'Hecklers Week'

Recently I played on the hit show Poker After Dark, and in my last column I discussed a few hands that were played during the "Hecklers Week" show, which featured Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, Gavin Smith, Bobby Bellande (the poker player who was on Survivor), Shawn "The Sheik" Sheikhan, Sam Grizzle, and I.

When we hit threehanded, Bellande, Sheikhan, and I were left battling. With the blinds at $2,000-$4,000, Sheiky folded on the button, I looked at A-4 in the small blind, and moved Bellande all in for his last $18,000. Bellande called with A-8, and I was a 2.5-1 underdog to win the pot. Bellande spent a full minute chatting about how unlucky he was, and telling the world that I would win the pot.

The flop was 8-6-4, and Sheiky said, "See, bro, you can't lose this one now."

Bellande said, "With my luck, I could." Amazingly, the turn card was a 4! Now, Bellande needed an 8 to win the pot, and found himself huge underdog.

The river was a 7, and Sheiky said, "See, bro, you brought it on yourself. You have a bad attitude; you expect to lose, and then you lose."

Brutal; it was bad enough to lose like that - to a two-outer - but then Bellande had to listen to Sheiky! Yet we all knew that trash-talking was going to be a big part of this show.

I have no problem with the way this hand was played by either of us; when the blinds get big enough, ace high becomes a
strong hand.

Sheiky and I had a long heads-up battle in which where we both employed the strategy of limping in with strong hands. As far as I could tell, Sheiky hadn't used this strategy much before. For some reason, whenever I play someone heads up for a title, it seems that we play most of our poker after the flop. I'm not sure why it comes down this way. Yet again, there wasn't much preflop raising. I know that I set the tone by not raising a single pot before the flop for almost an hour. If I had A-A, I would call and, if I had 7-5, I would call. The reason that I employed this strategy is that it made it difficult to raise when I entered a pot. So, I could play any two cards before the flop without the threat of Sheiky raising it .

Eventually - with the blinds at $2,000-$4,000 - I limped in with 7-7 from the button, Sheiky made it $8,000 more to go, and I sensed my opportunity. Sheiky seemed weak to me, and I knew that he couldn't call off his last $34,000 with a weak hand. So, I moved all in. Sheiky studied a moment, and eventually called with the Q 8! I was stunned, and played the part of the Poker Brat, saying "Have you lost your mind?" The cards came down A-A-K-K-6, and I was left with 7 high; two pair, aces and kings, with a 7! Sheiky won the pot, and then I went off, saying, "My stomach actually hurts. You played that hand so bad that I feel sick. I need to spit because I cannot believe that you called off all of your money with queen-eight! Sheiky, you're not a hold'em player." I wish that I hadn't said it. Sure, it will be entertaining for y'all to watch on television, but I like Sheiky, and I wish that I could control myself better when someone plays poorly and outdraws me.

Let's take a closer look at this hand. I love my limp in with 7-7, although old-school tactics say that I should raise it before the flop. I don't mind Sheiky's $8,000 raise. Queen high may well be the best hand, and it gives him a chance to win the pot right then and there. I love my all-in reraise, because I made the right read (Sheiky was weak). I hate Sheiky's all-in call, because he knows that I have him beat, and he may well be dominated. Why knowingly put all of your money in with the worst hand? On the other hand, if Sheiky knew that I had exactly 7-7, the call was a good one (the Q 8 vs. 7-7 is close). There is another point in favor of Sheiky's call, and that is this: If Sheiky assumes that I'm the better player, he may as well play a big pot with the worst hand and try to get lucky.