Drawing Dead

Men "The Master" Nguyen truly lives up to his nickname, as he definitely is "The Master" of poker. His many accomplishments include winning four World Series of Poker bracelets, four Hall of Fame titles, and dozens of other titles, and being named the best all-around player at tournaments at both The Bicycle Casino and Commerce Casino. He has won poker tournaments at the Taj Mahal, the Horseshoe, the Four Queens, the Bike, Commerce Casino, Bay 101, The Orleans, the Cajun Cup, the Rio, Harrah's, Hollywood Park, and probably some other places of which I'm not aware. While he is an outstanding poker player, Men is also known for his charitable efforts and takes his role as a mentor seriously. Recently, he held a charity tournament at The Bicycle Casino for the Red Cross, and a few years back he raised money from us poker players to build a school in Vietnam. And, of course, he also knows how to have a little fun. I heard that he once paid someone $300 for a T-shirt the person had won at Bay 101 that was inscribed, "I busted Phil Hellmuth!" Now, let's get on to the Hand of the Week, which was written by Men.

This hand took place at the 2000 World Series of Poker (WSOP). I was playing in the $1,500 buy-in razz event (seven-card stud low) and was lucky enough to make the final table. Strategy at the final table is all about amassing chips. We were sevenhanded and playing $1,000-$2,000, and here's how the hand played out and how I trapped my opponent into drawing dead.

I was in seat No. 1 and was dealt (4-3) 7, with the 7 being the doorcard. Seat No. 5 brought it in with the high card, and seat No. 7 called with a doorcard 8. I raised to $1,000 with my 7, and ended up heads up with the player in seat No. 7. On the turn, I caught a 5, for (4-3) 7-5, and my opponent caught a 10, for a board of 8-10. He checked, I bet $1,000, and he called. On fifth street I had to make an interesting decision: I caught an ace, for (4-3) 7-5-A – a 7 low. He caught a jack, for 8-10-J.

These were my thoughts: From that point on, he had no chance to beat me. Even if he caught perfect, the best he could make was an 8 low, and I already had a 7 low! The bets were $2,000 now, and I didn't want him to fold. I needed chips, the most important commodity in a tournament. If I checked, I had a chance of making him think that I had paired up, and hopefully he would buy a great low card for his hand on sixth street and give me another $2,000. So, I decided to play sly like a fox and trap him! I checked, and he checked. However good my plan was, unless I caught ugly and he caught pretty, my option on sixth street would be the same as on fifth street.

On sixth street, I bought a king and he bought a deuce. His board read 8-10-J-2, and my hand was (4-3) 7-5-A-K. If I had a pair, the best I could have at that point in the hand was a king low. It was therefore possible that my opponent thought that he had me beat. He checked, and I checked. By the way, I thought about betting here on sixth street, but it would have looked too suspicious to bet after receiving a king. By checking, I was assuring myself of a call on seventh street whether he improved his hand or not. After seventh street was delivered, he checked, and I bet $2,000 without looking at my last card – and he beat me into the pot to call my $2,000 bet! I showed my 7 low, and he said, "Nice hand, sir." (Phil Hellmuth note: "Nice hand, sir" is Men's favorite phrase.)

Remember, at any level, and especially at the WSOP, it's not as important to make a hand as it is to maximize your opportunity to get every chip you can from your opponent. This hand, I played "perfecto."

Thanks, Men, for a terrific hand about the value of trapping. You really earned that extra $2,000!

I hope you enjoyed this Hand of the Week. Good luck playing your hands this week.

Editor's note: You can play poker with Phil Hellmuth for fun and for free at www.ultimatebet.com. To read about Phil or more of his "Hand of the Week" columns, go to www.philhellmuth.com.