Call Down With K-10 High

In this year's World Series of Poker (WSOP) $2,500 buy-in limit hold'em tournament, I found myself heads up with Young Phan. In 2001, I was heads up with Scotty Nguyen in the Omaha eight-or-better event with a chance to win my eighth title; I lost. In 2002, I was heads up with Johnny Chan in a no-limit hold'em event, again with a chance to win No. 8; I lost. This gave Chan his seventh title to tie me. This year, I needed to win, especially because I was at the peak of my poker powers. Unfortunately, I don't seem to reach the peak of my poker powers too often, so when I do, I need to go ahead and use them to win!

I was playing great poker and was ready to win, but Young wasn't going for it! Back and forth we battled, 100 hands, 200 hands, then 300 hands of one-on-one poker, and neither of us would back down. We were playing $6,000-$12,000 limit when the following hand came up; it gave me the confidence to win – and perhaps took a little steam out of Young Phan's sails. I raised with K-10 offsuit before the flop, and the flop came down 7 4 2.

Young checked, I bet $6,000, and he raised me, making it $12,000 to go. I checked my hand to see if I had a spade in it, just in case two spades came in the next two cards. I didn't have a spade, but decided to call the $6,000 raise anyway. The next card was the 7, for a board of 7 4 2 7, and Phan bet out $12,000. I felt like the right play was to fold (Phan could have me beat with any pair or ace high, or have me crushed with trip sevens), but something inside me said, "Now is the time to call, because you have the best hand; Young has a straight draw with something like 8-6, or a flush draw. Phil, don't blow this opportunity."

Finally, I decided to trust my instincts, and called the $12,000 bet. The last card was the 9, for 7 4 2 7 9, and Young bet out $12,000 again. The flush had hit! Now, I could beat only a busted straight draw. But I thought that was exactly what Phan had, so I called the bet without too much hesitation.

When Young rapped the table, meaning that he was bluffing, I jumped out of my seat. After all, this was an extremely tough call to make, and I had made it! I heard the Internet announcer – Mark Seif – in the background say, "Incredible! I mean, what a great call Phil Hellmuth just made with king high. The flush hit, the pairs were there … in fact, he couldn't beat anything but a busted straight draw, yet he called with K-10 high!" I'm sure that Young also heard that.

When you make a great call like that, it shows you that your instincts and reads are dead-on (it gives you some confidence in your style of play). It also can demoralize your opponent a bit. But to Young's credit, I didn't see his level of play decline very much at all.

Later on at the $8,000-$16,000 limit, I had Young down to $22,000 and all in with the 5 4 against my 4-4. It came all red, and the last card gave Phan a flush. On the next hand, Phan had A-4 against my 10-9, and I flopped a flush draw and missed; Young now had $88,000! The next hand, however, proved to be a monster.

Young made it $16,000 to go with what he later said was A-8, and I made it $24,000 with A-Q. I bet the flop of 10-8-4, and Young called. A queen hit on the turn, and I decided that Young would bet if I checked. I checked, Young came out firing $16,000, I raised, making it $32,000 to go, and Young called. I noticed that he had only $24,000 left, so I announced, "I bet $16,000 in the dark." The river was an ace, for a board of 10-8-4-Q-A, and Phan called me quickly. By the way, if he had A-8, not raising here turned out to be a great move!

It was all over the next hand when Young and I were all in in the dark, his 6-2 against my 6-4, and a 4 on the turn gave me my eighth WSOP championship. It would have tied me for the all-time record, but Doyle Brunson had won No. 9 one week earlier. Oh well, at least I gave myself some breathing room against Johnny Chan – for only three days, when he won No. 8 to tie me.

Seriously, though, I'm not rooting against anyone else in poker. Doyle winning No. 9 at age 70 is awesome; go, Doyle, go! And Chan winning No. 8, Ferguson winning No. 4 and No. 5, and Seidel winning No. 6 is great theatre and drama for poker and the WSOP. Boys, I'll raise y'all to 20!

I hope you enjoyed this Hand of the Week. Good luck playing your hands this week.<<p>Editor's note: Phil's new book, Play Poker Like the Pros, is now available through Card Player. Phil can often be found playing poker at UltimateBet.com, table "philhellmuth."

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