All-Time Awards

Just when you think you've seen it all …

I learned how to play poker at age 10, and have been a professional poker player for most of my adult life. While I certainly have not seen it all, I have seen a great deal. In this column, I would like to touch on some of the highlights in certain categories from all of my poker experience.

Worst bad beat: You players who do not "deal twice" for the pot - as we pot-limit Omaha money players often do when all in - think the worst bad beat you can get is someone hitting a one-outer against you. The beats get far worse when you deal twice. Dealing twice means that the dealer deals once for half of the pot only, then again for the other half. With two cards to come, the potential for a bad beat far exceeding a one-outer in rarity is possible. Here is an example from my own play:
 

I got all in on the turn against a player who could win with only a gutshot king, and I had a king in my hand. We dealt twice, and I got scooped, as the board brought a king both times. I told a group of Omaha players the next day about my horrendous luck, and I was topped in my bad-luck story by Freddy Deeb. Fred told me that he got all in on the flop against Ali (a well-known high-stakes Omaha player), and his opponent needed two running hearts to win. Fred had a heart in his hand. They had agreed to deal twice. Ali bought two running hearts to win the first deal, and two running hearts to win the second deal, scooping poor Fred! The pot had more than $20,000 in it. Top that one, pal!

Boldest bluff by me: In the 1987 World Series of Poker pot-limit Omaha event, with several tables left, I started a hand with about $30,000, and my opponent in that hand had about $50,000. I had bet the pot size on the flop, holding two pair and the nut-flush draw; my opponent called. On the turn, a card came off that made a straight combination of J-10-9, and my opponent led into me with a bet of the maximum. I called what was in all probability the nut straight. The pot was now about $40,000. The last card was an offsuit queen. My opponent checked, and I bet my last $10,000. My opponent figured correctly that I had the nut-flush draw, and my bet said that I had a king along with my ace. He was getting 5-to-1 odds on the money, but my bet sure looked like I had lucked out. He knew I was a good player who understood the situation, and would be unlikely to bluff when he "had to call." He finally folded. Doyle Brunson, who was playing at our table, said, "If that was a bluff, it was a hell of a bluff." This was not meant as a compliment, but as a statement that it sure did not look like I was bluffing (and probably made to elicit a comment on what I held, but I said nothing). That pot was the key to my eventually winning 80 grand in that Omaha event, being able to enter "the big one," and finishing third in it. I do not claim that this was a great bluff, but it was definitely bold and successful.

Boldest bluff: Gary "Bones" Berland, a fine poker player from the past, told me about a bluff in a no-limit hold'em cash game that he regarded as the most impressive one he ever saw. He was watching a huge no-limit hold'em cash game in the Dunes cardroom in the late '60s. Some guy from Texas bet a flop that showed an open pair of jacks and a 7, and he got called in two places. On the turn, when a low card came, the man fired out a big bet, and again was called by his two opponents. At the river, a deuce came. The Texan bet $55,000. Both of his opponents reluctantly folded. Of course, each player held a jack, did not fill, and figured the bettor had flopped the underfull. However, after they folded, the bettor faced his hand - and he held absolutely nothing!

Gary "Bones" Berland pictured betting

Most gracious opponent: There are plenty of worthy contenders for this poker award. I am going to nominate Bob Brooks of Dallas as my candidate. Bob used to play with us at least three times a week when I lived in Dallas and played regularly in Charlie Bissell's game. We used to play $5-$10-$25 blinds no-limit hold'em, and it was a very tough game. Some of the other regulars were "Point," Ken Smith, Bill Bond, Bob Hooks, Everett Goolsby, Bill Smith, and last but not least, T.J. Cloutier. It's a good thing we got some drop-ins. More of this talent collection are now dead than alive, sorry to say.

Bob Brooks had made a lot of money booking in Alaska and then invested it in Caesars Palace stock when it was very cheap, so he was well-heeled. When someone showed down a hand that beat his - which did not happen that often - he would simply say, "You got it," and throw his hand away. One day I was in the big blind with the K 6 in an unraised pot and flopped a flush. I played a big pot with Mr. Brooks and got all in on the flop. We showed our hands at that point, and he had the nuts, an ace-high flush. Two more cards were dealt and the pot of more than $3,000 was pushed to me. Miraculously, two more clubs had come and I had made a straight flush with the 6! "You got it," said Brooks, and he threw his hand away in tempo, making no further comments, as if nothing unusual had happened. How many players do you know who could do that while keeping a poker face and not saying another word? Frankly, I couldn't.

Worst poker play: There are plenty of candidates for this "honor," but let me tell you of a hand that was played in a small poker game back in the early '70s, and see what you think. We were playing seven-card stud at Paul Pink's Bridge Club in Detroit. Jack Smith, who was 90 years old, a zillionaire, and hardly ever folded, had trip sevens showing on fifth street. His opponent, "Ronnie the Banker" (he worked in the mortgage department of a bank back then) had the proverbial no pair and no draw showing - aka three strangers. Jack bet, and Ronnie called. On sixth street, Jack caught the case 7 for quads on the board, and Ronnie caught what looked like another blank. Jack bet, of course, and Ronnie amazed everyone by calling the open quads! At the river, Jack bet in the dark. I have never seen a worse bet in my whole life of playing poker. Folks, do not bet on the river when your opponent can see your entire hand, no matter how good that hand is. Your opponent cannot call with a worse hand. Back then, we were even playing with the rule that if you erred by calling at the river when boardlocked, you got your money back! Justice was done. Ronnie raised, Jack called, and Ronnie showed him four kings.