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10th August 2007
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 -
*What happened next???
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Hiya there and how have you been this week?
While you are reading this - I am on holiday in Turkey but with
the aid of modern technology, I have written this week's e-letter
in advance and should be sipping a cold drink by the pool!
I have taken some cards with me in the hopes of finding some poker-playing
holidaymakers so I'll let you know how it goes next week. I did
investigate if the hotel have wireless broadband but they don't
so that's probably just as well !!
After I wrote last week's e-letter - I was full of confidence with
the words of Daniel Negreanu ringing in my ears - so I went onto
a cash table for 10 minutes and turned $50 into $329 which was great
- so I invested in a $109 Multi-Table Tournament and came 7th out
of 110 bringing in $450 so I'm well chuffed - nearly paid for the
holiday !!
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What Happened Next???
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This week's e-letter comes from a WPT event being held at Foxwoods
Casino - the largest casino in the world, which is nestled in the
hills of Western Connecticut.
It started with 783 players and at the point of this particular
hand - we are on the final table and down to 3 players left - Nick
Schulman, a young 21 year old student, Bill Gazes, a poker pro and
Tony Licastro, a businessman specialising in Mattresses.
The blinds are 25,000/50,000 with running antes of 5,000 so there
is 90,000 in the pot before the cards are dealt.
Some people don't like the WPT format as the blinds get so big compared
to the chips that it becomes an all-in fest sometimes rather than
more skilful play with easier blinds - having said that - it's more
exciting to watch.
Action is on Bill Gazes on the Button - he picks up AH and Ad -
very nice !
Mike Sexton commentating: "Bill is on a roll right now
- he's picked up Kings, Ace-King and now he's got two aces - he's
loving it right now !"
Bill raises 115,000 to make the pot stand at 205,000.
Action to Nick - he picks up 8C and 3C.
He announces: "I raise"
Mike Sexton: "Ooh this is like a dream come true for Bill
as Nick is making a move with 8-3 right now!"
Nick has been very aggressive as he is the chip leader and has made
several steals just like this - except this time, he's run into
a big hand. He raises 415,000 making the pot now stand at 595,000.
Action now goes to Tony Licastro who picks up Ks 10H and as he is
the short stack - he quickly announces ALL-IN for his remaining
469,000.
Mike Sexton gasps: "I don't believe this play - he doesn't
have enough money to run Nick out
of the pot"
Vince Van Patten coos: "Well Bill can't believe what's
going on here - he gets a raise and a re-raise and he's got the
perfect hand - a pair of aces !"
Action moves back to Bill - he wants to know how much Nick put in
the pot and how much Tony has gone all in for...
Mike Sexton continues: "I'm sure Bill is going to make
another raise here - he doesn't want his aces to be up against two
opponents."
Bill thinks about it for a minute or two and then announces All-In
!
Nick quickly folds his hand as planned.
Vince Van Patten: "Tony Licastro is in dire straits -
King Ten against a Pair of Aces".
The odds are 86% in Bill's favour.
Both players stand up and the crowd go wild -
Mike Sexton: "Tony has been the most conservative player
at the table all night long - it's not over - he could get lucky
and win this pot but when one opponent raises and the other player
makes it 415,000 to go and you've only got 460,000 and a King Ten
- it's 'Get out of the Way' and hope one of the guys breaks the
other one and then you move up to second position."
Tony strolls over to his wife in the audience and says: "I need
a miracle"
Mike Sexton: "Tony's moment in the sun could be over here
shortly - let's see what happens - here comes the Flop..."
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT????
This feels a bit like 'You've Been Framed' where they stop the action
before the commercial break....
Any ideas what happens next???
...
...
Any ideas???
...
...
...
The Flop comes down...
...
...
...
9C QS JD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vince Van Patten shouts: "He's flopped the straight WOWWWWWWW"
The crowd go mad - Tony high-fives all his mates in the crowd !!
Mike Sexton: "WOW - Tony has flopped the nuts - he has
flopped the king-high straight and all of a sudden - the two aces
crack like an egg - Bill Gazes has to hit two runners in a row to
win this pot"
Vince: "Oh man - you could just embalm Bill Gazes right
now - oh wow - I can't believe that Flop."
Mike: "There is nothing Bill can do about this
hand"
The Turn is 5D and it is over.
Bill is drawing dead with his two aces and just to rub salt into
the wounds - the AD comes down on the river.
Bill Gazes shakes Tony's hand and says: "Nice hand".
Mike Sexton exclaims: "Bill makes 3 aces and lost the
pot. Bill Gazes is trying to smile knowing he couldn't have been
in a better spot - getting all his money in before the flop - he
had a chance of winning a monster pot and being heads-up against
Nick."
Vince sums up: "Oh the pain of it all !"
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Post Mortem
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It really was a stupid move by Tony Licastro to go all-in at that
point - even if he'd had KK or QQ - as Bill had raised and Nick
had re-raised - if he folds his hand - then it is quite likely that
one player could knock the other out - and with the payouts being:
1st $2,142,000 + $25K Seat in the WPT Championships at the Bellagio
2nd $1,035,000
3rd $759,000
He was risking about $300,000 on a very marginal hand.
But against all the odds - he got very lucky - he cracked the aces
but really he should have been out on his ear. People say Poker
is gambling which I normally argue against - I say that there is
an element of gambling in there, as well as an element of skill
and luck but it's hard to defend when hands like this happen as
Tony, most certainly, gambled and got lucky !
He went on to win second place with Nick Schulman taking the title.
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Well I hope you have a good week - may the cards be with you and
I'll see you again next Friday.
All the best
Meg Arana
Hold or Fold
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