Sammy ‘Any Two’ George

Picture this. A London casino, much like any other casino in the world; tournaments, cash games, black jack tables, roulette, the whole nine yards. Life radiates throughout; the various sounds of laughter, loss, rapture, and regret. Serious players settle in for a session, fish build the nerve to take the plunge, and local bar hoppers fancy their chances. Not far from this, in the same building in fact, a group of men come together, hungry for more. More than those in the other rooms can afford. More than those in charge can offer. They are business men and that’s what they are here to do.

The room is just like any other. That is, until a date is arranged which puts into motion the actions needed to bring together the forces which make this room come alive. Some of the richest, most successful, and down right daring poker players come here, and no one even knows about it. In fact, no one knows who they are.

Enter Sammy “Any Two” George
A name known perhaps only among specific circles — cash game players; late night poker TV lovers; not to forget gossip-fuelled poker forums. But Sammy George is now appearing on the international radar, and though at first he stood out because of his controversial “any two cards” philosophy, he is now in search of recognition for his more mature, and overall generally evolved, game. “When I started going up to the Vic,” says George, “I got bored of the 50p-£1 games after a while because whether I was winning or losing, I sort of started to lose the excitement of it and I moved up to the bigger games. I sat down in the £10-£25 game with a few of the guys there and I just started playing every single hand, which obviously, now with my maturity in poker, is not good to do. I didn’t understand anything about positional play or tactics, or anything like that at all. I just used to play any two cards, and I got the nickname ‘Any Two,’ and it stuck, I guess.”

The reason behind his nickname was evident when he played in The Poker Den. George thinks back to this time in his career and is endearingly honest about his performance, “I was using my name more than anything and it worked for me in the beginning — I was the cash leader. But I started getting very tired and messing around too much and next thing you know I’ve lost my lead and I sort of tilted a little bit, and as any pro would tell you, to tilt isn’t good, you should try and keep your composure. There wasn’t enough big stacks on the table that could help you get out of that situation. I wasn’t impressed with my performance when I watched it. But I’m sure if I was to play that game again with the knowledge that I have now, then I would have been a completely different player.”

Wild Life
So, what does the outspoken Brit do with the knowledge he has now then? He plays in some of the biggest cash games the world has to offer. “The Omaha and no-limit games in France are pretty big, they’re private games set up for affluent business men. I find the game there is as wild as it is here. When you’re playing those proper stacks with guys who like to have a bit of a gamble, it does get a bit crazy.”

“The two games that would stick out in my mind, is one where I played a private game in France where I won about €285,000 — that was in pot-limit Omaha. We were playing 200-400 blinds and the guys were straddling to a ridiculous amount of money. It was coming up to the last couple of hours and we were playing 24-hour stints. I was actually falling asleep in the middle of a hand, and I was woken up by one of my friends. I look down and I’m looking at the nut flush draw with the nut straight draw so I was all over the hand, and there was a bet of 50,000 and a raise of 100,000, and I had to push all in. He called, and I hit my nut flush. So, yeah that was good. The big London game is organized by a guy called Craig, he sets up a big one for all the big players there. You’re talking about £1.5 million on the table, it gets pretty wild sometimes.”

No Trespassing
The game he speaks of here is one which nobody has spoken publicly about before. The only names who have played there that can be mentioned are Roland de Wolfe and George himself. What we do know is the players are from the higher rungs of society; with not much more to gain, but a hell of a lot to lose. They are older business men, well-respected in their professions, with a hankering for some good old fashioned card-playing in the style they have grown accustomed too — privately, comfortably, hassle-free, and limitless.

“It is the biggest cash game around at the moment,” says George. “Well you don’t hear about the most private ones, but in a casino, I reckon it’s the biggest. You’re dealing with certain people, you’re playing with guys who don’t really want their name to be out there. I mean I’m different, a lot of people know me, but that doesn’t matter. They’re used to me because they know me, but anyone outside of the group is sort of … not not welcome … but it’s what the guys are comfortable with — they only feel comfortable with people they know already.”

If You Build it, They will Come
“Basically this is how the big game is. We don’t plan the big game, the big game just happens. It’s very ‘hush hush.’ Last week you had to sit down with a minimum of say £20,000 and the structure was that the minute your stack goes to £10,000 then you’re allowed to rebuy another £20,000, and if you do lose your money, then you’re allowed to buy double what you sat down with, to give you a chance to get it back. That started off with £20,000 and everyone ended up with £150,000 in front of them.”

“The other games that are going, everyone sits down with £150,000, can reload up to £200,000 or £300,000 and there are eight people on the table. We only play no-limit hold’em. It’s normally £100-£200 with a compulsory straddle and the straddles can go up to £3,200.” He says this with a laugh that sounds almost like he can’t believe it himself. But it’s reality, and it can happen two or three times a week. It seems that if it’s excitement you’re looking for, then this room is the place to be, and Sammy George is the man to know.

Adrenalin Junky
George likes to gamble; he seeks excitement, and therefore likes the challenge of the biggest stakes and opponents. It’s not surprising then that he speaks so highly of fellow Englishman Roland de Wolfe. “Roland is a good cash game player, he’s not scared to put his money in for the draws, he’s not scared to go over the top, or to bluff. A lot of people, when they’re playing big cash games, they’re more conservative because those chips are worth actual money in their pockets. It’s different than tournament play where if their money goes, then their money’s gone. In a tournament you can only lose your buy-in; in cash, you can lose your house.”

It’s clear that George is someone who enjoys the intensity of the game when he speaks of preffering live poker to online. “To be honest I don’t favor the cash games that much online because I’m the type of guy who likes to be with my opponent, I like to smell them, I like to look at them, I like to see the sweat dripping down them, I like to look in their eyes and see what they’re up to.”

Bring It On
This is obviously a guy who likes to be among the best in whatever he does, and competition pumps alongside the blood in his veins. This becomes evident when other high stakes players are brought up — players like Tom “Durrrr” Dwan, Luke Shwartz, Phil Ivey, and Patrik Antonius. However, he doesn’t mince his words when it comes to pointing out who he respects, and indeed, who he does not. “With Phil Ivey and Patrik Antonius, you’re talking about guys I rate quite highly. Guys like Durrrr to me are normal, you know, they’re nothing special.
I’ve watched him play a few games online. I’ve watched him on TV, I’ve watched him live and to be honest, he has some moves, but you want to see if they have the same moves when their pockets are short.”

As George continues to speak about his adversaries, he gets increasingly animated and driven. “When it comes to cash I’ve got an edge over everyone. I’m not scared to put my money in. I’m not scared to move in, and to bluff me off is going to be very difficult.” This is when he brings out the big guns; putting his money where his mouth is, “I’m hoping to play Durrrr heads up to be honest, we’re trying to organize something, so we can have a massive heads-up cash game. I’ve no problem playing Durrrr or anyone, any time, any place, on any table, for any amount of money.”

Taking on America
He takes this attitude and a whopping bucket-full of money with him to the streets of Vegas this summer to take on Sin City’s biggest and boldest cash games. Asked if he was going to have a taste of the infamous Bobby’s Room, he says, “I’m hoping to play any room that has money on the table that can make me more money. I’ll play Bobby’s Room or ‘Sammy’s Room’ it doesn’t matter!” He also hopes to take more of an interest in the tournament scene, especially now that he has signed with Check Raise Management. “I’ve decided I’m going to play more tournaments and try and put my name out there properly because a lot of people think I’m not that great, and though a lot of people respect my game, the name I built up — ‘Any Two’— pays me off because a lot of people don’t know whether I have it or I don’t, and nowadays I do. And I do get paid.” This is backed up by the fact he is thought to have won a massive $3 million in cash games.

“I’ll be honest with you,” adds George. “My poker has evolved quite a lot recently and Nick Ferro [of Check Raise Management] approached me and said, ‘Do you want me to look after your poker career?’ and I said, ‘You know, why not?’ because I’m a busy business man and I can’t keep on top of what events are happening and what’s going on. So to have Nick there, I thought was a good idea because he calls me up and lets me know what’s happening, he can build up my profile, and all in all he’s a great guy.”

More, More, More
Sam George is the type of person, who on meeting, you can instantly see is driven, strives for perfection, and doesn’t give up until he succeeds. Because of this (and his outspoken, straight-up nature) he can also seem a tad arrogant. In saying that, he balances this out with a sprinkling of modesty, a dash of down-to-earth, and a generous helping of realism. “I’ve won a lot and I’ve lost a lot, and I’ve learned in poker you’ll never master the game for years and years. You can always change your game, you can always tweak it.
Everyone has got their own opinion and I respect everyone. I’m just a fun guy that sits down at the table and respects everybody. Everything in life I like to do, I like to do it correctly. I like to master the game and master my business. In poker, to master the game, it will take you a long time, probably until after you’re dead, and it’s just the recognition that — yeah, Sammy’s a good player — that’s really what I’m striving for.”

Whether it’s in the board room or the poker room, Sammy George has a relentless appetite for success and is not afraid to put his name on the line to achieve it. This is not a reckless goal oblivious to mistakes and improvements, but a passionate drive filled with lessons learned and progress made. Those who think they know the player and his game, may want to think twice before accepting his challenge — either way Sammy George awaits the smell of fresh meat, and welcomes any promise of new blood.