Sunday, May 31, 2009 - Phil Hellmuth
Well it’s that time of year again – the good old WSOP. I have been reflecting on previous years and came across this journal entry from a few years ago. I hope you enjoy the read as much as I enjoy reflecting back on these times.
I have been knocking on history’s door at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) for the last eight years. After a long four days of playing in the 2001 WSOP main event, there were nine players left heading into the final day. Walking into the room as one of the finalists, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by it all. Discovery Channel was filming the finals and had cameras everywhere and it was standing room only with spectators watching monitors just so they could witness the final table. There had to be over 100 reporters representing everyone from NPR (National Public Radio) to the Travel Channel. www.ultimatebet.com and www.pokerpages.com were both doing live ‘web casts’ of the action. And the prize money, wow! 1.5 million dollars for first place, $1.1 million for second, $700,000 for third, $400,000 for fourth, $300,000 for fifth, $240,000 for sixth, $180,000 for 7th, $120,000 for 8th and $92,000 for ninth!
It was announced during the player’s introductions that I needed to finish fifth or higher in order to take first place on the WSOP all-time money list! This is an accomplishment that I have been waiting almost ten years to do! However, even more important than that was to win the WSOP for the second time and put myself down in history as the fifth two-time winner. I would just win the thing and break all of the records at once! So much for the best-laid plans of mice and men! At least I did manage to finish fifth and claim the all-time money lead at the WSOP with $2,844,850, but it’s a small lead! I’m only $26,000 ahead of TJ Cloutier and $52,000 ahead of Johnny Chan!
The final table play was very aggressive, with players raising and re-raising on pure bluffs for hundreds of thousands of dollars. A young 29 year-old Spaniard named Carlos Mortenson was right in the middle of all of the aggressive play. In fact, in one key hand that I believe contributed heavily to Carlos winning the WSOP, Mike Madisow opened the pot for $70,000, whereupon Carlos raised Mike $160,000, then Mike raised Carlos another $350,000, and then Carlos Finally raised all of Mike’s remaining chips (about $500,000) with a Q-8! A Q-8 is a very weak hand in Texas holdem! Carlos had smelled weakness in Mike Madisow, and then made his bold and courageous move! After Mike folded what he claimed to be an A-Q, Carlos showed the hand to the audience, and then the audience gave him a standing ovation, whereupon Carlos bowed, and the audience cheered even louder for him. Carlos’s play in this hand was both gutsy and brilliant, and that’s what it takes if you want to become a World Champion of poker.
Meanwhile, I sat back and watched the show. I felt like one of these aggressive players was going to make a mistake, and that I would be able to take advantage of it. My downfall was when I raised the pot $100,000, and then Phil Gordon re-raised me about $450,000 more (all of his chips, but I had about $1,000,000 in chips at the time). Instantaneously, I said, “I call” and then flipped up my pocket nines quickly. Somehow I was certain that I had the best hand! Indeed I did, because Phil Gordon had pocket sixes, and I was a four and a half to one favorite to win this 1.1 million pot, and take the chip lead. Unfortunately for me, the flop came 6-8-K, and I wound up losing the pot to Phil’s three sixes. After I was finally eliminated, I felt really sick, because I had blown a very big chance to make my mark on poker history. There will be other World Series of Poker’s, but with the field swelling up to 600 + players this year, it won’t be so easy to win another one. However, I will keep showing up, year after year, trying my hardest to win it again! I believe that great things happen to people that ‘go for it!’ I will be waiting on history’s door for the next opportunity to break through! Right now though I offer my congratulations to Carlos Mortenson, the 2001 World Champion of poker.
Tags: Carlos Mortenson, johnny chan, Mike Madisow, NPR, Phil Gordon, Phil Hellmuth, Poker Pages, t.j. cloutier, texas holdem, ub, WSOP
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Saturday, May 2, 2009 - Phil Hellmuth
A few years ago I was teaching my friend Jeff Pulver how to improve his limit Texas Hold’em game. Jeff Pulver wasn’t a name known in the poker world. He loved to play Texas Hold’em and was showing the kind of rapid improvement that you would expect a bright CEO-type to show. Jeff runs the Voice over Net (VON) conferences. Using the VON technology, he had me speak to about 150 people over lunch. It was definitely a lot of fun!
Later in the night, the following hand came up in the $15-$30 game at the Bellagio in April, 1999. The number 1 position limped in (called $15) with Kd-Ks, Jeff limped in with 8s-8h in the third position. The fourth position (to Jeff’s immediate left) raised to $30 with Jd-Qs, the fifth position (button) called $30. The big blind called, the first position again “smooth called” $15 more (Kd-Ks). Jeff then re-raised the bet to $45 total and everyone else proceeded to call $45 total.
With 5 players putting in three bets each, the pot was looking mighty big. The flop was 9d-10s-2d; the big blind checked, the first position checked (Kd-Ks), Jeff bet $15 and everyone else just called.
The turn card was the 8d to make 9d-10s-2d-8d on board; a straight, and a flush were now possible. Again the big blind and the first position K-K checked and Jeff bet $30. The guy behind Jeff had made a straight with his Jd-Qs and he raised Jeff making the total bet $60. The button and the big blind folded and the kings called $60 cold. Jeff re-raised making it $90 to go with his trip eights. The straight and the kings now called.
The river was, you guessed it, the 8c, which card made Jeff four of a kind! The final board was 9d-10s-2d-8d-8c. Now finally the kings bet his hand ($30), Jeff just called the $30 and the straight just called the $30 bet. Jeff then gave me a high five and cracked a very large smile!
What the heck was going on with the guy with the Ks-Kd in the first position? Limping in before the flop with two kings? O.K., sometimes in a tight game, but he should have made it three bets after the first raise or four bets after Jeff’s made it three bets. On the flop, the kings should have tried to narrow the field by betting out or check-raising the flop. The bet on the river is a “where do they come from?” bet. What did the player with the kings think that he could beat after they put in three bets on fourth street? Overall grade for the way he played the kings: D-.
How about the overall play of the man with the Q-J? What was that pre-flop raise all about? Did he think that he had the best hand after the first position and another player called? Why not raise it on the flop with the open ended straight draw? Actually, if he raises on the flop and the kings makes it three bets to go, then Jeff can’t even call on the flop and the Q-J wins the pot with a straight. I do like the raise that he made on fourth street with the straight, even though there is a possible flush out there. He had to call one bet on the river with his straight.
How about the play of my buddy Jeff Pulver in this hand? I would prefer that he raised the pot with the eights coming in instead of just calling one bet. The “back raise” (calling one bet and then re-raising it to three bets) was a weird kind of play that I do not think is all that bad. I like Jeff’s bet on the flop, you never know when one bet will narrow most of the field (or win the pot for you right there) and leave you with the best hand against an A-K or K-Q. I like Jeff’s bet on fourth street, but his re-raise seems a little bit weak to me.
This is where it helps to know the players a little bit. Will your opponent raise with Ad-Ks in this spot (ace high and a flush draw)? The re-raise is probably correct in any $15-$30 game given a random player. But what was my brilliant CEO friend thinking on the river when he just called? It is an obvious raise on the river. Maybe you will even get re-raised and be able to four bet it and get overcalled for all four bets! I guess that Jeff was hoping that the guy behind him would raise it for him.
Just another limit Hold’em pot at the Bellagio!
Tags: Bellagio, Jeff Pulver, texas holdem
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Friday, March 6, 2009 - ProductMan
Everyone loves a good debate. Whether it’s the battle of the spoon vs. the fork, ale vs. lager, or The Beatles vs. The Stones, who can resist getting wrapped up in a heated war of words and pulling out all the stops for their favorite? When the argument starts, it seems like everybody not only has an opinion, but contends to be some sort of authority. I guess there’s nothing wrong with a little loyalty and passion.
There’s certainly no shortage of heated debates in poker. We all love quarreling over strategy, recounting old hands, and offering expert opinions on endless what-if situations, but there is another argument unfolding on the felt and it is really just a matter of personal preference. Which do you prefer, Texas Hold’em or Omaha? Even though Texas Hold’em deserves its legendary status and top billing on TV and at major events, I’ve always found Omaha to be more refined, almost like the natural evolution of poker. Where do you like stacking your chips?
Some players like to stay in their comfort zone. If you haven’t yet taken advantage of our Omaha tables, you can access them in the lobby. Just click on the “Omaha” tab located under the “Games” tab or browse through our scheduled and sit and go Omaha tournaments. You can choose from Omaha High and Omaha Hi-Lo. Learn the ropes at our free tables or find a game at all stakes.
Let us know what you think of all our games. How do you like our offerings? What in particular do you like about them? Which games do you prefer? What do you want the future of poker to hold?
Let your voice be heard by voting in the poll below, and/or posting your opinions right into the blog. You have the power to help shape our games. This would be the time to take a stand, or at least let the world know where you like to sit!
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Tags: omaha, online poll, Poker Strategy, Product Features, Product Team, texas holdem
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