Please Hold 'Em!

In the $3,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament at the World Series of Poker recently, I managed to win my ninth bracelet, which tied me with Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan for the all-time lead … $410,000, a WSOP championship, and a tie for the all-time bracelet lead, oh happy day! I am still feeling very blessed and happy.

It was almost as smooth sailing as it has ever been for me, except when Erik Seidel started running me over as if I were a Hyundai and he a Mack truck. I would open for $8,000 to $15,000, and he would reraise me $30,000 to $50,000. Time and time again this happened, so finally I decided to make a stand with A-J for his $50,000 raise.

But then, as I was about to move all in, I thought better of it. I thought, "I know he has it this time, and if I move all in, he's going to show me Q-Q. Patience, Phil, patience; I know I'm down to $120,000 from more than $400,000, but the blinds are only $2,500-$5,000." I kept thinking, "Erik has nearly $800,000, but show them a hand and don't panic, and you'll still have a chance to win."

Then, Nolan Dalla asked the crowd whom they were rooting for. All of my life, the crowd has never been behind me, so I automatically thought, "At least my wife, mom, and sister will clap for me!" Amazingly, the crowd cheered for me the loudest, and I thought, "I can win this thing." It was a powerful thought to have, and it felt so right.

When we were sevenhanded, Erik limped in with J-J, prompting me to limp in with 8-5 offsuit behind him, with disastrous consequences for me! With a flop of Q-J-8, everyone checked, I bet $8,000, and Erik just called me – which was a beautiful "just call." Then, an 8 came off, and Erik bet out $15,000. I studied him and decided that I couldn't raise with my three eights, so I just called. On the end, Erik sensed that I was powerful, and bet out a whopping $60,000. What a great bet he made here! I called and lost, and then thought to myself, "Erik sure played that hand great, but I did it to myself by coming after him with 8-5 offsuit."

Erik then limped in with K-10 on the button, and I called $2,500 more from the small blind with Q-6. The flop came down K-Q-6. I checked, and Erik bet $12,000. I announced, "All in," and counted out a $99,000 raise. This was the first time that I had been all in since 3 p.m. on day No. 1; it was now 11 p.m. on day No. 2. Erik studied a long time, and I had a bad feeling that if he called, I was going to lose. I felt like he would outdraw me, but there I sat, telling myself, "Look, you don't have to get unlucky here. Just let things play out and maybe you'll win the pot (all the time thinking, 'Please hold 'em!')."

Erik reluctantly called – I believe he knew that I had him beat – and the next card was a 9 (K-Q-6-9), which gave him a straight draw, as well. A river card 3 gave me the pot, and a good shot. At this point in the tournament we were threehanded – Erik, Daniel Negreanu, and me. I had been waiting for a long time to win a pot, and now I could see Daniel's and Erik's demeanor change a bit. I won the next pot, and Erik said, "I've created a monster." Hearing that from Erik gave me nothing but more confidence.

Erik still had almost $700,000 in chips, but I began to feel that this tournament could be mine. Erik kept running me over, but I knew that he would soon run me over when I had the nuts. I just stayed patient, and never raised a pot before the flop, so that he couldn't win much when he raised me. I would just call on the button, and take a flop with K-Q suited or whatever, unless Erik raised it, in which case I would just fold, or call if my hand was strong enough.

Meanwhile, Daniel was doing the same thing with his strong hands. We would just call before the flop and take a flop, or perhaps call Erik's small raise before the flop. If Erik was going to run us over, he wasn't going to win too much doing it.

Finally, I picked up Q-Q on the button, and for some reason, I raised it before the flop. Erik just called my raise, and the flop was Q-10-9. Erik checked, and I bet about $20,000 or so. Erik called, and the turn card was the fourth queen, for a board of Q 10 9 Q. Erik checked, and I bet $30,000 with my four queens, looking for a raise from Erik.

When I put my chips into the pot, I bet them with my favorite "bluffing tell." I tried to make Erik think I was bluffing with my hand motions, facial expressions, the way I put in the chips, and the way I stacked the chips before I bet. Erik may have had a made straight (K-J), a pair of jacks, or most likely a draw of some sort. The Q made a flush draw possible, in addition to the existing straight draw possibility.

In any case, Erik announced, "I raise it," and proceeded to call the $30,000 and raise $75,000. I immediately thought that my best move here would be to move all in, but as I counted out the $75,000, and my remaining $83,000 or so, I decided that Erik might have nothing. If he had a draw or a hand (like a straight or J-J), he certainly would call my last $83,000, but if he was bluffing, then he would fold if I reraised my last $83,000.

Finally, I decided that just calling the $75,000 raise was my best move, but I'm still not sure that was the right play. In any case, a 10 on the river (Q-10-9-Q-10) made Erik check, and I decided to bet $40,000. After a long delay, Erik called me, and I had the pleasure of saying, "Four queens." The whole room cooed, "Ohhh," but I knew I had a lot of work left to do, and therefore I didn't even smile.

One round later Erik raised my big blind from the small blind, and I called with K-J. The flop came down K-10-9, and Erik bet out $40,000. I called immediately, without even knowing how much he bet. On the turn, a deuce came off, and Erik bet a large pile of $5,000 chips ($95,000, it turned out). Again, I said, "Call," within one second of his bet. The last card was a 6, and Erik checked. I was almost certain that I had the best hand, but I checked behind him, feeling that I had won enough with one pair of kings and a jack kicker.

When Erik paused, I said, "King-jack," and he said, "I believe that's good." Now, I had the chip lead again! Finally, I started to raise a few more hands, and soon Erik was down to $65,000, and Daniel remained at about $250,000, while I held about $900,000 or so.

When Erik moved all in for about $65,000 on the button, I called him with A-6 from the $4,000 small blind. A lucky A-K-J flop gave me the pot, and now I was looking at a heads-up match with Daniel. On the first hand, Daniel made it $25,000, and I looked down at A-K and moved him all in. He said, "So, that's the way it's going to be, huh?" Then, he folded, but I didn't want him to see my A-K (now he knows, though, after reading this column), so I folded it facedown.

About five hands later, I limped in with 4-3 offsuit (or so I thought at the time), and the flop came down Q 8 2. Daniel checked, and I looked more closely at my hand, which was the 4 3, a flush draw. I was thinking that this was the same type of hand Mark Seif had when he finished ninth (a small heart draw against Daniel's top pair). So, I checked very quickly behind Daniel.

The turn card was the 5, for Q 8 2 5, and Daniel checked again. I decided that a big bet relative to the size of the pot would be a good idea with my flush. I thought it might appear that I had the K Q, or something similar, top pair with a heart draw. So, I bet $30,000 into the $20,000 pot. Daniel then started reaching deep (really deep) into his stack. He called the $30,000 and raised $100,000. Immediately, I asked how much more he had, and he replied that he had $117,000.

I thought to myself that he had to have a big hand here, but what could I do? I counted out $217,000 and studied for a minute. I was thinking, "If he has a flush, I'm dead to the A or 6 here." Finally, I decided that I had to go with this hand, and I put $217,000 into the pot. Daniel then said, "I think I'm dead, but I'm calling you." I said, "I don't know about that, but I have a flush." To my enormous relief, he said, "That's good so far," and he flipped up Q-8, for top two pair.

I thought, "Please, no queen or 8 on the last card and it's over!" The river card was a 7, and I had done it; I had won my ninth WSOP bracelet, and this one was going to go to my brother in Minneapolis. This tournament had tested my patience to the limit – rather, Erik Seidel had tested my patience to the limit. I believe that if the blinds had been raised faster, Erik would have won it. I am very proud of myself for hanging in there and winning No. 9.

I hope you enjoyed this Hand of the Week. Good luck playing your hands this week.

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."

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."