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Friday 30th November 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 -
*It's just like watching You've
Been Framed !
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Hiya there and how have you been this week?
You know - sometimes it's just SO frustrating - you feel like you're
playing SO well and then some PERSON takes you out of a tournament
with the loosest, most awful call and next thing you know - you're
out !
Last Sunday I was playing in the Sunday 400K tournament and was
well into the third hour - standing about 17th out of 800 people
left - a big chip stack and playing confidently and carefully when
I was taken out by someone who just had no right to be in the hand
- I managed to hold on to make the money but I should have been
way up there in the top 20 or even the final table - I just HAVE
to keep believing that by playing well - making the right decisions
and with the right wind behind me - I'll have a big win - watch
this space !!
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It's just like watching You've Been Framed !
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This week's hand comes from Europe's biggest ever cash game of high
stakes poker - amongst the players featured in this $100,000 buy-in
festival were Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen, Howard Lederer, Erik Seidel,
Jennifer Harman, John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Erik Lindgren and Chris
Ferguson.
We join the table where Gus Hansen has raised in first position
with AD & QD.
Also in the hand are Paul Kemsley with 10C & 9C.
Tony G decides to join in with AS & 3S.
Erik Seidel also joins the action with 8D & 8C.
The Flop comes down as: AC, 8H and 4D - a very provocative Flop
!
Erik checks and Gus bets out $6,000.
Paul Kemsley calls making the pot stand at $21,800 - remember this
is REAL money - not Tournament Dollars.
The commentator says: "Paul Kemsley's called this one
- I think he actually thought the bet was $600 rather than $6,000
but once he said 'call', he had to put his chips in the middle !"
Tony G folds.
Second commentator: "Nice laydown by Tony G."
Erik raises to make it $14,000 more to Gus and Gus calls it very
quickly and Paul folds very quickly.
The pot now stands at $55,800.
The commentator states the obvious: "Gus Hansen is in
terrible shape - he needs running diamonds or a Queen and an Ace."
The Turn comes down: QS
The commentator splutters: "And here we go, Queen on the
Turn and Gus Hansen has top two and we're talking about action on
this hand - this is going to be insane!"
Erik and Gus stare each other out for a moment or so and then Erik
bets out $20,000.
The commentator says: "Well it's a bet from Erik and that
is probably the worst card in the world for Gus Hansen to see on
the Turn - "
Second commentator pipes in: "I would challenge anybody
to lay this down - it's a really tough spot to lay down a hand -
obviously you can't beat a set of eights or a set of fours - but
it's tough to lay down top two pair."
Gus looks at his cards again and contemplates the situation.
Second commentator continues: "Gus Hansen is very familiar
with Erik Seidel - he knows Erik is not going to be betting with
nothing"
Gus continues to think about the hand.
Second commentator speculates: "At this point here - is
there any way Erik would make this move with Ace-King?"
First commentator answers: "Well if he calls the $20,000
here and Erik wants to make any more action on the River, he can
definitely lay the hand down... because there isn't really a hand
he could beat there"
Second commentator: "Right - so Erik Seidel would keep
betting"
First commentator: "Exactly - but he might not give himself
that opportunity to get away from it, he might just move in there
- we've seen him do it before - Gus Hansen is an extremely person
- you wonder - can he get away from top two pair here??"
Gus is still thinking about it - screwing his face up and talking
to himself...
First commentator: "You can almost see his brain ticking"
Finally he makes a decision and calls the $20,000 - so the pot is
now $95,800 !
The River comes down: QC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First commentator SHOUTS: "WWoooooAHH ! What a Queen !!!
I can't believe it!!"
Second Commentator also SHOUTS: "That is unbelievable
- I CANNOT believe it - a Queen on the River - and I got to tell
you - if you're Erik Seidel you probably think you're good here!
No reason to put Hansen on Ace/Queen specifically!"
Erik Seidel says: "All in"
Gus says: "Eh what??"
Erik repeats: "All in"
Gus instantly calls it and wins $197,800 !!
First commentator: "Unbelievable - Running Queens for Gus
Hansen to play his 'get out of jail free' cards"
Gus says: "That was pretty sick!"
Erik looks shattered.
First Commentator: "On the Flop he had one pair, he was
up against a set - he needed Queen/Queen, Ace/Queen or Ace/Ace or
two diamonds - What A Pot ! I tell you - if an Ace falls on the
River, I think Seidel gets away from it - but a Queen he can't get
away from!"
You can view this hand at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeRQeIdymYM
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Post Mortem
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I know we see it time after time, players hitting miraculous cards
to win pots - but that is exactly what they are - miraculous - totally
against the odds... I show examples of them week after week because
they are just like the 'You've been Framed' programme - designed
to make you say 'oooh' and 'aaaah' - it's exactly the reaction I
had when I first watched this hand - I thought Gus was totally kippered
and Erik was going to skin him - but Gus hit Runner-Runner to scoop
the pot and that's what makes Poker so unpredictable and so exciting
- and completely wonderful when you're on the right side and totally
devastating when you're on the wrong side !!
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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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