Chasing Bracelet No. 10

Once again, I made a final table at the 2006 World Series of Poker. This time the game was Omaha eight-or-better (a high-low split game), and it was Monday, July 17. By the way, July 16 was my birthday, and what a great one I had! I led day two of the tournament all day long (we finished right before midnight), and PGA Tour golfer Corey Pavin and my close friend Carl Westcott flew in just to have birthday dinner with me!



With a chance to win my historic 10th bracelet and tie Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan for the WSOP all-time lead, I fell short once again. Although I was able to beat 360 players, there were five whom I could not outlast. I did manage to set the record for most finishes in the money in WSOP history at 53, but this is not the record that I desire so much. After losing two huge pots immediately at the final table, I never recovered, and went on to finish in sixth place (it wasn't my birthday anymore!).



Then, in the $2,500 buy-in pot-limit hold'em tournament, I sat down and actually knew more than one player at my starting table, which is unusual with 1,000-player-plus fields almost every day. In fact, Howard "The Professor" Lederer was on my right, and Mike Sexton (the commentator for the World Poker Tour) was on my left. Naturally, I arrived more than two hours late, and my starting stack of $2,500 in chips had dwindled down to $1,775. Although I woke up in a timely manner, I felt tired and simply didn't feel like playing poker or writing a column right then. So, I went for a long workout, a sauna, coffee, and lunch. I arrived in the tournament area feeling strong.



With the blinds at $50-$100, I raised it to $300 to go on the very first hand with A-9, and the small blind moved all in for another $600 or so. I called, my opponent showed 10-10, and I lost the pot with a final board of 9-6-3-Q-7. After losing more than 50 percent of my chips on my first hand, I told the table, "I guess I should have shown up 30 seconds later." A few minutes later, I called a small raise with K-Q from the small blind, as did Sexton from the big blind. The flop was K-9-4, and I checked. Sexton bet his 9-6, and I called all in and doubled up. OK, this was good; I was back!



One round later, I called $100 from the button with K-9, and Sexton raised it $250 more from the small blind. The big blind folded and it was back to me. I felt like Sexton was playing me superaggressively, and that he was going to raise it almost every time that I just called a bet from the button. So, I began to study my options. The smart move was to fold my hand right then and there, unless I felt strongly that Sexton was bluffing. I didn't really read him for strength or weakness, but the dealer was sitting right between us. I made a mistake here: I should have thought things out a bit more. Instead of thinking, or studying Sexton for 20 seconds, I acted. I moved all in, and now Sexton thought for about 40 seconds before he called with the A Q. Had I studied him for 20 seconds longer, I might have been able to make the obvious and easy play: fold this weak K-9 piece of trash! Instead, I put my money in with the worst hand, which I almost never do in any hold'em tournament. Sexton was almost a 2-1 favorite, and this was a hand that I should not have played in the first place.



The doorcard to the flop gave me hope – the K – but then the other two cards were shown, and they were the J and the 4. Although I had flopped top pair, Sexton had flopped a straight draw (needing a 10), an ace draw, and a flush draw (any diamond). When the turn card was the 6, my hopes began to rise, but then the last card was the 7, giving Sexton the ace-high flush. All I could say was, "Nice hand, Mike."



I had busted myself out in 15 minutes when I was ready (workout and everything) to play all day long and make it deep into the field. It was too bad that I had played poorly one more time in my life. And it was too bad that I couldn't outdraw Sexton! On the other hand, the next day was the $5,000 buy-in shorthanded no-limit hold'em event (a great one for me), and I did get plenty of rest.

You can follow me or your favorite poker player at whatever tournament we're playing at www.CardPlayer.com, or read my blog at www.PhilHellmuth.com.