Mirzikinian Limping Buttons in the Dark at WSOP

Australian Warwick Mirzikinian has been implementing a bizarre heads-up strategy near the end of World Series of Poker Event No. 6 ($5,000 no-limit hold’em mixed max). He’s been limping in the dark from the button.

On Saturday night, Mirzikinian beat recent World Poker Tour champion Marvin Rettenmaier. In the last level of play, Mirzikinian began the unorthodox maneuver. Rettenmaier said afterwards that he didn’t like the strategy and that it was “good for me.”

However, poker pro Kevin MacPhee said that while the strategy is bad online, it might have some advantage in a live setting where physical reads are available.

Rettenmaier conceded that if you are going to limp all buttons, then looking is irrelevant.

Gus Hansen utilized a similar game plan when he won his bracelet at the WSOP Europe, although he was looking at his cards. MacPhee said Hansen was able to be “super sticky” against his opponent, Jim Collopy.

“You’re so deep, and you’re forced to take flops out of position,” MacPhee said of what the strategy does to the other player.

Joseph Cheong, who won his semi-final match in Event No. 6, was scheduled to play the winner of Mirzikinian vs. Aubin Cazals. After his victory, Cheong spoke with his friends about potentially playing Mirzikinian in the final.

“It’s going to be a grind if I have to play someone like that,” Cheong said. “I can’t raise him dark because I’d put myself at a disadvantage. It’s going to be many small pots and many hours.”

As of about 7:30 p.m. local time, Mirzikinian had been playing his semi-final match for about seven hours. Follow along with live updates.

When asked if it’s a bad strategy, Cheong said: “Not really. He’s really unpredictable and doesn’t give up a lot post-flop. He’s also really deepstacked, so sometimes it works out in his favor, but I think I’m a favorite if he’s going to play like that.”

The winner of the event will take home $480,564, after outlasting a field of 409.

Follow Brian Pempus on Twitter — @brianpempus

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