just tell me how much you want to raise it. Can
you put the clock on him - hat is this??".
Ralph Perry raises 120,000.
Tony G goes on: "120,000 more. How much more has he got??"
And then he goes all-in.
And he goes on: "Do you want to do this? Let's do this
properly" and he proceeds to move his chips into the middle.
"What do you think I have?? I'm here to give my chips away."
The commentators pipe in: "In this instance, Tony G is
playing brilliantly - And Ralph Perry calls !! - Tony G got to Ralph
Perry!! I cannot see Ralph Perry calling anybody else in this situation"
Tony G carries on... "You play very very well - You're
a Champion - send you back to Russia - "
The flop comes down - 2C, 3D, 10S - giving Tony G a pair of Deuces.
Tony G carries on some more: "Putting all your money in
with King/Jack. This is not something or someone to learn from."
The Turn is 7D.
The River is 6C
and the second the River hits the table - Tony G stands up and almost
spontaneously combusts !!
"Yeah Yeah" he screams - "Come on Russian Get out
!! It's time to go - Yeah - look how ugly this is - (pointing to
Ralph Perry's hand) You're a professional player and I can do this
to you - You're a Terrible Player - This is Disgraceful !! Bring
more Russians on !!! I'm here to get them all - You played that
as bad as you can - Your career is finished - You are gone Gone
GONE !! Feel the Power - You feel my power baby??? Is this how you
play - calling with King/Jack??? Which school have you been to??
On your bike - go on - On your Bike ! "
One of the commentators comments: "I think Tony G is thinking
more like a Lithuanian than an Australian right now - he could single-handedly
re-ignite the Cold War !"
There's a ripple of applause as Ralph Perry gets to his feet to
leave.
Tony G comments: "he doesn't deserve any applause. He
called with King/Jack - If you read my Poker Strategy it says -
'Never overplay King/Jack'"
The other players look on bemused and in shock - knowing that they
are going to have to take on this maniac who has just doubled up
!
You can view this hand at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EKO7DzvQKU
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This could put you in the Rubber Room
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Our second poor victim is Surinder Sunar - Normally Surinder is
fairly emotionless at the table - but if you look at his body language
and tight lips - you'll see just how much Tony G gets to him -
There are several hands where he faces the onslaught of Tony G -
and this one takes the biscuit....
We join the video coming to the River of a WPT event in Paris.
Tony G has 6D and 3H
and Surindar has 8S and 2S -
The Flop is: 4H, 3C & 7H - so Tony picked up a pair of 3's on the
Flop -
The Turn is: AS
and the River is another 3 - 3S - giving Tony a set of 3's and Surindar
absolutely zilch.
The pot is a healthy 133,000.
Mike Sexton commentating says: "The problem is, for Surinder
to win this pot - he MUST bet at it - he cannot check and win this
hand."
Tony G starts in: "Yep - go all in baby !"
Vince Van Patten also commentating says - "Now look at
this - Tony is talking it up saying 'Go all in' - and usually Strong
means Weak and Weak means Strong but he has reversed it here to
try and induce a bet - Will Surinder fall for this??"
Surinder takes his time to consider his move....
"How much are you charging me??" pipes away Tony G -
"How much man?? - Put the clock on him"
Mike Sexton says: "Every aspect of psychological warfare
going out there at this final table by Tony G - "
Surinder flicks in 200,000 chips and Tony G immediately calls.
"Bye byeeeeeeeee" he squeals and THUMPS the table
down hard !!
Then he leans forward into Surinders face and says....
"I'm going to rip you apart so hard - all your chips - EVERYTHING
!! - I made you bluff - I'm going to hit you so hard and you're
going to suffer so much - You will never want to play poker with
me again - EVER !!!"
Mike Sexton comments: "Well I gotta tell you folks - he
takes no prisoners when it comes to verbal abuse"
And Vince Van Patten finishes... "It's enough to put you
in the Rubber Room !"
Have a look for yourself at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ATdJFTNqlU
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In Tony G's own words...
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"Sometimes I think, I wish I hadn't done that, but on reflection
I think, It's fine, that?s what happened, it's no big deal. And
I've got the game that's good enough to get away with the sort of
stuff that other players can't. You can't just walk in off the street
and start giving it. I didn't start behaving like that until I could
walk the walk as well as do the talking."
He also says:
"You don't want to get into people's personal lives or their families
and I don't abuse dealers. But in terms of the player, if I poke
one needle and it starts working, then I'm in there. If I can see
Surinder twitching I know it's working and then more starts coming
out of me and I can't stop it. I don't want to upset people or do
bad things in life, but on the table it's a sport, and I really
want to win."
Personally - I'm not sure I would know how to handle it if I was
sat at the same table as Tony G - or someone similar - I haven't
yet bought an Ipod - but I guess it would be a good a time as any
to get one !!
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Well I'm exhausted after watching those hands (plus several others
I looked at before picking those two) - so I think I'll try and
qualify for this Sunday's Tournament - tomorrow !!
I hope you have a great week - if you have any wins/losses/good
stories to tell me -
then please feel free to email me: megarana@hotmail.co.uk
All the best for now
Meg Arana
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