A $1,000,000 HAND! Nam Le took the first prize of $1,172,800 just a few days ago in the 2006 Shooting Star poker event at the Bay 101 in San Jose, California. The runner up was a local player Ravi Udayakumar who trousered a helpful $629,500. Check out how the final hand went as it’ll show you just how “normal” a game of poker you have to play to win over a million dollars. Nam Le called from the button and young Ravi raised to $120,000. Nam Le settled for a simple call. The turn produced a Queen, a seven and a four. Ravi charged off with a $200,000 bet and Nam Le called again. The turn threw up a meagre three. Ravi jacked things up with a $250,000 bet and Nam completed his trio of calls. The river washed up an Ace. Ravi immediately bet out $400,000 and Nam slammed him with $800,000 more. Ravi called all-in and Nam Le flipped over his Ace-seven giving him two pair and the championship against a close run Ace-three from Ravi. A game forever to be known as Nam’s “Call Crusher”. Don’t let the sums of money intimidate you. Nam Le played this game the way any final hand of a tournament should be played, however large or humble the prizes. Cool and then aggressive.
POKER TIP OF THE DAY Following up on yesterday's column about tactics in short-handed games. Here’s a simple trick that works most of the time. If you find yourself in the blind and the other players are limping, go for any excuse to bet. In a short-handed game players are likely to raise on any reasonable card like a King or and Ace, so if they are all limping it’s not likely anyone’s holding anything spectacular. If the flop throws up an Ace, definitely bet. Your opponents are likely to figure you’ve made yourself a second Ace (when in fact you don’t even have the first) and probably you’ll steal the pot.
MORE SIMPLE ODDS If you’re at a full table here are a few simple odds to keep in mind. The odds on pocket aces or Kings being out there are at least 12-1. Perhaps even more significantly, there’s a forty per cent likelihood of an Ace or a King turning up on the flop.
DEPOSE THE KING Here’s another rather logical tip which newcomers should turn into an automatic reaction: If you’re holding kings in a full table game and an Ace hits on the flop and you don’t make your set, you’ll be better off folding. It seems criminal to fold kings at this stage but the odds will be against you in a full ring game.
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ALL THE ACES poker column: Sunday, March 12, 2006: Shooting Star Wins Million Dollar Poker Hand
