2004 World Series of Poker Eliminations - Part I

Almost every great "known" player fell along the way in the 2004 World Series of Poker championship event, and here are a few of their stories. With 2,576 players (Hallelujah!) entering this year, it wasn't easy to navigate the field. In fact, an analogy I use to tell the press about the way it is goes like this: Imagine 2,576 players in a room flipping coins; 1,288 flip heads and move on … eventually, three will flip heads 10 times in a row. Good luck trying to beat the guy who has 10 coin flips in a row go his way!

Erik Seidel found himself down to $9,000 on day four after not picking up a hand or a pot for a long time. Erik said, "Obviously, I was looking for a hand before then." He had just been high-carded to the TV table. On the fourth hand he was there, he was on the button – and Gus Hansen had played all of the previous three hands. Gus limped, everyone else folded, and it came around to Erik with the blinds at $1,000-$2,000 and the ante at $300 a man. Erik was pretty happy with his K-8, and thought he had Gus beat.

So, he moved all in for $9,000, and the big blind made it $25,000 to go. Erik said, "Right then, I knew I was dead, because this fellow wasn't an action player." Gus folded, the big blind showed Erik A-K, and in an instant it was over for Erik. I also went broke with K-8, but after the flop came down 10-8-4. I was in the small blind with a very short stack, and the button had limped in with Q-10 (yes, Q-10 busted me again).

Annie Duke went out late on day three when she called a moderate raise from the big blind with K-Q, after the small blind had called in front of her. The flop came down 6-5-4, and everyone checked. The turn card was a 5, and Annie bluffed all in for $28,000 into the $14,000 pot. The raiser studied for a long while – while Annie sweated it out – and folded. The small blind then began to study Annie, and finally made a great call with A-Q. Annie now says, "I don't know why the Internet always writes these hands up wrong! It was really just a random pot and a random move that I made – not some $100,000 bluff or anything spectacular like that. At the time, I was a short stack, and I went for it.

"By the way, I would never move in on the river there, because it would look like I was trying to pick up the pot; whereas on the turn, it looks like I may have checked a strong flop, trying to trap the raiser on my left, and was now just protecting my hand by moving in. I just wasn't going to limp into day four with a mere $28,000; it was a high-percentage bluff. The raiser studied me for a long time, and I was very surprised that I was called by the small blind, but kudos to him for making a tough call."

Former World Champion Russ Hamilton went out about 135th or so. Russ said, "I just couldn't accumulate any chips. Every move I made, they came over the top of me, and the blinds and antes just kept going up. Finally, I was down to $52,000 or so, with $1,600-$3,200 blinds and a $400 per person ante. I moved all in over the top of a $9,000 bet with my A-Q, and the original raiser called me quickly with his Q-Q. There was no hesitation on his part, as we both were in late position." A few seconds later, it was over for Russ.

Russ said, "Earlier, I played a big pot when I made it $2,000 to go with my K-K, and a person I knew well made it $7,000 to go behind me. I knew he had a big hand, and the possibilities in my mind were J-J, Q-Q, A-K, or A-A. Since I knew him well, I decided to just call and get a good read, and perhaps even trap him with my kings. The flop came down 8-8-6, and I checked. He bet $9,000, so at this point, I know he doesn't have A-K. I know based on his style that he must have A-A, Q-Q, or J-J. Thus, I called the $9,000. The next card was a 4, I checked, and he checked. Now, I know I have him. Even if an ace comes on the end, I'm going to bet it. My only fear was a queen or a jack on the end. Sure enough, a queen came down on the river, and he sat up in his chair. That scared me, so I checked to him, and he bet $20,000.

"I looked at him and just knew he had pocket queens. It took me four minutes to make a decision, and along the way I said to him, 'Spencer, pocket queens, huh?' Finally, I showed my pocket kings and folded, and he showed me his pocket queens. What a pot to lose that early. I would have had a ton of chips at that early stage, with the blinds at $300-$600, and then I could have really played some poker!" Tough beat, Russ, but it was one heck of a laydown!

Antonio "the magician" Esfandiari went out early on day one. He said, "On the fourth hand of the tournament, with the blinds at $25-$50, I picked up J-J and made it $150 to go. The small blind called, and the flop came down A-J-4 with two spades, and I bet out $450. He called, the turn was the 9u, and I bet $1,200. He called, and at this point in time, I put him on an ace. The river made a spade flush possible, he checked, I went with my read and bet $2,800, and then he moved all in and I was forced to fold. He didn't show the hand, but I didn't need to see it. Later, he told me he had a flush! The hand I went out with is irrelevant, because I was already a short stack." It was a great laydown with the three jacks, but it sucks to lose so much so early in the "Big One."

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